The report of the Business Committee has been circulated and can be taken as read. Are the proposed arrangements for the week's business agreed to?
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Not agreed.
Not agreed.
Two weeks ago, I raised with the Taoiseach in the Dáil the crisis that the residents and landowners of Dursey Ireland are facing with the closure for seven months of the world famous Dursey cable car for repairs. Since this announcement two weeks ago, I have raised the urgency of getting the Department of Rural and Community Development involved with the council and locals to find a temporary solution to aid residents and animal owners. Cork County Council failed to get any response from the Department to date, after trying to communicate with it. This proves to me what I always said, that rural affairs and islands would be thrown under the bus when this Government relegated them to the Department of Social Protection. We need to debate the crisis that people in Castletownbere face without the cable car to Dursey Island. There has been no electricity on the island since Friday morning.
Can we have a debate this week in the Dáil to look at urgent solutions to this?
I think I have selected a Topical Issue matter on that, so the House will be able to have that debate.
I appreciate that.
I do not know if the Minister wishes to offer more time to debate the matter.
Two weeks ago Amnesty International produced a devastating report rightly condemning the state of Israel for the crime of apartheid. I and others have asked the Whip that we would have a debate in this House about that report. I note that the Ceann Comhairle and Deputy Carroll MacNeill will hold a briefing with the Israeli ambassador this week. There is no doubt but that the ambassador wants to trash the Amnesty report. That is his entitlement, but this House has a right to discuss this report and its very serious allegation, with which I agree absolutely, that Israel is an apartheid state. We need to have a discussion about this. It has global implications and very serious implications for our foreign policy and for the well-being of the Palestinian people.
As the Minister will know, the Cabinet made a decision today on the compulsory use of face masks. This is causing a huge amount of anxiety, particularly among older people, who now say they are afraid to go on public transport because face masks are no longer compulsory. Can we have a debate in this House on the matter? Can we have the detail of the evidence provided to the Government and a debate to tease out the issues in this regard? There is a lot of concern out there among people who are immunocompromised and older people and we need to see some clarity on this issue.
I thank Deputies for raising those issues.
Deputy Collins raised the issue of the Dursey cable car, which Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan has raised with me and colleagues as well, and I see the Deputy has a Topical Issue matter selected in that regard. That is perhaps the most appropriate forum in which to deal with that issue. We all recognise how important that piece of infrastructure is and we will take note of the points Deputies Collins and O'Sullivan have raised.
In response to Deputy Boyd Barrett, there is no opposition to the holding of a debate on that Amnesty International report. Perhaps it might be possible next week. The agenda this week is very full. There are three Private Members' Opposition slots. We also have statements on legacy issues in Northern Ireland-----
Could we have the debate next week?
-----which we have been asked to introduce, and we do want to advance Government legislation. That is a central purpose of this House. We will liaise with Deputy Boyd Barrett, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Business Committee to find an appropriate slot for discussing what we recognise is a really important report.
In response to Deputy Naughten, we recognise that for many people the decision on mask wearing is a significant change and that there will be concern among many people, including some older people, some people who are immunocompromised and so on. It is important to restate that the wearing of masks on public transport remains advised, so it is no longer mandatory but it is still the advice that people should wear masks on public transport. As a Government, we received public health advice that there was no longer a public health rationale for maintaining the mandatory nature of that. On balance, we felt that removing the mandate from next week was the correct course of action, but I expect that many people will continue to choose to wear a mask in many settings, certainly on public transport services.
The Business Committee will try to agree a date on Thursday for the debate on the Amnesty report to take place in this House.
On a point of information, there is a debate scheduled on that report in the Seanad next Tuesday, so it is being debated within the Houses of the Oireachtas-----
Good.
But if we could have the debate-----
-----but we will bring the matter before this House too.
Is the proposal for the week's business is now agreed to? Agreed.
We have been through two weeks of dreadful weather, most recently with Storm Franklin, with severe weather conditions right across the west coast and elsewhere. For families whose homes are affected by mica and pyrite, it has been a very frightening and anxious time. Their homes are already crumbling.
Families and their children are fearful of what they could wake up to. Those of us in safe homes slept in the comfort of knowing we were safe as the storm raged outside but many families and children who went to sleep in mica- and pyrite-affected homes did not have that security. They have described this as a humanitarian crisis and that needs to be responded to with urgency. The legislation for the new scheme still has not been published and we do not know what level of supports will be there for families. When will the legislation be published? Will the Minister commit to 100% redress, which is needed and demanded?
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I can only imagine the recent storms presented a huge amount of extra anxiety for people living with mica in their homes. This is a top priority for Government. We want to deal with this as quickly as possible. We have announced a new scheme with an overall value of €2.2 billion with a number of important improvements and changes from the previous scheme. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is awaiting the final report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland on the cost per square foot grant rate, which will be based on different house types. That will be set out in the final report, which I understand is expected very shortly. The bringing forward of that legislation and, more important, bringing that scheme into operation are key priorities. We will work with the Deputy co-operatively to get that done as quickly as possible.
The convicted serial sex abuser, Michael Shine, will be released from prison tomorrow. He may have served his prison sentence but there is no end in sight for the survivors. Up to 100 men were expected to receive compensation but a legal dispute between the Medical Missionaries of Mary and the HSE over the indemnification of the HSE for legal costs and related matters has thrown the compensation scheme into doubt. This is a case of lawyers differing while survivors continue to suffer. I have worked with the Dignity4Patients group for many years and I know many of the survivors personally. They have suffered more than anyone should. Many of the men feel they are being retraumatised as the legal rows rumble on, completely oblivious to their pain and suffering. Will the Minister intervene with the HSE and urge the religious order to do the right thing by victims and survivors and to deliver on their legal and moral obligations to survivors?
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. My understanding is that 116 plaintiffs sued the Medical Missionaries of Mary, the congregation, and the HSE arising from damages from Dr. Shine's abusive activities. In the period December 2019 to March 2020, the 116 plaintiffs formally discontinued their claims against the HSE by serving notices of discontinuance. The plaintiffs continue to pursue their claim against the congregation and its insurance company, Allianz. The HSE and the State Claims Agency, SCA, are seeking to recover the costs they have incurred in defending the claims from the congregation and Allianz. These efforts to recover legal costs are not an impediment to the settlement of the 116 claims brought against the congregation and Allianz. That is a critical point. The HSE and SCA have recently agreed to mediation in respect of the recovery of costs issue with the congregation and Allianz. The key point is that is not an impediment to the resolution of the claims by the individuals.
There is a commitment in the programme for Government to extend the free school books scheme nationwide following the pilot scheme that was run for a number of DEIS schools in 2020. Moreover, there is a constitutional duty on the State to provide free primary education, which it fails to do every year. The Children's Rights Alliance report card for 2022 was launched yesterday and highlighted the lack of progress towards reaching the goal of free books in every school nationwide. Every year the results of the Barnardos' back to school survey highlights the stress families are placed under due to the cost of school books. One parent stated:
Our education system is way too expensive, the back to school allowance definitely doesn't even half cover the expenses of primary school kids, even with a book rental scheme. I dread this time of year even more than I dread Christmas time.
The funding for the pilot was not continued or extended in budgets 2021 or 2022 and results of the pilot scheme have not been published. Where do we go from here? Will the results of the pilot be published prior to budget 2023? Will the Government commit to providing free school books? They have been estimated to cost €40 million overall, comprising €20 million for primary and €20 million for secondary.
I will raise the issue of the free school books scheme with the Minister for Education.
We are increasing the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance from the autumn. We are also significantly expanding DEIS provision from next September, with an increase of approximately 20% in funding. As the Deputy will be aware, the Department is currently going through a detailed process, including consultation, in selecting which schools should benefit from the DEIS status that we are committed to providing the funding for. I will ask the Minister for Education to respond directly to the Deputy regarding the scheme.
I have genuinely lost count of the number of times I have asked the Government and successive Ministers with responsibility for housing in successive Governments when we are going to get the decision on the review of the social housing income thresholds. Every week, people are coming to me who have been thrown off the housing lists after ten, 12 and even 15 years of waiting. All that time has gone because those people did the terrible thing of getting a job, with the result that their incomes went a bit over the threshold. They are punished for that by losing all those years they have been waiting. However, there is a benefit for the Government because apparently the numbers in need of social housing go down. I think that is why we are not getting the results of this review. In the longest review I have ever heard of, which has been ongoing for at least five years, I have heard again and again-----
The time is up.
When are we going to get the results of the review? Will all those people thrown off the housing lists over the past couple of years get their time back?
I have heard the Deputy raise this issue on a number of occasions, along with others. It is being actively worked on. I know that because I am a member of the Cabinet committee on housing, where it has been an agenda item. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has presented on it. I will ask him to respond directly to the Deputy with an update on the timeframe for the outcome of that work.
The Covid-19 pandemic blindsided the world and created unforeseen problems for governments all over the globe. Now that we have reached this point in the pandemic, it is time for a full review of Ireland's response to it and to examine closely what we clearly got right and what we undoubtedly got wrong. The Government today announced the unwinding of the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET. Will there be a review of the decisions taken? NPHET made numerous decisions that had far-reaching consequences for many elements of society. I am thinking about antigen tests and nursing homes, which felt abandoned at an early stage of the pandemic. Will there be a review of how we dealt with Covid-19? If so, what kind of forum will be involved and what form will the review take?
Undoubtedly, there will be a look-back at our experience over the past two years and how the pandemic was handled by the Government, State bodies and others. The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Health recently announced the establishment of a public health reform expert advisory group that will initially focus on identifying the lessons to be learned from the public health components of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland, with a view towards strengthening health protection generally and future public health pandemic preparedness specifically. When the full story is told and the scorecard of how different countries fared in handling Covid-19 is published, Ireland will compare well. The data concerning the tragic mortalities that we experienced and so on show that Ireland has compared well, but that is not to in any way understate the loss, grief and trauma that all this has caused to so many families who have been affected.
My question concerns the impact of the return of so many non-nationals to their own countries. There is a crisis in every industry now. Pigs cannot be slaughtered. There are problems in farming, whether they relate to cows, lambs or agricultural contractors. The hospitality industry is also impacted. Across the board, employees cannot be sourced. They are not there to be got. Many places have closed half time because they do not have the staff, many of whom have returned to their own countries. The Department is too slow in granting work permits to people. Businesspeople are sourcing employees abroad, but it is not possible to get them in. The October applications list is being worked on now. Something seismic must be done to get people who want to come and work here into the country. We must get our Irish people back to work as well. The void exists and it is crippling businesses. It will have a great impact on the economy, as well as on people's lives.
The Government needs to act on this to get people back into the workplace and get businesses back up and running.
I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this issue. It is something we are all experiencing and all of us are being contacted by employers who are struggling to recruit staff as well as to bring staff in from abroad. We have an internal market within the EU of approximately 450 million people. Even within such a large pool, it is proving very difficult to attract people with the requisite skills into Ireland. We acknowledge that the turnaround times for employment permits are too long, and the Tánaiste and his officials are working on this with a view to improving them. It is the case that if an employment permit is urgently needed, a request to have a specific application expedited can be made. It will be considered in exceptional cases and must be accompanied by a compelling business case that sets out the individual circumstances involved. The number of such applications has increased significantly. Relative to 2019, applications are up by 47%. It is part of the rebound we are seeing after Covid.
Yesterday, I met with postmasters from across County Donegal. These dedicated people, and, indeed, postmasters around the country, are waiting anxiously for the publication of the report by the interdepartmental group, IDG, for the delivery of offline services. It has not been announced on a few occasions. It was supposed to be announced before Christmas and then in January, which have both passed. It has got to the stage where postmasters are thinking that the Government wants many of them to retire or go out of business before any announcements will be made. This is one of the many reports in regard to the post office service. It seems every Government announces it will bring in measures, but nothing ever happens. Will the Government publish the report and provide a proper solution for postmasters and local communities?
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the IDG report on offline services for post offices. I am aware of the work of the IDG and I discussed it recently with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, as well as with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. I expect the Minister of State will publish the report shortly. I do not believe it will provide an immediate quick-fix solution to the problem that a number of post offices face. As the Deputy will be aware, there was an extension to the transformation payments from An Post to post offices, and they will continue to the end of this year. The Government is actively examining the issue to ensure we can protect and safeguard the future of the post offices concerned.
This week we will debate the town centre first policy, yet we have significant issues with the process to make our towns better. Carlow town received the approval of €15 million under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, which is the greatest investment in the history of the town, but the people of Carlow have seen nothing since it was announced. We are now only in the second of six stages of the project, but the terms and conditions pose a challenge. The approved project for Carlow, which is the regeneration of Carlow town centre, is excellent but red tape is the issue. I understand we have to have a fair process but there are other counties like Carlow. At this stage, we will not see a shovel in the ground for two years. What makes it worse is that if we do not start the first phase under the URDF, we cannot apply for the second phase of funding. Therefore, we are at an absolute loss. I ask that the Minister tries to sort this out. I want to compliment Carlow County Council on working with the Department but there are significant issues and challenges with this.
The allocation from the URDF to Carlow town was particularly welcome. What I am hearing from the Deputy is a frustration about the process and the time it is taking to advance it. Perhaps it is an issue about which we can have a direct discussion. I would be happy to take this up with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to see what we can do to bring about a faster delivery of this vital project for Carlow.
I would like to ask about the medication, Cariban, which is used to treat the condition of hyperemesis during pregnancy. Hyperemesis is a very debilitating condition in which women experience almost constant vomiting and nausea for the duration of their pregnancy. Cariban has proven to be very effective in treating it, but it can cost up to €45 a week, or between €1,500 and €3,000 over the course of a pregnancy, which, I am sure the Minister will agree, is unaffordable. Unlike other drugs that the State pays for partially or completely, Cariban is classed as a supplement and that seems to be the issue here.
I understand there has been some progress in the past couple of days. Could the Minister give us an update on how we could make this drug more affordable to the pregnant women who really need it?
I thank Deputy Higgins for raising this issue, which I know is so important for so many pregnant women all over the country. I am aware the matter has been raised with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, on a number of occasions. He and his officials in the Department have been working with the HSE to bring about a solution. I believe he is optimistic that a solution can be implemented. I anticipate he will have something to say publicly about that very shortly.
The dental treatment purchase scheme is on the verge of collapse throughout the State. The scheme has been haemorrhaging dentists for the past two years. We have medical card holders with cancer, kidney transplant patients and people with diabetes who cannot access a dentist. This has gone on for a year now. The Government needs to take responsibility. People are suffering and it is inhumane. In Drogheda there is not one dentist available to take medical card patients. I do not get any sense of seriousness or urgency from the Government about this situation. I see people at my clinic every single week who cannot access dental treatment. What do I say to those people? Answer me that, because this has gone on for a year. What do I say to those people who are denied access to dental treatment? It is time the Government got its act together. When will this matter be resolved and when will the practice of people being denied access to dental treatment be sorted?
I acknowledge there is an issue here that needs to be addressed. The Deputy referred to the work that has been ongoing for some time now, but that is being intensified. The Department of Health and the HSE have invited the Irish Dental Association to further consultations beginning on 28 February and are currently awaiting a response. As the Deputy knows, the Department of Health in recent days received the report, Improving Access to Dental Care for Medical Card Patients, by Professor Ciaran O'Neill. That is now actively being worked on. I anticipate there will be some further news shortly.
I would like to raise the issue of Carlinn Hall in Dundalk, where approximately 200 houses are in a group heating scheme. This was meant to be renewable energy initially, using biofuel or something, but it ended up being gas. Gas is supplied by Energia at the front line. Gas prices have gone through the roof and are not capped as the group heating scheme is seen as commercial. There is an absolute inefficiency in this system. It is about 50%, meaning that for every 100 units we get 50 units of heat. The rules need to be changed so that the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has responsibility. I have spoken to Energia. We need to look at capping this on the basis it is residential rather than commercial. We also need to look at regulations. There are a number of these and I think there are major difficulties. A long-term solution needs to be found but at this stage we need to look at capping the gas price, accepting that these are residential.
I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. I am not familiar with the specific development in question. The Deputy referred to the group heating scheme and the role of the CRU. I suggest the issue might be taken up with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in the context of housing.
This morning I met with Inclusion Ireland specifically to discuss the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act to deliver a better, more inclusive model for children with additional educational needs. That is happening with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, in the Department of Education. Could I confirm with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform whether his Department is linked in with that review at this stage, to really try to deliver the resources and reform that are necessary over the next five to ten years to deliver a genuinely different, inclusive education model for children with additional educational needs?
I thank Deputy Carroll MacNeill. What I can confirm is we as a Government, in the course of the Estimates process for the previous two budgets, have significantly increased the level of resources for special education services across our education system, as is right and proper, including further increases in the number of special needs assistants, SNAs, much-needed increases in the number of special school places and additional supports within mainstream schools.
I will examine the specific issues the Deputy has raised and discuss the matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan.
I am sure the Minister will agree with me that a commitment made by a senior politician should be delivered on. Almost 18 months ago, Leo Varadkar made a commitment that he would end the discrimination against school secretaries and caretakers in respect of their pay, pensions and conditions. Talks have again stalled in the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. I spoke to some of the secretaries and caretakers, who feel they are rag dolls being kicked around the place as if they have done something wrong. Will the Minister, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, ensure the Department of Education engages in a meaningful way in these talks to deliver on the commitment made by the Tánaiste to end the inequality visited on school secretaries and caretakers?
I thank Deputy Smith for raising what is a very important issue for so many school secretaries and caretakers throughout the country. As she knows, there is to be a further hearing of the WRC on Thursday of this week. There have been intensive discussions in the lead-up to that. There was a WRC hearing last September at which much progress was made on a public service pay scale, with the clerical officer grade 3 pay scale being applied across the board. At present, we have a patchwork quilt of a system in which some are directly employed by education and training boards, others by schools, others by boards of management, and so on. It is important we bring a resolution to this issue. I am aware of the key outstanding issues and have discussed them with the Minister for Education. I am hopeful progress will be made later this week at the WRC. The Government is very anxious to resolve this dispute. We absolutely respect and admire the work of our school secretaries and caretakers all over the country, and we are actively working on the issue.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, recently launched a tender process for co-operation projects as part of the new €1.5 billion flagship agri-environmental scheme. The detail of this new scheme sets out the locations of areas for 20,000 farmers to earn the highest proposed payment, of up to €10,500, in acting for the environment. I wholeheartedly support this but I am seriously concerned because many areas of high environmental value along our coastline in west Cork are excluded from being eligible for the higher payments. Areas along the coastline such as Kinsale, Courtmacsherry, Kilbrittain, Timoleague, Ballyroe, Union Hall, Baltimore and the whole of the Mizen Head are excluded from the new payment. I have been inundated with correspondence from farmers along the coastline asking me what the Government has against the west Cork farmers exempted from this payment. Two peninsulas have been included - Sheep's Head and Beara - but all the rest have been excluded. Will the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform meet the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to do whatever is necessary to amend the maps published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine so that they include many of the coastal areas where there are struggling farmers?
I thank Deputy Collins. Fair play to him for managing to mention very many of the coastal communities of Cork South-West in his contribution. I will raise the issue he brought up today with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and he will revert to the Deputy directly.
I call Deputy Cahill. I apologise to him because I should have called him earlier. I missed him behind the mask.
That is no bother. Last week the Supreme Court upheld An Bord Pleanála’s decision on Glanbia's plant in Belview. Unfortunately, the continuing objections to the plant have cost farmers countless millions of euro. I would like an update on the meat plant proposed for Banagher, Offaly. Offaly County Council granted permission for it in July 2020. When will a decision be made on that? Will farmers again have to spend countless sums of money on endless appeals in respect of this meat infrastructure, which would bring greatly needed competition and an independent operator into the industry? I hope the Banagher plant will receive permission sooner rather than later.
I thank Deputy Cahill. Again, I very much welcome the Supreme Court decision on the Glanbia plant. It is very good news for the region, farmers and country. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly with an update on the Banagher meat plant in County Offaly.
I want to raise the issue of the National Driver Licence Service. In Carrick-on-Shannon, I have been contacted by people who are trying to renew their driving licences but who cannot get into the office; the place is closed. They have to ring. A woman I spoke to yesterday said she was three quarters of an hour on the phone waiting to get an answer. She cannot get through to anyone.
They have to do that or book online. When they book online, they have to use their public services card. Some people do not have a public services card. We were led to believe that it was not compulsory to have one and that it was only to be used for the Department of Social Protection. This is a serious issue. I know of people who are commercial drivers and who cannot get their licence renewed. If they have an accident, there will be severe repercussions. Action needs to be taken to ensure that these services, not just in County Leitrim but across the whole country, are open and functioning to their full capacity. There is a long backlog of people who are trying to get their licences renewed. As we know, Covid has thankfully moved off the stage. We are now in a situation where we cannot use that excuse anymore. Adequate provision must be put in place so that people can renew their licences.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is a serious one for the people who are impacted. Those who qualify for a driving licence should have access to one in a timely manner within a reasonable period of time. It is important that there is good quality customer service in all of our State organisations and across the wider public sector. I will ask the Minister for Transport to respond to the Deputy directly with an update on the National Driver Licence Service.