Dáil debates
Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
5:00 am
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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As the Dáil prepares to rise now for the summer, the thing on everybody's mind is runaway prices and the sky-high cost of living. Working households really struggle now to make ends meet and they hear from the Taoiseach time and again as he digs in and refuses to include a cost-of-living package in October's budget. Today, a report published by the Irish League of Credit Unions reveals the big pressure on parents with the enormous cost of sending their children to school. This follows reports from the ESRI, Barnardos, the Society of St. Vincent De Paul and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, all of which reflect the real, present and growing pressure on families. Yesterday, the Taoiseach described prices as being at a relatively elevated level. Those are his words. That was one for the books. Let me break it to him: prices are not relatively elevated, they are through the roof. The price of a litre of milk is now higher than a litre of petrol. People here pay among the highest energy prices in Europe and 450,000 customers are in arrears on their bills, yet the Government proposes to cancel their lifeline of energy credits. The Taoiseach and his Government have convinced themselves, in their own out-of-touch way, that things are not actually as bad as people make out. Well, they are. We are contacted day in, day out by people who are fleeced, stressed and pushed to the brink. I will share some of their experiences if the Taoiseach cares to listen.
Amanda says:
We constantly leave bills unpaid or late. The children wait weeks for new clothing and footwear. We both work fulltime. I spent over €220 on shopping last week. There’s nothing left to make a meal today as shopping day is tomorrow. We don't even have diluted juice left. Only for loans from my mother most weeks we would be hungry or sitting in the dark.
Fiona says:
My shopping now costs €300 a week! I used to get by on €200 a week. That’s a huge jump. I cannot believe I’m spending over €1000 a month on food!
Brian says:
It’s gone beyond a joke. We’re drowning trying just to keep a roof over the kids’ heads and put food on the table. Something has to change big time.
Joanne says:
Every time I go to the shop prices have gone up. €9 for a bottle of shampoo! Don’t get me started on electricity bills, the cost of sending the kids to school, or the price of fuel! Why are people going out to work at all?
Now, that is real pressure. Amanda, Fiona, Brian and Joanne speak to the real-life experience of tens of thousands - hundreds of thousands - of households. Then the kick in the teeth for people is that the Taoiseach flatly tells them the Government is not going to help when the State and Government clearly have the resources to help. There is a surplus of €8 billion and the Government proposes to throw ordinary working families under the bus now and come budget day. That simply cannot happen. Tá brú ollmhór ar theaghlaigh de bharr phraghasanna atá ag dul i méid arís agus arís eile. Caithfidh an Rialtas pacáiste costais maireachtála a chur san áireamh sa bhuiséad. On this, the Taoiseach's last appearance before the Dáil until September, I want him to clearly commit to including a comprehensive cost-of-living package in the budget.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ní aontaím leis an Teachta mar-----
Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Ní haon rud nua é sin.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Admhaím go bhfuil brú. Gan amhras, tá brú ar dhaoine agus ar chosmhuintir na tíre maidir leis an gcostas maireachtála. Tá an-chuid déanta ag an Rialtas go dtí seo chun an brú sin a ísliú. An rud is tábhachtaí sna míonna atá le teacht ná cinneadh a dhéanamh infheistíocht a chur isteach in infreastruchtúr, cúrsaí tithíochta agus a lán nithe eile chun an brú sin a ísliú. Beidh sé sin á dhéanamh againn sa cháinaisnéis a bheidh againn i mí Dheireadh Fómhair. I dealt with this again yesterday. Deputy McDonald's assertion that the Government does not get it is wholly wrong. The Government understands there has been pressure since peak inflation of 10% coming out of Covid and as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This Government intervened, more than any other government in Europe, to alleviate pressures on households through cost-of-living packages and also through additional measures within budgets. We are facing a very difficult scenario in terms of the economic situation globally. The Deputy seems to be oblivious to the threats that are coming our way in respect of tariff wars or a dislocation in the global economy.
Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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That is a new excuse.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We are well-placed to deal with it because of the surpluses we have and so on. We have taken fundamental measures such as the free book scheme, which Sinn Féin never mentions for some reason. That was a game-changer in terms of the costs that people have going back to school.
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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The credit unions did that before.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We did that a number of years ago and the finality of it will be this September. Every school now has free school meals. These were things that, up to three years ago, were not on the agenda and Sinn Féin ignores that. We have improved the situation regarding carer's allowance.
What we intend to do in the next budget is to mainstream provisions that will help people to deal with what is a high-cost of living, particularly in food prices. That said, inflation is coming down. It is at about 1.6% or 1.7%. We have the third lowest inflation rate in the European Union. We are mid-table in the European Union in respect of food prices, even though prices are still high and very high for beef and various other essential products people have to buy on an ongoing basis. That is acknowledged. It is also important, however, that we invest in people's future. We are going to transform infrastructure in this country because people need it with the population growth we have, which has been phenomenal in this country over the last two decades. For the first time ever now, we are back to the pre-Famine population on the island of Ireland.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is a positive but we have to provide for that as regards our water infrastructure, housing, energy infrastructure, public transport and roads. We are going to do that but there are limits to what any government can do.
Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach should start driving the roads.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Sinn Féin is a party of Opposition with no limits on what it would spend. In terms of expenditure, it does not matter. It is just whatever turns up on any day, it will spend a billion or two billion euro on it. That is its philosophy and mindset.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Sorry, are you the guy who was giving bankers back their bonuses?
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yesterday, in Dáil Éireann, I challenged the Deputy's party to say whether it would support the EU-Canada free trade deal, which has enhanced Ireland's exports.
Mark Ward
Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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What has that to do with the price of butter?
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We were doing about €900 million in exports in 2016. We are now doing €4.1 billion, which is bread on the table of Irish working families. That is how you deal with cost of living, not being against trade deals of that importance and scale, which have real impact on the working lives of people.
5:10 am
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Níl cliú ag an Taoiseach agus níl suim aige ach an oiread sa bhrú atá ar theaghlaigh. The Taoiseach's answer demonstrates again that he could not care less. It is spin and rhetoric from the Government again. I raised this with the Taoiseach yesterday, I raised it today and I will raise it every single day I have to for as long as working people and families are under so much pressure that they wonder whether they can put a meal on the table for their children. I cited the evidence. Do not mind us as the Opposition. The League of Credit Unions, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Barnardos and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service are all dealing with this on the front line and the Taoiseach refuses to hear it. The Government has the resources to intervene and make a difference. Should the worst emerge in terms of tariffs, which I am very aware of, the real casualty again will be the Irish working class, Irish working people and young people-----
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you Deputy, your time is now up.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----because they have a Government that cares more about the high rollers, big bankers and squadrons of super junior Ministers than it does about struggling households. I cited real-life examples-----
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, your time is up. Thank you, Deputy McDonald.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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-----and I want a response from the Taoiseach for them.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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In the forthcoming budget, this Government will respond to those most in need. We will test Sinn Féin. This morning, I heard Sinn Féin's spokesman talking about universal benefits for the high rollers. That is what its spokesman, Deputy Doherty, said this morning, that he wants universal energy credits for the high rollers. I will test you and your commitment and principles. Will Sinn Féin agree to targeting and prioritising those in child poverty in the forthcoming budget? We will target and prioritise those most in need.
Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Child poverty has doubled in a year.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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More fundamentally, the Deputy ducked and dived on the question of the free trade deal between Europe and Canada. It has brought huge benefits to working people in multinationals and Irish-owned companies.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Jobs ultimately put bread on people's tables.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Working people are hungry.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Sinn Féin's economic approach to trade matters in particular - it has opposed this trade deal for years and yesterday, it could not agree if it supported it or not - is a fundamental point.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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If we do not continue to expand and grow trade, we will reduce the capacity of ordinary working people-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----to deal with the cost of living.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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What is more fundamental is your refusal to respond to the crisis in Irish households.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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That is enough, Deputy McDonald. Your question has ended.
Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Child poverty has doubled in 12 months.
Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I welcome young Olivia Nevin who is in the Gallery with her family. She is up from Cork for a birthday visit to Leinster House.
The number of children in homelessness is hurtling towards the 5,000 mark. This would represent a truly shameful new record. The tenant in situ scheme can no longer keep families in their homes because the Department of housing has starved it of cash. Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council have stopped operating it altogether. Vacancy and dereliction blight our communities, a grim visual symbol of the housing crisis. As we approach the Dáil recess, the Government’s end-of-term report on housing is a clear fail. The Taoiseach said it would ramp up to deliver 60,000 new homes per year and continue the tenant in situ scheme. He said the Government would update compulsory purchase laws to tackle dereliction and promised to protect renters from abusive practices and soaring rents but there is no sign of effective action on any of this. Fianna Fáil is the largest party in government. It holds the housing Ministry and the office of An Taoiseach, so it holds all the cards. Where is the change the Taoiseach committed to delivering? So far, his big ideas have amounted to him or the Minister for housing licking their fingers and sticking them in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. There is no evidence base for Government policies. Instead, we have seen texts to journalists, press releases issued and worrying about the consequences later, along with the ill-fated notion of a housing tsar and tax breaks for the same developers who conspired with the Taoiseach's party years ago to create this housing mess. The announcement on rent pressure laws actually necessitated emergency legislation to avoid a flood of evictions.
The Government's policies range from bewildering to certifiable. I will give an example. The Government claim to have passed a once-in-a-generation planning Act mere months ago but in our last sitting week before the recess, we are asked to amend that Act by the Minister for emergency legislation, as he might as well be called, before most of the big planning Act has even been commenced. It wants to reduce apartment sizes and remove the minimum 5% for community and cultural space. It denies this is being done at the behest of big developers. The Taoiseach has insisted that the change will reduce the cost of an apartment by between €50,000 and €100,000 but we have seen no evidence for this claim, just an internal summary of Land Development Agency research. At the housing committee, the Minister told my colleague, Deputy Sheehan, that the research would be published but he would not say when and the Bill is being rammed through the Dáil and Seanad this week. Yesterday, Deputy Sheehan asked the Taoiseach for the evidence there would be a reduction in the cost of apartments as a result of this change. The Taoiseach did not answer him either. We are not surprised there is no apparent evidence from Fianna Fáil because it has form on giving us dodgy, non-evidence-based policies like the overstatement of the number of homes built last year by nearly 10,000 units. I will ask the question again. Where is the evidence that reducing apartment sizes will make any substantial reduction in apartment prices for hard-pressed people who simply want a home of their own?
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The fundamental difference between the Government and the Opposition is that we are action-focused and get things done on housing. I do not like to put this to the Deputy but I have seen nothing in the Labour Party's policy proposals on housing that would build anything extra. All the policy instincts of the Opposition is to oppose any measure the Government has introduced in the past six months. The same pattern happened in the past two or three years. I put the more fundamental point to the Deputy that if we want to get to 50,000 or 60,000 houses a year, we need about €20 billion, made up of public sector and private sector finance. No one on the Opposition side has come forward as to how to deal with that.
Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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That is rubbish.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is simply saying we are maintaining and increasing public investment in housing from the State, the largest actor in housing right now, while also creating the conditions to facilitate far greater private sector investment in house building and apartment building in particular, which needs to increase. The fundamental way to deal with housing is to increase supply significantly over the next number of years. We have gone from a situation pre-2020 when about 20,000 houses were being built per annum, which was too low, to about 33,000 now. We need to get to 50,000. That will not happen with tinkering or spending a year or two setting up a new State agency, as the Labour Party wants to do.
Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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We do not want to set up a new State agency.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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You do; you said it in your manifesto and you doubled down on it only last week.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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If one looks at first-time buyers, for example, the percentage of first-time buyers has been steadily increasing, from about 25% of all purchases in 2015 to just under 40% in April 2025. Real progress has been made, through the help to buy scheme and first home scheme, in enabling first-time buyers to get into the market and get their first homes. About 119,000 first-time buyer mortgages were drawn down in the five years to the end of quarter 1 of 2025. In the first quarter of this year, there was an 8% year-on-year increase in first-time buyer drawdowns, at 5,308 for the period. That represents progress. In the past six months, an additional €700 million has been allocated, €325 million of which is for the tenant in situ scheme. That scheme needs to be targeted and focused on those in imminent danger of homelessness. It cannot become a mechanism to be deployed more generally for acquisitions, with a view to moving the emphasis in local authorities away from new builds to just acquisitions. We will allocate further funding for social housing to increase the record level of social housing we are already providing.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach. I call Deputy Bacik to respond.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have not even started yet on the range of measures we have taken in the past number of months.
Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I am not hearing any acceptance of responsibility. The Taoiseach leads the Government. His party has the housing Ministry, and yet every time any of us in opposition raises the housing crisis with the Taoiseach, he seeks to deflect responsibility, putting it back on the Opposition and suggesting we have no policy. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am very proud of the Labour Party's housing policy. The Taoiseach clearly has not read it if he thinks we want to set up an entirely new agency. Our policy is about ensuring there is a State-led approach to the necessary investment that will deliver the homes people need and to ramp up the Land Development Agency, which we supported, to a point where it has capacity to deliver.
That is what people want, and the Taoiseach is boasting about more people being able to get mortgage approval. I am hearing from families who are losing mortgage approval. They are losing it. It is running out because they cannot find homes to buy. There are simply not enough homes being built to meet the demand that is there. The tenant in situ scheme, which is supposed to save families from homelessness, is simply not working. Where is the radical reset and the Government approach, ambition and urgency needed to fix this housing crisis?
5:20 am
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, we do take responsibility. We are leading and have taken measures. The Deputy does not like the new planning design standards for apartments but that is addressing-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----a viability gap. There will have to be a range of house and apartment types built. There will simply have to be to cater for different elements of the market. Some people have said outside of Government that this will be positive with regard to single people seeking housing and apartments also.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The single-stage approval process for all social housing projects under €200 million has been decided on by the Minister and also the RPZ reforms, which the Deputy opposed. That is an action the Government took that increased, by the way, protection nationally but that will also increase greater investment for the private sector.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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To increase rents.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy just said, "No, no, no". Any measure designed to bring any private sector investment into the market the Deputy says "no" to.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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And ramp up rents. Good man.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy does. She consistently says "no" to that. The review of the national planning framework-----
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Taoiseach. Time is up.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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----enables us to zone more land and guess what? Some of you people will be out there opposing all of that too when it comes to the local authorities.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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For the record, the Social Democrats has published detailed proposals about how to increase financing for housing, make it more affordable and build more homes.
The Taoiseach owes the people an explanation. Why was their money used to fund Israel's genocide in Gaza? There is no denying or hiding it. Not only was public money used but the Taoiseach actually increased that funding in 2024. Last year, as tens of thousands of innocent people in Gaza were slaughtered, as hundreds of medics were butchered, as hospitals were flattened, as refugee camps were set alight and schools were razed to the ground, the State increased its financing of Israel's brutal genocide.
The figures are clear: at the end of 2023, the Irish Strategic Investment Fund held €2.62 million in Israeli sovereign debt. By the end of 2024, that had increased to €3.62 million. This was not a mistake or some kind of oversight. Someone made a deliberate decision to increase the level of public money spent on Israeli war bonds. The Israeli Government has not hidden what those bonds are for. These bonds are clearly being used to help finance their genocidal campaign. This is utterly outrageous. I am sure many people who are learning about this will feel sickened. They will wonder why it was that their hard-earned taxes were used to buy bombs and bullets that killed and maimed children in Gaza, and they will also wonder why the Government let this happen.
Last night, the finance Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, said all of these bonds have now been sold but this only happened in the last number of weeks, right before the annual accounts of the State investment fund had to be published. While the Government says it wants to ban trade with the occupied territories, public money is actually being invested in companies operating there illegally. Nearly €8 million of Irish public money is invested either directly or indirectly in those companies. This is shameful. Just yesterday, the UN warned that the largest displacement since 1967 is happening in the West Bank right now.
The State sold its Israeli war bonds. Can the Taoiseach confirm exactly when those bonds were sold, why public money is being invested in companies operating illegally in the occupied territories, and does he have any plans to stop this?
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, I take strong exception to the Deputy's assertion that the Irish Government is funding genocide. It most certainly is not and never has.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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It is public money.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Hold on, now; do not be twisting. The Deputy knows full well that ISIF was established as a separate organisation in terms of all of its investment decisions.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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It is funded by Government.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy knows Government does not get involved in investment decisions by any fund that is established. He knows that is the case. In terms of this specific issue the Deputy raised this morning, I will follow through on that. I ask him not to make the assertion because he must understand and know that this Government is fundamentally opposed to the Israeli war in Gaza.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Surely the Deputy knows that.
Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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Where is the occupied territories Bill then?
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Surely Deputy O'Callaghan knows that when he meets Palestinian representatives in this country. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, met the deputy foreign minister yesterday in Europe, and what was the response of the Palestinian deputy foreign minister? To thank Ireland for the role it has played in terms of the Palestine question.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I met Mr. Filippo Grandi this morning, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. What did he say to me? He said: "Your voice matters. We thank you for how you have articulated in respect of the Middle East and other issues." That is what international people are saying about Ireland - that Ireland has taken a strong position in respect of the Israeli war in Gaza, and also a strong position regarding the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7 October against innocent people and civilians. We have been very consistent approaching this through the lens of humanitarian law and we will continue to do so.
We are the only country that has initiated legislation to ban goods coming from the illegally occupied territories. We have sponsored UN resolutions in respect of decisions at the International Court of Justice, ICJ. We have intervened legally in the South African case-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----before the ICJ under the Genocide Convention. Very few countries in the world have done that. The record is there with regard to the decisions taken by the sovereign Irish Government at every single forum, be it the European Union or the United Nations itself. That is fundamentally where we are as a Government, and we will continue to do that.
The more fundamental issue is how we get Israel to stop the war, and it is very clear to me-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The United States has a key role-----
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach is passing the buck. Sanction them.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----in getting Israel to stop the war. The European Union has influence but because of divided historic positioning-----
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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That is a cop-out.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----on Israel and the Middle East, Ireland has pushed for the suspension of the Israel-European Union association agreement.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach. He will have another response.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We got traction on that in recent times but it still remains to be seen-----
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Taoiseach, your time is up. Thank you.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----whether we can get a majority to support measures on that.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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The Irish Strategic Investment Fund is funded by the Government using public money - money that belongs to the public. The Government gives the Irish Strategic Investment Fund its strategic direction. It should be directing it not to have any of our money invested in companies operating in contravention to international law in the West Bank.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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There are much better places our money should be spent - in affordable housing, healthcare and disability services. Not a cent should be invested in companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank. The Taoiseach knows that. Is he going to stop this now and will he tell the Dáil when were the Israeli bonds sold, on what date? We know it was a few weeks ago. The Minister for Finance has told us that but I ask the Taoiseach to give us the date on this.
The genocide that is happening in Gaza must be stopped. There were over 700 Palestinians killed over the last 21 months just trying to collect water, when the Israeli army bombed the wells they were trying to get that water from.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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Is the Taoiseach going to act to ensure not a cent of Irish public money goes into these companies?
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We need perspective here as well. From my perspective, the ISIF has confirmed that at the end of 2024 it held €3.6 million in Israeli sovereign debt.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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Directly and indirectly.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is not going to fund any war. Let us have a sense of perspective.
Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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It contributes to it.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy can argue that it is not right or proper and I take that point.
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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Is the Taoiseach defending it?
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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No, but the Deputy said we funded genocide. That is an outrageous, exaggerated assertion-----
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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Where does the Taoiseach think that money goes? There should not have been a cent.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and the Deputy lacks credibility in putting a point like that but he does it for political gain only.
Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Come on now. Fair is fair.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It has been a constant hobby. By the way, the ISIF also held €5.2 million in Egyptian sovereign debt and €2.3 million in Jordanian sovereign debt.
Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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They are not committing a genocide.
5:30 am
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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They made a decision off their own bat and for their own commercial reasons. I would not approve of some of this either, particularly in terms of divesting and all of that.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of divesting from Jordanian and other debt, we are talking about small amounts of money which could not fund any genocide. I ask the Deputy to withdraw the assertion that the Irish Government has funded genocide. That is wrong.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Time is up, Taoiseach. I call Deputy Paul Murphy.
Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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It is the final week of Dáil sittings before the summer recess. When we return, the schools will already have started. The Minister for education previously stated that it was her intention that every child needing special education would have a place come September. Will that commitment be met or will children be left without appropriate school places?
Over the course of the past year, parents of children with additional needs have done incredible campaigning work. Mothers such as those from the Equality in Education campaign who are in the Gallery, have organised public meetings throughout the country. They slept out on two occasions - once outside the Dáil and once outside the Department of education. They organised an impressive march a few weeks ago and put this issue of the incredible injustice of children having their basic right to an education denied. Their core asks are very simple, namely that every child should have an appropriate school place in their local community, that children are not left at home without school places, that parents are not pressured into taking inappropriate mainstream places where their children will not be supported and that children will not be ferried across or out of their counties on a daily basis. We know that 3,275 children with additional needs were notified to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. The Minister has indicated that 92% of those have an offer of a school place or a pathway to a school place. That means 260 children were without any offer. However, those 260 are only the tip of the iceberg. Many of the 3,000 or so who have offers do not actually have school places for September. They have a pathway to school places. In many places, it is a pathway to a classroom that does not yet exist.
Teddy will be five years and nine months old in September. After much struggle, his mother, Adrienne, got a call from the school secretary in St. Canice's in Finglas two weeks ago offering him a place. She was told that the place is subject to a building project. She asked for a timeline on the availability of the place and was told that the school is in discussions. She is not holding her breath in terms of the place being available before Christmas. Lucy, who is five, was offered a place but her mother, who is in the Gallery, was told it will not be available until November.
How many of the 3,000 children to whom I refer will not have places in September? How long will they have to wait? How have the classrooms not been put in place? How many will have to travel outside their local areas? Will all 3,000 get the appropriate supports they need? Some of them have been allocated places by the NCSE, which has instructed schools to expand special classes. They are being promised that additional special needs assistant, SNA, supports will be provided. Will they? The additional 1,600 SNAs announced by the Government have already been allocated. The Government is operating an irrational cap on SNA posts.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Time is up, Deputy. Taoiseach to respond.
Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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To go back to the 260, will they get offers of school places or will they be forced to turn up outside the Dáil before we come back?
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Murphy will be coming back in.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, I welcome James Maloney, who is in the Gallery with his wife Deirdre. James is an elected member of the Parliament of Canada and is affectionately known there as "the minister for Ireland". I had the pleasure of meeting with him when I was last in Canada. I hope he enjoys his visit to the Oireachtas and to Ireland, particularly as he has been a great friend to Ireland in Canada.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Every child is entitled to and has a constitutional right to an education. It is the Government's job to vindicate that right, especially for children with additional educational needs. Schools and parents consistently highlight the value of special schools and classes, particularly where there are challenges in the system with the provision of a broader range of disability supports. This is a key priority of the Government. I have established a Cabinet subcommittee on disability more generally. I have also established a disability unit within my Department to drive change and transformation in respect of all aspects of disability in Irish society.
More specifically, in terms of special education, 407 special classes are being created this year, with close to 2,700 new special education placements for the 2025-26 school year. An additional 1,200 places are available due to student movement, bringing the total number of available places close to 4,000 for the 3,275 students who are seeking them. The key issue will be in terms of geography and making sure that children have access to schools close to them. That is an important consideration. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, have both been working extremely hard on this matter. As the Deputy knows, we are close to establishing an in-school therapy service. This will begin in special schools in the country and will provide in-school therapists for children in special schools. We will then expand it to the entire cohort of special schools and to mainstream education after that. A huge effort has been made to get places in position by September. This is being done in conjunction with the NCSE, which, in turn, works with and liaises with schools.
Five new special schools are being established. Some will not be entirely ready by September, although temporary alternatives are being provided in respect of those where building works are being carried out. For next year and the year after, we are looking at bringing forward the application dates to make sure that there is better identification of need earlier in order to plan for the subsequent year. A pilot programme is under way in respect of the common application system that would ease the burden for parents.
Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I appreciate that huge efforts have been made by those in the NCSE, people working in schools and, above all, parents. However, what is happening is not acceptable. This is the last Leaders' Questions the Taoiseach is going to face. He cannot back up the commitment by the Minister for education that every child needing special education will have a place come September. He is sending out the message that we have made a huge effort but, unfortunately, some children will be left behind.
The Taoiseach mentioned that for those who have been offered school places perhaps in October, November or December, temporary solutions will be put in place. Will he expand on that? None of the parents know about these temporary-----
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Of course they do. In Cork schools, they do.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Taoiseach will have be able to respond.
Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The Taoiseach might expand on that because the parents I am talking to have to leave their kids in preschool, if the preschool will allow them to do that. In some cases, that is going to be a real problem. In other cases, they are going to have to stay at home - some will not be able to do college courses they were planning to do - in order to mind their children. Can the Taoiseach tell us how many children are going to be left without appropriate school places? Is the number to whom no offer has been made still 260?
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The Deputy has asked the question and is over time. The Taoiseach will now respond.
Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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That is simply not acceptable.
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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In Carignavar in Cork, alterations are being made to an older school building to facilitate a new special school. In the interim, the Gaelscoil, which is no longer in use, is being used as an alternative location until the building is complete. It will be completed before the end of the year. That is my understanding. That is what I referred to in response to the Deputy. I reiterate that five new special schools are being established.
It is our aim that no child will be without an appropriate place by September. That is what we want to do. We are going to work might and main to make sure that becomes the reality. We will work with parents, schools and the NCSE to attend to those children who do not yet have definite clarity in terms of school places. We want every child to have a school place by September. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, along with the NCSE, met recently with parents and advocates from the Equality in Education campaign in order to address a number of key issues. I understand parents have been kept updated on available places for the year ahead. The whole objective is to help parents to secure the right place for their child as quickly as possible.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach. Before moving on to Other Members' Questions, I, too, on behalf of the Oireachtas, extend a warm céad míle fáilte to Mr. James Maloney, MP, from the Canadian House of Commons, who is accompanied by his wife. James was instrumental in having a private members' motion adopted unanimously by the Canadian House of Commons in 2021 declaring March as Irish Heritage Month. Mr. Maloney is affectionately known as "the minister for Ireland". Welcome, and thank you very much.
5:40 am
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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There are other distinguished guests in the Gallery. We welcome members of the Knocklong Men's Shed. We also welcome Maureen and Elly, who are from Granagh and Templeglantine.
Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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It is Maurice.
Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is Maurice. Excuse me. That is the Deputy's writing. We welcome Maurice and Elly, who are from Granagh and Templeglantine.