Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ten Members who spoke for their contributions on the Order of Business. I thank Senator David Norris for his brevity.

Senator Catherine Ardagh raised a number of points. She referred to the remarks of the Taoiseach yesterday, to which Senator Gerry Horkan also alluded, on the bank of dad. If the Senator was honest, all of us were lucky to receive a contribution from our families when we were buying our own home. There is nothing wrong with receiving a contribution from our families; it is not a sign of privilege. Deputy Barry Cowen yesterday commented on the Taoiseach's remarks. He should read his own remarks on the proposed closure of the school in Roscrea in which he spoke about the sacrifices which had been made by his parents. Senator Gerry Horkan and I completely agree that the State is spending billions of euro in supporting people through the payment of rent allowance and housing assistance payments. As he rightly said, what we are spending on rent payments could be spent better. On Monday I met a young woman who complained about the difficulty in being able to save for a deposit when she was spending nearly €1,200 a month on rent, which is dead money.

The question I pose to Catherine Senator Ardagh is: do we want to go back to the old days when people were 100% mortgages and the Fianna Fáil Party gave developers tax credits from here to Belmullet and back? We can look at what happened as a result. Houses were built in many parts of the country in which no one wanted to live. What does the Senator want? What the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, announced yesterday was an affordable housing scheme for first-time buyers. Perhaps the result of the Taoiseach's remarks yesterday might be the initiation of a conversation about home ownership, the requirement to have a 10% deposit and the role of the banks. I agree with Senator Rose Conway-Walsh and other Members in what they said about the banks. The question is: do we want to go back to the old days when people were given 100% mortgages? Members can reflect on that issue. Do they want developers to be given tax breaks, as happened previously? Like Senator Gerry Horkan, I think the bigger debate is about how we can ensure people can get onto the property ladder without spending endless amounts of time and money in bidding unsuccessfully online for properties. As the Taoiseach said yesterday in the Dáil and I said on the Order of Business, the priority of the Government and those of us who work on the ground in our constituencies is to ensure people can get onto the property ladder, either through the provision of more social housing and equitable arrangements in schemes for first-time buyers such as that announced yesterday.

I will work with all Members on this issue. I commend the report of the all-party committee chaired by Deputy Maria Bailey and the rapporteur, Deputy Eoin Ó Broin. Such a debate needs to happen and it is not about class or privilege. I am not a person of privilege. I had to borrow, beg and nearly steal to buy my own house and then had to suffer being in negative equity, although the position is now beginning to improve. I do not live in a mansion, nor do I aspire to do so. As a society, we need to have such a conversation and I hope we will have it. I will work with the Government to ensure people will be able to buy a house, including an affordable house, and that the State will be able to provide social housing. That is the model on which I campaigned and I will work with all concerned to achieve it.

Senator Catherine Ardagh also referred to primary care centres. This and the previous Government are responsible for building more primary care centres than any other Government in the history of the State. Almost one centre has been built per month in some parts of the country. Approximately one a week was the intention in the plan for the period from 2012 to 2016, inclusive. I think 44 were planned. I am not familiar with the primary care centre that was to be provided on Curlew Road in Drimnagh, but as I said yesterday on the Order of Business, we need to see greater investment in primary care services. It is the health model for which many of us advocate and support because it takes people away from the hospital setting and places them in the community where they can be treated closer to home and more quickly. If the Senator wishes to give me the information, I will be happy to raise the matter with the Minister for Health. As she will appreciate, I am not familiar with the issue.

The issue of public private partnerships with reference to schools was raised yesterday and today by Senator Catherine Ardagh. Through the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, the Government is responsible for the management of the five bundles affected by the liquidation of Carillion. The Government's commitment is to provide €100 million, of which only €4 million has been spent. Under the terms of the public private partnership contract, in the case of a liquidation or termination by one part of a consortium, a rectification measure will be put in place at no extra cost to the State that will ensure a project is completed. Yesterday Senator Jennifer Murnane O'Connor referred to the project in Carlow. This morning I heard references to the issue on "Morning Ireland". It is very important that education projects be completed. I will keep the House informed on the matter because it is important. When I was involved with Ballincollig community school, the then Minister for Education and Skills introduced a public private partnership whereby a number of schools would be built in County Cork. One of them was built in Dunmanway, while another was built in Ballincollig. A third project involved the Cork School of Music. The first time we had public private partnerships for school building projects was under a Fianna Fáil-led Government in the noughties. The model has worked reasonably well in the provision of new school builds since it was introduced, but there have been pitfalls in terms of the ownership of some consortia. However, the current issue must be addressed as a matter of urgency, not least because many of the school projects are 90% completed. One school was meant to be handed over, but, unfortunately, it was not. As I said, the NDFA is responsible, in conjunction with the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton. I will keep the House informed of progress.

I welcome the pension changes announced yesterday by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, and commend her for engaging with and listening to people. I will be happy for her to come to the House in the coming weeks to update us on the issue. Pensioners who are assessed under the 2012 regime will be made aware of the new situation by the Department. It is about finding an equitable and fair solution. We will debate in the coming weeks the new total contributions approach, TCA, announced yesterday by the Minister.

Senator Victor Boyhan referred to Coillte. To be fair, his request is reasonable and about ensuring we will have sustainable forestry to maintain the sustainability of rural communities in the context of ecotourism. The Minister of State, Deputy Andrew Doyle, has been very involved with Coillte, both in his private capacity as a farmer and now as Minister of State. I will be happy for him to come to the House to discuss the matter.

On the Oireachtas committee's report, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, is very committed to upholding standards and quality control in buildings. I support the notion of having debates in this House on Oireachtas committee reports. The previous Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Seán Barrett, initiated a measure to enable such reports to be debated on the floor of the Dáil and the Seanad. It is important that we do so in this House because, as Senator Paddy Burke said in his remarks about driverless cars, such debates give us an opportunity to go into more detail than might have been the case at the committee or in the other House. Such debates also make this House relevant. I will be happy, therefore, to have the matter debated in the House.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh raised the pensions issue. In the case of Translarna, the HSE is accountable to the Minister for Health and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health. I do not know what the reason is for the delay, but the Minister is engaged in the process.It is important that people who require this treatment are able to avail of it as a matter of urgency. Perhaps the Senator could table a Commencement matter. If she cannot do so, I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House in the coming weeks. I am happy to accept Senator Black's amendment to the Order of Business, though I was not aware she was moving it today.

Senator Paddy Burke raised the issue of driverless cars and this is the most important and pressing issue in our automobile and transport sector today. There has been a lot of debate on it and periodicals in the industry suggest it is coming down the track fairly quickly. We can also see what is happening with diesel cars and I would be happy for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, to come to the House in this regard. I agree with Senator Burke that we need to examine the matter to a greater degree in this House.

Senator Davitt raised the issue of Edmonton school. I am not familiar with the locality or the specific issue but I would be happy for the Minister to liaise with him on the issue. It needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. I accept the point made by Senators Horkan and Colm Burke on the need for the Minister to come to the House for a debate on apprenticeships. This is one of the most important pieces of work this Government will do in its lifetime. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, have been proactive and have put 26 new programmes on stream, with a target of 20% school leavers to be inducted into apprenticeship schemes in the coming years. There is a pressing urgency for people to take up apprenticeships in a range of areas. Senator Burke raised the issue of the construction sector and builders and labourers. Those charged with managing the sector tell us there is a skills and labour shortage. Even if we had the ability to deliver housing units, there would be a deficit in that regard, and it is an impediment to building houses. The Apprenticeship Council has approved a range of schemes and the Government has created a fund of €122 million. It is an important issue and I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House for a debate on it in the coming weeks.

Senator Wilson raised the sensitive matter of the North-South interconnector and residents in Meath and Cavan deserve great credit for their campaigning zeal and their ability to advocate. They have given an understanding of the issue to people not affected by the project. We need a debate on it and I would be happy to have it. Senator Coghlan raised the impending appointment by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, of senior counsel, a retired judge, to review the Kerry babies tribunal. A dreadful wrong was done to Joanne Hayes and her family which needs to be rectified. In the context of comments in newspapers over the weekend, however, there is a need to respect the request of the Hayes family for privacy, so as not to reopen the painful wound. It is a sensitive matter that requires not only answers but justice for the Hayes family.

I am happy to accept the amendment to the Order of Business. I thank the Members present for their contributions.