Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Nuair a bhí an tAire ina Aire Dlí agus Cirt, dúirt sí go raibh Baile Átha Cliath sábháilte. Bhí sé seo in ainneoin go bhféadfadh duine ar bith a shúil na sráide tríd lár na cathrach a rá léi nach raibh an chathair sábháilte agus go bhféadfaí siúl tríd na príomhshráideanna gan garda a fheiceáil ar chor ar bith. Anois, díreach cúpla mí i ndiaidh í sin a rá, feicimid go bhfuil an tAire úr á rá go bhfuil ceantair de Bhaile Átha Cliath nach bhfuil sábháilte. Níor inis sé dúinn cén ceantair nach bhfuil sábháilte agus céard a bhfuil sé chun a dhéanamh fúthu, ach ba mhaith liom tuairimí an Aire air seo.

Everyone has a right to feel safe. Everyone has a right to walk the street of their city or town without feeling the need to look over their shoulders. The sad reality is that this sense of safety has been robbed from so many. There is a particular problem here in our capital city of Dublin. The root of the problem is the failure of successive Fianna Fáil- and Fine Gael-led governments to recruit the number of gardaí that are needed. The collapse in the public's sense of safety here in Dublin and in many other places too is very real. It is because we simply do not have enough gardaí on the ground and on the beat visibly policing the streets and in our communities and keeping people safe. That is the reality no matter how much the Government wishes to stick its head in the sand.

When the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, was the Minister for Justice, she told us all that Dublin was safe.  This was despite that anyone who regularly walks through the city centre could tell her that the city was not safe. You can walk through the main parts of the city without ever seeing a Garda. That is not the fault of front-line gardaí. They go out of their way every morning and every evening to do incredible work to keep our communities safe. The fault lies with the Government and successive Ministers for Justice who have failed time and again to give An Garda Síochána the manpower and resources to turn the tide and get the job done.

Despite the Minister, Deputy McEntee's, declaration that the city was safe, which she made while surrounded by a dozen gardaí as she walked through O'Connell Street, her successor as the Minister for Justice has told us that parts of Dublin are not safe. He has just not told us which parts and what he is going to do about.

Over recent weeks we have had a number of very serious criminal incidents in the city. The most serious of those were the stabbings in Stoneybatter and the fatal stabbing on South Anne Street. These horrific attacks and their devastating consequences have only added to people's fears and sense of danger. In the absence of serious Government action, the situation has gone from bad to worse. Is it not clear that knife crime and the carrying of knives is a real threat to people's safety? Until two days ago there was no indication that there were any gaps in terms of the powers needed by An Garda Síochána to police knife crime, not from the Minister, Deputy McEntee, not from the current Taoiseach, not from the Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, and certainly not when Deputy Mary Lou McDonald raised the issue with the Taoiseach here on Tuesday. Yet, the Minister for Justice has now indicated that new laws would be introduced to give gardaí greater powers to stop and search people who they suspect of carrying knives.

My question to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is straightforward. As a former Minister for Justice who made the declaration that Dublin city was safe, does she now agree with the current Minister for Justice when he says that parts of Dublin are not safe?  Does the Minister agree with the current Minister for Justice that current laws are not adequate to deal with the issues of knife crime and people carrying knives?  If that is the case, why did the Minister, Deputy McEntee, not do anything about it? Is it not the case that we simply do not have enough gardaí on the beat to police existing laws? 

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. At the outset I offer my sincere condolences to the young man who was brutally stabbed at the weekend. I must make it clear, and An Garda Síochána has made it very clear in its actions to date, that whoever is responsible for this will be held accountable and will be brought to justice. I acknowledge also the serious incident that occurred last weekend.

It is absolutely this Government's intention and priority, and has always been the case, that people feel safe and that they are safe in their homes and on their streets. It is for that very reason as a former Minister for Justice I increased the budget for An Garda Síochána by half a billion euro. It is for that very reason my number one priority and the number one priority for this Government and the current Minister is to make sure the number of gardaí we have on our streets, in our towns and in our cities continues to increase. That number is steadily rising for our capital city. More than 50% of our new recruits have consistently gone to Dublin city centre and the surrounding areas. That is why as the Minister for Justice I introduced body cameras for the first time in our city centre to make sure gardaí are equipped to respond to the many challenges we face, not just in Dublin but across the country. That is why our current Minister is committed to making sure gardaí have other technologies and equipment available to them, such as facial recognition technology, so they can respond to incidents.

When it comes to knife crime this is an issue that I and that every person in this Government and beyond takes extremely seriously. This is why, when Minister, I increased the penalty for those who are found not just carrying a knife and in possession of a knife but also those who threaten to use a knife and of course those who use a knife, reflecting the severity of this crime. The number of confiscations by gardaí and the number of seizures have increased significantly in recent years. The police powers Bill referenced by the Deputy, which I instigated in the Department and which has been followed through, will make sure gardaí have even greater powers available to them to respond to these crimes.

Of course there are challenges in our capital city and I have never shied away from that, but I believe we all recognise that it is not just the role of our Garda to make sure people are safe. This is why two things have to progress. One is the community safety partnerships, which look at community safety from a whole-of-community perspective, and the second is making sure our gardaí are working with our local authorities, our community groups, our young people, educators, housing sector and so much beyond in order that they come together and deliver a plan for their areas. That includes Dublin city centre and our capital. That is why our task force, which was led by our current Tánaiste and former Taoiseach, set out very clearly that there were a number of things we need to do now. While we must continue to increase the number of gardaí in our city centre, which is happening, we need to look at issues like dereliction and street lighting, the concentration of services in our city centre, who is accommodated in our city centre and how that is developed. We also need to work collectively to respond to the challenges that exist, and I am absolutely committed, as is this Government, to making sure we all play our part in responding to those challenges.

I assure the Deputy that when it comes to safety, ensuring people are safe and that they feel safe in their cities, homes and on our streets is a number one priority for this Government. The Deputy will note and see in all of the actions outlined in the programme for Government, which was agreed by all parties on this side of the House, that more measures will be taken, not just to introduce tougher laws, as has been the case to date, but to ensure recruitment continues to increase, whether that be through increasing the training allowance available to our gardaí to encourage more, making sure we have greater availability for gardaí to train and not just in Templemore, making sure we look to expand our force to make sure it is as diverse as possible so it reflects the communities gardaí are supporting, or making sure we do everything possible to support the Garda in its work. I acknowledge the substantial work our gardaí do day in and day out in making sure they keep the people of this country safe.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister have a problem answering the question? Let us try again. I asked three questions. As Minister for Justice she stated that Dublin city was safe. She was surrounded by gardaí as she did her walkabout through the city centre. The current Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, has told us that parts of Dublin city are not safe. He has not told us where and he has not told us what he is going to do about it. As the former Minister for Justice, I am asking the Minister, Deputy McEntee, if she agrees with him. That is the first question. Please answer it. The second question concerns the Minister for Justice now telling us we need more laws on knife crime. Does the Minister, Deputy McEntee, agree with that? Why did she not do anything about this when she was the Minister for Justice? When did the penny drop on this issue that we have a serious problem with knife crime in this city and elsewhere? On the third question, does the Minister accept that we simply do not have enough gardaí and that over her tenure as the Minister for Justice she did not reach the targets that were set year after year? These are three simple questions. Let us do it for the second time. Does the Minister agree with the Minister for Justice that parts of Dublin are not safe? Does she agree that we need new legislation on knife crime and why did she not do anything about it during her term in government? Is it not the root of the problem that we do not have enough gardaí on the streets?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

For the second time, I will repeat it for the people in the back who may not have heard my response to all Deputy Doherty's three questions. The Deputy might repeat what I have actually said over the past number of years. There are absolutely problems in our city centre and in every part of our country that we need to address. By addressing those, we can ensure every person is safe and feels safe in our towns, homes and villages. I have always said there are challenges. I have outlined all the things I have done and that our new, current Minister for Justice will do with the support of the Government to achieve those overall objectives.

I introduced laws specifically recognising the fact that there is a significant problem when a young person decides to carry a knife or when a young person or any person thinks it is appropriate to carry a knife. That is why increasing sentencing was a priority for the previous Government and why making sure gardaí have as power much as possible to ascertain those knives is an absolute priority.

On the final point, we are making progress and seeing more gardaí. I have said we need to go beyond 15,000 gardaí. In fact, we have a higher target than we set initially.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am still none the wiser. Is Dublin city safe or not?

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Last year I stood with my colleagues and over 40,000 teachers to protest against the rushed leaving certificate reform proposed by the Government. The Minister's predecessor, Deputy Foley, referred to the reform as equity and excellence for all. The most important part of reform to any curriculum, as I think the Minister will agree, is to benefit students.

Take two students, one in a local voluntary school and one in a private fee-paying school. It will come as no surprise that private schools are well equipped with technology, suites of laboratories and, in some cases, lab technicians to advise on the use of the lab. Then move to the local voluntary school: 100-year-old infrastructure, more than likely two very basic science labs, sporadic Wi-Fi connection. In other words, the Minister is presiding over a senior cycle reform that favours children of more affluent families.

We in Labour are open to reform and understand it is necessary, but we are opposed to rushed, poorly thought-out and poorly resourced reform. We have asked continuously for the establishment of a new convention on education, inclusive of young people, teachers, parents and stakeholders. Where is it? With the introduction of projects, 40% of every subject is being left open to manipulation. Can the Minister guarantee us today that the honours leaving certificate of 2027 will have the same integrity and respect as the one currently being sat?

The revised syllabus for leaving certificate science subjects and others will begin for current transition year students, who will be next year's fifth years, yet the teachers of leaving certificate biology, chemistry and physics, as well as business and other subjects, have had just one subject-specific training day. Put yourself in the shoes of a chemistry teacher who will be teaching the new syllabus, including a whopping 40% individual project, with basically a few hours of in-service. This is totally unfair on teachers and is definitely unfair on students. Full training must be provided prior to the rolling out of any new syllabus but that is not happening on the ground. Why are teachers not being fully trained prior to the introduction of a syllabus in their subject?

I commend Oide for doing its very best under difficult circumstances. The rushed senior cycle reform means the ink is barely dry on the syllabus before it is expected to roll out a national training initiative. It is all so rushed. Why? Will the Minister tell teachers, students and parents watching this the following? Is she okay with presiding over a senior cycle reform that favours children of more affluent families? Will she train teachers properly prior to rolling out any updated syllabuses? Is she committed to holding a convention on leaving certificate reform? Will she thoroughly engage with teachers who will teach these subjects to our next generation?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue. I said when I was appointed to this role that my number one objective and goal was to make sure every young person - irrespective of their background, where they come from or what school they go to - is supported, and that our teachers are resourced and supported to help them achieve their full ability. That is my number one goal and priority. That means making sure children with special educational needs get the resources, supports and access to education they are entitled to - more special schools, additional classes, SNAs, training and support. That means for children from disadvantaged backgrounds that we build on and expand the positive and fantastic work of DEIS programmes and make sure, working with our youth partners, every young person has the supports needed to fulfil their potential. Bringing all of that together, we have to make sure that, irrespective of who the child is and their background, they are equipped to respond to the world we live in today. That is paramount. We need to make sure young people leaving school are equipped with the skills and ability to live in, work in and respond to the world we live in now, which has changed completely. The economy and the jobs we work in have changed. Technology has taken over so much of what we do in a positive way, yet there are challenges as well. It is important that State exams reflect all this and equip and support our young people to go into the world we live in.

Official engagement on senior cycle reform started in 2016. I appreciate the different stages have more recently come to the fore but official engagement started in 2016. It is important we get this right and engage with all stakeholders: principals, teachers, school leaders, boards of management and, above all, students. This year we are building on the work that has been done. We have the level 1 and 2 programme statements, which means that for the first time a senior cycle programme has been designed for students with specific educational needs. We have the new transition year programme statement, transition year programme auditing tools, governance portfolios and micromodules, which means for the first time 60,000 young people can avail of transition year. We want that to be available to every student. There is the vocation education training module as well, and a huge amount of work has been done in terms of consultation on the initial brief.

Business, biology, chemistry, physics, Arabic, Latin and Ancient Greek constitute the first tranche that will come in this September. This will not be a quick turnaround or a quick change; it will not happen overnight. I want to ensure that, as this change happens and we have more additional assessment components and changes that test the various skills young people will need going into the world, it is done at a rate that helps young people and is supportive of our teachers. I know the Deputy and all the profession's objective is to ensure young people get the best education available to them.

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. My greatest objective is that students across the country are open to this reform and benefit from it. The Minister said she is fully equipping schools. For seven years I was taught in prefabs. That is what happens in local voluntary schools across this country. The Government pays €90 million per year for prefabs.

The Minister referred to business. I taught business studies up to November. In September I took on a cohort of transition year students. I had to tell them I knew nothing about the specification they were going to be doing. I had one training day, a few hours of in-service. How could I possibly ask them to keep on business studies? I did not know the specification; therefore, they definitely were not going to know it. That is the reality on the ground. Will the Minister engage with unions of teachers? She is not engaging with them. Forty thousand of us stood outside schools last year. The Minister has not engaged and is willing to go forward with this rushed reform. She needs to engage with teachers. They are the ones on the ground teaching these subjects.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do and always will engage with our teachers because they are the only way this will happen and they provide our young people with the fantastic education they get. We have spent over €6 billion on capital projects since the beginning of 2020. I have said clearly to the unions that we will invest more, whether in science labs or in making sure more training is provided. I have asked my officials to engage further to see if there is more we can do to ensure we are prepared for the specific subjects for September and that teachers are prepared. I have made it clear two papers will be provided at the beginning of April; it is normally one. We are also making sure there is access to further training at the earliest stage possible. This will not happen overnight. I fully accept that, were it to move at a quicker pace, there would be a significant challenge. There is momentum there. A lot of change has happened. At the end of this, we want young people to be equipped to respond to the world we live in. The exams are a key part of making sure that can happen. This will only work by working with teachers and I am committed to doing that.

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is generally accepted that serious challenges face the health services on a daily basis. These challenges affect patients, staff and the wider community. Staff are firefighting on an ongoing basis. They are burned out, frustrated and fed up continuously holding services together with minimum resources.

Emergency departments are overrun, with trolley numbers in January of this year at an all-time high of almost 14,000. Waiting lists are similarly as high, and outpatient numbers are well in excess of half a million. We have reviews and investigations into hospitals like University Hospital Limerick, Portiuncula hospital and Mayo general hospital. The Government and health service management thew a grenade into this already chaotic situation with the pay and numbers strategy. That strategy abolished more than 2,000 posts, keeping additional pressure and stress on remaining staff. These posts were fully funded and filled.

If that was not enough, on Friday last, the chief executive of the Health Service Executive, in what was an aggressive, maverick and indeed bully boy diktat, instructed his regional executive officers to introduce an extended working day and extended working week for staff. That diktat is in breach of good industrial relations practice and, more importantly, is in breach of the framework agreement between the Health Service Executive and its staff and unions. It was done without any consultation whatsoever. This bombshell was thrown into an already fraught situation and has the potential to cause serious harm, not only to staff but also to patients already waiting far too long for treatments. The Fórsa trade union, representing its members, responded predictably and reasonably when it said that if this instruction is not suspended, it will necessitate an appropriate response. This is shorthand for industrial action.

In view of the clear breach of agreements and non-consultation with staff and unions, and in view of the potential for this diktat to create chaos in the health service and, indeed, seriously impact on patient safety, will the Government instruct the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive to withdraw that instruction immediately?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Similar to the delivery of our education system, the delivery of healthcare in this country can only happen with the support of fantastic people: from our consultants to our GPs to our nurses to our clinicians right across the system. That is why over recent years we have continued to significantly invest not just in our built infrastructure in the expansion of hospitals and bed places but also in the number of people we have working in our health system. It is now higher than it has ever been and the clear objective now, as has been set out very clearly by our Minister for Health this week, is to make sure that with the significant investment that has gone into our health system, the significant investment in and expansion of the number of people working in our service and with a very clear assessment plan through Sláintecare that we have all agreed to, we get the best positive outcomes for those who use our healthcare system, be it in our communities, in our primary care centres, for those who attend our emergency departments or those who attend for scheduled care. That is absolutely the intention of the new Minister for Health, and I commend her work at the early stages in identifying how we can make sure those resources are used in the most appropriate way, how and where there is really good practice taking place across our hospitals and across our communities, and how we can then replicate that, but doing so with our healthcare professionals and with our workers.

As a Government, we will continue to invest in our healthcare system and we will continue to ensure our waiting lists are reducing. There was often a focus on how many people are on lists as opposed to the length of time people are on lists. We need to make sure we have as many people being seen as soon as possible and, where possible, those times reduce as well the overall numbers. We need to make sure we continue to invest in our cancer care treatments and in other areas where we have seen significant progress. We are a country where people are living much longer and it is not by accident. It is because of the significant investment we are placing in our healthcare system, the advancement in technology, the expansion of overall services and the fact we are investing in new drugs, new technologies and new ways to treat people.

In terms of the Deputy's specific question, the HSE, the head of the HSE and our Minister for Health will ensure every effort is made to work with those working in our health sector to be able to provide the best outcomes possible for the people who need the services and who use the services. We, as a Government, will continue to invest in the overall capital spend but, above all, make sure the money being spent is being spent wisely and we get the best possible outcomes from it.

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister has not addressed the question at all. In fact, she has avoided the question. My question was whether her Government would instruct the chief executive officer to withdraw the instruction. Today's edition of The Irish Times reports that her Government instructed the HSE only a few weeks ago - in January of this year - on this very subject. I ask the Minister again to address that question.

Does the Minister accept this instruction from the chief executive is a breach of the framework agreement? Does she even accept it is in breach of good industrial relations practice? This action by the chief executive officer follows hard on the heels of a similar instruction by the management of the Department of Social Protection recently. It begs the question: has the Government now embarked on a policy of confrontation with public servants and their trade unions?

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is terrible.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is absolutely the case that the HSE must, will and will always work within the relevant framework. That is absolutely the case. It is what we expect from the HSE and what we expect from those working in our public sector. Where issues and challenges arise, there are very clear frameworks and structures that must be adhered to and mechanisms which can be put in place to resolve any outstanding issues or disputes. We absolutely expect and insist, and it is the case, that the HSE works within any framework and works with those in our public sector and health sector and that is what this Government expects.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Uisce Éireann's strategic funding plan requirement was €11 billion in 2024, comprised of €6.1 billion investment in infrastructure and €4.9 billion in operating costs. While all spending has to be questioned, I will try to concentrate on what Ireland is getting for this huge budget.

Every housing target that Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Labour Party and the Social Democrats have set are nothing short of farcical. I will not use the word "lie" in the House, but what I will say is that they are misleading the public as none of the dream targets that all of them have set in housing can be achieved because of a major lack of infrastructure, which comes down to Uisce Éireann. We have a shocking mess on our hands and the Government will have to clean it.

Wastewater treatment plants are creaking and bursting. No matter how many meetings politicians and communities have with Uisce Éireann, you will not get one inch of information to give back to your community that might lead to a solution. I will mention a few: Goleen, Ballydehob, Rosscarbery, Shannonvale and Dunmanway. Those are just a few places in west Cork I can name.

Dunmanway's wastewater treatment plant is bursting at the seams, has burst into the river, and has been doing so for years. We do not know if it is in ten or 20 years' time this treatment plant will be upgraded. In that much time those in Uisce Éireann keep twiddling their thumbs, not a house can be built in Dunmanway in what could be a thriving town, and this is the same the length and breadth of Ireland. Meeting after meeting between public representatives and Uisce Éireann yields zero, and this must stop now. In the recent storm, wastewater treatment plants were found to have no generators. Not alone did they not have generators, changeover switches had not even been fitted in any plants in case of an emergency.

To pick the plant in Inniscarra in Cork as an example, imagine if it had an electricity shutdown for a number of days and there were no generators in place nor even any switches in place, in case they could take a mobile one in, as is the case. Every pharmaceutical company, every business, every private house owner and every hospital would be shut down, causing hundreds of thousands of euro in losses and possibly leading to millions.

Another area where there is a major lack of confidence is senior employees in the council. They had been transferred to Uisce Éireann but have either gone back to the council or jumped ship and taken retirement, leaving Uisce Éireann shockingly short-staffed of good expertise that kept the show on the road in the local communities. Do those in management in Uisce Éireann care? No. They really do not give a damn because they are accountable to no one. They do not care when we run into problems, like blockages or others in communities, because it is collar and tie pencil pushers who are now running the show from the capital and to hell with the rural communities served by Uisce Éireann.

I have named three areas in Uisce Éireann that need on the ground attention immediately. Does the Minister agree that some communities, like Shannonvale near Clonakilty, that have raw sewage pouring into a once local playground, which is now blocked off by Uisce Éireann, should wait 27 years with still no response?

Does the Minister agree with Independent Ireland's policy document that any communities that have five years of leaking raw sewage into drinking rivers, play parks or community gardens should have a start date for works? Will she tell me what her solution is to Uisce Éireann's mess?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This Government has been very clear in stating that we need to invest more in our water system and that we need to do more to make sure towns, communities or villages which do not have access to the quality of water that they should get investment first and foremost. We must also ensure that sites are opened up and that in the delivery of housing in particular we have the investment and infrastructure needed to achieve the overall objectives, goals and targets we have set ourselves. For Uisce Éireann, we have set a very clear level of investment. There will be record levels invested in the period from 2021 to this year. There are commitments of almost €6 billion in capital investment, of which over €4.5 billion will be voted Exchequer funding for domestic water services. We are already starting to see the benefit of that. I look at my own constituency in County Meath where for many years we had significant problems with water quality in the towns of Ratoath and Ashbourne and surrounding areas. With €40 million of investment into a new water tower, that issue has been resolved and we are starting to see challenges and problems like that resolved right across the country. What have we said as a Government we will do? We will invest even further. We said very clearly with the review of the NDP which will happen earlier this year that there will be a particular focus on making sure we invest in our infrastructure which very clearly includes our water. We have said very clearly prior to the election and since then that a significant amount of the windfall tax receipts, and also the Apple money, will be spent on investment in our wastewater treatment.

Regarding the storm and the response, I commend every person from the ESB, Uisce Éireann and beyond who responded to an unprecedented incident where we saw tens of thousands of people not just without electricity but also without water and power. What happened in response by Uisce Éireann was that almost 400,000 customers, through backup generation, had their service maintained. A huge amount of work was done to make sure that where possible we could maintain that service. For those who were out of service, it is now the case that service has been restored and it was restored as quickly as possible. What we are looking to do now in Uisce Éireann in particular is to increase the stock of mobile generators because we know these storms are not going to end. Uisce Éireann wants to increase them by an additional 100 generators which will be purchased immediately. On top of that, it is also accelerating its programme to make sites generator-ready. It is not possible to say we will have a generator on-site in every single area but we will ensure if it is needed that those sites are absolutely ready.

I wish to compliment and respond to some of the Deputy's comments. We have quite a number of people working. There are about 3,500 people employed operating some 1,800 water and wastewater treatment plants; 4,100 pumping stations; 2,400 abstraction points; and reservoirs maintaining 90,000 km of pipeline. A huge amount of work is taking place by those in Uisce Éireann. We want to do more, we will do more and we are going to invest significantly so we can expand the infrastructure right across the country.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I raised three issues within Uisce Éireann. Regarding the generators, there was not even a switchover point in many of the plants that are there at the moment. If there was a switchover point and the emergency struck, they could bring a mobile unit in. Without it, they could not even plug it in. It is an astonishing situation. Apparently there are employees full time to organise this for the last number of years. The people of Ireland are calling out for accountability. I have asked the Minister for her solution for the people across the length and breadth of Ireland who have raw sewage pouring into their communities, but the answer she gave me will not be good enough for me to bring back to my communities to prove that they could at least get a date as to when works will start. That is the most important thing here. If we could get a date, it would solve a lot of the issues going forward. People would know even if was in three or five years' time. When you sit down with Uisce Éireann, you do not know if is it ten or 20 years' time; you only end up with a whole load of waffle talk. I have named many communities in west Cork but this is a national crisis that we have shut a blind eye to. All of this has happened while all parties here, outside of Independent Ireland, read out unachievable targets. What do I say to the people of Goleen waiting 26 years, those in Ballydehob waiting 15 years, in Rosscarbery or Dunmanway waiting ten years or in Shannonvale waiting 27 years?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Thank you Deputy.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

They have raw sewage pouring into their communities every day-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Thank you Deputy. The Minister to respond.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

-----while Uisce Éireann and its buddies at the EPA and elsewhere are shutting a blind eye to them. What do I say to them?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will respond to both points. In relation to the storm, a committee has already been established on a permanent basis to make sure all Departments and relevant agencies are prepared should something like this happen again. As I have said, the likelihood of that is quite high. What is Uisce Éireann doing? It is purchasing more generators and making sure sites are generator-ready. It will do anything more it needs to do. Separate to that, we need more investment overall. The Government is saying very clearly that we need more investment in wastewater treatment. That will happen. We are saying very clearly with the review of the NDP that we will focus on infrastructure. With the money we are spending through Apple, we will focus on infrastructure with housing being our number one priority. One of the main things that will help to unlock many of the sites on which we want to build is making sure we have that infrastructure and that access to wastewater treatment and also, for the people who are already living in houses in their communities where there are problems, that we upgrade and invest as quickly as possible. That means money but also expanding on Uisce Éireann. There is a very clear commitment to expand the number of people working in Uisce Éireann, as I have mentioned, so that this work can be done as quickly as possible and those concerns can be addressed as quickly as possible.