Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to be associated with your comments on the UN, a Chathaoirligh, and those of Senator Chambers, regarding the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. I am delighted that you, a Chathaoirligh, are flying the flag in this House today, so go raibh maith agat.

I thank the Taoiseach for going to the south-west inner city yesterday. As we know, the area faces tremendous challenges and struggles. Without simplifying it, these struggles include a high level of drug use, over-saturation of services for those with addiction and gangland crime. That is despite the amazing efforts of the community and individuals who fight fearlessly on a day-to-day basis for their community. I would like to see a follow-on from the commitments given by An Taoiseach yesterday so that a task force would be set up for the south-west inner city like that introduced by former Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, for the north inner city. In 2019, a total of €6.5 million was spent on the north inner city task force. We need a similar investment, but more than that, we need a housing regeneration programme, in particular in the Oliver Bond complex. We also need sports facilities for young people and, ultimately, we need a long-term and short-term economic rejuvenation plan for the area. We need that to start immediately.I intend to keep the pressure on the Government, through the Leader, to proceed with this and to keep the momentum going in order that it happens.

Finally, I wish to thank the Department of Finance. It is very welcome that those who were in receipt of Covid payments and who have tax liabilities as a result will now be able to pay those liabilities over a four-year period. The Department's flexibility in respect of income tax payments that will now not fall due until December is also welcome. This will be particularly hard for those who are self-employed and those in the hospitality sector. Donegal is entering a level 3 lockdown. Restaurants in Dublin are having real difficulty. They faced difficulty at the weekend, with huge amounts of stock going to waste, which was absolutely scandalous, especially when there is such a shortage of food in the community. We need stimuli for the hospitality sector, and the Revenue needs to be flexible in its collection of income tax.