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Programme for Government

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2020

Tuesday, 20 October 2020

Questions (9, 10)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

9. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the status of the implementation of the programme for Government. [29923/20]

View answer

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

10. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach his plans to establish additional Cabinet committees as outlined in the programme for Government. [29925/20]

View answer

Oral answers (12 contributions)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.

Notwithstanding the impact of Covid-19 on all aspects of the social and economic life of our country, we have been working hard to implement commitments in the programme for Government across a wide range of issues in all Departments. A structure comprising ten Cabinet committees with specific responsibility for a range of issues has been established to support the achievement of these objectives. These committees deal with the following matters: Government response to Covid-19; economic recovery and investment; housing; health; environment and climate change; social affairs and equality; education; Europe; Brexit and Northern Ireland; and Government co-ordination. Cabinet committees meet regularly, consistent with the provisions in the programme for Government, and further committees will be established by the Government if necessary.

A range of social and economic issues which impact on programme for Government commitments and which cut across many Departments have been considered and progressed through the Cabinet committee on the Government response to Covid-19, leading to the development of Ireland's national plan in response to Covid-19, the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business and Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with Covid-19, which was launched recently. Issues considered in each of these plans include the social and societal impacts, employee impacts and business continuity, supports for individuals and businesses, economic and budgetary implications, modelling, communications and international response measures.

Other programme for Government commitments that have been progressed in the past four months or so include ongoing monitoring and management of the impact of Covid-19 on the provision of both Covid and non-Covid healthcare to ensure sufficient capacity, utilise new technologies, support vulnerable groups and develop new pathways of care. The HSE's winter plan for this year, supported by the allocation of an additional €600 million, will deliver essential healthcare in a Covid-19 environment while advancing the goals of Sláintecare through prioritisation of primary care and community services.

The 24th plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council was held in Dublin Castle on 31 July. It provided the new Irish Government and the restored Northern Ireland Executive to meet formally for the first time and exchange views on a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern, including Covid-19 and Brexit. A shared island unit has been established in my Department and its work is under way. Budget 2021 included a shared island fund with a planned €500 million to be made available out to 2025. This fund will provide the resources to deliver on our commitment to build a shared island underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The fund will foster new investment and development opportunities on a North-South basis and support the delivery of key cross-Border infrastructure initiatives set out in the programme for Government.

The July jobs stimulus was launched that month and comprises more than 50 measures and includes in excess of €4 billion of direct expenditure, €1 billion of taxation measures to directly support businesses, as well as €2 billion in credit guarantees. A unit to help co-ordinate future social dialogue has been established within my Department. This unit will seek to create new models of sectoral engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across civil society. It is part of the economic division of my Department which is already involved in dialogue with the social partners.

A number of key climate action commitments have been achieved including the publication on 7 October of the draft text for the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2020, which will set the country on course to become climate-neutral by 2050. Work is under way to have the Bill enacted this year.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Funding of more than €3 billion has been granted in budget 2021 for housing, along with additional funding in the July stimulus package. A €118 million skills package has been announced as part of budget 2021 to help workers to reskill and retrain in areas where there is a skill shortage or potential for future employment. A €121 million budget package has been announced to provide additional funding to Tusla, for direct provision services, for youth and childcare services and for Traveller and Roma initiatives. A suite of support measures has been announced for tourism, culture, arts, Gaeltacht, sport and media, including a €50 million support package for live entertainment and an additional €50 million for the Arts Council. There are ongoing negotiations at European Council level on the Multi-annual Financial Framework, MFF, the seven-year budget for the EU, and on the Next Generation EU recovery package. Other issues considered at last week’s European Council meeting which I attended in Brussels, included EU-UK relations, climate change and external relations.

The pandemic is hard for everyone but it has been a uniquely horrific time for victims of domestic abuse and violence. Demand for services has increased by at least 30%. I heard the Taoiseach when he was reflecting on level 5 and the gravity of imposing such stringent restrictions on citizens. He cited his concerns about child protection and domestic abuse and violence. What additional supports and resources will be put in place for victims in terms of refuge places, additional resources and funding for support services to meet the demand over the next six weeks? Will the Taoiseach set that out for us? The Government needs to communicate very clearly to victims. These are people who, in many instances, now live lives and daily routines of terror in these extraordinary and difficult times. What resources are in place? Staff working in these essential services need to know now that the funding and resources they require to meet the needs of these women, men and children are provided for. I am running out of time but there is a commitment, for example, for a plan for future refuge space on publication of a review of domestic violence accommodation provision. This needs to happen. This issue routinely gets kicked down the road. It gets a lot of worthy rhetoric by times from Government after Government and then it gets forgotten.

There are many other issues, including domestic homicide reviews, that I wish to raise with the Taoiseach but, sadly, time does not permit this afternoon.

The programme for Government refers to the need to address the issues that arise out of cases similar to the Debenhams case and to protect workers who have been impacted during Covid. Earlier, the Taoiseach effectively refused to answer the question Deputy Barry put to him. That question, by the way, came directly from the shop stewards and they want to know his answer because it is very important facing into the next number of weeks. They want to know if the Taoiseach will state clearly that the removal of goods by KPMG from a retail outlet over the next six weeks would breach public health guidelines. The Taoiseach needs to be explicit. KPMG need to hear that that is the case so that the workers do not have to worry during the imminent period of level 5 restrictions about round the clock picketing to prevent the removal of those goods. Will the Taoiseach state that in order to be clear? To me it is obviously the case but there needs to be no ambiguity from the point of view of the workers or KPMG.

Second, will the Taoiseach commit, as I, together with Deputies Barry, McDonald and so on have asked, to convene a meeting with KPMG, the shop stewards, and the unions to try to resolve this dispute and save 1,000 mostly women workers yet more hardship, uncertainty and anxiety? Will he use his offices to try to resolve this in a just way? The Taoiseach should do this for their sake. The least he could do is organise a meeting of that sort.

On Deputy McDonald's point about domestic abuse, resourcing will not be an issue in dealing with this, particularly during the lockdown. If there are particular issues she has identified with any specific refuges or centres that need additional funding, the Government will certainly respond. The issue is that the evidence from the first lockdown was that the level of domestic violence did increase and that is a worry and a concern in the context of a further lockdown. The Ministers concerned have been looking at what additional measures can be taken to help and to assist the staff involved, with awareness helplines but also engagement across the different Departments. That work will continue and funding will not be an issue in this regard.

Even at today's Cabinet meeting, the level of work under way illustrates that the programme for Government is moving at pace. The marine development Bill, which was before the Cabinet earlier, will help to unleash a lot of economic development. It still needs a lot of legislation but the heads were essentially agreed today. On housing, the Land Development Agency Bill was agreed today. There is a lot of work still to be done but our aim is to get it published before the end of the year and through the House. The electoral reform Bill dealing with the establishment of an electoral commission went through Cabinet today. I refer to Erasmus for students in Northern Ireland, notwithstanding what may happen with Brexit. If there is an agreement, UK students may be able to avail of the Erasmus programme. If there is not, that will leave Irish citizens in the North in jeopardy. We are taking measures to ensure students in the North can avail of the programme through universities in the Republic. That was passed today. We agreed Covid-19 measures to make sure we can sign up two other companies so we can procure vaccines when they become available. We dealt also with the Covid-19 fines and penalties legislation and Cork flood support. On direct provision reform, the report by Ms Catherine Day was considered by Cabinet today. It is a very substantive report and the Ministers will launch it with her shortly. The heads of the finance Bill was passed today. A starting date for the CervicalCheck tribunal was sanctioned at Cabinet today. Regarding victims and witnesses, the implementation of the O'Malley report on sexual violence went through Cabinet today and the Minister for Justice and Equality is acting on that.

That is the level of pace and substance that this Government is about. In the past four months, the quality and substance of the legislation has been without precedent, from what I can see, in such a short period. The major issues we have dealt with economically, financially and in respect of health have been very substantial and we intend to continue with that pace.

On Debenhams, I spoke to a shop steward this morning. They are under a lot of pressure.

The flooding that occurred in my city of Cork this morning created pressures for the workers concerned. I will see what I can do regarding whether we can facilitate a meeting between KPMG and the shop stewards. I know Mandate has been working on this and I do not want to overtake its role in it. Mandate, along with ICTU, has been leading on behalf of the workers.

Yes, if it is possible. The issue in terms of the application of level 5 is clear. Essential work is listed as to what is exempt and what is allowed. What we are discussing here is a very difficult situation. It involves a liquidation. The Government provides ordinary statutory redundancy. The capacity to go over and above this opens up a whole new chapter in terms of how the State will intervene in future liquidations. This is an issue. There is also the degree to which one can legally interfere with a liquidation that is before the High Court. That is not doable either.

Will the Taoiseach clarify whether the removal of goods is not compliant?

I will not, as Taoiseach, start listing what is in and what is out. That is not something I will engage in until the Government makes these decisions.

It is non-essential retail.

Non-essential retail is not part of level 5.

Is liquidation part of level 5?

I will go and check the full list. The issue here is to try to get this matter resolved. As someone said, after the lockdown, we do not want them back picketing up until Christmas. We do not want people on the streets. Gardaí use their discretion all the time, and have done since the outset of this dispute when the first lockdown was in place. To be fair to the Garda, it will be equally discreet in the exercise of its duties on this occasion also, of this I have no doubt. The more pressing point is whether we can get the issue resolved once and for all within the legal frameworks and the law, conscious of any precedent that might be set but which we can deal with and accommodate. It is very difficult but I will come back to the Deputies on the matter.

Sitting suspended at 4.22 p.m. and resumed at 4.45 p.m.
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