Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

Today's business shall be:- Motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2025 (without debate) (any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Motion re leave to introduce Supplementary Estimates for Public Services 2025 [Votes 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42 and 45] (without debate) (any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Second Stage) (to conclude within 3 hours and 34 minutes; any division claimed to be taken no earlier than 7 p.m.)

- Statements on Science Week (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

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 shall sit later than 10.48 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of topical issues;

(b) Other Members’ Questions pursuant to Standing Order 38A shall be taken immediately following Leaders’ Questions pursuant to Standing Order 38, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and

(c) in the event that Second Stage of the Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025 concludes before 7 p.m., and a division is claimed on the proceedings thereon, the sitting shall stand suspended until 7 p.m., and any division claimed on the proceedings on Second Stage of the Bill shall be taken on the resumption of the sitting: Provided that any division claimed on the Second Stage proceedings after 7 p.m. shall be taken immediately;

2. the proceedings on the motion re referral to joint committee of proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2025 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

3. the proceedings on the motion re leave to introduce Supplementary Estimates for Public Services 2025 [Votes 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42 and 45] shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and

4. the proceedings on Second Stage of the Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours and 34 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply:

(a) the arrangements for the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other Member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed ten minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and

(c) Members may share time.

	Gov	SF	Lab	Gov	SF
Mins	20	20	20	12	4
	SD	Gov	SF	IPTG	Gov
Mins	20	12	4	20	12
	SF	ITG	Gov	SF	OM
Mins	4	20	12	4	20

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 Members' Bill pursuant to Standing Order 169 shall be taken;

(b) private members' business pursuant to Standing Order 168(1) and Standing Order 176 shall be taken for 2 hours on the conclusion of the statements on Science Week; and

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

2. the statements on Science Week 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

	Gov	SF	Lab	Gov	SF
Mins	25	15	10	10	3
	SD	Gov	SF	IPTG	Gov
Mins	10	10	3	9	10
	SF	ITG	Gov	SF	OM
Mins	3	9	10	3	5

3. notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 177(2), the proceedings on Second Stage of the Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Reduction of Voting Age to Sixteen Years) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 2 hours.

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

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Not agreed.

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

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Under Standing Order 35(3), I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that the Minister for Health come before the Dáil to make a comprehensive statement and take questions on the case of nine-year-old Harvey Morrison Sherratt, who died last July and who was in need of and belatedly received surgery but whom we now know was removed from the surgical wait list despite having being deemed fit for surgery.

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

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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We need answers and accountability from the Minister and from the Government on this matter.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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I endorse the proposal from Sinn Féin.

I wish to raise the issue of the occupied territories Bill because it was a key commitment in the election of both Government parties a year ago now, yet all we have seen since then is prevarication, delay and a weakening of the proposed alternative. Just six weeks ago, the Tánaiste said in this Chamber that it would be back in the Dáil to be passed before the end of November. My question is simple: where is it?

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The revelations at the weekend from a CHI whistleblower about why Harvey Morrison Sherratt was removed from a waiting list were truly shocking and scary. Apparently - allegedly, but wrongly - it was because he was deemed to be palliative. It underscores the need for a full public inquiry as the parents have been campaigning for-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. Your 30 seconds are up.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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-----and the need for a debate this week with the Minister to come and answer questions on this issue.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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We would like statements in the House regarding the moving of the writ for the Galway West by-election. It is a huge important issue for the constituency. I also ask for statements in relation to Uisce Éireann. There are serious problems in respect of public representatives getting straight answer from Uisce Éireann about serious issues, whether in their constituencies or nationally.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In response to Deputy McDonald, under Standing Order 35(3) and as the Taoiseach said earlier, the Minister met Harvey's parents this afternoon with the Tánaiste, Simon Harris. I will speak to the Minister about Deputy McDonald's request and try to table that for next week.

In response to Deputy Gibney, the occupied territories Bill is receiving priority publication by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.

In response to Deputy Murphy, I would give a similar answer in relation to the CHI.

In response to Deputy Collins, it does not come within my remit as Chief Whip or the Business Committee's to move any writ, but I am sure the Taoiseach has heard the Deputy. We can discuss Uisce Éireann at tomorrow morning's Business Committee meeting.

The Order of Business stands.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Chief Whip. Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to and the proposed amendment negatived?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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A Cheann Comhairle?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Sorry, Deputy, you have had your chance.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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May I propose an amendment?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Are the arrangements agreed to and the amendment negatived?

Deputies:

Not agreed.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Rip-off rents continue to spiral out of control on the watch of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. The latest daft.ie report shows new rents increased by 4% across the State in the past year. They are up by 6% in Galway and Limerick, 9% in the Taoiseach's city of Cork and 11% in Waterford. The Government sat back and allowed average new rents to hit a staggering €2,080 per month or €25,000 per year. While renters are fleeced, the Government provided no increase in the renter's tax credit in the budget. It is now pushing ahead with a Bill that will remove the one very limited protection afforded to renters and enable landlords to increase rip-off rents even more. If the Government cared at all about the pressure renters are under, it could not and would not go ahead with this disastrous plan.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Hear, hear.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The key to this is housing supply. Our initiatives since the beginning of the year have been designed to get more houses built more quickly. The rate of increase is in decline, but that is not enough. We need far more supply to deal with the rental issue. Some positive news is that the percentage of first-time buyers has been steadily increasing, as I said, from about 23% of all household buyers in 2015 to 35% in August of this year. We want to continue that momentum. If we look at the situation internationally, right across Europe and the globe, there are housing crises more generally. That is the case in any of the major cities across Europe. We would probably rank in the top three European countries in terms of investment in construction. That is the key. We have to build more houses faster.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Primary care psychology waiting lists are now up to a staggering 28,000. The figure for those waiting over a year is up to 16,000. In some parts of Dublin, children are waiting 13 years to be seen. That is not a waiting list; it is a non-existent service. My question is on recruitment. When we raise this issue, the Government throws its hands in the air and says the health service cannot get staff. That is not factually correct. There are applications in the Department of Health from those who have practised and trained in the UK and then moved home to Ireland. They are waiting months for a response from the Department. There are issues with regard to the 60-day training period that those who trained abroad are required to complete here. Will that 60-day period be waived or the practice of the person concerned restricted? We need to ensure that psychologists who want to practise in this country can be allowed to train. There have been reductions in child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and primary care.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The situation is unacceptable. I agree with the Deputy's approach in respect of the professional bodies and CORU. People who are trained in the UK or across Europe should be accelerated. The Minister has had an engagement with CORU in respect of therapies and the professional bodies. The professional bodies also need to look in a realistic way at the thresholds, so it should not need a PhD-based qualification to deal with the primary care scenario. Master's degree levels should be sufficient in my view. This is something on which the Minister is going to engage with the professional bodies, including the Psychological Society of Ireland and others. Historically, there has tended to be a protectionist strain within professional bodies more generally, and that is something that we need to address. I hope I am wrong on that but that is my perception. Some of the inexplicable delays for people who are well qualified and have operated in similar environments are not acceptable, given the scale of the waiting lists that we have.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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The crisis in primary care services for young people was back in the news again this week. It took persistent follow-up to parliamentary questions from me earlier this year to reveal its scale. The fact is that children throughout the country were routinely waiting several and sometimes many years, not just for psychology but for occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy. The longest wait in Dublin North-West for psychology has reduced from 13.5 years to ten years in recent months. It is an incredible picture of Government failure to engage in proper workforce planning and recruitment of necessary staff. The crisis has been drastically worsened by the HSE recruitment embargo in 2023 and 2024 and similar restrictions since, through the Government's pay and numbers strategy, a reality the Taoiseach previously denied in Leaders’ Questions. This primary care crisis is affecting all disciplines in all areas of the country, despite Simon Harris’ contention in mid-2024 that it was isolated to psychology services in Cork and Kerry. Where is the workforce planning and the comprehensive recruitment drive to address it?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There has been a significant increase in health personnel in the last five years - dramatic increases.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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Not in these services.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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In all services.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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No.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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If we are honest, what is required here is a more radical look at the model. It is not working.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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The Taoiseach is not-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Just a minute. It is not just more, more, more from the State. People have to look radically at this. Professional bodies have to look at it, in terms of how people are assessed and dealt with and how services are provided, because the number of therapists has increased with recruitment and so on. We are open to doing more, and we have provided more funding for more.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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Not in primary care.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The model has to change as well in terms of how services are structured and provided. The HSE did develop a primary care intervention targeted approach in respect of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. It needs to do it now, and it is going to embark on one for psychology as well.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Last week, the Taoiseach made a fine speech in Belém. He spoke about the need to listen to the science, tell the truth to citizens and for urgent action to meet climate targets. He said that leaders must lead. This was at COP30. The problem is that he does not take his own advice when he is back at home. He leads a Government which is on track to meet our legally binding targets by a country mile. As it currently stands, we are not even on track to hit half of our 51% target. The Government is allowing the big polluters to call the shots, bending over backwards to the tech companies and projecting that the data centres may use up to 30% of our energy by the end of this decade. It is in favour of new fossil fuel infrastructure, the dirtiest fossil fuel infrastructure possible, in the form of liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminals. We need drastic action as opposed to just words abroad. Is the Taoiseach still committed to the 51% target and, if so, will he launch new additional measures that are needed?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, we are, but these are legally binding targets that both the Government and Europe have imposed. I would argue that the last Government did more than previous Government's in moving this forward and step-changing the nature of the response, but it is very challenging. I disagree with the Deputy's analysis. He disparagingly referred to tech companies. Tech companies in this country put bread on the table of many families. We are talking about workers here. We are not in thrall to any company or corporate headquarters but I do value the thousands of jobs-----

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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They wrote the budget.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----in the country in such companies, be they indigenous or multinational. The Deputy just dismissed them.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Buy them.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is as if work does not matter.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Buy them.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Work matters. Is Deputy Murphy saying to the workers that they should be laid off or that we should reduce the investment in the companies?

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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No, I asked the question about the-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We will deal with it. In terms of the energy reserve, the Deputy is also wrong. It is a security imperative that we develop an LNG facility. We are dependent on two connectors, which are vulnerable from a security perspective.

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

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know the Deputy does not want to see any evil in terms of Russia's designs and so on, but that is a problem.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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The next question is from Deputy Collins.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Is the Taoiseach going to launch additional measures?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call Deputy Michael Collins.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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Is he serious about the 51% target?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy Murphy, your time is up.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I raised this issue on behalf of the people of Clonakilty and Dunmanway almost four months ago in the Dáil with the Minister for justice and I have had no proper answer back. Basically, the issue is that CCTV in both these towns was switched off in early July. As the Taoiseach knows, CCTV is vital in tackling crime. The Department of justice says it is not an issue for it and Cork County Council is saying it is not an issue for it, leaving it nobody's child. We are here again four months later. Councillor Daniel Sexton of Independent Ireland, who is in the Gallery, and I have been pushing for answers on this issue. Can the Taoiseach intervene and find out why CCTV in Clonakilty town and Dunmanway town was switched off and when it will be switched back on again?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy must know the answer. Does he?

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I am not magic.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I beg your pardon?

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is not a back-and-forth.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I am not magic. The Taoiseach might be.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know but the Deputy must have picked up a phone and talked to someone in the council or someone-----

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I spoke to the Minister. He did not come back with an answer.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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How am I supposed to-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is not a back-and-forth, Taoiseach, please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am sorry. The Deputy is a fairly diligent fellow on the ground. I would imagine he knows the answer.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I do not.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Maybe he can communicate with me on this. He must know the answer.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I do not.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is always a reason something happens. If we can establish the reason, we can see if we can rectify it.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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That is the question I was asking.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy must know the answer.

A Deputy:

It is GDPR.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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GDPR?

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I do not know the answer. I asked the Minister. He said he would come back to me and nothing has happened.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to raise today the difficulty in securing timely appointments with the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. From a response to a parliamentary question I raised last month, I can confirm that nationally, over 4,000 children are waiting for their first CAMHS appointment and 605 of those have been waiting more than a year. I will give one example from my constituency. A young person who was first referred in 2021 and later discharged, was then referred again in 2025. This was declined and a private assessment came back stating that this person needed urgent CAMHS intervention. The frustrating thing here, particularly around mental health, is that if the child had broken their arm, we would not be expecting a year for surgery or care. It should not be taking that long for mental health care.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy very much for his question. There were 4,047 children on the CAMHS waiting list nationally in September 2025, a decrease of 97 from 4,144. We have seen a reduction of 445 children in the last five months. I have taken to the car and visited 21 CAMHS teams in the last five months to try to get under the bonnet as to why some teams are doing really well and some are not doing as well. In 2025, CAMHS teams received funding of €170 million. An additional €30 million was provided in the last two years and, unfortunately, we only saw the waiting lists going in one direction. However, I am pleased to say that we have seen a reduction of 11% over the last five months and a reduction of 18% for those waiting over 12 months. I have met each regional executive officer, REO, in the six regions and asked them about this. I do not want any child waiting, but I certainly do not want any child waiting over 12 months, so I am on top of that. In relation to a child not being accepted, that is a clinical decision in which I cannot interfere, unfortunately.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I raise the issue of rural planning. For over 20 years, I have worked in rural planning and sat through and made amendments to four county development plans. We need to do more to support people from rural areas to build a house in their local area. This is a contribution to the housing challenge. Unlike new houses elsewhere, there is no requirement for Government infrastructure or a cost to the State. The person pays for everything. A house in a rural area is not a blot on the landscape. It is part of the fabric of rural Ireland and adds to the social fabric of the area. We need national guidelines that reduce red tape and cost, involve better interaction with planners and support the principle of social or economic need reigning supreme over views and prospects.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. The Minister for housing and the Minister of State in that Department are examining that issue of the guidelines for rural planning. Obviously, it can make a contribution to the housing issue - there is no question about that. There are issues that have to be resolved, but I know the Minister is actively working on the matter.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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The defective concrete products scandals have destroyed so many lives across Ireland.

The Taoiseach's Government recently extended the pyrite remediation scheme. Almost 3,000 families in Dublin and Leinster have rightly received 100% redress. The State will take responsibility for the remediation of their homes directly. It is a very different scheme in Donegal, Mayo and the west of Ireland. Why are our people in the west of Ireland second-class citizens? Why does the Government insist on a scheme that leaves people with huge gaps between what it will provide for them and what builders will charge? Why has it introduced amendments to legislation which are minimalist and a huge disappointment? I appeal to the Taoiseach. We have had many exchanges back and forth. Please urgently listen to us in Donegal, Mayo and the west of Ireland. Treat us as equal citizens. Give us a scheme the same as a pyrite remediation scheme.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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No one is being treated as a second-class citizen. Enormous resources have been committed and are currently being spent on the remediation scheme in Donegal, Mayo and elsewhere. That will continue. The legislation in relation to all of this is imminent.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I want to ask about the facilities for mental health treatment within University Hospital Galway. The acute mental health facility within the hospital has 50 beds but they are consistently full. That raises concerns about the ability to admit new patients to the ward. Increasingly and anecdotally, I am coming across stories of people attending the accident and emergency unit who are unable to access an inpatient bed. To compound matters, the Mental Health Commission found that the accident and emergency unit at University Hospital Galway was one of eight hospitals in the country - my understanding is it was the only tier 4 hospital - without a dedicated space for mental health assessment. The Sharing the Vision implementation plan advised that letters have been sent to all these hospitals, including Galway. I am seeking an update on that.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for this important question. All emergency departments should have a separate, quiet assessment place. That is in Sharing the Vision. I will liaise with the REO, Tony Canavan, in relation to why that is not the case. To support people who attend emergency departments in crisis, across the road from Galway University Hospital, in 2022, I opened a crisis cafe to support people while they wait to attend the emergency department. We have seen an 18% reduction in those who need to attend the emergency department as a result of that crisis cafe. In budget 2026, I secured funding for 40 whole-time equivalents for model 4 hospitals to put crisis nursing teams into emergency departments out of hours to support non-consultant hospital doctors, which should have a significant impact.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Ba mhaith liom ceist Ghaelcholáiste Reachrann a ardú. This is a fabulous school community of students, parents and teachers who have been waiting a quarter of a century now for a new school building which they really badly need. That community was buoyed up by a visit form the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee. It was a very positive and productive visit earlier this year and built up a good rapport with the school. When can we get this school project out to tender, so that the school community finally gets the school building and facilities it so badly needs?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I was really pleased to visit the school earlier this year. It is very clear this is a school that needs a new building. I know there have been many starts and stops for various reasons over the past number of years. It is my intention to get builders on site as soon as possible. First, it needs to go to tender. I am pleased to be able to say to the Deputy that today the school will get notice that it will go to tender from today. That will give us the opportunity to make sure next year we have builders on site breaking ground and making sure we can provide a new state-of-the-art, 600-pupil school for that community and the wider area. I thank the Deputy for his work in that regard.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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This evening, Sinn Féin will move a motion on the cost of motoring and transport. It is a particular issue for rural communities and the communities I represent. We will ask the Government to take action to address the spiralling increase in the cost of insurance and fuel. We also need targeted and sustained investment in our roads infrastructure, in particular in my constituency of Waterford where the N25 has been overlooked for funding. There is no funding for the N25 in the national development plan as it passes through Waterford, the N24 or the N72. There are significant safety concerns about the N25, particularly in Cois Chaim outside Dungarvan and Grange, where Bus Éireann has removed a number of stops due to safety concerns. When will the Government address the real issues around transport, particularly for rural communities and the people of Waterford, and get serious about investing in our roads infrastructure and the N25?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is very serious about investing in road projects. The sectoral plan from the national development plan in transport will be very comprehensive and substantial. Investment has already been allocated to the Kilmeaden to Carrolls Cross stretch. That should be acknowledged. More generally, there has never been the level of investment in our roads in the history of the State that we have allocated through the national development plan and in this budget.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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I raise the issue of the Fastway workers. There is a large section in the programme for Government regarding enterprise and employment. The Fastway workers have been caught in an awful mess and treated disgracefully. One of the main depots is in Portarlington. Hundreds of workers and contract drivers are affected. Some workers who are owed wages got no warning whatsoever and cannot apply for a job because they are not officially redundant yet. They had no notice or have no opportunity to sign on. They cannot sign on for social welfare for another three weeks. They have no income. Some self-employed contractors are owed payments going back six, seven or eight weeks. Some of these workers bought vans, bought a franchise - in other words, they bought an area for delivery - from Fastway. There are also undelivered parcels in the system. There are three casualties - the workers, the contractors and the customers waiting for parcels caught in the system.

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

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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Fastway had tangible assets of €5.2 million at the end of 2024 and €28 million, also at the end of 2024, in intangible assets.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, your time is up.

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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It had €10.6 million in cash.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Deputy, your time is way over.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising a very serious issue. It is a distressing and devastating issue for all those who have been victims, essentially, of the activity and business of this company. Deputy McCormack also raised this publicly. As the Deputy said, there are issues for the workers. We will do everything we can through State agencies to be of assistance to the workers. There are issues of self-employed contractors who are owed money and then customers in terms of confidence and getting the packages supplied to them. We will continue to work with the Ministers involved, particularly in the transport area, to see what more we can do to help the workers and the self-employed contractors concerned.

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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I echo my Labour Party colleague, Councillor Peter Horgan, who has called for a renewed national focus on supporting remote and hybrid work opportunities. The recent utterance of Irish billionaires so far removed from the realities of real work are completely out of touch with the reality of modern working practice in Ireland. We can see the benefits, whether a reduction in commuter chaos in our cities, better work-life balance, practical benefits for parents or the increased activity in local economies. We can see that hybrid and remote work works for workers. I have received a lot of contacts from workers in Cork in recent months about the multinationals in Cork, some of which do not recognise trade unions despite Labour Court support, removing flexible work and work-from-home policies. While I wholeheartedly support the multinationals across this country and the tens of thousands of jobs they provide, workers have based their parenting, school runs, where they live and how they get to work around these flexible work practices. Flexible work is a cornerstone of modern Ireland. What will this Government do to represent these workers against regressive moves by corporations and the super wealthy?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is flexibility in the workplace in the current era compared with any other previous era. Many companies are still working through the aftermath of Covid. Many good practices have emerged. Some have been reviewed. At company level, there is a legislative framework governing the right to seek to work remotely. It is within that framework that I think companies to work with their employees with a view to getting satisfactory practices in place. Not every industry can facilitate remote or hybrid working but some can and do. Flexibility is key to recruitment now. If a company is not flexible, it may not get the human capital it requires.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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Margaret Donohoe told Kfm news this week that she loves her job and does not want to quit it but she cannot face another bill. Margaret minds six children in her home and is a childminder, so you can imagine her surprise when a representative from Tailte Éireann arrived at her door to evaluate her home for commercial rates. Amidst a crisis in accessibility and affordability in childcare, is now the time to be chasing childminders for commercial rates?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Again, that is an issue which has to be resolved at the local authority level. If the Deputy can give me some further material on that - I am obviously not aware of the individual case - we can examine it and see what the situation is.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Tomorrow the National Bus and Rail Union will be balloting all its members over industrial action on our buses. SIPTU has also indicated it plans to support the action of bus drivers. I have not got time to go into the detail other than to say it is about the harassment of drivers by Dublin Bus over profiles, key performance indicators, KPIs, and a "Press it" box system. The only thing people might recognise is where buses are forced to stop for periods of time, putting drivers under a lot of pressure and then they are getting bookings over this, so harassing drivers. Being a bus driver, by the way, is a very stressful job and bus drivers are facing constant harassment and are now being booked for this. They are being forced to consider taking industrial action to stop this harassment by Dublin Bus.

I want the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, to intervene in this and recognise that bus drivers doing a very stressful job should not be harassed in this way and forced to consider industrial action.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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First, no workers should be harassed. I hope that is not the case in Dublin Bus but I will have the matter examined. I will talk to the Minister involved in terms of the specific issue. This is, of course, the industrial relations machinery available to resolve these issues but I will talk to the Minister and have the matter examined.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Taoiseach. That concludes our Questions on Policy or Legislation.