Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Northern Executive, including all its Ministers, is legally obliged to comply with the commitments set out in the withdrawal agreement and the protocol. Yet, yesterday evening we witnessed a reckless stunt on the part of the DUP. A Minister who is no stranger to political chaos stated that he had instructed his Department to stop all checks on goods at ports. This is a cynical attempt by Edwin Poots to shore up his own political position and that of his party as we face into an assembly election in a number of weeks. Has the Government raised this issue with the British Government and made it clear that this is in breach of an international agreement?

Given the seriousness of the matter, has the Taoiseach spoken with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about it?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As I said in the Seanad last night, the Irish Government's position on this is very clear. The British Government has signed an international agreement, which includes the protocol on Northern Ireland, as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. That is now international law and the British Government has an obligation to act in a way that is consistent with international law.

Last night, the Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Mr. Edwin Poots, said he would instruct his officials to stop sanitary and phytosanitary checks in ports in Northern Ireland on goods coming across the Irish Sea. We do not regard that as consistent with the obligations the United Kingdom has under the protocol. My understanding is checks are continuing today while senior officials are trying to get legal clarity on the matter. I was in contact with the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland last night and I have been in contact, at length, with the Vice President of the European Commission, Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, on the matter this morning.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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Yesterday, I wrote to the Minister for Education about the leaving certificate, asking her to clarify two matters. The first was what would happen if a student contracted Covid-19 during exam time and what contingencies are in place for that. I also asked her to waive the exam fee, which is €116 for the leaving certificate and €109 for the junior certificate, and I understand there may be some good news in that regard for the thousands of families expected to pay it. Will the Tánaiste confirm it is the intention of the Government to waive the fee for junior and leaving certificate examination students this year?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I spoke with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, this morning, and she confirms that fees for both the leaving and junior certificate exams are being waived for this year. As the Deputy knows, some families are exempt from payment, but for those which are not exempt, this will be a saving of €116 in the case of the leaving certificate and €109 for the junior cycle exams. It is a small act but perhaps it will help some families with the high cost of living. It is some recognition of the fact that children and families are being put under so much pressure as a result of the pandemic. That was confirmed by the Minister, Deputy Foley, this morning. Those logging on to the State Examinations Commission website today will see the information is already there.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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I ask the Tánaiste about the increase in house prices and collapse in homeownership levels. House prices have increased by 14% in the past year and homeownership levels have collapsed among people of prime working age. In the early 1990s, two thirds of people were homeowners by the age of 28. Now at that age, people are lucky to have managed to move from their parents' homes. Homeownership levels have collapsed since Fine Gael took office more than a decade ago and although the rate of house building is increasing, there are not more homes available for first-time buyers because new homes are going to investment funds and institutions that charge unaffordable rents. Does the Tánaiste agree the time for the favourable tax treatment of investment funds should be ended to give people who want to buy their own home a fair chance?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. We all know what happened here when we had a banking and financial crisis ten or 11 years ago. The banks, the construction industry and housing supply collapsed, and as a consequence of inadequate supply, houses prices started rising again and are now very high and out of reach for many people. It is a social disaster, quite frankly, that people in their 20s and 30s who would have been able to own a home 20, 30 or 40 years ago simply cannot now. One of the biggest challenges facing the Government is turning that around, increasing supply and putting in place schemes to enable people in their late 20s and 30s to be able to buy a home, just as they used to be able to do not that long ago. That is something we are working on very closely. Anything involving tax treatment is a budgetary matter and would be considered by the Minister for Finance.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Last Saturday night in Cork, a young woman was assaulted and hospitalised. On Tuesday, not five minutes' walk from here, on St. Stephen's Green, a 50-year-old woman was assaulted and hospitalised. I send solidarity to all who will assemble at Custom House Quay tonight to mark the one-year anniversary of the death by violence of Ms Urantsetseg Tserendorj. I hope I have correctly pronounced her name.

Last Sunday morning, gardaí called to the home of Limerick woman, Ms. Aislinn O'Keeffe, serving her with a court order. What was her crime? She is the alleged organiser of a tiny, socially distant stand-out protest organised in March 2021 by the ROSA group to protest gender-based violence in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard. She is due to appear in Limerick District Court on 25 February. I put it to the Tánaiste that it is a very bad look for this State to prosecute women standing up to violence against women. The Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, and the Garda should have better things to be doing with their time.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, Deputy. There is a separation of powers in this State. We cannot and will not become involved in criticism of the DPP or the Courts Service. Resume your seat.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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The decision of the DPP-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Resume your seat, Deputy.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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-----and the Courts Service is a disgrace.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Resume your seat. You are totally out of order.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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I am asking the Tánaiste to reply.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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You are totally out of order. The Tánaiste should please not go near that question.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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May we hear a reply from the Tánaiste?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, you will not hear a reply.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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The Tánaiste-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Resume your seat. You are out of order.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Until the Tánaiste responds-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Resume your seat. You are out of order.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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-----I will not resume my seat.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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You will not. Is that correct?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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No, I will not. It is a legitimate question.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is not a legitimate question.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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There are many women out there in Irish society and people opposed to gender-based violence.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Resume your seat. We are not going to-----

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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They would like to know if the DPP and Garda do not have anything better to do with their time.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are not going to abandon the principle of separation of powers. If you have even a basic understanding of how this parliamentary democracy works, you will understand the concept of division of powers. Will the Deputy do the right thing and resume his seat?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Briefly, a Cheann Comhairle-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Do not bother saying anything. Just resume your seat.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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I have more than a basic understanding of what is right and proper. It is a matter the Tánaiste could comment on, broadly speaking. I ask that he do so.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Does the Tánaiste wish to comment?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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No.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Tánaiste is a wise man. Deputy Cathal Berry from the Regional Group is next. Deputy Barry should resume his seat.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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This is a disgrace, a Cheann Comhairle.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Resume your seat.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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What gardaí did in Limerick on Sunday was a disgrace.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Do you want me to-----

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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It is not the last time this will be raised. I am putting the Ceann Comhairle on notice of that.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Do you want me to suspend the sitting of the House? Please, just respect the normal, democratic parliamentary procedures. It is all we are asking you to do.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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It will be raised again.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Not if I am here.

Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent)
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It is reported that the Commission on the Defence Forces is scheduled to submit its findings shortly. In light of recent and current events in our home waters, the report cannot be issued soon enough. Is there any indicative timing of when the report will be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration? When will it be published thereafter for public consumption?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am very anxious to get this work out into the public so I hope we can have a very comprehensive debate on the back of more than 12 months of work from a commission on the future of the Defence Forces that has an extraordinary amount of experience and knowledge to contribute to the debate. I hope to be in a position to publish the report and recommendations on the Commission on the Defence Forces next week. That has not yet been finalised but it is certainly the hope.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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Two weeks ago, the Government announced a €1,000 payment as recognition for the work done during the pandemic by care workers in hospital settings, and that must be welcomed. Last week, we saw added to the people who will receive the payment the home help staff who continue to do Trojan work in their communities. One sector has been overlooked, and those are the carers working in section 39 organisations. They have provided extraordinary levels of care to loved ones during the pandemic and played a significant role in supporting our healthcare system by taking care of vulnerable people during the pandemic. I plead with the Tánaiste to recognise their efforts and also those of home carers. They should be given the respect they deserve with this €1,000 recognition payment.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I believe the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Rabbitte, made a statement on the staff of section 39 agencies yesterday. I have not seen the detail but I will ensure it is transmitted to the Deputy.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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I asked this same question two weeks ago and it was subsequently asked a number of times by Deputies in this House. I am compelled to raise the matter again today.

On 13 February it will be 41 years since the terrible Stardust fire in Artane in Dublin, in which 48 young people died and 240 young people were injured. In September 2019, the Attorney General announced that an inquest must go ahead as this was in the public interest. The Department of Justice leased the RDS in Ballsbridge for one year for the Stardust inquest, and spent nearly €2 million, out of an €8 million fund on renting it and fitting it out. In October of last year the families of the victims, and their legal team, were advised by the coroner that after February the lease expires. The families are very upset that no venue has been tied down to continue the Stardust inquest at the end of this month, and that no arrangements are in place to ensure there will be a jury for it. Will the Tánaiste intervene in this? Will he and the Minister for Justice meet with the families on this?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The coroner, Dr. Myra Cullinane, is independent in her functions. There are very strict rules around the extent to which a politician can intervene with the coronial process. As the Deputy is aware, a bespoke courtroom was built in the RDS to facilitate the inquests. The contract for this special courtroom is due to expire at the end of this month. The Government recognises that this is a sensitive situation and wants to assure the families that it is committed to ensuring that a new venue is in place to permit the inquest to be continued by the Dublin District Coroner. I want to assure the families that the matter is being actively worked on. The Office of Public Works, on behalf of the Government, is securing an alternative premises and we intend that this situation will be resolved as soon as possible.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I recently had the pleasure of visiting Dunsink Observatory in my constituency. It is an historical and environmental gem. Unfortunately, I could only access it by travelling through the Tánaiste's constituency. This is due to a chronic problem of illegal dumping. The Fianna Fáil Senators, including Senator Malcolm Byrne, have brought forward the Local Government (Surveillance Powers in Relation to Certain Offences) Bill 2022 to try to put on a legislative basis the use of such technology as drone footage and number plate recognition in this regard. I ask that the Government would take this on board. Illegal dumping is a chronic problem across all of Dublin North-West and in many other Dublin communities.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I very much identify with Deputy McAuliffe's comments on illegal dumping. I also had the chance to visit Dunsink Observatory and it really is a hidden gem. We should make better use of it and I hope people will have the chance to visit if they have not already done so. It is in one of those interface areas that crosses sometimes into my constituency and sometimes into the Deputy's. It is currently in Deputy McAuliffe's constituency, and it might be in mine yet again. It is high time that Dunsink Lane was reopened so that people can access it from both Finglas and Castleknock. That road was closed for particular reasons a long time ago, but those reasons have now passed.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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In May 2019 the people of Limerick voted on the issue of a directly elected mayor. To date, despite efforts by myself and others to find out a timeline for when we would see the legislation and, crucially, when the election will take place, we have no update on that. I raised this issue in November with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and he said he would come back to be, which he did not unfortunately. I was also concerned when I heard a response by the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, to a question in the Dáil last week. The Minister of State said there is a big challenge in getting powers from Dublin devolved to Limerick. We can see the benefits that a directly elected mayor would bring into other jurisdictions, and I would appreciate any help colleagues can give me in this regard. I hope the Tánaiste will provide some clarity on this remark, as it suggests to me that there may be an effort by some Ministers and their Departments to limit the proposed powers of a future democratically elected mayor in Limerick. This would be an utter betrayal of what people voted for in 2019. The people expect the mayor to be more than a ribbon cutter, and any chance to dilute or withhold powers would be a significant problem for us. When we will see the legislation, and when can people vote for the elected mayor?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I met with the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, last night and at my request this was one of the issues on the agenda. I am very committed to the project of directly elected mayors. It was always the intention that the mayor would not just take on most of the functions of the chief executive of the local authority but would also have additional functions that would be devolved from central government. The legislation is progressing well, and it is intended that it would be in the House well before the summer, and hopefully enacted well before the summer. There is no date for the mayoral election yet because obviously the legislation must be enacted first. The intention is to have that legislation done before the summer recess. There is, quite frankly, some bureaucratic resistance from certain Departments - not mine - when it comes to the delegation and devolution of functions. It never goes as far as some people would want it to, but it should go far. In my view, this is the prototype for what could be done in Cork, Galway and Dublin. I really want it to work in Limerick, and we are determined that it should.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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Is there a date for any election process?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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No date.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The programme for Government contains a very significant commitment to job creation, in particular outside our capital city. Thankfully, due to the good work of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Irish job creators that is now beginning to bear fruit. Alongside that, unfortunately, it provides a challenge for us with an emerging skills shortage. From talking to a number of companies in Galway I am aware that they are in very serious danger of losing market share and being unable to gain new market share because of delays in processing work permits. I understand this is now taking four to five months. Are there any additional resources or procedural changes we can apply to expedite the process for these companies who urgently need to be able to access work permits in a timely manner?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cannon raising this issue. It is a big item on my plate at the moment and that of the Minister of State, Deputy English. There has been a 50% increase in work permit applications this year compared to before the pandemic in 2019. This is driven by a labour shortage for employers who cannot get staff. It is not just in Ireland; it is also in the European Union and in the European Economic Area. We have an action plan to reduce the delays. Currently, it is 19 weeks, which is totally unacceptable. We do not accept that, and we have an action plan. It will involve some system changes. There is a change around the way doctors' work permits are reviewed so they do not have to be done so frequently. We have also beefed up staff numbers. We have gone from 15 or 16 staff up to 50 staff in that section over time and have transferred from other areas. A lot of the new staff are doing work permits for the first time and learning how to do the job. I am assured that we will start to see those wait times coming down over the next couple of weeks.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In view of the legislation that is due to come before the House with regard to remote working and given the changes that have been seen over the past two years, many communities are developing their own digital hubs and small community hubs. Will the Tánaiste indicate what are the Government's plans for the State to take a number of desks in those digital hubs? It would make it more viable for the communities to have digital hubs and would also give people who are working for the public sector an opportunity to work in their own communities. Has the Tánaiste looked at the issues? What are the Government's plans to take desks in these digital hubs in rural communities?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I know the Deputy has a real interest in this matter. We spoke on the phone about this not too long ago. At the moment, through my Department and through the Department of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, we have helped to fund remote hubs and community hubs. To the best of my knowledge, however, currently no Government Department or Government agency rents desks. I may be wrong about that, but it is something that we need to give consideration to. We want to see more people working remotely in rural towns and villages, in particular, and it might make sense for the public service to come together and option some desks in a few different places, to make those hubs viable and to give people that option.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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Homeowners in Mayo and other counties are becoming increasingly alarmed about the delays in the 100% redress scheme. Will the Tánaiste give a guarantee that this scheme will be fully in place before the end of the year? Can the Tánaiste accept that the unnecessary delays and the obstacles being put in the way of homeowners who have paid almost €7,000 to certified engineers who established that the houses are impacted by pyrite and mica are wholly unacceptable. Does the Tánaiste agree that partial fixes, and trapping families in their crumbling homes for a number of years until they display sufficient visible damage before they can access scheme, is not something that the Government will stand over?

With regard to the houses impacted by pyrite that were sold by Mayo County Council, will the Tánaiste ask that local authorities take full responsibility for those houses? The council engineers signed off on them and sold them to innocent homeowners.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy asked a lot of questions there, which perhaps the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, might be better placed than me to answer. With regard to the legislation promised, that legislation is a priority. We intend to get it through the Dáil and the Seanad as soon as possible. I would be extremely surprised and disappointed if we cannot have the scheme up and running by the end of the year. Families in mica-affected houses have been waiting long enough.

1 o’clock

It is incumbent on the Government to get the legislation done and on the Oireachtas to have it enacted quickly.

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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The spectre of war looms large at present. This is a very real security crisis and it is contributing to an energy crisis as well. We know we must move away from fossil fuels as quickly as possible, not only for obvious climate reasons but also for energy independence and energy security reasons. There is a vast opportunity to create tens of thousands of jobs in this country. We have a good plan in place, but politics, economics and technology move quickly. We should seek to accelerate and expedite the existing plan. The programme for Government says where we will go, but we need to look at it again and state that we have to go there faster. What can we do to accelerate and expedite the good plans we have?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I agree totally. If the current energy price hikes and the current instability in Russia and Ukraine tell us anything, it is that the sooner we move away from fossil fuels towards greater use of renewable electricity and new fuels such as green hydrogen, the better in terms of energy security and price stability. We should accelerate our plans and ambitions in that regard. How we do that is a matter for discussion. I am not sure how we will do it. I am frustrated by the slow rate of progress. I think everyone interested in this area is. By the way, one issue is the judicial reviews. People seek judicial reviews in respect of wind farms and they will seek judicial reviews regarding hydrogen as well.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent)
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What is the position with the review of the ambulance service that was promised in November? I highlighted that the training of paramedics and advanced paramedics is quite specialised. Why does the HSE expect paramedics to perform clerical duties and run budgets? I asked at the time for the separation of specialist work and administration duties, as has been done in the Garda. From what I have seen, there are more managers than there are drivers. When will we finally hold the HSE to account so we can have the paramedics and the ambulance service running an efficient service for people who need it and stop repeatedly installing managers and giving them cars when we need ambulances and paramedics?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I do not have an update on that report, but I will tell the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, that the Deputy raised it and ask him to revert to the Deputy directly. We should acknowledge, however, that both the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade provide a very good service. It is a service that has improved in the last couple of years. Sometimes when management and administration staff are hired, it is precisely so paramedics are freed up from administrative work.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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I will return to the issue of the €1,000 bonus. Obviously, it will require legislative change to ensure it is tax free and that a chunk of it is not taken out from either the employer's or the employee's contribution. Will that legislative change include organisations that wish to pay it, where they deem that their employees or even their volunteers put themselves at huge risk at the time? I am not asking if the State will pay this money but whether organisations that determine their employees come within this description will be able to pay that money without them or their employees having to give a large chunk of it to the Government.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have asked the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to examine that as part of the legislation. Employers have approached me, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and have told me that they want to pay their staff a pandemic bonus from their own resources, but that if they do so their staff could lose perhaps half of it in tax. I have asked the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to examine that as an option. It is already possible for employers to pay up to €500 per year in the form of a bonus that is tax free, but it has to be done in a particular way and it cannot go above €500. Perhaps, as a one-off measure, we might allow that to go to €1,000. I have asked the Minister to look at that in the context of that law.

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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Did he give the Tánaiste an answer?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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He said he would look at it. He is always very polite, but quite stubborn.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Over the last six years, the people of this island, particularly those in Northern Ireland, have been used as a political plaything by the forces that have driven Brexit. With the announcement last night of the suspension of checks and the rumours that the First Minister is due to resign, once again the people of Northern Ireland are being put at risk. A collapse of Stormont will see no budget being passed by the assembly and no apologies given for institutional abuse. We will again see the people of Northern Ireland, the majority of whom did not vote for Brexit, utterly let down by a small minority on this island and a worrying minority on another island. How is the Government going to stand up for the people of Northern Ireland and ensure that the programme for Government commitment to protecting the gains of the peace process, the Good Friday Agreement and the all-island economy will be maintained?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The announcement the other day by the Northern Ireland Minister, Mr. Poots, was unhelpful. It adds to the uncertainty for businesses and citizens in Northern Ireland. It seems to me that it was a political decision rather than one based on the public interest. It is noteworthy that his decision is not supported by the Northern Ireland Executive or by the majority of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Whether people agree with the protocol, surely on democratic grounds it was not the right decision to make, as it was done without the assent of the Executive and without the support of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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For a number of years I have been raising the issue of vacant, now derelict, homes on what was formerly the St. Ita's Hospital campus with the Department of Health. It has now been passed and I have been engaging with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fingal County Council. There appears to be no resistance on the part of any of the entities I am engaging with to redeveloping these houses and bringing them back into use as homes, but there is a fair amount of buck passing taking place. It does not rest solely with one Department. The HSE owns the site but does not have the capability to develop the houses. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has the capability to instruct Fingal County Council to develop the houses, but it does not own the land. I am reminded of the old advertisement on the television in which people used to say that one could not get a job without experience, but one could not get experience without a job. It appears that it just requires somebody to provide a little leadership. I urge the Tánaiste, as the deputy Head of Government, to bring these three entities - Fingal County Council, the Department of Health and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage - together and get these homes redeveloped. They are badly needed. They have been allowed to fall into dereliction and they must be brought back into use.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It does not fall within my remit, but I undertake to make some inquiries about it. It is a long time since I have been in Portrane. I used to be there regularly when I was a member of Fingal County Council. I cannot visualise the derelict houses in Portrane, but if the Deputy says they are there I am sure they are.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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I will text a picture of them to the Tánaiste now.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It would be a shame to have houses in Portrane that are in State ownership not being used.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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It is nearly a scandal.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I will make inquiries.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to raise the issue of home help and carers and the difficulty the HSE appears to be having in recruiting staff. I am aware of dozens of older people who are approved for a home support service but because resources are limited the HSE cannot follow through on its commitments. The HSE can outsource hours where required. I know all agencies are finding it difficult to secure staff at present, but why do a number of people I represent have to wait up to seven months? They are still waiting. In some situations on which I have worked I have sourced reputable private providers to provide the service, yet the HSE tells me it will not sign off on it. Can the Minister of State expand on this?

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising that issue. We have spoken about it previously. The Government has provided, both last year and this year, €666 million for home care. That is a phenomenal amount of money. It is a huge increase and is very welcome. In 2021, we managed to deliver 2.7 million more hours than in 2020, with 55,000 people receiving home care supports. My problem, at present, is not a financial issue, because I have the money to fund almost all the home care supports. The issue is the recruitment of staff. Currently, there are just under 5,000 people who have been funded, but we are waiting for staff. In the Deputy's area, community healthcare organisation, CHO 4, the HSE is carrying out a targeted recruitment campaign. It is trying to employ 300 people through the HSE in Cork and Kerry because we are acutely aware of this. What we are doing now with recruitment is targeting specific areas. There are real issues at the weekends, especially in rural areas, but we are working very hard to resolve them.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I very much welcome the fact that steps will be taken in respect of the crisis with the rising cost of living. We have raised this many times. It is almost a year since I brought forward a motion on household utility debt.

Just before the most recent budget, I proposed a discretionary fund because while I welcome the €100, we need to consider a targeted measure for households that will struggle. Last October, we brought forward proposals on the cost of living and I ask the Tánaiste to look at that. Those proposals were brought on the back of a survey. I call on the Tánaiste to look at a discretionary fund, particularly for the cost of energy. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been putting that proposal forward for quite some time. It spends millions each year assisting families. I would like to see that implemented, if possible.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I remember her raising this suggestion in the past. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is examining that proposal at the moment as part of the package we are developing. I cannot commit that it will happen but on the face of it, it is a good idea. The Minister will need to do due diligence around it and ensure it does not turn out to be open-ended. We need to put some cost on it. I can tell the Deputy that the Minister is looking at that at the moment.