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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Oct 2022

Vol. 1027 No. 2

Ceisteanna - Questions

Cabinet Committees

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

1. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [44624/22]

Gino Kenny

Ceist:

2. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [44844/22]

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

3. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [45435/22]

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

4. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [45730/22]

Aindrias Moynihan

Ceist:

5. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [48121/22]

John Lahart

Ceist:

6. Deputy John Lahart asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [48122/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

7. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [48748/22]

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [48749/22]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on health oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments relating to health, receives detailed reports on identified policy areas and considers the implementation of health reforms, including Sláintecare. The Cabinet committee last met on Thursday, 9 June, and is expected to meet again shortly. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet committees, I meet with Ministers on an individual basis to focus on different issues. I meet regularly with the Minister for Health to discuss priorities in the area of health, including Sláintecare.

A number of priority programmes and reforms under Sláintecare have continued to be advanced to provide people with the right care in the right place at the right time. Work is progressing on the establishment of six new regional health areas and on the elective care centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway. The enhanced community care programme also continues to develop healthcare at a more local level closer to where people live, reducing pressure on hospital services. I have seen the enhanced community care programme in operation and it is a significant advancement on what was there previously.

Last week, the Government announced investment of €23.4 billion in our health and social care services. This represents the highest allocation of funding to the sector in the history of the State. It is designed to facilitate better access to affordable and high-quality healthcare during the current cost-of-living crisis and further advance our ambition for universal healthcare for all. Specifically, €107 million is being allocated to ease cost-of-living pressures. As part of this, eligibility for GP access cards is being extended. By the end of 2022, it is intended the scheme will cover all children aged six and seven. From 1 April 2023, it will be extended to people who earn the median household income of €46,000 or less. This measure alone will positively impact 500,000 people. Following the recent abolition of overnight and day case public inpatient charges for children under 16 years of age in all public hospitals, all inpatient hospital charges will be abolished from 1 April 2023. Additional measures include: €10 million for access to IVF treatments; the expansion of the entitlement to free contraception to women aged 26 to 30, and to 16-year-olds, subject to legal advice and consultation; and €5 million to introduce free oral healthcare for children up to seven years of age.

Essential services and service providers will also be financially supported this winter. Section 39 organisations, nursing homes and hospices will be eligible to receive additional support through a once-off health sector fund of €100 million. Access to care is being further prioritised with capacity commitments in the form of increasing staffing levels, delivering 250 new acute, critical care and community beds and a €443 million package to reduce waiting lists. Major increases in mental health services will be implemented, support for older people with a range of needs will be extended and nearly €30 million in new funding has been allocated for expanded disability services.

In the immediate term, the Department of Health and the HSE are at an advanced stage of planning for winter 2022-23. This includes rolling out the 2022-23 influenza campaign, which commenced this week, and making every effort to reduce any potential impact Covid-19 may have.

There are several speakers to come in, so each of them will have one minute.

The sham review into the future of Navan hospital emergency department is now complete. I say it is a sham review for a number of reasons. First, the people carrying out the review were the people who made the original decision. That is never a good way to do a review in Irish democracy. Second, the Minister for Health promised there would be engagement with the local community but there was absolutely none. Third, the Minister of State, Deputy English, promised that a future for Navan emergency department would be included in the review but it simply was not. The review was rushed and there was no consultation whatsoever with the medical staff in Drogheda.

Right now, Navan hospital emergency department has never been as busy. In one day it dealt with 105 patients, 50 of whom would have had to go to Drogheda if the emergency department had closed last June as planned. There were 13 people on trolleys there last week. The hospital has had to reopen wards to fit people in. Is it not the case that the Taoiseach owes the Save Navan Hospital campaign a debt of gratitude for our work in keeping key capacity for the emergency department open during this time of crisis?

Will the Taoiseach guarantee investment in Navan hospital's emergency department into the future?

Recent reports about the delivery of alcohol harm awareness programmes in schools by Drinkaware, an industry-funded organisation, are concerning. This, however, is not a new issue. The Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network, ICAAN, has been raising this issue for years. Research from the Health Research Board, HRB, has found that alcohol-related harm leads to an average of three deaths in the State per day. Why has the Government not fully implemented the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 on labelling and advertising? Industry-funded bodies like Drinkaware or, in the case of gambling, the Gambling Awareness Trust should never have a place in State education of our children. What actions are to be taken by the Cabinet committee on health to ensure that this does not happen again and that schools have access to education programmes?

I thank the Taoiseach for outlining how the expansion of free GP care is to proceed. Could he confirm if there are any plans by the Government to expand the roll-out of free GP care to those children aged over seven and under 18? We in the Labour Party proposed in our alternative budget that there would be an expansion of free GP care to all those under 18, as originally envisaged. Now, it appears that this Government has abandoned that plan, so the Taoiseach might confirm that, please.

Second, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is publishing its annual report for 2021 this afternoon. The report will show constant increases in the need for help with more than 14,000 calls last year to the centre. Could the Taoiseach commit to certainty for organisations such as the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, and indeed other rape crisis centres around the country, by providing for multi-annual funding for these organisations that provide critical public services yet are struggling to retain staff and must work year-to-year in relying on Government funding?

Has the Cabinet committee on health discussed the recruitment of people into the health service? There is a very serious situation with more than 20% of posts for care assistants, for example, in the Cork-Kerry region to be filled. Home helps are a vital service in supporting people who want to live at home and in their own communities, and to avoiding people having to go to hospital. The home help service is also a great support for their carers.

This issue has been constantly raised by people in my office. They have been approved home help hours but staff are not available to deliver the service. The HSE has confirmed that there are particular issues locally in Ballincollig, Dunmanway, Macroom and Millstreet where they have struggled to recruit home help workers. This is not exclusively an HSE issue because even private contractors who aim to deliver the service are also struggling. This is also impacting disability services such as the Cope Foundation in Macroom. Has there been any discussion on this topic at this Cabinet committee?

As I raised with the Taoiseach last week, and I want to raise it again because I do not believe I received an accurate answer from him, keeping warm and having heating over the winter is a health issue. Anybody who is on illness benefit, enhanced illness benefit, occupational injuries benefit, maternity benefit or disability benefit, however, does not receive the fuel allowance. Recipients will not, therefore, get the €400 payment, the double payment or the Christmas bonus. What is the Taoiseach going to do for those cohorts of people, many of whom are ill, have hurt themselves at work, are on maternity benefit, or are jobseekers, for that matter, on jobseeker's benefit? They are going to receive none of the one-off assistance payments to deal with the question of being able to heat their homes and pay for the energy price hikes over the winter. The Estimates Book is very clear about this that only people on long-term social welfare payments will receive these payments. Is the Taoiseach going to address that issue?

The Tánaiste told a meeting of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment this morning that the introduction of statutory sick pay has been delayed by 12 weeks to January 2023. The Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit of €350 was, however, abolished last Friday and is, therefore, back to a payment of €208 a week. Does the Taoiseach agree that the abolition of the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit should have been delayed until statutory sick pay was ready to be introduced, especially as we are now facing into another wave of Covid-19 and there is a three-month gap between the end of the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit and the introduction of statutory sick pay?

This will mean that many people will feel forced through economic necessity to go to work while infected with Covid-19 this winter, making the next wave and the impact on hospitals at the busiest time of year much worse than it would otherwise have been. It is the worst type of stupid penny-pinching that will end up creating greater costs for the health service and for people’s health.

Deputy Tóibín was first to speak. In respect of the Navan hospital review, I have not seen it yet so I cannot confirm his perspectives on it as regards his view that it has many shortcomings. I will engage with the Minister for Health on the review. The issues are not simple either. Clinicians on all sides have different perspectives on this in County Meath and elsewhere. We have to ensure that whatever we do is in the best interests of patients in the first instance, and that the best outcomes are achieved in treatment in the right place and at the right time, bearing in mind the severity of a case or of an illness. There is no doubt that hospitals are under a great deal of pressure at the moment because of Covid-19, its aftershocks, and what will be a difficult winter with an anticipated flu and waves of Covid-19. I appeal to people to get vaccinated and to get both the Covid-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine. This is vital in the prevention of getting sick yourself but also of reducing pressures. The Government and the Minister will examine the review that has been undertaken and will engage with the stakeholders on it.

Deputy Gould raised the issue of Drinkaware in our schools. It is not appropriate, as I have said, that resources or materials produced or funded by the drinks industry for education and awareness on alcohol are in use in our schools. The drinks industry should not be near our schools in respect of anything to do with addiction generally. The Departments of Education and Health and the HSE will work together to ensure that this message is communicated clearly to schools. Many of the schools are probably entering into this area in good faith and are anxious to try to help students and young people. I do not think there is any deliberately bad practice here in schools. They want to do the best they can by their students. Of course, the idea of the social, personal and health education, SPHE, programme when it was introduced was to deal with self-esteem, self-respect and addiction issues. There is a specific module within SPHE on the use and misuse of a range of substances. The SPHE specifications are currently being redeveloped by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA. The updated curriculum will be developed for primary, junior and senior cycle. It was published for consultation on 18 July, running until 18 October. Anyone with an interest in the area should contribute to the consultation before the deadline.

The HSE, with the support of the Department of Education and the NCCA, has produced a Healthy Choices resource for junior cycle SPHE, and unit 1 is currently available in the NCCA's online toolkit for SPHE to support teachers in addressing issues of alcohol, tobacco and drug use. The Department and the NCCA will continue to support the HSE in the development of units 2 and 3 of the programme, which are due to be published in 2023.

There are many supports there and materials from Drinkaware or from anywhere else are not needed as resources are already in place and available to schools, and that information will be communicated to them.

There is a Know the Score substance misuse programme published in 2019 for transition and fifth year pupils, which was jointly developed by the HSE, the Department of Education, and the drug and alcohol task forces. Reducing the high levels of harmful patterns of alcohol consumption among young people was one of the primary objectives of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act. We have brought in minimum unit pricing, which I am sure the Deputy agrees with.

We support that.

That is good. There are also a number of other recommendations we are continuing to work on.

Deputy Bacik raised the issue of the expansion of GP care. This year, the Government took the decision to expand quite substantially, through income thresholds, the number of GP care medical cards for access to GPs.

That will be quite substantial, with hundreds of thousands more. We are not abandoning the over-sevens but I believe we have to re-look at how we do it. Invariably, what happens is that an announcement is made in the budget in respect of children, and it then gets into negotiations with the organisations and it is about leveraging funding from the Government. That is not an ideal way of doing it. Income thresholds were an original view within the Department of Health for a long time, but we are not abandoning this. We provided for an extension in legislation for the over-sevens and the Minister will continue to pursue that in the time ahead. The focus and the allocation this year is in respect of the expansion of GP care to those on medium incomes.

The Deputy also raised the issue of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and its multi-annual funding. Again, there should be a base minimum and at least an understanding of a floor below which multi-annual funding does not drop in respect of organisations that are providing an ongoing service, such as those at the rape crisis centres across the country.

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan raised a fair point in respect of the recruitment process. The HSE is saying that over the past two years, certainly since the onset of Covid, approximately 15,000 people have been recruited, which is the largest ever number, but there are issues. In home care, we dramatically increased the number of hours to 20 million and we now want to go to 24 million home care hours, which is dramatic compared to where it was two years ago, and that has put a strain on the attempt to get people in. I also worry about therapists and the capacity, for example, to recruit therapists in paediatrics, which has been a big concern of mine. The HSE needs to focus on making sure it can attract therapists into working with children in specific areas, as well as in the areas of mental health, psychiatry and so on, where there are also difficulties with recruitment.

Deputy Paul Murphy raised the issue of statutory sick pay. It has not been delayed. It was always going to be 1 January and the Tánaiste made that clear from the outset. He was not in a position to bring it in before then because of a range of issues in notifying people and the processes that had to be gone through.

With regard to Deputy Boyd Barrett's point, again, the measures are designed to deal with those most in need. We have provided a vast range of supports.

Why are they not getting the ones that others are getting?

The supports cover not just those areas the Deputy has identified. Much more support has been provided in the budget over and above the specific payments to which the Deputy referred.

Cross-Border Co-operation

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

9. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach if he plans to advance the shared island initiative in discussion with the newly elected British Prime Minister. [44711/22]

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

10. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach the status of developments under the shared island initiative. [44814/22]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

11. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach his proposals to advance the shared island initiative with particular emphasis on the need to ensure ongoing dialogue at all levels to move all parties in the direction of peaceful equilibrium. [45711/22]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Ceist:

12. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach to report on the work of his Department's shared island unit. [48259/22]

Neale Richmond

Ceist:

13. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Taoiseach the funding that has been allocated to the shared island unit of his Department in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48332/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

14. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the shared island unit. [48333/22]

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

15. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the shared island unit. [48336/22]

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

16. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the shared island unit. [48471/22]

Mick Barry

Ceist:

17. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of his Department's shared island unit. [48635/22]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 17, inclusive, together.

Through the Government's shared island initiative, we are engaging with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future and delivering tangible benefits for the whole island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. In the budget last week, the Government confirmed an allocation of €100 million to our shared island fund for 2023, consistent with our commitment to the fund and to take forward our all-island investment priorities under the revised national development plan. We are working through all-island partnerships with the Executive, local authorities, education institutions and civil society.

I have been very clear throughout that we see scope for a strong east-west dimension to the shared island initiative and I see real potential for strategic investment by the Irish and British Governments for shared objectives and priorities, for instance, on all-island research hubs. I took the opportunity of my recent meeting with Prime Minister Truss to flag the shared island initiative to her.

On 4 July, the Government allocated €70.4 million from the shared island fund to take forward new cross-Border schemes on community climate action, electric vehicle, EV, charging infrastructure roll-out, arts investment projects and development of new local authority projects. We also made an enabling allocation from the fund for phase 3 of the Ulster Canal restoration. On 30 August, I laid the foundation stone for phase 2 of the Ulster Canal restoration, which is fully funded by the Government, including through the shared island fund, and on track to be completed next year. On 29 September, I and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage announced 25 awards totalling more than €4.3 million under the shared island local authority development funding scheme at an event in Cavan which brought together 23 different councils from across the island. Through the scheme, they are now working in cross-Border partnerships to progress feasibility work over the next year on new collaborative investment projects, with a view to accessing further funding in both jurisdictions for delivery stage, including through the shared island fund. Projects address shared concerns for the island, including on biodiversity, sustainable tourism, circular economy, innovation, and cultural and creative industries.

The shared island research programme commissioned by my Department is continuing. Final reports from the ESRI will be published later this month on productivity levels on the island and, next month, on co-ordination of renewable energy policies and electricity infrastructure.

The Government's focus is on inclusive civic engagement with all communities and political traditions. The shared island dialogue series has so far directly involved some 2,000 citizens and civic representatives through 11 dialogue events. On 29 June, I addressed a dialogue with more than 150 young people in attendance in Derry on the theme of identities on a shared island. The next dialogue will be on arts and culture at Queen's University Belfast on 13 October, with participation by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, for the Government, and the Executive Minister for Communities, Deirdre Hargey, MLA.

On 29 September, I participated in the launch of the first report of the All-Island Women's Forum, and on Monday, 3 October, I launched the report of the iCommunity hub led by the Wheel and the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action. Both projects followed on from our shared island engagements and, supported by the Government, they are forging significant new civic connections and making recommendations on common concerns for communities across the island. The Government will positively consider their recommendations.

Question No. 281 answered with Question No. 274.

I thank the Taoiseach for his comprehensive reply and for pursuing this useful initiative in the way he has done. I merely want to support that. I ask that he will ensure that all levels of community interaction that can be facilitated will be facilitated to establish trust between the communities there and, of course, between North and South in terms of what might be seen as a threat by some in some communities and might be seen as an admirable objective by others. I support his commitment to continue working at the project in such a way as to bring the people of this island together. The last point I want to make is that we also need to undertake a certain amount of education in this part of the island, with particular reference to the 62% of Irish people who said they were in favour of closer co-operation but were against paying for it.

I was very glad to attend the event in my hometown in Cavan last week where the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, launched the special funding to assist local authorities to prepare programmes. It was great to have people of all political views from 23 local authorities there representing their communities. There was an extremely warm welcome for the shared island funding. The only thing I heard of was people coming forward with more projects that need more funding, so it is widely welcomed. The Taoiseach and I previously discussed the opportunity to develop our further education sector on an all-Ireland, cross-Border basis. I had the opportunity to visit the new campus in South West College in Enniskillen some months ago, and it was warmly embracing the idea of the shared island and doing work together.

Similar to Deputy Durkan, I wish the mindset and thinking on progressing the shared island initiative would be shared throughout all our Departments and statutory agencies because it is not acceptable that students attending colleges in Northern Ireland and Britain cannot get the once-off fees contribution announced in the budget.

I ask for an update on the Narrow Water Bridge project. When we spoke yesterday, I referred to the need for a citizens’ assembly, in particular on the basis of the successful Ireland's Future event. The Taoiseach spoke about the shared island initiative. I would like to see how that conversation could be expanded to be all it would need to be. I ask that we look at research and modelling that could model Departments and systems for a united Ireland, and that we come up with a piece of work similar to what Scotland's Future did regarding what Irish unity could look like, and that we answer some of the questions that are in front of people at the moment.

I am very grateful, as ever, to the Taoiseach for his comprehensive response.

One of the many great sadnesses of the political stand-off on these islands is the fact that we do not have the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement up and running properly, for example, the North-South Ministerial Council, and that we do not have our trade and economic ministers meeting more often and pushing the agenda of closer North-South economic co-operation. North-South trade is rocketing at the moment, which is good. Will the Taoiseach outline how the shared island unit could fill the gap in terms of greater co-operation on North-South and east-west economic activity?

There is already an effective hard border on this island that stops people from moving freely for work, accessing healthcare and visiting friends on the island. That is because the common travel area excludes those without UK or Irish citizenship, including refugees, asylum seekers, partners of citizens and more, who are not permitted to move freely within the island of Ireland for leisure, tourism, work, connecting flights or any other reason. They cannot access jobs or education on the other side of the Border or participate in anything across the Border, even sports events, festivals, cultural events and so on.

The common travel area campaign by the North West Migrants Forum is fighting to change this. It has four requests: all lawful residents on the island should be able to cross the land Border as visitors without prior permission; racial profiling at the Border should be stopped; the pre-2004 birthright to Irish citizenship should be restored; and essential cross-Border services should be open to all. Will the Taoiseach agree with these policies and stop the perpetuation of a racist and discriminatory approach?

I thank the Taoiseach for the update on the shared island unit. On Saturday, I was glad to represent the Labour Party at the Ireland's Future event in the 3Arena, at which an impressive cross-party array of Deputies and Senators was present. The Taoiseach was not able to be present due to other commitments, but his party was represented. It was disappointing that there was no elected unionist or Alliance representative present. It was clear from the event that there are serious issues that need to be teased out and debated in order to make further progress on setting out a pathway towards achieving a united Ireland, to which so many of us aspire. Will the Taoiseach outline whether he believes his Department might seek at some point to commission a Green Paper and then a White Paper in order to make progress on these issues, which we in the Labour Party have suggested might be an appropriate pathway forward? The shared island unit has done valuable work and I paid tribute to it at the conference, but further steps need to be taken now.

The Taoiseach mentioned shared island activity around the issue of arts. Later today, the Committee on Budgetary Oversight will, at my request, meet representatives of actors and other performers - the Equity union - and representatives of film crews. Something they will point out is that the pay and conditions of performers and crew in this State are far worse than they are in the North and Britain because film producers here, who are in receipt of a great deal of public money, are essentially pursuing a race to the bottom and providing much-reduced pay, conditions and access to residual or royalty payments for people's performances.

I wish to express my solidarity with workers at Royal Mail and British Telecom's Openreach who are striking again for decent pay increases this week and next.

I will raise a scandalous case for the Taoiseach to comment on. Just six hours after receiving a €15 million windfall from the budget through the abolition of VAT on newspapers, the Belgian-owned Mediahuis group announced plans to shut down printing at its Newry plant at the end of January with the loss of 46 jobs. This company made a net profit of €117 million last year, double that of the previous year. Does the Taoiseach intend to stand idly by and watch this shark benefit to the tune of €15 million while throwing its workforce onto the dole?

The Ireland's Future event on Saturday was wonderful. With 5,000 people and ten political parties gathered there, it was probably the most broadly based conference in this country so far on the united Ireland that is about to happen. It is obvious to me that we are at the precipice of great change because there is no unionist majority in politics any more. There is no majority in the Assembly or at Westminster for the Union. Political polls show that there is no majority for the Union. I would say that the conditions for a referendum exist now. The only way to find out what the view of the people is is to hold a referendum. Government by speculation is not good, nor is running away from democratic decisions.

The greatest threat at the moment is that there will be an election called by the end of October if the DUP does not sit in the Executive. That is a serious crisis. Worse still, the DUP is threatening not to allow devolution to happen at all in future if it does not get its way. Is reform of the institutions at Stormont not needed so as to ensure that one political party cannot hold them to ransom in such a way again?

Regarding Deputy Durkan's question, the whole idea of the shared island unit is to be without prejudice to the constitutional position. That is why I think it has gained such traction, so we need to be careful. That is all I would say to Deputies who, in good faith, have put forward various perspectives. The reason it has gained such traction among civil society in Northern Ireland is because people accept its bona fides. It is not a Trojan horse for anything. People accept that it is meant to deal with issues on the ground pragmatically in terms of engagement. Rhetoric is easy and words are easy, but it is hard work on the ground that matters. I have seen this throughout my political lifetime. It is about people engaging with one another and talking to one another, not shouting at one another or saying, "My way is a better way than your way". It is about trying to get more and more engagement.

On issues like biodiversity and climate, there is so much that we could do on the island to restore biodiversity loss, to have common approaches to energy efficiencies and so on, which we are doing through the shared island initiative. I would appeal to people to let the shared island unit continue with what it is doing. It is building real momentum. Community groups are coming up now for the long haul on an ongoing basis. People can have legitimate aspirations and pursue those in different forums, but the shared island unit should maintain that approach, which is important in my view. The research that the shared island unit has done is also very significant. We are trying to get all communities involved. I have outlined that in terms of some of the bodies that have been set up already - the women's forum, the voluntary bodies, groups, the iCommunity hub and so on.

Deputy Brendan Smith is correct. If we could work on further education with the colleges of further education North and South, we would be interested in getting that done. Good work is already being done at third level. Ulster University Magee campus has made a proposal in respect of a technological university in the north west. We would be very much into that. All Government agencies and Departments have been communicated with about bringing forward proposals.

Deputy Ó Murchú spoke about the Narrow Water bridge. As he knows, we allocated €3 million to progress work on the Narrow Water bridge. Its delivery has been a priority for the Government. The project was proposed decades ago and this is the first time really that it has got moving because of the shared island funding and the commitment we have given to it. Louth County Council is acting as the lead project partner. There have been about eight meetings so far and we are hoping that the project will go to tender very shortly. We look forward to that. We will keep the Deputy updated in relation to developments on that.

Deputy Richmond is correct in terms of the need to restore the Executive.

I know my time is up, but regarding other points that have been made, I do not accept that there is a hard border. Migrant issues have been raised, certainly by the North West Migrants Forum, which I have met, but there is no hard border in terms of people being racially profiled at the Border. I have questions around that. Deeper analysis is required and we will undertake that.

The point I would make in respect of the issue around the election - I believe it was Deputy Tóibín who raised the issue of what would happen after the next election or if there was an election - is that the election we have just had has to be vindicated. It was held under the framework that is there now, so that should be vindicated. In the fullness of time, there is a case for reform before the election in five years' time because the politics have changed and the demographics have changed. I do not mean demographics specifically, but the political demographics have changed, if that makes sense.

Housing Policy

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to report on progress on Housing for All, which is led by his Department. [44837/22]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

19. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach if he is satisfied that sufficient progress is being made under the Housing for All plan to meet current and future demands. [45712/22]

Mick Barry

Ceist:

20. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will report on progress on Housing for All, which is led by his Department. [48636/22]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 to 20, inclusive, together.

Housing for All is the most ambitious housing plan in the history of our State and contains actions to ensure over 300,000 new homes are built by 2030, along with delivering fundamental reform of our housing system. The target to 2030 includes 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost-rental homes. The plan is backed by the highest ever State investment in housing and it is beginning to have a significant impact.

Despite the sustained inflationary pressures as a result of the war in Ukraine and other external factors, there are still strong signs of momentum in housing delivery. The second quarter of this year saw the highest level of home completions in over a decade and we are confident that the target for delivery of 24,600 homes in 2022 will be met. Between April and June this year, planning permission was granted for 11,374 new homes. In the 12 months to the end of June, more than 54,000 new homes had been either built or commenced. Last year, 9,183 social homes were provided.

This Government's commitment to delivering increased housing supply was further evidenced last week in budget 2023. We have committed a record €4.5 billion in public funding next year for the provision of more social, affordable and cost-rental homes. A sum of €1.3 billion will be invested in supporting an overall package of measures to deliver more affordable housing, including 5,550 households supported to buy or rent at an affordable price. Housing for All has brought certainty for the many stakeholders involved in the delivery of housing in our country, despite the impact of the invasion of Ukraine. Since its launch over a year ago, we have introduced a wide range of initiatives including the First Home scheme, Project Tosaigh and Croí Cónaithe.

Budget 2023 extended the help-to-buy scheme to the end of 2024 to further support first-time buyers of new homes. It also introduced a rent tax credit to support taxpayers who are paying rent on their principal private residence, and a vacant homes tax. A wide range of other initiatives are under way, including a major overhaul of the planning process, a new land value sharing mechanism, promotion of innovation and productivity in housing construction and increased apprenticeships and overseas recruitment. All these reforms and measures will assist with the supply of housing and fundamentally reform the housing system in the country.

When the plan was published, it included a provision to review and update the actions annually to respond to any changes or emerging challenges. This review is now almost complete. It does not seek to change the fundamental policy direction, but allows us to respond to the significant challenges which have emerged since the plan was published, most notably the ongoing inflationary pressures. The review is focused on measures to activate and accelerate supply and will be considered by the Cabinet committee on housing at its next meeting on 10 October. The updated action plan will be published alongside the third quarter progress report in the coming weeks.

We have little time left and five speakers. There will be less than one minute for each of them.

I fully support the Housing for All proposals. Unfortunately, they are not achieving results fast enough. In this context, might it be possible to accelerate a programme of modular housing or system-built houses for quick delivery, given that we continue to export such houses?

Students nationwide will be walking out of their classes next Thursday, 13 October, at 11.11 a.m. They will be protesting at the lack of student accommodation and the Government's inaction in tackling the financial pressures bearing down on them. This State is expected to have a shortage of 20,000 student beds by 2024. The Government has failed to cap student rents. Meanwhile, the student contribution charge still stands at a whopping €2,000 and the reduction in the budget is only a once-off measure. Is the Taoiseach embarrassed that the nation's students feel the need to walk out of their classes in protest at the lack of sufficient action and support from his Government?

The number of people in homelessness in this State continues to rise. It is now approaching 11,000 people, which is a shocking figure. Will the Government please consider introducing a winter eviction ban as an emergency measure so that, in particular, children and families at risk of losing their homes will at least have some security over the winter and through Christmas? We have seen this being done in France and we are asking the Government to do it here.

Does the Taoiseach have any response regarding the report published by the Irish Refugee Council that raises concerns about the crisis in the Irish protection system, including the lack of appropriate accommodation for those coming here to seek international protection?

We know eviction bans work. They worked here during Covid. The number of homeless people came down consistently when the eviction ban was in place. We also know that an eviction ban is being introduced in Scotland this winter. When the Taoiseach was asked about this yesterday, he implied it could not be done because of the Constitution. I do not agree with that interpretation, but the response to that would be to have a referendum on having a right to housing and to insert such a provision in the Constitution. The Government promised a referendum on housing in the programme for Government. When will the referendum be held and when will the wording be announced? Will a referendum on the right to water be held alongside the referendum on housing?

Regarding the increase in income thresholds, the Minister is examining that with his Department. I hope to receive a update on progress at some stage.

We have been hearing that for five years.

Did the Deputy say the person he referred to was not on the social housing list?

The person's income was over the threshold. No social housing support whatsoever-----

I have spoken to the Minister on this and work is under way on increasing the income thresholds.

I agree with Deputy Durkan. We should accelerate the use of modular homes and system-built housing. We need different types of housing, including increased use of timber-framed housing. Only 20% of housing here uses timber-frame construction, while it is 80% in Scotland. We need faster and more innovative approaches. We must also stop all the opposition to different housing types. It seems the first response, as opposed to the last response, is to oppose housing developments because of the mix in them or whatever. I find it incredible that we are in the middle of a crisis of this scale and that we have the number of people in need of housing that we do, and yet people are saying, "Delay, delay, delay".

On students, again there has been a reduction of €1,000 in the fees this year and it will be €500 in the next academic year. It is not a once-off measure. This has already been put into the budgetary figures. There is also a double payment for those receiving Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants. Significant supports are being made available to students this year. There is an issue with student accommodation. I said this, and in recent days, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, has been working with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the universities in respect of building on the land the universities have to try to reduce the viability gap they say exists between what the they could build accommodation for and what they could reasonably expect students to pay for it.

Again, the Government has to intervene, just as it has right across the board in housing. The Government is the biggest actor in the area of housing right now, including in social housing, cost-rental housing, affordable housing and the Croí Cónaithe fund. No matter what scheme we look at, the Government is coming in to try to bridge viability gaps in the marketplace. We need to get more student accommodation built and we are committed to doing that.

Regarding the issue identified concerning a winter eviction ban, I made it clear that Covid gave us the context to do this legally. There are legal issues involved and that was all I raised yesterday. What I am saying is that these issues cannot be ignored. I hear what the Deputy is saying and I know the Minister keeps this under constant review. We did put in place a ban during Covid and we had a strong legal basis to do so. We are going to do everything we possibly can. The Minister has acted to make it clear that where tenants receiving HAP or RAS are in danger of being evicted, the local authorities can and should buy the house to prevent the eviction from taking place.

On the Irish Refugee Council, the figures on the Irish response this year are extraordinary. We are in a wartime situation and we must acknowledge that. That is why there is a huge challenge in respect of the numbers of people coming into the country. Even the figures for the normal international protection accommodation services, IPAS, route are significant, with about 15,000 people expected this year. This compares with the norm of 3,500. We also have 50,000 Ukrainians who have fled the war. That is the context we are in and it is causing great pressures. I pay tribute to the civil servants, the local authorities and everybody who has responded to this incredibly difficult and challenging situation.

I will respond to the Deputy later regarding homelessness. There are other issues with homelessness in terms of presentations from within the European Economic Area, EEA, on a continuing basis and these are also impacting our emergency housing situation. Some of those arriving have large families, and that is ongoing. Not everything is as it seems either, but this is something we are determined to try to reduce.

Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 2.02 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 3.02 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 2.02 p.m. and resumed at 3.02 p.m.
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