Paul Murphy
Question:1. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the legislative programme. [7878/24]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Legislative Programme
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:2. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the legislative programme. [7881/24]
Peadar Tóibín
Question:3. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the legislative programme. [8793/24]
Darren O'Rourke
Question:4. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the legislative programme. [8949/24]
Mick Barry
Question:5. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the legislative programme. [9342/24]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, together.
The Government legislation programme, which was published on 16 January 2024, sets out Government legislative priorities for the current parliamentary session. The current programme includes 46 Bills for priority publication and drafting across a number of areas, including healthcare, access to housing, stronger safer communities and road safety among many others during the spring Dáil session.
Since this Government came to office in June 2020, a total of 187 Bills have been published, of which 177 have been enacted to date. During this current Dáil session, we will build on this work through the priority publication of 22 Bills and the drafting of a further 24 Bills. There are currently 25 Bills on various Stages across both Houses of the Oireachtas.
These include legislation that will amend and improve our planning system, provide for the regulation of gambling in Ireland and protect the rights and safety of children, their parents and all those involved in a surrogacy arrangement. I will continue to work with all Members to progress legislation through both Houses of the Oireachtas.
The current legislation programme does not include any Bills in preparation in the Department of the Taoiseach as there are no legislative matters in the Department's remit that require to be prioritised at this time. The Department will continue to play a central role in supporting effective co-ordination and prioritisation of policy and legislative developments across government through Government meetings, Cabinet committee structures and the Government legislation committee.
Thank you, a Aire Stáit. I call Deputy Boyd Barrett.
Just to explain, normally this is Taoiseach's Questions but the Taoiseach is not here, so I am stepping in for any questions on the legislative programme.
On the legislative programme, I understand the priority for the spring term is the childcare (amendment) Bill, which is to revise the Child Care Act 1991 to reflect best practice developments in the sphere of child welfare and protection services that have evolved in the 30 years since enactment and in light of the constitutional recognition of children as individual rights holders. It will also amend elements of Tusla's early years inspectorate. Can the Minister of State tell me any more about that Bill?
I raise it because of the alarming story today about private residential childcare facilities where it has been discovered that proper vetting was not done and there was possibly even fabricated vetting of people looking after vulnerable children. It immediately struck me that I had come across a similar allegation in my clinic recently made by somebody who had worked in a private residential care facility and who had made a protected disclosure as far back as 2022 containing a series of alarming allegations about goings-on in another private provider of residential care to young people. I will not go through all the details but there were some alarming allegations about the CEO acting inappropriately in the care of children, some suggestions of inappropriate sexual activity, staff working ridiculous hours, funds for clothing that were provided for children not being passed on to the children, or far less being passed on, and a series of other allegations.
A protected disclosure was made and the person who made it told me the person in Tusla dealing with the protected disclosure is also the person responsible for the inspectorate of that care facility. There is a serious conflict of interest and she have never received a proper response, as she sees it. I underline this has all been reported to me but it raises serious issues, if we look at the story today and these allegations, about how we are overseeing these care facilities and providing independent inspections to ensure that everything is above board, that there are no conflicts or interest in Tusla and so on.
Does the Minister of State think the Bill will address some of these issues or whether it should? Who can I contact about a case like this, where somebody makes a protected disclosure about protection of vulnerable children, and get a proper response? The person who made the allegations, who is historically a victim of abuse, is very worried about her failure to get a proper response from the relevant authorities.
Farmers are leaving the land in greater numbers than ever before. According to Teagasc, two thirds of farmers currently cannot make a living from the land alone. They have to either work elsewhere or are being driven into poverty. A total of 57% have an income of less than €20,000 per year. To put that in perspective, Ministers earn nearly ten times that figure per year.
Those farmers are under attack from every direction. They are under attack from the new climate change Bill, which is loading up carbon taxes on them; the Government's shutting down their ability to harvest peat and instead importing peat from Latvia; and the Government's investment in the Mercosur agreement, which would bring more Brazilian beef into the European Union, thus displacing beef produced more environmentally in Ireland. They are also under attack from the structure of the agricultural market. There are three elements to the supply chain in farming: farmers, factories, and supermarkets. All of the profit is landing on the last two elements. Factories and supermarkets earn supernormal profits. Many are tax-resident in the likes of Luxembourg. Farmers are earning very little, yet the Government has resisted putting pressure on the market to make sure farmers get more for their produce. We in Aontú have drafted a Bill which will put a floor under the price of beef to prevent factories pushing the price under the cost of production, yet the Government will not accept it.
The nature restoration law has been passed by the European Parliament. Most of the political parties have had their MEPs voting for it. There are serious and legitimate concerns among farmers that are not being addressed such as the rewetting of land, especially bogland, which could raise water tables and make surrounding farmland unproductive, and the increase in space for nature in farms without any real talk of funding for farmers to help make up for that. There is a clear lack of definition and a clear difficulty with regard to the plans that are happening.
Farmers will not take this lying down. We have recently seen an uptick in farmers protesting around the country. I appeal to Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party to start listening to the farming community because without that community, much of rural Ireland will be deleted.
I thank both Deputies for their questions. This session is on legislation.
With regard to agriculture, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has prioritised one Bill for publication during this parliamentary session. That is the agriculture appeals (amendment) Bill. The general scheme of the Bill was approved at Cabinet on 16 January this year and it is undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny.
On the issues Deputy Tóibín mentioned, I advise him to table a parliamentary question to the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, or the relevant Minister to get a detailed reply on those.
To answer Deputy Boyd Barrett, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is prioritising one Bill for publication and two for drafting this parliamentary session. The child care (amendment) Bill the Deputy referred is a priority for publication. Pre-legislative scrutiny was completed in June last year and work is ongoing on the Bill. On the specific questions the Deputy raised, it would be a good idea to engage directly with the Minister on those.
Legislation prioritised for drafting in this session includes the prohibition of conversion practices Bill. Work on the Bill is ongoing and the general scheme is being drafted. Work is also progressing on the general scheme of the Equality Acts (amendment) Bill, which is a priority for drafting in this session.
Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar
www.oireachtas.ie
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Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 1.29 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 2.29 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 1.29 p.m. and resumed at 2.29 p.m.