Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Today, the Taoiseach will ram through his legislation for the highest number of super junior and junior Ministers in the history of the State. I refer to the jobs-for-the-boys-and-girls Bill that will give rise to bumper top-ups in salaries and expenses for all involved, including a pay hike of €45,000, additional expenses of €32,000 and salaries of €200,000 for super junior Ministers. The divvying up of this power is, of course, part of the grubby deal the Government struck with Deputy Michael Lowry. I do not think anyone who came out to vote last November believed that what this country needs is a record number of junior and super junior Ministers; far from it. To make matters worse, the Government is guillotining the debate. It does not want the space for Opposition to call it out on this. This is the worst type of gravy train politics and the Taoiseach needs to bring it to a halt or, at a minimum, allow for a full debate in the House without a guillotine.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I disagree fundamentally with the Deputy's assertions. Our population has increased dramatically, in contrast to the time when the Constitution was formulated. The range of issues we are dealing with now is far in excess of what would have the case in previous times. We have far greater challenges in respect of climate, biodiversity, the energy agenda and the marine ecosystem across the board, from maritime security to ecotourism to fisheries.

That requires a Minister of State. I make no apologies for saying that. The immigration issue is at a level that is having a huge impact on the State and it requires a Minister of State. We are ageing demographically as a people. We need to plan more appropriately for it and it needs a focus. It requires a Minister of State as well.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I want to raise with the Taoiseach gaps in the education system for children who require additional supports. We are all very conscious of the serious shortfall in this area. In particular, I want to speak about children who are failed because the education system lacks support for those with dyslexia or dyspraxia. In schools and in our State exams, people continue to be let down. During State exams, readers are often restricted in the assistance they can provide to students and the National Council for Special Education has instituted a moratorium on the setting up of new reading schools at a time when reading schools and classes are oversubscribed.

One local parent contacted me this week to express their deep frustration. Their child has severe dyslexia and fulfils the criteria for a reading class but has been denied a placement due to oversubscription. The programme for Government is silent on dyslexia more generally. What is the Government going to do to support children with dyslexia and what is the policy on reading classes within mainstream schools?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, in terms of reading classes within mainstream schools, is the Deputy talking about-----

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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It is both issues; reading schools and reading classes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I introduced the first language classes within mainstream education a long time ago - they have had a great impact - with a view, by the way, to integrating a child back into the mainstream after perhaps a year of very focused work in a language class where a child was experiencing language difficulties. In more recent times, education thinking has moved towards integration, integration, integration and less specificity. I have some views on that. There are requirements for a specialised, focused approach at different times of a child's journey. This is where I am and I will talk to the Minister for Education in relation to the issues the Deputy has raised.

On dyslexia, every effort should be made to facilitate children with dyslexia, both in terms of how we assess children with dyslexia and the flexibilities there.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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Today we learned about the latest example of public waste - in the Arts Council - where €6.7 million of public funds went towards an IT system that will not be used. We learned about it today, but it appears from reports that the Cabinet and the Minister learned about this as early as the summer of last year. The council's annual report has not published yet. What is being done to ensure accountability and to make sure €7 million in public money is spent? How can that go to waste so easily? Will the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media come before the Dáil to answer questions on this very important issue?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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This is a very serious issue and the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, to be fair, is acting promptly on it. He briefed Cabinet in on to this IT project. There are issues in terms of the governance of that project and the eventual outcome. There has been huge expenditure on a product that has not emerged. There is not a new system in place. There are very serious issues.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has reported on this, I expect and anticipate that the Committee of Public Accounts will also examine this but it raises very serious issues.

Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)
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After 27 years of the Donegal Education Centre being located in Donegal town, all staff members are being forced to relocate to Letterkenny, which is more than an hour and a half away. This is a completely unnecessary decision, which has never been discussed or brought to a general meeting nor has anybody consulted with the voting members of Donegal Education Centre. The manner in which six members of staff have been treated by the management committee of this centre over the past year, since they first heard the rumours of relocation, is unacceptable. There has been a complete absence of empathy and a total lack of transparency on the part of the Government and local officials. The decision to transfer was made more than a year ago, but it was only announced a few weeks ago. This is a terrible way to treat these people who have worked in this centre for well over ten years. This centre is a cornerstone of Donegal and Donegal town. Will the Government consider reversing this decision of moving the staff members from Donegal town to Letterkenny?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am not familiar with the background to this but I presume this has been considered for quite some time. It cannot have come as a bolt of out the blue. I will talk to the Minister for Education and alert her that the Deputy has raised this issue in the House today. I am not clear on the rationale as to why it is moving from Donegal town to Letterkenny because education centres are very important in terms of training, service training and a whole range of other development programmes. I will ask the Minister for Education to engage with those who have made this particular decision.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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The Government has announced a huge St. Patrick's Day delegation to the United States in recent days. The Tánaiste has been outlining the importance of these trips to his Cabinet. They are very important and the Cabinet should undergo an intense level of diplomatic training.

In previous years, there were a significant number of mistakes. The former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, snubbed a high-level executive meeting with business people who have invested billions of euro in the Irish economy. I am not sure if that was before his inappropriate comments in relation to Monica Lewinsky for which he was forced to apologise. More recently, the Tánaiste called the US President a "gowl". Will the Taoiseach commit to ensuring the Cabinet undergoes training to ensure these mistakes are not made again this year?

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy might need to do a bit of training himself.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It would be a very boring Cabinet. I do not mean that in any disrespect to diplomats. We are fortunate in Ireland that we have superb diplomats. We have tremendous diplomats who represent us very well, professionally, all over the world, including in the Middle East, United States, Africa and Asia.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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I mean politicians.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We are all elected so you get what you have. We are all elected by the people. We all have different talents, different nuances and different approaches - that is the beauty of political life itself.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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What about the "gowl" comment?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Comments get made and comments get retracted. By the way, I am not sure the then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, snubbed anybody. I do not know whether he was a Minister or the Taoiseach when the Deputy says he snubbed people.

Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the planned review of the defective concrete blocks scheme mentioned in the programme for Government. When should this review be expected as urgent changes are needed for those affected.? I can think of a retired couple who are now in ill-health who cannot cope with the toll of a rebuild and wish to sell with the grant intact, or people in Páirc Na Coille, Westport whose foundations are not currently covered and are anxious to see if this might happen after the review. The physical, emotional and mental strain of this crisis cannot be underestimated and financial uncertainty just adds to this burden.

I also want to highlight the 1,644 homeowners who, on the previous scheme, commenced their rebuilds on the old rate. They have been assured they will receive the new rate retrospectively but this requires the Act to be changed. I know this is going before Cabinet soon but when will this come before the Oireachtas so they can move out of financial limbo?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy very much for her comprehensive presentation of the issues. I will come back to her with the timeline for the review and I will speak to the Minister on that issue. We intend to pursue it vigorously and in a timely manner.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Tánaiste, the Taoiseach's partner in government and leader of Fine Gael, needs to make a statement to the Dáil regarding his party's investigation into Senator Martin Conway for inappropriate behaviour towards a female staff member. We know there was an investigation by Fine Gael; what we do not know------

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Excuse me, Deputy, yesterday we had this conversation about making allegations against other Deputies.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, I am quite within my rights to raise this under promised legislation. As Head of Government-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, you cannot make-----

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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-----I am asking that the Taoiseach instruct-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, when I stand up, resume your seat, please.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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-----the Government Chief Whip to facilitate the Business Committee-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, please resume your seat. The Chair is speaking.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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-----and allow the Tánaiste to answer the many questions that face him regarding the disciplinary process carried out in relation to Senator Martin Conway.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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We need to do a training programme all around the House.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Now, Deputy, when the Chair stands up, you resume your seat out of respect. That is what I am here for.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I am sorry, a Cheann Comhairle.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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There is no point in apologising; you ignored me three times, Deputy. Yesterday, I addressed the matter. That rule is to protect all Members, not just the Oireachtas Member who you are making the allegation against.

It is to protect you from-----

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I did not make an allegation.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Allegations-----

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I did not make an allegation.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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She did not make an allegation. She has asked for time.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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We asked for clarity.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, you were told yesterday how that clarity could be got. Your Whip was given it in writing.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach controls the Business Committee through the Chief Whip, through the party and through the Government. Deputy Byrne is entitled to ask the question.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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One thing I do not control is the Business Committee. I can you tell you that.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Making the allegation contained in the question-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Do you really want me to control it?

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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If the Ceann Comhairle had let me finish, I would have got to the point about the Business Committee, which I was quite entitled to raise.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Your allegation was made at that stage.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I did not make an allegation. We asked for clarity and for a statement and we were quite within our rights to ask for that.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I am going to get the Taoiseach to respond but I am asking Deputies to consider that any allegation made against Members is prohibited.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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No allegations were made.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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As I consider it, it is an allegation.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Would you like me to repeat what I said?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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No.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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No Deputy, I would not. Thank you.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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There was no allegation made.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call the Taoiseach please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is no precedent. I do not think it is appropriate for internal party issues to be Government issues. It is not a Government issue-----

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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You insisted Sinn Féin-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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If I could just clarify-----

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The double standards.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Member of the other House, not this House, that the Deputies refer to-----

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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How is that relevant?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Deputy let me finish? He is heckling non-stop. The issue relates to a Member of the other House. It is a matter for the party concerned in terms of its internal disciplinary procedure. He is not an officer of the Government. He is not in office. He is not a member of Government. Under the Constitution, Government is accountable to the House so-----

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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It is pertinent to the payment.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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He is accountable to-----

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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His party is in government.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----this is all very straightforward by the way but I understand what the Deputy is doing and why she is doing it.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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He is a member of Fine Gael.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach and we move now to Deputy Cathal Crowe.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The double standards. The accountability is something else to behold.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Mac Lochlainn has a question coming up.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Ceann Comhairle might stop the clock until the Sinn Féin Members stop rambling on there.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, continue.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Deputy is fairly capable of it himself. He was one of the leaders of heckling in the previous Dáil, but go ahead.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to raise the issue of homes and businesses in County Clare ,though it is also a national issue, who cannot get flood cover on the insurance policy. Those that can, pay a huge amount for it. The industry tells us it is all about the principle of risk equalisation. One house gets flooded so all must pay. That is fundamentally wrong. There has been a lot of remedial work undertaken in the lower Shannon and elsewhere in this country to ensure flooding does not occur but the industry continues to penalise homeowners and business owners. It will require intervention from the Government and the Central Bank. I do not have trust in Insurance Ireland to do something on this because this has repeatedly been raised with it. In County Clare, I estimate between 3,000 and 4,000 home owners in Ennis, Shannon, Sixmilebridge and Shannon Banks cannot get flood cover. It is worse than that though because when someone tries to sell one of these properties, conveyancing invariably happens and people are advised not to buy or give a mortgage for the property. Therefore, the sale of properties collapses far too often. It is will require Government intervention.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for again very strongly and correctly highlighting an issue that is of huge concern to homeowners in the areas he has mentioned and which he represents. There is a big issue here, particularly where flood relief schemes have been introduced and where remedial measures have happened because of Government intervention and investment. Over the past number of years, we have been involved in significant insurance reform in respect of issues that were raised with us by the industry. I am not so sure we have got the reciprocal response, given the reforms that we have carried out. The industry needs to do more to respond to the initiates that Government has taken. The insurance industry is part of society. It needs to respond more adequately to the issues raised by the Deputy. There is an insurance sub-committee of Cabinet at which I will raise this issue in terms of how we and the Minister of State at the Department of Finance engage with the industry on the very specific topic raised.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach was asked a question by Deputy Keogh from Mayo, one of the counties affected by defective concrete blocks. I received a reply to a parliamentary recently from the Minister for housing, which confirms that under the pyrite remediation scheme, almost 3,000 families in Dublin and north Leinster received 100% redress under a State-run scheme, and absolutely rightly so. Why are families and homeowners in counties Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Limerick and Clare treated like second-class citizens? Why do they have to find tens of thousands of euro, in some cases more than €100,000, to make their homes safe through a grant scheme? When will the Government change the scheme to make sure all citizens who are victims of these scandals are treated equally and fairly across the State?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would argue that the scheme the previous Government introduced was extremely comprehensive. It was far better than the scheme Sinn Féin endorsed in 2019. A lot was done by the previous Government to try to dramatically and significantly improve the scheme. Implementation is the key and delivering on the grounds.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Is it fair though? Is everybody treated fairly?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is a fair scheme. We can review aspects of it. The State has committed up €1 billion, maybe €2 billion eventually, to that scheme. That is what is involved. It is a huge commitment by the State, and rightly so because homeowners suffered grievously and in a shocking way in terms of the defective blocks reality and experience so many people have gone through particularly in Donegal, Mayo, Clare and other counties. There is no shortage of commitment. What we really need to do is to get more delivery and get more houses done.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Next week the Taoiseach and members of the Government are due to host the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Ireland. While it is important we maintain strong diplomatic, economic and cultural links with China, and reflecting on the Taoiseach's very balanced and measured speech to the Royal Irish Academy in May 2023, I hope he will raise questions of continuing human rights abuses in China, particularly in Xinjiang and Tibet. However, I also want to raise the case of Jimmy Lai who has been detained for more than 1,500 days under China's national security law in Hong Kong. As the Taoiseach is probably aware, among his legal team is Caoilfhionn Gallagher, one of Ireland's foremost human rights lawyers. I ask for a commitment that when meeting with the foreign minister, the Taoiseach will raise China's human rights abuses.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. He has been a long-standing advocate for the case of Jimmy Lai. I appreciate his sincere commitment to the issue and to that of human rights more generally. I have met with the foreign minister, Wang Yi, on two previous occasions and we discussed a wide spectrum of issues, including human rights issues. He, and indeed the Chinese Government, would respond fairly strongly in their defence of their system and their approach. However, we will meet with the foreign minister, Wang Yi. I am not sure yet how long that meeting will be but it will again cover a wide range of issues.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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We all know the song "It is a long way to Tipperary". I know it was a British World War song. It is a long wait for the people of Tipperary town, muintir Thiobraid Árann, for the bypass and for some measures to alleviate the huge problem of mainly trucks congesting the town on a 24-7 basis. We had hopes with the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, that this section of the N24 would have been completed around Tipperary to give us a relief road but nothing happened. This has to be included in the national development plan. We have to get this relief road for Tipperary town for the sake of the chamber of commerce, the business people and ordinary people to live, work and play in the town. The volume of trucks going through it is unacceptable. It is impossible to maintain the street and to live on it with the noise and air pollution. Will the Taoiseach try to give a commitment that we will get this relief road for Tipperary town?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue for Tipperary town and more generally. I think he is correct in his recollections that the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, indicated that he was positively disposed to the bypass and that he preferred bypasses as opposed to lengthy motorways, but progress has not been made so far to the degree people would want. We will certainly be considering this in the context of the national development plan. Our experiences with earlier bypasses such as Macroom bypass environmentally- and sustainability-wise has been huge. It has been just transformative for people in Macroom, Ballyvourney and all that area. It has changed people's lives as well as improving economic connectivity. Broadly speaking, we favour this. The one potential major constraint is the financial framework and so on that we have to govern this but I hear the Deputy loud and clear.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Is mian liom dul ar ais go dtí cúrsaí tithíochta, go háirithe an scéim a bhí ann chun tionónta seilbhe a chosaint. Tá an dealramh ar an scéal go bhfuil an scéim sin curtha ar ceal nó ar fionraí agus nach bhfuil sí ag feidhmiú.

I am returning to the tenant in situ scheme and to the earlier theme of who is actually telling lies. I say this because apparently the tenant in situ scheme has been suspended since the middle of December. This was conveyed verbally to the city council in Galway, which affected other local authorities throughout the country. As I stand here, 15 units with 11 tenants are going to fail if clarification is not given on the scheme. We have the city council being told by the Department it is suspended, a public release from the Department saying it is not and a question telling us it has.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ar dtús báire, níl an scéim curtha ar ceal ach tá cainteanna ar siúl idir an Aire tithíochta, an Teachta Browne, agus an tAire caiteachais, an Teachta Chambers. Tá súil agam go mbeidh toradh ag teacht go luath anois.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Taoiseach-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will just say to the Deputy it is not suspended. There is engagement between the Minister for housing and the Minister for public expenditure-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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What about the 11 units that are to go through this? I am sorry for interrupting, but just to clarify.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There are ongoing discussions between the Ministers in respect of the allocation for 2025. There was an allocation. It is not large enough, so the discussions are around how we can target this scheme for the most needy and particular areas where it makes absolute sense for people who otherwise would be homeless if we did not have the availability of a tenant in situ scheme. Hopefully, I will have news very shortly in respect of this matter.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy. I am sure she can engage directly. I call Deputy Paul Murphy.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The lecturers of the BIMM music college have been forced onto the picket lines. They face an incredible assault on their rights, with 53 workers facing redundancy. A small number of them will be re-employed on less than half the hourly wage they were on previously and the rest will be faced with the choice of getting bogus self-employment on zero-hour contracts. This is part of the so-called "Uberisation" of academic conditions. The State cannot wash its hands of what is happening here. Approximately 80% of the students are in BIMM, and paid for by the State, through TU Dublin, which has, effectively, outsourced to BIMM. Will the Taoiseach say that BIMM should engage with the workers at the WRC, which it has failed to do up until now? Will he also say that the State cannot have contracts with a company that proceeds to treat workers so shoddily and-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy. I call the Taoiseach to respond.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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-----TU Dublin should tell BIMM to back off or else it will not be able to continue with this arrangement?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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This is an important and distressing issue for those suffering as a result of this decision. Our main concern is for the employees of BIMM who are affected by these redundancies. It is very difficult for them. Industrial relations mechanisms should be used, particularly to resolve issues between the institute and its staff. It is a private provider of education and not a public provider.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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It is mostly funded by the State.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We have a very strong suite of employment rights in this country to protect and support workers in redundancy situations and employers must comply with a number of legal obligations when proposing collective redundancies, including the requirement to consult and provide information to employees and their representatives for a 30-day period before any notice of redundancy can issue. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment must also be notified of the proposals at least 30 days before the dismissal takes place. I ask that the organisation engage with the Workplace Relations Commission.

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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The chronic shortage of public health nurses needs urgent attention. Not for the first time, developmental checks for those aged under five have been suspended in some parts of the country. These checks are vital to ensure milestones are being met and to identify medical issues and developmental delays. At the moment, the best the HSE can offer to some parents is a QR code to a guidance book. This is not right and not good enough. The situation should come as no surprise. In 2018, the health service capacity review said there would be a 46% increase in demand for public health nurses by 2031. Despite this, figures released to the Social Democrats in October showed there were 86 fewer public health nurses in 2024 than in 2020. The number of public health nurses should be increasing, not decreasing. What is the Government going to do about the staffing crisis?

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. He is quite right to identify that there is a problem, particularly in Dublin. While there has been an increase in the numbers of nursing staff generally, we are struggling in the recruitment of public health nurses. Several measures have been taken by the HSE to try to remedy this, including an equivalence in terms of salary scales and other incentives to try to bring more public health nurses into the health service. I recognise, however, that the work is not complete and there is a shortage. The work that is being done is prioritising urgent care, including newborn checks and so on, but I recognise this is a stress for parents of young children in particular and we really are working to try to get it remedied through those different incentive mechanisms.

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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GeoDirectory data recorded by The Irish Times identified 14,500 derelict buildings in Dublin city. As the Taoiseach knows, in the programme for Government we have committed to implementing the recommendations of the Dublin city task force. The only way in which that task force can work is if it is fully funded. I acknowledge from replies given by the Tánaiste last Thursday that the interdepartmental group met on four occasions, including as recently as last Tuesday. There is, however, a big change that could be made immediately, which is that Departments that occupy buildings in Dublin city and across Ireland would pay commercial rents. That would generate approximately €30 million for Dublin City Council. That would go a big way towards meeting one of the major recommendations of the task force, which is to increase the funds available to the council to deal with dereliction and vacancy. I know the Department is likely to oppose a change like this but this is why it is in the Taoiseach's Department. I hope he might be able to support us on this change.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Dublin city task force is very important, as is its report. Dublin City Council has a fundamental obligation here as well. Local authorities in general are primarily responsible for their city centres. I say that in good faith. This idea that has emanated from the report that we would simply charge every public body rates is simply another way of getting a grant from the Government. This has been a standard situation for decades all over the country and including other cities too. I am not, therefore, that well disposed to that proposal. I much prefer if there are specific issues on which the State can intervene, through housing, for example. I was at the Coombe hospital outpatients department that was opened recently on O'Connell Street. It is offering a substantial, brilliant service for women and mothers to be and so on, while at the same time creating real and substantial economic activity and footfall in the heart of Dublin city.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach. We move now to Deputy Kerrane.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The State needs to be involved that way. That is what I would favour, in a difference with the Deputy.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I am very concerned about the silence from the Taoiseach and the Government in terms of seeking action from the ESB. It is majority owned by the Government. People in my constituency across counties Roscommon and Galway have had 19 days without electricity. In some cases, they have also been without water and heating. Will the Taoiseach seek that the ESB suspends standing charges and the PSO levy and provide a goodwill payment to its customers impacted by the storm? I appreciate that the storm was not the fault of the ESB but it has to take responsibility for not securing its power lines in respect of forestry, especially in my constituency, and for the lack of resilience in our electricity infrastructure.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I pay tribute to the ESB crews who worked night and day. Many of them were exhausted, along with the crews from the various providers across Europe. I refer to the relationships the ESB has with them. This was the most severe storm in living memory and it had an impact to such an extent that 768,000 people were left without power. I accept it has been a long time, but, thankfully, the last of those disconnected have been reconnected. We will reflect on and examine what happened. We have provided humanitarian supports but the reality is that even with the dividends the ESB will have this year, it is a State-owned company so everything it earns goes back into the service.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am focusing on trying to ensure that we create forestry corridors to prevent this from happening again.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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There are two speakers remaining: Deputies Sorca Clarke and Paul McAuliffe. I propose to take 30 seconds for each and then for the Taoiseach to reply.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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I wish to raise with the Taoiseach the very serious and concerning case of a personal trainer who operated a rehabilitation and fitness centre in Mullingar.

This man has been convicted and sentenced for sexually assaulting a woman he was treating for chronic pain and covertly recording 18 hours of footage of another 35 women in various states of undress. However, on release from prison, because of gaps in legislation and regulation, and despite being on the sex offenders register, this man will be able to resume the same work. This convicted sexual predator could return to work in the same environment-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Does the Deputy have a question?

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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-----where he perpetrated these crimes. That is not acceptable. Will the Government move quickly to amend the legislation and any regulations necessary to ensure that CORU takes-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Deputy has taken advantage of my discretion.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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-----a risk-based assessment as the basis for the regulation of professions and closes this loophole?

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The programme for Government has a very welcome commitment to extend the ten-year rule for taxis registered in 2015. When this happened on a number of previous occasions it took several months for the NTA to operationalise it, which negates the benefit in the first place, as many taxis are bought in the first quarter of the year. The benefit of the 2015 registration is to be had now. We have extended it in previous years and we should do it again. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to do everything they can to get the NTA to operationalise it.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I ask the Taoiseach to please give a brief answer to both questions.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, I will examine the issue Deputy Clarke raises. It would be appalling if that person was back working in the same profession. I will ask the Ministers to examine that and see what can be done.

In terms of what Deputy McAuliffe raised, I will talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, in respect of that issue. I take on board the significance of it. Deputy McAuliffe says it has worked very well.