The National Claims Information Database was published today by the Central Bank of Ireland. It shows eye-watering profits by the insurance industry again. This is on the backs of ordinary people, community groups, sports organisations and small businesses the length and breadth. They have seen their premiums go up every single year. It is in the claims database that premiums are rising at a huge level. We have seen them go up in the past ten years by 56%. It is unrelenting but the most galling fact is the profit margins the industry is making. Industry representatives told the finance committee when we were passing claims reform in this House that it targets a 5% profit margin. That is the norm. They are now recording 13%. It was 14% last year and double digits the year before. The reality is that this industry is fleecing its customers. It is pocketing massive profits and making triple what they expected to make and this do-nothing Government is sitting by and allowing this to happen. The victims here are the organisations in the street. I have heard Government representatives talk about insurance over and over, but it is black and white here that they are fleecing their customers. These are bonanza profits. What is the Minister going to do because the Government has done nothing about this for the past number of years?
Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
That is just objectively not fair or true. The Government is committed to further reform of the insurance sector. We have demonstrated this with clear commitments in our programme for Government and in developing a new action plan for insurance reform that would build on the actions delivered in previous reforms. Since the establishment of the Injuries Resolution Board, we have delivered direct savings of more than €1.26 billion in avoided legal fees through the assessment service where these awards have been accepted-----
Savings for who?
-----and 95% of the actions were delivered by the previous Government under the action plan on insurance reform. That included the strengthening of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board, rebalancing the duty of care, the establishment of an insurance fraud co-ordination office and the introduction of the personal injury guidelines.
The Tánaiste missed the point. Who is making the savings? It is the companies, not the people? The Government is sitting back.
No, we are not.
Look at the facts.
I would like to talk about infrastructure in north County Dublin. As the Tánaiste knows, Fingal is the fastest growing and youngest local authority area in the country. Rush has doubled in size and Lusk has quadrupled in size in 20 years. I was delighted to invite my former students from St. Joseph's Secondary School here. They are a genuinely lovely bunch. However, they and the teachers are using buildings that are decades old and not fit for purpose. We are lucky enough to be at the planning permission phase at the moment. I ask the Tánaiste to ensure, should we receive planning permission in the next couple of weeks, that this school project will be constructed as soon as possible. Will he also assure my constituents that additional bus capacity will be added at peak times to get my former students to school on time? This has been a problem since the beginning of the school year. Can additional 33X services be considered for commuters in Rush and Lusk to get into town to work?
I thank the Deputy. I am sure it is a proud day for him to have his former students from St. Joseph’s Secondary School in the Dáil. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis and I welcome them.
I will follow up on those two issues with the relevant Ministers in regard to the progress on the new school build for St. Joseph’s Secondary School and how we can move that forward and expedite it. Second, I will talk to the Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien, regarding the bus capacity issue both for the students and commuters in his constituency and we will revert to the Deputy on those matters.
I am deeply concerned about the rise of homophobia both at home and abroad. The decision of the Hungarian Government to ban Pride events is the latest example of the full-frontal attack on LGBT human rights and fundamental freedoms. Banning Pride is a violation of the right to self-expression, peaceful assembly and freedom from discrimination. It is also stands in sharp contrast to our European values of human dignity, democracy and equality. Will the Government raise this issue at this weekend’s European Council meeting? Will it support infringement proceedings against the Hungarian Government for the violation of the EU treaties? Will t tell Viktor Orbán that this action is not compatible with membership of the European Union? This attack on human rights cannot be tolerated and the Irish Government has an obligation to call it out. The Government must act strong in defence of our shared European values and must stand up for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
I agree with every word the Deputy has uttered. We should never take for granted the progress we have made on certain issues. There is a rolling back in certain countries. There is no doubt about that. Ireland should continue, even more so at this turbulent time, to speak up and speak out in defence of our values. I am alarmed that the Hungarian Parliament has passed legislation to further restrict the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary. The EU is founded on fundamental values and that action is not compatible with European fundamental values. I will certainly be raising this issue with my Hungarian counterpart. Ireland, and I am sure the European Union, keep all options on the table in terms of how we can best make progress on this issue.
I am going back to the Palestinian situation and I will go local in Galway. This is something where the Government can make its sweet words mean something.
This issue concerns a Palestinian couple. The man came here last May and was joined by his wife and their two children in June. She is currently 12 weeks pregnant. Inhumanely, yesterday they received a letter telling them they had to move from their accommodation in Galway. The wife is pregnant and the two children are in the local school within walking distance. I wrote in desperation to IPAS and I also wrote to the Minister. Other than an acknowledgement that they were looking at it, nothing happened. On the ground, however, something happened and the family had to move from their roots in Galway up to Dublin. There was no acknowledgement from the Government that this is inhumane or of the trauma we have described this afternoon. They managed to get some type of peace and to settle in Galway and then they were moved like a product.
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue on behalf of this couple and her constituents in Galway and also for her representations to the Minister for Justice, Deputy O’Callaghan, on this matter. I will speak to the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and ask them to come back to the Deputy directly on this. I obviously do not know the circumstances directly but I will certainly take an active interest. Either I or one of the Ministers will come back to the Deputy on this matter.
The Government introduced a planning circumvention to allow wealthy accommodation providers to bypass the planning laws entirely for IPAS centres. This totally disregards local communities where no engagement effectively happens whatsoever. I spoke to the owner of the Belmont Hotel recently who told me he was developing a four-star hotel. That was before a leaked document showed the local authority had plans to develop accommodation for asylum seekers. The same is happening throughout the country. It is totally unfair that young couples have to wait years on An Bord Pleanála and planning delays to build their own home but wealthy accommodation providers can bypass the planning laws entirely without any engagement with local authorities. Will the Government end this planning circumvention and apply the laws of the land to every citizen?
The Deputy makes an interesting point. As we move beyond what has had to be an emergency response to migration, we need to get a much more sustainable, managed approach, one that involves not just the focus on accommodation but also on rules. That means for people who do not have a right to be here, we ensure they leave more efficiently. For people who have a right to be here, it is about getting that right more quickly, allowing them to work, make a contribution, pay taxes and make their way in our country.
When it comes to accommodation, we need a full re-examination of the tools we use. We have a new Minister of State with responsibility for migration, Deputy Brophy, and a new Minister for Justice, Deputy O’Callaghan. The Taoiseach and I intend to sit down shortly with the both of them to discuss the approach we will take. Planning will be a part of that discussion.
We all saw last weekend the worst of toxic masculinity with Conor McGregor being invited to speak on the world stage on our national day of celebration. People like Conor McGregor, the Irish version of Andrew Tate, promote hyperaggressive, misogynistic and often violent forms of masculinity. As a parent and as someone who coaches underage teams, works with local schools and is a director of a local youth and community centre, I deal with a lot of young people of all ages. I know from speaking to friends and parents across County Kildare that they are conscious of the potential impact of these social media-type figures on their children. Currently, on our television screens, we see the impact depicted quite harrowingly in the new Netflix series, “Adolescence”. The glorification of dominance, aggression and subjugation of women through social media must be ended. What more can we do? What is the Government doing to tackle the rise of toxic masculinity and its detrimental influence?
The Deputy is so right and I thank him for the question. This is an important topic for all of society. The programme, “Adolescence”, has provided a glimpse into how toxic influences are filling a void in young men’s lives. I believe it should be compulsory viewing in all our secondary schools throughout this country. Social media has such an influence on young lives. That is why in Europe and Ireland we need to be true to our values, even if others in other parts of the world decide to go a different way. These so-called influencers are feeding young men a warped view of what it is to be a man. Let us be clear: the likes of Conor McGregor and Andrew Tate should not be social media influencers; they should be social pariahs.
Deputies
Hear hear.
Their behaviour is wrong, retrograde, degrading and damaging. They are normalising behaviour that is totally and utterly unacceptable. Everyone in this House should speak with one voice in this regard. They are social media pariahs, not social media influencers.
The programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools to ensure that schools can meet elevated day-to-day running costs and reduce the financial burden on families. A school in my constituency was forced to consider closing from April and moving to online learning. It is not the only school in the area experiencing huge challenges in meeting its day-to-day running costs. Sacred Heart Junior National School has received advanced funding in order that it can stay open until the end of the school year. Both parents and staff are worried about the impact this will have on funding for next year. Does the Tánaiste know of any other schools in the same boat? Does he share my concern that the current capitation system is not fit for purpose? Will he guarantee or give a commitment that no school will have to close and move to online learning due to a lack of funding?
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We can all agree that we want to see our schools fully funded and supported. I welcome the Department of Education’s intervention to advance funding to Sacred Heart Junior National School. My understanding is there has been quite a lot of engagement between the school and the Department going back a number of months. The Deputy is right, however, that this highlights the need to get to a point where we can increase capitation grants to provide that certainty. While I will ask the Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee, to come back to the Deputy on the specifics on some of those questions he asked, I am pleased that Sacred Heart Junior National School has made that progress. I know it wants to move to more certainty than just a bit of advanced funding.
The Tánaiste mentioned in a previous response the eye-watering budget the HSE has at its disposal. Some €5 million was promised in 2023 as part of budget 2024 and was approved by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in December 2024. This budget of €5 million related to transport initiatives, accessibility, provision of minibuses and so forth for people in the disability sector. Organisations like the Galway Centre for Independent Living, Cumas in Wexford, the Irish Wheelchair Association, Variety and the WayFinding Centre in Dublin were waiting on this funding. I am not sure whether it is the case that the €5 million has evaporated or, in the way the HSE tends to do sometimes, has been repurposed. I cannot find an answer as to what has happened to that €5 million. I do not want to have to submit freedom of information requests to the Departments of Health or Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in this regard. I was hoping the Tánaiste might be able to intervene and get answers with regard to this €5 million.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I certainly do not want him, as an elected Member of this House, to have to go down the road of FOIs to try to establish information that should be freely given to him.
Working with the Minister, Deputy Foley and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, I will undertake to make progress on this. The sum of €5 million is a lot of money in the lives of people in the country but in the context of the HSE budget, I get really frustrated when I hear about these initiatives, particularly when I know that the transport initiative would have made such a fundamental difference to the organisations and the people they serve, as the Deputy outlined. I undertaken to raise the matter with the Minister and the Minister of State and get the Deputy the required information, and more importantly, see if we can find out where that €5 million went and get it allocated.
I want to raise the issue of policing. In Dublin Bay North, we have a very fast-growing population and Garda resources are already stretched. In 2019, the then Minister for Justice had a photo op outside Coolock Garda station, during which he announced a new station that would be a regional headquarters and would cover Belmayne, Clongriffin and the surrounding areas. This population is expected to hit 50,000 in the coming years. It is currently covered by Coolock Garda station where Garda numbers have remained stagnant. The number of community gardaí has been cut by half in the past ten years. I want to acknowledge the great work that gardaí are doing in the area. When are we getting the new station? When can the people expect this to be up and running? We are looking for clear answers because we have been waiting for six years. I would thank the Tánaiste for a response to this.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue for her constituents in Dublin Bay North regarding the need for progress on the long-awaited new Garda station. I will speak to the Minister for Justice and ask that he comes back to her with an update.
Will the Tánaiste confirm whether the reported payments to Ukrainian refugees for vehicle repairs, including sums ranging from €400 to €7,000, are being sourced from the exceptional needs payments of the Department of Social Welfare or is this coming from the humanitarian funding, similar to the humanitarian funding of €1 million per month for cats and dogs from Ukraine that previous Governments found?
Does the Tánaiste believe that this expenditure is good value for money, especially in light of challenges to Irish citizens? Will he clarify whether those payments are also available to IPAS refugees? We know that 800,000 Irish citizens have left these shores since 2008 to live in countries such as Australia and Canada. I am not aware of any other government in the world that is repairing people's cars, putting new tyres on them and putting engines in their cars. Can we have some clarification on this?
I hope when we do get the clarification that the Deputy will come back. Let me be clear: we are helping people from Ukraine who fled a war.
By repairing their cars?
The Deputy asked a question and I am going to answer. We should be not give a widespread sense that people from Ukraine are getting new cars, new tyres and repairs----
But they are.
I am sorry; I know the Deputy is new to the House but we have rules. He speaks and then I speak, so let me do so. I will get him more information regarding any such payments. People fled here from very difficult situations and I am proud of the level of support we provide them. I do not want to give a sense to people watching that there are widespread repairs of people's cars going on. Let us have a sense of perspective about this. The people who I know from Ukraine who have come here are making a bloody great contribution to the economy. Their kids are making a great contribution in our schools and the people are working hard and they are very welcome here. They are Europeans and we look forward to welcoming them into the European Union very shortly.
Deputy O'Flynn should not shake his head. He should dog-whistle somewhere else. He knows what he was doing.
Shame on the Deputy. He was dog-whistling.
Not at all. I am a truth-teller. I am just telling the truth. The Tánaiste does not like it------
Please, Deputy O'Flynn. I call Deputy Nolan.
The new report by Home and Community Care Ireland, HCCI, on homecare waiting lists, which was covered in The Irish Times yesterday, reveals that 5,556 older people are waiting for homecare at the end of last year. The waiting list in CHO 8, which covers my constituency of Offaly and includes County Laois, rose steeply by 31% to 932 people waiting. This represents the second-highest waiting list in the State. In counties Laois and Offaly, between 350 and 400 people are on waiting lists for homecare. The reason for this increase is that in CHO 8 the HSE decided to ration homecare for financial reasons. At the end of 2024, HCCI learned that in CHO 8 the HSE stopped allocating most new homecare packages, with only 50% of recycled hours being allocated. While I understand that normal service is slowly resuming in CHO 8, unfortunately, the impact on care will be seen well into this year. Will the Tánaiste to commit to implementing the HCCI policy recommendations to tackle the waiting lists such as setting up a waiting list task force, delivering targeted funding for rural homecare delivery, designing a homecare workforce strategy and encouraging homecare providers into homecare blackspots?
There is a lot there but I take very seriously the point the Deputy made on behalf of the people in CHO 8 and more broadly the point she made regarding HCCI and its very worthwhile and constructive report, which was published recently. I undertake to comprehensively respond to and engage with that organisation and with others. I am lucky enough to be sitting beside the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who worked in this area for a number of years. The Department of Health was not pleased with the approach that was taken regarding CHO 8. This was articulated to the HSE in writing. A total of 24 million hours were provided last year and we doubled the budget during the lifetime of the previous Government. I accept that there is still unmet demand. We are going to need to get to that point of delivering the major reform of a statutory homecare scheme but let me ask the Minister to come back directly to the Deputy on CHO 8.
My office has been inundated with requests from constituents seeking assistance in expediting their driving tests. These are mostly young people and they are waiting ten months or more for a driving test. Many of these have secured job offers but are unable to accept them due to the lack of transportation in rural Ireland. We do not have a frequent bus service, the Luas or regularly available taxis, as urban areas do. Our young people are effectively stranded without access to a car and their parents' work schedules often do not allow for logistical support. We were informed that additional testers would be deployed, yet I am not aware of any new testers in Skibbereen in west Cork. As a solution, we could consider temporarily converting driving instructors into testers. Surely this would be a feasible solution or does the Government have a long-term strategy that is being considered to prevent such backlogs from occurring in the future? Immediate and effective measures are required to address this backlog and support our constituents in their daily lives.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for the interesting suggestion he offered. I will ask the Minister to respond to it. There is no doubt that this is a serious issue. Since the end of 2024, the good news is that the RSA has been providing a monthly average of 19,111 test slots. This is up from a monthly average in the previous year of 18,300. However, let us not fool ourselves; I fully accept that a serious challenge exists. The waiting time is meant to be ten weeks. That is the commitment that was given but in some parts of the country I hear that it can be up to 22 weeks, on average, for many people. The good news is that we are in the process of trying to employ extra testers. My understanding is that the Department sanctioned 70 permanent additional driver testing posts. This would bring the permanent sanction to 200. That is a doubling of the number of posts since 2022. As a quid pro quo, the RSA has been asked to put in place a plan to restore waiting times to ten weeks. I am told that recruitment is under way for those extra testers. I am told that 300 applicants have been brought through to the final assessment stage.
These are economically turbulent times globally and with a potential trade war looming, businesses are very unsure about their futures and their survival over the next couple of years or even months. I ask for an update on the commitments in the programme for Government to address the regulatory and cost burdens for SMEs. What is the status of the small business unit in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment? From my engagement with businesses in Louth through the Dundalk and Drogheda chambers of commerce, I know that this is of utmost concern and it is what I am asked about most often. Considering that many of our SMEs are involved in export, what supports are being considered to assist them in a potential trade war?
I thank the Deputy. She is right. I hear this feedback a lot throughout the country, as she does in County Louth. We have taken a number of measures to try to make some progress. We have now brought in what we call an SME test on all Cabinet memos. Before any Minister brings an idea to Cabinet, it has to go through the SME test to see what the impact on small businesses will be. The Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, is leading for us on that. The process to establish the small business unit for enterprise, tourism and employment in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is under way. The purpose of that is to ensure we have a real focus on the policy needs of small business.
We intend to prioritise competitiveness and simplifying regulation at EU level and during our Presidency. The Government intends and has agreed to reduce the VAT rate on hospitality in the budget. We keep an open mind on how we can support sectors of the economy in any trade war. We will have our trade forum meeting, at which industry, including small businesses, will be represented, on Friday.
I raise the issue of Scoil Mhuire National School at Milford, County Donegal. That school is providing a tremendous education but the facilities there are appalling. They date from decades ago, including the toilet facilities and cramped classrooms. A storage area had to be converted into a classroom last year. This became a huge issue before the election. Our local Minister, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, confirmed that an inspection was taking place, which he expected to lead to the provision of a new school. A fully serviced site with control points has been provided free of charge at Milford. It is a perfect location, with no cost to the State in that regard. It has all been done. We just need confirmation of a new school. Will the Tánaiste talk to his colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and please come through? If the Tánaiste were to visit the school, he would see a new school is desperately needed - not a building here or there but a new school. The current location is very dangerous as regards traffic. There are a whole range of issues. It is a perfect storm. A new school is needed.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I recall him raising it in the House previously. I know it is an important issue for his constituents in Milford. I will certainly talk to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, about the delivery of that new school building for Scoil Mhuire. I welcome the fact that a site has been provided free of charge. There is an eagerness to progress this. I will ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to come back to the Deputy directly.
Tonight marks eight weeks since Storm Éowyn, but people across Connemara are still without broadband or a telephone service. Any of us who have tried to contact, deal with or get answers from the network providers have been met with absolute nonsense. No dates or information have been provided. This is very serious. I have been informed that if there is an emergency situation involving a child at school, the parents cannot be contacted. Has the Tánaiste been in contact with these network providers? If he has not, will he please get in contact with them? It has been eight weeks. The situation needs to be sorted.
The Deputy is dead right. I hear these complaints as well. I also hear about the significant contrast, for want of a better word, between the service provided by the ESB in local communities and the approach taken by some private operators. I will not name companies, but I have heard criticism of particular companies regarding their lack of responsiveness. My understanding is that my colleague the Minister for communications, Deputy O'Donovan, has had engagement with these companies. However, on foot of what the Deputy raised, I will ask him to specifically follow up in respect of Connemara and to come back to the Deputy directly.
I wish to raise a similar issue. It is the very same in County Mayo. We are two months on but we do not have phone lines, which has very serious consequences. To add further insult to injury, bills are being sent out. People are being asked to pay bills for a service they do not have. I have written to the consumer protection commission on that because I am sure that is not allowed. This is an issue that has to be addressed.
I also wish to ask about the humanitarian assistance scheme, which is inconsistent and deeply unfair. Some people are getting assistance while others are not. People are being asked for receipts, which they were not told about at the time. They are now being told that loss of food is not covered under the scheme and that people should claim through home insurance. This is completely unfair. Not all households have insurance. For most of the householders I speak to, their insurance involves an initial amount that they must pay out of pocket before the insurance coverage begins to contribute. It should be sufficient for householders to confirm that they are not double claiming from an insurance provider, and that they sign for that. We have to get this sorted because we cannot promise something, on the one hand, and then find out we have a scheme that does not assist or does not apply to someone, on the other.
I thank the Deputy. I will add the communications situation she outlined to that raised in connection with Connemara. Just under 23,000 claims have been awarded and more than €5.2 million paid under the humanitarian assistance scheme. More money has been paid out under this scheme in respect of Storm Éowyn than any previous storm. That is because the storm was so bad compared with previous storms. To be genuinely helpful, I ask the Deputy to provide my office with details of any specific cases. I will link with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, regarding them. There are two issues. We want to make sure that if someone has an entitlement to support, he or she is getting it and, as regards the review of the storm, it would be good to see specific examples of any changes to the scheme that may be required. My understanding is that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, has put a process in place so that people can seek a review if they are not happy with a decision. If the Deputy sends me her examples, I will be happy to engage with her.
I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for facilitating me. My question concerns the withdrawal and cessation of the Airport Hopper public transport bus service from Tallaght to Dublin Airport, which ceased without warning very recently. My key concerns are that there was a lack of public communication of the fact that the service was going to cease and that passengers were not informed that it was ceasing, which left them stranded on the day. From correspondence I have had, the NTA appears to have been unaware of this, which indicates some kind of gap in regulatory oversight. What happened has left a commuting gap in Dublin South-West. There is now no direct public transport link to the airport from Tallaght, Templeogue or Rathfarnham. Alternatives require multiple transfers, which are quite costly. The cessation of the service has had a disproportionate impact on workers at the airport from my constituency, some of whom relied exclusively on it.
Will the Tánaiste ask the Minister for Transport to intervene directly with the NTA to explore a replacement service? Will he seek confirmation on whether any existing bus operators are considering operating a service to fill the gap? Will he push for short-term measures, such as extending existing Dublin Bus services, or other operational services, to provide and fill the gap from Tallaght and Templeogue to the airport?
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue for his constituents. As he said, it concerns not just people who need to go to the airport to go on trips but those who need to get to the airport on a very frequent basis for work, and the impact the withdrawal of the Airport Hopper service has had on them. From what the Deputy said, I am particularly concerned about what seems to be a lack of proper communication with his constituents, and the lack of awareness on the part of the NTA. He certainly got my attention when he said that. In the first instance, I will ask the Minister for Transport to speak to the NTA on this to find out how that happened - it should not have happened - and to see what can be done to fill the gap along the lines of the suggestions the Deputy made.
St. Francis Special School at Beaufort, County Kerry, is a fantastic facility. We should be striving to develop a centre of excellence there for respite facilities for children with special needs and all types of disability. These services are under threat throughout County Kerry. It was recently announced that day services at Cahersiveen, based in a building purchased by a local charity group there, Cúnamh Iveragh, are to be curtailed. The lands at Whitefield, Beaufort, were generously donated by the Doyle family many years ago, specifically for children with disabilities and special needs. In the recent past, there were moves to close St. Mary of the Angels at Beaufort.
Respite is a huge problem in every corner of County Kerry. There is a massive shortage of beds for children and their carers, who at the end of their tether. The carers are doing-----
I ask the Deputy to conclude.
-----the State a huge service. They have not had a break in several months, even for a night or two. Excellent services and facilities are on site, as well as suitable land for future and further development. Our ambition should be to develop a super respite centre in Beaufort. It is an ideal location in the heart of mid-Kerry.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I also acknowledge the excellent work in County Kerry that is being led by St. Francis Special School in Beaufort. I very much take the points he made about the need to look at respite provision in County Kerry, and the proposals he and his community have on the need for a respite centre. I will ask the Minister for disability to engage with him on this matter. I am happy to talk to him further on it too.