Mattie McGrath
Ceist:1. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [1151/24]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Cabinet Committees
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:2. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will meet next. [1813/24]
Gino Kenny
Ceist:3. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [2801/24]
Mick Barry
Ceist:4. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [3710/24]
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Ceist:5. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [3803/24]
Aindrias Moynihan
Ceist:6. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [3806/24]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:7. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [4029/24]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [4032/24]
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:9. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [3975/24]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:10. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with disability will next meet. [4021/24]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:11. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with disability will next meet. [4024/24]
Bríd Smith
Ceist:12. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with disability will next meet. [4300/24]
Is Deputy Ó Murchú substituting for Deputy McDonald?
When the Taoiseach is ready, I understand he is taking Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet committee on health last met on 7 December 2023 and is currently scheduled to next meet on 12 February of this year. The committee oversees the programme for Government commitments relating to health and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas. It considers the progress of health reforms, including Sláintecare and the reform of disability services. The committee also maintains an overview of public health. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and Cabinet committees, I meet Ministers from time to time on an individual basis to focus on different issues. I meet regularly with the Minister for Health to discuss progress and challenges in health, including the Sláintecare reform programme.
Sláintecare, which is happening with the support and oversight of the Department of the Taoiseach through the Cabinet committee on health, is about four main issues: making healthcare more affordable; making it more accessible; ensuring better outcomes for patients; and reforming our health service. We are committed to expanding the core capacity of our acute hospitals, with more health professionals and more acute hospital beds.
We have added more than 1,000 permanent beds in our acute hospitals since 2020 and 1,000 more consultants. We have increased the total public health sector workforce by more than 26,000 since the start of 2020. That includes an extra 8,000 nurses and midwives, an extra 4,000 social care professionals and almost 3,000 extra doctors and dentists.
There is a strong pipeline of capital projects, including several new hospital projects and significant new facilities for existing hospitals. Our multi-annual approach to waiting lists resulted in an overall reduction in the number of patients waiting more than ten to 12 weeks by 27% since the numbers peaked after the pandemic. Waiting lists fell last year for the second year in a row. We are determined to make sure they fall for the third year in a row this year. The figures that matter most are the number of patients waiting the longest, that is, those waiting longer than the ten to 12 weeks recommended by the Sláintecare report. The target of achieving a 10% reduction in patients waiting longer than ten to 12 weeks was met, with an 11% reduction achieved. This covers inpatients, day cases, outpatients and patients undergoing gastrointestinal, GI, scopes, and equates to 57,000 fewer people waiting more than ten to 12 weeks.
The enhanced community care programme continues to improve healthcare at a more local level and to alleviate pressure on major hospitals. The majority of community healthcare networks, community intervention teams and community support teams are now in place and providing care closer to home. Work is ongoing on the reconfiguration of the HSE organisational structures into six new health regions and the establishment of elective care centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway, as well as surgical hubs in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford in the interim.
At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is affecting everyone, we are making healthcare more affordable through the removal of hospital charges, widened eligibility for the GP card and a reduced drug payment scheme threshold, among other measures. We have allocated more than €22.8 billion for health services in 2024. That will facilitate the continued provision and expansion of quality, affordable healthcare services. Separately, significant funding is also being invested in disability services. Budget 2024 will provide for the further expansion of free contraception provision to include women aged 31; just under €3 million for the development of child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, with the creation of 68 new posts; the first full-year programme of publicly funded assisted human reproduction services, including IVF; more than €20 million for residential placements for children and adults; €15 million for respite services, €18.2 million for day services; and €8.5 million for developments in children's services, including new therapy assistant positions.
Our health service has its challenges but it is responding and it has expanded dramatically in recent years. We are treating more people with better outcomes than ever before. Our life expectancy is continuing to increase and is now well above international averages, being in the top five in the European Union. We continue to reduce mortality rates for stroke and certain cancers and to report ever-increasing positive trends in preventative health.
I thank the Taoiseach for his comprehensive reply. I accept there have been huge improvements in the delivery of vital health services in very difficult and challenging times. Sufficient recognition is not given to that. However, there are a couple of small measures that could have a considerable impact in improving the delivery of services. One such measure concerns the operation and layout of emergency departments. The staff there are under the cosh all the time. They work in appalling conditions, sometimes under physical threat and always under some type of threat. In some cases, patients move from beds in wards into the emergency department area to confront each other and confront staff in a way that is totally unacceptable. There could and should be a rapid inspection of emergency departments all over the country to stamp out this ongoing behaviour that is causing considerable stress.
The other issue in regard to the delivery of health services is one we need to think about more. We spend a lot of time talking about treatment purchase schemes both within the island of Ireland and overseas. All the services provided under those schemes are readily available here, albeit through the private system. I do not see any reason people should have to travel outside the jurisdiction for services such as eye procedures, which is a regular occurrence, when the services are readily available through the private sector.
A total of 71 people were on trolleys in Cork University Hospital, CUH, this morning. It was the second most overcrowded hospital in the State last year, with 12,582 patients admitted without a bed. Already this year, the numbers presenting to the hospital's adult emergency department are up by one third on last year. This morning, the hospital's clinical director of emergency and acute care, Professor Conor Deasy, appealed to the Government to lift the staff embargo. What does the Taoiseach have to say about this situation? Will he stick with the recruitment freeze despite all the evidence that last year was a disaster in emergency departments and that demand has increased again this year? If he will not pay heed to the people on trolleys, will he at least pay heed to the words of Professor Deasy? Will he answer the professor's plea for an end to the freeze or will he stick to his worn-out mantras?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as ucht an cheist seo a fhreagairt. Last week saw the publication of the report of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, which included wide-ranging recommendations. The general thrust was around having a health-led response to the possession of drugs for personal use. As I understand it, the next stage is for the report to come to the Oireachtas. Will the Cabinet committee on health discuss the report and prepare the various next steps in terms of legislation arising out of it, or, as the report recommends, will that be done by a new committee headed by the Taoiseach? Will he give an overview of plans for dealing with the report and a timeline for same?
I met a young mother this week who has a very serious precancerous condition. For six years, she obtained a cream called Imiquimod with her medical card. For no reason for which she can get an explanation, she is no longer able to get it. It has been taken off the primary care reimbursement scheme with no explanation. They only way she can get it now, apparently, is by paying €400 a month to import it from the United State via Holles Street hospital. I understand the product is licensed here. I do not understand how this can be happening. This woman believes a significant number of people will be impacted by the situation. It is very likely she is not the only one. This is outrageous. Her doctors tell her that if she does not get this treatment, it could seriously worsen her situation and she may be forced into a serious operation as a result. Will the Taoiseach talk to the HSE, the Minister for Health or whomever else to address this issue? The treatment is for a precancerous condition that must not be allowed to get worse. The woman has to get the cream. She used to get it with her medical card but now she cannot get it unless she pays €400 a month, which she does not have. I ask the Taoiseach to address her situation as a matter of urgency.
For a number of years, the Government has talked the talk when it comes to a health-led approach to drugs but it definitely has not walked the walk. The failed and failing war on drugs has continued. In 2022, 17,321 controlled drug offences were reported. There has not been the investment needed in the front-line drug addiction services and task forces. Investment has basically stagnated. It is now time to walk the walk. The citizens' assembly was very clear on the necessity of an end to criminalisation and a proper health-led approach.
Tomorrow our Bill to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of cannabis will be debated and voted on. Will the Government implement a health-led approach by supporting that legislation?
The general practitioner sector was one of the last elements of the health service that functioned properly. Now are seeing incredible two- or three-week delays for a simple first appointment with doctors throughout the country. That is if doctors will take people onto their lists. Many thousands of people now cannot even get on a doctor's list, which means that they are locked out of GP healthcare. Many of these people are then forced to go to hospital accident and emergency departments, which has the effect of increasing the blockage in that element of the health service as well. In the past few months, the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, said that he is seeking to increase the number of medical training places in the universities by approximately 35%. That will take at least seven years to come to fruition in terms of bigger numbers. The key element is that even if we have more graduated GPs, a massive number of GPs still see their career in Australia or other countries rather than Ireland. What is the Government's plan to ensure that Irish citizens can actually get a doctor when they are sick?
I want to bring up the issue of the lack of Ozempic, which is a diabetes drug. It is also seen at times as a weight-loss drug. This could be part of the issue. I think there was an issue with production; numbers are down. People with diabetes have told me of their difficulty in getting it. It was brought to my attention by a man who has been a diabetic for 26 years. Seven years ago he was put on this drug. At times, his pharmacy does not have it so he goes without which causes huge issues for him. Lately, his pharmacy ordered ten batches and only received two. He has been told that there is an alternative but he has to go to a clinic to be assessed for that. We all know the timeline for something like this and, therefore, this is an issue that needs to be examkined. First and foremost, we have to make sure we deliver for those with diabetes who absolutely require this, whatever about any other uses this particular drug has.
I want to raise again the issue of rare diseases. The Taoiseach might have seen the news that last week, thankfully, the drug Libmeldy was approved for patients who suffer from metachromatic leukodystropohy, MLD. I pay tribute to the parent of a child who passed away a number of years ago. Les Martin sadly lost his son, Cathal, a few years ago to this disease. We saw and heard from Les last week. He has been campaigning for a number of years because he has a second child who is also affected by this disease. Thankfully, his second son can avail of this drug because it was approved last week.
This disease can be caught with the heel prick test when a child is born. I ask the Taoiseach to provide us with an update. I understand that there is a review currently to expand the heel prick test. Will the Taoiseach elaborate on whether this particular ailment could be picked up through the heel-prick test into the future?
I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Durkan raised the operation and layout of emergency departments. I very much agree with him that staff work very hard in emergency departments and are often subject to abuse and even violence from a minority of patients and their visitors and that is never acceptable. The NTPF is used to commission private healthcare for public patients and it generally works very well. However, patients do have the right to seek healthcare in Northern Ireland or in the EU and have the costs reimbursed. Ultimately, it is their choice. It would be better to use the capacity we have here in our private sector rather than people going abroad but they have that right under EU law. We also have an arrangement with Northern Ireland and people avail of that, particularly for cataracts.
Regarding the recruitment freeze and embargo, provision has been made for the HSE to increase its staff this year. It can hire an additional 2,000 staff. Since 2020, we have seen a recruitment surge. We have 8,000 more nurses and midwives than we had in 2020 and there are 3,000 more doctors and dentists. The HSE can hire an additional 2,000 staff but it needs to be done in a proper way.
Deputies Moynihan and Murphy asked about drugs policy. I met the chairman of the Citizens' Assembly on Drug Use last week. There were three takeaways for me from what he said. The first is that we need an Irish model; we should not just try to copy models in other countries. The assembly has made a lot of recommendations and it is not just about decriminalisation. He does not want all the focus to be on that. If it is going to be examined by an Oireachtas committee, it should be a special committee, not the health or justice committees because it is relevant to both areas and indeed other areas like education. Our intention is to refer the report to a special Oireachtas committee. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, will bring a memo to Cabinet about that next week. One of the issues the special Oireachtas committee will have to tease is what decriminalisation really means in Ireland in a legal context. Does it mean that is not an offence at all? Does it meant that it is a non-indictable offence? Does it mean that it is an offence without a penalty? Is there something like penalty points or does it actually mean that a certain amount of each particular substance would not be illegal to possess? All of this has to be teased out by the committee. It was not teased out by the assembly. In fairness to the members, they are not legal experts or legislators. With that in mind, we are proposing a timed amendment of nine months to the Private Members' Bill.
Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned a particular medication or cream that I am not familiar with. I do not know why it was taken off the GMS and the DPS. There may well be a good reason and there may not be. If the Deputy can pass me a note with the name of the medicine, I will check up on it because I am sure the issue will come up again.
Deputy Tóibín asked about access to GP services. We have increased the number of training places dramatically. There are now more doctors qualifying as GPs than there are retiring. It does not take six, seven or eight years. If people train as a GP, in their third year of training they are in practice almost full time, seeing patients. We are seeing those people come through already. We are allowing GPs to come in from other jurisdictions and South Africa in particular. This is because it is an international labour market and people come and go. We are also investing in more practice nurses because in Ireland there is a very low ratio of nurses to GPs. In an Irish general practice, there might be one nurse to four doctors. In a general practice in Holland, there will usually be four nurses and four doctors. That model works very well, so they are the things we are doing.
Ozempic is a medicine used both for diabetes and obesity. We should not forget that obesity is a disease. It is good that treatments are now available for it. However, there is a shortfall of supply internationally and for that reason, and rightly so, diabetic patients are being prioritised. The company, Novo Nordisk, is scaling up production, but thinks that it will be the latter part of the year before enough is being produced to meet demand.
Finally, to Deputy O'Sullivan's question, I will check up on the heel prick test. I do not know what the current status of the review is. I know we test for many more things than we used to. It used to be just four and now it is approximately 60. I am not exactly sure where we are on that but I will follow up on it. I also want to recognise Deputy's advocacy when it comes to new medicines and rare diseases. As part of the Revised Estimates Volume just before Christmas, we set aside dedicated funding for new medicines for this year. Hopefully, that will see more new medicines and more new uses being approved throughout 2024.
Is there any comment on the recruitment freeze in Cork University Hospital?
The HSE can recruit an additional 2,000 staff this year.
Cabinet Committees
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:13. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [1397/24]
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:14. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will meet next. [1811/24]
Alan Dillon
Ceist:15. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will meet next. [2747/24]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:16. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on Housing for All. [2795/24]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:17. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on Housing for All. [2798/24]
Bríd Smith
Ceist:18. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on Housing for All. [2803/24]
Mick Barry
Ceist:19. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on Housing for All. [3711/24]
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Ceist:20. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [3804/24]
Aindrias Moynihan
Ceist:21. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [3807/24]
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:22. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [3974/24]
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:23. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [4016/24]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 23, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet committee on housing met yesterday. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All and programme for Government commitments regarding housing and related matters. Our latest update on progress achieved under Housing for All was published last Thursday. Despite considerable challenges in the external environment, we are making real progress with new homes and apartments being built all over the country.
Last week, data released by the CSO confirmed that more houses were built last year than in any year since 2008. That is a 15-year high. With more than 32,000 new homes, our target for 2023 has been exceeded. We are confident that this strong momentum will continue, with building under way on almost 33,000 new homes last year, which is up 20% on the previous year. Planning permission data also indicates a strong pipeline, with permission granted for more than 37,600 new homes in the year to the end of September 2023.
Affordability initiatives are having a real impact in helping people to achieve home ownership, with more than 500 first-time buyers or couples drawing down their mortgage each week. This is the highest since 2007.
Almost 2,500 couples and individuals availed of the first home scheme in 2023, while in the 11 months to the end of November 2003, almost 7,000 claimed the help-to-buy scheme to assist with the deposit needed to purchase or build a new home. These schemes will assist thousands more to buy this year.
We are also seeing the benefit of recent measures to bring vacant and derelict homes back into use, with just over 3,000 applications approved for the vacant property refurbishment grant. On State lands, building started on a number of sites during the final months of 2023. This includes almost 2,000 new homes in the Dublin City Council area and over 200 new social and affordable homes at the former Devoy Barracks in Naas. We are also committed to improving the rental market by providing greater security, affordability and viability to tenants and landlords into the future. In addition to the increased rent tax credit, recent measures to bring about more homes to rent include further reform of the fair deal scheme and the Government's new policy to develop more on-campus student accommodation.
Housing for All is working. We are building more homes and we need to press ahead with implementation and maintain this strong momentum into 2024 and beyond.
I thank the Taoiseach for his extended reply. I acknowledge the work that has been done and agree that considerable progress has been made, and is being made, in respect of the provision of houses to the community despite the Covid-19 pandemic and all the other obstacles that were in the way. It is easy to say this is not enough. Of course, it is not enough but, at the same time, a considerable amount has been achieved in very difficult circumstances.
One thing that has recently come to my attention and that of everyone else, including the Minister, is the intervention of investment funds in the market. They have been buying up houses on the basis that they are to be let. Of course, to a large extent they control the market because they are letting houses to people at exorbitant rents. That is not getting any easier as time goes by. These funds are letting properties to people who have no other options. These are people who do not qualify for local authority housing because their income is too high and who do not qualify for any other form of assistance. They cannot qualify for a loan from a bank or local authority because their income is not high enough. I ask that a particular look be taken at those sets of circumstances with a view to eliminating any repressive or regressive moves that seem to militate against the people who are attempting to provide themselves with a home.
I commend the Government on its leadership. We are making significant strides in respect of housing. All the key housing indicators, including commencements, completions and planning permission applications, are trending upwards, which bodes well for the future. Momentum is certainly strong and building. We are moving in the right direction when it comes to housing. The Department of housing has confirmed that 525 homes were built in Mayo last year, which was the highest number since 2008. More than 3,000 homes have been provided in Mayo since the launch of Rebuilding Ireland in mid-2016.
I must, however, acknowledge that not a single affordable home has been built in Mayo since the adoption of the Housing for All plan. While social housing is extremely important, there should be a mix of social and affordable housing for those who are seeking home ownership. I previously raised the issue with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and was informed that the Department is working to set specific targets for local authorities that are outside the set targets at present. I am asking for clarification in relation to where these targets are at and when they will be published because we need to set realistic targets. I said previously that 100 affordable homes in Mayo for the next 12 months is a realistic target that should be achieved. We should be ambitious in that regard.
The fact is that the market is proving incapable of delivering affordability for houses to buy or rent for large swathes of young and working people. That is the reality. There has been an uptick in the delivery of social housing. It has not been enough but we are beginning to see some progress, not least because the Government adopted a proposal we suggested, which was to start buying some of the houses delivered by the market that are too expensive for people to buy and having the Government deliver them as social housing. As one of the Government Deputies has just told the Taoiseach, we are way behind on affordable housing. In my area, zero cost-rental or affordable houses were delivered last year. Under our planning laws, we get 10% social and 10% affordable housing as part of some schemes. What does that mean? It means that 80% of what the market is delivering is unaffordable to the vast majority. I honestly and genuinely ask what is the point in building unaffordable housing because the only people who can buy it are very rich people or investment funds, which buy the houses and charge extortionate rents. We must do something about this urgently. If the Government is serious about looking for ideas, and I acknowledge it has taken on some of the suggestions we have made in certain regards, I ask that we have a serious discussion whereby the Government listens to some our suggestions about how we can deliver more. We should be following what is being done in places such as Vienna where the policy is that between 50% and 60% of all housing delivered must be social or affordable housing. What is the point otherwise?
The housing crisis is still getting worse. Every week, I meet couples who are working, whose combined income puts them over the limit for social housing and who are simply unable to afford a home in the market. They are spending all their money, week to week, on their rent and cannot save up a deposit. Such people are utterly trapped. The market has failed those people. The Taoiseach talked about affordable housing. Let us take the example of cost rental. In my constituency, we now have some cost-rental homes. However, affordability is defined by the Government not in relation to how much income people have and whether they can afford it but as a percentage reduction to an utterly unaffordable market rate. The Taoiseach claims that going 25% below the market rate is somehow affordable but it is still unaffordable. I will give the example of a new development in Citywest. Under cost rental, the price is €1,390 for a one-bedroom home, €1,580 for a two-bedroom home and €1,750 for a three-bedroom home. It is still unaffordable for enormous numbers of workers. We are talking about a couple with a net income of €66,000 or less. If they are at the highest rate of €66,000, 31% of their income is going on housing for a three-bed home. If they earn less, that percentage rises quickly to 40% or 50%. These are not affordable just by virtue of the Government stating they cost slightly less than a massively unaffordable level. Does the Taoiseach accept the point that the cost is not affordable? We need properly affordable homes, which means, for one thing, getting rid of the limits for social housing and allowing anybody to apply for it.
Vacancy and dereliction are a curse across our cities, towns and villages. A study by the Revenue Commissioners two years ago put the number of vacant buildings at more than 57,000. There is plenty of potential for housing there. One of those buildings was probably the old Central Hotel in Mallow, County Cork. The building has been put onto the derelict sites register. It will have been vacant and derelict for 17 years this year. It could be used for affordable apartments or community facilities for young people, for shops, or for a combination of the three. We need to use it or lose it. Will the Taoiseach agree that local authorities, such as Cork County Council, need to be far more assertive in using their powers for compulsory purchase?
I wish to raise the issue of a social housing passport. I think Deputy Devlin raised this issue in the past. We are living in a society that is much more complex that the one in which we grew up. Many marriages and relationships break down and of the many couples who have shared an application on a local authority housing list, one or both partners might end up going back to their county of origin and it is quite difficult to get people transferred between different local authorities. If a system were in place that could cover the entire country to allow for the easier transition of people to their home county so they could keep their time on the social housing list and not have to start from scratch with their social housing application, it would be worth looking into. I would appreciate it if the Taoiseach could raise that with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
We are talking about the current housing crisis that is affecting so many people across the country but I am still working with a large number of individuals who are hammered due to the last housing crash. Believe it or not, these individuals are still before the courts trying to unwind the complex legal mess that exists with regard to the housing crash in 2009. The banks are still pursuing these families and many of these individuals are broken people. These people have been suffering for 14 or 15 years. Some have suffered from depression while many have attempted suicide to relieve themselves from a crisis in which they still find themselves. Many people are financially busted and are defending themselves in court against some of the biggest legal firms in Dublin. They are finding it increasingly difficult. One of the allegations that is being made is that the Land Registry is transferring land out of individuals' names and into the names of other people at the request of banks' solicitors - not at the request of judges, etc. Surely the Land Registry should operate only on the basis of a judgment and not on the say of a private firm representing a bank. At this stage, it should be the responsibility of the State to look at those individuals who are still in this sorry mess 14 years later and see what can be done to fix their situations so that they do not have to go through another ten to 15 years of this disaster with the banks.
Arising from my previous question, could we also look at alternatives to Ozempic and a more streamlined process for assessments so those with diabetes could make that change? That could help us.
Once again, I raise the issue of housing adaptation grants and the ongoing review. We need the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to come to a conclusion on that as soon as possible. We all know there is an insufficient amount of money for delivering adaptation grants across the board but there is sometimes a insufficient amount for individual build operations that need to be carried out, particularly for people with significant levels of disability, be they older people or disabled children as the situation gets a lot worse the older a child gets. I dealt with a case in my constituency. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, tried to find a solution but we are trying to work around the system. We might need to look at some other funding stream that involves the HSE for these really difficult situations because we are talking about a significant number of families who are under severe pressure. I would really appreciate it if this could be looked at.
Deputy Durkan raised the issue of institutional investors. The Government recognises the need for protections to prevent institutional investors displacing owner occupiers. For this reason, we introduced tax and planning changes to protect traditional family houses from bulk purchase. These include changes introduced in May 2021 to the rate of stamp duty on bulk purchases. A 10% stamp duty levy was introduced by Government for the cumulative purchase of ten or more residential houses in a 12-month period. Section 28 guidelines for planning authorities provide for an owner occupier guarantee preventing multiple units being sold to a single buyer in new estates, although, of course, this does not apply retrospectively to permissions granted before 2021. About 40,000 homes have received planning permission with conditions attached prohibiting bulk purchase or multiple sale to a single purchaser since that law was brought in and we are considering further measures. We believe the role of institutional investors is to finance new housing developments that otherwise would not be built, not to buy up existing ones when people have a legitimate expectation that they may be able to buy them themselves.
Deputy Dillon raised the issue of affordable housing schemes in Mayo. I agree that we need a mix of affordable housing schemes and social housing schemes. It should not just be social housing. The argument made in the past was that counties where affordability is better than others do not need these schemes. I do not agree with that view. I think every county should have at least one scheme but I would also point out that there are ways other than affordable housing schemes to achieve affordability. Help to buy does it by helping people to afford a deposit and the first home scheme can close the gap between what somebody gets in terms of mortgage approval and the cost of building a new home.
There are lots of ways we can achieve affordability. Social housing is clearly one way. As I said before, it benefits everyone. It takes people off the housing list, frees up properties for other people to rent and has a downward dampening effect on house prices. That is why we are building more social housing now than at any point since the 1970s. The Deputy may be interested to know that if we compare the 2022 census with the census ten years ago, we find that there are 40,000 more families on social housing than was the case back in 2011 and the percentage of people living in social housing is now higher than it was ten years ago. That shows how committed this Government and previous Governments in the past ten years have been to social housing.
We are also trying to reduce the cost of building homes by waiving development levies, servicing more land, reducing the cost of finance and focusing on vacancy and help to buy. Let us never forget what help to buy is. This is tax that people have already paid. It is their own tax they are getting back and they can put it towards their deposit. It would be terrible if that was taken away.
Regarding the Vienna model, Vienna is a great city. I have been there many times and I love the place but there are merits and demerits to its housing model. One of the things people in Vienna tell me is that because there is such a focus on public housing, it is very hard to own your own home in Vienna. Home ownership rates in Austria are among the lowest in Europe and are lower than they are in Ireland. I am not sure if that is the model people want in Ireland, one where people are less likely to own their own home and are in public housing for life no matter how good and secure it may be.
I think we all appreciate that there will always be some level of vacancy but there is still too much of it. It is still too common even though vacancy rates are falling. I agree with Deputy Barry that local authorities need to be more assertive and proactive in what they do regarding vacancy. Some are better than others. Waterford is a very good example of a local authority that is particularly active when it comes to vacancy and other local authorities could learn from that. The Government is adopting a carrot-and-stick approach. A figure of €150 million is available to local authorities to purchase derelict properties and bring them back into use. They can buy the property, sell it on and use the money again to buy another property. I am really encouraging local authorities to do that. They have compulsory purchase order powers that are not used enough. There is the derelict site levy, which they are often too slow to impose, and there is the vacant property tax. Grants are now available to individuals to renovate properties and bring them back into use. Over 3,000 of those have been approved and the drawdown is picking up.
Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan raised the issue of a social housing passport. I will have to come back to him on that issue. It is a good idea, particularly where people are moving back to their own county, that they would carry their years with them. One thing we would need to guard against is people being on multiple lists because it could create all sorts of difficulties if people are on housing lists in several different local authorities.
I do not have any information for Deputy Tóibín regarding the issue he raised concerning the Land Registry. There are, however, lots of options available to people who are still in financial distress from the crash 12 or 13 years ago. Mortgage to rent is one option while personal insolvency is another option. I would say to anyone to get good legal and financial advice on their options.
The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, made a statement on the housing adaptation grant earlier in the Dáil today. That is probably a more up-to-date response than I can give.
Cabinet Committees
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:24. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of the Cabinet committees on which he sits. [1398/24]
Mick Barry
Ceist:25. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of the Cabinet committees on which he sits. [3712/24]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:26. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of the Cabinet committees on which he sits. [4030/24]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:27. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of the Cabinet committees on which he sits. [4033/24]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 to 27, inclusive, together.
The Government has established ten Cabinet committees. These are Brexit and Northern Ireland, children and education, economy and investment, environment and climate change, EU and international affairs, Government co-ordination, health, housing, humanitarian response to Ukraine, and social affairs and public services. I am a member of all committees, as are the Tánaiste and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan. That is an awful lot of committees, so if anybody has a new committee or task force they think I should chair, I would appreciate suggestions on ones I should stop chairing.
Last week, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel has a case to answer on a charge of genocide. Who is the individual, outside of Israel itself, who has by far the greatest responsibility for funding and arming that Israeli assault? It is the man the Taoiseach intends to hand a bowl of shamrock on 17 March - President Joe Biden. Will his hand tremble when he hands over that bowl? Will he squirm when he poses for that photograph? How does he think that photograph will look to the people of Gaza who have lost sons and daughters to the bombs made in the USA and paid for by the Biden Administration? The Taoiseach will hand over that bowl of shamrock on behalf of the Irish people. To be clear, he will not do it in my name. Does he not realise that there are, at the very least, hundreds of thousands of people living in this State who will be disgusted by his action?
On the same issue, genocide is the worst crime that a human being, state or regime can commit. It is the unspeakable crime. Joe Biden has armed Israel to the teeth, specifically to support Israel's ability to continue the massacre for which it is now in the dock. Let us be clear that Israel is in the dock for genocide. The court has said there is a plausible case that it is guilty of genocide and, under the Genocide Convention, all signatories are required to do everything in their power to stop a genocide. Would the solidarity action not be to say we are not going to give Joe Biden a bowl of shamrock on our national day to endorse the genocide and massacre he is inflicting on the people of Gaza?
I raise the absolute scandal of how children with additional needs are failed by this State and left languishing on waiting lists for necessary therapies for years. I have figures, which show that almost 9,000 children across the country have been waiting more than 12 months, not for therapies, but for initial contacts from their CDNTs. A campaigner has done a tremendous amount of research in submitting freedom of information after freedom of information request to put this together. The story revealed by the figures is scandalous. The vacancy rate for occupational therapists is approximately 40%. It is approximately 70% for dieticians. It is more than 30% for family support workers, 30% for care assistants and 70% for play therapists. I could go on. Why are vacancy rates so high? What is the Government doing about them and why are there so many mistakes? There are an estimated 48 mistakes in the figures provided. How can we have accurate planning when we have so many mistakes in the figures?
The Taoiseach has indicated a timeline for when the Government might join and support South Africa in its genocide case against Israel. Is he, like some of his Ministers, supportive of South Africa and of the Government joining its case? Trócaire has also asked that the Government make its own assessment about what is happening in Gaza with regard to genocide and the risk of genocide. We all know of the slaughter going on and we need to apply all the pressure we can.
On the St. Patrick's Day events in the White House, I have not yet received an invitation. If I am invited, I will accept and, as always, use it as an opportunity to speak to the US President and Administration about matters of interest and concern to the Irish people. Those conversations are not always pleasant ones. While we agree on the majority of things, we do not agree on everything. I point out that the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, has met President Biden in the past few months, and certainly more recently than I have met him. I do not think the President of Palestine would refuse an invitation to go to the White House to discuss matters happening in Gaza and elsewhere. I do not see why we would do so, on that basis.
With regard to the International Court of Justice, we support and accept the rulings it has made in recent weeks. We believe Israel must now implement those and protect civilian life. It is important to clarify that the ICJ has not found that Israel has committed genocide, nor has it called for ceasefire - we have. It has found that South Africa has a valid and plausible case to make. South Africa informs us it is preparing the case. It could be between three and four months before that case is ready to submit. At that point, it will be possible for us to make an intervention, either under section 62 or section 63. These are different types of intervention. It is not a matter of joining the case. That is a misnomer. It is not like signing a petition or liking a tweet. It is much more complicated than that. We would have to look at it carefully and in detail. We also need to bear in mind that there is no guarantee that the ICJ will find Israel guilty of genocide in two or three years' time. We need to make sure we are not on the wrong side of the law and the facts on this.
Will we carry out our own assessment?
Of course. We are getting our own legal advice.