Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 9 Nov 2022

Vol. 1029 No. 1

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Deputy David Cullinane

I wish to be associated with the warm welcome of the funding for the North Quays in Waterford. It is a great day for Waterford. Well done to all involved.

I raise the issue of spinal surgeries for children with scoliosis and spina bifida. The Minister earlier this year presented a plan which, in fairness, was a collaboration of working with the hospitals, but also with the Opposition. The plan set out funding on the one hand but also a number of targets on the other. The first target is that we would reduce the number of children waiting from 224 in January to 128 by the end of the year. That target will not be met. The second target was that no child should wait longer than four months. That target will not be met either. The third target was that we would spend the money that was allocated - €19 million. We had an admission from the Minister yesterday that none of those targets would be met. Now we have problems with even the €19 million funding that was announced being spent because of staffing issues and because the surgical theatres will not come on as quickly as possible. We need to get our act together on this issue and make sure the funding that was announced is actually spent.

Minister for Health (Deputy Stephen Donnelly)

Like the Deputy, I want to make sure that every child waiting for an operation gets it as quickly as possible. We need to acknowledge the extraordinary work that is going on across multiple sites by our healthcare workers. The main target was to increase radically the number of children who are getting this urgent surgery that they need. As the Deputy will have heard Dr. Green say on RTÉ recently and others, they are not only meeting all of those targets, they are exceeding them. One thing has happened that they were not expecting, which is that there has been a very high additional number of children referred into Children’s Health Ireland, CHI, partly from private practice and partly from Galway. Because of the additional unexpected number of children coming in, it will not reach the target of zero children by the end of the year. However, I am very happy to share with the Deputy the latest information from CHI. It will have gone from several hundred children at the start of this year down to fewer than 50 waiting more than four months by the end of December. Critically, it confirmed to me that it is on course for what we all want, which is every single child to be treated in less than four months.

Deputy Ivana Bacik

I want to raise the trolley crisis in our public healthcare system. We see 572 patients in hospitals without a bed this morning, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO. Some 100,000 people have gone without a bed so far this year. The public health service is in danger of collapse if this trolley crisis is not resolved.

I was in Limerick on Monday and I heard from many people there about the chronic overcrowding and waiting list problems in University Hospital Limerick, UHL. Can the Taoiseach and the Minister guarantee some sort of plan to address this chronic issue in our hospitals across the country, in particular the serious issue with UHL in Limerick, but also more generally? How can we guarantee that coming into this winter we will not see a complete collapse in capacity in public hospitals, particularly in emergency departments? We are also seeing elective surgeries being cancelled, waiting lists for children’s care and waiting lists spiral across the sector. What is the plan for the winter and specifically for Limerick?

Deputy Stephen Donnelly

We are acutely aware of the issue. The Government’s plan is to end winter trolley crises permanently. The way we are doing that is adding more permanent capacity to our public health service than ever before, such as adding many thousands of healthcare professionals and by the end of the year more than 1,000 acute beds. We are ahead of the 2018 capacity review on hospital beds, critical care and many other areas.

However, in the context of Covid, Ireland, Australia, the UK and many countries across the world are suffering intense pressures through the winter. This will be a difficult winter. The Government has deployed a huge amount of money. There is an all hands on deck effort being put in place by the HSE. All 29 hospitals have tailored winter plans. They are working directly with community care and nursing homes to get patients out of hospital as quickly as possible. However, this winter, as in the UK and France and as has happened in Australia and other countries, it will be difficult due to this huge additional burden that Covid has caused and will continue to cause.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

The Taoiseach told the Dáil earlier that housing commencements are up. Housing commencements are in fact down 14%. He also told the Dáil that the housing plan is working; however, all of the evidence shows that it is not. House prices and rents have never been so high. Homelessness has reached record levels. The number of people emigrating from the country because housing is unaffordable is increasing. There are hundreds of thousands of people stuck living in their parents’ homes in their 20s and 30s because housing is so unaffordable. Will the Taoiseach correct what he said on commencements? The numbers are, in fact, 14% down. Will he recognise that?

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Darragh O'Brien)

The year-on-year figures on commencements show commencements are up and the Deputy knows that. Housing completions and starts are up.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

They are down 14%.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

Housing starts are up and we will substantially exceed our target this year - even in a difficult year. That may not suit the Deputy. However, this Government is very serious about tackling the housing crisis. On affordability, every measure that we brought forward, such as help to buy and the first home scheme, that helps young people and renters buy their own home-----

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

The Minister does not think there is a housing emergency.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

The Deputy opposed it and voted against-----

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

Does the Minister deny there is a housing emergency?

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

The Deputy voted against the Affordable Housing Act. We see alternatives from the Social Democrats and we are always open to looking at things that will work. This Government's plan is working and taking hold, even though there are very persistent and serious challenges that we are meeting on a weekly basis. As the Taoiseach said, this is our focus and the number one priority. The Deputy knows that this Government is fully committed to tackling this crisis.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

The Minister is denying reality.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

No one is denying anything.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I brought to public attention the outrageous case of Patricia and Graham King and their two children, who were sleeping in a tent in Nenagh because they were over the income threshold and therefore not even entitled to emergency accommodation, never mind housing assistance payment, HAP, or social housing. There was subsequently a flurry of publicity – television appearances and so on. That obviously shamed the Government and Tipperary County Council into offering them emergency accommodation, which they moved into in Cashel. This morning I talked to Graham, who told me they are being told to leave by next Tuesday. A homeless family with children is being evicted from homeless accommodation because of the income threshold and the failure of the Government to raise the threshold, which the Minister is now planning to outsource to consultants for yet another review. I got a letter from the Minister.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I engaged with the Deputy specifically on this case and I met with Graham as well. I do not want to talk about specific instances. There are complexities in that too.

We are engaging directly with Tipperary County Council and will continue to do so. I wrote to the Deputy earlier this week in that regard.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I am quoting the letter. I have it here. There are no answers.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I have spoken to the Deputy directly about the social housing limits. I have told him what is happening. We are going to change the social----

(Interruptions).

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

Gabh mo leithscéal. Nóiméad amháin. The social housing income limits will be changed this year. The Deputy knows that.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

This year.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

This year. The Deputy knows that. I have told him that.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

It is not what it says in the letter.

Deputy Seán Canney

The national retained firefighters service is suffering severe difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff. The model on which the current service is operating was developed in the 1950s and is not fit for purpose in a modern working environment. I acknowledge that the Department has undertaken investment in my constituency, with a new fire station in Tuam, a contractor having been appointed for Athenry and the Loughrea fire station going to Part 8 planning. It is great to have the facilities but we also need to have retained firefighters in place so that they can man the fire stations and protect people. If we learned anything from what the retained firefighters did in Creeslough, it is important that we take this on board as a matter of urgency and sort it out.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I take the opportunity, as I have done previously, to thank all the women and men in the retained fire services for the work they do 365 days a year. As the Deputy stated, the way in which they responded to the terrible tragedy in Creeslough was a shining example of the really important work they do. I will make two points in respect of the fire services. The Government has brought forward a capital plan of €62 million over five years, as the Deputy mentioned. We are seeing upgrades and new stations, fire tenders and equipment across the country. The retained service is crucial. The review is time bound. The Taoiseach has engaged directly on this. The review relates to how we can improve conditions for the retained service but also attract more people in. One of the issues has been ensuring that people's employers, depending on the job they are doing, will give them the time to do that work. In that regard, there is the potential to move to a shift base. Dennis Keeley, the chief fire officer in Dublin - I will conclude on this important point, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle - is heading up that review with colleagues.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

We are over time.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I expect to have details of that shortly and I will inform the House and the Deputy of how it moves on.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is present. The Powerstown-Lisronagh community alert group from Tipperary are coming up to meet her today. It is fighting to save its community. There is a lack of Garda numbers. The local gardaí are doing their best. Save our Local Community in Tipperary came up to Dublin previously after a heinous robbery in Killenaule when a business family was nearly destroyed. It lobbied hard for electronic tagging. Electronic tagging started but only 151 persons - prisoners, those on remand or whatever - have been electronically tagged since 2006. It is appalling. In a reply from the Minister, she stated that electronic tagging has been discontinued since 2017 because of costs. What is going on? Why are gardaí expected to run around after people who are out on bail when electronic tagging has been proven in many jurisdictions to be successful, easily monitored and a good system? The Government has no funds to run it. How are we going to support communities? What message is the Minister, Deputy McEntee, going to give the good people of Tipperary today? They are good people who want to save their communities. How are they going to be supported if the Government is saying it has run out of money and cannot afford to do things that we in this House fought hard for and legislated for?

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Go raibh maith agat. The Minister to reply.

Minister for Justice (Deputy Helen McEntee)

As the Deputy rightly stated, I was asked a number of weeks ago by Senator Ahearn to meet a group of people. I am pleased to be meeting them today to hear their concerns. The Deputy is not right in saying that we are not providing support or investment for the Garda. More than €2 billion has been invested in An Garda Síochána in the budget this year. There has been an increase of 13% in the number of gardaí, with an increase of 10% specifically in Clonmel and an increase in civilian gardaí. That said, what I want to do today is hear the concerns of members of the community-----

Deputy Mattie McGrath

What about electronic tagging?

Deputy Helen McEntee

-----and be able to respond to them effectively, and that is exactly what I will do.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

What about tagging? The Minister did not answer the question.

Deputy Thomas Pringle

In 2013 Gerard Convie went to the High Court to quash a report presented to this House by a predecessor of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien. The Department conceded to the overturning of its own report findings that there was no evidence of wrongdoing in the planning department of Donegal County Council, apologised to Mr. Convie and paid him substantial compensation. This led to the commissioning of the Mulcahy report in 2015, which was to be completed in October that year. It took almost two years for it to be finalised. It sat on Eoghan Murphy’s desk for three years, and it has now sat on the desk of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, for more than two years. The excuses in the Minister's cut-and-paste replies to repeated parliamentary questions are unsustainable at this stage. When he sat on this side of the House he called for the publication of the report, yet now he prevaricates. What has changed? Why is he now frightened to publish the Mulcahy report? It is time to be honest on this issue. Is the Government going to publish it? If it is not, will the Minister come out and say that?

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue of the Mulcahy report. He will know there are complexities. There has been advice as well in respect of the potential publication and, if it were to be published, the nature of the publication in terms of redactions and people's names being mentioned within it. It remains under consideration within my Department.

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I spoke to the Taoiseach on this issue last week. I am glad he is back to take it, so I do not have to explain much of the background. It involves the amalgamation of two secondary schools, namely, St. Vincent's Secondary School and North Presentation Secondary School, on the north side of Cork city. All four Deputies representing Cork North-Central jointly tabled a Topical Issue matter last night. We are unanimous in our opposition to the process that has taken place up to now. There has been a complete lack of consultation with stakeholders. I understand from the response of the Minister, Deputy Foley, last night that a meeting between both boards of management and trustees is to take place tomorrow morning. I welcome that and hope there will be a resolution or further deliberation on the next stage of the process that is to be followed. The only document I could find that is relevant to managing the amalgamation of secondary schools dates back to 2001. It is a serious issue that we need to address.

The Taoiseach

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The issue is basically that the patrons and trustees of both schools have set this process of amalgamation in train. A fundamental principle of partnership in education is consultation. Parents are clear that they have not been consulted enough in respect of this proposal. I was not in the Chamber yesterday evening - I was in Cairo - so I did not hear the Minister for Education's reply. I will follow up with her again. My view is that there should be full and comprehensive consultation with the parents in respect of this issue because a lot of concerns have arisen. There are broader concerns in terms of curriculum choice and so on in terms of the two schools and the number of pupils in each school. There are issues there but, nonetheless, there should be comprehensive consultation all around.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I know of the Taoiseach's interest in education. It is something in which I, too, have taken a keen interest. We have reached a point where we need to consider having dedicated physical education, PE, teachers in primary schools. Such teachers could be shared among schools if the numbers in the schools are not particularly high. I ask for that to be done because the latest WHO figures show that 34% of five- to nine-year-olds are overweight or obese and, in terms of the rankings in that report, out of 53 European countries, Ireland's five-to nine-year-olds rank ninth in terms of obesity while ten- to 19-year-olds rank tenth. We have almost reached crisis point. A practical measure would be to have dedicated PE teachers. I know this is being considered in terms of the primary curriculum framework. Such teachers are in secondary schools. They should be put into primary schools. That could involve sharing such teachers among schools of smaller size. What is the view of the Taoiseach on that proposal?

The Taoiseach

We have changed the curriculum and prioritised physical activity in schools. We need to be careful that we do not compartmentalise this into one 45-minute period of the day. One of the big problems with primary schools is curriculum overload because there are so many core subjects, with science and other subjects having been added in the past 20 years. Physical activity should be part of every school day. It should be part of the social, personal and health education aspect. It should be integrated into the entire programme. It is about nutrition. There is a full range of issues that need to be considered. Every teacher, in a way, should be part of this agenda. The Minister will keep that under review but there are many priorities across the board in terms of resources and so on. The physical activity issue and physical education requirements are something we have not done well historically in Ireland at primary level. I acknowledge that. It is a fair point.

It is only in recent decades that we have developed junior cycle and senior cycle curriculums. I acknowledge we have work to do at primary level. I will not close the door on what the Deputy is saying.

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Week after week, I have sought to bring to the attention of the Taoiseach and Minister a profound crisis for dozens of families in County Donegal. They are living in defective block homes that are not fit for human habitation. The Taoiseach and Minister must have seen some of the images on social media and on TG4 last night. These houses are not fit for human habitation. I appeal to them to either release the €15,000 to allow these homeowners to find alternative accommodation or allow modular high-quality housing to be built on different sites. It will be a huge problem - Deputy Pringle referred to it - that families will go through the scheme, please God, in the near future, but will not have alternative homes while their houses are being rebuilt. When the Minister meets the chief executive of Donegal County Council, I ask him to come up with some solutions for the dozens of families affected this winter and the hundreds of families that will be affected in the years ahead.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

The Deputy has made a very important point. I will meet the chief executive this Friday, when I intend to discuss this matter with him. We are working very co-operatively with Donegal County Council. Certainly, I have seen the images and I have spoken to owners of homes that are in a very poor state of repair. As the Deputy knows, we have already made some changes in respect of the weathering grant in that we brought it forward. I am certain we will be able to front-load some of the expenses where homes are dangerous. I want to do that. I want to get the scheme up and running and homes beginning to be remediated, especially in County Donegal. It is happening in County Mayo. We will bring in regulations before the end of the year to underpin the scheme. I will come back to the Deputy, Deputy Pringle and my colleagues in County Donegal, including the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, following my meeting with the chief executive and his team, which I will have this week.

Deputy Brendan Griffin

As the Taoiseach and Minister may know, I am a long-time advocate of action on dereliction in order to provide more homes for people. Therefore, I welcome the introduction of Croí Cónaithe, the expansion of the repair and lease scheme and the increase in the money available for it. Will the Minister provide an update to the House on the extension of Croí Cónaithe to single, one-off, rural cottages, farm buildings and other derelict buildings? Will he consider an expansion of the repair and lease scheme to cover affordable private rent?

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I thank the Deputy for his question. I will expand the repair and lease scheme to one-off rural houses this month. An announcement on that can be expected imminently. The guidelines for local authorities are also ready to issue. That will happen in the coming days. There is a lot of interest in it. We have had well over 400 Croí Cónaithe applications from towns and villages throughout the country to bring derelict and vacant stock into use, which the Deputy has spoken about many times in the House. It is a very good and simplified way of doing it. I will announce that in the coming days. We will also look at other options with regard to adding to affordable stock but I want to get Croí Cónaithe bedded in. It has been a good start since August and we want to accelerate that. I will keep the Deputy informed of progress.

Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

I have welcomed the revised planning exemption for the installation of rooftop solar panels. However, there is an issue regarding support for the installation of these panels. We have discovered that farmers who want to avail of solar panel grants can only use the electricity generated from those grant-aided panels on the farm they sit on and cannot pass on the benefit. I spoke to a businessman in Tullow about this issue this week. Murphy's Butchers has won the award for the best pork sausages in the world. I congratulate Laz Murphy of Murphy's Butchers in Tullow. It is a great achievement.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

Where was that?

Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

His name is Laz Murphy and his business is Murphy's Butchers in Tullow. As the Taoiseach knows, this is a business that relies heavily on refrigeration. Mr. Murphy inquired about solar panels and, following a survey, decided to double his planned amount of money for installation. He was told he would not get the extra grant approved. He was very disappointed because he wants to install all these panels, on which he really relies. As I said to him, this is part of the programme for Government so I know the Taoiseach will do what he can.

The Taoiseach

The Deputy took me to many places when I was in Carlow last week, but I am very annoyed that she did not introduce me to Laz Murphy's sausages.

Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Next time.

The Taoiseach

The Deputy might send me a pack of sausages.

Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

I will.

The Taoiseach

I occasionally indulge in a sausage, notwithstanding what you might think.

Deputy Sean Fleming

What about Clonakilty?

The Taoiseach

I heard that. Clonakilty is listening in. The serious point is about microgeneration. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, regarding the first point the Deputy made in respect of farmers, where microgeneration can be used for energy within the farm but also for selling on to the grid eventually. That is the objective of the scheme. We want farming to become more involved on the energy side. Farming has very strong potential on the energy side. In fact, from the most recent consideration of this, the contribution agriculture can make through anaerobic digestion schemes, and many other schemes, is enormous as regards the development of energy. Am I out of time? I am sorry about that.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Yes. It was the sausages.

Deputy Chris Andrews

It is hard to follow that.

There are growing concerns that Ireland will not be able to co-host the 2030 T20 World Cup for cricket. Cricket is the second biggest sport in the world. There would be a significant benefit to the Irish economy, millions of euro would come in as a result of it and it would lead to massive exposure for Ireland as a destination. We recently had a great win over England and we are tenth best in the world. In 2018, the Government promised it would build a cricket stadium but four years later nothing has happened. Ground needs to be broken on a new stadium by 2023 so time is running out. Will the Taoiseach give a reassurance that we will not have to hand back this tournament to the International Cricket Council? It will be disappointing if the Government drops the ball on this.

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Deputy Jack Chambers)

I thank the Deputy. We hope to finalise the master plan for the sports campus in the coming weeks, which will go before the Government. Sport Ireland is engaging with Cricket Ireland on the development of high-performance facilities, including an oval and a cricket crease. The Deputy will be aware of very successful cricket games that have been held in Malahide. We are eight years out from this particular tournament. We submitted an expression of interest as part of our joint hosting and we have a very strong major events team. I am not sure where the Deputy's particular concerns are coming from. I met with Cricket Ireland-----

Deputy Chris Andrews

They are from the CEO.

Deputy Jack Chambers

-----in recent weeks. I am due to meet with that organisation and its CEO, Mr. Warren Deutrom, again in the coming weeks. We have a very strong working relationship with Cricket Ireland. It knows that the Government has always been supportive of this particular bid, in addition to developing the business case around long-term cricket facilities for the sports campus.

Deputy Carol Nolan

The president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, Mr. Eugene Drennan, has raised the serious concerns facing hauliers and has said that many hauliers will be forced off the road due to increasing prices for diesel. This is of concern because the haulage sector is vital to our economy, including our supply lines, supporting other sectors and ensuring those sectors are allowed to function. This is a difficulty. Support packages and financial supports are urgently needed. We need to bear in mind that the haulage industry creates massive employment in every region of this State. What is now needed before the new year and before a crisis emerges is to put a financial support plan in place because there will be difficulties in the new year otherwise. Will the Government commit to putting a support package in place? This should be a simplified support package that is not bureaucratic and can be easily accessed by hauliers.

The Taoiseach

The Government maintains ongoing contact with the haulage industry. We have had a number of schemes from the time of the Covid pandemic and onwards to try to support the haulage industry. We are acutely aware of the impact of energy price rises on the industry. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has provided some supports and initiatives. I will talk to him in respect of what the Deputy said and revert to her.

Deputy Bríd Smith

Last night, on Virgin Media television, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, said that local authorities should buy up premises where evictions are taking place. A mass eviction will take place at Tathony House on Bow Lane, Dublin 8, which is in my constituency. On Monday night, Dublin City Council addressed the issue because an emergency motion was brought before it by our councillor, Ms Hazel de Nortúin. The answer the council gave was that it does not buy these premises unless they are occupied by people who are on the housing list or on a housing payment. Will the Minister clarify whether that is the position? If it is, will he clarify to the public that local authorities are not to buy up properties that are occupied by people renting privately but only by people who are on the housing list or on the housing assistance payment, HAP?

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

I have been very clear publicly on many occasions that the tenant in situ purchase scheme relates to tenants who are in receipt of HAP and rental accommodation scheme, RAS, tenancies.

I have said that numerous times. I am very familiar with the Tathony House situation. It is being assessed by Dublin City Council, DCC. About three of the tenants there are potentially social housing tenants, so there is a complexity with regard to the tenure there. I have been extremely clear, however, as to where the tenant in situ scheme sits. It is focused predominantly on those who are in HAP and RAS tenancies and who receive notices to quit. That said, I have asked DCC to engage with regard to Tathony House, like when we see situations like this arise, and that is happening right now. I have been very clear, however. I have not-----

Deputy Bríd Smith

There is never a block of apartments that is fully dependent on the housing list or fully private.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

We are looking at the matter.

Deputy Bríd Smith

They are mixed.

Deputy Darragh O'Brien

We can-----

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I am sorry. We are out of time. The Minister will have to come back to the Deputy separately.

Deputy Ciarán Cannon

There have been many excellent advances in the provision of childcare services in the country under the current Government, but there is one glaring omission, and that is in the area of early childhood care and education, ECCE, services. When the scheme was first introduced in 2010, the capitation rate introduced was €64.50 per child. If that had kept pace with inflation, it would now stand at €76, but it does not. It stands at €69. That is putting incredible pressure on those services that provide ECCE services alone, and there are hundreds of them across the country. Unfortunately, however, 80 of them have closed already this year because they are ECCE-only providers and do not have the opportunity of cross-subsidising the ECCE service from the other services that many other larger providers provide. I ask the Taoiseach and the Minister to look at this again. It urgently needs to be reassessed. The very viability of ECCE-only services is under threat.

The Taoiseach

There needs to be a meeting of the ways here because the new funding model in operation since September offers ECCE providers public funding of at least an additional €9.75 per child per week. That is 40% more than the €7 increase in capitation sought by the federation. The change in the funding model increases investment in session and pre-school services from approximately €14 million per year last year to €27 million per year on top of standard capitation, an almost 90% increase. Under core funding, therefore, the overwhelming majority of services will see an increase in their funding. Most will see very substantial increases and no service will see a decrease in funding if its circumstances remain the same. Services without a graduate lead educator will see capitation increase by €9.5 million. There may be a number of services for which this poses a difficulty. I suggest that the Minister engages with those services and see if we can get something resolved.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

We are over time now and there are four speakers left, so I will allow each 30 seconds. I ask Members to comply with the rules.

Deputy Johnny Mythen

I ask the Taoiseach to replicate the special emergency humanitarian support scheme the Tánaiste recently announced for the people in New Ross and Tullow after flooding in the towns. I am asking for the same support for the two small communities of Clongeen and Foulkesmill, in south Wexford. They are left with a trail of devastation following a mini tornado that struck those areas last week. One man had almost completed the building of his new home only to find it flattened, with no possibility of a claim, but thank God there was no injury or loss of life. Another woman lost the roof of her house. I ask the Taoiseach for some flexibility and to provide emergency humanitarian support for these two rural communities, which have suffered from this freak act of nature, as existing schemes mostly only cover flood damage.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

This question is for the Taoiseach. As part of the nation's welcome efforts to accommodate Ukrainian refugees running for their lives, in an unprecedented development, on Sligo County Council-owned lands, the OPW and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have invoked emergency planning regulations to erect 24 very fine modular homes exclusively for Ukrainian refugees. Some of the over 1,500 families on the Sligo housing list, 2,400 on the Donegal housing list and 700 on the Leitrim housing list, all within my constituency, none of whom have a home, have told me they are beginning to wonder where they come in the pecking order as Irish citizens when it comes to Government action. They have asked me to ask the Taoiseach why emergency planning has not been invoked to provide them with modular homes. Many of them have been on the housing list for over a decade.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Tá mé ag bogadh ar aghaidh. Deputy, we are way over time.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

What would the Taoiseach like to say to these families?

Deputy Michael McNamara

From the outset the Taoiseach has stated that the environment is very important to his premiership, and the influence of the Green Party in government is well known, but one area that has not permeated down to is the new agri-environment scheme. The Taoiseach will be aware of the BurrenLife programme. If he has not been photographed there, he is unusual as a Cabinet Minister. Certainly, the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, have been there. It is not within their area of responsibility, but there is collective Cabinet responsibility. The new agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, will disadvantage the farmers in that scheme, as it will the farmers in the Sleeve Aughty area who are in the hen harrier area. The standard they have to reach is lower but they will get less money. Will that be reviewed and will the disincentive in common-----

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta.

The Taoiseach

I get the point.

Deputy Patricia Ryan

On page 92 of the programme for Government there is a commitment to ensure that Men's Sheds and Women's Sheds are properly resourced and that the network of teen sheds is established. Last week we saw an allocation of money to Men's Sheds which was vastly disproportionate to that given to Women's Sheds. While I understand there are more Men's Sheds, we need to invest more in the establishment of new Women's Sheds. What is the Government doing to encourage more Women's Sheds? Also, what progress is being made on teen sheds, which seem to be getting very little attention?

The Taoiseach

On the issue Deputy Mythen raised, we should be in a position to apply the flood scheme, the humanitarian assistance scheme. I will talk to the Tánaiste's office and see if we can follow up on that, if that has not happened already, because there is no issue with that where storms happen and damage is done.

In response to Deputy MacSharry, that was a pilot scheme in respect of Ukrainians. We have now, with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, also said that we want to build rapid-build housing for the social housing list. I believe we have to build more social housing and generally within the housing we are building through our conventional model-----

Deputy Marc MacSharry

A word to the families in Sligo.

The Taoiseach

What we are saying now is that, in addition to the record number of social houses we have built this year, we will-----

Deputy Marc MacSharry

Once we look after everybody else, we will look after the people in Sligo.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy MacSharry, this is Questions on Policy or Legislation.

The Taoiseach

-----now also consider rapid-build housing.

In response to Deputy McNamara, those people on that scheme should not suffer a reduction in income from the new scheme. I will take that up with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Deputy Michael McNamara

I appreciate that.

The Taoiseach

We want more and more people engaged in environmentally friendly farming. That is a fabulous scheme in the Burren. We need more of those schemes, and farmers need to be compensated and to have income streams that encourage and incentivise restoration and protection of biodiversity.

In response to Deputy Patricia Ryan, there should be equity in respect of funding of Men's Sheds and Women's Sheds. I suppose Men's Sheds have been there a number of years, there is a higher number of them and so on, but the number of Women's Sheds now is growing, and that is a good thing. Certainly, we will be there to fund and to support them.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Sin deireadh le Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht. Ag bogadh ar aghaidh-----

Deputy Marc MacSharry

On a point of order.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I do not know what the point of order is, Deputy.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

You have not allowed me to tell you yet. The point of order is very specifically, and I know the rules on points of order, that on Questions on Promised Legislation we are all entitled to make our case to be involved, and for over a year now you have, with your-----

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

That is not a point of order.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

It certainly is.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

It is not a point of order.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

It certainly is. You have consistently put me into the last three speakers, where I am lucky to get 30 seconds, while others enjoy the benefit of celebrating the local sausage manufacturers and the prizes they win for a minute and ten seconds.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy, resume your seat.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

I have not the slightest intention, until you show a little bit less discrimination and positively discriminate for actual Independents rather than those, like yourself, who join and form de facto parties and get to speak three or four times every day.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

You are completely and utterly out of order.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

I am just asking that I might get more than 30 seconds every two weeks-----

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

You are completely and utterly out of order.

Deputy Marc MacSharry

-----and I wish you would study the Standing Orders and accept the fact that this is a legitimate point-----

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

If you fail to comply with my ruling, I am now suspending the Dáil.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 1.19 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 1.25 p.m.

Sitting suspended and resumed at 1.19 and resumed at 1.25 p.m.