Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Departmental Functions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 March 2022

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

Ceisteanna (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

9. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [7923/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

10. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [10079/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceist:

11. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [10081/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mick Barry

Ceist:

12. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [10112/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

13. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [11432/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Paul Murphy

Ceist:

14. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [11435/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mary Lou McDonald

Ceist:

15. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [11089/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Cian O'Callaghan

Ceist:

16. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [11572/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Joe Flaherty

Ceist:

17. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic division of his Department. [11729/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (20 píosaí cainte)

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

The economic division in my Department supports me and the Government in developing and implementing policy to support sustainable economic development in areas such as job creation, housing, climate action, digital issues and well-being. This work is particularly focused on ensuring a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of the programme for Government and issues that cut across multiple Departments. The division supports the work of the Cabinet committee on economic recovery and investment, the Cabinet committee on housing and the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change, as well as associated senior officials groups and other cross-departmental structures. The division also includes a unit which supports strengthening of social dialogue, including the Labour Employer Economic Forum.

I wanted to raise something with the Taoiseach in relation to a report that was delivered by Down Syndrome Ireland, DSI, in the past couple of days. It relates to the fact that services delivered to people with Down's syndrome have radically fallen over the past couple of years. Of those surveyed by DSI, 65% have received no speech and language therapy sessions in the past year, while 44% have received no therapy of any kind in the past year. Some parents responded that they have received no therapy sessions at all over the past three years. Moreover, 40% stated they received no communication from the HSE in the past 12 months and nearly 25% of children with Down's syndrome under the age of five have received no therapy services in their whole lives. Of young children, only 49% have had a speech and language therapist, while 22% have had access to occupational therapy.

This is an abandonment of a whole section of Irish society. This country flies the flag of inclusion but, unfortunately, in real terms, too many people with disabilities are being excluded.

The Trans-European Transport Network, TEN-T, policy is a gateway that gives specific rail and road transport infrastructure, routes, ports and airports exclusive access to the Connecting Europe Facility, CEF, fund. It also represents the individual member states' priority rail and road transport corridors, ports and airports. The latest 2021 CEF transport call under the 2013 TEN-T map is for proposals to make €7 billion available to support infrastructure projects across the EU. Why is the west and the Atlantic economic corridor excluded from the TEN-T core status when it is critical to provide investment certainty and to match EU and State investment in the infrastructure there? People in the west need to know why they are being excluded and why they do not have the vital infrastructure that would create the opportunities that are presented by renewable energy and related industries in the west.

Breaking news, Eurozone inflation is 5.8%.

I said that this morning.

Wow. It is 5.8%. The Taoiseach may have said it this morning, but it is breaking in the past hour. There are big cost-of-living increases on the way that are not included in those figures. The Russian invasion of Ukraine moves the cost-of-living crisis to another level. The price of bread, groceries, heating and fuel will rise. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has already warned of a massive spike in heating costs. The Taoiseach is on the record as saying that there will be no new cost-of-living compensation measures for households this side of the budget in October. I put it to him that this is no longer a tenable position. I am for price controls on gas and electricity prices. I am also for an increase in the national minimum wage to €15 and for inflation-busting wage increases across the board. What new measures is the Taoiseach prepared to consider? What is his position, for example, on the idea that a €200 credit be introduced to offset rising gas bills?

What is also breaking news, is that the Department of Finance told me yesterday that on top of the current rate of inflation of 5.8%, the conflict in Ukraine and the sanctions relating to it are likely to increase inflation by a further 4%. As a result, we are potentially looking at an inflation rate of more than 9%. Against that background, and because I did not make this point earlier, could I ask the Taoiseach to condemn what Aer Lingus and International Airlines Group, IAG, are doing in terms of demanding pay cuts? This from an entity that we subsidised during Covid. I commend the workers on voting overwhelmingly against those pay cuts, particularly - I did not make this point earlier - because IAG, simultaneously gave British Airways workers, the same staff, a 10% pay increase as a reward for what they had done during Covid. That is shocking.

What is the Taoiseach going to do to increase the minimum wage for low-paid workers? I met this week with private security workers who are on less than €12 an hour. Do they not deserve a decent pay increase?

I also want to talk about the Aer Lingus ground staff. They very decisively rejected a proposal to impose a pay freeze and cuts to allowances on them today, voting 85% against. Fair play to them. These are workers who have not had a pay rise since 2019, and the Labour Court was pushing to continue with the pay freeze for almost three more years when the cost of living is through the roof, as the himself has now pointed out. At the same time, IAG is now granting 10% pay increases at other airlines. Does the Taoiseach agree that a pay freeze is simply not fair during this cost-of-living crisis? Will he support these workers and oppose the attempts right across the aviation industry to use the pandemic to reshape labour relations in the interests of the bosses against the workers, for example, as we have seen at the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, where it got a significant number of workers to sign up for severance and has rehired people on substantially worse terms and conditions?

I want to ask the Taoiseach about the abolition of mandatory retirement. As he will be aware, Sinn Féin tabled legislation that was supported by his party in opposition in the previous Dáil and which we will be reintroducing in the coming weeks. This legislation, when passed, will give workers a choice to retire at 65 or to work on. Forcing workers to retire at 65, as his Government partners are finding out, when they are fit and able and may want to work on, especially where they cannot access the State pension rate of pay, is deeply unfair. Will the Taoiseach elaborate on any discussions that have taken place and any work done on this important worker's rights issue by the economic division of his Department?

This morning, Ms Patricia King, the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, outlined deep concerns that she and ICTU affiliates have in relation to a complete lack of consultation on the right to request remote working. The matter is being referred to in industrial relations circles as the right for employers to say no to remote working. The lack of consultation led to deeply flawed legislation. We do not want to see that mistake replicated. What consultation and discussions have taken place on the abolition of mandatory retirement?

In response to Deputy Tóibín, I have not seen the report. His question related to the economic division in my Department. Suffice to say that throughout the Covid period there was, unfortunately, a retrenchment in services. We have provided additional resources to the HSE in respect of the hiring of occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. I will discuss this further with the HSE and the Minister of State with responsibility for disability regarding the report on Down's syndrome and we will follow through on it. There is a need to provide far greater therapeutic services to children with special needs more generally. Additional funding has been allocated in successive years. I am not clear whether the allocation has been provided specifically to services on the ground. We need to interrogate a bit further the money that has been allocated. Record funding has been allocated to the HSE in respect of therapeutic services, in particular in terms of the progressing disability model it has been pursuing for some years.

Deputy Conway-Walsh referred to the west.

I know. It was about TEN-T funding, but that is not the core funding. The core funding is in the national development plan in respect of roads and public transport. A sum of €165 billion is being provided over the next ten years for investment in infrastructure in the west. The Deputy referred to the development of renewable energy in particular. The western seaboard will receive considerable investment for renewable energy. The first phase is on the east coast and the west and south west will follow through. There is great potential in particular for offshore wind on the western seaboard. The potential is very exciting in terms of jobs and the economy in the future.

The ring road around Galway, for example, is a major piece of infrastructure that has been bogged down in planning due to objections right through the process. I understand it is currently subject to a judicial review.

What about the western rail corridor?

Yes, that has been included in the all-island rail strategy review that the shared island unit in my Department is helping to fund in order to identify the potential in that regard. There has been very significant investment in the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, programme by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in respect of many towns across the west. There is a whole range of investment vehicles from the State and the vast bulk of the investment is now generated by taxpayers and allocated through the various national strategies in terms of investment in the west.

In response to Deputy Barry, as I referenced this morning, there is a significant issue facing the country in the context of inflation. It is a global phenomenon. There are no easy answers. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, an illegal war, is going to add to inflation, in particular in respect of energy prices.

I said earlier that in 2020, the country spent approximately €3.4 billion on imported fuels. In 2021, it spent €6.2 billion. That gives an illustration. There was a €2.8 billion increase in the bill for imported fuels and that reflects the higher prices on the international markets. A year ago, a barrel of oil cost $64 on international markets. Today, it costs $110. Oil prices have risen by $14 a barrel over the past week. This is not the Government's fault. It is just the reality of the international situation in regard to energy.

The Deputy got his chance. The same applies to natural gas, which costs 400p per therm today on international markets compared with 40p per therm last March. Gas prices have soared 220p per therm over the past week.

We are going to face a very difficult situation. I gave the figures on wages, which have increased over the past while. In terms of the Government's response, we have increased the fuel allowance from €630 to €1,039 since we came into office a little over a year and a half ago. If we add on the €200 electricity payment, that is €1,239 we are giving to low-income families. Basically, it is a doubling of support to low-income families in the context of fuel supports. We have also taken other measures to support families, either with medical costs or in respect of reducing transport fees from the end of April, which will benefit approximately 800,000 users, and by reducing school transport fees. The budget contained in the region of €1 billion in measures to support people on social protection and tax relief for workers of about €630 million.

We are and will be working with the European Commission in respect of the energy situation and energy prices. The European Commission will be coming forward with a further publication in that regard in the next ten days following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We are facing a very difficult situation because of the war and because of President Putin's behaviour and activity. There is no question about that. There are no easy answers. It is pointless coming in and making ideological points or whatever. That is the point I would make.

Wait until October.

In respect of the situation in Aer Lingus, as I said earlier, the Government supported the workers in Aer Lingus through the employment wage subsidy scheme and supported the company, along with other companies in aviation. Many people in the House were calling for that and we did it. The workers should be treated fairly and, in my view, on a par with UK employees in the same overall company.

We are way over time. We must proceed to the next group of questions.

We support the end of mandatory retirement. The Pensions Commission has reported on that and it will come back to Government.

Barr
Roinn