Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have to keep things in perspective as well in regard to all of this. The overall objective is to protect lives and public health. That is what we are all here for.

Regarding Deputy Kelly's points, I made my comments in terms of the EWSS. In regard to gender-based and domestic violence and so on, the Ministers for Justice, Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are working on a strategic framework on domestic abuse and working, in a more timely way, on areas where we have reduced capacity or no capacity geographically in terms of refuges and supports, with a view to providing additional supports. I take the issue the Deputy addressed seriously and in good faith and will continue to work on it.

On Deputy O'Callaghan's point, I do not know whether that matter has been referred to the Garda. If people who are meant to be looking after the homeless are looking for drugs and selling drugs, that is a very serious assertion. I take his point about an overall regulatory framework governing emergency accommodation and the homeless. To be fair to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, it works with tried and trusted partners, and local authorities do likewise. That is why I am always very worried about new developments or new organisations being established. We have existing organisations that are tried and trusted and we should work with them on the homeless issue.

Deputy Carthy spoke about the cost of living and so forth. I made the overall point on this earlier. On VAT, we all need to be honest with ourselves. He knows that what he has suggested cannot be done. As for his get-out clause of asking whether I asked the Commission, he knows the answer. His party said we should go to zero. We cannot go to zero; that is the problem.

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