Dáil debates

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Ceisteanna - Questions

Departmental Strategy Statements

2:30 pm

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach the way in which he and his Department are implementing the commitments made in delivering a better society made in his own Department's strategy's statement, particularly in respect of health and education. [25944/17]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department's strategy statement sets out the key objectives for my Department for the period 2016 to 2019. The strategy statement is aligned to the Government's key priorities and policies and sets out the following six strategic priorities: providing excellent support services for the Taoiseach and Government; ensuring that Ireland has a sustainable economy; helping to ensure that Government policies and services support a socially inclusive and fair society; ensuring that Ireland maintains strong relationships in Europe and around the world; ensuring the best possible outcomes for Ireland in respect of Brexit which, of course, includes protecting the common travel area and the peace process; and planning for the future in the context of all of the many uncertainties arising in the international environment.

The strategy statement recognises the central and co-ordinating role of my Department in supporting Government to ensure that policies are developed and implemented which support a socially inclusive and fair society. This work is mainly undertaken through the Cabinet committee structure, supporting the implementation of Government policy and effective cross-departmental collaboration. In the case of health and education, these are the Cabinet committee on health and the Cabinet committee on social policy and public service reform. This includes implementation by the respective Departments of programme for Government commitments spanning these areas. These committees last met on 30 May and 23 May respectively.

My Department publishes an annual report on progress towards all the objectives in its strategy statement, and the annual report for 2016 has recently been published on the Department’s website.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I call Deputy Micheál Martin.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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How long have I got?

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Martin has 20 minutes

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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What I intend is that the Deputy will get a supplementary question to be answered by An Taoiseach and if there are others who wish to contribute they may then do so, in accordance with Standing Orders.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In the strategy statement, there is a commitment to help to ensure implementation of reforms in health, education and other public services as outlined in the programme for Government. There are very ambitious statements concerning health and education and despite funding and so on, people are still finding it impossible to access health services. Some 666,000 people are on inpatient and outpatient waiting lists. There are shortages of consultants, nurses and general practitioners. There is a huge HR issue around health. Mental health funding fell short and waiting lists for access to therapies are getting longer, particularly for children. Hundreds of patients are still on trolleys. It is very difficult to see how improvement is going to happen in the short term.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund was allocated money this year, as we requested under the confidence and supply agreement. However, it is not up and running yet in terms of waiting lists and we are six months into the year. The money was allocated last October. It is not satisfactory. Can the Taoiseach confirm the number of patients who have been treated through the fund this year? Does he intend to chair the Cabinet committee on health? On the bed capacity review, is the Taoiseach confident that finance will be allocated to address the bed capacity issue? When does he expect the bed capacity review to be published?

As I have said to the Taoiseach before, education is fundamental to the strategic objectives and future of this country. There is a need for immediate investment in research, development and innovation, and for infrastructure funding for second and third level. Such investment and funding is critical to bringing in foreign direct investment. I mentioned the Technological Universities Bill this morning. There is paralysis in that particular sector. In the programme for Government, there is a commitment to invest up to an extra €500 million in education up to 2021. Can the Taoiseach indicate whether that commitment will be delivered upon and whether he has a schedule for such delivery? On career guidance, as I have indicated, although there has been some restoration, the Government has fallen short on definitive issues. There seems to be some opposition to ex quota guidance counsellors.

The fundamental point is that to fire-proof against Brexit, we need investment in education, skills and the talent of our people. Since the publication of the Cassells report, I get no sense that the Government is seized by that fundamental objective and reality.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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On the NTPF, I do not know how many patients have been treated so far. There is €15 million allocated this year for the NTPF. I raised the matter with the Minister, Deputy Harris, on foot of my conversations with Deputy Martin. I understand that part of the fundamental problem was that the NTPF had effectively ceased to exist. Although it was still there in name and had a board and some very limited functions around collating waiting lists, it did not have the capacity to do the job it used to do. There is now a new CEO and it is intended that the NTPF should begin paying for patients to be treated in private hospitals as soon as possible. I hope Deputy Martin is right and that it will have an impact on the waiting lists.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Can I have a detailed report from the Minister? We have to be briefed on the absence of capacity. It is nine months since the budget allocation.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Absolutely. I am sure that can be done.

I am going to have some new Cabinet sub-committees. I think there were too many, quite frankly. I am going to reconfigure them into a smaller number of Cabinet sub-committees which, of course, I will chair. They need to be more focused. We will have a new ten-year plan on infrastructure, which we hope to be able to publish in October or November. I anticipate that there will be ambitious capital programmes for both health and education. In health, this will provide for additional bed capacity and upgrading or replacing some of our existing hospital stock. There will be something similar in education. It is a long time since there was public money put into capital investment in third level. That will need to be done. We do not yet know how big an envelope we have for capital spending in the next ten years. There are lots of moving parts in that regard. It will be as big as is possible without contravening fiscal rules or jeopardising the finances of the State.

I am very supportive of the Technological Universities Bill and want to see it go through. I should admit that I have a constituency interest in it, namely IT Blanchardstown. I would like to see the legislation pass so that IT Blanchardstown can combine with IT Tallaght and DIT into a new technological university. I am very much behind it being fast tracked. The Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, tells me they now have an agreement with the TUI, the union that represents the lecturers. They have amendments to the Bill. The next step is to go to Cabinet with the amendments.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is no drafting capacity there. What we have heard from the officials is quite worrying in respect of the absence of any proactivity in drafting. The Taoiseach might check that out.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is far too slow. We have a problem with drafting capacity, not just in education. Legislation is far too slow.

On the Cassells report, in this current political configuration we are trying to achieve consensus around funding for third level that can pass through the Dáil. It is going to be difficult to achieve this but if we can, we are willing.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am very familiar with the way in which the Cabinet sub-committees worked in the previous Government. The Taoiseach is right. There are too many and they are too dispersed. However, on strategic issues, the Taoiseach being a driver makes it happen in a way it would not if he was not personally driving matters.

Of what particular policy areas does the Taoiseach propose to take personal control? For example, has he considered Sláintecare, the new future of health care document? Does he consider it worth implementing, albeit not necessarily according to the exact timeline set out by the all-party group? Would it be something he would want to drive?

I spent more than five years discussing the fiscal rules in respect of capital spending with the Commission and others. There is a willingness. For example, Italy has already utilised flexibilities in accounting for capital spending in particular.

I welcome the Taoiseach's view that coincides with my own regarding the rainy day fund. We need a substantial capital envelope, and we will be able to get the capacity if we negotiate and push in Brussels for a very substantial increase in the capacity to spend and not breach the Stability and Growth Pact rules.

2:40 pm

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Taoiseach return to the subject I raised with him, namely, his stated commitment to keep the North of Ireland within the Single Market and the customs union? In the midst of all his committees, subcommittees and all that paraphernalia and with the competing political priorities, what concretely does he propose to do to advance that position? Why did he not raise that position with Theresa May in Downing Street the other day? I do not know what that was all about. I invite him to move away from the nonsense of invisible borders. It is an astonishing concept.

On a different issue, the Taoiseach is aware that the previous Taoiseach visited the north-east inner city of Dublin on many occasions. He will be aware of the very particular challenges faced by those communities. They are not unique but it is certainly the case, given what is called a gangland struggle that is under way, that the communities I happen to represent are very much caught in the middle of that. I would like the Taoiseach to give an indication of his continuing commitment to that process and, most specifically, to address my questions regarding the customs union and the Single Market.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I will take a final supplementary from Deputy Boyd Barrett.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Is the Taoiseach going to update his strategy statement? It refers to quite a degree to the housing issue. There has been some acknowledgement with the transition to the new Minister that rebuilding Ireland may not be all it is cracked up to be given the escalating crisis. Following my earlier question, given the potentially shocking consequences for fire safety in our housing stock, which I pointed out to the Taoiseach last week and which has been confirmed now by a range of experts with potentially 40% or more of the Irish housing stock being substandard in terms of fire safety, does he not believe that this issue must become a priority for the Government? That would merit it being included in the strategy statement and being given some urgency, which is distinctly lacking from the Government in the aftermath of what has emerged from the Grenfell Tower disaster and what is being said about the potential implications for the housing stock in this country. The self-certification process is a joke. We are having designs of buildings certified rather than the buildings themselves, and there is no enforcement worth its name.

The Taoiseach got a letter, as did I, on the 19th from Mark Vincent Healy - I do not know if he has responded to him yet - where he pointed out-----

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach to respond-----

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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-----that the plans which were certified on his apartment block had fire doors facing one direction and in the actual building they are facing the wrong direction. This is what is happening in the Irish housing stock.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I call the Taoiseach to respond on the commitments to delivering a better society.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I will start by dealing with the last question because essentially the Deputy asked it twice. I saw the Grenfell Tower on my way to and from the meeting with Theresa May. It is horrific to see it and to imagine the thoughts and feelings of people who were stuck in that tower while it was in flames and engulfed in smoke. I extended by condolences and offered any support and solidarity we can give to Prime Minister May when I was in Downing Street.

In response to the tragedy, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has requested a number of immediate measures to be taken. First, he has requested that all local authorities review their multistorey social housing units to ensure that all early warning systems, including alarm and detection systems, emergency lighting and means of escape, including corridors, stairways and emergency exits, are fully functional and in place.

In terms of raising awareness across landlords, including landlords of households in receipt of social housing supports, the Minister has asked the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, to notify all landlords of their responsibilities and obligations as landlords in terms of ensuring that their properties fully comply with the fire safety requirements. Also, a business control management system, BCMS, was issued to all registered users of the BCMS to remind those involved in works to existing or new buildings of the need to remain vigilant in regard to compliance with building regulations and, in particular, to part B which deals with fire safety. It was issued to 57,000 registered users, including builders, assigned certifiers, designers and owners to remind them of their obligations in regard to compliance.

Also, a meeting of the management board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management was convened last Tuesday to assess the readiness of fire authorities to respond to emergencies. Over recent years there has been a general decrease in the number of fire fatalities, putting Ireland among the safest countries in the world. However, figures for 2017 show a slight upturn in fire fatalities, so while progress is being made, this reversal and the events in London are a reminder that we cannot and should not be complacent and that we need to remain vigilant when it comes to fire safety. In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Murphy, he has hit the ground running on this matter and put in place some very important-----

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Minister to respond to the supplementaries asked by Deputies McDonald and Howlin.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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There is more to be done.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have no doubt of that but that is quite a lot in the first eight days of a new Minister being in office, in fairness to him. It is not even eight days, it is seven days.

In regard to Deputy Howlin's question, I set out in my speech appointing Cabinet Ministers the two or three major priorities, four in some cases, that I want them to pursue and I will pursue them to make sure that they are pursued. I will also set out some other priorities in the coming weeks and months.

The Sláinte Care report was discussed at Cabinet yesterday. We decided that the Minister for Health would be tasked with preparing a reasoned response to the report and there will be a debate on it in the Dáil on Thursday. There are some aspects of it with which I strongly agree. We need to disentangle the public-private mix in our private hospitals. I strongly agree with that, but I accept and appreciate that this would cost €700 million without a single extra patient being seen. The whole thing needs to be teased out.

Also the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform disputes the numbers. It will not surprise Deputy Howlin to hear that it thinks it will cost much more and that the report does not adequately provide for demographics, but it will not be put on the shelf. There will be a reasoned response to it from the Minister and at the very least we will proceed to implement in the first year or two those things with which we all agree, and that is probably the best approach to it.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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What about the capital question?

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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What about the Apple tax issue?

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Did the Taoiseach answer all the supplementaries?

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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No. I did not get close to doing that.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I know - we are against the clock.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I asked about the capital issue.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I asked about the customs union and the Single Market.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We will move on to the next grouping, Questions Nos. 11 and 12.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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That is my second attempt to ask about those issues.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I have no control over that.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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On a point of order, there is no point in proceeding to the next grouping of questions when we have all asked questions and we have not been given answers to them. I have gone through two sets of questions now and I have only got one answer.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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That is one more than I got.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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If the Deputies want to abandon the next set of questions-----

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No, I do not-----

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Deputies each got one question answered.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is a matter of equality in terms of the answers.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is the point but-----

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We have ten minutes remaining.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have no difficulty answering them.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Of course.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I have been very generous with the time.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is absolutely right.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I cannot control the amount of time the Taoiseach spends in answering any one aspect of questions but I suggest-----

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have asked twice about these matters.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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-----that the Dáil should be considered.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Sweet Jesus I have twice asked about these matters.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am on the reform committee and I will certainly bring back to it that we should have a different format for this but, in terms of today, what number of minutes remain?

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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We have fewer than ten minutes remaining.

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Three minutes have already been wasted.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Could we at least go through the answer to that question, the question on-----

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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There was also a question on-----

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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With all due respect, Deputy Martin was given six minutes in respect of his question.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It was a single question. Does the Deputy want to continue with-----

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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We just want to hear the Taoiseach's answers.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Hold on, Deputy. It is a matter for the House.

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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There is no point in starting another around of questions if only ten minutes remain.

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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There is because there are only two questions in this grouping.

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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If there is not agreement, I have to move on to Questions Nos. 11 and 12. I call the Taoiseach to take those questions and there are now eight minutes remaining. This matter definitely needs to be looked at.