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

Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Leave to introduce Supplementary Estimates for Public Services [Votes 2, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 37, 38, 40, 43 and 45] (without debate)

- Motion re Supplementary Estimate for Public Services [Vote 29] (without debate)

- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2023 (Second Stage) (to conclude after Minister’s speech in response at the end of the first round) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Health Service Recruitment Freeze, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be: - Statements on Consultative Forum on International Security Policy Report (not to exceed

147 minutes)

- Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023 (Report and Final Stages) (to commence no earlier than 5 p.m. and to conclude within 4 hrs) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Palestine, selected by People Before Profit-Solidarity.

Thursday's business shall be Second Stage of Social Welfare Bill 2023 (if not previously concluded, to conclude at 6.30 p.m. or after 4 hrs 46 mins, whichever is the later).

Thursday evening business shall be the Motion re Report entitled “Report on Banking 2022” (Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach).

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 10.32 p.m.; and

(ii) the time allotted to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for Second Stage of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2023, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, private members’ business, Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Defence and topical issues;

2. the Motion re Leave to introduce Supplementary Estimates for Public Services [Votes 2, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 37, 38, 40, 43 and 45] shall be taken without debate;

3. the Motion re Supplementary Estimate for Public Services [Vote 29] shall be taken without debate; and

4. on Second Stage of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2023, on the conclusion of the first speaking round in accordance with the arrangements agreed by the Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, and the Resolution of the Dáil of 20th September, 2023, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply, which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion. 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 extent that the weekly division time may be taken later than 8.45 p.m.,

and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the proceedings on the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023, with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil;

2. the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the Statements on Consultative Forum on International Security Policy Report:

(i) the statements shall not exceed 137 minutes, and the arrangements for that time shall be in accordance with the Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, and the Resolution of the Dáil of 20th September, 2023; and

(ii) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

3. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Finance (No.2) Bill 2023 shall be taken no earlier than 5 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 4 hours by one question which shall be put from the Chair and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Finance. 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 extent that topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event, be taken on the conclusion of Government business, and the Motion re Report entitled “Report on Banking 2022” shall be taken on the conclusion of topical issues, with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and 2. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion either at 6.30 p.m. or after 4 hours and 46 minutes, whichever is the later.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to? They are not agreed.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I wish to join in the welcome to Ms Ruth Jones MP from our sister party, the British Labour Party. I note reports today that the gender equality referendum will be held in March. Will the Taoiseach confirm to the House when the Bill for the referendum will come before the Dáil and Seanad and whether that will be before Christmas? I am conscious that time is of the essence if the referendum is to be held on International Women's Day on 8 March next year.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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Climate change, climate mitigation and climate adaptation are the biggest issues facing not only this country but the world. Reports from the UN say that we are not doing enough. In Ireland, even if every single element of our climate action plan was implemented to the full, it would not be sufficient for us to meet our targets and the targets the Government has set. I ask for statements in the Dáil this week on climate action and how the Government will expedite those measures.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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We have a situation where the democratic rights of the people of the North of Ireland have been deleted by the DUP. The boycott of the institutions is doing tremendous damage to citizens right across the political spectrum. The economy, healthcare, housing and even the environment are under significant stress in the North for the lack of a properly functioning Executive. A rump of DUP MPs are now holding up the whole system in the North of Ireland. We need a debate on this issue because the Government is standing idly by while this is happening just 100 miles from here.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I want to draw the attention of the Taoiseach and the Chief Whip attention to the fact that on Saturday, the world will mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. As this House does not sit on Saturday, it is unfortunate that we will not have a session on it this week. I ask the Business Committee to guarantee that we have a serious session next week on the elimination of violence against women during the UN week to mark it internationally. This is particularly important given that there has been a very disturbing increase in the level of physical and sexual violence against women in Ireland. One in three women over the age of 15, report experiencing it at some point.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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In six days' time, the window for Ireland to opt out of the amendments made to Article 59 of the international health regulations will close. This amendment was adopted by the World Health Assembly, WHA, and slashes the periods of time for which future amendments can be made from 18 months down to 12. It also cuts the time during which a member state, like Ireland, can exercise the right to reject the amendments from 18 months to 10 months. This is a fierce piece of legislation. There are 307 amendments brought forward by the WHA, an unelected body. We are expected to deal with this and there has been no debate on it here. It is happening with zero media attention and zero debate in the House. It is totally undemocratic and against our sovereignty. I seek an urgent debate on the matter this week because it will happen at the end of the week and 307 amendments will just pass through.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am afraid I am not familiar with the issue Deputy McGrath has raised. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, will be able to come back to him directly on it. There have been calls for statements on climate action, on the situation in Northern Ireland regarding the Assembly Executive not functioning and on violence against women and domestic and gender-based violence, in particular. I would welcome statements or debate on them but I really think it is for the Business Committee to order that business in the normal way rather than here on the floor of the House.

I would like to point out that while we do not meet on Saturday, paid domestic violence leave comes into effect from Monday of next week. That is a significant move forward in terms of helping people to escape from domestic and gender-based violence. I am glad that we were able to get this legislation through during this Oireachtas.

On the gender equality issue, two referendums will be proposed to Cabinet next Tuesday. We should be in a position to share with the Dáil immediately after that.

We will have the wording next Tuesday and in order to have the referendum in early March, which is the current timeframe we are working towards, it will be necessary to have the Bill in the House either before Christmas or, if not, first thing in January when the Dáil returns.

Finally, on the Northern Ireland Troubles legacy Act, the Government is still considering the Attorney General, AG's, advice on that. We will have to make a decision in the next few weeks as to whether we will support one of the existing cases or take our own interstate case. We have the AG's advice and that is currently under consideration. We will make a decision in the next few weeks, and at that point it might be appropriate to have statements.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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The Taoiseach should not forget climate change.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I mentioned that.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Not agreed.

Deputies:

Vótáil.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Will the Deputies who are claiming a division please rise in their places?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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As fewer than ten Members have risen in their places, I declare the question carried. The names of the Deputies who claimed a division will be recorded in the Journal of the Proceedings of the Dáil.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I ask any Members leaving the Dáil to do so quietly. Táim ag bogadh ar aghaidh. I ask for Members' co-operation as there are just 23 minutes left.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to clarify this. What was agreed by Cabinet today is a supplementary budget for health of about €1 billion for this year. The budget relates to next year. The way it works is we have a budget in October, then a Revised Estimates Volume, REV, in December and there can be Supplementary Estimates but the Supplementary Estimates are for the existing year, not the following year. That is what the budget does.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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No.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I want to return to the gender equality referendum. I thank the Taoiseach for giving some indication on the timing of the legislation for that referendum and for indicating that it will proceed in March, which is welcome. It is of concern to see reports about the wording proposed and that it will apparently deviate from what we proposed in the Joint Committee on Gender Equality and what the citizens' assembly recommended. In particular, we are concerned to see that, rather than offering a meaningful recognition of carers, it is reported that the draft will merely "strive to support the provision of care", which is a rather ineffective phrase. Furthermore, we understand from the reports in the newspapers that the provision of care to be recognised in the Constitution will be limited to that provided within the home or family, whereas the committee and the citizens' assembly proposed a more inclusive definition of care to include care outside the home. Crucially, in light of the Johnny O'Meara case, we also want to ensure the referendum will expand the definition of "family" beyond that based on marriage. I would welcome clarity on that.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The wording will go to Cabinet next week. Subject to being approved by Cabinet next week, it will be published and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, I and others will then have an opportunity to go through the wording. Changing the Constitution is never straightforward. We always have to bear in mind how it might be interpreted by the courts. I have a strong view that laws should be made in the Oireachtas and that decisions on how people's money should be spent should be made in the Oireachtas. We always have to take that into account in making any change to the Constitution. The wording will be brought to Cabinet by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, next Tuesday. Subject to approval by Cabinet, we will be able to share it with everyone on Tuesday and discuss it further from there.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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The emissions gap report from the United Nations paints a stark picture when it comes to our climate. UN Secretary General, António Guterres, says: "Present trends are racing our planet down a dead-end 3 C temperature rise" and that "the emissions gap is more like an emissions canyon". The Climate Change Advisory Council here has also repeatedly rung alarm bells and said that the pace at which the Government is implementing agreed climate policy "is not acceptable, given the existential threat and impact" climate change is having on society. It has warned that Ireland will not meet its climate targets. Today, we have a new report that has highlighted that Ireland's transition to renewable energy is progressing much slower than expected and is being hindered by planning bottlenecks, grid capacity and economic challenges. Given that his earlier response was not sufficient, I ask the Taoiseach again what the Government is doing to expedite climate action. Where is the step change we need to see from this Government when it comes to climate action?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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That is all set out in our climate action plans and we are doing everything we can to step up climate action but this requires-----

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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The climate action plans do not meet the targets.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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-----system change and one cannot change systems that took generations to build up in a short period of years.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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We have to.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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We need to bear in mind that while we have to step up climate action, which we are doing and will do, the impact that will have on a global atmosphere and environment can unfortunately only ever be small. That is why we will have a particular focus on adaptation and the Minister, Deputy Ryan, will bring an updated adaptation plan to the Government before the end of the year.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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Israel is carrying out a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Its number one supporter and military backer is the US. As a party to the genocide convention with the duty to prevent the crime of genocide, the US should be imposing an arms embargo on Israel. Instead, it has aided and abetted genocide by increasing military assistance to Israel by $14.5 billion since the genocide began.

By allowing Shannon Airport to be used by the US military while it is aiding and abetting genocide, Ireland is complicit. More than 50,000 US troops have passed through Shannon this year alone. The Taoiseach cannot continue to take the word of the US that no weapons or troops bound for the Middle East are passing through Shannon, especially when the number of munitions exemptions granted by the Department of Transport went up by 42% last month. Will the Taoiseach commit to closing Shannon or at least to begin inspections?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I outlined our position on this only in the last hour. We have very strict rules in relation to the use of Shannon. There are no flights going from the US through Shannon to Israel. There are troops being carried to US bases and anybody carrying munitions needs permission and a licence.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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We are not doing inspections.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Given Ireland's prominent role in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors, where nearly 90% of employees in these fields are engaged in patent medicine related work, the establishment of the EU unified patent court is poised to significantly benefit this country. Recognising this, the Government has expressed its intention to participate in the unitary patent system and the unified patent court. However, this necessitates an amendment to the Constitution. Is the Government still committed to the timeline the Taoiseach provided earlier this year of holding a referendum in conjunction with the European elections next June? Will the Taoiseach further commit to submitting a bid for Ireland to host a central division of the unified patent court, thereby capitalising on the potential economic advantages to the country?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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That commitment stands and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, is working on it at the moment, with a view to having the referendum concurrent with the local and European elections.

The court is up and running and we are keen that Ireland be part of it. I will have to come back to the Deputy on the issue of the central division. My understanding when I was Minister, which is nearly a year ago now, was that there were only going to be three and they had already been assigned. I could be out of date on that, however, so I will come back to the Deputy directly.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Farmers need certainty in their businesses, like any other business. The change to the nitrates derogation, which is going from 250 kg N/ha to 220 kg N/ha, was announced last September but farmers, both dairy and beef, had to have their animals impregnated and their cows and heifers in calf before then. Now they face a situation where they are going to have to slaughter these in-calf animals, which is wilful and totally wrong. It is obscene and grotesque. I am asking that the deadline be extended to allow farmers to at least have their production line, to have their calves born this year as normal, as they expected to be able to do when they put the animals in calf. It is shocking, especially in light of the world food situation, that we would be destroying our animals here. In fairness to farmers, they need certainty. As I said, when they made decisions about next year's animals, they had no notion that the derogation was going to be changed and that they would have to cull these cows or have them slaughtered in a factory. This is a shocking situation.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have met a lot of farmers on this issue for the best part of a year now and I understand the impact it is going to have on thousands of farms around the country. At our invitation, Commissioner Sinkevičius is coming to Ireland on Thursday. The Minister for agriculture, Deputy McConalogue, and I will have a chance to meet him and we will explore any flexibilities that might be available to us that might help farmers to make this transition but I do not want to raise expectations as to what is possible and what is not. The EU law is clear and the rules are clear, as are the derogation and the nitrates directive. They are not easily changed but we will explore any flexibilities that might help farmers.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I raise the crisis faced by a number of childcare providers, especially the smaller, independent ones, in my constituency and elsewhere. This relates to the fact that the Department will not accept the set of accounts from these providers that Revenue has already accepted. The Department wants much more detail and requires the accounts to be prepared by a chartered accountant, at an extra cost of between €1,500 to €2,500 per provider. These accounts are for 2022. One provider told me that a supermarket receipt from 2022 for about €28 of legitimate expenses now has to be broken down into how much was for cleaning products, toilet paper, crayons and so on, 18 months after it was submitted. Also, the Department will not align the accounts to the normal financial year but wants accounts from September to August. The practical solution would be to delay the requirement for chartered accounts until next year and to align with the current financial year.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I will certainly transmit those suggestions to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. In the round, the national childcare scheme is working well. Parents have seen a big reduction in fees and will see another big reduction in fees in September. We are seeing terms and conditions improve for staff and we are seeing improvements in quality. Like any new scheme, however, there will be teething problems at the start and maybe a little bit too much bureaucracy and too many checks and balances, but they are there for a reason. I can understand the frustration that must arise from having to have one set of accounts for Revenue and a different set of accounts for a different Government agency. I will certainly pass those suggestions on to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I know he is keen to make the process streamlined as possible.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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A commitment on page 15 of the programme for Government is to prioritise the report on the future of the western rail corridor and take immediate action. I have repeatedly raised the project in this Chamber and will continue to do so on behalf of the people of counties Mayo, Galway and Sligo. The western rail corridor is a vital piece of infrastructure along the Atlantic economic corridor, yet its development has been frustratingly slow. It is now an important component of the all-Ireland strategic rail review, connecting Ballina and Rosslare and addressing regional imbalance in the west. The 52 km line between Claremorris and Athenry is central to that and we also need to safeguard the rail infrastructure north of Claremorris. It is imperative that this project is included in the revised national development plan, given the significant demand for rail freight. The west is desperately in need of this project. In light of its obvious benefits, why is there stalling on this issue? When can we anticipate a decision?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of the western rail corridor. I will have to double-check with the Minister for Transport, but my understanding is the draft of the all-Ireland rail review has been published. It is now out to public consultation and a final draft will follow. I will double-check on the current state of play and revert to the Deputy directly.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Last week, I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the appointment of a HSE rare disease liaison officer. To be fair, he said he would come back to me on the matter. It has only been a week since then and I do not expect a response from him at the moment. I submitted a question to the Department of Health at approximately the same time, however, and received a response this morning. The response referred to the establishment of a rare disease office, a rare disease policy unit, the announcement of a new rare disease plan, the opening of a new patient advocacy service and the establishment of a new rare disease information hotline. None of that pertains to the question I asked, however, so I am asking the Taoiseach, in the context of responding to my question in the coming days or week, if he will, please, try to source an answer in respect of the appointment of a rare disease liaison officer.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I will definitely follow up on that and revert to the Deputy with a proper answer as soon as I get one. Some people will probably speculate that it is linked to the recruitment restrictions in the HSE at the moment. I do not know whether that is or is not the case. Approved posts can still go ahead. Next year, the HSE is authorised to take on an additional 2,000 staff. I am sure it can be done but I will revert to the Deputy when I have a proper reply.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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The temporary business energy support scheme only expended €150 million of its €1.3 billion budget. Businesses had hoped the underspend in TBESS money would be reprofiled and redistributed to help with the cost of doing business crisis instead of reverting to the Exchequer. As insolvencies are up 38% across the first three quarters of the year and businesses are struggling with energy bill arrears, will the Government give a commitment that some or all of the €1.1 billion underspend in TBESS will be provided to struggling businesses and SMEs, and family businesses in particular?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I can and I will. A sum of €250 million has been set aside in the budget for a cost of business scheme which the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is currently developing. That is double the amount that was drawn down from TBESS. We thought there would be a bigger drawdown from TBESS but it appears that energy bills did not go up as much as we thought they would. Many people had fixed prices and other prices which helped them. This scheme will next year provide businesses with twice as much as TBESS did.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise with the Taoiseach the case of Cabot Financial Ireland. A quick look at its website introduces you to Sean Webb, Rachel Brown, Niall Sorohan, Gerard Clear, Tom Dillon and Michael Webb. These people are hounding a man of almost 80 years of age in my constituency for the balance of an old debt going back more than 15 years. This man is almost 80 years of age and in poor health. Through its solicitors, Belgard Solicitors, Cabot is writing to this man, threatening him with High Court proceedings. This type of behaviour is absolutely scandalous and disgraceful. Where is the regulator? Last Thursday, I raised the case of Pepper Finance charging 9.24% on mortgages. Is the regulator asleep again, as was the case in the past? We know what happened back then. I am calling on the Taoiseach to call in Cabot Financial Ireland and ask its directors what they are doing to this man. It is not good enough. Those people deserve to be named in the House. I hope they are proud of what they are doing. Do they think it is going to make them happier or something? It cannot be allowed to continue. It is scandalous.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am afraid I am not familiar at all with the case. I do not know how much money the gentleman owes or why, and I am not familiar with the company the Deputy has mentioned in the House. I certainly encourage anyone who has unpaid debts to get legal advice and get good advice from a solicitor or financial planner. It is important that if people have debts, they should pay back those debts. Debts that go unpaid obviously have a consequence somewhere and often the cost of them gets socialised.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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The case was settled.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As I do not know enough about the case, I cannot comment on it.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I raise again the issue of the Castlemartyr and Killeagh bypass, or Midleton to Youghal, scheme. I have been fighting very hard on this issue in recent years. In the past 12 months, I have been awaiting the outcome of a strategic assessment report. I found the Minister for Transport's new-found interest in road projects in the context of the Adare scheme announced this morning, which apparently is going to be sped up, quite entertaining . Will the same consideration be afforded to my constituents and this project, which is of great importance to the south east, including east Cork, County Cork and County Waterford?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, he has always made the case in favour of bypasses because bypasses relieve towns of traffic and allow for improvements in air quality and for more pedestrian space and space for cyclists and so on. There was very positive news today that the Government has given the Minister, Deputy Ryan, approval to press ahead with the Adare bypass, a 7 km roadway. That will go to construction next year with the intention of having it completed by 2027. In terms of other projects and bypasses, obviously that is a funding matter, but I know the Minister is keen to progress safety improvements, and bypasses in particular.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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Page 60 of the programme for Government refers to tackling homelessness and further states the priority of the Government is to reduce it while in government. That does not seem to be working in my city of Limerick. That ambition seems to have dropped down the list of Government priorities. If one walks through the streets of Limerick - the Taoiseach was there on Friday - one will see people sleeping out on the streets, bracing themselves against the harshness of winter weather. Homelessness services in Limerick, which are the last resort for people who have nowhere to sleep, tell me that up to 20 people a day are being turned away because they simply have nowhere to put them. They have no accommodation left. Will emergency funding be delivered, especially as we come up to Christmas and the cold winter period? What is the Department going to do to ensure there are no people in Limerick or elsewhere in the State sleeping on the streets?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Our objective in all cities, including this city and Limerick, is to make sure that shelter is available to everyone who needs it. That is not always the case but, generally speaking, it is the case. I will be speaking to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, during the week and will let him know the Deputy has raised the particular issue of people not having shelter in Limerick. Emergency funding can be provided if needed.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women will be marked on 25 November. Our domestic violence legislation is an important part of the State's response to that. However, there is a significant gap in the context of being able to secure a safety order for a young person under the age of 18 who may be in an abusive relationship. In light of this important day coming up, will the Government commit to addressing and eliminating that gap and ensuring that even those aged under 18 can get a safety order and be protected from abusive or coercive relationships?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I know the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is very committed to doing everything we can to eliminate violence against women, as well as gender-based and domestic violence in general. I am not sure if she is giving consideration to the particular matter the Deputy has raised but I will let her know it was brought up and ask her to respond to Deputy Costello directly.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I have a short question for the Taoiseach. Will the Government lift the recruitment embargo on front-line workers in the HSE?

This is obviously having a hugely detrimental effect on our public health system. Is there a vision to lift this embargo? It is having a terrible effect on day-to-day services that we all rely on.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to clarify the matter. The HSE will be able to hire an additional 2,000 staff in 2024, so it will be able to replace any staff who have resigned or retired and hire an additional 2,000 staff. We cannot have what has been happening in previous years. We have had a recruitment surge, with 20,000 extra people hired by the health service since this Government came to office but not necessarily the ones it was authorised to hire, and that is a serious problem. I should say that even between now and the end of the year, the recruitment restrictions do not apply to nurses, midwives, consultants, GPs and doctors in training.

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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I rise in utter frustration. I have to raise the fact that as an elected public representative, I am experiencing too many serious issues with the leadership of Clare County Council, namely, the leadership of the social directorate with responsibility for housing. For a number of months, I have requested a meeting to discuss various issues in respect of housing or lack thereof. It has not been facilitated to date and, instead, I am either told "No" or given a staff member who is not the head of services. Recently, I had to request the assistance of the Minister on a specific case regarding an issue and that did not deliver better engagement on the matter. There seems to be little respect for the mandate, and it is extremely concerning. I have constituents in distress and the council smugly thinks that overstaying is an answer. I call on the Taoiseach to investigate these serious matters.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am sorry to hear about the experiences the Deputy is having with Clare County Council. The council and its executives are not accountable to me. They are accountable to the elected members of Clare County Council but I will certainly let the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, know that the matter was raised and perhaps he will have some suggestions as to how it can be brought forward.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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It is now a year since the child maintenance review group published its report. It made a number of recommendations around child maintenance and social welfare, all of which we have called for for many years. The timelines for the legislation that is needed to remove the provision that child maintenance is counted as means for social welfare payments have come and gone. It is now said to be before the end of the year. I ask that the Taoiseach prioritise lone parent families and that this be done as quickly as possible. Child maintenance is not a source of household income. It is to help bring up a child or children. I ask that this legislation be prioritised and brought forward as quickly as possible. It has been a year at this point.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know a lot of progress has been made on it. There was a memorandum to Cabinet only in the past few weeks. I think it is on schedule to be done before the end of the year and, if not, certainly within the next few months. I will double-check with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and come back to the Deputy if I am incorrect on that but I know she is keen to get it done.