Dáil debates

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Ceisteanna - Questions

Departmental Offices

3:35 pm

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit of his Department. [60209/21]

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit of his Department. [60212/21]

Photo of Mick BarryMick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit of his Department. [61473/21]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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4. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit of his Department. [61498/21]

Photo of Cian O'CallaghanCian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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5. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit of his Department. [61736/21]

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit of his Department. [61918/21]

Photo of Aindrias MoynihanAindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the parliamentary liaison unit of his Department. [61984/21]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together.

The parliamentary liaison unit in my Department assists the Government in its relationship with the Oireachtas. It works with the Office of the Government Chief Whip on issues that arise at the Business Committee and the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform, including Dáil reform proposals and amendments to Standing Orders. The unit supports the Office of the Government Chief Whip in the implementation of the Government's legislation programme. In addition, the unit assists the office of the leader of the Green Party in work relating to Cabinet, Cabinet committees and oversight of the implementation of the programme for Government. In carrying out these duties, it provides detailed information on upcoming matters in the Dáil and Seanad, highlights any new Oireachtas reform issues and provides assistance in engaging with the new processes arising from Dáil reform. The unit is staffed by three and a half whole-time equivalent staff, one principal officer, one and a half higher executive officer posts and one clerical officer.

3:45 pm

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Last year, People Before Profit brought a Bill to the Dáil that proposed a constitutional referendum to enshrine the right to housing. There was a commitment in the programme for Government to have a referendum on housing but nothing is happening on these things. There are consequences for real human beings as a result of the Government's failure to do something on this.

On dozens of occasion, I have raised the plight of tenants in St. Helen's Court, Dún Laoghaire, a multi-unit apartment complex bought by two successive vulture funds. Tenants who have lived there for years and years, who always paid their rent, are decent working people and never did a thing wrong will be in court in the first week of February, when the vulture fund will get an enforcement order to throw them out because legally it is allowed do so. The vulture fund does not need the accommodation for family members. It is not a so-called mom-and-pop landlord. The fund has no reason to throw these tenants out other than to increase its profits and the value of that property. By the way, 12 of the units in that property have now been sitting empty for two years, fully refurbished, not rented out to people and not leased to the council, but the vulture fund will not rent them to the tenants it is going to evict.

The lawyer we got to represent the tenants in court said that there was no argument against this injustice but if the right to housing was enshrined in the Constitution, that lawyer would have a legal argument to protect these tenants, who have done nothing wrong, against a cruelly unjust eviction. When will the Government address these kinds of unjust evictions and put the right to housing into the Constitution?

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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During the first year of lockdown, more than 20,000 fines were handed out for the breaking of Covid regulations. A special hotline was set up for people to report illegal gatherings. Some 3,000 people were fined for attending social gatherings that broke the law, while another 700 were fined for organising those events. Last summer, a group of young people socialising on South William Street were batoned simply for the crime of enjoying an outdoor summer.

Instead of a visit by the Garda, the champagne party in the Department of Foreign Affairs in June 2020 got a visit from the Minister, Deputy Coveney. He admits to visiting the office at 11.10 p.m., after the champagne had been popped. He seems to be claiming that after opening the champagne and taking the picture they all went back to work late into the night. Does the Taoiseach seriously expect people to believe that story? Does he think the Garda should investigate this party or are Covid fines only for the little people? Does he have confidence in an in-house investigation by a hand-selected civil servant or does he instead agree that the Minister should come before the House to answer questions on this matter?

Photo of Mick BarryMick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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This is not a normal year. Why then is the Government still entertaining the idea of a normal leaving certificate examination this summer? To do so would fly in the face of the wishes of the large majority of sixth-year students, who made their views very clear in the Irish Second-Level Students Union, ISSU, poll. Anyone who has been in touch with these students will know that real mental health pressures are bearing down. The Government should not compound them by taking a clumsy approach to this issue. Nor should the Government force these young people to compete against each other for a limited number of college places. That is wrong. It is doubly wrong in a pandemic year and it is wrong at a time when our society has a shortage of nurses, teachers, doctors and apprentices - I could go on. The State should invest heavily in third level education to ensure that a college place is provided for all and end the rat race of the CAO system. Will the Taoiseach listen to these young people or will he pretend to listen and then drive on with an unwanted, traditional leaving certificate?

Photo of Cian O'CallaghanCian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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I welcome and support the Taoiseach's earlier comments on the need to work together to tackle violence against women and misogyny, in addition to the importance of men listening to women on this issue. I will ask about the lack of places for women and children seeking refuge from violence. While presenting to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice last November, Mary McDermott from Safe Ireland stated:

Ireland's domestic violence response infrastructure, and in particular its accommodation infrastructure, is critically deficient. These deficiencies place women and children at very real risk of grievous trauma, injury or fatality.

Between March and August 2020 alone, there were 1,351 unmet requests for refuge. It is completely and utterly unacceptable that women and children who need somewhere safe to stay have been turned away. Will funding be urgently provided to ensure there are enough refuge places for women and children seeking somewhere safe away from violence?

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I wish to raise the issue of Richard O'Halloran. As the Taoiseach knows, Mr. O'Halloran has been in China for more than 1,000 days at this stage. He has spent another Christmas in China and is being held against his will. He is the only Irish citizen ever to be subject to a Chinese exit ban, which has been implemented upon him even though he is not accused of any wrongdoing. There is no complaint, allegation, charge or suspicion against Richard O'Halloran. He is fully co-operating with the Chinese state on this matter. He has a wife and four children in Ireland, who have suffered enormously from stress related to this.

I understand that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, has not been directly involved in this for a long period, as is the case for the Taoiseach. I also understand, from information I received today, that the European Commission has not been asked by the Government to help with this case as of yet. It is incredible that we would, as a country, leave a citizen in this situation. Maybe the country is not defending its citizen for economic or bigger reasons but I urge the Taoiseach to take this issue into his own hands and, diplomatically, try to achieve the freedom of Richard O'Halloran in order that he can go back to his family.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will address the last point. In situations like this, perhaps it might be better if the Deputy spoke to the Minister directly.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I have.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will then know that what he said regarding the Minister not being directly involved in this matter was not true.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I have spoken to Mr. O'Halloran directly.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not want to have a row about this because it is an important matter and very serious issues are at stake, not least the capacity to get Richard O'Halloran back home to Ireland, which is my objective and that of the Minister and the Government. There has been state-to-state engagement on this at all levels. People at all levels of this State have communicated with their counterparts at all levels of the Chinese Government. Unprecedented measures have been taken by the Government, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in respect of commitments given by this State regarding this issue. I do not want to say anything more than that. It is not true to say that this has not been attended to but, and the Deputy may not want to accept advice, there is a way of proceeding with this. It is extremely frustrating and agonising for the family. It is terrible that they have been without their father and husband for so long.

We have worked on this, particularly the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and his officials, to get the best outcome. I will leave it at that for the moment. The Deputy might talk to the Minister who might brief him on the measures taken to date to secure Richard O'Halloran's return to Ireland.

Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the right to housing. The Government supports a right to housing constitutional amendment. I am not clear yet as to whether an amendment of that kind would deal with the issues in St. Helen's Court. Just because a senior counsel advances that argument, that does not necessarily mean it is the case. There are specific issues, which the Deputy has highlighted, that need to be addressed now in terms of the tenants involved.

There are issues in terms of protecting tenants in various situations from unacceptable activities. In addition, having units vacant for so long is unacceptable in the current housing situation. We want to deal with that through a number of measures, particularly the vacant property tax. Across the board, from zoning to vacancy, we want to bring in a system that penalises vacancy and incentivises occupancy and protecting people. One of the first tasks of the new housing commission is to work on a constitutional referendum on the right to housing.

3:55 pm

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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On the specific case, I ask if anything can be done, please.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will follow that up and come back to the Deputy.

On Deputy Paul Murphy's point, the Garda initiates its own investigations. Politicians do not tell it to do so, nor should they. The Government certainly should not be involved in how the law works. We do not engage in the operational activities of the Garda. Increasingly, we hear clarion calls that the Garda should do this and arrest this or that person. That is not the remit of the political world, nor should it be. I do not believe a politician should be going down-----

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Any citizen can report-----

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know people can report, but then it is a matter for the Garda to decide.Eighteen months on, people are telling the Garda what it should do.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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The deputy leader of Fine Gael should report it.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I just think that is an issue. On the issue raised by Deputy Paul Murphy, as I said, the people involved have said what they did was wrong, and it was wrong. It should not have happened and was clearly in breach of guidelines. There is no question about that.

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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And the law.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know but the people have put their hands up-----

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Hands up is not a-----

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and apologised for what was an impromptu gathering, it seems to me. They were there in anticipation of a second vote in the Security Council. Ireland won on the first count. The previous Government had been campaigning for a seat on the Security Council and apparently on the first count Ireland was elected. The anticipation was there would be a lot of work required for the second count, in terms of working the phones to secure our place. That is my understanding but the Minister is prepared to go before the Oireachtas committee and explain what happened on the night.

On Deputy Barry's point, this will not be a normal leaving certificate. As I said earlier, modifications to the exam have already happened-----

Photo of Mick BarryMick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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They are very minor.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----in terms of giving greater choice to the students. That happened last August. A change has been made in the timing of the oral examinations and practicals to preserve another week for the schools. There is a meeting tomorrow between the stakeholders and there will be further engagement with the Minister and partners in education.

The Deputy suggested there should not be competition for places. We have one of the highest per capitaparticipation rates in third level across Europe and one of the highest second level completion rates. The Deputy's idea that there should be a place for everybody is not feasible or tenable. It is not in the real world in terms of third level. There are other places across the board that suit people and that people want to access but we will not create thousands of medicine places tomorrow morning, which is what the Deputy seems to be suggesting.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are over time. There is an outstanding issue.

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Cian Ó Callaghan spoke on the lack of places. I dealt with that earlier and agree with him. We need to provide more places and a better system to do it.