Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

She was leaving once she heard me mention her name again.

I thank the Leader for outlining the Order of Business. I want to raise a couple of points. A report in today's edition of theIrish Independent reports on the housing crisis and states that more than half of renters say that the housing situation is impacting on their mental and physical health. Some 84% of all renters are feeling insecure about their housing situation, particularly those aged between 18 and 50. Some 68% of women lack security and only 16% of people between 25 and 35 say they feel secure about where they live.

I acknowledge we dealt with residential property and tenancies yesterday and some of the things discussed will help tenants but this remains a considerable problem. We are doing our best on mental health in many ways but, in other areas, there is a lack of progress. I do not doubt that the Leader will have lots of good figures from Rebuilding Ireland to mention in his response but the lack of housing supply, security of tenure and the opportunity to buy a house for many people is causing damage. If we could sort those things out and had a more sustainable housing programme, we might not have to invest half as much in mental and physical health measures.

I attended the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment this morning and I welcome the fact that the committee has agreed to establish an inquiry to investigate and examine how rural broadband can best be delivered. That will be a timely and efficient report. My party and I are absolutely determined that everyone in this country gets broadband but we need to ensure we get value for money and that, if we are contributing a lot of money, the State does not just hand it all over to an investor who will have ownership of the project despite investing much less money than the State.

We also need a debate on Rehab and section 38 and section 39 facilities shortly. Rehab was hit by financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, and is not getting the benefits of the removal of FEMPI and it is important. Many of those types of organisation are losing staff to other organisations which have had reduced FEMPI in the meantime.

I was canvassing yesterday and met a lady who had come back to Ireland from the missions in Lesotho. She has been back for two years at this stage. She wrote to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport because, when she went to Lesotho, she exchanged her Irish driving licence for a Lesothan one. She has not been allowed to exchange it back. She also wrote to the Taoiseach who responded and said he would pass it on to the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport, from whom she still has heard nothing. We need to deal with people's situations when they are coming back to this country. This lady had an Irish driving licence. I am sure her name, date of birth and so on are somewhere in the system, along with her qualifications. She has been unable to drive since she came back to Ireland because she has no driving licence and has not been able to exchange the Lesothan one for an Irish one. Lesothans drive on the same side of the road and observe the same rules of the road.

It is also timely that I welcome the visit of President Trump. The USA is one of the most important countries with which we have an enormous connection. My grandfather was the youngest of ten, eight of whom went to America and one of whom died young. Almost everyone in this Chamber has family and connections in America. It is a very important trading partner and cultural friend. Regardless of who it is, the fact that the President of the United States is coming to Ireland is something we should welcome. We welcome people from all kinds of other countries with human rights records that are not as good as America's. It is important we welcome him.