Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Could I ask the Leader about next week? I understand the Dáil is sitting on Tuesday, so I take it the Seanad is also sitting on next Tuesday. It is our view that the Seanad should sit as there is legislation we can deal with but I wish to know what the position is with regard to the sittings next week.

Could I ask about the review of the local property tax, LPT, overseen by Dr. Don Thornhill? Our party, and I am sure others parties, made detailed submissions on how we believe the local property tax could be made fairer. We have proposed a number of legislative measures which were defeated by the Government, and by way of amendment, such that the revaluation date should be frozen. We have also said that all homes with pyrite ratings of one, two and three should receive a full exemption from the LPT, that those living in managed estates who are paying management fees and are effectively paying on the double should be allowed a partial exemption from the local property tax, and that the interest rate on LPT liability should be reduced to 2%. We made quite a detailed submission involving a number of items. I understand the process for the review of the LPT is that a report will be published in June or July - no set date has been given - and that the Government would then act on what it sees fit by way of the finance Bill later this year. Could I ask that a commitment would be given that when Dr. Don Thornhill produces the report, it would be debated in the House?I am aware that many good submissions and ideas have gone into it. Before the Government produces legislation, should it wish to do so, to amend the local property tax and try to make it fair, it would be useful if we had a debate on this issue here.

Yesterday, the Minister for Health was in the House to discuss specific matters relating to alcohol. That is unquestionably important, but every week our health service is falling deeper into a crisis from which I believe it will be very difficult to extricate itself. A record number of over 400,000 people are on waiting lists. Nurses are going abroad and we cannot fill psychiatric nursing posts. The Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who was speaking in the House earlier, apparently cannot spend the money she has been given for adult mental health services. There has been a total failure in that area and across the health service by this Government. This must debated properly. We must find out from the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, what he is doing. He is very good with the sound bites but people are getting tired of that and want action.

Fianna Fáil has produced a detailed plan on what we would do about health, such as bringing back the National Treatment Purchase Fund which this Government abolished. It would ensure that nobody waited any longer than three months for an operation. That is gone now and over 400,000 people are waiting more than 12 months for surgery. Our health system cannot function anymore. The Minister must come to the House, even if it is to say that there are three things he intends to do. The fair deal scheme is still not properly funded and it still takes 12 weeks, at a minimum, for applications-----