Ivana Bacik
Ceist:1. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the President of the United States. [13426/23]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:2. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent discussions with US or other authorities during his recent trip to Washington. [13632/23]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:3. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the President of the United States. [15155/23]
Bríd Smith
Ceist:4. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the President of the United States. [15158/23]
Seán Haughey
Ceist:5. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the President of the United States. [15167/23]
Brendan Smith
Ceist:6. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the President of the United States. [15168/23]
Alan Farrell
Ceist:7. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his engagements with US businesses during his recent visit to the United States of America, in the context of investing in Ireland. [15187/23]
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:8. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the President of the United States. [15128/23]
Mick Barry
Ceist:9. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the President of the United States. [15254/23]
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:10. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his most recent meeting with the President of the United States. [18061/23]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:11. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach to report on the visit of US President Joe Biden to Ireland. [18118/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 11, inclusive, together.
It was a pleasure to welcome President Biden to Ireland last week for what was a successful visit, underlining the warmth and closeness of our bilateral relations, our common approach on many global issues, and above all, the enduring commitment of the United States to furthering peace and prosperity on this island. During the President’s visit, as well as welcoming him to Dublin and Ballina, I hosted an official dinner for him and his delegation at Dublin Castle. I also had a bilateral meeting with him in Farmleigh House last Thursday. At our meeting, which built on the excellent engagement I had with him in Washington on St. Patrick's Day, we discussed developments in Northern Ireland, the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical issues. More broadly, we were strongly agreed on the need for the world’s democracies to work closely together in support of our shared values.
On Northern Ireland, we took stock of the situation in light of agreement on the Windsor Framework. We were of the shared view that it is in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland to see restoration of the Good Friday Agreement institutions as soon as possible. This would not only deal with the day-to-day concerns that people have on issues such as health and housing, but also help to deliver on the economic potential of Northern Ireland’s unique position, with access both to the UK's internal market and the EU's Single Market. There can be no benefit, and there is considerable risk, in allowing matters to continue to drift as they are.
We also discussed the strong trade and investment relations between Ireland and the US and the benefits they bring to both countries.
On Ukraine, we were agreed that President Putin cannot be allowed to prevail in his invasion and that we will continue to back Ukraine in its defence of its sovereignty, democracy and European path for as long as it takes. Mr. Biden also paid tribute to Ireland’s engagement on global food security, and we agreed that this is an area where we should do more together. I referred to the excellent work under way in this regard and recalled with President Biden that I had met the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, administrator, Samantha Power, in Washington last month.
Last month, I visited Washington for a programme of engagements around St. Patrick's Day. I had a series of political engagements with President Biden, Vice President Harris, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus. The 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement was noted in all of these engagements and I reiterated the deep gratitude of Ireland for the steadfast friendship of the US throughout the peace process. My meetings were also an opportunity to celebrate the strength and vibrancy of relations between Ireland and the US. In my meeting with President Biden in the Oval Office, we discussed our increasingly two-way economic relationship. We also discussed the prospects for US immigration reform and the need to increase opportunities for young people to move between our countries with greater ease.
While in Washington, I had several other engagements, including: attending the Ireland Funds dinner; addressing a Washington Ireland Program event; meeting the African American Irish Diaspora Network and students at Howard University; and an event at Georgetown University to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, where I met Secretary Clinton one-to-one. I also met the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, Joe Kennedy, at several events. I had an economic programme that included meetings with US companies invested in Ireland and Irish companies growing their footprint in the US, a presentation of the Science Foundation Ireland annual medals and a speech to the US Chamber of Commerce. I attended showcase cultural event organised by the Irish Embassy in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in honour of the unique contribution of the US to peace in Ireland.
I thank the Taoiseach for that comprehensive report on the constructive visit by the US President, Mr. Joe Biden, to Ireland last week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. In the President's speech in the Oireachtas, and in his other speeches, he made some welcome and positive interventions in seeking to further the peace process and ensure support for the Windsor Framework. He also touched on a number of other issues, as the Taoiseach said, including climate change, corporate responsibility and solidarity with Ukraine, which were welcome issues to raise.
The Taoiseach mentioned that he had the opportunity to engage with him on geopolitical issues. Did the Taoiseach have the time to discuss with him the situation in Palestine and how the lessons learned from our peace process can be applied in the Middle East? I ask because in recent weeks we have seen appalling actions by Israeli forces, most recently a brutal raid at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which was the latest abuse by Israel of the rights of Palestinian people.
I note what is happening in Sudan and the awful assault on Irish diplomat, Aidan O'Hara, serving with the EU. I offer our solidarity and support to Ambassador O'Hara.
We should all acknowledge the tremendous organisational feat that the visit of the US President gave to this country and the world at large in highlighting the issues of importance today. It also provided a great opportunity to renew the vigour and forward progress of the original sentiments expressed in the Good Friday Agreement and the need for an urgent reappraisal of everybody's position to move that debate forward in a meaningful way, without offence to anybody.
My jaw nearly dropped when the Taoiseach said, after meeting President Biden, that he did not know what the world would do without the assistance he and the United States have provided to protect democracy and security around the world. When he made that amazing statement, I wonder if he knew about Joe Biden's record. Did he know, for example, that Joe Biden said that if Israel did not exist, the United States would have to invent it and that there was not that much difference between the policy of the United States and the policy of Israel, despite the war crimes, crimes against humanity and theft of land that Israel visits on the Palestinians? How did he contribute to world peace by doing an arms deal for billions of euro with the Saudi dictatorship to prosecute a murderous war against the people of Yemen? How did he contribute to world security by being the major advocate in the US Senate for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis? I cannot believe the Taoiseach or others could have made those statements.
The Government and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, have praised President Biden's climate action but the reality of his climate policies is quite different. He has approved more oil and gas drilling permits during his term so far than the Trump Administration did. He has sanctioned the Willow project in Alaska, which will see 600 million barrels of oil flow and release more than 9 million metric tonnes of CO2. He has auctioned off 73 million acres of water in the Gulf of Mexico for offshore oil and gas drilling and he has signed off on another liquified natural gas, LNG, project in Alaska. All of this comes at a time when he sings the praises of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, report, which tells us that we just cannot have new fossil fuel infrastructure on the planet if we want to limit global temperature rises.
I want to ask the Taoiseach about the astonishing welcome for Biden's climate policies that the Government has given. Are such double standards attractive to the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, given that they may have engaged in lofty rhetoric on climate while, at the same time, holding the door open to the location of an LNG terminal in Shannon or somewhere else? Can the Taoiseach please clarify the Government's policy on LNG?
I too believe the visit to Ireland by US President Joe Biden last week can be considered a great success. It cemented the close ties between Ireland and the US, put the focus on the Belfast-Good Friday Agreement, opened up the possibility of substantial investment in the North if political stability can be achieved and reinforced our shared western values.
In his Dáil address, President Biden said that the UK Government should work more closely with Ireland regarding the restoration of power sharing. He said that peace needs champions and nurturing. Did the Taoiseach raise these specific concerns with President Biden, either on St. Patrick's Day or in Farmleigh House?
President Biden has often spoken about the conflict between autocracies and democracies and he did so again in the Dáil last week. In this context, did the Taoiseach discuss the challenges posed by China in his private talks with president last Thursday in Farmleigh House? The press statements issued after the meeting are not clear on this point.
I also welcome President Biden's successful visit and it was great to see the international media coverage throughout the three days.
I am glad that the Taoiseach outlined in his reply that he raised immigration reform with President Biden and in other fora when he was in the United States. It is extremely important that this issue is kept on the agenda in regard to the undocumented Irish. According to the embassy, consulates general and Irish immigration centres, it is estimated that 10,000-plus Irish people in the US do not have their status regularised. Those people experience huge problems in getting driver's licences, free legal advice or healthcare. The point was recently made to me by representatives of some of the immigration centres that prior to 9-11 some of the people who are regarded as undocumented used to be in a position to travel home irregularly.
That age group now cannot travel here. Their parents and siblings at home are getting older. The difficulties continue for those people. I ask the Taoiseach to please keep it on the agenda as a very important issue.
At one point last week the RTÉ News website led with the following four so-called news stories: "High hopes for Biden selfie in front of Ballina mural"; "'Part of his soul' and DNA: How Irish is Joe Biden?"; "He comes as a pilgrim': Knock prepares Biden welcome"; and last but not least, "New business hopes Biden calls in for 'a cup of Joe'". The man variously described in the Irish corporate media as the leader of the free world and as a man of peace was rarely, if ever, described as a supporter of a large number of the world's dictatorships or as the commander-in-chief of the largest, most expensive and most deadly military machine ever known to man - both of which, of course, he is. Is the Taoiseach in any sense embarrassed by the over-the-top fawning of the Irish media and political establishment last week?
I agree with the Taoiseach. The visit was hugely successful. It was a visit primarily about Ireland and it involved a person with a very deep connection with this country returning home. I for one think we should be gracious about that. Notwithstanding the obvious difficulties and objections we have to wider American foreign policy, let it be said and clearly understood that the US was and remains a crucial and key partner in the Irish peace process. We meet at a time when the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, 25 years on, are not functioning. I am very concerned about drift in that regard. The DUP has been given space and time and it is now decision time. What is the Government's plan to ensure the restoration of government in the North? Can the Taoiseach confirm whether he will have a meeting with the British Prime Minister this week? They are on a joint platform together.
We all have huge differences with American foreign policy but it is fair to say President Joe Biden is somebody who has a real connection with Ireland and with north County Louth and the Cooley Peninsula, which is obviously a fabulous part of the world. It was news to us all the vital part Rob Kearney played in the independence struggle so I thank President Biden for that. Let us be clear: American support has been absolutely vital in respect of the Good Friday Agreement, the protocol and the Windsor Framework. I will follow my party leader by reiterating that our big fear is drift. We all want the DUP to join the rest of us, to form an Executive and do what needs to be done. We need to make sure we maintain this pressure. Part of the leverage that existed was due to the fact that the British Government will have problems making a trade deal unless it does right by Ireland, North and South. We need to make sure that conversation was had with the American President and that it will be delivered to the British Government.
At the centre of Joe Biden's speech to the House last week was talk of a new cold war, in reality, pitching that the key struggle in the world is between democracy and autocracy. However, he failed to mention that the US provides military support to the majority of dictatorships in the world. Really the idea is to have a US-led NATO in the West against the east of China, Russia and their allies. It is very clear that this Government has no doubt about where it stands on that and would like Ireland to abandon all of what is left of neutrality and align with NATO. Public opinion remains a very important obstacle to what the Government would like. Just over a month ago, the Taoiseach's predecessor said that we might have a citizens' assembly on neutrality, with a random selection of citizens coming together to discuss neutrality. That was then downgraded last week to a special forum on neutrality inspired by the principles of the citizens' assembly. I assume that the key principle of a random selection of citizens has been abandoned because the Government is scared of the people's opinion on this matter.
I thank the Deputies. Deputy Bacik mentioned the EU ambassador Aidan O'Hara. I want to take the opportunity to confirm to the House that on Monday, a robbery was conducted by armed men at the home of the EU head of delegation in Sudan, H.E. Aidan O'Hara. The Department of Foreign Affairs has been in touch with Aidan, who thankfully was not seriously hurt. However, the attack was deeply worrying. Aidan is a former Irish ambassador and is an outstanding diplomat serving the European Union under the most difficult circumstances. I think all of us in the House would like to send him our best wishes.
Regarding President Biden's visit, it is important not to forget that he was an invited guest. When you invite a guest to your house, or to your country, you treat them well, make them feel welcome and treat them with respect. That is what was done by politicians in this House, by the Irish public in general and perhaps even by the media. I do not think that is a bad thing. Deputies might take the view that he should not have been invited in the first place, which is fair enough but if an invitation is issued to somebody and they come to your town, village, community, home or country, you treat them with respect and courtesy.
He is a politician, not a celebrity.
That is what was done. We did not have time in our meeting to discuss the situation in Israel or Palestine but there were other meetings. The Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, was present in Ireland as well, as were other senior White House staff, so it may have come up in other meetings that I was not party to. The main focus was on Ukraine and also on China. The President was very clear that he is not seeking a new cold war with China; nor do Ireland or Europe want to be caught in the middle of a cold war between the USA and China. However, the President does want a rules-based international order based on democracy, liberty, territorial integrity and freedom - the values we share with America.
Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned comments President Biden made in the past stating that if Israel did not exist, America would make it exist. I am not sure when they were made or in what context. I hope the Deputy agrees with me that Israel should exist.
Not as an apartheid state. If there were equal rights for everybody then yes, some state should exist but not as an apartheid state.
I certainly believe it should exist alongside an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. That is the position of the Government.
That is a myth. That is partition.
With regard to the question on climate, one thing President Biden asks from time to time is for people to compare him to the alternative, not the Almighty. That is my answer on climate, given what the alternative might be under a different administration. We do not have a choice when it comes to whom people select as their president or their government. That is the sovereign right of any independent country.
I compared him to Trump. He is much worse.
I think it is fair to say there is more commitment to climate action from this Administration than others.
On Deputy Haughey's question, the UK Government is working closely with Ireland. We certainly worked closely together over the past couple of months when it came to the Windsor Framework and getting that agreed but I do not think the UK and Irish Governments have operated as closely as they did in the past. Since Brexit, the relationship has not been as close as it was. Looking back at those documentaries from 25 years ago, it was very evident that the two Governments worked very closely together. Northern Ireland perhaps works best when the two Governments work hand-in-hand, have a common strategy and try to pursue common objectives. Brexit upended that. I hope we are now coming to the end of that chapter and can start a new chapter where the two Governments work hand-in-hand again in the interests of the people in Northern Ireland and honouring the Good Friday Agreement. I will be in Belfast tomorrow attending a number of events alongside the British Prime Minister. It is intended that we will have a bilateral meeting but we have not set a time for that as of now.
Regarding immigration and the issue of the undocumented Irish in the US, I raised this matter in the Oval Office in Washington last week. President Biden and his Administration would like to bring about comprehensive immigration reform and would like to have schemes similar to the undocumented schemes we have had here in Ireland for people who have become undocumented. However, the realpolitik of American politics, as we will understand, is that there is not a majority in Congress to do that. That is the difficulty at the moment but we continue to keep the issue on the agenda.
Cabinet Committees
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:12. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [13634/23]
Rose Conway-Walsh
Ceist:13. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination will next meet. [14963/23]
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:14. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [15171/23]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:15. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [15432/23]
Bríd Smith
Ceist:16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [15434/23]
Ivana Bacik
Ceist:17. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [15095/23]
Mick Barry
Ceist:18. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [16419/23]
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:19. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination will next meet. [16725/23]
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:20. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [18062/23]
Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 12 go 20, go huile, le chéile.
Cabinet committees meet as appropriate according to their work schedules. The Cabinet committee on health has met twice so far this year. The Cabinet committee on housing has met three times, most recently yesterday. The first meeting on the Cabinet committee on children and education will take place shortly. The committee on environment and climate change has met once and is scheduled to meet again on Thursday. The committee on EU and international affairs has held one meeting, and the committee on the humanitarian response to Ukraine has met three times. The Government co-ordination committee has met ten times and is scheduled to meet again on Monday. Other committees will meet in the coming weeks.
The reason for this inquiry is to identify issues of a particular importance that arise from time to time and the need to respond by bringing forward the relevant meetings of the committees, if necessary, to deal with these. In particular, I mention housing, which is an ongoing issue that needs to be dealt with very regularly. I also mention health, which is an obvious one because we need to get back on a straight and level path with a view to identifying the issues at an early stage and with a view to resolution. The third issue relates to education and school places and transport. School transport has been an issue of particular importance throughout the country for quite a number of years but without resolution.
I said to the Taoiseach earlier that I believe his decision to lift the eviction ban was cruel, heartless, and stupid. He obviously intends, for now at least, to persist with it but we in People Before Profit intend to persist in campaigning for its reinstatement because thousands of people are facing eviction and potential homelessness. Our view is that people in this situation, where there is nowhere else to go, where there is no council housing available to most and where there is no affordable rental or purchase, should overhold rather than simply walk into homelessness. I refer to the people in Tathony House. A woman I am dealing with was on the radio over the weekend. She is now overholding for several days. She is working and has children and so on. Are people not right to overhold in that situation if the Government has not provided the alternatives for them, either to buy their homes so they can stay in them, or provide them with council or affordable housing? Does the Taoiseach think people are right in that situation to overhold or does he seriously expect that they should walk into homelessness if he has failed to give them an alternative of secure or affordable housing? I certainly think people will have no choice. If the Government refuses to reinstate the ban, people have little choice but to overhold until it actually delivers the alternatives.
My question is on housing as well. A couple of weeks ago I raised with the Taoiseach the role of gardaí in illegal evictions. There was a very shocking piece on Twitter which Members may have seen. A Dr. Raheel was threatened with an illegal eviction by a very angry and violent landlord who used a chainsaw or some kind of a cutting mechanism, which looked pretty lethal, to get through the door and then threatened him and his family. When the gardaí were called, they said this eviction was a civil matter. I explained at the time that I had the same experience, mainly as a councillor. When illegal evictions were taking place and you rang the gardaí, they said it was a civil matter. However, when is civil not civil when a landlord with an electric saw chases after a doctor's family or, as in the case I witnessed, when a bunch of thugs came with hacksaws, machetes and hammers to evict two young men from a house in Kilmainham some years ago? These scenes will be repeated.
Given that the eviction ban has been lifted and that there are a lot of residual issues out there, will the Taoiseach clarify if new guidance, instructions and a protocol are to be given to gardaí to do more than to say to somebody who is frightened and terrified for their own life and the lives of their family members that this is a civil matter? I think the Garda Representative Association or one such body has already asked the Government to do this.
When will the Cabinet committee on health be reviewing or considering the report by Maura Quinn into the proposed secondment of the former Chief Medical Officer, CMO, to Trinity College Dublin? In our view, the report raises a number of serious issues about dysfunction at the heart of Government. First, there was a total lack of proper processes in the appointment as outlined. Second, there was a failure of ministerial accountability where it appears the Minister for Health did not know about, or was not made aware of, what was going on with very senior officials in Government. Most critically, it reveals serious accusations being made by senior civil servants against each other at the heart and centre of Government. This raises particular concerns at this time, especially when so many postgraduate researchers across third level are having difficulty in accessing funding. It is unedifying to see these findings. Will the health committee be considering the report, and if so, when?
Until yesterday the record for the number of patients admitted but without a bed at Cork University Hospital was 90. This morning that record was broken when 92 patients were without a bed. Until this morning the record for patients admitted but without a bed at Mercy University Hospital was 38. This morning that record was broken too. There were 40 patients at this hospital without a bed this morning. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation representative, Liam Conway, said this morning:
Our members are calling it for what it is inside the Mercy - dangerous. Patients are being cared for near exit doors and in areas blocking fire safety equipment, this is not acceptable.
Limerick was the capital city of hospital overcrowding. On the Taoiseach's watch, and on the watch of the three quiet men, namely, the Minister, Deputy Micheál Martin, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, that mantle seems to be passing to Cork University Hospital. It is not good enough. What actions does the Taoiseach intend to take to reverse the situation?
The Children's Rights Alliance recently published its annual report card on progress for children under the current programme for Government. The performance in delivering adequate youth mental health received the lowest grade for a second year in a row. The alliance notes that the Maskey report on child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in Kerry, and the Mental Health Commission interim report, revealed just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to failings in the provision of mental health services for children and young people. In the year to September 2022, the number of children waiting on their first appointment with CAMHS almost doubled. Figures released to my colleague, Deputy Ward, last week tell us that waiting lists for CAMHS in Kildare, west Wicklow, Dublin west, the south city and south west are up 260% since 2020.
It is deeply concerning that very vulnerable children and young people are not able to access an initial appointment. Children and young people continue to be inappropriately admitted to adult psychiatric facilities that are not designed to support their needs. It is welcome that the number of children admitted to adult units last year fell but it remains deeply alarming that Government has decided it will not legislate against this inappropriate practice despite it not aligning - in fact, conflicting absolutely - with the rights of children. I ask the Taoiseach to reconsider the Government's position on this matter and to legislate against this archaic practice.
I ask about libraries. They have become the new target of far-right activists who have been going into libraries, removing any books that refer to LGBTQ+ people in any sort of positive light and abusing staff by calling them paedophiles, groomers and so on. This is obviously reminiscent of the book burnings carried out by the Nazis. One of the worrying parts of this is how the State has responded. Two weeks ago, gardaí escorted far-right activists into a library so that the activists could speak to staff and give their opinions. I have no idea why that happened; I do not know if the Taoiseach does.
Equally, however, new instructions have been issued by the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, to libraries changing the procedure whereby young people can get books out. As it was previously, once a young person went from being aged under 12 to being over 12, he or she was then able to access books in the young adult section for those aged from 12 to 14. When young people reached 15, they were then able to access young adult books for those aged 15 to 17. This policy has now been changed. Young people now have to get express, written permission from their parents to move on and to be able to access books. This seems to be an incredible concession to these far-right activists and giving them precisely what they want. It is creating a scenario whereby a young person could have, for example, a homophobic parent who does not want him or her accessing age-appropriate material, and let me stress this is what we are talking about. Has the Government discussed this matter? Surely this policy should be reversed and young people should be able to get age-appropriate material in the libraries.
Good question.
I thank the Deputies for their questions. Starting with Deputy Durkan's question on school transport, I agree with him regarding how important this issue is, especially in rural areas, for children accessing school. We have done a lot in the last couple of years to improve the situation. Fees have been reduced significantly for school transport, which has been a big benefit for families struggling with the cost of living. We have also expanded the programme to tens of thousands more children. We are now also thinking ahead and working towards the September period to ensure that improvements are put in place before then. While this is not a major issue in my constituency, I would struggle to count the number of phone calls I get from other members of my parliamentary party in the run up to September concerning children unable to get tickets or places on a bus. We just have to ensure we do better again this year than in previous years.
Regarding the issue of overholding, I am very conscious of remarks made by the Free Legal Advice Centres, FLAC, in recent weeks. We must all be careful about advising people that they should overhold. I have never advised anyone to overhold. I should make this clear. People do sometimes overhold. It does depend on individual circumstances. This is not new. Long before there were any temporary eviction bans and before anyone even called for eviction bans, overholding was an issue. In some cases, people will overhold with the permission of their landlord, while in other cases they will not. We must, however, ensure that anyone considering doing this gets advice and also knows the risks involved, because there are risks. It can go against people in terms of their record as tenants and potentially they could also have a judgment against them.
It is important that those campaigning in this area ensure they do not fail to advise people of the potential risks if they do overhold. I encourage the Deputies from People Before Profit, and others, if they are telling people they should overhold or encouraging them to do so to ensure, and they have a duty of care in this regard in my view, that those people whom they are dealing with know the risks as well and the potential consequences for them in respect of getting future tenancies or other things that could be held against them. There is a duty of care in this regard. People should not be used as pawns in political campaigns. They are individuals and families and the Deputies have a particular duty of care in this regard and I hope they will fulfil it.
Regarding the role of the Garda, it is to keep the peace and to enforce the law. Evictions are a civil matter. I do not know the details of the situation Deputy Smith described. There could be more to the story than we are being told. It certainly sounds to me, however, like a breach of the law and it is the role of the Garda to enforce the law. It is as simple as that. Again, we had illegal evictions long before there were ever temporary winter eviction bans. Illegal evictions are illegal, and it is the role of the Garda to enforce the law in that regard. I do not know if any new guidelines are being issued but I will make inquiries with the Minister for Justice in this regard.
On the Quinn report, this has been published and the Government has accepted its recommendations. No findings were made against any individual. It is important to say that the secondment did not proceed. This was stopped before it happened, if that makes any sense. It is clear that we need to put in new procedures. When a job is advertised, it is a very simple process. The job is advertised, people apply for it, candidates are short-listed and interviewed and the best person gets the job. Secondments are more complicated and this was to be a secondment. I regret, by the way, that it did not happen. Dr. Holohan would have made an excellent professor in Trinity College Dublin. He would have been an addition to the State by staying in the public service in that way and giving us his advice on public health and leadership. It did not happen, for various reasons that are clear in the report. I regret it did not happen. Nobody comes out of this well. It is important, therefore, that we have proper procedures around secondments in future. They have been done on an ad hoc basis until now and that is not right and not fair on the people involved either. I do not know if the Joint Committee on Health is going to consider this matter. It is up to the committee to choose to do so. I understand the Secretary General of the Department of Health is appearing before the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach during the week, but this is obviously a different committee on a different matter.
Turning to the issue concerning libraries, this has not been discussed by the Government, or at least not at Cabinet. I am not aware of any particular issues being brought to our attention in that regard, although I am concerned by what I have heard here in the Chamber. I would despair if we ended up going back to a world where people are told certain books are banned or children are not allowed to see material that is appropriate to their age. I see what is going on in the United States and I hope we are not going to start to see that happen here.
Regarding children in adult mental health beds, my understanding is that the number of children admitted to adult beds has been falling consistently over the past couple of years. It has been trending downwards and we are making progress in this regard. There is a reluctance to legislate against it. It has been explained to me that there are circumstances where having a 15-year-old or a 16-year-old in a single room in an adult ward closer to home is better than having him or her in a paediatric ward 200 miles or 300 miles away from his or her parents and community. There is a reluctance to legislate because legislation is so black and white and cannot take into account individual circumstances where, perhaps, an older teenager, an adolescent, might be better off being nearer his or her parents, family and community than in a paediatric unit 200 miles or 300 miles away.
Public Sector Reform Review
Ivana Bacik
Ceist:21. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings that have taken place of the strategic foresight and strengthening policy development research project, jointly overseen by his Department. [15093/23]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:22. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings that have taken place of the strategic foresight and strengthening policy development research project, jointly overseen by his Department. [15430/23]
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:23. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the non-statutory public service modernisation, development and reform functions for which his Department is responsible. [14831/23]
Mick Barry
Ceist:24. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings that have taken place of the strategic foresight and strengthening policy development research project, jointly overseen by his Department. [16420/23]
Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Ceist:25. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings that have taken place of the strategic foresight and strengthening policy development research project, jointly overseen by his Department. [18008/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 to 25, inclusive, together.
The main responsibility for the public service modernisation, development and reform functions is vested in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. An ongoing joint project between the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform is entitled "Strengthening Policy Development and Strategic Foresight". It was initiated to enhance overall policy development and strategic foresight capabilities across the civil and public service.
Outputs under the project include an assessment report which examines the current state of policy development and elements of strategic foresight in the Irish Civil Service; workshops on how best to advance policy development and strategic foresight across the civil and public service; and the development of pilot capacity building programmes on strategic foresight. The outputs under the project will contribute to the development of a policy infrastructure plan grounded in three core aspects of good policy development. These are evidence, feasibility and legitimacy. This infrastructure is intended to create a platform to promote high quality policy development that is accessible across the Civil Service.
A range of meetings between different groups have taken place under the project, including advisory and steering group meetings, OECD-led workshops and regular updates between project teams in both Departments and the OECD. To inform the outputs of the project, the OECD conducted a research mission in Ireland in May 2022. This mission consisted of multiple interviews with Government Ministers, senior civil servants and Members of the Oireachtas, including, I believe, Members of the Opposition. Overall, in the context of these groups, workshops and the research mission, there have been 35 meetings and more are scheduled to take place before the project concludes. This is in addition to regular check-in meetings between the project teams involved.
Contributors have up to one and a half minutes. I call Deputy Bacik.
In light of yesterday's judgment by the Special Criminal Court, I think we would all agree that organised crime is a key strategic policy concern across Irish society. I commend the work of the Garda in the wake of the Hutch-Kinahan feud and note there have been no murders in the last four years in that regard. I also note that two convictions were secured in the court yesterday. The failure, however, to convict on the charge concerning the murder carried out at the Regency Hotel raised several questions regarding how and why the prosecution was taken, the basis for the murder charge and so forth.
I wish to ask the Taoiseach about a related matter, which is the appointment of the expert group in 2021 to carry out an independent review of the Offences Against the State Acts, and the apparatus of the Special Criminal Court as established by those Acts. That expert group was chaired by Mr. Justice Michael Peart. The then Minister for Justice said in response to Dáil questions before Christmas that she expected the final report of the review group to be received in the first quarter of 2023. Will the Taoiseach confirm if the final report has been received by Government, and whether he or the Minister for Justice has received it? I should say that we very much supported the holding and establishment of that review into the Offences Against the State Acts. That review received widespread support. I believe we would all wish to have the opportunity to debate the findings of that review.
I am not sure if the forum proposed by the Taoiseach to deal with foreign policy, security and neutrality matters is part of this foresight and research group but I would like an answer to the question asked earlier by Deputy Paul Murphy. Why has the Taoiseach decided to abandon the original proposal to have a citizens' assembly made up of a representative but random group, which would be a cross-section of Irish society, and instead have this stakeholder forum where it would appear to me that the Government is looking to find justification for moving us away from neutrality, which I believe the Government wants us to do? Personally, I believe this is what the Biden visit was substantially about. It was about conditioning Irish public opinion to the idea that we should align ourselves with the US and with NATO. What guarantees will the Government give that this forum is not going to be as biased as that visit was in terms of the examination of issues it proposes to look at such as the international rules-based order? I find it extraordinary that we can use those phrases in the same sort of sentence as we welcome Joe Biden and applaud him. He is someone who supports apartheid in Israel. He is someone who sells weapons to the most brutal dictatorship in the world in Saudi Arabia. One can go through the list of brutal dictatorships. In this forum, are we going to examine the threat from US imperialism?
Last month the Council of Europe published its annual conclusions assessing member states' compliance with the European Social Charter on labour rights. The European Social Charter is a Council of Europe treaty that guarantees fundamental social and economic rights to member state citizens. Ireland is in breach of nine separate areas of rights relating to workers' terms and conditions of employment, and trade union rights. Among other matters, the Council of Europe found that the sub-minimum wage paid to workers aged 18 and 19 does not ensure a decent standard of living. Ireland's failure to meet obligations on the right to strike to certain categories of workers under the charter is also raised. Of course, these breaches will not come as news to the Government because these matters were raised with the previous Government four years ago but continue to go unaddressed.
The Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond, has admitted the Government is not where it should be - as he puts it - on collective bargaining. In fact, progress and commitments made by the Taoiseach when he was the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment have been glacial. Will the Taoiseach provide us with the timeline for the legislative recommendations on collective bargaining made by the high-level group on collective bargaining and industrial relations?
I want to raise the issue of the so-called broadcasting charge. In response to a parliamentary question I submitted, I was told on 22 March:
Government agreed to establish a Technical Working Group to examine the necessary reform required of the current TV licence system to properly provide for the funding requirements of public service media in Ireland. The Group commenced its work in September last year and is expected to report to me [the Minister] at the end of this month [March] after which the report will be considered by Government.
I am opposed to the current television licence system and I am opposed to a broadcasting charge that includes phones, laptops and so on. I am in favour of a digital tax on the digital media corporations that are making super profits in this State at the moment. I am also in favour of increased funding for public service media. Has that report been submitted yet to the Minister? If not, when does the Taoiseach now expect it?
It is very welcome that we have a body within the Taoiseach's Department looking at the idea of strategic foresight. I believe, however, that there should be a stronger role for the Oireachtas in this regard. Looking to international examples, Finland is one that jumps out immediately. The Government there must make a statement on the future. It also has a parliamentary committee on the future, which sits as one of our joint Oireachtas committees does. The Finnish committee looks specifically at the future.
The best known and probably the most comprehensive example is what we see in Wales which has established a future generations commission. It was legislated for by Jane Davidson when she was the minister for environment. It sits their well-being framework down into a legislative context. It applies that future lens to government policy and to the action of state and public bodies. The role was occupied with some distinction until very recently by Sophie Howe.
I have a Private Member's Bill before the Oireachtas, which puts this forward, but I would be more than happy for the Government to pre-empt me in this regard, to take it off my hands and to begin legislating in a serious way to take account of future generations.
I wonder whether there will be any policy development in relation to the role of gardaí at evictions. There was a huge controversy over the art of Spicebag and his perfectly reasonable depiction of an eviction, over which members of the political and media establishment lost all sense of reason in generating their own outrage about it. Incidentally, Spicebag will be coming to the rally of Tathony House residents, people who are facing eviction, this Saturday at 3 p.m.
Deputy Smith referred to the video that has gone viral of Dr. Raheel being threatened with eviction by a landlord wielding a circular saw against the door of the home, and then against Dr. Raheel himself. Again, this highlights the issue. It seems to me that there are two potential criminal issues here. One is the assault in using a saw against a person. The second is - and I will check whether the Taoiseach agrees - that even if the gardaí say they do not have a role in evictions, where an illegal eviction is taking place, the gardaí have a role. Is that not the case? If it is not the case, then we need to have policy development around this. Illegal evictions are a criminal matter, however, and gardaí should intervene.
I thank the Deputies. On Deputy Bacik's question, I join with her in commending the work of An Garda Síochána, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the courts. As the Deputy said, it is five years since there has been a murder in Ireland linked to a feud involving serious organised crime gangs. Please God, this will continue. I am aware the gardaí have done phenomenal work in that regard as have the prosecutors and the court. Two convictions have been secured this week. There was one acquittal, which was not the outcome the State wanted, but it proves the Special Criminal Court is a place where people get a fair trial. It underlines the case for retaining the court. It is particularly important that we all understand it is one of the reasons we have the two Special Criminal Courts. It is because it allows trials to happen without a jury and it enables us to put some really bad people away who would otherwise intimidate a jury and their family members and make it impossible for there to be a trial at all.
With regard to the independent review, which is being headed up by former Mr. Justice Michael Peart, this is the review of the Offences Against the State Acts. I have not received it and it has not gone to the Government yet. I do not know whether the Minister for Justice has it but I will find out. Ideally, we would like to have it published and debated before June when we will have the vote on the continuation of the Special Criminal Court.
With regard to a citizens' assembly on neutrality and security policy, there was no proposal or draft proposal put to the Government on that. When he was the Taoiseach, I believe the Tánaiste suggested it as an option for consideration but there was never a proposal made to the Government. He gave it further consideration and came up with a different proposal, which was then put to the Cabinet and was agreed. This is the one he is proceeding with at the moment.
On collective bargaining, if my recollection is correct, the commitment we made around legislating for collective bargaining derives from the EU directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining.
We have something like two years to produce an action plan. The commitment we made was to have some legislation this year or next. I have not been across that file for a couple of months and I will have to check with the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, as to where we are in that regard. I am happy to get back to Deputies on that point.
I have not seen the report of the expert group in respect of the television licence or broadcasting charge. I am not sure if the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has the report yet but it is imminent. We should see that report soon and have a chance to debate it.
Deputy Ó Cathasaigh mentioned Finland and horizon planning. I know a little bit about that but not enough. I am familiar with the fact that Finland has had a committee for the future for a long time. It probably dates back 20 years at this stage. I knew a Finnish member of parliament who was a member of, and advocate for, the committee. I have not had a chance to look at Deputy Ó Cathasaigh's Bill but I will do so. I will see if there is space for us in that. We have an awful lot of committees, as the Ceann Comhairle will acknowledge, but perhaps it is something we could work up for the next Dáil. It could be a part of the programme for the next Dáil to have a committee in that regard.
In respect of evictions or illegal evictions, I am very reluctant to make any comment on any video that has gone viral. One can look at a video online without knowing what happened in the four or five minutes beforehand or afterwards. We need to be careful not to jump to conclusions in that regard. The role of the Garda is to keep the peace and enforce the law. Breaking and entering somebody's property without permission is against the law, as is threatening violence or using violence against someone. That is against the law. These are questions that only the Garda can answer.