Dáil debates

Tuesday, 23 May 2023

2:50 pm

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I move:

Tuesday's business shall be: - Statements on Accommodation Needs for New Arrival to Ireland (not to exceed 210 mins).

Private Members' business shall be the Motion reHospital Waiting Lists, selected by Sinn Féin. Wednesday's business shall be: - Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Finance Act 2022 (Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme) Order 2023(without debate)

- Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Extension of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (to conclude within 55 mins)

- Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Government Commitments on Offshore Renewable Energy (to conclude within 55 mins)

- Court Proceedings (Delays) Bill 2023 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to stand adjourned either at 6 p.m. or 1 hour and 20 minutes after the conclusion of the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Government Commitments on Offshore Renewable Energy, whichever is the later)

- Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 (Report Stage, Amendment No. 14, resumed, and Final Stage)(shall be taken no earlier than 6 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, stand adjourned after 3 hours). Private Members' business shall be the Motion reAccess to Autism and Disability Assessments and Supports, selected by the Labour Party.

Thursday's business shall be:

- Statements on Biodiversity Action (not to exceed 145 mins).

Thursday evening business shall be Second Stage of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023.

Proposed arrangements for this week's business

In relation to Tuesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:
(i) the Dáil shall sit later than 10.30 p.m.;

(ii) the time for Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for the Statements on Accommodation Needs for New Arrivals in Ireland; and

(iii) private Members' business shall be taken immediately following the Statements on Accommodation Needs for New Arrivals in Ireland, with consequential effect on the commencement time for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, oral Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Social Protection and topical issues, and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and
2. the Statements on Accommodation Needs for New Arrivals to Ireland shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 210 minutes, with arrangements in accordance with those agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 200 minutes, following which a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, and members may share time.

In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that the weekly division time may be taken later than 8.45 p.m., and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022, or where those proceedings conclude within three hours, on the conclusion thereof, with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil;

2. the Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Finance Act 2022 (Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme) Order 2023 shall be taken without debate;

3. the proceedings on the Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Extension of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 55 minutes, and the following arrangements shall apply:
(i) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:
- opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes;

- speech by representative of Sinn Féin – 10 minutes;

- speeches by representatives of the Labour Party, Social Democrats, People-Before-Profit-Solidarity, the Regional Group, the Rural Independent Group and the Independent Group - 5 minutes per party or group; and

- a speech in response by a Minister – 5 minutes; and
(ii)members may share time;
4. the proceedings on the Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Government Commitments on Offshore Renewable Energy shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 55 minutes, and the following arrangements shall apply:
(i) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:
- opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes;

- speech by representative of Sinn Féin – 10 minutes;

- speeches by representatives of the Labour Party, Social Democrats, People-Before-Profit-Solidarity, the Regional Group, the Rural Independent Group and the Independent Group - 5 minutes per party or group; and

- a speech in response by a Minister – 5 minutes; and
(ii) members may share time;
5. the proceedings on Second Stage of the Court Proceedings (Delays) Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 6 p.m. or 1 hour and 20 minutes after the conclusion of the Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Government Commitments on Offshore Renewable Energy, whichever is the later; and

6. the proceedings on the resumed Report Stage and Final Stage of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 shall commence no earlier than 6 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after three hours.

In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:
(i) expressions of sympathy for the late Noel Treacy shall be taken for not more than 45 minutes immediately following Questions on Policy or Legislation;

(ii) the sitting shall be suspended pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) on the conclusion of the expressions of sympathy, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Government business; and

(iii) topical issues shall be taken on the conclusion of the Statements on Biodiversity Action, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023 and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and
2. the Statements on Biodiversity Action shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 145 minutes, with arrangements in accordance with those agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 135 minutes, following which a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, and members may share time.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is that agreed?

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It is not agreed.

On Wednesday, there is a motion that calls for the extension of the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, without debate. We think this is wrong. There needs to be a debate on this extension, considering that there are some very profitable companies availing of this subsidy, including high energy users such as data centres. There are no criteria around the profits that they are making, around labour issues or environmental issues. The only criterion is that there is an increase in their energy costs. We have not seen the list from Revenue yet, but this motion should be debated rather than just passed. It stands in stark contrast to the way we are treating people in energy poverty.

Photo of Ivana BacikIvana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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We need a debate about the accountability of social media companies. I think everyone is aware that Meta has just been fined a record amount of €1.2 billion for breaches relating to the transfer of personal data, the largest ever EU privacy fine.

The Date Protection Commissioner disagreed with the decision in this regard but was overruled by other EU countries. This comes in the wake of the horrific attack on a child in Navan, County Meath, a video of which was shared millions of times across multiple social media platforms. Many people are asking when social media companies will be held accountable by means of sanctions like that just imposed on Meta for the sharing of content on their platforms of such dreadful abuse. I am conscious that we have seen the very welcome appointment of the Online Safety Commissioner. We heard the very welcome announcement in recent days that Government is holding an advertising campaign to remind people of the law on sharing images, which was, of course, based on legislation introduced by Deputy Howlin that was inspired by Coco's Law. We need a debate on accountability of social media companies. When will the online safety framework fully come into effect?

3:00 pm

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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The Rural Independent Group is seeking an urgent debate on the proposed rewetting of boglands and other lands. This is a major issue. Deputy Nolan brought in members of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, ICMSA, who testified - many people listened to what they had to say - to the fear those in the farming community have of their lands being flooded. As we know, water will find its own level. Everybody should know that at this stage. This proposal is half-baked and half-cooked. We are going to drive farmers off the land.

Every day I consider this matter, I can see that we are heading closer to a food shortage in this country. I do not know what it driving it, but I am of the view that this is a deliberate policy. It is a folly, and part of a green agenda. People spent all their lives draining lands and now there are those who want to flood them again. Those who drained their lands got grants in some cases. They were poor enough grants, but they got assistance to drain the land and they were proud of it. We see now that they are going to be hunted off this land. It is a case of "To hell or to Connaught". This is not acceptable. We in the Rural Independent Group are calling for an urgent national debate on this issue.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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As nobody else has indicated, I will ask the Taoiseach to respond.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies. With regard to TBESS, approximately 30,000 businesses qualify for that scheme at the moment. They are all over the country. Many of them are SMEs and many have employees. Helping with their energy costs, of course, does not just help the businesses and their owners, it also helps their employees and assists in reducing and managing inflation. It is just the extension of an existing scheme for a couple of weeks until the end of July. We do not think it merits a specific debate.

As Deputies will know, the nature restoration law is a proposed European law. Time will be provided next week for statements in the House on the matter. I want to make it very clear that it is a proposal at this stage. We all understand the need to protect nature, restore biodiversity loss and allow nature to regrow-----

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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What about protecting people and farmland?

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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-----but there are aspects of it that go too far, particularly if it comes to taking agricultural land out of use for food production. In urban areas, there are issues where it might become harder, for example, to turn a grass pitch into an all-weather pitch. There is a long way to go before this regulation is right. Negotiations are ongoing. I encourage people to engage in the debate next week in a productive way and suggest how the legislation can be improved and what compromises can be made in order that it is fit for purpose. I share concerns people have across rural and urban Ireland about some aspects of it going too far and not fully recognising how we use land in Ireland. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, made those points very well at the weekend.

On the sharing of videos and images that are designed to humiliate people - involving violent and sexual imagery on many occasions - online, the Online Safety Commissioner is in place. Coimisiún na Meán is up and running. It is still in its early days, but much can be done to require platforms to take down such videos. Some of them did, in fairness; others did not. We need to have the sanctions in place to fine companies that do not live up to their own community standards. That work is in very much under way. There is a Government campaign of which Deputies will be aware to inform people that sharing sexual images or even threatening to do so is a crime. That very useful campaign was launched by the Minister, Deputy Harris, the other day. Other messages are important too. We need to say to people and individuals that they have a responsibility not to share images or videos of this nature. I know some people who do so in solidarity, but that is not the way to show solidarity. There is also a responsibility on the traditional media. Very often, the number of people who see these images could be as low as a few thousand or ten thousand. It is when they are signposted by the traditional media that the figures then go very high. They have responsibilities too.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Taoiseach.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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For clarity, does the debate promised for next week cover what we are concerned about?

We do not want to call a vote on something if it is happening.

3:10 pm

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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There will be a debate next week on the land restoration law. The Deputy raised the issue at a meeting of the Business Committee last week. We are scheduling it for next week.

Order of Business agreed to.

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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On this day 25 years ago, the votes on the Good Friday Agreement referendum were being counted. I commend the Ceann Comhairle for organising an event this evening to mark this significant occasion. A few days ago, the North went to the polls and delivered a seismic change in the local government elections. The clear message is that Ireland has changed and is changing. The clearer message is that people want to see the Executive back up and running to deal with the issues that matter in health and housing, to deliver good jobs and to make politics work for everyone. It is now critical that the British and Irish Governments come together and focus their efforts on the immediate restoration of the Executive and the assembly. This must happen at Taoiseach and Prime Minister level. We need to see an early meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference at that level. Will the Taoiseach work to ensure that happens?

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I had a chance to meet briefly with Prime Minister Sunak in Iceland last week and we discussed this matter. We will meet again next week at the European Political Community summit in Chișinău. We will be working together to do all that we can to ensure the assembly, the Executive and the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement get up and running again. The Deputy knows as well as I do that the rules allow the two major parties, Sinn Féin and the DUP, to block that from happening. The DUP is currently the ones blocking it, but we will work with together with the UK Government to do all we can to get the Executive up and running as soon as possible. I firmly agree that the message from the people of Northern Ireland is clear. They want the Executive up and running. They want the enormous problems they face on a day-to-day basis dealt with by their politicians.

Photo of Ivana BacikIvana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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It has been well over a year since the start of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. I have just come from a briefing that I hosted with members of Ukrainian Action. They gave us valuable insights into the experiences of those many thousands of Ukrainians who have sought refuge here and who have been joined by people from other countries fleeing conflict and persecution. They have received an immense welcome from the majority of people in communities across the country. They are extremely grateful for, and appreciative of, that. However, a small and unrepresentative group of activists have engaged in dreadful behaviour, including burning tents in my constituency, blockades and causing injuries, which has happened in other counties. We obviously condemn that absolutely horrific behaviour outright. I renew my call for the Taoiseach and Government to ensure there is greater co-ordination and leadership from the Government centrally on the provision of secure accommodation to those who have come here to seek refuge.

I thank the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, for his direct engagement with me on this topic, in particular around the encampment on Mount Street Lower. There are still people sleeping in tents there and we need a stronger and more coherent all-of-government response.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I know the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and his team, assisted by others, have pulled out all the stops in recent weeks to secure additional accommodation for international protection applicants. The number of people who have not been offered accommodation is around 250. Not too long ago it was over 500. Of course, people continue to arrive in the State, albeit in lower numbers than was the case some months ago.

I want to be clear that this is a cross-government effort. It is co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach. We have a Cabinet committee on Ukraine and migration, which I chair. My officials chair the senior officials group. Within that every Department has their lead role. The role for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is in reception, integration and accommodation. The role for the Department of Education is in providing education for the 14,000 or 15,000 children who have arrived in the past year. The role for the Department of Health is providing healthcare and medical cards. The Department of Social Protection provides personal public service numbers, PPS numbers, and employment. Some 15,000 people have entered employment. This is very much a cross-government effort. The community fund, announced only last week by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, is a feature of that. This is a cross-government effort co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach. Within that, every Department has a lead responsibility.

Photo of Cian O'CallaghanCian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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I ask the Taoiseach about staffing levels in the National Building Control Office. Building and fire safety defects, mica and pyrite have cost the State billions. The human cost of building defects has been devastating in terms of the trauma it causes for people who are living in homes that are not safe while the developers responsible got away and evade any meaningful accountability.

Since it was set up, the National Building Control Office has never been fully staffed. The director of the office, Ms Mairéad Phelan, has described this understaffing as a national emergency. Seventy-two people lost their lives at Grenfell Tower when fire safety and building regulations were not properly enforced. When is the Government going to take the issue of regulating the building industry seriously? What action will it take to ensure that the National Building Control Office is properly staffed?

3:20 pm

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Department takes this matter very seriously. I read the reports in the media over the weekend. Additional resources have been provided. However, the Department will discuss with the National Building Control Office the matter of its additional resourcing requirements.

Photo of Cian O'CallaghanCian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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It has never been properly staffed.

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I have given a commitment-----

Photo of Cian O'CallaghanCian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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The local authority will not even advertise the positions.

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I have given a commitment to take up the matter with them. I will discuss it with them in great depth. That is what is now required.

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I want to ask the Taoiseach about the shocking treatment of the workers in Tesco. This is a hugely profitable firm the great success of which in this country has mainly been achieved on the back of its loyal workforce. However, there has been shameful treatment of workers employed by the company prior to 1996. Effectively, these people have either driven out of their jobs because of the refusal by the company to pay agreed rates and increases in pay or have been subjected to attempts to try to force them to sign new contracts. All of this has happened contrary to recommendations that were made. Now we are seeing the shameful treatment of delivery and pick-up workers in this company whose changes in contracts will result in the loss of €3,000 to €4,000 a year in their earnings at a time when we are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis. When will we see legislation that will stop companies behaving like this towards dedicated and loyal workforces? Will the Taoiseach do as I did and write to the CEO of Tesco urging them to respect the pre-1996 workers and the delivery workers who worked so hard during the pandemic and are facing, as all of us are, the cost-of-living crisis?

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have heard about the dispute but I do not know the details. We have mechanisms to resolve disputes of this nature. Government offices, such as the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court, can get involved and can hear and assess any complaints.

Photo of Cathal BerryCathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent)
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I wish the Taoiseach a good afternoon. There was a very positive meeting in Newbridge last night that was chaired by Ms Jennifer Caffrey and hosted by Newbridge Community Development. The one item on the agenda was the cost and availability of public transport in Dublin's commuter belt. As we all know, the National Transport Authority will be publishing new fare rates at the end of June with a view to implementing them by the end of the year. This is another golden opportunity for the Government to put its money where its mouth is. Can the Taoiseach give any indication that he will do his utmost to maximise the amount of State support to the public sector rail and bus companies in order to minimise the cost on hard-pressed commuters when the new fares are announced in five weeks' time?

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. We have had a reduction in public fares since this Government came to office. That has worked well. We have seen the number of people using public transport increase and it is now above pre-pandemic levels, which is not the case across most of Europe. That has been a successful policy.

The National Transport Authority published a new national fares strategy recently. I understand that will simplify the fare structure for the greater Dublin area and should mean lower train fares and bus fares for people in Drogheda, Newbridge, Naas and other places in the outer commuter belt. Any changes in the existing fare structure will be introduced later in the year. Of course, any changes will be dependent on the availability of Exchequer funding. The scale of what will be involved will depend on the Estimates later in the year.

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I hope the Taoiseach had a successful visit to Tipperary last Friday.

I hope the Taoiseach is aware that local authority services' SIPTU members have voted for strike action on 7 and 8 June because of an absolute failure on the part of local authorities to honour their commitment to these workers. These workers and their unions entered into discussions with management. Despite assurances from the Minister, local authorities have continued to display ambiguity and have introduced conditions in respect of allowances that will make these workers very much worse off.

These conditions, which were introduced by the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, fall far short of the provisions of the water services framework and what was finalised by the parties in discussions last year.

Water services members are left with no option but to take this action. They do not want to do it. They are a vital cohort of people who keep the water flowing through our taps 24-7. They entered into negotiations but the LGMA and the local authorities are not honouring the agreements that were made. The workers in question are being forced to go where they do not want to go.

3:30 pm

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. We value the role of staff in all local authorities, especially those who are employed in the water services area. I will take up with both the LGMA and the CCMA the issue the Deputy raised, see exactly what the position is and get the facts of the case. Maybe we could have a discussion afterwards with regard to Tipperary specifically.

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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I have had contact from a woman with a young family who is a healthcare worker in my constituency. She is facing eviction from a rental accommodation scheme, RAS, tenancy in Meath on 31 May. Meath County Council has told her it will stop the RAS payments if she overholds, that she needs to leave the home on the date of the termination and that she needs to find a housing assistance payment, HAP, tenancy because there is nowhere to house the family. I have email evidence of that from the council.

It is near impossible to find anywhere to live right now. This woman and her kids have nowhere to go. As the Taoiseach knows, RAS tenants are deemed as having been housed, so it is the responsibility of the council to house them in the event of notices to quit. My office has dealt with many cases of this with Dublin County Council. It has continued the RAS payments when a tenant is overholding and it leaves overholding as a matter for the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, to determine, although the council has a responsibility to house the tenant. Will the Taoiseach ensure that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage standardises Dublin City Council's approach in order that no councils will be in any way complicit in evictions into homelessness? Will his Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Green Party councillors on Meath County Council support that?

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is probably aware, under the RAS scheme, it is the responsibility of the councils to keep people housed, even if a RAS tenancy has been terminated. That appears to contradict what the Deputy stated, so we might discuss further the details of the case. We want to keep people in their homes and certainly, as the Deputy is well aware, under RAS is up to the local authorities to ensure people continue to be housed in RAS tenancies. Furthermore, where people are on HAP, we want to ensure that if they get a termination notice, they are kept in their homes. The tenant in situscheme is there for that purpose. I might talk to the Deputy after this debate about the specific details of the case. They do not correspond with national policy.

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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People are living longer, which is welcome, so we need to look at the mandatory retirement age. This is just one example of many. I am dealing with a person on a community employment, CE, scheme in Carlow. She is an excellent supervisor whose employment will end in September because she will have reached the age of 66 and must leave. She has been in the employment for 15 years and has vast experience in this position. The good news is that new legislation is coming into law in 2024, but in the meantime, can people who are interested in staying on get some sort of concession or help to allow them to stay on, because the new legislation is not coming in until 2024? Emergency services and transport services across the country have also been hit by this rule. People who are in the full of their health are being made to retire. Will the Taoiseach please look at this? I know the Minister for Social Protection will also look at it.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this. In regard to CE schemes, we have made a good number of improvements and allowed people to stay on longer. We have changed the scheme to adapt to a changing labour market.

We have agreed the State pension age will remain 66. We are bringing changes that will take effect from 1 January 2024, whereby people will have an option to work longer if they wish to. As to the CE schemes, a person cannot benefit from two social protection payments. In other words, he or she cannot stay on a CE scheme and benefit from a pension as well. Once someone reaches the retirement age on a CE scheme, he or she will have to go off it.

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Can a person choose?

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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No. I know the CE scheme provides services but it is a job activation measure primarily.

3:40 pm

Photo of Francis Noel DuffyFrancis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
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There appears to be a disconnect between the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, DRHE; the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with regard to the housing of international protection applicants. My understanding is that these Departments are not formally working together, therefore is it possible to create a shared strategy to pull together their collective knowledge to assist these people who need our assistance?

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. There is a very close working relationship, in fairness, both at Cabinet level through the Cabinet subcommittee but also in terms of other mechanisms. My Department has a weekly call with the County and City Management Association, CCMA, on which the DRHE is represented, so there is a close working relationship there in terms of providing accommodation both for beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive and also international protection applicants.

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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In 2005, sub-officer Brian Murray led a walk out of retained firefighters from the fire station in Bray highlighting serious issues within the retained service such as recruitment and retention. He told me that day that someone would die unless action was taken to address the serious issues. Less than two years later, Brian and his colleague, Mark O'Shaughnessy, died while tackling a blaze in Bray due to the serious issues. Unfortunately, negotiations between the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, and representatives from the firefighters broke down citing restrictions imposed on the negotiations by the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We are now facing a grim prospect of industrial action taking place from 6 June, moving to full industrial strike action from 20 June. Why have these restrictions and limitations been imposed on these negotiations? What actions will Government take to address the serious issues within the retained service and to stop this industrial action taking place?

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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This a matter in which the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, is taking a personal interest. He is aware of the particular issues the Deputy has raised and it is a matter I will take back to him. We very much value the work of the fire service and the retained fire service so it is a matter we are keeping under constant observation.

Photo of Alan FarrellAlan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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Delays in takedown orders being issued to social media companies can stoke tensions in communities, cause trauma to victims, and place gardaí and individuals in harm's way, and have caused demonstrable harm to people. There are multiple occasions where response times for takedown requests can be very slow, by which time, as recently illustrated, images and videos can be viewed millions of times. I have sure the Taoiseach would agree it should not be the case that An Garda Síochána would have to ask people to refrain from sharing offending images or videos. Can the Taoiseach outline if he is satisfied with the legislative framework for such measures and the response times of social media companies for such takedown requests, and that an appropriate range of sanctions are available?

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Farrell for raising this important question. The legislation is relatively new and Coimisiún na Meán and the Online Safety Commissioner are relatively new. I have not actually seen any evidence-based assessment yet as to what the response times are and what they are by company; I would like to see too. My sense is that the legislation is good enough but it is still new and the response from some of the companies is not as good as it should be. It is early days yet.

Photo of Imelda MunsterImelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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There are well over 2,700 people in Drogheda waiting to do their driving test. They will be waiting at least 30 weeks, if they are lucky, to get a test date. For some reason, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, seems to deem Drogheda not suitable as a location for a test centre. Following information I requested from the RSA, seven of the 14 sites it looked at were deemed not suitable but it gave no reasons whatsoever for those assertions. Looking through the other reasons other sites were rejected, unbelievably, traffic in the area was cited as the excuse on more than one.

Drogheda is Ireland's largest town. The people in Drogheda pay their taxes. They pay their road taxes and they also pay a toll tax to get from one side of the town to the other which has been forced on them. Is it the Taoiseach's belief that the RSA should be allowed to leave the largest town in Ireland without a permanent test centre?

If it is not his belief, will he request that it undertakes this task immediately, source the site and provide a permanent test centre for Drogheda, instead of promising it for years and failing to deliver it for years?

3:50 pm

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I will have to check with the RSA but my understanding is it is still trying to find an appropriate site in Drogheda for a test centre. I will double-check that. I know it has hired additional driver testers. There has been about a 30% increase in demand for driving tests so it has hired many more driver testers. We anticipate wait times falling in the next couple of months. That is really important, particularly for people who need to pass their driving test to take up employment or get to college.

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I want the Government to give a commitment that the OPW will continue its legal obligation to maintain the arterial drainage programme that is instrumental in protecting active farmland, communities and, importantly, people’s homes. We have seen in the submissions to public consultations on the river basin management plan that NGOs in this country which are armed with €5 billion of taxpayers’ money, such as the Sustainable Water network, SWAN, which is made up of 25 environmentalist groups, such as An Taisce, Bat Conservation Ireland and others, want this programme discontinued and the lands rewetted, leaving homes and farms in danger. That is not scaremongering; it is a fact. That is what these groups want, such as in the Cashen river. Last week, an important meeting was held. Thousands of acres of farmland and up to 650 houses will be flooded and damaged. Active farmland and homes will be damaged if the Cashen river is not maintained. The OPW in Kerry does great work. All I ask is that the Taoiseach allows it to continue to do that work.

Photo of Malcolm NoonanMalcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The river basin management plan is nearing completion and has had valuable input from SWAN and other NGOs through An Fórum Uisce. There is a broad stakeholder group inputting to the plan. The next iteration of the plan will deal with issues around free flowing rivers and flood attenuation, in terms of using natural nature-based solutions to that. It is important we look at this in the whole, looking at the scale of the challenges we face with our rivers, both in terms of water quality and increased risks of flooding due to climate change. It will be a comprehensive plan and will address many of the issues the Deputy is concerned about.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Yesterday the Tánaiste said he was open to EU treaty change to delete vetoes held by the Dáil and other national parliaments on EU foreign policy and security issues. In other words, he is open to reducing the democratic say of the Irish people on incredibly important issues. This comes in the same week the three Government parties have decided to dump the triple lock mechanism, which is the cornerstone of Ireland’s neutrality. I cannot think of another time when our neutrality was under such sustained attack by an Irish Government. Ireland has a proud history of active neutrality. We have a record of EU peacekeeping, nuclear non-proliferation, decolonisation and aid to developing countries but the Government is looking to shred the honest broker reputation we have. Does all of this not add up to the Government trying to sign Ireland up to an emerging military bloc over whose decisions we will have little or not influence?

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for recognising the extraordinary work done by previous Governments of all parties that have held government on issues such as our commitment to UN peacekeeping. I really respect the role of our Defence Forces in that regard. Considerable increases in overseas development aid, ODA, have occurred in the past couple of years. I thank the Deputy for those words and assure him that will continue. We have no proposals as a Government to join any military alliance. We will not do that but we will continue to contribute to the UN, particularly through peacekeeping. We will continue to work with NATO partners through the Partnership for Peace and with the EU on security questions through the PESCO arrangement but will not be joining a military alliance.

Photo of Violet-Anne WynneViolet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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The programme for Government commits to enforcing the vacant sites levy and keeping the legislation under review. However, enforcement of the levy has been, at best, lukewarm and, at worst, completely ineffective. More than half of councils did not collect a levy in 2021. Since its inception, Clare County Council has collected the staggering number of zero from the levy, which is a complete missed opportunity.

Clare County Council have again recommitted to collecting the levy, but it is clear that some local authorities are not prioritising this. In the midst of a housing catastrophe, this laid-back approach seems to be completely unacceptable. People would like to know how and why this levy has been administered so badly for so long. Why do some local authorities collect, and others do not? Are they being resourced differently? What has the Government done to enforce the collection of the levy to date? When will the review of the legislation take place?

4:00 pm

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Government is very committed to bringing vacant sites back into use for residential housing. I am taking a tour of all the local authorities. I have asked every single local authority to set up a specific vacant homes unit, which will deal with derelict and vacant sites. It will deal with the Croí Cónaithe scheme, which has proven to be hugely successful. There have been nearly 1,800 applications to date. This is a matter we take very seriously. A residential zoned land tax, RZLT, will be coming in as well. What we are looking for, which is now happening on the ground in each local authority, is consistency. Each one will have a dedicated, resourced multi-discipline unit within it to deal with bringing vacant sites back into use so further houses can be built.