Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the commitments in the programme for government in relation to his department; and the progress on same. [39812/16]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of commitments in the programme for government pertaining to his department. [1909/17]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.

The Programme for a Partnership Government was published on 11 May 2016 and sets out an ambitious programme of work to be implemented over the lifetime of the Government. Las month, the Government published a progress report on the programme setting out the progress made to date across all of Government on implementing those actions and commitments and includes measures recently announced under budget 2017. This is the first of many regular reports to be published in addition to the annual report which will be published in May following the Government’s first year in office.

In the first six months, some of the key issues progressed across Government included a new action plan for housing and homelessness; the establishment of a €200 million local Infrastructure housing activation fund; an increase in rent limits under the rent supplement and housing assistance payment; the establishment of a task force on the implementation of personalised budgets for persons with disabilities; the establishment of the Citizens’ Assembly; a new dedicated Cabinet committee working on a new rural action plan; the establishment of a mobile phone and broadband task force; two weeks' paternity leave introduced since September 2016; and reforms implemented to give the Oireachtas a stronger role in planning its business and in the budgetary process.

My Department has responsibility for certain commitments in the programme, including the areas of Dáil reform, relations with Britain and Northern Ireland, managing the new partnership approach between Government and Parliament, and the establishment of a Citizens' Assembly.

Officials in my Department are working to progress these issues over the lifetime of the Government.

Immediate areas progressed to date include the setting up and supporting of the Citizens' Assembly to carry out its work independently; a range of Dáil reforms including power for Parliament to plan its own business, a new budget oversight committee to allow the Oireachtas to play a greater role in the budgetary process, the appointment of committee Chairs through the d'Hondt system, the provision of more time for Private Members' business in the Dáil and the grouping of votes to encourage a more family-friendly policy. My Department is actively supporting a whole-of-Government response through dedicated action plans for jobs; housing and homelessness; rural development, and a creative Ireland, which latter plan was launched recently. These action plans are further supported through specific Cabinet committees on the economy, trade and jobs; housing; regional and rural affairs, and arts, Irish and the Gaeltacht, respectively. My Department is ensuring that there is a whole-of-Government response to Brexit, including contingency planning and Brexit negotiations and this is being co-ordinated through a new Brexit Cabinet committee. I expect further progress to be reported on these and other commitments in the next report which I expect to see published in the spring.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. The programme for Government is 155 pages long and contains many recommendations and commitments, some of which, dare I say it, will never see the light of day. They were included anyway. The commitments in respect of the health service are particularly worrying. I ask the Taoiseach to comment on the assertion by the director general of the Health Service Executive last week to the effect that he needed €9 billion for capital infrastructure. The Taoiseach may raise his eyebrows, but that is what was stated in relation to the deficits in health infrastructure, which are real. In terms of the operation of the health budget this year, real questions marks exist over whether we got a proper assessment of the needs of the health servicevis-à-visthe money allocated because the service has been left short very quickly in the new year. The bed capacity issue is flailing around the place and there has been no real focus on it or a coherent approach to it. Approximately €9 million of new money has been allocated to acute hospitals for new services and it is arguable that it will go nowhere. I acknowledge the allocation earlier last year in terms of balancing the budget, but there are still serious issues in relation to health. It seems the director general of the HSE is laying down a very strong marker.

If one looks at funding for A Vision for Change on mental health, it is our view that the relevant part of our confidence and supply agreement has not been upheld. When the budget was announced, it was indicated that there would be full funding for A Vision for Change but in the end it emerged in reply to Deputy Browne's questions that only €15 million was going to be made available this year for mental health commitments. That falls well short of the commitment announced in the budget by the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, himself. That was bad form and it sent a very wrong signal to the mental health community and those with concerns about mental health because it illustrated a somewhat cynical approach. We will pretend it is €35 million but in essence it is actually only €15 million. That kind of sleight of hand is unacceptable in relation to a sensitive issue such as mental health and we will be engaging further with the Government on that.

Can the Taoiseach indicate when the Seanad reform implementation group will be established? It is to implement the Manning report. It should be put in place forthwith. On the budgetary process, there is meant to be an independent office. While the Oireachtas is working on it, it is still not established. The reports of the fiscal council do not get due attention from the Government. It is interesting to note that in the general election last year the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, said the fiscal space was €500 million. Fast forwarding to just before the budget was announced, the Government found €300 million in the space of a week, which took us to approximately €1.3 billion. We have now found in the first week of January a further €120 million. The election took place in February last year, the budget was passed in October and we are now at a fiscal space of €1.4 billion and climbing. Questions must be asked about the veracity of all of that. I put it to the Taoiseach that the commitment we have made to an independent budgetary office and proper recognition of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council must be looked at far more seriously than appears to be the case right now.

I turn to appointments to State boards. We had the extraordinary revelations in the Sunday Independentnewspaper about the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, and the former Minister, Liz O'Donnell, in the Road Safety Authority. I am not against Ministers being particularly attentive to detail, but the rounding on the Road Safety Authority for its lack of grammatical precision and some spelling mistakes was a bridge too far in terms of the Minister's engagement with a very serious authority which has had a significant impact on the reduction of deaths and injuries on our roads. He seems to have a particular problem with appointing State boards and members to them notwithstanding the reforms which have taken place. He seems to be picking needless fights and undermining the morale and contribution of boards to society through the kinds of needless row revealed by the Sunday Independent. I ask the Taoiseach whether the Minister has a some sort of waiver in terms of the implementation of programme for Government commitments. Is he exempt from having to comply with basic standard agreements and Government policy on appointments to State boards? What is the position?

Likewise, I refer to the commitments in the programme for Government in terms of public transport. It is extraordinary that the Minister was in a position to brief the Cabinet today on the Bus Éireann dispute. It must have been a very brief briefing given the fact that the Minister said himself that he had not seen or read the report. Every worker in Bus Éireann is very much aware of the report and is worried about its implications for their working conditions and status, the status of the company and the overall Government strategy on public transport. Is the Government committed as per the programme for Government to public transport in principle? Is it committed to basic standards in wages in public transport? In the modern world with pay inequality, it is an important point. All analysis globally shows that there has been a growth in inequality between the corporates, multinationals and big industry and people who are working. We need to be very careful about going down a particular route. It is grand to privatise everything but one ends up with everyone on a very low threshold of wages. As such, we need a debate in the House. The ESRI has previously done some work on the issue and raised concerns about it. It is a global issue and it is one that affects us in the State. Given the grave implications of the Grant Thornton report, I was very taken aback by the Taoiseach's revelation this afternoon that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport had not actually read a core report relating to Bus Éireann and which people read on the front page of The Irish Times.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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And he sought it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Every worker is aware of it as are the trade unions involved. It is a dereliction of duty and it suggests someone who is not engaging. There could be a political reason for it to the effect that "I hear no evil, see no evil and do not want to be involved. It is somebody else's problem". However, public transport is the Minister's responsibility and he cannot waive it. It is per the programme for Government. In terms of the implementation of the programme for Government, what is the Taoiseach's take on the Government's commitment to public transport and does he think it is acceptable that the Minister has not acquainted himself with the content of the Grant Thornton report on Bus Éireann? I find it an incredible admission by the Taosieach and the Minister that the latter has not seen a copy or read its contents.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I note that we have only four minutes left. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as freagra a thabhairt ar na ceisteanna. The first progress report was published just before the Christmas break and was noticeably light in terms of the Government's achievements.

I get a bit confused sometimes. Is the confidence and supply agreement with Fianna Fáil still in place? I assume it is, notwithstanding what the Fianna Fáil leader said-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is a bit more robust than the DUP and Sinn Féin programme for government.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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-----in terms of the areas of significant challenge. Let us note that the leader of Fianna Fáil was in a Cabinet for 14 years which was replete with allegations of corruption and brown envelopes. He humoured and put up with that, but Sinn Féin did not. That is the difference between us and his party.

The areas of significant challenge include homelessness, chaos in health, a lack of provision for mental health services, housing, the rental sector, water charges and public transport. I note that the Taoiseach very skilfully hung the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport out to dry earlier during Leaders' Questions.

There has been little movement on issues which are the direct responsibility of the Taoiseach. I have already put it to the Taoiseach that the commitment to actively fulfil the Government's mandate as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement has not been fulfilled. I note that the commitment of the Taoiseach to maintain the needs of victims at the core of building on the progress made to establish the new institutional framework on the past, as agreed under the Stormont House Agreement, has not been fulfilled. There are other commitments in respect of North-South infrastructural projects, specifically the Narrow Water bridge project and the southern relief road between Warrenpoint and the M1. A range of other commitments are the direct responsibility of the Taoiseach's Department.

Progress in these areas has not happened, including Ministers of State playing a more substantive role in policy formation and a re-examination of their functions within departmental structures and with Ministers. I am obliged to give the Taoiseach space to answer these questions.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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To be helpful in light of what has happened, perhaps we could take five minutes from the next tranche of questions and give ten minutes to Deputy Howlin, who has not come in on the earlier questions. From tomorrow, on foot of the Standing Orders we have just adopted, we will have a strict time limit in terms of contributions for each question so we will not be getting into these difficulties any more. If Deputy Adams is amenable, we will take an extra five minutes.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There are time limits on Leaders' Questions too. They do not seem to be-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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They do not, but let that be a new year's resolution.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I am amenable, but obviously we are in this bind because the leader of Fianna Fáil went over his time.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is why I am saying we will give you an extra-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am enjoying the new year's salutations from the leader of Sinn Féin.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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If Members are amenable, we will add five minutes.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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There is a commitment to examine the creation of unpaid roles for parliamentary private secretaries as well an examination of the balance of power and the responsibility between the Government and Civil Service. Maybe that has happened, but, to my knowledge, it has not.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There is no one left in Fine Gael without a job to be appointed.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I urge the Taoiseach, if he can, to give comprehensive answers to these very important questions.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Far from using the words the Deputy said about the Minister, Deputy Ross, I made it perfectly clear that the Minister has not received this report and has not read it-----

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Has he asked for it?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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-----because he did not receive it. I do not know how the report was leaked to one of the national newspapers. The Minister said that from his knowledge of what might be in the report it seemed to focus more on elements other than specific routes. The negotiations that will take place between management and unions will explore the conditions and circumstances, and routes may well come into that. I am not sure whether the company involved, when it completed the report, held onto it or-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is a shareholder.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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-----how it was leaked to a national newspaper.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Briefed by management.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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There is no waiver for anybody from the Government programme. Deputies should expect these commitments to be dealt with as speedily and effectively as possible.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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What about the Road Safety Authority?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I have heard the comments and seen the report on that. It is an area I would not get into, in terms of correct grammar or whatever.

I have had some discussions about the Manning group. There might be different views about who should chair it, and I am following through on that. I hope it can be established very quickly. I thought it might happen before the Christmas break but it did not.

In regard to mental health, I understand the point the Deputy made. Substantial funding of €115 million and more than 1,100 posts have been provided for in this area since 2012. Significant additional funding will be provided for mental health in 2017, which means that the HSE funding for this key care programme will increase to €851 million in 2017. It was never a case of not being able to spend the money that was allocated. The Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, is working hard on this area.

In regard to youth mental health, further improvements in child and adolescent and adult services, services for older people and further enhanced out-of-hours responses to those in need of urgent services, the service plan produced by the HSE in respect of the strategy Connecting for Life provides for improved early intervention for youth mental health, including embedding the Jigsaw site for young people and the development of primary care based therapeutic responses.

There will also be increased services to meet the needs of those with severe and enduring mental illness and complex presentations and improved specialist clinic responses to clinical programmes. Improved regulatory compliance and incident management in the HSE will strengthen the governance arrangements to improve performance and the effective use of human, financial and infrastructural resources.

The Deputy is aware that the Minister for Health set out his view that we should develop a ten-year action plan for health. Given that the population is ageing and increasing in number, we will have to decide what the scale of capital investment will be in order to provide real opportunity in the health service over the next ten to 15 years. Primary care centres are built for a purpose, namely, to keep people out of hospitals. The Minister made the point that GPs have not had a new contract for many years, and he wants to focus on that.

It is a fact of life that energetic GPs should have at their disposal the opportunity in primary care centres to carry out diagnostics, X-rays and many other things that would mean people could avoid going to hospital or accident and emergency departments in the first place. There have been some comments about the necessity to bring people to accident and emergency departments late at night when no other services are available. That is an issue on which the Minister for Health is focusing.

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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With all due respect, Sinn Féin proposed that a couple of weeks ago.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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In respect of the list of things that are happening in health, capital funding of €20 million was made available to the HSE last year to relocate 160 people currently living in 14 institutions around the country. Medical card coverage for all children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance was provided for in the budget, which was mentioned today. The waiting list action plan is always a topical issue and was launched to reduce the number of patients waiting more than 18 months on the inpatient day care waiting list by 50%.

In terms of endoscopy waiting lists for 2016, we will outsource endoscopy procedures in order to benefit 3,000 patients who are currently waiting more than 12 months. In addition, a further €15 million was provided in budget 2017, rising to €50 million in 2018, for the National Treatment Purchase Fund, an issue raised by Deputy Martin on many occasions.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are eating into the next tranche of questions.