Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We now move to Questions on Policy or Legislation. I call the leader of the Sinn Féin Party, Deputy McDonald.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Figures were released this morning to our justice spokesperson, Deputy Carthy, that make for very shocking reading. They reveal that suspects in 40,348 crimes carried out in 2024 were out on bail. This is an issue we have raised repeatedly with the Government, and I am raising it again this morning. The 2024 figure represented an increase of 5,000 on the figure for 2022. Astonishingly, the combined figure for the past three years for suspects implicated in crime while out on bail amounted to 114,655. This situation cannot continue. The public will not tolerate a situation whereby people out on bail are at liberty to reoffend again and again. The bail laws need to be examined with urgency to ensure they are being properly applied.

When will the Government finally acknowledge and get on top of this issue?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have no difficulty engaging with the Deputy on this issue. There had been reforms of the bail laws. People are very intolerant of people who are awaiting trial, etc., and who then go out and commit crimes again. I do not know whether the Deputy is proposing wholesale internment of everybody who is a suspect because that is another side of the story. The point is, the figures are huge but that is a wide range of cases.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The figures are shocking.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We have to focus on those who have a history of crime and who are again brought before the system.

The bail laws have been reformed. They will be reformed further. The Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, is looking at this, but there are limits to what can be done, as I am sure the Deputy would appreciate.

If you take the politics out of it, we have no issue. We want to stamp down on crime. We are very intolerant of people committing crime while out on bail but you cannot have a system where everybody who is a suspect gets locked up.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The figures do not tell that story.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I hope that is not what we are talking about.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Yesterday, the Department of housing announced it had allocated €265 million for housing acquisitions but it is unclear how much of that will support the tenant in situ scheme. We know from announcements that there are some restrictions on who can access the scheme. It seems priority is going to families, older people and disabled people. Single renters slip into homelessness at a higher rate than any other group and already the scheme is failing to address real need, even for those who apparently would have priority. It is increasingly difficult to prevent renters who receive an eviction notice from falling into homelessness because so many of us are finding gaps and flaws in the tenant in situ scheme, even where landlords want to help and even where individuals might be able to become a social tenant. Will the Taoiseach reassure us that Government will provide sufficient resourcing to meet the real needs of those who are at risk of homelessness, who are receiving notices and who are desperate to see the tenant in situ scheme activated and that single people as well as families and others will be able to access the scheme?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is why there is prioritisation in the tenant in situ scheme that has been announced by the Minister for housing with approximately €325 million allocated, which is a substantial sum. There should be prioritisation because the original idea of this was to prevent people from falling into homelessness. Additional to that, of course, there is significant investment under way in the Housing First programme, which is one of the more effective ways, working with the approved housing bodies involved and with the various organisations for the homeless, to look after people who are homeless or on the brink of homelessness. It is important because we have had a debate in the House about value for money, looking at schemes, reviewing them and whether we are targeting properly. There has been huge debate about that. We should have that too in terms of a scheme and see whether we are actually directing the money to where it is needed most. That is the focus of this particular scheme and why priorities are being identified.

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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It has come to light, thanks to The Ditch, that an audit has taken place into the hip surgeries on children in three hospitals. This follows serious concerns from a whistleblower that needless surgeries were taking place. The report, published by The Ditch, shows that, in the leaked report, in Cappagh, 79% of the surgeries did not meet the required threshold, in Temple Street, it was 60%, and in Crumlin, it was 2%. Will the Taoiseach publish this report? Will he confirm the contents of the report? Will the Taoiseach engage with the families and what other actions will he take? The public, children, their parents and their families need to have confidence in the system. We need transparency and accountability and we need to ensure the highest medical standards are upheld.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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My understanding is that a clinical audit is being conducted by an external international expert on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital at Cappagh. Development dysplasia of the hip is a problem with the way a baby's hip joint forms and some children with DDH may require surgery. The purpose of this audit is to assess that surgical practice was in line with international standards and practices. The audit process is now in its final stages. CHI and Cappagh, I understand, are committed, and should be committed, to sharing the findings of the audit once it is completed and to communicate that, in particular, with the relevant families and patients in accordance with any recommendations from the final report. We have not seen the final report yet. It is awaited before any conclusions can be drawn on the matter.

Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)
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I have been speaking to parents and teachers from Little Angels Special School in Letterkenny. From the day the first block was ever laid in the new building, we knew the school would be too small to fulfil future demands. Some of the temporary solutions to this issue could be to use two rooms in the old school and transport the newest modular buildings to the new building. Why did this project start when the Department already knew it would be too small? Three classrooms in a neighbouring school had to be utilised to accommodate the demand.

According to The Irish Times, the numbers of children with autism in school systems has increased by 1.8% in the past three years but there has been no increase in places to reflect this. Now nine children with complex needs have to go to school in September. Their families are so worried that they are in distress. They have nowhere to go. They need to know if they will get into Little Angels in September. Will the Taoiseach do something to help them? It should not be that families are left in such distress. These are most vulnerable families, in society and in Donegal.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Doherty raised this yesterday and I answered it comprehensively in terms of the information that I had. There is a new school nearing completion, as the Deputy says, and there are some proposals in terms of additionality to try to facilitate children who need places there. It seems the new school is already at capacity. I can get the note to the Deputy on the up-to-date position.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I want to raise another example of Government waste. The Minister for Social Protection told Aontú yesterday that there were €100 million in overpayments on the PUP payments in the Covid period. A total of 42,400 PUP overpayments were made during that period of time. Some 1,400 PUP payments were made due to fraud during that time. Due to the cyberattack, we had a specific type of fraud that happened where the identity of HSE and Tusla's employees were stolen, accounts were set up and hundreds of thousands of euro were drawn down in fraud in that regard as well. The PUP payment was obviously an income safety net for people during Covid but it seems tens of thousands of people were allowed to abuse the system with the result that there were €100 million of overpayments. When will the billions of euro of waste under this Government come to an end, what steps will the Taoiseach take to safeguarding such systems in the future and how will he recoup that €100 million for the taxpayer?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed with the Deputy's approach in the sense that the PUP was essential for people.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Nobody argues that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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You do, actually.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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No.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Sorry, you do. You are just playing it all ways.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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You are answering a different question.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I just want to make the point. I am not making a different point; it is a very important point. If the State did not intervene in the emergency fashion that it intervened, businesses would have gone under and people would have been destitute and impoverished. That does not excuse fraud but if the State had been more cautious and slower and went through every single case, people would have been in deep trouble during the Covid.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Some 42,000 overpayments; €100 million.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The State took people on trust. The State said we have to intervene comprehensively and decisively and help people in their hour of need. That is what we did.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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With safeguards.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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You come back four years later and you say, "You are wasting money and you are full of it," etc. That is just disingenuous distortion. That is what that is.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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You cannot set up payments without safeguards. That is what you are saying.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I want to say this: we will go after the overpayments.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The time is up.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department will go after the overpayments.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Fraud must always be pursued and dealt with-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Some €100 million.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----but there is always a balance in life. Let us give people credit. A lot of people did the right thing during Covid-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Taoiseach, please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----particularly the Department of Social Protection.

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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In light of the commitment made in the programme for Government to continue to significantly increase the income disregard for carer's allowance in each budget and, ultimately, phase out the means test, will the Government reconsider cases of people whose carer's allowance has been removed because they had to increase their income to provide private therapies for their children? I have a case of a family in Meath West, a couple who have fought for their daughter's needs every step of the way. The mother continued to work despite her daughter's complex needs and the father took on a second job, all to ensure their daughter could avail of private services as they felt they had waited too long publicly. I welcome the commitment to phase out the means test, but could we not freeze immediately the review of means test for carers currently in the system?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to dealing with the means test in respect of the carer's allowance and it will be in the next budget that progress on that front will commence.

We will have to wait until budget time and the lead-up to the budget on that issue. It is a very important issue that is in the programme for Government and all parties to the programme for Government are very committed to doing this. It is very important.

More broadly, it is about how we can support families with children with special needs across the income spectrum and do everything we can to ease the financial pressures many of them are under. I take the Deputy's point that this year there are challenges but the budget last year was enormous. There was significant expenditure. We will do this on a programme basis and, on a number of fronts, we will endeavour to help people in the circumstances the Deputy identified.

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I seek an update on the progress of the Gorey primary care centre which was first proposed in 2010 and is yet again back on the drawing board. Gorey is a thriving and fast-growing town with a population of more than 35,000 when Courtown and Riverchapel are included, but at the moment it is almost impossible to register with the GP or dentist. I welcome the programme for Government which clearly states this Government will open more primary care centres. However, the current operating lease model proposal on the table for the Gorey primary care centre is simply not viable to any developer or construction company. I ask that the HSE take direct control and deliver this project for the people of north Wexford.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I met the head of estates for Dublin south east which covers our particular area during the week on all things related to estates in that area. We discussed three primary care centres and Gorey was one, as well as another in Lismore in my area. It is going out to tender in the first quarter of this year. The Deputy is right about the model that is being used to do this. With the previous tender that was in place, the developer withdrew from it and therefore progress was lost, but it is going out to tender in the first quarter and we hope to make progress very quickly.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Today AIB announced a staggering profit of €2.8 billion. That comes a week after Bank of Ireland boasted €1.9 billion in profits. This is not the result of more productivity or innovation. It is the result of banks squeezing homeowners and short-changing savers. Financial institutions on the Government’s watch have lumped workers and families with extortionate interest rates in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Ireland, if the Taoiseach does not know, has among the highest interest rates in the European Union. This has been going on for years. Just like with insurance companies and energy companies, the Government is standing idly by while banks are taking advantage of workers and families.

I will ask the Taoiseach three questions. Does he agree these profits have been made off the backs of ordinary workers and families? What will he do to bring an end to this and hold banks to account? Will he make sure banks pass on the benefit to customers instead of announcing bumper profits at their expense?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The economy has been extremely strong in recent years. That has helped the profitability of many companies, including banks. By the way, the Central Bank governs the supervision of banks, as the Deputy knows. However, I do believe that in the next while we should focus on finance available to building and house building in particular, that both the cost of that finance would be reduced and that the banks would engage much more on the single greatest priority facing this country, which is housing. That is where my focus is on engagement.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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So reduce for builders and screw the homeowners? Is that what it is?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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No. There have been huge mortgage drawdowns for first-time buyers in recent years and banks benefit from that, but we need more housing. If you talk to anyone about house building the cost of finance is a big inhibitor. It is a big problem. We need to look at the cost of finance to get to 50,000. I am interested in solutions not sloganeering or politicking and so on.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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No, I am asking about mortgages. The Taoiseach is talking about builders.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Time is up. I call Deputy McAuliffe.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I raise the issue of special class places and the process for applying for them. For the past six or seven years I have been dealing with parents. Between October and the following June or July many of those parents go through a wasted process of applying to multiple schools. The programme for Government was quite strong in identifying a common application process for special classes. It would make a lot of sense. I have been in contact with the parents of Arlo, Zayn, Thomas, Malcolm, Daniel and Riley. Many parents have come to me. In previous years the list has been far longer. In part this is because nearly a third of the special classes that exist were put in place over the past four years. The last piece in the puzzle is to put in place a common application process so the parents do not have the difficulty of applying for multiple schools. That is the NCSE’s job. It is not an advisory service. It should be the ones finding places and doing so over the period so that, when people leave primary school, there is a place in line at second level.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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We are moving to have a centralised portal to make sure there is a centralised system for application. On challenges parents have in finding places, particularly at primary level, and we have 218 sanctioned and huge work is ongoing at departmental level to sanction more, it is a key priority for me and the whole of the Government to make sure that stress of finding places is limited because parents have enough going on. We want to ensure there is a streamlined process. We will work with might and main to make sure that happens. We will work with parents, the NCSE and the Department of Education to ensure a streamlined process. What has happened heretofore is not acceptable into the future. We must also bring certainty to families in the earlier part of the school cycle so they know where their children are going in September eight or nine months to a year before that and not having a huge issue as is happening at the moment.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I raise the issue of the Castlemartyr and Killeagh bypass with the announcement of national roads funding imminent. My question is on the appointment of a design consultant. We are due to see funding allocated shortly for national road projects but the appointment of a design consultant is necessary for this project to advance. I would appreciate if the Taoiseach could comment on this to see if the Government will support this to happen and to allow the project to progress.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy O’Connor has been pursuing this issue for some time, to be fair to him. He has made some progress but he would like it to be faster. I mean that seriously. These things can take time. He has my support and that of Government in respect of this project. I will see to it if we can, through the various agencies, get a design consultant appointed.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It is very clear the people of Ireland stand with the Palestinian people and oppose Israeli aggression and apartheid. There are groups holding events, protests, vigils and collecting signatures the length and breadth of Ireland to try to get the Government to finally pass the occupied territories Bill. The Drogheda Stands with Palestine group has mobilised in solidarity every Saturday since 7 October 2023, which is 17 months this Saturday. On 1 February, it ran a vibrant three-hour campaign and collected 1,002 physical signatures and 167 online, calling for the occupied territories Bill to be enacted without delay. These signatures have come from people of all ages and all walks of life. I understand the Taoiseach’s party colleague, Deputy McGreehan, met the group last week and collected a petition pack to present to the Taoiseach. Will he confirm that he has received this? What response does he have to give to this group of activists who have asked me to raise this today?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, Deputy McGreehan has spoken to me on this and I will talk to her again later. First, the Irish Government has been very proactive on the Middle East and the Palestinian question in recognising the State of Palestine and taking a very strong position in supporting UNWRA as the only viable UN agency that can enable education in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere as well as medical provision. We have also been very strongly involved in ensuring a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza and working with Arab partners in respect of peace within Gaza itself. I have noticed that every time the Government takes a step, there are those in our political system who want to drive a wedge between the Government and the people on this question.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The question was on the occupied territories Bill.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am coming to that. I know that.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Time is up.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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This is the point I am making. Once this is done and the next thing is done, then it is something else and it is always used to denigrate the Government.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call Deputy Heneghan.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is progressing that Bill and is progressing legislation.

Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Scandalous.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Céard atá an Rialtas ag déanamh leis an laghdú de 40% ar bhuiséad Fhoras na Gaeilge le 20 bliain anuas, nuair a thugtar boilsciú san áireamh, a chur i gceart agus cothrom na Féinne a thabhairt d'fhorbairt na Gaeilge fud fad na tíre? Sa tréimhse chéanna, d'éirigh buiséad an Chomhairle Ealaíon ó €40 milliún go €140 milliún. Cé mhéad airgead a chuirfidh an Rialtas ar fáil le buiséad Fhoras na Gaeilge a mhaoiniú i gceart?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Mar is eol don Teachta, tá deacracht ó thaobh Fhoras na Gaeilge faoi láthair. Níl aon amhras faoi sin. Níl an Rialtas anseo freagrach as an deacracht sin. Táimid ag déanamh gach aon iarracht an cheist sin a réiteach. Mar aon leis sin, táimid sásta níos mó infheistíocht a chur isteach i gcúrsaí Gaeilge i gcoitinne agus níos mó tacaíocht a thabhairt d'Fhoras na Gaeilge. I gcomhthéacs an clár Shared Island, táimid sásta níos mó a dhéanamh le Foras na Gaeilge agus leis an áisíneacht a bhaineann leis an Ultais. Beimid ag déileáil le Foras na Gaeilge. Tá an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, ag déanamh gach aon iarracht an cheist phráinneach atá ann faoi láthair a réiteach.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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There was astonishment among serving and retired Garda members at the Taoiseach's comments on Garda vetting last week in response to a question I had asked. To put back on record what the Taoiseach said, he asked what vetting actually means and what it actually produces. He stated, "It is quite limited in what it actually does." I have been contacted by a number of serving Garda members who have been back in Templemore and are concerned about what is happening there. In light of the Taoiseach's comments last week, is this lack of full vetting of trainee gardaí going to continue? Is it now Government policy, across all Departments and State agencies, that there will be a laissez-faire approach to the full vetting of people before they gain employment in State agencies or Departments?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is a misreading of my comments. Sometimes people get the impression that vetting is extremely comprehensive in terms of the background of a person. It is not as comprehensive as people might believe. The big cry in the House for quite a while now has been for more gardaí, getting more people into training and so on. I will ask the Minister for Justice to reply to the Deputy more comprehensively and specifically in respect of Templemore, but I think we need to reflect on things generally. That is the spirit of the rhetorical question I put back to the Deputy last week. I know people may say I am against this or that, but I am not. I am simply trying to have a reasonable discussion on issues of this kind. I remember during Covid when were screaming to get people to do things in a public health emergency, and people were saying we could not do that because the vetting would take three months. We did not have three months during Covid. I have no issue with vetting - none - but we need more gardaí and more training places. I will ask the Minister to talk to the Deputy in respect of the specific issue in Templemore and where we are going forward.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Is the Taoiseach aware of the report into hip operations at Children's Health Ireland, which has been reported on in The Ditch? It suggests, incredibly, that nearly 80% of hip operations carried out on children in Cappagh hospital, and 60% of those operations in Temple Street, were unnecessary surgeries done on children. A whistleblower suggests they may have been done "purely for financial gain". Will this report be published? Were any further osteotomies carried out in Temple Street or Cappagh after the report was delivered? Is there any plan to extend the extent of the review? It only dealt with the past two years, whereas there may be a need to go back even further.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, I dealt with that comprehensively earlier when Deputy Rice raised the exact same question, and I made the point that a clinical audit is being conducted by an external international expert on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. Developmental dysplasia of the hip, as I said, is a problem with the way a baby's hip joint forms, and some children with DDH may require surgery. CHI and Cappagh hospital are committed to sharing the findings of the audit once it is completed, I understand, as they should, and importantly, to communicating with relevant families and patients in accordance with any recommendations from the final report. I do not have the report and my understanding is that it is still awaited. We need to await its presentation to the Minister.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The extended roll-out of the hot meals programme to schools has been welcomed, I think, by all schools. There might be questions about the quality on occasions but that is for another day. Baineann an cheist atá á cur os comhair na Dála agam inniu leis na costais bhreise atá i gceist chun na béilí a chur chuig na hoileáin. I understand that a school on the Aran Islands has incurred an extra cost of more than €100 per month - I understand it may be as much as €120 - because of transport and freight costs. It has written to the Department of Social Protection, but there has been no move yet to deal with the matter. I know that the Government's policy is to roll out this programme so that all schools have it, but I do not think it was envisaged that island schools would incur extra costs in order to benefit from the scheme. I ask the Taoiseach to deal with this.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Beidh mé ag caint leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi sin anois. Tá an Teachta ag rá go bhfuil sé i bhfad níos costasaí do na scoileanna ar na hoileáin a bheith páirteach sa scéim seo. Ní raibh sé sin i gceist againn. Le cúnamh Dé, beimid in ann é sin a réiteach sula i bhfad. Ardóidh mé an cheist leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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For the past two years, parents in Bantry and the surrounding areas have been advocating for a dedicated school bus service to transport over 30 children from Bantry to Schull. Despite numerous representations to the previous Minister for Education, this issue remains unresolved. Today I am appealing to the new Government to address this pressing need. Providing a school bus for these children is a modest request, especially considering the significant expenditure in other areas. These parents and children deserve reliable transport to attend school and we are simply asking for a bus to facilitate this. For two hours a day at the moment, or one hour in the morning and one in the evening, the total emissions would be approximately 480 kg of CO₂. After a week this adds up to 3,360 kg, or 336 tonnes, of CO₂. Reducing the number of cars on the road or switching to more sustainable transport options can help to lower this carbon footprint significantly. Will the Taoiseach work with the Minister for Education to provide this vital bus service to bring 30 children from Bantry to Schull Community College?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will discuss this with the Minister for Education. As the Deputy knows, the school transport system has its anomalies and complexities. I will see what we can do in respect of that. I fully share his view that public transport can reduce emissions through the replacement of cars, and his commitment to the climate change aspect of this is welcome. More fundamentally, however, I think he wants to get a bus for the kids. I will talk to the Minister. There are issues, as the Deputy knows, around school transport.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Representatives of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association came up to Agriculture House yesterday. Their concerns are about proposals to rewet peat-type soils and to stop people draining peat-type soils that have not been drained yet or have had only a little drainage. This will greatly and adversely impact on farmers' ability to farm, especially on marginal farms in places like south Kerry, west Kerry and all along the western seaboard. I am glad the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, met this group. One of their asks is that mineral-type soils not be included and they say there should not be a compulsory order.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, to answer.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The group is saying that payment rules are going to be affected by these new GAEC 2 proposals. I am asking the Ministers and the Taoiseach to consider this. It looks as though this proposal came from the Greens. I want it to be stopped.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I reassure Deputy Healy-Rae that the GAEC 2 proposals will not have negative impacts for farmers. These baseline elements were agreed as part of the CAP strategic plan in 2021. Ireland had a derogation in 2022 and 2023 while we put a proposal together. We are the last remaining country in Europe to make a proposal in this space. We would have been in breach since 1 January 2025 if we did not do that this year and I am not willing, as Minister for agriculture, to subject the State or our CAP funding to potential fines of €100 million per year. At the heart of the proposal we have put to the Commission and on which we consulted all of the farming bodies, including the INHFA and many others - I accept their points of concern but I disagree with them - is an approach that will allow farmers in the GAEC 2 area who have more than 50% of peat in their soil to continue their normal agricultural activity, continue to plough, reseed and maintain drains-----

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

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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-----and have new drainage in line with existing national planning legislation.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Mythen is next.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Will you stop people from cutting turf, Minister?

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It has nothing to do with that.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Sorry, Minister.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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There is a deep sense of frustration among section 39 workers, who are the backbone of many support services and help many individuals in need every single day. Despite their incredible dedication, they are often met with indifference by the Government. The Government claims to prioritise the protection of these vital services, but where is the action? Where is the fairness in pay and recognition? Workers are leaving these services in their droves because they cannot survive. With the continuing cost-of-living crisis, they are struggling financially. We need to see real, tangible support for our section 39 workers, who provide essential services to the most vulnerable people in Ireland. It is time for the Government to step up and honour its commitments. With pay talks to resume on Friday, what specific actions are being taken to ensure section 39 workers achieve pay parity with section 38 workers? These are promises the Taoiseach made to these workers before the election.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I accept fully that community and voluntary health and social care workers in section 39 organisations are the backbone of essential services. The State depends on them to deliver critical support to people across the country every day. I welcome the fact that talks reconvened through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, yesterday for organisations funded under sections 39, 56, 10 and 40, with some progress having being made. As the Deputy referenced, these talks have been adjourned at the request of the WRC until tomorrow morning. A number of issues remain to be resolved, including the range of funding streams within the scope of any new agreement. We are anxious that there would be agreement and I hope the talks that will continue tomorrow can lead to a breakthrough on this issue.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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It is about pay parity.

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

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know what it is all about. The programme for Government commits to working with the voluntary sector to progress this issue.

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