Bernard Durkan
Ceist:1. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach to report on any recent meetings he has had with the British Prime Minister [46439/23]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Northern Ireland
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:2. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the British Prime Minister. [46374/23]
Brendan Smith
Ceist:3. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the British Prime Minister. [47658/23]
Mick Barry
Ceist:4. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach to report on any recent meetings he has had with the British Prime Minister. [47663/23]
Seán Haughey
Ceist:5. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the British Prime Minister. [47700/23]
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:6. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on any recent discussions he has had with the British Prime Minister. [48408/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together.
On 5 October, I met with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the margins of the European Political Community summit in Granada in Spain. We discussed developments in Northern Ireland and the importance of the Irish bilateral relationship, as well as broader global challenges. The Prime Minister updated me on the UK Government's engagement with the Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, regarding the restoration of power-sharing institutions. I acknowledged the Prime Minister's personal efforts in securing the Windsor Framework earlier this year. I underlined the importance of the two Governments working together in a spirit of partnership in all scenarios.
The Government's focus remains on getting the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive back up and running so that the three strands of the agreement, including the North-South Ministerial Council, can function fully. I also reiterated the Government's concerns about the UK's recently enacted legacy Act.
Prime Minister Sunak and I welcomed the joint UK and Ireland bid to host Euro 2028 and discussed the necessary redevelopment of Casement Park. It is fantastic news that the bid has been successful, and I confirmed to the Prime Minister that the Government is ready to contribute financially towards the redevelopment costs in order that Northern Ireland is able to host matches at Casement Park and to benefit directly from the tournament.
We discussed the significance of our bilateral trade, which is valued at €120 billion a year, and welcomed our recent bilateral memorandum of understanding on energy. I also welcomed the agreement reached for the UK to access EU research partnerships under the Horizon programme, which will have benefits for Ireland as well.
I want to add my voice to the condolences that have been expressed for Deputies Verona Murphy and Mitchell on the loss of their parents. It is a hard time for both families, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.
The British King set out the priorities of the British Government in the House of Commons today. In that speech there was no mention at all of the mothballing of the democratic institutions of the North of Ireland. That is a disgrace. Despite months of discussions between the British Government and the DUP, it appears that the DUP is still holding the democracy of the North to ransom until it gets its way on the protocol. It was reported on RTÉ today that a senior DUP member stated that "To end that boycott ... would be electoral madness." There we have it. The democratic institutions of the North of Ireland and the ability to administer health, housing, education, transport and even flooding are all being mothballed because of the narrow electoral interests of the DUP. How long are we going to allow this to happen? How long are we going to stand idly by as a State and allow for the democratic, educational, housing and economic rights of 2 million people, living 50 or 60 miles away from here, to be held to ransom? Is it not time now that the Government should pressure on for a reopening of Stormont and a change in the rules of how Stormont functions?
On 28 December last in Belturbet, County Cavan, we marked the 50th anniversary of the bombing in the town that caused the death of two young teenagers, Geraldine O'Reilly and Patrick Stanley. As the Taoiseach knows, next May will mark the 50th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, when 33 innocent people were murdered and hundreds were badly injured on that fatal day. That day, 17 May 1974, was the darkest day of all during the era known as the Troubles, when unfortunately there were many bad days throughout this island. Very regrettably, nobody has been brought to justice for those heinous crimes, be it in Belturbet or Dublin and Monaghan. The Taoiseach will also recall that in 2008, 2011 and 2016, this House unanimously passed motions calling on the British Government to give an independent eminent international legal expert access to all papers and files pertaining to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The non-response of the British Government to the legitimate and unanimous request of a neighbouring sovereign jurisdiction is totally and simply unacceptable.
We all know the chances of getting prosecutions are extremely limited but the least the families deserve is the truth about who carried out those atrocities. Will the Taoiseach give an assurance to this House, as he did in the past, that he and other members of the Government in all meetings at prime ministerial and government level will continue to raise the need for the British Government and the Northern Ireland authorities to co-operate in meaningful investigations into these atrocities?
I want to raise the issue of the repression of expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people. In Germany, we have seen school students who wear the Palestinian scarf threatened with school discipline. In Paris, people can be fined €135 for wearing the scarf; hundreds have been. In Britain, attempts have been made in universities to ban groups that show solidarity with Palestine. These are groups that oppose racism, and that have a long history of campaigning against antisemitism, yet they face bans. The Prime Minister has said that if next Saturday's Palestinian solidarity demonstration were to go ahead it would be provocative and disrespectful. He sees to be attempting to nudge the police into banning that protest, although how the hell they will do that when up to half a million people have been on the streets in London is anyone's guess. Is the Taoiseach is concerned about this attack we see on civil liberties not just in Britain, but in European Union countries as well?
The Northern Ireland Assembly elections were held on 5 May last year. As we know, the Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, by blocking the appointment of a speaker prevented the assembly from functioning, which, in turn, prevented the establishment of an executive. Meanwhile, the everyday problems in the North continue to get worse. Hospitals waiting lists are twice as long as they are in the South. Lough Neagh becomes more and more polluted. There are serious concerns about the budget in Northern Ireland. Deputy Tóibín mentioned the need for flood relief schemes. The Windsor Framework between the EU and the UK has been agreed and will be substantially implemented over the next 12 months. What are the prospects now for the restoration of the Northern Ireland political institutions? The Taoiseach went to Belfast in August to meet with the political parties there. Some reports suggest that the DUP is planning a return to Stormont but if this does not happen, what alternatives are being considered by the British and Irish Governments in the context of the revisions of the Good Friday Agreement? What were the views of the British Prime Minister on these matters when the Taoiseach met him on the margins of the European Political Community meeting?
This House has roundly condemned on a number of occasions the British Government's so-called legacy Bill recognising that the Bill and the approach of the British Government has been cruel, callous, and contrary to the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement and the words of the Stormont House Agreement, which both governments recommitted to as recently as 2020. For our part, we have been very clear that the Irish Government as a co-guarantor to those agreements has a duty to ensure their protection and to work towards their full implementation. In that regard, I previously asked whether the Government intends to take legal action to the European Court of Human Rights in response to the Bill. I was informed that the Government is awaiting legal advice from the Attorney General. Will the Taoiseach inform us as to whether that legal advice has been furnished and whether it will lead to the enacting of the legal actions required to face down this dreadful legislation?
Britain has seen very sizeable protests of hundreds of thousands of people in solidarity with the Palestinians and in opposition to the genocidal assault by Israel on Gaza. That has happened in the context of massive repression and threatened repression. A letter from the Home Secretary to police constables suggests that flying a Palestinian flag in Britain may be a criminal offence and that the chant, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" may be a criminal offence. Now we see attempts to ban the coming protest this Saturday, which could see up to 1 million people on the streets. The deputy assistant commissioner of the police has said it is not appropriate to hold any protests in London this weekend. Suella Braverman has said that "hate marchers need to understand that decent British people have had enough of theses displays of thuggish intimidation and extremism". I suggest that decent British people are appalled at the Israeli genocide and are appalled at their own government's support for that. Has the Taoiseach discussed the right of people to protest with the British Prime Minister? I would certainly say to people that if it is banned, they should still be on the streets and should attempt to mobilise 1 million people in a very powerful display of international solidarity with the Palestinians.
We obviously need the Government to do everything it can to take the necessary battle on. We are in full agreement that the legacy Bill is nothing but Britain's attempt to hide its disgraceful actions in Ireland during the conflict. I would like to think that legal advice has been provided to the Government because we need to take action as soon as possible. We spoke before about the huge issues as regards drift and slippage. We know the DUP is holding up issues related to an executive being up and running. We have had our own issues around flooding in north Louth but, as much as there may be questions and we need to get certain answers on the humanitarian assistance fund and the emergency business flood relief schemes, at least we have them. We have seen the issues in the likes of Newry and Downpatrick where an executive is not up and running. I would like to think the Government would add its voice to the British Government and the Secretary of State from a point of view that people will need reliefs there as soon as possible.
The Taoiseach is next.
I am next.
I did not have the Deputy on my list but he can go ahead.
I attended the demonstration in London two weeks ago. For British political and government figures to call it thuggish is absolutely outrageous. It was an entirely peaceful demonstration and the thought that there would be efforts to deter people from protesting or even banning them is absolutely outrageous. One of the things that protesters here and in Britain on that day and at all of the protests are puzzled about is the attitude of the British Government, the Taoiseach's Government, the United States Government and western Governments to international law. The Taoiseach, Rishi Sunak and others have repeatedly said that Israel has the right, through military means, to pursue Hamas and that has given cover to the justification for the slaughter in Gaza. First, I ask the Taoiseach, if a paramilitary group in Ireland attacked Britain would that give Britain the right to bomb Dublin or Belfast, for example? That is the logic that is being applied. Second, if any actor has the right to pursue by military means an entire population in order to pursue a particular paramilitary antagonist, do the Palestinians have the same right to so-called self-defence? I am seriously asking this question.
I thank the Deputy. We are way over time.
Do they have the right, through military means, to defend themselves against a siege, against occupation and against the killing of thousands of Palestinians by Israel over the past number of years?
Deputy, we are way over time.
Under international law, they do but it seems that nobody seems to want to accord them that right.
I thank the Deputies. Deputy Tóibín asked about King Charles's speech in Westminster today. I have not had a chance to read it but I do know the UK Government is working very hard on securing agreement from the DUP to return to government in Northern Ireland to deal with many of the issues that need to be dealt with and that have been mentioned by Deputies, ranging from flooding to the environment and to the health service. We remain in close contact with the UK Government on this and also with the five main political parties. Some progress has been made in the past few weeks and we have had a few false starts as well so let us see how it goes.
How long?
There is no deadline; we have not set a deadline.
There is never a deadline.
Deputy Brendan Smith mentioned the Dublin-Monaghan and Belturbet bombings. I concur with his remarks and want to reassure him we continue to raise the issue bilaterally and at Head of Government level and foreign minister level as well. A comprehensive review of the Belturbet bombing investigation was carried out by An Garda Síochána, which identified several lines of inquiry.
A senior investigating officer was appointed last year to lead the investigation and an incident room has been established at Ballyconnell Garda station. The investigation is open and active and any new information or evidence will be thoroughly investigated. I call on anyone who has information to make that available to the Garda authorities even at this very late date.
Deputies Barry, Paul Murphy, Boyd Barrett and others mentioned the right to protest. I believe in free speech, in freedom of assembly and in the right to engage in peaceful protest and any restriction on any of that needs to be rare and needs to be fully justifiable and warranted. It is not this Government's policy to ban or discourage pro-Palestinian marches, nor will we be doing so. The same applies to pro-Israeli marches. The same applies to marches that are just pro-peace. We will not be banning any national flags or any national symbols. That is our position. Other governments can make their own positions, of course. I have to say, however, I am concerned about rising anti-Semitism in Europe and around the world, some of it sparked by the events in the Middle East. That is not justified. I am concerned about rising Islamophobia as well. I am also concerned about what is, quite frankly, the dehumanisation of the Palestinian people in some of these debates because Palestinian lives matter as much as any other life, in my view.
In answer to Deputy Haughey's question, I cannot speak for Prime Minister Sunak but I believe he is committed to the Good Friday Agreement and wants to get the devolved institutions up and running again. I hope to have a chance to talk to him about that in the next few weeks as well.
On the legacy Act, we have received the legal advice from the Attorney General, AG, in relation to a possible inter-state case at the European Court of Human Rights. This is an essential contribution to our consideration as to whether or not we take a case or support a third-party case. We are studying that advice and considering the next steps, looking at all the implications of such a decision including the potential impact on the bilateral relationship, broader political and civic concerns in Northern Ireland and legacy issues among victims' groups and families. I stress that the initiation of an inter-state case would be a significant step, one which would have to be taken on solid grounds and not taken lightly. A decision has yet to be made.
Finally, I restate the very strong view of the Government that Israel has a right to defend itself but that has to be in accordance with international humanitarian law. Do people who are occupied have the right to resist that occupation? Of course they do. All over the world, people are occupied and resist occupation. Of course, they have the right to do that, but I think we all agree that what Hamas did on 7 October was not resisting occupation; it was a terrorist act.
The Attorney General's advice in respect of the legacy Bill.
I answered that.
Departmental Reports
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:7. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach his views on the recently published annual report of his Department. [43877/23]
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:8. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach his views on the recently published annual report of his Department. [46370/23]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:9. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach his views on the recently published annual report of his Department. [46438/23]
Mick Barry
Ceist:10. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach his views on the recently published annual report of his Department. [46494/23]
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:11. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach his views on the recently published annual report of his Department. [46789/23]
Brendan Smith
Ceist:12. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach his views on the recently published annual report of his Department. [47659/23]
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:13. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach his views on the recently published annual report of his Department. [47751/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 13, inclusive, together.
The Department's annual report for 2022 was published on gov.ie and laid before the Houses in September. The report sets out the work of the Department in 2022 to achieve the strategic priorities set out in the Department’s three-year Statement of Strategy 2021-2023.
The Department is working to ensure that all Departments' policies align to the Government's agenda and develop Ireland in a sustainable way which assists economic development and social progress.
Through the work of the ten Cabinet committees, a range of cross-government work was advanced during 2022 in line with the strategic priorities set out. These include progress on the Housing for All action plan, with almost 30,000 new homes completed in 2022 and, we expect, more than that this year; implementation of the climate action plan and accelerating Ireland's response to the climate crisis; mobilising the cross-government humanitarian response, including the provision of emergency accommodation, with over 70,000 arrivals from Ukraine under the temporary protection directive during 2022; initiating the establishment of a new child poverty and well-being programme office to provide a whole-of-government focus to reducing child poverty and improving child well-being; implementing policies targeting sustainable development and economic recovery, investment and job creation including the new national digital strategy and providing a comprehensive cost-of-living package to help families; a comprehensive programme of dialogues and research by the shared island unit underpinned by the Shared Island Fund, with approximately €250 million allocated to date; citizen assemblies on a directly-elected mayor for Dublin and biodiversity loss held; the programme of events as part of the decade of commemorations, including the centenaries of the handover of Dublin Castle, the Civil War and the inauguration of the Free State; advancing Ireland's role in Europe and the world, including through participation in the European Council and the UN Security Council and General Assembly; continued engagement with the main political parties in the North and the UK Government on the return of a functioning Assembly and Executive; and continued cross-government focus on integrating the well-being framework into policy-making and expenditure decisions.
A new Statement of Strategy 2023-2025 for the Department of the Taoiseach was published on gov.ie in July and this sets out the strategic priorities for the Department for the next three years.
There are six speakers, maybe seven. Each has up to one minute.
The Taoiseach referred to the Government's commitment to promote biodiversity and address the climate crisis. I would like to take the opportunity to mention the sudden, unexpected and tragic death of Andrew St. Ledger of The Woodland League in the past week. I am not sure if the Taoiseach is familiar with Andrew but he would have been involved in the environmental pillar and, most notably, was an incredibly passionate, knowledgeable campaigner on the issue of forestry, woodland and trees with a particular passion for the restoration of Ireland's ancient native woodlands. The message that was repeated endlessly by many at his funeral yesterday was the need to carry on his fantastic work in this area. One of the last campaigns I worked with him on was on the issue of changing the mandate of Coillte, the State forestry company, to move away from a focus on commercial monocultures and towards the promotion of biodiversity. I wonder is the Government willing to go along with the widespread demands that we change the mandate of Coillte to move in this direction.
A recent headline in the Irish Independent quotes the Taoiseach as saying that the "Final lockdown ... may not have been needed". It states that the Taoiseach doubts that the December 2021 restrictions had any real benefit. Indeed, there are massive questions in relation to the Government's handling of Covid from the thousands of older people who were moved from the hospitals into nursing home, many not being tested, seeding Covid in the place where people were most exposed, to the closure of cancer care, mental health care and care for stroke and heart disease which may be leading to the increasing excess deaths now within society, to the longest closure of primary schools in the European Union which may be leading to the massive increase in the number of children bring referred to Tusla currently. The British Government, for all its faults and chaos, is at least holding an investigation into the actions and pulling back the veil on its decisions. Is it the case that there is a strategic reluctance for the Government to do exactly the same thing, and that the Government does not want to hold an investigation into its decisions? This will have a serious cost because if we do not learn from the mistakes that were made during Covid, we will not be properly prepared for the next time.
The Department of the Taoiseach is responsible for co-ordinating the State's climate action plan which obliges the State to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030 but last week he and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine jetted off to South Korea to flog beef exports to that country thousands of miles away while simultaneously signing a new deal for a data centre in this country. Already, data centres swallow up 18% of our electricity consumption and increasingly huge amounts of our water supply while providing very few jobs. Is there any limit to the number of data centres the Taoiseach wants us to have or is Government policy for unlimited growth whatever it takes to pander to big tech? Beef is the most carbon-intensive way of producing protein. Is there any limit to the amount of beef the Taoiseach wants farmers to produce so that big processors and big agrifood companies can make huge profits at their expense? Is Government policy still, despite what is written in the climate action plan, more growth and more profits for big business?
WCNSF is the new acronym being used by medics tending to victims of Israel's bombs. It stands for "wounded child, no surviving family."
More than 4,000 children have died as a result of that bombing campaign. More than that number will need surgery repeatedly throughout the course of their lives. Criticisms of the Israeli assault have been raised in recent days by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste but when we watch a potential genocide unfold before our eyes, we have to ask ourselves whether that is enough. The time has come for words to be matched by actions. It is past time to expel the Israeli ambassador from this country. What would it take for the Taoiseach to do so? Would it take the death of 5,000, 10,000 or more than 10,000 children? Where does he draw the line? I think we should be told.
I have previously raised with the Taoiseach the plight of a number of young people who have been left without any day services after they graduated from school in St. Michael's House in Baldoyle. Despite promises from the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, that day services would be provided by the beginning of September, two of the young people are still awaiting an offer of any day service. One of them has still not even received an outreach service, while two of the young people affected are receiving a shared day service split in two, so they are only getting half of what they need. None of the young people who have been offered day services has any transport. They were promised transport and told that funding for it would not be an issue. When will the day services, outreach services and transport that were promised be provided?
I very much welcome the major funding from the Government for the shared island initiative. This is funding projects in my constituency, including the restoration of the Ulster Canal, which will be very beneficial for a number of counties throughout Ulster. The Taoiseach may recall that I raised with him when he held the enterprise portfolio the importance of developing enterprise centres and work space. Enterprise Ireland provides some support towards the building of such units but local authorities generally are the drivers of such projects. Substantial costs are involved in a local authority purchasing appropriate land and servicing those sites before construction even begins. Some work is ongoing in the shared island unit on enterprise on a cross-Border basis. Cavan and Monaghan county councils are working with neighbouring local authorities north of the Border. I am particularly interested in the Taoiseach ensuring that the shared island unit lays a particular emphasis on developing enterprise in the central Border region because it is particularly important. The same economic problems exist north and south of the Border. Thankfully, with the all-Ireland economy, there is significant interaction in business and commerce on a cross-Border basis. We should drive forward the development of enterprise centres on both sides of the Border. This additional assistance is needed for local authorities with a poor funding base, such as Cavan and Monaghan county councils given their poor rates base. Assistance in that respect would pay large dividends for the local and national economy.
I wish to raise the recent flooding in north County Louth, including Dundalk. Carlingford on the Cooley peninsula was particularly devastated, with unprecedented rain. I would like to think there would be flexibility in the humanitarian assistance scheme and the emergency business flood relief scheme. A request has been made to provide a scheme for farmers whose lands have been damaged and whose feedstock has been destroyed. A major issue is Government funding to make sure infrastructure such as roads can be reopened and bridges fixed. We should then look at what mitigation is possible in north County Louth. I have a specific question on Dundalk because the town is probably only one rain away from thousands of houses being flooded. I am referring to Cluan Enda, Bay Estate, the area off the Avenue Road and the area between Red Barns Road and St. Alphonsus Road. It involves a significant number of estates. We do not have the capacity to deal with the amount of wastewater being produced. The area generally experiences flooding on a normal day, which tells me there is a difficulty between Irish Water, the council and the company subcontracted to operate the local pumping station. An assessment needs to be made because we cannot deal with the level of wastewater from the new estates and factories that have been built in recent years.
I join with Deputy Boyd Barrett in recognising the life of Andrew St. Ledger and extend my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. I did not know him well but I think we met once or twice in the context of environmental meetings. I would have to check what the exact mandate of Coillte is in legislation but when I had the chance to meet it last year, it set out a mandate that really had three elements. One was the production of timber for commercial purposes, which we need, particularly when it comes to building new houses and doing so in a more sustainable way using timber rather than concrete. Another is recreation for people who want to enjoy and spend time in forests, while another is biodiversity. I think this is a good mandate. That is what Coillte says its mandate is. I am not sure what is written down in the legislation but I think that is its mandate in practice.
Deputy Tóibín spoke about the pandemic. When we speak about the pandemic, we should always acknowledge that Ireland managed a very difficult situation - an unprecedented situation - very well. We did not get everything right. Nobody does and nobody can but our excess deaths were among the lowest in the developed world and our economy bounced back probably the fastest in the developed world. You still see countries where people are still suffering from the economic impact of the pandemic and the lockdowns. There will be a Covid inquiry. I anticipate the memorandum to establish it and agree the terms of reference will go to Cabinet in the next couple of weeks. We then need to recruit a chair and a panel, which will be difficult because it will be very hard to find people who did not have some role in managing the pandemic or did not comment on it in some way. That will be difficult but that is a challenge that we will overcome. It will go on for some time so it is quite a big commitment on behalf of the people who will be asked to serve on the inquiry.
What I have always said from day one during Covid - I was one of the few who said it and it was hard to hear sometimes - is that lockdowns and restrictions on people's freedom would save lives, as they did, but could also do harm, cause damage and potentially cost lives, particularly because so much regular healthcare was delayed or deferred. I was always up-front about that. I remember people calling for zero Covid and suggesting all sorts of extreme lockdowns and actions. I was always of the view and was honest with people that this was a judgment call and a balanced decision to make. I remember absurd calls for some things that were done. I remember the debates around mandatory hotel quarantine, which I was never a big fan of. A lot of people called for very strict measures, stricter measures that those that happened, and for prolonged periods, never acknowledging that those restrictions could do harm as well as good. It will be very hard for any inquiry to do the maths on that and work out which decisions were right and which were wrong but we must have an inquiry because we need to learn from it. Hopefully, it will never happen again.
I wish to reassure Deputy Paul Murphy that there was a very strong enterprise environment element to the trade mission to South Korea. To give three examples, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, met a company that will power a data centre using fuel cells-----
Using gas.
-----in the midlands. It will not be connected to the electricity grid so this data centre will have no impact on electricity transmission-----
It will burn fossil fuels.
-----and, of course, it can be fuelled by biogas, which is a sustainable form of gas. Another company is turning the old peat-powered power station infrastructure in Shannonbridge to battery storage, so we can store excess wind energy when we have it and put it back into the grid.
When it comes to beef, it is not necessarily about increasing production. We are seeing herd stabilisation at the moment. I do not think it is about increasing production. I do think it is about diversification because the more markets we are in, the better price we get. If you lose market share for one reason or another or a market closes to you for one reason or another, the more markets you are in, the better. This makes sense. You never want to be overly dependent on any one market, particularly when it comes to commodities.
Deputy Barry again called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador. This is not something we intend to do. There are 40 Irish citizens in Gaza - Irish-Palestinians.
A young girl, an Irish and Israeli citizen, is being held in Gaza by Hamas. We want to get them out and I also hope that, at some point in the future, we can again start talking about a peace process, reconciliation and construction. Expelling the ambassador and cutting off those direct links with Israel does not serve any good. It might satisfy the need for-----
Where has the peace process been for the last 25 years?
-----a response on an emotional basis but it will not help the hostages or our citizens get out and it will not help bring peace and reconciliation any closer.
I will come back to Deputy Cian O'Callaghan regarding day services and transport in his constituency. I do not have an update on that.
I agree with Deputy Brendan Smith on the need for the Government to help councils in developing local enterprise centres. I will bring that up with the Minister, Deputy Coveney. In some ways, a county like Cavan is in a bit of a bind in that it does not have a rate base from industry but also does not have the funds to invest in the enterprise centres that could help with that rate base. I will certainly speak to the Minister about that in the context of his capital budget.
Deputy Ó Murchú raised the issue of flooding in areas of north Louth, including Carlingford. I extend my sympathy and solidarity to the people affected. There is a scheme for residents. That is not just for homeowners; it also applies to landlords and renters. There is also an enhanced scheme for businesses and there will also be a special allocation for public infrastructure. I cannot answer the specific question the Deputy asked. I do not have the information or expertise to answer it but we can certainly follow up on it.
Will there be a scheme for farmers?
Schemes for farmers operate on a case-by-case basis. A scheme for a particular area was approved by Cabinet today. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, either has announced or will announce that scheme. I do not want to go into the details. It can be done but it is done on a case-by-case basis.
Commissions of Investigation
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:14. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the number of tribunals, public investigations and commissions of investigation in process; the length of time each has been under way; when each will conclude; the cost to date of each; and the estimated cost of each at completion. [46827/23]
The only ongoing commission of investigation for which I am the specified Minister is the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, commission of investigation. As with all such commissions, it is fully independent in its investigations.
The commission was established in June 2017, following consultations with Oireachtas parties, to investigate the sale by NAMA of its Northern Ireland portfolio, known as Project Eagle. Its original deadline for reporting was 31 June 2018 but, following several requests from the commission and consultation with Oireachtas parties, its timeframe for reporting has been extended. In this context, it should be noted that the commission’s original sole member was Mr. Justice John Cooke, a retired judge of the High Court. Mr. Justice Cooke sadly passed away in April 2022 and the then Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, subsequently appointed Ms Susan Gilvarry to be the new sole member of the commission in June 2022.
In July 2023, the commission submitted its 16th interim report to me and requested a further extension to its timeframe for reporting until the end of March 2024. In this latest interim report, the commission noted that it was well advanced in the preparation and finalisation of its draft final report and that it would shortly commence circulating it to relevant persons, some of whom reside outside the jurisdiction. This is required by the Commissions of Investigation Act. The interim report also noted that the commission would take all submissions received into account in formulating its final report and that, during this extension, it would also invite, consider and determine requests for recovery of legal costs and other expenses necessarily incurred pursuant to section 24 of the Act. From the time of its establishment to the end of September 2023, the commission cost approximately €6 million. This excludes third party legal costs incurred but not yet paid.
There is a trend in how this Government deals with scandals that are made known by campaigning groups. The Government usually says sorry here in the Dáil in measured, grave tones. It promises it will never happen again and that an investigation or tribunal into the scandal will be held. However, when it comes to the business end, the creation of the investigation, the Government usually waters down the terms of reference so that the tribunal or investigation becomes a whitewash. We have seen this over and over again. The CervicalCheck tribunal is one example. Unfortunately, it is now happening to the Women of Honour. The Government promised these brave women that they would be included in the development of the terms of reference for the proposed tribunal but, in recent times, the Tánaiste has shattered that illusion. The Women of Honour group has called for the term "abuse" to include psychological abuse and for the investigation to focus on the culture that exists within the Defence Forces that led to rape, sexual abuse, the cover-up and the bullying of the whistleblowers within the organisation. However, the Government is now reneging on the promises made to these women. It is looking to limit the investigations to those who have already accessed the internal complaints procedures. This is despite the independent review group admitting that 70% of women who have been abused do not access the complaints procedure. At this late stage, will the Taoiseach fix the damage the Tánaiste has done and adhere to the request of the Women of Honour group to include its objectives in the terms of reference?
I raise the case of the death of Margaret Bracken, whose body was discovered at her home in Dundalk on 16 December 2019. The Garda very quickly concluded that there was nothing suspicious about the circumstances of her death. That conclusion was reached extremely quickly, with the sergeant and inspector having spent less than ten minutes in the house before doing so. However, they ignored all of the evidence, which strongly suggested that a robbery and struggle had preceded the heart attack the post-mortem found she died from. They ignored the fact that her body was naked and that her handbag, which had a large sum of money inside, had been robbed. They also ignored the fact that her final call had been to 999, that the CCTV control box was missing, that the kitchen table had been completely cleared, which was very unusual, and that all the plugs were unplugged. The family have been let down extremely badly by the Garda. Ms Bracken's daughter has spoken to the Tánaiste. Does the Taoiseach agree that, at the very least, we need to have a coroner's inquiry into this death as soon as possible?
I will also raise the issue of the untimely death of Margaret Bracken, who was found naked in her home in Dundalk on 16 December 2019. The family has been campaigning for justice since her body was discovered in the hallway of her home. The crucial issue here is that the scene was not sealed off at the time and that two gardaí made a decision quite quickly that she had died from natural causes. All of the evidence was contaminated thereafter. Deputy Paul Murphy has raised the issues of the CCTV camera, the 999 call, the missing handbag and the money taken from the house. It is the events that took place subsequently that need to be inquired into. I sent a letter and put a question to the Minister for Justice in 2022 and she replied that, as Minister, she had no statutory role in intervening. I was calling for an independent inquiry into the circumstances of the death and the investigation to date, which might make further recommendations. This could have been carried out by someone at chief superintendent rank from another division. The Minister could equally appoint a senior lawyer or recently retired judge to review the evidence. There is no death certificate. There has been no coroner's inquiry and no court case. Will the Taoiseach look into this matter?
I thank Deputies for their contributions. On the forthcoming inquiry into abuse in the Defence Forces, the Tánaiste has consulted the Attorney General on the establishment of the inquiry and its terms of reference. He has engaged with stakeholders, including the Women of Honour group, other groups such as the Men and Women of Honour group, PDFORRA and RACO and individuals. Draft terms of reference for the inquiry were shared with a variety of stakeholders. The Tánaiste considered the feedback on these draft terms of reference that he had received from several stakeholders. He has discussed the range of comments and observations received at length with the Attorney General. The Tánaiste continues to wish to engage with the Women of Honour group and its legal representatives and has accepted many additional terms and edits, particularly those sought by the group and its legal team. These changes to the terms of reference include the group's request for a statutory public inquiry. Revised terms of reference have been shared with the individuals and groups that have been in contact with the Tánaiste and he intends to revert to the Government in the coming weeks to seek approval for the terms of reference and the appointment of a judge to chair the tribunal. I have full confidence in the Tánaiste's competence to establish an inquiry that is both comprehensive and fair.
With regard to the sad death of Margaret Bracken, I once again extend my condolences to her family and all of those who knew her. I am afraid I am not familiar with the details of the case, although I am aware of it. My understanding is that decisions on whether inquests are carried out are a matter for the county coroner.
If there is any issue around Garda actions, it would be best investigated by means of a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.
We have already done that.
I will let the Minister for Justice know the case was raised in the Dáil again today.