In a report published today, the Ombudsman for public services has criticised what he called a shameful lack of support for drivers with disabilities. These schemes are a lifeline for people with disabilities, ensuring they can live dignified and independent lives as they travel to work or college and go about their lives. However, as the Taoiseach will be aware, the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant were scrapped in 2013 as part of austerity policies during the financial crash. Since then the Government has failed to put in place alternative supports. For a decade, people who need these schemes have been abandoned. When my colleague, Deputy Doherty, raised this issue in February 2022, the Taoiseach stated that a solution was being worked on. Those were his words. What does that mean? What is the solution? Where is it and what supports will the Government deliver so people with disabilities get the assistance they are entitled to?
Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
I am cognisant of the Ombudsman's report published today. Coming up with a solution that works is not straightforward, but I agree this has been going on far too long. A lot of work has been done by various Ministers, Departments and working groups. However, I accept it has been going on far too long. As a consequence of that, I will be convening a meeting in the next few weeks of all the key Departments that should be involved in this with a view to finding a solution as soon as possible.
In a recent leaflet the Taoiseach distributed in Dublin West crime statistics for the Blanchardstown area were outlined. It appears from that leaflet that crime rates are up in his constituency of Dublin West. It might be surprising for victims of crime and communities that under Fine Gael, the supposed party of law and order, more people are offending and fewer perpetrators are being detected. Clearly a key issue to be addressed is confidence in policing and in An Garda Síochána. We are hearing from members of An Garda Síochána about serious issues around recruitment and retention in the force.
The Government needs to take effective action to address this crisis in policing and to address the socioeconomic context within which so many crimes take place. Will the Taoiseach commit to addressing recruitment and retention issues in An Garda Síochána? Will he also commit to addressing the systemic issues which can contribute to an increase in crime in order to ensure we do not see rising crime statistics and to ensure we see effective action for victims and communities?
I am happy to confirm that I did not distribute that leaflet in my constituency. It was distributed by a member of the council and it shows that crime went down in 2021 and went back up in 2022. That is because we were in a lockdown in 2021 and crime rates fell when most of the country were confined to their homes.
On the Deputy's substantive question, I can make that commitment. We have provided enough funding in the budget for this year to recruit 1,000 new gardaí. It is a stretch target and it remains our target but we are confident that the number of additional gardaí who are sworn in this year and who are new to the force will exceed the number who resign and retire. We will see a net increase in the number of gardaí again this year, and that is not taking into account the hundreds of Garda staff we are taking on, who free up Garda officers for front-line duties.
I want to express my deepest condolences to Christy Dignam's family, friends, band mates and fans. Christy was an icon of Irish music and his huge talent and generous spirit will ensure he leaves a lasting legacy.
It is ten years since the then Fine Gael and Labour Party Government axed the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant after the schemes were found to be in breach of the Equal Status Act 2000. At the time the Government promised that replacement schemes would quickly be launched but a decade later those replacement schemes are nowhere to be seen. The only remaining transport scheme, the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme, is also effectively closed to applicants. It is so incredibly restrictive that it is almost impossible to qualify for support.
Today the Ombudsman has again heavily criticised the Government for failing to provide adequate and appropriate transport supports to disabled people. He has called the failure "shameful" and said that transport supports for disabled people were better decades ago when the country was broke. When will the Taoiseach fulfil the promise that was made ten years ago and provide transport supports for disabled people in this country?
As the Deputy said in her remarks, these schemes were closed to new entrants back in 2011 and 2012 on foot of Ombudsman reports but the establishment of new schemes is long overdue, which I accept. A working group reported recently and it was made up of people from the Department of Finance, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Health, the HSE, the Department of Social Protection and the National Transport Authority. The report was only published in February 2023 and it includes proposals which are being considered by Government Departments, including the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and others. I will pull all of the relevant Departments together in the coming weeks and make sure we get some meaningful progress on this soon.
The Taoiseach may or may not be aware of it but next Tuesday, 20 June, is World Refugee Day. It is both an opportunity for us to celebrate the incredible strength, perseverance and courage refugees have shown globally in the face of adverse and varied reactions from governments around the world to their plight, and an opportunity for us to protest aspects of what is happening to them at the moment, particularly being left to sleep on the streets and the housing crisis having an impact on that. This and consecutive Governments have been responsible for that housing crisis, not that I need to remind the Taoiseach of that. I would like to encourage people to come out and support that event and show their support for refugees at 5.30 p.m. at the Garden of Remembrance next Tuesday.
We must also say that more needs to be done and something could be done on the question of the right to work. I have often heard it said that with every hungry belly there comes a pair of hands and a brain. Nothing is truer than that human beings are made of the stuff that means they interact with the environment around them in order to create wealth and do good things for society. Why not give these people the opportunity to work, in a country where there is a shortage of labour in every aspect of the economy?
Refugees have the right to work in Ireland.
After six months.
They have had the right to work in Ireland for a long time, once they achieve refugee status, and anybody coming from Ukraine, as beneficiaries of temporary protection, also have the right to work from the moment they arrive in the country and get a personal public service number.
But there is a group that is treated differently.
The group that is treated differently comprises people who are applying for international protection, and only a minority of them gain refugee status. That is a fact and it is a fact the Deputy should acknowledge because it is not the same thing.
It does not stop them from working until they get an answer to their applications.
It stops them being refugees, because they are not refugees.
The Taoiseach will understand that the essence of what we do as elected representatives is to bring people with us when we implement legislation or alter legislation through a statutory instrument. Could the Taoiseach please explain what the process of setting up the firearms expert committee was? Who set the terms of reference and what criteria were used to appoint members to the committee? How many applicants applied to sit on the committee and who were the members of the interview panel with the credentials to determine expertise? None of the stakeholders has been engaged in this process and we find ourselves in a position where the Minister agreed to meet the experts of the National Association of Regional Game Councils, in which case they would determine whether or not the report that has been issued was derived from expertise. If he looks into it, the Taoiseach will find that it was not. We should be more transparent and we should bring people with us. I ask the Taoiseach to address that as the leader of Government.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is a matter that is under the responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, so I will ask him to come back to the Deputy directly.
The response from the head of disability services in my area in south Tipperary makes for stark reading. We have two children's disability network teams, CDNTs, in Tipperary and the unfortunate reality is that these teams are not only falling apart but they are non-existent. I have raised this before with the Taoiseach and both CDNT managers posts are vacant, with a temporary appointment to try to cover both. Both team psychologists have left the teams and the only psychologists available are through an agency on a part-time basis. The social worker post is empty, there are two speech and language therapists, there is one senior occupational therapist and there is one nurse available to the teams. That is the extent of the team that has to deal with 600 people on waiting lists. In what world would this be allowed to go on? This is embarrassing and it is a downright refusal of the human rights of the children who need these services. The HSE is unfit to do this, so we need somebody to take a hold of it and ensure these posts are filled, that the proper teams are there and that we have the proper services for young people in dire need.
I appreciate we have a real recruitment and retention challenge across the country when it comes to these teams. It is better in some places than in others but I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to come back to the Deputy with a specific response to his query.
I wish to raise the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, the so called agri-environmental scheme that farmers have long suspected was designed by civil servants for the benefit of civil servants, not farmers or the environment. The new inspection teams are being rolled out and in east Clare at least they are in big new 2.3 l long wheelbase diesel vehicles. These are the kind of vehicles you would expect to see at a Make America Great Again, MAGA, rally in Texas and they are paid for by taxpayers' money with ACRES logos on them, which were also paid for with taxpayers' money. I am glad the Taoiseach finds it amusing because farmers who live in designated areas and who farm designated areas are having their funding reduced. They are being paid less than they were being paid before, notwithstanding being in designated areas. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine talks the talk when it comes to the environment but when it comes to walking the walk he withdrew funding for innovative environmental schemes. Does the Taoiseach understand why farmers are sceptical of the nature restoration law and about not being compensated?
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to respond.
I asked the Taoiseach but if he wishes the Minister with responsibility for agri-environmental measures to respond that is fine.
As the Deputy knows, ACRES has been a strong success with farmers across this country. It was oversubscribed by 50% and as a Government we stepped forward to make sure that every applicant could participate. The vast majority of farmers in Clare will receive significantly increased payments under ACRES, as they will with all the other scheme I have launched, be that the suckler scheme or under the new basic income support for sustainability. Some day the Deputy might put a euro in their pocket as well.
On the nature restoration-----
Is the Minister putting his own money in farmers' pockets or is he putting taxpayers' money in farmers' pockets? That is what we are here to talk about.
We are funding them.
I put money in farmers' pockets week in, week out at the mart.
Now please-----
What does the Minister do for them?
Deputy McNamara, please.
We, in government, will back them financially and deliver them an income.
Thank you, Minister, the time is up.
Unfortunately, no matter how much the Deputy talks here, he has not put €1 in their pockets. In relation to the-----
How much money has the Minister put in their pockets personally?
Deputy McNamara, will you let the Minister speak?
No. The Minister is talking about me putting money in farmers' pockets. I put money in farmers' pockets. What does he do? He is the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He is talking claptrap.
Please do not-----
If talk was not cheap, Deputy McNamara would be great. It is very cheap in his case.
Well, it is very cheap for the Minister when he spending taxpayers' money.
Deputy, please.
He is flying around the place buying 2.3 l gas guzzlers on an environmental scheme-----
Deputy McNamara, please do not interrupt the House.
-----and he talks about talk being cheap.
Please do not disrupt the House.
No, but would he not-----
Deputy, will you resume your seat now? You are eating into people's valuable time.
The Minister is abusing the process of the House with this sort of trite remark about taxpayers' money and with him buying gas guzzlers with farmers' money.
Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, please.
It is a shame it has become this competition of who can shout the loudest and who can bang their desk the hardest.
I did not bang the desk.
I will continue with my question which relates to insurance - I am delighted the Minister of State responsible for insurance is here - especially insurance for festivals and events. We are into June and in the middle of festival season especially where I am from in west Cork where every town and village has the most colourful and vibrant festival imaginable. Unfortunately, many of these festivals are struggling to get access to insurance. It is not only festivals but also charity and community events for which access to insurance can be a big issue. In many cases in west Cork, they are having to seek insurance outside Ireland. This should not continue and it is not sustainable. Is it possible for the State to set up an insurance fund where it can step in where events are struggling to get insurance? I hope the Minister of State may have some positive news on this.
I thank the Deputy for his question. He is right. There has been an extension of insurers which have been working with local authorities in regard to community events and festivals. I will speak to the Deputy directly on the particular issues in Cork South-West to see if there is anything further that can be done there. The State has not intervened in the insurance market as a consequence of the European insolvency directive which states the State may not do that in the same way. However, we are trying to maintain conditions so that more insurers will come into the market with an extension of risk appetite and change the conditions in order that groups that have not been able to get insurance, particularly post-Brexit, can come together and buy insurance in a slightly different way. I am very happy to pick up the issue in Cork South-West directly with the Deputy.
Ar dtús, I also extend my sympathies to the family of Christy Dignam and his many friends. He transcended music. He was a national treasure. I think I first saw him in Horan's Hotel on a tour in 1986. His talking may now be over but his talent and his crowd will live on.
I raise the disappointment, frustration and frankly the anger felt by retained fire fighters at the Government's handling of the recruitment and retention crisis within the fire service. Last night, Sinn Féin brought a motion to resolve this crisis and many fire fighters travelled to the Dáil to listen to the debate, hopeful that the Minister would see sense. Following his contribution, the Government and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, received their response when dozens of retained fire fighters stood up and walked out. There is a real feeling that the Minister has opted to condemn the retained fire service with dismissive comments and at this point, it would take an extraordinary gesture to prevent a full-scale strike from next week across the State. Will the Taoiseach review the response last night and the lip service and act immediately to bring an end to the crisis before it is too late?
I have no doubt that this dispute can be resolved satisfactorily. All industrial relations disputes are resolved in the end. However, as I said yesterday in the House, all of us must adhere to and honour the agreements we have made. The Government has an agreement with the trade unions in relation to public sector pay. That agreement runs until the end of this year. It was voted on by trade union members. We will honour our side of the deal and we expect them to honour their side of the deal. There is room for compromise and for resolution but it has to be in the confines of everyone honouring the agreements they have made. An intervention from the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, is a possibility if there is willingness to accept those principles on both sides.
I have just come from the launch of the report by the Joint Committee on Autism. It contains 109 recommendations. Some of the issues have already been brought up here. The idea of this report is that we set in train a framework and that we put all the pieces in place with universal design for society and that we offer cradle to grave services for autistic people and their families which unfortunately are not there now.
For assessments and therapies, we do not have the numbers in the children's disability network teams in primary care. We know we need to make sure we do the workforce planning and deal with the work conditions but we must also look at the services we have and how we can provide the best bang for buck. Overall, I would like to think that the recommendations will be considered during the budgetary process because we are absolutely failing our citizens and we really need to set a marker. What is happening is not good enough, so I request that this happens.
I understand the report was published this morning. I have not yet had the opportunity to read it but I thank the members of the committee and, in particular, the chair, Senator Micheál Carrigy, for their work. I also thank the witnesses who gave their time and shared their experiences and expertise in engaging with the committee. I will meet with the committee chair in the next few weeks so he can present the report to me and we can then discuss the recommendations, of which there are more than 100, and see which ones we can progress, particularly in the areas of employment, education and access to services.
The recent EPA report on water quality outlined how ground waters continued to be under pressure from human activities. The EPA states there was no significant change in the biological quality of rivers and lakes in 2022, with some deterioration being offset by improvements in others. The role of those bodies has been long established. Take Irish Water’s role in water pollution. Look at how Ballingarry is discharging into the River Lee. The EPA report seems to take a soft enough approach to Irish Water and its pollution. It appears to be comfortable to allow it off to the next cycle of funding. That certainly would not be tolerated if it was coming from agriculture.
The need for a new sewerage scheme in Ballingarry is long established. Irish Water has been dragging this out.
Deputy, time is up.
Will Irish Water be allowed to continue polluting or will it be put up to it to get on with putting a new sewer in Ballingarry?
The Deputy has raised this issue that is particularly relevant to Ballingarry, which he represents. He will be aware the Department and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, are reviewing the nature of schemes and what is happening. The Deputy raised a dual issue: one relates to the EPA and the other is Ballingarry itself. It is something the Department will consider and I will speak to the Minister specifically.
I thank the Taoiseach for his recent correspondence and update on the matter of parental alienation which the Ceann Comhairle has kindly allowed me to raise in the House. The update is welcome and is indicative of a programme for reform. However, it does not do anything to help those mothers, children and, in some cases, fathers who are prevented by order from meeting or having any discourse, except by telephone, for the foreseeable future. Could there be an intervention that could deal with that part of the situation in the meantime?
I thank Deputy Durkan for raising this important issue again. It is close to his heart and he has received correspondence from me on it in the last couple of days. I would have to speak to the Minister for Justice and the Attorney General on this but if it relates to a court order, then I do not think there is a mechanism by which Government can intervene. However, I will seek advice on that.
The Alzheimer's Society of Ireland has highlighted the fact that there is a growing number of people with dementia. There are now 64,000 people, which is an increase from the previous figure of 54,000. The society also highlighted the need for more funding, urgent and adequate funding, to address the gaps in support services in communities. Many communities and families are without essential basic services. There are too many gaps in the services where people are forced into nursing homes, although they would prefer to live at home independently. Due to a lack of services, their options are limited. Will the Government commit to providing adequate and urgent funding to address the gaps that exist in the delivery of community services for people with dementia?
I am a little bit surprised at the Deputy's question because this is the first Government ever that embedded ring-fenced funding for dementia supports. Currently, we have 29 dementia advisers throughout the country. We have 23 memory support services and 24 memory clinics all over the country.
Coupled with that, this year, 15% of all home care hours are provided specifically for people with dementia. Last week, I was delighted to announce the 46th dementia-specific day centre that was opened this year. This Government has made huge inroads with regard to dementia supports. That is recognised by the Alzheimer Society Of Ireland with which we work very closely. I look forward to doing more in next year's budget.
That is why I was asking. There are gaps. That is why I asked.
I want to raise the devastating news about the 650 job losses at Boliden Tara mines and the thousands of jobs that are indirectly affected by this. SIPTU said the company contacted the Government six months ago about the pressure it was under and heard nothing back.
There were several contributing factors. There was a six-month delay in issuing a drilling licence. We know it was excluded from accessing the European energy fund. Government Ministers said this morning that it came out of the blue. I wrote to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, on 11 May, not for a meeting with me but for a meeting with all Meath Oireachtas Members, SIPTU and the management at Boliden Tara mines. It is very disappointing that he did not facilitate that meeting when we have seen what has come down the road today.
Serious engagement is needed with the company management and workers and their representatives today. The Taoiseach must do all in his power to make sure these are temporary layoffs and that workers who have big mortgages are looked after in the meantime. I spoke to somebody last night who only got a mortgage the other day based on their job in Tara mines. These are good, well-paying jobs.
I again say that my thoughts are very much with the 650 people who have been put on temporary layoff. I understand this will have an impact on thousands of people, not just family members but also other people in Navan and Meath who will be impacted by this. Government will offer support in the form of income support, advice on job searching and options for the employees. However, our main effort will be to get the mine back open as soon as possible, on which we will engage with the company, and to secure its long-term future through Tara Deep. We are working on that as well. I do not know the exact timeline of the engagement between the company and the Government, but I heard the Deputy say that the company wrote to the Government six months ago and got no response. I know that is not the case. There has been engagement and there have been meetings. Indeed, its representatives were scheduled to meet the Minister, Deputy Coveney, only next week.
Like Deputy Ó Murchú, I, too, was at the launch of the final report of the Joint Committee on Autism. We had the privilege of sitting on that committee for the best part of a year. As Deputy Ó Murchú outlined, there are 109 recommendations across the whole spectrum dealing with inadequacies in disability services right through to education and recommendations involving health and possibly improvements to our social protection. I am not necessarily asking a specific question today. However, I am asking that in the forthcoming budgetary preparations, everything will be done that is required in terms of providing funding and additional resources for people with autism.
I welcome the publication of the report this morning. I have not had a chance to see it yet although my staff have provided me with a brief summary. I intend to meet the Chairperson, Senator Carrigy, in the next couple of weeks to allow him to present the report, and then we will identify the recommendations with which we can proceed. I have no doubt that there will be additional funding for autism services in the forthcoming budget. Equally, however, I know everyone in this Chamber knows that what needs to be done is about much more than money.
Once again, the Not Our Fault campaign is outside these Houses asking for help to address the immediate fire safety issues in people's homes. While commitments have been made, we still have no clarity as to when substantive measures to help with defective apartments or even when interim supports to address immediate fire safety needs will be in place. I raised this issue in this Chamber previously and we still do not have clear, direct answers. We do not have a date for when these people will be able to be supported to make the repairs and remedial works to their homes that are needed for their safety. Once again, when will these households get the supports they need to make their homes safe?
As the Deputy is aware, we are looking in the Department to ensure that where people have particular issues in terms of fire safety within the buildings, works can take place and that they will be compensated for works that are done. That work is currently being finalised by the Department. As the Deputy is aware, there is legislation to follow as well. It is a matter I will take up with the officials and look for it to be expedited.
I want to ask the Taoiseach about an issue arising from information I gathered from parliamentary questions to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, which reveal a significant delay in the roll-out of smart meters for people who have solar panels installed in their homes. More than 1,000 families are waiting up to four months for a smart meter and close to 1,000 have been waiting more than four months for one. The consequence is that if a person is eligible for a smart meter but does not have one installed, through no fault of his or her own, he or she is not entitled to be paid for the surplus energy that is being exported back to the grid. Therefore, we have a perverse situation whereby these people are not being paid. They are giving electricity for free back to the grid and not being paid through no fault of their own.
There is a very simple solution to this. While the smart meter programme is getting up to speed - we are speeding that up - simply pay people the deemed demand to which they will be entitled. If people are not eligible for a smart meter because their house cannot take one for some reason, they will be paid based on an estimate of how much they would be generating and exporting. Why do we not just expand that to include all those who are waiting and pay them the deemed amount?
It sounds like a reasonable suggestion. I am not across the detail of this, but I will make sure somebody from my office gets in touch with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, about it and comes back to the Deputy with a further response.
Last Friday, just under 25,000 leaving certificate students sat down to do the higher level mathematics paper. It was a matter of hours before telephone lines to radio stations and social media platforms across the country lit up with the complaints and criticisms that students who had never sat a State examination before because of the pandemic were faced with such an inordinately difficult maths paper. A principal in my constituency stated that the State Examinations Commission, SEC, has lost touch with students and the education system. That principal and many others have written to the SEC and received overwhelming support, not just from students and parents but also from all other principals.
We all know and accept, and students are no different, that exams are a difficult period. They are designed to challenge the learner. What they are not designed to do and what they should not do is reduce students to tears or leave them in a state of panic-----
The time is up now.
-----and knock them for six so much that some have been left vomiting in bathrooms. That is what was reported.
Thank you.
Has the Taoiseach spoken to the Minister for Education. Has he spoken to the SEC? What commitment can he give to those students today about what this no cliff edge will look like for them?
Thank you, Deputy. We are out of time. I will call Deputy Higgins and then we will go to the Taoiseach.
This week is Carers Week. This morning, I attended a coffee morning in Clondalkin hosted by Family Carers Ireland in conjunction with Clondalkin Autism Parent Support Network. Of course, we had the launch of the Joint Committee on Autism report, which, under the leadership of Senator Carrigy, made more than 100 recommendations.
Both of these are reminders and insights into the everyday struggles of families and the incredible work carers do. However, it is also a reminder of how let down people feel, particularly when it comes to diagnosis and access to therapies and support like the carer's allowance, which is means tested. In my own area, community healthcare organisation, CHO, 7, disability waiting lists really are heartbreaking and parents, unfortunately, are broken by the system that should support them.
Thank you, Deputy.
We know the political will is there and the funding is in place to change this. What does that look like in terms of a pipeline for therapists to get into children's disability network teams and primary care centres?
The Taoiseach to conclude.
I thank the Deputies for raising the two issues. I heard many of the stories about maths paper 1. It does seem like it was a very hard paper and that caused much distress for students and, indeed, their teachers. My understanding is that maths paper 2 was a bit more student-friendly and user-friendly.
I should clarify that, of course, Government and the Minister do not write the papers, nor should we. The papers are prepared by the State Examinations Commission-----
Thank God for that.
That is one thing we can agree on.
I can give two assurances, one of which is about the way papers are marked. Difficult papers are marked more easily and easy papers are marked harder because there is a way by which grades are distributed.
I give that reassurance to students, parents and teachers. The grades for maths exams will be similar to what they have been in previous years. A hard paper is marked more easily. Certainly, when the exams are over, I know the State Examinations Commission will want to examine all the papers and see what can be learned for future leaving certificate exams.
I thank Deputy Higgins for reminding us this is Carers' Week. This Government has made a lot of important steps forward to help carers in recent years by, for example, increasing the carers' allowance and relaxing the means test. We have also increased funding for the disability care allowance and the carer's support grant. We have extended the GP visit card to everyone in receipt of the carer's allowance. The next step the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, is working on is a State contributory pension for carers, which will give them a bit more financial security in retirement. One area of real difficulty that was touched on by the Deputy is the ability to recruit and retain staff for the community disability teams. That is an enormous challenge that I know the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is working hard to address. She will provide further updates to the Deputy in writing.