Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:1. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will next meet. [21362/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 22 May 2024
Ceisteanna (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:2. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will meet next. [21751/24]
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Paul Murphy
Ceist:3. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will meet next. [21754/24]
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Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:4. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will meet next. [21763/24]
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Mick Barry
Ceist:5. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will next meet. [22345/24]
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Paul McAuliffe
Ceist:6. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will meet next. [22350/24]
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Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:7. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will next meet. [22677/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMick Barry
Ceist:8. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will meet next. [22816/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (16 píosaí cainte)
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services, which oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy and public services, was re-established when new Cabinet committees were put in place following the appointment of the new Government in April. The committee last met on 20 November and will next meet on 4 July. It covers a range of topics, with a particular focus on equality and public service reform. Other topics covered by it include sport, social protection, arts and culture, and justice issues such as policing reform, community safety and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The corresponding committee met on six occasions last year. Among other matters, the committee discussed the proposed referendums on gender equality and implementation of the third domestic, sexual and gender-based violence strategy.
In addition to attending meetings of the Cabinet committee, I have regular engagements with Ministers at Cabinet and individually to discuss issues relating to their Departments.
I want to raise the issue of the number of gardaí, specifically the resource allocation model, because there is a shortage of gardaí right across the State. It is very pronounced and no more so than in my county, Meath. County Meath has the lowest number of gardaí per head of population in the State, at in the region of 142 per 100,000 people. The next worst is County Kildare, which has an additional 30 gardaí per 100,000 people. The best is Waterford, which has more than double the figure for Meath. The problem is that, because of the resource allocation model, those counties that are the worst stay the worst. Historic strength has such an important role to play in the allocation of resources. Is the Government, including the Taoiseach, concerned about this? Is the Government going to address it?
This is a local issue but it speaks volumes about a bigger one. I was pretty shocked by an advertisement I was sent last night relating to Dalkey Garda station, which is up for sale. It has been sitting derelict for about a decade. I cannot believe it is being sold. Local community groups and other organisations are crying out for spaces to use, we have a massive housing crisis, there is a lack of homeless accommodation and there is a need for social and affordable housing, yet a State agency is selling off a Garda station that is sitting derelict. It is a big site right in the heart of Dalkey. The sale is outrageous. Apparently, the building will be up for auction in the next month, but I really wonder what we are doing is selling off public sites when we are crying out for them for community use or social and affordable housing. I ask the Taoiseach to look into this. It is not just a matter of the site in question. I do not know what exactly is happening at Deansgrange Garda station, which is also empty and derelict when places are needed for community organisations and social housing is needed. The station should be for community and public benefit.
Last night, there was an arson attack on St. John's House, Tallaght, which is due to be used for international protection applicants. This is about the 30th arson attack over the past few years. It fits the same pattern as the others, pointing to the same far-right agitators coming in and spreading lies, hate and division. This results in the sort of horrific attack that has happened. St. John's House is not just for housing international protection applicants because it also houses Jigsaw, a young people's mental health service, and restaurants. The attack proves that the people spreading the hate and carrying out the attacks are not about building up communities or having more resources for communities. All they want to do is spread destruction, violence and fear. The vast majority of people in Tallaght will reject this hatred and the attack absolutely. They will ask the very valid question as to why there was no private security at the site. We know that a very small minority is unfortunately targeting the sites and that they need to be protected. The people will say there is a real problem with communication from the Government. The proposal for the site was first reported in the local news in January but we did not get any accurate information until about two weeks ago. In that vacuum, the bad actors spread their lies. The lie is circulating that there will be 3,500 people in the centre. It is completely ridiculous. It looks like the accurate figure, at the end of two phases, will end up at 350. The lie has been spread that the applicants are completely unvetted and bring criminality with them. There is no basis in fact for that.
Accurate information needs to be given to communities in a timely manner because otherwise people are given this space.
St. Killian's Special School in Mayfield on the north side of Cork city is a wonderful school that has 93 children attending. That figure will rise to 99 in September. The school has need of a psychologist, a speech and language therapist and an occupational therapist, and perhaps a play therapist and a behavioural therapist. Before Christmas, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, told school representatives that grant aid would be available for procuring private therapists for this work. The school lined up a reputable company to provide an integral service three days per week. It then waited and waited. Every week, it has been told the grant aid will come next week but the green light never comes. Staff and parents now wonder if it will even be in place for September.
The arrangement mentioned has been put in place for other schools. No new ground is being broken here. When will St. Killian's get the good news it deserves and was promised?
Two months ago, the Government disastrously lost two referendums. It spent €23 million to run the referendums. At the time, we in Aontú, the only party that opposed the referendums, stated clearly that the Government was misleading the people in respect of the tax elements that would affect the people, what was meant by durable relationships and how the courts would see it, and what was meant by the immigration elements. Since the referendums, we have found that the Attorney General agreed with us and stated there would be a lack of clarity in the courts on the definition of a "durable relationship". He also stated there was no clarity around the definition of "strive". We also read in yesterday's edition of The Irish Times that Revenue officials warned privately that the family referendum would force tax changes and that consequent legislation would be necessary. We know the Department also warned the Government about potential confusion around the issue of immigration.
Right through that referendum campaign, all Ministers stated there was no confusion around those issues. All of the evidence that has come out since has shown that Ministers were not telling the truth. They were lying about what happened. They were misleading the people of the country. I would like for the Taoiseach to-----
The Deputy must withdraw that remark about lying.
If anybody has a thesaurus I can use that will give the understanding that the Government did not tell the truth, I will use a different word, if necessary. It is important that the Government takes responsibility, investigates why Ministers were misleading the people and comes clean and apologies to the people of Ireland for the information it shared at that key moment.
I do not intend to rerun the referendum campaign. I have no doubt that people engaged in good faith on a variety of sides.
They were advised in one way and gave advice in the other direction.
I was going to make a point with which the Deputy might agree. The issue of providing clarity on legal advice during a referendum campaign is important. When I was the Minister for Health, there was a referendum campaign on which the Deputy and I were on different sides. However, we had a précis paper that allowed me to share with the Dáil in some guise the legal advice that was available to the Government. There is benefit in that approach to informed debate. I make that as a separate but somewhat related point.
Other Deputies raised a range of other issues. I will follow up in respect of St. Killian's Special School. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for an update and a timeline.
I asked about St. Killian's Special School.
That was what I meant to say. It is what is written on my sheet of paper. I will get an update for the Deputy from the Minister of State.
I share Deputy Paul Murphy's view on how appalling arson attacks are. One struggles to comprehend how, at a time of constraint in capacity, housing supply, accommodation and shelter for a whole variety of needs in our country, people who profess to be speaking up for people - when of course they speak for no one and have no mandate - would take any action to reduce, constrain and constrict further supply. That is idiotic, as well as being a disgusting act of criminality and an attempt to intimidate people. I am conscious there will be a live Garda investigation into that event.
The issue the Deputy raised about security is important and I will talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, about it. I also take the point that the Government needs to build its communications capacity with communities. We had a discussion on that topic at the most recent Cabinet committee on migration. The people working in the community engagement team are doing a good job and I am sure that is the Deputy's experience. They are good, decent and hard-working people. I am sure they would like more colleagues and I am looking to see what we can do in that regard.
I will inquire about Dalkey Garda station. I know the village well and I know the site is being sold. I will also seek an update on Deansgrange Garda station. I know from travelling around the country and from my own constituency that a variety of different approaches are being taken. I know of some cases where former Garda stations have been repurposed for community use. I can think of one example in my constituency that is now used as a Civil Defence base. There are such examples but others have been sold on the open market. I will get a better understanding of which approach the Garda decides to take and why, and find out if it will first engage with communities and the local authority on the use of the Garda station. I will ask the Minister for Justice to come back to the Deputy on the issue.
Deputy O'Rourke asked about Garda numbers and raised a particular issue about resource allocation. I am not saying the following to pass the buck but as a statement of fact. Resource allocation is a matter for the Garda Commissioner.
That is not the case all the time. I have heard the Minister say the opposite at times.
Allow the Taoiseach to answer.
I know the Deputy has an interest in Meath. I am conscious of the fact that particular parts of the country have experienced significant population growth. Those areas include Meath, Kildare, my own county of Wicklow and others. I am concerned about the fair distribution of Garda numbers as we grow them. I will ask the Minister for Justice to give a view from the Garda Commissioner.