Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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In recent weeks, the Taoiseach himself said that energy companies were gouging customers, yet despite using that word and acknowledging that people are being ripped off, the Government has still failed to do anything meaningful to stop it. We know that wholesale electricity costs have collapsed but Irish households still pay among the highest bills in Europe. The ESRI has confirmed what we already knew - electricity prices doubled between 2018 and 2024. It says that there is no clear explanation for what suppliers are charging. There is no explanation because they are engaged in price gouging and ripping people off. What is the Taoiseach going to do to deal with this? Does he support what the ESRI has been calling for and a possible Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, inquiry into this practice? People do not need soundbites any more from the Taoiseach. They need a Government that is willing to act, stand up to energy companies, end the rip-off, get prices under control and make life more affordable.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I accept that soundbites are not the answer, and I would respectfully respond to the Deputy that the public do not need soundbites from Sinn Féin either on this question.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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No, an inquiry.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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People want a substantive, policy-driven and evidence-informed approach to dealing with the energy price issue. It is a huge issue in terms of Ireland's competitiveness and its impact on consumers and households. We have done a lot over the last number of years to best cushion households. We accept the pressure on them. The linkage at European level between gas and broader energy prices is an issue. We have already established a group to review this. We will pursue this with the companies and the CRU.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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A full CRU inquiry was the question. Why does the Taoiseach keep dodging questions?

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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As the Taoiseach will be aware, there was great relief back in May after the positive outcome of the ballot on a pension increase for members of the CIÉ superannuation scheme 1951 after 18 years without an increase. I pay tribute to the members of the scheme, the CIÉ Salaried Pensioners' Association and the trade union group for their tireless advocacy on the matter. To be fair, the Government has finally sorted it, but now there is growing frustration among the 2,305 members of the scheme that the increase agreed back in May still has not been received. My colleague, Duncan Smith, was in the Chamber last week talking about An Post pensioners who were going through similar issues. I understand a statutory instrument is required, which can only be signed by the Minister for Transport following approval of a business case by three separate Departments, the Office of the Attorney General and NewERA financial advisers. We understand that a bit of work needs to be done on the Government's side, but it is seven months later and I understand the statutory instrument still has not been finalised. Will the Taoiseach ensure this process is expedited?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue that is of significant concern to workers in CIÉ umbrella companies. I have been monitoring this for quite some time. I was delighted to see agreement reached. I certainly will pursue the matter with the respective Ministers to get this brought to a conclusion as quickly as possible.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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A group of approximately 120 healthcare workers face the termination of their basic pay on 31 December. They have been receiving their basic pay in recognition of the fact that they contracted Covid at the peak of the pandemic in high-risk settings such as hospital wards and have paid an enormous price in the form of ongoing long Covid symptoms, including debilitating post-exertional malaise. While we will be looking forward to rest and leisure over the Christmas period, these healthcare workers face the loss of their financial security, not being able to pay their mortgages after using up their standard sick leave, and ultimately having to retire prematurely on medical grounds. A group of these workers met the Taoiseach in Cork in June and felt he gave them a lot of time, showed genuine empathy and concern for their situation and, crucially, validated the seriousness of their symptoms and the fact that they had contracted Covid in the workplace. However, Ireland, with Greece, remains an outlier in Europe in not recognising long Covid as an occupational injury for the cohort in question. Can we extend the pay arrangement for six months while occupational injury status is properly explored?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue to the workers concerned. I did meet them. We had a further extension following that meeting and a consultation with Ministers, particularly the Minister for Health. I will talk to the Ministers involved again. I do not want to raise any hopes or anything like that because, as the Deputy knows, this went to the Labour Court, which made a recommendation of a further extension at the time. That said, I will talk to other Ministers in respect of this.

Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)
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St. Francis' National School in Barnesmore, County Donegal, is currently facing a crisis due to a severe shortage of special needs assistant, SNA, support. Four children with additional needs started in the school in September but despite this, no additional SNAs have been allocated. The current allocation is inadequate and the children have complex needs. The situation has become very distressing for the families, teachers and SNAs, who are doing everything possible to provide care for the pupils and secure inclusion for all pupils. The strain is too much. The Taoiseach must do what he can to rectify this situation. Will he work with the Department to ensure that schools in Donegal that face shortages will be granted an increase in their SNA allocations?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There have been consistent increases in the number of SNAs in our schools on an ongoing basis. The largest increase in a long time is happening this year. About 860 additional special education teachers and 1,717 new SNAs will be recruited as a result of budget 2026. That will bring the total number of SNAs in the State to 24,900. Therefore, it should be within the capacity of the Department of education and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to work with individual schools. I do not have the specifics on each school - there are over 3,000 primary schools, and I appreciate the Deputy raising the case of one in his own locality - but I will refer the matter to the NCSE. However, there is no shortage in the increased allocation. It is at a very high level now, with close to 25,000 special needs assistants in the county, so surely some should be facilitated.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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A couple of months ago, we had a discussion on the fact that the Government was working on the so-called spiking Bill, the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person (Amendment) (Spiking) Bill 2023. I asked whether it would progress beyond Second Stage to Committee and Report Stages. At present, the sinister offence of the spiking of drinks is covered only under legislation on poisoning or drugging, such as the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Intoxicating Liquor Act. Is this Bill going to come before these Houses shortly? Spiking is an important issue. It is an ongoing, systemic problem in society and proper penalties are needed.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. He has a point but the legislation is not in the current legislative programme. We will have a meeting in early January on the new legislative programme for the next session. We will talk to the relevant Minister as well and hopefully we can provide some clarity on the matter of the reintroduction.

Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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I am frequently contacted by constituents who are social housing tenants experiencing serious and repeated antisocial and criminal behaviour in the developments in which they live. These are fine people who contribute very strongly to their local communities but who face daily disruption because they live alongside those who engage in antisocial and criminal behaviour. While those who engage in such behaviour comprise a very small minority, the trouble they cause for their neighbours is vast and totally disproportionate. It is deeply distressing for those who have to put up with it and must see it occur time and again. It is only right that we protect many responsible tenants from the destruction of the few who make their lives intolerable and miserable. Will the Government introduce more stringent legislation to ensure local authorities can act swiftly and decisively against repeated antisocial and criminal behaviour in a way that ensures the State will not endorse this behaviour?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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This is a very important issue and is perhaps one that the State or local authorities have not responded to in a comprehensive and effective over the years. That has been my own personal experience, like the one the Deputy has articulated. Criminal activity will have to be dealt with. Maybe resources are required or a greater security dimension is needed to support public servants locally in addressing issues of this kind. Very often, it can be quite intimidating for all concerned in certain situations, but I will talk to the relevant Minister and maybe we can work with the Deputy on how we might progress a fresh initiative in this area.

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I want to focus again on education and school facilities. Right across east Galway, a number of schools are particularly challenged in terms of wanting to improve their situations. These include Dunmore National School, Trinity Primary School in Tuam, Carrabane national school, St. Ita’s National School in Loughrea, Coláiste an Eachréidh in Athenry, and Gort Community School, just to mention a few. How will schools fall into the Government’s plan to reform infrastructure delivery? I will be engaging more in this regard with the Minister, Hildegarde Naughton, but most schools are anxious to understand the timelines. While I have the floor, I want to wish the Minister well. Speeding up the delivery of infrastructure would be welcome because of the schools in this category that are anxiously waiting.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Is the Deputy referring to schools building projects?

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We will talk to the Minister. Over the last five years, there has been exponential growth in capital expenditure for school projects, with many in the special education arena, which is very important. The Department of education had agreed with the Department of public expenditure a very substantial national development framework for further extensions. I will refer the cases in question to the Minister for education and we will try to get to the bottom of the matter. Many schools across the country are progressing and there is a lot of work under way. I am aware that all the Deputies in Galway East and elsewhere are very anxious to have things progress quickly.

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Of course.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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There are nine families living in Elm Park, Buncrana, County Donegal, who have been traumatised twice. First, they live in homes that were granted planning permission even though they were to be built on a flood-plain. There was nearly loss of life during the devastating floods of August 2017. Second, the homes are defective block homes. Clearance has been given to have all the homes demolished. Along with other public representatives from Donegal, I have been working on this with the Ministers of State, Kevin Boxer Moran and Christopher O’Sullivan, over recent months. I understand that the Minister, James Browne, has a decision to make. I appeal to him to make the decision before Christmas to relocate the families from the flood-plain and rebuild their lives elsewhere. I ask the Taoiseach to speak to the Minister and ask him to make that positive decision before Christmas.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will certainly raise it with the Minister, James Browne. I will talk to the Ministers of State, Deputies O’Sullivan and Moran, in respect of Elm Park and, in particular, the residents, who need clarity.

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Is this country prepared for threats posed by Russia to our national security? These are real threats to the country and must be taken seriously. There was an increase in Russian shadow fleet activity in Irish-controlled waters last week. There were three ships, in fact. Our geography no longer protects us as it once did. We are very dependent on other countries to support us regarding maritime and air defences. We need to take steps to move away from these dependencies.

This will help our independence. It will also support and foster our neutrality. We live in a rapidly changing world and we must respond to these changes in order to protect our way of life and democracy, which we value so much.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I discussed it earlier during Leaders' Questions. European security and defence is a live issue in Europe. From the onset of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, there has been an exponential growth in cyberattacks, both on private sector installations, companies and businesses and on public sector areas. There has also been clear evidence of hybrid warfare, essentially, and increased emergence of drones and violation of airspace in a number of EU member states, including Denmark, Belgium, Ireland and France. There was an attack on a railway track in Poland, which is clear as to the culprits. There have been increased arson attacks in eastern European states. It is very clear that there is a security threat to Ireland. Our security threat is to our critical undersea infrastructure, our gas imports and to security of other areas. We are very much aware of it. The country at large needs to increase its awareness of it also.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Last Sunday, I and a number of other public representatives met a large group of parents of children with Down's syndrome. They were frustrated and angry at the lack of general services for their children, particularly speech and language services. They pay for these services themselves, up to €40,000. Is it not time that all of these services were made available directly to these children in order that they have immediate access to speech and language therapy on a one-to-one basis? Will the Taoiseach commit to meeting this group with the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins? Will he commit to providing once-off funding in the year of up to €40,000 to cover the costs they now have to carry by themselves? There is a crisis here and these parents feel their children are being abandoned by the State.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would commit to meeting the group, subject to varying commitments. We fully accept the need to overhaul access to therapy services. I would say that we are rolling out for the first time the therapy and education service, beginning with 45 special schools, hopefully starting in this academic year, and then all 145 special schools for the 2026-27 school year. After that, we will expand it to the mainstream school system. Obviously, we have to progress it because of recruitment and so on and we are expanding the number of placements. On top of that, we are developing a different assessment of need process, which the legislation published yesterday was designed to streamline but also to free up therapists to provide services as opposed to being locked up in an assessment process. Then we are looking at specifics around autism and so on. I take the Deputy's point about Down's syndrome. Some areas of special needs feel neglected with how things have evolved, so I understand the point.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for culture, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, to liaise urgently with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Jack Chambers, to ensure funding can be secured to ensure one of the most versatile and much-needed arts centres in Dublin can be saved from eviction? Government engagement on this matter - saving the Complex - before the notice to quit expires on 14 January could allow moneys from the north inner city task force and Dublin City Council to be leveraged and released so that the vibrant and unique arts studio, jazz rehearsal space, the Cooler, and drama and theatre venue in the city centre can survive and thrive, as there are new studios and arts spaces planned for this centre. The loss of the Complex would be a hammer-blow to arts in the city, which, over the years, have seen many other venues closed and never reopened or replaced.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue. The Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, said yesterday that he would engage with the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, about the issue. I think he has met the owners or those who are running the centre and understands the wide usage, enjoyment and creativity that has taken place there. I will engage again with both Ministers in respect of it.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I was born and reared in, and am proud to come from and represent, a rural constituency. I have a major concern regarding couples or individuals who are building one-off homes in rural areas. They are ending up having to pay significant development contributions to local authorities, on average well in excess of €5,000. The development levy waiver introduced by the previous Government was a super initiative. It helped to bolster housing supply and ensure a big pipeline of housing deliver. We saw some of the largest commencement numbers ever last year, with more than 60,000 homes commenced, about 10% of which were first-time, one-off homes. People in rural areas do not feel like it is a fair charge because if they are building in a rural area, they do not get public lights or footpaths and the money that is paid is not specifically ring-fenced for a particular area. I am asking the Taoiseach, given that we are in a housing crisis, to consider the reintroduction of the development levy waiver for one-off homes in rural areas. This will facilitate young people who are starting out their journey of home ownership and trying to self-build. They could do it without the extra burden of costs.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising what is an important issue for rural people in general who want to build one-off housing. The Minister is revising the guidelines in respect of this issue. On the development levies, we got 60,000 commencements. We now need to see them concluded. The Deputy has asked that we explore demarcation between one-off and general schemes, because we brought the VAT rate down to facilitate apartment-building and get critical mass back into that. I will talk to the Ministers with a view to looking at that or a specific ring-fenced initiative.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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Cancer patients in Kildare not only have to contend with a significant commute to access treatment, but they will also likely face the double cost of paying significant car parking charges. According to the Irish Cancer Society, this puts a substantial and unnecessary strain on a person receiving cancer treatment. The programme for Government committed to exploring further ways to reduce hospital car parking charges. Will the Taoiseach update the House on what this Government has done to move towards a reduction in, and ultimately the eradication of, car parking charges in our hospitals?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will talk to the Minister for Health in respect of that. We have brought down other charges a lot at acute hospitals but I take the point. We have allocated significant additional resources to the Health Service Executive in respect of a variety of services, including cancer services. It is always about balance and making sure we prioritise the allocation of resources to services, but we also want to try to reduce the pressure on patients and those who have to access hospitals for treatment. I will come back to the Deputy on it.

Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I raise with the Taoiseach DART+ South West, which is now facing a four-year delay until 2030. I have been raising in this House the car parks that the M7, N7 and M50 have become. My concern is that the shelving of this project will have a knock-on effect on providing additional public transport, which we all support, on the Waterford-Heuston line, and to other towns in south Kildare, like Athy and Monasterevin, and, as a knock-on effect of that, to towns like Portlaoise and Carlow. Can the Taoiseach confirm that the delay in DART+ South West will not have a knock-on effect on the provision of additional carriages on those lines because so many people are commuting and stuck in that traffic? I would appreciate if the Taoiseach could confirm that there will be no delay in providing additional carriages on those lines.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will refer the question to the Minister. I know Deputy Shane Moynihan and others have been in touch with him in respect of this issue. We will try to accelerate projects as quickly as possible. There should not be any delay on that. I will get clarity from the Minister about that and ask him to discuss it with the Deputy.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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As I said earlier in response to Deputy Lowry, the Government has been working with the Commission on the nitrates derogation. The Commission, including the President of the Commission, has been extremely constructive on that. We have also been working with like-minded countries in terms of Mercosur. About 200,000 tonnes from Mercosur countries already comes into the European Union. There is no question that the original deal has been changed in some respects in terms of the legal instruments that the Commission has now introduced in respect of safeguards, including stronger sanitary and phytosanitary, SPS, checks. It was SPS checks that revealed the unacceptable discoveries in terms of hormone-infected beef across Europe. It is a significant issue in terms of the different standards, approaches and so forth. We also had the multi-annual financial framework to negotiate with the Commission, which will be quite serious if we do not get improvements for farming.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Pluvicto, a drug used for prostate cancer patients, was approved by the European Medicines Agency back in 2022. The HSE received an application for reimbursement in 2023 but both the national cancer control programme, NCCP, and the drugs group in the HSE recommended that the drug not be reimbursed because of limited resources available to the HSE. A private patient with private health insurance or attending a private hospital can actually avail of this drug if it is recommended by his consultant. Unfortunately, because we have chosen not to reimburse it, a public patient cannot. I am asking for the Taoiseach, either directly or through the Minister for Health, to provide an update on that drug if he can. Is it fair that we still have a process whereby private patients can, in effect, get preferential treatment over public patients? Will the review of the reimbursement system be implemented, as committed to in the programme for Government?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I know that discussions and negotiations are ongoing between the Minister for Health and the pharmaceutical industry in respect of approval of new medicines, in particular new medical technologies. The pharmacovigilance unit in St. James's Hospital does a cost-benefit analysis using various equations and formulas to determine whether a drug should be approved or not. There has to be some framework governing that. On the other hand, if it is available in the private market, it means that process has agreed it. That is not optimal at all, but I will re-engage with Minister in respect of this specific drug.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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Yesterday, campaigners from the Irish Wheelchair Association, Access for All, the Disability Federation of Ireland and others were outside Leinster House, as I am sure the Taoiseach is well aware. They were here because the recent budget has left people with disabilities up to €1,400 worse off. Many are afraid to heat their own homes, and they were very clear: people with disabilities are having to choose between heating and eating. That is what they said themselves. One of the protesters said that the budget was a disaster for families with disabilities. Another asked why they have to spend their lives fighting for the basics. Why do disabled people, their carers and often their families have to protest outside Leinster House? We are facing into a difficult winter, as the Taoiseach is well aware. I request, even at this late stage, that an energy credit be introduced so that people, not just those with a disability, can heat themselves over the winter months. Will the Government do that?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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On Monday, I chaired the first meeting of the delivery and monitoring committee for the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 when we considered the programme plan of action for 2025 and 2026. In the budget that we just had, we recorded a 20% increase in disability funding, strengthening mainstream services and introducing targeted social protection supports for households with disabilities. We enhanced the domiciliary care allowance by €20 a week. We broadened the thresholds for carer's allowance and other payments were also increased. There were related investments in health and education. We are committed to introducing a permanent annual cost-of-disability support payment. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, is leading the strategic focus network on the cost of disability. That is a key commitment under the strategy that I referenced earlier. That will shape our approach to delivering that payment and several meetings have already taken place. We want to put permanent supports in place. It is not financially sustainable to keep doing one-off payments.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I ask the Government to urgently review social housing income limits. The situation is getting worse and worse. One of the biggest phenomena I am coming across is people who are on working family payment, a payment that has given to people precisely because they do not have enough income to live, getting the payment and then being knocked off the list as it takes them over the threshold. It is unbelievable. In most of those cases, their income is too low for them to be able to avail of cost rental because it has to be less than 35% of their income. There is a whole group of people earning between about €40,000 and €50,000 per year who are entitled to no housing support at all. They are knocked off the list because they get working family payment, a little pay rise or whatever, but their income is too low to pay the rents for cost rental, leaving them nowhere. Those social housing income limits must be reviewed upwards as a matter of urgency.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will talk to the Minister in respect of that. The previous Government increased it. I make the point that between July 2020 and the end of quarter 2 of this year, 50,684 social houses were added to the social housing stock. That is way ahead of anything that was ever done in the previous 20 years.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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That is no good to people who are off the list.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is an important point to acknowledge. Nearly 14,000 homes were brought back into use under the voids programme. We are reaching levels of social housing building and provision now that we had not seen since the 1970s, which is good. We need to continue to do that and we will continue to do it. More than 26,000 social homes are at all stages of design and build in Ireland. That is dealing with those on the list already but we will look at that category the Deputy mentioned, in terms of those on the working family payment or those who may not be able to avail of cost rental. I accept that there is a category there. When we started in 2020, we had to substantially ramp up construction and supply of social housing, which we have done, and we now have a consistent level. We will also increase that over the next number of years. Then there is the issue with the eligibility threshold, which will be progressively increased.