Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 21 Members of the House for their contributions.

I will begin by joining the Senators in offering our condolences to the family of the young child tragically killed in Kimmage. I hope and pray that the mother of that child who herself was attacked is on the road to recovery. It is important we recognise there is an investigation ongoing. I extend our sympathies to the families involved.

Senators Ardagh, Craughwell, Gallagher, Gavan, Nash and Norris raised matters regarding the Defence Forces. There are two parts to it. First, I will put on the record of the House that in the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, we have a Minister with responsibility for Defence who is very proactive, who is very engaged and who takes immense pride in his job as Minister of State with responsibility for Defence and in the Defence Forces themselves, and I thank him for that. It is important also that I put on record today in this House that each one of us understands, acknowledges and pays tribute to the men and women of the Defence Forces and, in recognising the immense work they do both at home and abroad, it is important that we see a continuation of the rights and conditions of employment, and residency, of members of the Defence Forces.

The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, is meeting representative associations this week. The Minister of State has also been actively involved with the management of the Defence Forces. As Members will be fully aware, pay restoration is continuing for members of the public service and, as Senator Craughwell knows well, public sector pay is governed by collective agreement, negotiation and bargaining, and PDFORRA signed up to that. On living conditions, we have seen an increase in funding for capital investment and I accept that there is much to do and there is a journey to take.

The Defence Forces Chief of Staff received Government approval for participation in Operation Sophia. As Members will be aware, Operation Sophia is subjection to the triple lock. Tomorrow, in Dáil Éireann, there will be a debate on the matter. It would have no effect on our neutrality whatsoever. It is a UN-mandated operation. To reassure Senator Craughwell and other Members who have raised it, it is UN-mandated, it receives Government approval and Dáil approval.

I have put in a request to the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, to come to the House.While he is not available today or tomorrow, I am endeavouring to have the Minister of State come to the House next week. I ask Senator Craughwell in the context of his amendment to allow me to try to have the Minister of State come to the House next week. It is fair to say the report issued is one we must all take seriously, but as the Senator knows, Operation Sophia was launched in June 2015 as part of the EU's broader action to provide a bigger and broader European response to the issue of migration and the refugee crisis. We have seen the way our Defence Forces, in the deployment to the Mediterranean, have operated and saved so many lives. With the Senator's indulgence, if he will allow me to try to endeavour to have the Minister come to the House, I will do that next week.

Senator Ardagh also raised the issue of the Women's Homelessness in Europe report. We should not take solace in any report that either highlights, admonishes or calls for more action regarding the issue of homelessness. The Government has prioritised Rebuilding Ireland. It is the platform on which Ireland will tackle its housing crisis. We all accept that Rebuilding Ireland will take time, but in saying that, it is also worth outlining to the House that we have seen 830 families exit from commercial hotels and bed and breakfasts, and 405 families have been prevented from entering these types of arrangements. It is important to recognise that under this Government, we have seen domestic violence legislation, which has prioritised the personal safety of women over property, and we have seen the issue of barring orders being changed. I accept, as Senator Devine also referenced with regard to the national maternity strategy, there is a journey to take.

The Government is committed to Rebuilding Ireland. The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has allocated a further €10 million for additional family hubs to be provided, which will allow for 200 families to be accommodated. All of us aspire to and want to reach a situation where nobody is homeless or living in a hotel or bed and breakfast. While the figures remain stubbornly high, this is a priority for Government. It is the only Department with a multi-annual budget. It has had the largest amount of money ever allocated for the provision of housing. That is the Government's priority. The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, at the behest of the Taoiseach, is carrying out a review of aspects of Rebuilding Ireland, and if changes need to be made, he will make them. We will certainly have the debate again in the autumn, but I would certainly be happy to have the Minister apprise us of the situation in the House.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh raised the issue of the summer economic statement. It is my intention to provide for a debate next week in the House with regard to the summer economic statement. The Government is committed to ensuring that we have a mix of prudent management of the economy with a relief on taxation and investment in infrastructure. The fiscal strategy of the Government is very transparent, as outlined by the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and previously by the former Minister, Deputy Michael Noonan. I look forward to that debate next week in the House. The summer economic statement will be the central plank of the reformed budgetary process, providing a policy background for discussion of options in advance of the budget, and it would be an opportunity for Members of this House to have their budgetary provisions tested, costed and debated. I look forward to seeing the figures from Sinn Féin and its taxation policy coming under scrutiny.