Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Oct 2016

Vol. 926 No. 2

Questions on Promised Legislation

Deputy Micheál Martin

In A Programme for a Partnership Government, there are numerous commitments to address the national housing crisis. The key issue is implementation of these proposals. Notwithstanding that, there are still over 2,000 children in emergency accommodation and 135,000 people on the social housing waiting list. There are media reports today that up to 10,000 homes lie idle in rural towns, up to 3,200 of which are within Dublin's commuter belt which encompasses Kildare and Louth.

The Heritage Council is calling for the living city initiative that is currently confined to parts of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Waterford and Galway to be extended. Has the Government any plans to extend this initiative? Are there any additional plans to acquire the large number of empty houses that could be used to deal with the homeless and housing crisis?

Enda Kenny

The Government, in conjunction with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, published a housing programme which is of an unprecedented scale. It dealt with everything from rough sleepers to homelessness in all its forms, and focused on the supply of houses to deal with the catch-up situation which followed the collapse of the construction sector a number of years ago.

The Minister introduced a scheme for reconstruction and there are opportunities for people who have houses that are not habitable to renovate them, lease them for a five-year period and then reacquire them. There are quite a number of opportunities within the housing programme to deal with stock that is idle or needs to be repaired or properties that are void, because of one reason or another, to be bought by local authorities.

As housing units come on stream and are repaired and made habitable, many people turn them down because they are not close enough to where they are living or not suitable for their needs. This is a problem, but one that is being addressed as one of the pillars of the housing programme.

Deputy Gerry Adams

Before I come to my question, we learned today that the Fianna Fáil leader has written to the Ceann Comhairle in an attempt to roll back on the reforms that have been brought in. This is all part of the play-acting of Opposition and Government at the same time. I am looking for an assurance that no party is allowed to manoeuvre its way through the rules of the Dáil.

An Ceann Comhairle

I do not think that is a matter that is relevant to promised legislation. It is a matter that was considered by the Dáil Business Committee today. The correspondence received by the committee will be responded to based on its decisions.

Deputy Gerry Adams

I thank the Ceann Comhairle.

A Programme for a Partnership Government commits to implementing the national maternity strategy. Worryingly, media reports from Monday and yesterday reported that although progress has been made, it is nowhere near what was promised. There are serious concerns about the pace of reform in our maternity services and the inadequate level of resources. Since 2011 maternity services in the State have been marred by investigations of maternal and child mortality in many of our hospitals. In the west, two senior experts in midwifery work who were recruited to improve maternity services after the death of Savita Halappanavar have resigned only two years after taking up their jobs.

Some of the experts involved have said four new adequately staffed and fully resourced maternity hospitals are needed to address the growing level of risk associated with giving birth in our hospitals. Next Friday marks the fourth anniversary of the death of Savita Halappanavar in University Hospital Galway. Some four years on from this tragedy, there are still major concerns. In light of these developments, will the Government honour its commitments in A Programme for a Partnership Government in respect of funding and implementing the national maternity strategy?

Enda Kenny

I thank Deputy Adams for raising this issue. The national maternity strategy recognises that in recent years there has been a lot of pressure on the services provided as a result of the increase in the number of births. There are reports on that, which also take into account staff recruitment and retention, relatively low levels of obstetricians and midwives, the rising costs of services, insurance coverage and litigation, adverse incident investigations, increasing levels of clinical interventions and significant infrastructural deficits. While the birth rate has decreased since 2009, the most recent birth figure of approximately 66,000 remains higher than pre-2005 levels.

The National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street is to move to St. Vincent's Hospital. That matter is being progressed. Some difficulties in terms of governance have arisen, which I hope can be addressed.

Increased funding is anticipated to be available to the Department of Health under the Government's six year capital programme 2016-21 and as Members know, developments are proposed for the relocation of the Rotunda Hospital to Connolly Memorial Hospital, the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital to Saint James' Hospital and the University Maternity Hospital Limerick to the University Hospital Limerick campus.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae

The programme for Government promised to tackle the high costs of insurance. Just yesterday we were informed there was going to be another spike in the high costs of home and motor insurance. The Government is dragging its feet on this issue. Measures have to be introduced as soon as possible to tackle this and to stop the culture of bogus claims that are causing the costs of premiums to rise continuously. Some people are making a career from bogus claims and I would like the insurance companies to examine this situation. The attitude of insurance companies is ridiculous in not challenging claims because it may cost them more to take on the claimant than if they just paid out. I ask the Taoiseach and his Ministers to look at the situation, to see if they could bring the insurance companies in to let them know they have to challenges cases if there is local knowledge or proof that a person is involved in a bogus claim. I do not care if the payout is €30,000 and if the cost to the company is €40,000 to prove that it is bogus. They should prove that the claims are bogus, should stop those claims-----

An Ceann Comhairle

I will have to ask the Deputy to stop now because his time is up.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae

-----and tidy up and frighten people off-----

An Ceann Comhairle

Can the Deputy resume his seat.

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae

-----from engaging in illegal behaviour.

Enda Kenny

In a general sense, I would like to see the Civil Liability Bill processed which would allow for periodic payments to be made in cases where there have been catastrophic injuries and where the case can go on for years. In response to Deputy Healy-Rae, the Minister of State, Deputy Eoghan Murphy is doing a great deal of work on the insurance business at the moment. He is meeting with all the insurance companies and dealing with all the surrounding concerns. He expects to bring his proposals to the Dáil before Christmas, in a few weeks' time.

An Ceann Comhairle

There are ten other Members offering now so I ask that Deputies would please be brief. I call on Deputy Gino Kenny.

Deputy Gino Kenny

Will the Taoiseach indicate if there are any proposals for bringing forward legislation around dignity in dying? The Dying with Dignity Bill 2015 was sponsored by Government Member, Deputy John Halligan. Is there a proposal to bring the legislation forward?

Enda Kenny

This matter was raised previously on a number of occasions and it presents a constitutional difficulty. There are no proposals to bring legislation before the House with regard to dignity in dying, as the Deputy has asked.

Deputy Jack Chambers

My questions relates to the establishment of hospital trusts and whether it remains the intention of Government to put them on a statutory basis. The programme for Government includes references to efficient, transparent health services but the governance and the recruitment processes of senior hospital management within the trusts has been anything but over the last number of months. Many acting CEOs have been recruited without proper governance or management practice. I am asking, as I have asked the Minister for Health, whether the recruitment process will be made transparent. According to the Minister for Health, in a reply to a parliamentary question from me, this would improve "pending the enactment of legislation". Is that going to happen or is it the Government's intention to put this on a statutory basis?

Enda Kenny

The recruitment continues. Sometimes these things can get delayed depending on the nature of the specific skills that are required. It is the intention to proceed ahead with legislation in this area with regard to the hospital trusts referred to by Deputy Chambers.

Deputy John Brady

The programme for Government states that work is underway on the drafting of legislation for the introduction of a new mobility scheme to assist people who have disabilities in meeting their increased mobility costs. In 2013 Fine Gael and Labour axed the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant with immediate effect. It left thousands of people in limbo while awaiting a replacement scheme. That new scheme is nowhere to be seen over three and a half years later. In 2013 the Taoiseach told the Dáil that €10.6 million allocated for those two schemes was ring-fenced and he hoped that new legislation would be in place within months. Over three and a half years later the replacement scheme is still nowhere to be seen.

An Ceann Comhairle

I thank Deputy Brady.

Deputy John Brady

Where is the scheme, when will it be introduced and where is the €10.6 million that was allegedly ring-fenced?

Enda Kenny

The Deputy has asked a good question. This scheme was suspended for new entrants because of a range of constitutional and legal complications. The Deputy, or someone else, also asked me this question last week. I have asked for a report on the work that has been undertaken to provide a new scheme. I understand that the issues involved are not as simple as one might imagine. I will advise Deputy Brady when I have an up-to-date report on the matter. I know it has been going on for three years, but it is quite complex.

With regard to Deputy Gino Kenny's question, I understand the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan has decided, last week, to reinstate his Dying with Dignity Bill.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

Will the Taoiseach clarify the current proposals on the introduction of the promised legislation, the Judicial Council Bill? Has it been dealt with in pre-legislative discussion or is it likely to be so?

Enda Kenny

The heads of that Bill will be published in November. It is a priority for Government and we have committed to that.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

We are witnessing very distressing scenes from the refugee camp in Calais, sometimes referred to as the jungle. It has been home to 6,000 souls, 800 of whom are unaccompanied minors, in other words, children. There is very deep concern for everybody in that refugee camp, but particularly for children, as they are moved from Calais and dispersed to other parts of France. To our very great credit, many Irish people have visited the area and worked directly with the refugees in Calais. To our eternal shame, the State and the Taoiseach's Government have not honoured the spirit or requirements of what we need to do for these refugees. I put it to the Taoiseach that we must act collectively, immediately and in a unified fashion to do what we can to secure the safety of these child refugees especially. I ask the Taoiseach if we can have a debate on the matter in the Dáil. Can he, as Head of Government, commit to acting quickly on this matter? Can he commit that the State can relocate-----

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is over her time.

Deputy Mary Lou McDonald

-----even 200 of these child refugees so they can find sanctuary and a future here in our State?

Enda Kenny

I do not accept that the State has not been involved in measuring up to the spirit of what is required here. We are not part of the protocol with regard to the migration. The Government did decide to take 4,000 migrants by relocation and resettlement. There have been difficulties for all countries in this situation, particularly for Italy. The matter is now moving under the direction of Minister of State with responsibility for equality, immigration and integration, Deputy Stanton. His officials were in Greece this week to look at the question of taking 200 unaccompanied children here. The officials will report back to Minister of State, Deputy Stanton on that. If the business committee can make an agreement to arrange a discussion about this serious topic we would be very happy to accommodate the debate as Deputy McDonald has asked.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

I have two brief questions for the Taoiseach. First, the amendment to the Courts Bill for the third payment option-----

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy can only raise one question I am afraid.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

It is a more or less related question to the Oireachtas. That courts query was the first one. I believe that six people have died tragically on our roads since I questioned the Taoiseach last week on road safety. My second query is on the relocation of Seanad Éireann to the National Museum-----

An Ceann Comhairle

That is not-----

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

I ask because there is a lot of anger among our historians and archaeologists about the proposal.

An Ceann Comhairle

It is not the time or the place Deputy.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

I ask the Taoiseach if we could have the Seanad in the large committee room downstairs. Why would we disrupt a national institution?

An Ceann Comhairle

It is not relevant.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

Years ago we were going to put it in the Museum of-----

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is out of order, resume your seat.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

We were going to put it in the Museum of Natural History.

An Ceann Comhairle

Please, the Deputy is out of order.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan

I ask the Taoiseach what is the plan.

Enda Kenny

The Bill to which Deputy Broughan refers is being published today.

An Ceann Comhairle

I thank the Taoiseach. That concludes questions on promised legislation. I apologise to the four other Deputies who offered but who have not had time.