Wednesday, 18 Oct 2023

Ceisteanna - Questions

Cabinet Committees

Questions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

1. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [41575/23]

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

2. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with disability will next meet. [42509/23]

Cathal Crowe

Question:

3. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [42581/23]

Michael Moynihan

Question:

4. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with disability will next meet. [42584/23]

Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

5. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [42590/23]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

6. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with disability will next meet. [42604/23]

Mick Barry

Question:

7. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [42619/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

8. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [43865/23]

Paul Murphy

Question:

9. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [43868/23]

Gino Kenny

Question:

10. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [43871/23]

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

11. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [44058/23]

Alan Dillon

Question:

12. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [45023/23]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

13. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [45032/23]

Oral answers (9 contributions)

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 13, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on health last met on 25 September and is currently scheduled to next meet on 23 October. The Cabinet committee on health oversees programme for Government commitments relating to health and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas. It considers the progress of health reforms, including Sláintecare, and the reform of disability services. The Cabinet committee also maintains an overview of public health.

In addition to attending meetings of the full Cabinet and Cabinet committees, I meet Ministers individually to focus on various issues. I meet the Minister for Health regularly to discuss progress and challenges in the area of health, including finance and the Sláintecare reform programme. We met as recently as yesterday. Sláintecare, which is happening with the support and oversight of the Department of the Taoiseach through the Cabinet committee on health, is about four main things: making healthcare more affordable; making healthcare more accessible; ensuring better outcomes for patients; and reforming and integrating our health service.

We are committed to expanding the core capacity of our acute hospitals, with more health professionals and more acute hospital beds. We have added more than 1,000 permanent beds since 2020. We have increased the total public health sector workforce by more than 22,500 since the beginning of 2020. This includes nearly 7,000 additional nurses and midwives, over 3,000 additional social care professionals and 2,500 additional doctors and dentists. There is a strong pipeline of capital projects, including several new hospitals and significant new facilities for existing hospitals.

Our multi-annual approach to waiting lists resulted in an overall reduction in the number of patients exceeding the Sláintecare maximum waiting times by 21% since the post-pandemic peak. This is at a time when waiting lists are growing in most other jurisdictions. The enhanced community care programme continues to improve healthcare at a more local level and alleviate pressure on hospitals and in more acute settings. The majority of community healthcare networks, community intervention teams and community support teams are now in place and providing care closer to home. Work is ongoing on the reconfiguration of the HSE organisational structures into six new health regions and the establishment of elective care centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway, as well as surgical hubs in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford in the interim.

We are making healthcare more affordable at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is affecting everyone. This is being done through the removal of hospital inpatient charges, wider eligibility for the GP card, which has now been extended to more than half the population, and a reduced drug payment scheme threshold, among other things.

Last week, the Government announced a €22.5 billion health budget that will facilitate the continued delivery and expansion of quality, affordable healthcare services. A separate €2.6 billion is being invested in disability services. This budget is being transferred from the Minister for Health to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Budget 2024 will provide €500 million for waiting lists, including the opening and staffing six new surgical hubs. The waiting list plan is fully funded. There will be a further expansion of the free contraception scheme to include women aged 31; increased funding for mental health by completing the staffing of child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, teams, if staff can be found; increased funding for digital health; the first full-year programme of publicly funded assisted human reproduction services, including IVF; over €36 million for surge measures to respond to periods of heightened demand in acute and community services; over €20 million in extra funding for disability residential services for adults and children to provide about 100 new residential places; €10 million for new respite services; and over €18 million for placements in adult day services for over 1,000 young people leaving school in 2024. The significant allocation also includes a health resilience fund to assist in responding to high inflation and increased patient demand among an expanding and ageing population.

Our health service has its challenges but it is responding and has expanded dramatically in recent years. We are treating more people with better outcomes than ever before. Our life expectancy is continuing to increase and is now well above the OECD average. We continue to reduce mortality rates for stroke and certain cancers and report positive trends in preventive health.

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan

I thank the Taoiseach for the comprehensive reply. At the next promised Cabinet committee meeting, will the inability of the Department of Health in general to come within budget and deliver services as anticipated be recognised? Is it expected that dead reckoning, or as near as possible to it, can be achieved in respect of this? Has sufficient emphasis been put on the people charged with identifying the potential costs over the course of a year or two years? Will it be possible to meet the challenges of the future based on the evidence and experiences of the past, particularly in regard to correctly identifying the potential costs of services over any period in the future?

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

On disability, developmental disability and delays in opening autism units in schools, a new autism unit was meant to be opened for students in Scoil Íde, Kilmore, this September, but this has been delayed, causing great stress among the pupils and families, who are left without any school places. The lack of planning and lack of delivery on promises made are completely unacceptable and put the students and their families under additional stress that they really do not need. Why are autism units that have been promised not being delivered on time? Why are pupils with autism being left without school places as a result?

Deputy Michael Moynihan

Several issues arise. The Taoiseach mentioned respite and residential places. Service providers, predominately section 39 organisations, used to apply to what is now the Department responsible for the environment, and now apply to the Department responsible for housing, under the capital assistance scheme, CAS, for funding. Many find it cumbersome and difficult to access funding where available. A long time ago, many residential places were rolled out under the scheme. This should be examined and made more streamlined so the service providers can access a direct source of funding.

The other issue is assessments of need, for which there is a huge waiting list, particularly affecting young children. It was suggested that funding be made available for parents to get assessments for their children privately. Is the Cabinet committee considering this?

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

We all have a fear regarding the moratorium. With regard to some of the unfilled positions, we know how difficult it is to get home help hours and to have staff allocated. This is a huge issue in north Louth and, I assume, elsewhere across the State. I met representatives of Family Carers Ireland and noted the issue they still come up with is that of the means test. Very many people with really good jobs suddenly become carers, whether for siblings or parents. Children, in particular, have to give up jobs to care for parents, and sometimes they are put under severe pressure because of the small amount of earnings their spouse has above and beyond the threshold.

The other issue they bring up is services. We all know that. I have asked the Taoiseach before what is the best we can do to get bang for our buck. We will not have enough speech and language therapists, SLTs, psychologists or occupational therapists, OTs, in the near future. We have looked at school inclusion models and pilot projects. I would like to see the results of these and whether we can have an outworking that can benefit everyone as regards assessments and therapies, as it is not working at this point.

Deputy Paul Murphy

The HSE chief executive officer, Bernard Gloster, said the simple reality is that the funding allocated to the health system in the budget is not adequate, that the service plan for 2024 that the HSE will put forward to the Minister will include a built-in deficit and that this will be the first time in his memory that that would be the case. I do not understand how the Government can propose a budget at a time of significant surplus - almost €10 billion is projected for next year - that will entail a worsening of the health crisis. It will entail an increase in the number of people who are on hospital waiting lists and in the number of people who will be on hospital trolleys this and next winter. How can it be the case that we have a budget for a worse health service? How can the Taoiseach stand over that? I understand that other Ministers may not have confidence in the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. If that is the case, get rid of Deputy Donnelly and do not punish the patients who are reliant on our public health service.

Deputy Gino Kenny

There is huge concern about a cohort of patients who rely on new drugs and treatments. Bizarrely, in this year's budget the funding for these treatments has been taken away. This will affect thousands of patients. Like all Deputies, I received an email about a person who relies on a particular drug and has been told by their doctor that they will not get it. The person will have to leave the jurisdiction. This is a case of life and death. There are consequences for many people. This is bizarre. The country is awash with money, yet people have to go without. Will the Taoiseach give clarity on access to new drugs?

Deputy Alan Dillon

I raise the continued absence of a chief pharmaceutical officer, CPO, in the healthcare system or the Department of Health. The role is essential to manage medicine and pharmacy services. It is missing in Ireland, unlike many other countries. We have a chief medical officer, a chief nursing officer, a chief dental officer and a chief veterinary officer. Certainly a CPO would ensure we have the correct medicines and pharmacy services for our people. Our system for medicines and pharmacy is complicated, which causes delays in getting new medicines to treat people. Right now, community pharmacists are dealing with medicine shortages. We need a plan to fix this. Ireland is unique as we have a big pharmaceutical industry. We need a strong voice in Europe to talk about medicines and a CPO could do that. In simple terms, a CPO would ensure we have the right medicines, fix medicine shortages and make sure we have better pharmacies. Does the Taoiseach support the idea of having a chief pharmaceutical officer and, if so, what steps will he take to put one in place? We need to cut through the red tape and bureaucracy in the Department of Health and make this happen for the good of our people and the sector.

The Taoiseach

In response to Deputy Durkan's question, it is always a struggle for health to come in on budget, no matter what increase is given in any year and whether it is big or small. That is especially so in the acute hospitals. It is much less the case in community care or the primary care reimbursement service, PCRS, which generally come in close to budget. There are areas that are simply not under the control of the HSE or Department of Health and cannot be predicted, such as pension costs - we never know for sure how many people will retire - and the State Claims Agency, which is subject to court judgments.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised the delay in opening an autism unit in Kilmore. I do not know the reason for the delay but we will do all we can to ensure it opens as soon as possible. I will make sure my office takes it up with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan. I will ask her to come back to the Deputy directly.

Deputy Michael Moynihan raised the issue of respite. An additional €10 million has been allocated for new respite services in 2024. I think the capital assistance scheme is operated by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I will have to double-check that and revert to the Deputy.

The issue of people waiting far too long for assessments of need is quite fraught. Much of it is linked to court judgments in which it was ruled that an assessment of need should be a long process. I think it is approximately 30 hours. Sadly, as a consequence, many resources are going into assessments of need rather than treatments and therapies. That is a real problem and we will have to deal with it. The idea of allowing people to get a private assessment reimbursed is under consideration. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, are keen to do a pilot of that next year and I support them in their efforts. We need to make sure it will be done correctly, that there is capacity and that there are terms, conditions and standards that can be applied.

Deputy Ó Murchú mentioned the recruitment moratorium. It is important to put on the record of the House that it is a partial recruitment moratorium. It only applies until the end of the year and only where the HSE has already recruited the number of people for which it has funding at a particular grade. Unfortunately, in some cases, it has over-recruited. It has recruited people for whom it does not have funding and that has, in many ways, led to the problem. The HSE will be able to increase its total headcount by 2,000 next year. Far from there being a reduction in staff working in the health service next year, the HSE will be allowed to hire an additional 2,000 staff, on top of the 23,000 hired since this Government came into office. We need to make sure it hires the correct 2,000 and not simply any 2,000. We will be engaging with the CEO of the HSE and his team about that.

The carer's means test has been relaxed in the budget for 2024. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, will set that out in the social welfare Bill.

In response to Deputy Murphy's question, we will work with the CEO of the HSE and his team to put together a credible service plan between now and the end of the year. It will involve a supplementary budget for this year, as everyone is aware. I recall that the CEO, Bernard Gloster, said that the emergency department plan has been funded and there are 120 fewer patients waiting for a bed today than was the case this time last year. The additional beds, including intensive care unit, ICU, beds have all been funded, as has the waiting list plan.

Cabinet Committees

Questions (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

14. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will next meet. [41576/23]

Cathal Crowe

Question:

15. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will meet next. [42582/23]

Michael Moynihan

Question:

16. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will meet next. [42586/23]

Alan Dillon

Question:

17. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment is next due to meet. [42614/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the committee on economy and investment will next meet. [42349/23]

Paul Murphy

Question:

19. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will next meet. [42352/23]

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

20. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will next meet. [42510/23]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

21. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will next meet. [43574/23]

Niamh Smyth

Question:

22. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Economy and Investment will meet next. [42877/23]

Mick Barry

Question:

23. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will next meet. [44963/23]

Oral answers (11 contributions)

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 23, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on the economy and investment was re-established in January 2023 and last met on 25 May. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for 16 November. The committee has a function similar to that of the committee on economic recovery and investment, which met six times in the course of 2022 and is chaired by the Tánaiste. Membership of the committee comprises the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, who is also the Minister for Transport; the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Other Ministers or Ministers of State will be invited to participate as required, as is the case with officials and advisers.

The committee oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments aimed at a sustainable economic recovery, investment and job creation, including through the implementation of our national digital strategy, Harnessing Digital: the Digital Ireland Framework. As with all policy areas, economic issues are regularly discussed at full Government meetings, where all formal decisions are made.

We continue to see good economic performance. More people are at work than ever before. Youth unemployment is close to an all-time low and female participation is close to an all-time high. Our economic model is founded on well-established and successful pro-enterprise policies, providing a sustainable regulatory and tax environment, with sound management of the public finances and significant investment in the infrastructure and skills required to ensure our ongoing competitiveness. The recently announced budget 2024 firmly continues this approach, with additional measures for business including the €250 million increased cost of business scheme, ICOB; additional funding for the IDA and for the local enterprise offices, LEOs, to assist small businesses; improvements to the research and development tax credit; and a new angel investment scheme.

Deputy Alan Dillon

I want to raise the issue of continued investment in water services. I acknowledge we are experiencing significant reform, with the aim of better services and promoting wider environmental protection, but there remain significant infrastructure deficits that need to be addressed, even after Uisce Éireann focuses on its capital programme in 2023. One specific project is the Newport sewerage scheme in Clew Bay in west Mayo, which has a timeline that has been pushed out to 2026, resulting in raw sewage being introduced to the waterways around Clew Bay. I appreciate the Government's commitment to high-level investment in this sector but we have timelines that are just unacceptable.

Within the rural water programme, we still await the next publication of the multi-annual rural water scheme. I would appreciate some clarity in this regard. When will it be published? We have various villages in north Mayo, including Srahataggle, Portacloy and Porturlin, to name a few, that are reliant on a new water connection. These households do not have a domestic water supply and when it rains heavily, they have condemned wells, their heating systems do not work and they cannot have showers. It is dreadful that in this day and age they are subjected to these conditions. I ask again about the overall programme for continued investment in water services, especially into the rural water programme. I would appreciate the Taoiseach's feedback on this.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

The Taoiseach often says there are no instant solutions to the housing crisis but I wish to suggest something the Government could do that could make a dramatic and rapid impact on it. I attended an ICTU conference on housing the other day where one of the other speakers was from Vienna. She pointed out that in Vienna now, 60% of all new developments are required to be social or affordable housing. Imagine that; not 10% but 60%. When some developers kicked up, the local authorities told them that if they kicked up any more they would make it 80%. Some 60% of Vienna's residents live in subsidised housing. How does that apply here? We have a lot of housing going on and only 10% goes to social housing. Soon, but not now, 10% will go to affordable housing but huge numbers of people who are not eligible for social housing cannot afford the rents or house prices of the new developments, so they are being bought up by vulture funds and so on. What I am proposing is that we take a leaf out of the Vienna book and use the big budget surpluses the Government has for capital investment to buy a significantly higher proportion of the newly developed housing for both social and cost-rental housing, that is, for the people over the thresholds who are completely priced out of the housing market. That can be done, it should be done and it could be done relatively quickly. It would make a dramatic impact on the availability of affordable housing for those affected by the housing crisis.

Deputy Paul Murphy

EirGrid admitted this week that there is a reasonable probability that energy supply will not meet demand this winter. The main reason for that is the proliferation of data centres, consuming 18% of our electricity and projected to consume 30% of our electricity by 2030. This uncontrolled growth is incompatible with the need to reduce carbon emissions to zero to halt climate catastrophe. Rather than tackling the root of the problem by banning the construction of more data centres, EirGrid's solution is to construct a liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal or multiple LNG terminals. Supposedly this is to serve as a back-up when the insatiable demand of data centres for electricity overwhelms the normal capacity of the grid. The CEO of EirGrid stated on Monday that building an LNG terminal is an urgent matter for the State. Environmental activists in this country have fought against LNG terminals for years. Only last month they celebrated An Bord Pleanála's correct decision to refuse planning permission for a facility in Shannon and hoped that this was the last we would see of this failed approach. However, now it seems the Government is about to exhume that dead horse in the service of the big tech multinationals. Will the Taoiseach confirm or deny that LNG infrastructure is to be endorsed in the forthcoming energy policy?

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

I want to ask the Taoiseach about recent analysis on housing affordability and how this impacts on the economy and investment. According to analysis published by the Parliamentary Budget Office recently, since Fine Gael has taken office house prices have increased by 76% and rents have increased by 90%, while wages have increased by only 27%. Since the Taoiseach entered the Government, housing has become less and less affordable and homelessness has reached its highest ever level, with record numbers of children growing up without a home. The numbers of people in their 20s, 30s and 40s still living in their childhood bedrooms is at record levels and home ownership levels are at their lowest for more than 50 years. Does the Taoiseach accept that the Government's approach on housing is simply not working?

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I have brought up the issue of the recommendations of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight before, and Deputy Boyd Barrett might also have mentioned it once or twice. In fairness, the Taoiseach has been supportive of those recommendations and a stakeholders' forum. Follow-up will need to happen with the Minister and this is vital. There is much talk of the possibility of cross-Border solutions with film studios and such, and that is all welcome, but we need to get those pieces and issues like the possibility of blackballing dealt with.

My question is on the tax credit in computer gaming. Nexus, Ireland's first gaming conference, is happening today. The idea of this tax credit was that there was not a sufficient computer gaming industry in this State. How have things progressed and what are the predictions for the future? It is a huge industry and a considerable amount of people take great enjoyment out of it.

The Taoiseach

Deputy Dillon's question was on Uisce Éireann and he particularly raised the slow timeline for the Newport sewerage scheme. That is something I will make personal inquiries about. I have met Uisce Éireann about its work programme and it has been clear with me that it is not possible for it to progress all projects at any one time. Even with additional finance there are limitations around skills and supply chains. There has to be a pipeline and the pipeline is not as fast as any of us would wish it to be.

On rural water schemes for villages, I am keen to make progress on this in order that we can have water schemes in more villages and small settlements. In that way, the small villages can have a natural increase and people can build houses in them. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, tells me that a decision on that will be made in the coming weeks, and certainly no later than the end of the year.

Going back to the question the Deputy asked in the last segment, on the chief pharmacy officer, I will have to double check with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, about that. The last time I checked the thinking was not to have an individual chief officer for all professions, including pharmacy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy. I could go on and describe more but the thinking was to have a single one for all of the allied professions. That was the thinking on that but that may have changed. We have a Government-funded National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, headed by Professor Barry, which does a lot of the work a chief pharmacy officer might do in a different jurisdiction.

Deputy Boyd Barrett talked about Vienna and mentioned the fact that 60% of all new developments in Vienna are reserved for social and public housing. It would be interesting to know where we are with that in the Dublin City Council area, because a huge amount of the new housing that is being built in the Dublin City Council area is social, cost rental or affordable. It might be the case that even without a rule it is at 60% already. Not a huge number of private homes for purchase are being built in the Dublin City Council area but it would be worth checking that out. If you look at the 30,000 new homes that were built last year, the proportion of those that were private homes for sale on the normal market was quite small. It could have been as few as one third, and most of those were located around our cities and suburban areas. I would like to see more homes being built for private purchase by people in all parts of the country, including Dublin city.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

The big investors are buying a lot of them.

The Taoiseach

Deputy Paul Murphy asked about electricity supply. I am glad to say we are in a much better place in the security of electricity supply than we were this time last year. That is down to the extra generation taking place, in both renewable and gas, and the fact that there is a better partnership between EirGrid and the big energy users, including data centres. Data centres can be called on to contribute to the grid because they have generation capacity of their own, particularly when there are issues around supply.

It is rarely part of the debate that data centres can produce their own energy and contribute to the grid and thereby help to solve the problem if there is shortage of supply. We are assured there will not be any red alerts this winter and it is unlikely there will be amber alerts either.

LNG infrastructure is not about data centres but is about the issue of gas supply. We in Ireland are going to need natural gas until at least 2050, if not beyond then. Even if we achieve net zero, we will still use natural gas to a certain extent. We currently only have two ways to get gas onto the island, which are through the UK interconnector and the Corrib gas field. When the Corrib gas field runs out, there will be only one way to get gas onto the island and that is a security risk. We need to do something about that. A number of options are available and we have not made a decision on that yet. Those options include floating LNG, fixed LNG and additional interconnectors to jurisdictions other than the UK.

I heard what Deputy Cian O'Callaghan had to say. It was another example of the selective use of statistics, which we are all guilty of sometimes. He specifically mentioned the ratio of earnings to average house prices and picked 2011 as the base year. If he picked 2007 or 2008 as the base year, he would come to a different conclusion. I encourage him to do the maths in that regard. I will use statistics selectively in respect of people earning their own homes. If Deputy O'Callaghan can do it, so can I. The number of people in Ireland who own their own homes is at a record high of 1.2 million. We know that from the census.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

It is the lowest percentage for 50 years.

The Taoiseach

In percentage terms, the rate has fallen but is still at 69%, when one excludes those are who are not stated. That is pretty high by international standards but not high enough. That is why we are prioritising home ownership.

I will have to come back to Deputy Ó Murchú on his question in respect of gaming. I might ask the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, to come back to him. I know the tax credit is designed to encourage more of the gaming industry to base operations here in Ireland and we are seeing signs of that already.

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Questions (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

24. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the recent UN summit in New York, with particular reference to discussions he had with representatives of other countries. [41347/23]

Bernard Durkan

Question:

25. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent discussions with President Biden. [41348/23]

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

Question:

26. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent visit to the UN as it relates to the sustainable development goals, SDGs, declaration. [41929/23]

Seán Haughey

Question:

27. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the UN General Assembly. [42587/23]

Seán Haughey

Question:

28. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent meeting with President Biden. [42588/23]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

29. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the UN General Assembly. [43575/23]

Brendan Smith

Question:

30. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent meeting with President Biden. [43824/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

31. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent discussions with President Biden. [43866/23]

Paul Murphy

Question:

32. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent discussions with President Biden. [43869/23]

Mick Barry

Question:

33. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the UN General Assembly. [44964/23]

Oral answers (12 contributions)

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 to 33, inclusive, together.

I travelled to New York to attend the UN General Assembly's high-level week. I delivered Ireland's statement at the UN's SDG summit, which highlighted the need to get back on track with reaching the SDGs. Towards that end, leaders adopted the summit political declaration, which Ireland co-facilitated with Qatar.

I also gave Ireland's national statement to the General Assembly on the Friday. In my speech, I highlighted four issues, which were the need for the international community to continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable for its brutal invasion; the vital importance of climate action ahead of COP28; the need to redouble our efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030; and the need for reform of the United Nations so that it better reflects today’s world.

While at the UN, I also participated in several events in the margins, including an event to mark 15 years of the UN LGBTI core group; a reception hosted by the German Chancellor to mark 50 years of German membership of the UN; and a reception hosted by President Biden and the First Lady for leaders attending the General Assembly. I also had various bilateral meetings, including with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who thanked Ireland for its support for the UN. I took the opportunity to recall the case of Private Seán Rooney and the importance of his family knowing the full facts around his tragic death. I also met Moldovan President Maia Sandu and reassured her of Ireland's continued backing for Moldova’s journey towards EU membership. I also had bilateral engagements with the Prime Ministers of Qatar and Samoa.

At the US reception, I had the opportunity for a short conversation with President Biden. The Tánaiste was also in attendance. I updated President Biden on developments in Northern Ireland and on the UK legacy Act, outlining our deep concerns for its implications. I thanked him for his continued interest in the peace process and for his appointment of Joe Kennedy III as economic envoy to Northern Ireland. As always, I found President Biden to be well informed and ready to be of assistance in whatever way he can.

While in New York, my programme included a reception for Irish people in the tech industry and a visit to the Irish Arts Center, during which I announced an additional €2 million to help with its further development. While in the US, I took the opportunity to travel briefly to Miami where I formally opened Ireland’s new consulate and met a number of local political and community leaders.

Deputy Seán Haughey

This year, we make the centenary of Ireland's accession to the League of Nations, which was the first step in Ireland truly taking its place among the nations of the world and clearly demonstrated our commitment to a rules-based international order. The challenges facing the United Nations today were clearly on display at the General Assembly last month. Four of the five leaders of the permanent members did not intend. Those were the leaders of France, the UK, China and, of course, Russia. The Secretary-General, António Guterres, warned that the world is becoming unhinged due to the geopolitical tensions and global challenges. He described how we are moving to a multipolar world with many power centres. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said at a side event in New York that the UN Security Council was completely useless because it has not been able to agree on anything. President Higgins said at the time that the UN was losing credibility. Meanwhile the war in Ukraine rages on, horrific violence has flared up again in the Middle East and climate change represents an existential threat to us all. The global south is demanding increased influence. The implementation of the SDGs has stalled. New forums, including the alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS, are developing and expanding. Where stands Ireland with regard to reform of the United Nations? Clearly the Russian veto on the UN Security Council is a major issue.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I welcome the Taoiseach's interaction to ensure the family of Private Seán Rooney gets the full truth of that devastating tragedy.

We are now dealing with the carpet bombing of Palestine by Israel. People are doing without food, energy, water and all those necessities. The Taoiseach spoke earlier about Ireland's interaction in respect of driving home the message, which needs to happen, that there needs to be a ceasefire. There must be an opening in order that Palestinians can be provided with the essentials that are necessary for life. We must look at what they are dealing with at this point, including forced displacement and all the rest of it. They have a difficult history of occupation, annexation and apartheid.

The Taoiseach detailed some of his interactions. I would like to know what interactions he has had with the European Union. I welcome where Ireland has been in respect of some of the messaging. We could talk about the tweet of the Hungarian Commissioner or deal with Ursula von der Leyen, who went far beyond her remit and provided what many people would consider green-lighting or absolute backing to Israel, which is now involved in absolutely brutal war crimes that need to be called out and condemned.

Deputy Brendan Smith

I am glad the Taoiseach referred to the terrible loss of Private Seán Rooney. At a time such as this, when there is so much turbulence, loss of life and suffering in the Middle East, we want to be conscious of the Irish people and peacekeepers, the members of our Permanent Defence Force who are in that area on United Nations peacekeeping missions at present. We must also think of NGOs from Ireland that are working in difficult circumstances and have done so over many years.

I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach had a brief opportunity to discuss with President Biden the need for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and to refer to the desperate Troubles legislation that has been put through both Houses in Britain. It is an awful indictment and a step backwards with regard to trying to bring about reconciliation on our island.

As I have mentioned in this House on many occasions, I believe that in all engagements with politicians from the United States, from the President to people from state legislatures and city halls, we must always be mindful of the position of the undocumented Irish. We must continue to emphasise in all forums the need to make progress on regularising the status of the undocumented Irish. The best estimate available to the Department of Foreign Affairs is that there are fewer than 10,000 Irish people in such a position. The overwhelming majority of those people are working hard, paying their taxes and contributing to society but, unfortunately, do not have the status they need.

They do not have residency status or access to visas. I am fully conscious that it will be difficult to have comprehensive immigration reform in the present climate in the United States, but we must continue to endeavour to get a legal pathway to status for those people and other people who wish to emigrate from our country for whatever reasons to the United States.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

The Taoiseach can google the video on this. A number of years ago, Joseph Biden said that if Israel did not exist, the United States would have to invent it. He went on to explain what he meant by saying that the United States would have to station tens of thousands of US troops in the Middle East. Why did he say that? It gives us a little glimpse into why he has gone to Israel today to offer unconditional, uncritical support to a regime that in the past few days publicly declared and then carried out an intent to ethnically cleanse 1 million Palestinians and impose brutal, savage, murderous collective punishment on the entire population of Gaza. He said it because it is in the strategic interests of the United States, as he sees it, to give Israel impunity. Is the Taoiseach going to finally challenge this horror and the impunity that Israel enjoys? Will he acknowledge that it is, according to every single international human rights organisation, many of which published reports in the last year, an apartheid regime that is guilty of the illegal annexation and occupation of other people's lands and territory and does not have a right to defend apartheid or illegal occupation, and that it should be condemned and sanctioned for carrying out those crimes?

Deputy Paul Murphy

After the horrendous bombing of the Baptist hospital in Gaza, Joe Biden has arrived in Israel. He embraced the war criminal, Netanyahu, and said, "It appears as though it was done by the other team, not you." It was a disgusting comment in line with the disgusting policy of US support for Israeli ethnic cleansing.

Those who have given a green light to genocide by Israel, including Joe Biden and including von der Leyen, have blood on their hands. The denial of Israel is just part and parcel of the regular propaganda machine. They denied killing Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. They blamed it on the Palestinians for months. In 2022, they denied a strike killing five children in Gaza, blaming it on Islamic Jihad before having to admit it. This is just what they do. We should have believed them when they told us what they were going to do. When the army spokesperson said, "The emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy", when the defence minister said, "We will eliminate everything", and when they gave written threats repeatedly to hospitals in Gaza saying they were going to bomb them, we should have believed. The Israeli ambassador on the radio this morning denied doing it but said that Israel has the right to bomb hospitals in Gaza. It is time for action. It is time to expel the Israeli ambassador.

Deputy Mick Barry

Does the Taoiseach not think it is strange that a state that organises a bloody occupation, cuts off water, food and electricity supplies to millions of people, organises the collective punishment of an entire people including bombing hospitals - plural - schools and civilian infrastructure and that plans an invasion that can only result in Palestinian deaths far greater than we have even witnessed in the past ten days is afforded the privilege by the Government of having an embassy in this Republic? Does he not think that it has gone way beyond the time to expel the Israeli ambassador from this country?

The Taoiseach

Deputy Haughey raised the issue of the UN Security Council. It is very much our view, and I expressed this view at the UN General Assembly, that the UN Security Council needs to be reformed. It simply does not reflect the world in 2023. The five permanent members are the victors of the Second World War, which was a long time ago now. It is in dire need of reform and legitimacy.

We should all appreciate that there is much more to the United Nations than the Security Council. There is UN peacekeeping. Does anyone doubt the value of operations like the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, which has at least allowed people in south Lebanon to lead a relatively normal life most of the time for the past few decades? I know we are very proud of the role we have played in that operation. Look at the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, for example, in Gaza and the West Bank in caring for Palestinian refugees. That is the UN. Look at the World Health Organization and the work that organisation has done in fighting pandemics. When people are critical of the UN, fair enough, they can be critical of its limitations and of the composition of the Security Council, but they should not turn a blind eye to all the other things the UN does, such as peacekeeping, and the various different UN agencies. It is a valuable institution and I am glad that we prioritise it as part of our diplomacy.

Deputy Ó Murchú asked about my interaction with the European Union. That is ongoing. Over the course of the weekend while I was in Paris, my team and I were in touch with President Charles Michel to agree the joint statement that was released on Sunday, which I think was a balanced one. I attended the European Council meeting by video conference yesterday. That was attended by 27 Heads of State and Government. Also present were President von der Leyen, President Metsola and the High Representative, as well as President Michel. I had a bilateral meeting with President Macron on Sunday, and we discussed this as one of the three main topics. The Tánaiste is very active at the moment in taking a leading role contacting other states including Jordan, Fatah, Iran and others.

Deputy Brendan Smith reminded us of the fact that we have citizens in the region and their safety is very much on my mind. We have peacekeepers in Lebanon and Syria. We have aid workers in Gaza, and we have citizens in Gaza as well. So far, the only Irish person who has been killed in this conflict was killed by Hamas. We should not forget that. However, of course, our citizens are at risk in Gaza, south Lebanon, Israel and Golan. I certainly hope there will be no other Irish citizens killed during the course of this conflict or in this phase of the conflict.

Deputy Smith also raised the issue of undocumented Irish. We have a really good model that other states could follow in terms of regularising undocumented people. We have done a few schemes in this State, including one for people who arrived with student visas and subsequently lost their status. It is a good example for the US to follow. Unfortunately, however, I do not think it is going to be possible for it to do so. The whole debate around migration in the US has become so polarised that it would be very difficult for any President or Congress to be able to get reform through. That is a real shame but hopefully that will change at some point in the future.

I will state once again, Israel was not invented by the United States-----

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

No, Britain invented it.

The Taoiseach

-----notwithstanding anything Deputy Boyd Barrett may have seen. It was established by the United Nations as a Jewish state in their historic homeland. Israel has the right to exist-----

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

It busted out of the UN partition plan immediately.

The Taoiseach

-----but it does not have a right to do wrong.

Finally, Deputies will recall that there were many calls to expel the Russian ambassador and to close the Russian Embassy in Dublin. Everyone in this House knows that I was 100% on the side, and remain 100% on the side, of the Ukrainian people in resisting occupation and resisting the war that is happening that has been caused by Russia. We decided not to expel the ambassador or close the Russian Embassy precisely because we think it is important that even in the worst of times, we have to keep diplomatic contacts open.

Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie .

Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 1.49 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 3.01 p.m.

Sitting suspended at 1.49 p.m. and resumed at 3.01 p.m.