John Dolan (Independent)
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I agree with the Minister of State that the inaction of previous Governments is not his responsibility. I was speaking about the measures which he confidently said he had managed to secure in the context of the negotiations on the current programme for Government. The Tánaiste, Deputy Fitzgerald, is on record on this issue. I have quoted the position of Government. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, graciously accepted that the mistake was on his part but in my view it was a mistake by the entire Government and not just him. My evidence is based on what Ministers have said. The facts, in terms of people's lives, are based on data provided by the CSO, ESRI and other reputable third-party sources.

In regard to the Minister of State's reference to congregated settings, even if we meet the target of removing 180 people each year from such settings, it will take 15 years to complete the process. I mentioned earlier that there are 4,000 people on the social housing waiting list. These people will not even rise above water level in the context of Rebuilding Ireland. There are serious issues to be addressed not only by the Minister of State, but also by the entire Government, if we are to make progress in this area. That is the thrust of what I was saying.