Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

Wednesday’s business shall be:

-Motion re First Report of the Committee of Selection and appointment of Cathaoirligh (any division claimed to be taken immediately)

-Motion re Appointment of Ordinary Members to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (any division claimed to be taken immediately)

-Motion re Dissolution of Select Committee on Subsidiarity (European Union Legislative Scrutiny)

-Statements to mark Europe Day (not to exceed 2 hrs 25 mins)

-Statements on the Farrelly Commission Report (resumed) (not to exceed remaining time)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be Motion re Childcare, selected by Sinn Féin.

Thursday's business shall be the Motion re Extension of Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (to conclude within 60 minutes).

Thursday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Parental Choice in Education, selected by the Social Democrats.

Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business:

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

1.the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 34(1)¯

(a)the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.;

(b)the only Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) which may be answered shall be those under the aegis of the Government Chief Whip, with consequential effect on the time for commencement of Government business;

(c)private members' business may be taken later than 6.12 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the Statements on the Farrelly Report;

(d)Parliamentary Questions to a Minister other than the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken; and

(e)topical issues shall be taken on the conclusion of private members’ business;

2.the proceedings on the Motion re First Report of the Committee of Selection and appointment of Cathaoirligh shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

3.the proceedings on the Motion re Appointment of Ordinary Members to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

4.the proceedings on the Motion re Dissolution of Select Committee on Subsidiarity (European Union Legislative Scrutiny) shall be taken without debate;

5.the Statements to mark Europe Day shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

(a)the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

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

(c)members may share time; and

(a) the speaking slots from the arrangements for the statements from Thursday, 1st May, 2025, shall be continued from the point at which they were adjourned;

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

(c) members may share time.

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

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(a) no motion for a Committee report pursuant to Standing Order 111 or private member's Bill pursuant to Standing Order 169 shall be taken;

(b) the Questions to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) which were to be taken on Thursday, 10th April, 2025, shall be taken immediately following the SOS, without any change to the allocation of priority Questions to the Tánaiste and not otherwise affecting the current sequence of Ministers or rota for priority Questions as ordered by the House;

(c) private members' business pursuant to Standing Order 168(1) and Standing Order 176 shall be taken for 2 hours on the conclusion of the Motion re Extension of Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021; and

(d) topical issues shall be taken on the conclusion of private members' business, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of topical issues; and

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Extension of Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 shall be taken no earlier than 3.30 p.m. and, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(a) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:-

‒ opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes;

‒ speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, Social Democrats, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group;

‒ speeches by non-party/group members – 7.5 minutes in total; and

‒ a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; and

(b) members may share time.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed to?

Deputies:

Not agreed.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I remind Members they have 30 seconds to pose their disagreement. I call Deputy Mac Lochlainn.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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It has now been 19 months of genocide and slaughter in Gaza. It has been more than two months of blockades, blocking food and humanitarian aid to the beleaguered people of Gaza. We now have the outrage upon outrage of Netanyahu making it clear he intends to assume full control and displace so many people. We need an emergency debate in this Chamber this week. We need the Minister and questions. We need to send a clear statement there will be sanctions and a price to pay.

Deputies:

Hear, hear.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. I call Deputy Sheehan.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I would like to agree with and be associated with Deputy Mac Lochlainn's remarks.

The Minister for housing needs to come in to the Dáil this week to answer questions relating to both the current and future funding of Uisce Éireann, the role of the so-called "housing tsar" and the strategic housing activation office.

The principle of a strategic body to unblock the issues around housing development is an idea that definitely has merit and deserves consideration provided it is underpinned by legislation, as was set out by the Housing Commission.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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There have been 19 months of devastation and evil on a scale not witnessed in many centuries. We have watched annihilation being afflicted upon Gaza. We now have the calls from Netanyahu and those who follow him for ethnic cleansing of the people of Gaza. We have heard the words of the Taoiseach and the talk of the Tánaiste last week. We need to know when there is going to be action and consequence. Can we have statements immediately on the situation in Gaza and can we finally understand what Ireland is actually going to do beyond words?

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Last week I asked for a debate on the Government's housing policy or lack of it. Since then, the Government's credibility has collapsed even further with the debacle over the housing tsar. We need an emergency debate this week on housing. Does the Government agree that it is untenable for Brendan McDonagh to remain as head of NAMA when he has been using different aliases in legal documents submitted to the Land Registry and in planning applications and when he is charging more than €10,000 a week to rent a property short term without planning permission in a rent pressure zone, RPZ?

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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For the past five weeks or so I have been looking for a debate on agriculture weeks relating to the ACRE payments. There are 9,000 farmers waiting for their payments in respect of 2023 and 2024. Some 2,000 have not received payments for 2023. We also have a crisis with tuberculosis, TB, which is costing farmers €150 million with the highest rates of TB since 2003, up 36%. We also need to debate water quality in relation to agriculture. The derogation has improved and we need a debate on this immediately, this week. The Chief Whip has-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy; 30 seconds are 30 seconds. Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Under Standing Order 35(3)-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Will the Deputy state the amendment?

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Regarding an amendment to provide for the debate on Gaza. Israel is committing war crimes. There is a genocide under way. Palestinians starve-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Will the Deputy read the amendment?

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The international community sits on the sidelines and others actively arm and facilitate this horror. We need a debate here this week on this matter.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call the Chief Whip to respond.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I note the requests from the Opposition Whips. They can be discussed at the Business Committee tomorrow morning. I informed Deputy Collins last Thursday that the debate on agriculture will take place next week. That has not changed. In regard to the amendment, the Government will not accept it.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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There is very grim reading for motorists today. Motor insurance is up a whopping 9% in just 12 months. It is now at its highest level in five years and more than double the EU average. There is no mystery as to what is driving this. It is profiteering, plain and simple, off the back of ordinary people trying to get to work and get their kids to school. Insurance companies here boast profits above and beyond what they make elsewhere, with profit margins two and three times the industry average. All the while, the Government stands impotent on the sidelines. Savings arising from reforms passed by the Dáil have not been passed on to customers. Instead, insurance companies are lining their pockets, and it has been a bonanza for them. Why does the Government continue to block Sinn Féin legislation that will ensure savings go back to customers and not into the pockets of the insurance companies?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The programme for Government includes a commitment to facilitate faster data releases from the national claims information database, NCID, to further enhance transparency and accountability. This report helps to deliver that commitment. In 2018, the average earned premium was €702. It is now 18% lower, at €575. That speaks to some of the reforms that were introduced. Insurance reform, including increasing affordability and accessibility of insurance, remains a key priority for the Government. After considerable progress in this area to bring down premiums over that trend of years, we need to redouble our efforts.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Stop blocking our legislation.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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In fairness, Deputy Doherty has been proactive in this area over recent years.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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He certainly has.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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We will work across the House to strengthen insurance reform and bring forward a new programme of reform over the term of this Government.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We will not be going over time. I call Deputy Bacik.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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We will work across the Oireachtas on the measures that can be taken.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Stop blocking the legislation.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Israel must be made accountable for the genocide it is perpetrating upon the Palestinian people. We are seeing the appalling escalation of the ongoing brutal bombardment and now starvation tactics that are being used upon a civilian population in Gaza. We are hearing desperate appeals for help from aid agencies and the UN, and we are seeing so many horrific deaths, including of children and civilians, yet Israel appears to act with impunity. The Taoiseach has described the Israeli actions as war crimes. Those are welcome words from him but the Government is not acting sufficiently as if the actions were war crimes. We need to see more pressure brought to bear on Israel and to do all in our power as a country to bring pressure to bear through economic sanctions, the passage of the occupied territories Bill and cultural, sporting, artistic and academic boycotts.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Like the Deputy, I strongly condemn the continuing Israeli military operation, which has brought fresh suffering to the people of Gaza. The images we are seeing are truly horrific. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic; it is hell on earth. It has been over 50 days since food, medicines and other essential supplies have been allowed to enter Gaza. Israel’s continuing humanitarian blockade is pushing Gaza closer to a hunger crisis. As the Taoiseach said yesterday, it is wrong in principle and law to inflict hunger and suffering on a civilian population, whatever the circumstances, and this behaviour clearly constitutes a war crime. It is also wholly unacceptable to contemplate the mass displacement of people in Gaza or to talk about a permanent occupation. It is not only an affront to decency and to international law; history tells us it offers no solution. Today, Ireland, along with five other countries, issued a joint statement expressing our grave concern about the report that Israel plans to expand its operations. We call on the Israeli authorities to show restraint.

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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Energy prices in Ireland are extortionate. Annual gas bills are €120 higher here than in other EU countries. When it comes to electricity bills, they are €350 higher. These sky-high prices, on top of extortionate and exorbitant housing costs, are causing real hardship for people. As we speak, a whopping 440,000 households around the country are in arrears. The previous Government introduced a tax on windfall profits. A total of €189 million was collected, but it is just sitting there. It was supposed to have been used to reduce energy costs but the Government has not acted. When will the Minister get around to using the windfall profits to reduce costs? Will he reintroduce the tax on windfall profits that has lapsed?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the ongoing issue of high energy prices across our economy, and that is why the outgoing Government, including through budget 2025, sought to support families through the electricity credit scheme. In the context of budget 2025, we will be specifically targeting any type of support that could be made available to individuals or families through the social protection system. We have been clear that we are going to move away from universal measures in the context of any support for families.

Specifically relating to what the Deputy referred to, I will ask the relevant Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, to respond on the specific allocation made in the time of the previous Government and on what was introduced then. I will ask him to provide the Deputy with the factual information.

Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)
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When visiting Letterkenny University Hospital last week, the Minister’s colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, said the location of the new surgical hub has not been decided yet. Donegal is in desperate need of a surgical hub. Patients across the county are forced to travel very long distances to access essential and life-saving care. Letterkenny University Hospital is severely underfunded and has insufficient resources to address the healthcare needs of the people of the north west. There is currently a surgical team of just five where eight to ten are required to meet the current demand. To address this imbalance in healthcare in this country and meet the current demand, two surgical hubs should be established in the north west. I asked the Minister not to leave Donegal behind once again. Will the Government establish a surgical hub in Donegal?

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Government commits to opening surgical hubs and assessing the business case for a surgical hub in the north west. The HSE is developing that and I have yet to receive it. The factors the HSE will take into account include the population distribution. I had a very good visit to Letterkenny hospital last week and note its funding has increased by over 54% in recent years. The staff number has increased by a quarter and there has been a very significant investment, but it is also true that the surgeons in the hospital need more surgical capacity and, in particular, more beds to ensure they have scheduled surgical access. I am very well aware of that.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Some time back, the Garda vetting review group was tasked with examining the current system to see what improvements, if any, could be made, while ensuring continued appropriate and robust checks on people taking on positions of trust working with children and vulnerable persons. While I would be interested in hearing the timeframe for the report, if officials have it to hand, the main thing I want to know is whether there is a plan in the terms of reference to deal with the perceived pointlessness of people having to apply for multiple Garda vettings, such as where a teacher is also a sports mentor or volunteer at a summer camp. Surely, where a person has not come to the attention of the authorities and has met a high standard in working with children, one accreditation should suffice. I hope this has been examined as part of any review. If the Minister has the timeframe, I would appreciate it.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Gogarty. My understanding is that work on that is continuing, but I will ask the Minister for Justice to respond to the Deputy directly on the timeframe of the group. There are existing systems and processes in place that are very much upholding best practice around child protection, and those concerned are considering whether repeat vetting is required or whether vetting is not required again where someone has been vetted on one occasion. However, it is important that this be managed with care, obviously with child protection at the core. I will ask the Minister for Justice to try to provide a timeframe for the Deputy on any changes that arise.

Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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School transport is causing frustration and stress for many families across rural Ireland. I refer specifically to the eligibility criterion for nearest and second-nearest schools. This requirement fails to reflect family circumstances, school preferences and logistical realities on the ground. It is simply too rigid and does not reflect modern Irish society. To give an example, the Bus Éireann portal advised a mother that St. Gerald’s College in Castlebar was her son’s nearest school but failed to take into account that the boy did not even meet the criteria for St. Gerald’s because his primary school only feeds into Rice College and Sancta Maria College. At the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis last year, the then Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, agreed with my point and said that, under the current scheme, students have to attend their nearest school to qualify for the transport scheme and that we are now going to introduce a system where we remove that criterion and give them greater choice and flexibility. When will this happen?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. About 172,000 young people access the school transport scheme. Many of those are children with additional needs. The programme for Government sets out very clearly that we will expand the scheme even further. There is no set timeline, and the expansion has to be done across the lifetime of the current Government, but we have set a very clear target to ensure 100,000 more children will be able to access the scheme. In particular, that would mean removing the barrier that essentially forces young people to go to their nearest school or the school allocated to them. We want to remove the barrier to ensure children can attend, via the school transport scheme, the school they are attending already.

Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
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Tackling the causes and consequences of the drug crisis has to become a political priority. The new national drugs strategy is the opportunity for the Government to do this. To ensure success, those at the heart of the drugs crisis need to be at the core of the process. Ignoring them is simply not an option. The Government must commit to working and engaging with families, communities and community-based drug projects. I have visited projects right across Dublin, including Frontline Make Change in Bluebell, Ballyfermot Star, and SAOL in Dublin’s north inner city. I have had round-table discussions with projects, academics and community representatives, including on drug-related intimidation. They feel abandoned by consecutive Governments. I refer in particular to services for women. Projects speak with one voice and seek an input into the decision-making. What will the Minister do to ensure communities are fully consulted when drafting the national drugs strategy, what model of consultation will she use, and what is the timeline?

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am conscious that the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O’Connor, has responsibility for this. I might ask her to come back to the Deputy directly on the details on this. I know she is very interested in this and has a very strong focus on consultation. I might ask her to come back to the Deputy with her ideas.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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This is a transport issue. Under the last Government, and it was generally welcomed at the time, the Minister for Transport introduced very relaxed laws around e-bikes, e-scooters and electric bikes. Now there are electric bikes and scooters that travel at the speed of mopeds and motor bikes that are completely powered-up and do not require any pedalling activity to get them moving. At the same time there are regular electric bikes and regular e-scooters that are probably fit for cycle tracks and active travel schemes we have developed. Does the Minister agree that it is time that we look at reining in and tightening up some of the rules, particularly around the delivery bikes that are packed with a twin battery pack that can travel 40 km/h or 45 km/h in cycle tracks? They are essentially mechanically-propelled vehicles to a degree but they are abiding by the same laws as push bikes.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the road safety considerations the Deputy raised. The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, should examine the balance here and the appropriateness in the context of some of the speeds reached. It is an important part of the e-mobility strategy that there is an acceleration of e-bikes – not in terms of their speed but in the provision of e-bikes across cities and urban areas as we have seen in parts of Europe and elsewhere. I acknowledge the road safety issue the Deputy raised as well as some of the anti-social behaviour issues we have seen in parts of Dublin in particular. There is a serious issue which has been reflected by An Garda Síochána and others where in many instances these e-bikes or other vehicles have replaced scramblers. Achieving the balance is important. I will ask the Minister to get back to the Deputy on the road safety considerations.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Last Saturday a powerful statement was made by 30 women on the Dublin and Kilkenny senior camogie teams when they took to the pitch for the Leinster semi-final wearing shorts instead of the regulator skorts which are mandated by the Camogie Association. This action was in response to findings in the survey by the GPA which found that 83% of players wanted to have the choice. Unfortunately the rules had to be enforced by a referee put in a very difficult position and the teams were told the game would have to be abandoned unless they changed. Will the Government support the players in getting this rule changed and asking the Camogie Association under rule 10.5(C), which would allow the ard comhairle to consider derogation requests from a specific rule where strict adherence to the rule may not be in the best interests of the association? I ask this question because participation of women in sport is so important. These people, who have taken this stance, should be supported by the Government.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this. There has been great progress in participation, and equal participation, by women in all sports. Our national governing bodies have made massive strides in that regard and that has been matched by the Government in relation to funding.

I am very aware of the issue. It is very important that players engage with the Camogie Association. I have had engagement with the Camogie Association as well and it is important that they come together to find a resolution that is comfortable for everyone. Participation and making sure everyone is comfortable participating in sport is absolutely essential. It is important there is an agreed way forward with which everyone can be comfortable and which has players and player welfare very much at the centre. The Government will support that coming together and an agreed outcome in every way we can.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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In his reply to another question, the Minister spoke of a mobility strategy. At the moment in Tallaght there are 15,000 people waiting for a driver's test. Waiting times can sometimes be over a year. I do not think that is acceptable to anyone. Media reports have indicated that at long last the Road Safety Authority intends to open a new driving test centre in south Dublin. That is something I have called for in this House on many occasions. Is the Minister aware as whether the RSA has identified a site? When can we expect that it would begin conducting driver's tests? There does not seem to be a mobility strategy at the moment and clearly the people of Tallaght are suffering as a result.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the waiting time for driver testing is too long. The RSA has a service level agreement of a ten-week target which is not being met. It is increasing testing capacity and trying to improve the overall delivery by increasing the permanent sanction of testers to 200. That should help support a reduction in the wait time. I will ask the Minister for Transport to respond directly on the driver test site in Tallaght or where that may or may not be. I do not have that particular information. We acknowledge that many people are waiting too long. That is why the recruitment process is under way to try to accelerate a reduction in the wait times for many people across the country which are just too long.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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Last week, my city of Cork was struck by a deep tragedy with the loss of a young man, Luke Hyde, who got into difficulty swimming in the River Lee. What makes the loss more horrifying to his friends and family is the fact that many people stood by filming and then shared footage on social media. While Coco’s Law rightly criminalises the sharing of intimate images without consent there is currently no legal protection to prevent the sharing of videos of someone in their final moments. It is time we introduced a Luke’s Law, a compassionate law with common sense. Will the Minister and the Government commit to delivering legislation that will cover this during the lifetime of this Dáil?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I spoke on this earlier in response to Deputy Lowry. I offer my condolences to the family of Luke Hyde. What happened in the aftermath of this was shocking. That there were people who were more interested in recording the incident than helping is absolutely shocking. I mentioned earlier that the view of the Department of Justice is that this may be captured by an existing provision. I will ask the Minister for Justice to respond to the Deputy’s points. I know how upset the family is and indeed anyone else recorded in a similar incident. I would raise the role of Coimisiún na Meán in the context of the oversight of particular social media companies too. I will ask both Ministers to respond to the Deputy’s concerns.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Today, trolley numbers in University Hospital Limerick have again exceeded 100, exceeding ten hospitals on the east coast of the country. With the recent announcement by the Government of a new accident and emergency department for Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, I am hopeful that we will soon see movement towards a second accident and emergency department in Limerick. When does the Government expect to receive final advice from HIQA on emergency care capacity in the mid-west? Will the Government commit to facilitating a Dáil debate on this as soon as those findings come in? UHL, as we all know well, is the only model 4 hospital not supported by a model 3. I welcome the work the Government has done on consultants and weekend rostering to deal with delayed discharge.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I have been told to expect that report from HIQA in May. I have no further details beyond that. We always debate matters in the Dáil, so there is no difficulty with that. I would point out two things. The Deputy is right about Limerick. It is under particular pressure. The opening of the 96-bed block is absolutely essential to alleviate that pressure. Other than that, there are sites of considerable concern that cannot be explained in the same way. I want to call out St. Vincent’s hospital in particular as well as Tallaght, Cork and Galway. I mention St. Vincent’s in particular. I am doing a detailed analysis of the rostering in these hospitals. To give the Deputy comfort, I would point out that Limerick is the only hospital that is consistently providing the correct rostering over the weekends and has very significant increases in its discharges as a consequence. However, it is stuck on capacity in terms of beds in particular, and the 96-bed block is absolutely crucial. I expect that to be delivered in September.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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In 2023, 5,500 safeguarding notifications regarding concerns relating to adults aged over 65 years were submitted to the HSE safeguarding and protection teams.

In a response from the Minister for Justice this week, he said that while criminal offences in general, including coercion, harassment, theft and so on apply across the board, the coercive control legislation specifically applies to a spouse, civil partner or person who is or was in an intimate relationship with another person. It does not extend to children taking care of parents. Is it the plan of this Government to make abuse or controlling behaviour of a parent by a caring adult child or relative a prescribed offence?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I will ask the Minister for Justice to respond to him directly on the particular policy plans in respect of the issue he has raised.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Since taking up employment, my parliamentary assistant, who has a disability, has had his travel allowance and disability allowance removed. There are key steps in the programme for Government. Will this Government provide for a universal, non-means-tested payment in respect of disability allowance? We all know the cost of disability. There are huge costs to people with a disability. We need there to be a universal, non-means-tested payment so that when people go back to the workforce or enter the workforce, they do not have their benefits removed.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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There is very strong reference in the programme for Government to making progress across the disability area. In each budget, we want to make incremental progress over a five-year period. That will involve the consideration of social protection payments and indeed means-tested payments like the disability allowance, as well as other areas on which we were very clear in the election regarding the means test, and other issues which will have to be considered by the Minister for Social Protection in the context of what is available for budget 2026. We welcome the engagement on that particular issue and will try to make progress for people with disabilities in each budget. That is a central focus of Government.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I want to raise the issue of Youghal District Court being removed from the town. Youghal has lost much of its public services over a protracted period. I want to raise the matter of retaining a District Court. There was a previous attempt to remove it. Unfortunately, moving those services to Dungarvan also brings Garda resources from Youghal, outside County Cork, half an hour's drive away, to another location. I want to raise the importance of keeping this in the town. Crime is not a big issue in Youghal, thankfully, but we have had a number of sad, high-profile cases. Having a District Court in the town, which has about 8,500 residents in the winter and increasing to approximately 12,000 in the summer, is much needed for the local community. This is part of a wider restructuring but I want to advocate that we need to retain it. Local solicitors have come to me, as have people from An Garda Síochána, on the basis of confidentiality. Others involved in protecting our justice services in the town have expressed serious concern at this move.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. I know from being in Youghal with him on many occasions the importance of different State infrastructure and the services and activities it provides in the context of the local community and the other resources that are attached to the courthouse he has referenced. I will ask the Minister for Justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, to respond directly to the Deputy on his concerns and his request for the provision of continued court services and the courthouse in Youghal, and to reflect on the concerns the Deputy has raised regarding its retention.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call on the Chief Whip to move the motions.