There was a commitment in the programme for Government to publish an updated action plan for educational inclusion to narrow the gap between DEIS schools and non-DEIS schools and to examine how the students outside DEIS might better be supported. Can the Minister confirm that the action plan has commenced? When will it be completed? Will it be laid before the House in order for it to be debated?
Questions on Promised Legislation
I understand the review is ongoing but I will ask the relevant Minister to revert to the Deputy in detail with the information he requires. I do not have it.
I warmly welcome the comments of the Taoiseach yesterday on the move to recognise Traveller ethnicity. This is long overdue and has been welcomed by many organisations, including Traveller advocacy organisations and human rights and equality organisations. A report is to go to the social affairs committee but the House would like to know when we can expect the introduction of the legislation so we can vote and send a unanimous signal to the Traveller community that we recognise its ethnicity and value its contribution to our society.
It would be good to have consensus across the House on this issue. Minister of State Deputy David Stanton has been doing a lot of work on this and will shortly be making a presentation to the Cabinet sub-committee on social policy. Depending on the outcome of that meeting, I expect he will be addressing the issue further in the House.
I wish to add my voice to the comments pointing to the urgency and importance of that. I welcome the fact that-----
The Deputy may raise only one matter.
I am sorry. In that case, I will raise another matter.
The disability equality (miscellaneous provisions) Bill involves the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is on the legislative programme and is listed in the programme for Government. The Tánaiste can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that she suggested that the Bill would be in the House before Christmas. However, I see no sign of it on next week's schedule. I do not know how it can be started before Christmas. What is happening and how soon can it begin?
I share the Deputy's opinion that it is important legislation that will enable us to ratify the UN convention. We are working urgently on a small number of outstanding issues that involve a number of Departments, primarily the Department of Health. It is necessary to set up an agency to deal with the new capacity legislation. There is an agreement that the agency will be under the Department of Health. That Department is addressing issues with the Office of the Attorney General and my Department. I hope that they can be resolved in the coming days and that we will be in a position to publish the legislation before Christmas. Of course, it then depends on whether there is time to debate it in the House. Reaching it as soon as possible is a priority. Detailed work is under way. We are trying to finalise difficult legislative issues, but they are receiving urgent attention.
The programme for Government is explicit regarding urban, rural and gangland crime. When will the Government deal with the revolving door, tagging and free legal aid under the bail laws? We could save our community in Tipperary. I appreciate that the Tánaiste will meet it shortly. It raised this issue last year. People are living in fear in their homes. The bail and free legal aid systems are being abused, day in and day out. These matters could be addressed via legislation without further reports, investigations or deputations. On behalf of all country people, especially in Tipperary where rural people are frightened, I ask the Tánaiste to deal with these matters and take on the legal eagles.
The bail Bill will be published before the end of this year. It will allow for electronic tagging and give the Garda more powers to take action and request the courts to do this themselves. There will be a number of other important changes regarding bail. For example, courts will have to give reasons for their decisions, etc. It is a detailed Bill that strengthens bail legislation. It will impact on the serial and serious offenders whom the Deputy mentioned.
What is the timeframe?
It will be published before the end of the year.
Eight other Members are offering. If we are quick, we will get through everyone.
My issue relates to page 50 of the programme for Government, which reads, "We recognise the value and benefit of rural transport to many communities, in particular for older people vulnerable to social isolation". Yesterday, my local newspaper, The Sligo Champion, which has existed for more than 200 years, ran two banner headlines. One read: "End of the line for Sligo Rail?". The other stated that the Sligo-Dublin rail service was under threat. When such a newspaper runs headlines like these, many people and businesses grow concerned, so much so that six year old Darragh Walsh from Sligo wrote to Irish Rail after reading about the uncertainty over the route and asked it not to close. He wrote, "Please don't because my Mum wants to get to hospital to see the doctor".
Apparently, a National Transport Authority survey suggested that cutting the Dublin-Sligo line was one of the drastic measures that could be considered in order to save money. It is the third busiest line in the country. If the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport decides to remove the route, he will bring this House down around his ears.
As the Deputy knows, a review of rail services has been published and public consultation is under way. No decision has been taken by the Government to close any line. There has been a big increase in the Minister's budget to enable transport services of all types to be developed further. That is essential, given the increase in traffic owing to improvements in the economy.
To follow on from my colleague, Deputy Cowen's comments on the homelessness crisis, when I contacted Westmeath County Council on behalf of a constituent yesterday, I was informed that there was a waiting list, not just to be allocated a house, but to be allocated a homeless housing liaison officer. There is a waiting list just to be dealt with by someone from the council.
While I acknowledge the Government's press releases, reports and strategies, will the Tánaiste acknowledge that not all of these proposals are filtering through to ground level? A woman in her mid-50s cannot even get help from a homeless liaison officer. The system is not working.
I will ask the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to reply.
I will happily answer. If that is happening, it should not be, and I would like the Deputy to give me the details. We are working with local authorities across the country to improve services for people who are in a vulnerable place, that is, without a home. If someone, such as the person referred to by the Deputy, is not being dealt with and provided with information quickly, then given the pressures she is under, I need to know about it and we will act on it. Give me the details and we will contact the local authority.
For many years, methadone has been used on a large scale to help people with serious addiction problems. There seems to be no end in sight to its use. It is very addictive. In other European countries, Suboxone has been introduced as an alternative. It has proven effective and is not as addictive. The problem, however, is that it is expensive.
The misuse of drugs (amendment) Bill is to be introduced with the aim of controlling certain drugs that are being misused. When will it be published? Are there plans to consider Suboxone under the Bill? It is high time that we examined the continuous use of methadone, which some people have used for more than ten or 20 years. Many are addicted to it.
I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, to reply.
More than 9,000 people are in receipt of methadone, with more than 3,500 on it for longer than ten years. A pilot project involving Suboxone is under way and will be rolled out across the country. There is room now in the budget to extend the use of Suboxone, but it cannot be given to everyone. Only certain people can take it because it can have long-term effects for those with medical issues. Suboxone will become part of the national drug strategy next year.
My question relates to legislation, the programme for Government and the action plan for rural Ireland. It is fair to say that most people in rural Ireland accept that the rural social scheme has been an outstanding success in meeting two requirements - to ensure an adequate income for small farmers and stability, in particular for families dealing with social isolation, and to provide basic services in a cost-effective way that are normally provided by paid employees in towns and cities.
When will the next social welfare Bill be introduced so that we can cement the rural social scheme into law? In view of the commitments to rural Ireland in the programme for Government, how can the Minister for Social Protection cut the basis for the scheme by saying that people can only remain on it for three years? What are they meant to do afterwards? How can he take such a retrograde step at the same time that the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is telling us that she is developing an action plan for rural Ireland?
The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is developing that action plan. Clearly, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to build on those various social schemes which, as the Deputy acknowledged, have been helpful. The next social welfare Bill is under discussion.
I suggest that is the appropriate place to raise the issues he has outlined today on actions the Minister has taken, but I will ask the Minister to liaise directly with the Deputy on the schemes.
Pre-legislative scrutiny on the criminal justice (victims of crime) Bill took place in October 2015. Victims of crime, in particular children, must have their best interests protected at all times. The Bill will ensure this happens. It is also intended that a victim's personal statement will be taken into account when sentencing an offender. Will the Tánaiste provide an update on the current status of the Bill?
The Bill is very close to a conclusion. It is implementing the new EU victims directive. It does signify a sea change which we need to see in terms of implementation across the criminal justice agencies. The Garda is already implementing the provisions of the EU directive and the legislation will be published shortly.
A Programme for a Partnership Government committed to the full implementation of A Vision for Change. I wish to focus on the area of community-based mental health services. My constituency of Kildare North is without a primary care psychologist for some time. That is a hugely important and very urgent appointment. When will the appointment be made because it is of great importance and significance to the people in the constituency, where there is a major deficit due to the appointment not being filled for some time?
I recognise the importance of the point the Deputy made on the recruitment of psychologists and other health professionals. Delays are not always due to budgetary reasons, and in the case outlined by Deputy O'Rourke, for example, very often it is a recruitment issue in terms of the staff being available, be they speech therapists, occupational therapists or psychologists. I will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to revert to the Deputy on the situation in Kildare, but it is an issue in areas other than Kildare as the Deputy will be well aware. The issue is one we need to address and we must try to examine what other initiatives might be taken to accelerate the recruitment of much-needed professionals, in particular in the assessment of children aged under five and older schoolchildren as well.
Could I ask the Tánaiste about the long-promised guidelines on wind farms? In the previous Government four Ministers failed to introduce them. The issue is in the programme for Government and it was specified that the guidelines would be introduced within three to six months. The document stated it was a matter of priority. The Taoiseach said in the House the other day that he is trying to reach a compromise. We were told by the previous Government that a row was going on between the then Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Alex White, and the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, and they did not sort it out. What is happening now between the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, and the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, who is sitting beside the Tánaiste? When will we see the guidelines? In counties Laois, Offaly, Kildare, and other counties, wind farm developments are pushing ahead. Public representatives like me do not have answers for people as to why we cannot put regulations in place. How complicated can it be to specify set-back distances, noise levels and all of the other issues that need to be addressed. I have heard about reports and consultants. I am blue in the face listening to reasons for the past five years. We need to sort out this issue. The Government is entering its eight month in government. The matter must be addressed.
I will ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, to reply.
I can understand the frustration. There are many communities in various parts of the country that are waiting for clarity in terms of guidelines in this area. I met the Minister, Deputy Naughten, this week on the matter. There is a process that needs to be gone through. There is a commitment that we will provide clarity on the issue before the end of November. Since then, there has been a European Court judgment that requires a strategic impact assessment and a public consultation process as part of it in regard to the setting of new guidelines. We will produce a draft report which we will bring to Government before the end of the year with a view to having that consultation early in the new year. We are working towards finalising a position in relation to the new guidelines and they will be ready, certainly within the first quarter of next year.
Two other Deputies are offering and I will take them if they are very brief.
I have asked this question before. Is there any progress on the digital hub development legislation to transfer the digital hub to Dublin City Council to ensure that its ability to grow is not hampered in any way?
I understand the heads of the Bill are expected later this year.
The mediation Bill is promised legislation. Could I ask the Tánaiste when it is expected to bring it before the House and if the heads of the Bill have been cleared?
That is important legislation which would be very helpful to many couples in this country and would ensure people do not have to take on high legal costs and get involved in adversarial court appearances. I hope to be in a position to publish the Bill next term.