The IMD world competitiveness rankings published this morning have confirmed that Ireland has dropped six places by that measurement in the past 12 months. It is the biggest drop by an existing country in the measure. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree the rankings drop is a serious concern, particularly to prospective inward investment as well as to all companies operating here. Has the Tánaiste seen the report? What will the Government's response be? Is he concerned that complacency is setting in over competitiveness in our economy?
Questions on Promised Legislation
I assure the Deputy that there is no complacency on competitiveness within the Government. We will not repeat the mistakes made in the past. In 2011, Ireland was ranked 24th in world competitiveness. The Deputy may have been a Minister of State in the relevant Department in the build up to that period and trying to improve our competitiveness. This is obviously disappointing and we need to take note of it. The reasons for Ireland's moving from sixth to 12th include Brexit; changes to international trading; exchange rate volatility; monetary tightening by the European Central Bank; and infrastructure development. The one over which we have control and to which we are responding is infrastructure. We have a €116 billion infrastructure plan for the next ten years to respond to that. We note this, but I assure the Deputy there is no complacency.
People will be rightly concerned about the reports this morning in regard to the doubt that has been raised about the future of the BreastCheck programme. It goes without saying, but let us say it again, that BreastCheck is a vital cancer screening programme and has undoubtedly saved many, many lives. However, we heard that Professor Ann O'Doherty told the Oireachtas health committee that her great concern is that litigation is going to cost so much that politicians will say "stop screening". Is it not the reality that compensation for women who have genuine legal cases and screening programmes can coexist? Will the Tánaiste assure people at home watching or following this that the Government will not be winding down the BreastCheck programme that has been invaluable to so many women and their families?
I can assure the Deputy we will not allow a situation where we have to wind down a programme that saves lives.
The Dáil has descended into farce on a number of occasions in recent weeks. The Government is incapable of moving its own legislation through Report Stage and the "dog's dinner", to borrow a phrase from the Attorney General, that was the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill has become even worse. Deputies who oppose a different Bill are speaking at length on it to use up time and that tactic is disrupting the flow of business in this House. The Government has proposed sitting until midnight next Tuesday and Wednesday to take both the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill and the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill.
We did not see them in here in the last week.
Today the House will sit from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on statements on worthy topics but legislation is the most important part and we need to make progress. Although I know it is a matter for the Business Committee, will the Government propose to keep the Dáil sitting as long as it takes next week to deal with the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill once and for all? Will it withdraw the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and bring back a clean version of it? Quite frankly, it would be improper to send such a flawed, imperfect Bill to the other House.
They have to get permission from the Minister, Deputy Ross.
I am told the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill is not now scheduled for next week. The Education (Admissions to School) Bill is being prioritised next week, followed by the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill. I share the Deputy's concerns. I think there is a political tactic at play at this stage and no longer any attempt at accurate scrutiny of legislation. There is a deliberate attempt to filibuster and frustrate the progress of necessary legislation by a very small grouping in the Dáil. Of course, they are using the rules as they are allowed to-----
Stop protecting the Minister, Deputy Ross.
The Deputies should stop abusing their position.
The fact is the Judiciary-----
The Tánaiste has the floor.
It is all about the Minister, Deputy Ross. It is time to wake up and see what he has done.
Order, please. The Tánaiste has the floor.
I do not think Deputy Collins understands it.
The Minister certainly did not understand it either and he put it forward.
It is a dog's dinner now.
It is a dog's dinner. The whole country is telling them that.
Will the Tánaiste finish with this matter?
There is a role for the Business Committee. We have a minority Government. We have a Business Committee that is powerful and can make decisions. If this House collectively decides that we need to progress this legislation, the Business Committee has the power to allow us to do that and, in my view, it should do it.
On the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, the Government has the power to withdraw it. It obviously cannot be amended now.
The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill is a separate Bill and the Ceann Comhairle has made a ruling on that.
Earlier this year Senator Frances Black introduced a Bill to the Seanad to end Irish trade with and support for illegal settlements in the West Bank. I understand a debate and vote will take place in the very near future. The Bill is legally sound but it will take political will to implement it. The people of Ireland have elected us as Deputies and I believe they demand that we compel the Government to do something about the State of Israel at the moment. Even today, Israel has announced 3,500 illegal houses in the West Bank. This morning I spoke to a doctor in Gaza who said the situation there is unspeakable, and it is unspeakable what Israel has done to the people of Gaza.
If there is anything the Tánaiste can do, as a Deputy elected by the people of this country, he should vote on this Bill and implement it in order to send a message to the State of Israel. It would also send a message to the Palestinian people that we are on their side and against the State of Israel.
For the benefit of the House, Ireland's views on Israeli settlements could not clearer. The view of the international community on settlements, comprehensively expressed in UN Security Council Resolution 2334, could not be clearer either. They are illegal, they actively undermine the prospect for a sustainably negotiated two-state solution and the relentless expansion of settlements inherently involves injustice and provocation for Palestinians.
I have spoken on that Bill in the Seanad. I have maintained contact with the sponsor of the Bill and she knows my views on it. I will be in Israel the week after next, raising a lot of these issues directly both with Palestinian leaders and Israeli leaders.
Will the Government support the Bill?
I am not going to give an answer on that.
Will the Government support the Bill?
At the moment the Government is not supporting the Bill.
Order, please. I call Deputy Grealish.
Under Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Housing Agency recently purchased 29 houses in one estate in Cúirt na hAbhainn in Claregalway. This is a very sought-after village with a very high demand for housing. While I acknowledge there is a crisis with people looking for social housing, there is also a crisis with people looking to get on the property ladder. What chance has a young couple to buy a NAMA-owned house when they cannot even get the opportunity to bid on one? Will the Tánaiste give a commitment that some of these houses will be put on the open market so young couples can have an opportunity to bid on them to try to get on the property ladder? It is not right that these houses are bought en bloc. Young couples, who are staying at home with their parents despite having young children, are trying to get into the property market but they cannot do so, given the Housing Agency is coming in and buying up houses en bloc. It is not just in Claregalway and it has happened in Athenry and other places. There must be some route whereby young people can also bid on these houses.
I thank the Deputy for the question. We obviously have a duty of care to the citizens of our country to make sure we are providing for them. That is why Rebuilding Ireland is a €6 billion commitment to bring 50,000 new homes into the social housing stock and, more than that, to use the private rental sector to look after people who are on the housing lists and who need housing supports. It is very important that we do that. It is also very important that we have a mix, whether we are building a new community or regenerating a community, and that includes taking on some of the legacy housing stock from the crisis years which was left empty, the ghost estates and the derelict housing, and bringing them back into use and to do that in a mixed way.
The Housing Agency is doing great work, working with local authorities and other agencies to secure homes for social housing. One of the things I said to local authorities at the first housing summit in September of last year was that where they are acquiring, they should only acquire in low-demand areas because we want them to build more. A 30% increase in building will happen this year because of that direction I gave them. Obviously, as they approach each area in their own communities, they should approach them with that purpose of mix in mind, so we can get a sustainable mix in every area. I will speak to the local authority and the Housing Agency about exactly what is happening in Claregalway and I will come back to the Deputy in due course.
When will legislation be brought forward for the rainy day fund? I understand the Cabinet took a decision on that, even though, at the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, the Minister could not give us any indication of the purpose of this fund and whether it is to be an emergency fund, a counter-cyclical fund or otherwise. Many of us believe in sovereign wealth funds and the NTMA doing what it has to do to restore our basic savings and pensions fund. However, many, and I am one of them, are totally opposed to a rainy day fund in 2019, given fiscal space is so tight. We need to have a full debate about putting aside over €1.5 billion in such a short period.
I agree strongly with Deputy Howlin in regard to his comments on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill and the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill. What has been happening in recent weeks is damaging the legislative process and damaging the reputation of this House. We have had a long debate and we are into voting mode on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill. We should set aside a specific time for that Bill and get it finished, and then deal with the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill in the way Deputy Howlin has said.
I agree with the Deputy. Some of the approach to the issue of road safety and the role of alcohol in it has been made a joke of quite frankly. The sooner we can finalise this legislation the better. That is a matter for the Business Committee, which, I hope, will deal with it responsibly.
The rainy day fund is a prudent measure. The Government has decided to go ahead with it and the Minister for Finance will proceed with drafting the necessary legislation to set it up.
On page 46 of the programme for Government, there is a reference to the commercial rates Bill and page 136 contains a reference to the regeneration of urban centres. Small retail businesses throughout the country are under serious pressure because over €600,000 is being lost every hour due to illegal trade. A sum of €418 million annually is lost to small indigenous businesses in the Border region. Ultimately, the State is losing out in this regard as a result of unpaid VAT. In addition, there has been a proliferation of web-based companies registering under the .ie domain name and purporting to be of Irish origin. This is leading to further tax avoidance. This lack of competitiveness for retailers is being further exacerbated by the delay in introducing the long-promised commercial rates Bill, which is needed in order to balance the trading obligations of the bricks-and-mortar businesses and those trading online. When I asked about this Bill many months ago, the previous Taoiseach promised that it would be before the House by last Christmas. Will the Tánaiste indicate when the legislation will be introduced?
The commercial rates Bill is priority legislation. I and my officials have had several meetings with the Attorney General in recent weeks to ensure that we can have the draft legislation published as soon as possible. I had hoped that would happen this month but I have assurances that we will have it in June. There is one particular issue we are trying to finalise with the Attorney General before publishing the Bill.
Solar energy is mentioned on page 124 of the programme for Government. When will planning guidelines to ensure best practice in the placement of these projects be introduced? It is like the Wild West at present. For example, there is a planning application for a 400-acre solar project on grade A arable land in Wexford. I do not expect the Minister to comment on a particular project but even the chairperson of An Bord Pleanála has called for these guidelines. When will they be brought in to line with food security issues and community needs?
I am in conversation with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment about the development of guidelines for solar energy and solar farms.
Both of the Minister's predecessors had long conversations about that matter but they never resolved it.
That was about wind turbines and we sorted it out.
Sitting suspended at 12.55 p.m. and resumed at 1.30 p.m.