Ní aontaím leis an Teachta in aon chor. Is léir gur chuireamar an-chuid áiseanna ar fáil sa cháinaisnéis, go háirithe do na daoine bochta agus do na daoine ar ioncam íseal. Rinneamar an-chuid infheistíochta in infreastruchtúr na tíre agus mar aon leis sin chuireamar an-chuid isteach do dhaoine le riachtanais speisialta agus do dhaoine a bhfuil ioncam íseal acu. Tackling energy and affordability is a priority of Government. People are under pressure. Up to €3.3 billion had been allocated through energy credits. That did not have any impact in terms of reducing the permanent cost of energy. Of course, the Department of Finance, the Department of public expenditure or, indeed, the Department of Social Protection would not have supported the universality of energy credits on this occasion. The Deputy talks about one group of officials in the Department of energy who had views but there is the broader Government there. We also took the view that we wanted to concentrate and prioritise our resources on those on the lowest incomes and those who would be most impacted by the energy price increases. Therefore, we increased the fuel allowance and we also increased the number of people who would be entitled to the fuel allowance, particularly those on working family payments. Some 26% of households are now entitled to the fuel allowance and that is a help to people facing energy costs. There has been huge investment in terms of the retrofitting programme and the warmer homes scheme, which now has hundreds of thousands of people benefiting from that. There are also the microgeneration supports. About 150,000 people have benefited from the supports we have given for microgeneration. We prioritised the issue of child poverty. We provided an additional €8 per week for children under 12, bringing that weekly payment to €58 and an additional €16 per week for children aged 12 or over, bringing that weekly child support payment to €78. These are unprecedented increases. We deliberately targeted those households to get far more additionality. Then we invested very significantly in infrastructure. When I look at the Central Bank and how it analyses inflationary pressures and so on, the Sinn Féin budget would have added - Sinn Féin wanted billions and billions of more spending - 2.5% to the rate of inflation and to the cost of living. That is what its proposals would have done. That would have actually disadvantaged people even more. We have to get the balance right here. It is not fiscally sustainable to have a once-off package every single year for the next number of years. It is just not sustainable.
Sentiment score: 0.10
Last week, various bodies were saying Government was spending far too much as it is. This year's budget is about €117 billion, €98 billion plus in capital and so forth, and then we have increased current expenditure over the past three years by 15%. We are spending very significant sums of money. We are targeting it in terms of infrastructure, low income families and making sure that those in the lowest deciles of income are protected, insofar as we possible can. We are then dealing with the fuel allowance and so on. Then there is the VAT, of course. We have extended the reduction on VAT to 9% out to 2030, which will save households up to about €100 per year in addition to the tax disregard for households involved in energy microgeneration and so forth.
Sentiment score: 0.17
Because we believe in targeting resources as opposed to universality. Sinn Féin must be the only left-wing party in Europe and across the world-----
Sentiment score: 0.20
-----that does not believe in targeting resources.
Sentiment score: 0.00
We believe in targeting resources.
Sentiment score: 0.00
There is a €2 billion social protection package, which is about protecting pensioners, families with children and-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
-----particularly, people on low incomes. That is the choice we made, and also to improve our infrastructure.
Sentiment score: 0.08
We do have to deal in a more systemic way with the high cost of energy. There are significant factors in Ireland that lead to the high cost of energy. That is well known and well documented. The bottom line is that we have had a very significant budget in terms of expenditure. Deputy Doherty wants to add another €2 billion to it for a short-term intervention which would apply to very wealthy people. Millionaires would benefit from his proposal.
Sentiment score: 0.39
When I met with Department of Social Protection officials and the Minister-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
-----they were very clear about targeted measures, particularly in terms of the most vulnerable children in the country.
Sentiment score: 0.18
Deputy Doherty just wants to ignore all of that.
Sentiment score: -0.36
I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue. I have been extremely consistent in advancing the positive reality and experience of inward migration into Ireland. There are many legal ways in which people can come to Ireland to work, live and reside. That is very clear in terms of our work permit system, for example, which has worked effectively and efficiently in respect of various sectors of our economy that require additional workers. Only last week, I was with Microsoft. It has 93 nationalities working with it in this country. It came to Ireland in 1985, when there was 17% unemployment. That is why this Government focuses on enterprise and economy a lot. I have never forgotten those days and it is a great motivating force to avoid the complacency regarding the economy that many people on the left have. They almost dismiss it as something that comes naturally. Migration has been an important part of Irish economic and societal growth. There is free movement within the European Union. Many people from the European Union come to live and work in Ireland. They are in many of our companies, in our health service and elsewhere. I condemn any attacks or any form of racism or targeting of people because of their ethnicity. Ireland is a very different country from what it was 30 years ago. I have met with young people whose parents came to Ireland. They clearly have an ethnic background, they said to us. They are Irish citizens but they have been subjected to intimidation and attack. I abhor that. It is wrong to say the Government's desire to have a fair, robust, legal migratory pathway is somehow incentivising those attacks or contributing to that sentiment. That is a step too far. That sentiment was there long before any changes in the procedures the Government has announced. It is important to have a fair, robust asylum system that is also timely in terms of the consideration of applications and appeals. The absence of such a system would actually create the negative climate the Deputy speaks of. It is part of the issue. The origins of asylum are rooted in conflict, war and political suppression. I am trying to be careful but the evidence is that for quite a substantial number of those who seek asylum, the motivation is primarily economic. I understand why, by the way, given what is happening in other countries around the world in terms of quality of life and economy, but these are the realities we have to deal with.
Sentiment score: 0.08
Again, I think we have shown political leadership in this country. Remember Brexit happened because of the migration question in the United Kingdom and it has had disastrous results for the British economy and British society as a result of that, so there has to be an intelligent, informed and balanced approach to the migration question. We have to deal with issues as they present themselves, and fears that people have, rightly or wrongly, or people who are influenced by those who want to spread aggression and hostility towards people of different ethnic backgrounds. The Government's leadership is in steering a course that is moving towards a more robust, fair and timely system for dealing with applications for asylum while also then dealing with the more legal pathways, as the Deputy has described. Always remember that we took a lead as well-----
Sentiment score: 0.03
-----although it was a European Union-wide directive, in terms of protecting Ukrainians and so on. The evidence shows it is not rhetoric but that Ireland responded in a generous manner to that situation but I thank the Deputy for raising it.
Sentiment score: 0.41
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. At the outset, I would condemn unreservedly the attacks the Deputy has referenced in terms of the Brazilian delivery person. I have also read reports in terms of three Afghan asylum seekers reporting to the Garda that they had been viciously attacked in their car. There is, and has been a growing, atmosphere, largely fuelled by elements within society that are far removed from this House, let us be honest, who are seeking to gain electoral and popular traction in respect of their views. The responsibility of this House and all parties in it is to make sure those views do not hold sway or get a disproportionate influence. That is actually the challenge facing us. To conflate a Government seeking to create a fair and robust asylum-seeking process or programme with elements on the far right who are peddling hate is not fair and I think it is wrong. I would not conflate the two at all. People have had concerns about migration in society. There is no point in trying pretend, or put our heads in the sand, that people did not have concerns. They do. Our challenge is to articulate and engage with people with those concerns.
Sentiment score: 0.06
Ireland's population has been growing significantly. That is just a fact. Saying that does not mean we are inciting anything. We are not. It has been positive. My view is that since 1845 our population was in decline, right up to the 1980s nearly. It has been a transformative story from the early 1990s to the current day. That is a positive in my view. Even at that, the island is not back to the pre-Famine population status in terms of statistics and so on. It is an interesting perspective. In the past ten to 15 years, however, there has been very significant growth and that has created pressure on a whole load of services. I think the more legal pathways we create, the better for society and for our economy and so forth. I am concerned. In terms of a campaign, a national policy is now being developed in respect of migration to update where we have come from. As part of that, there will be a communicative programme in terms of the importance of tolerance, inclusion and diversity and, above all, of explaining the phenomenon of migration and the benefits that have accrued to Irish society as manifested in our health service, in our education system, in services more generally and in our economy.
Sentiment score: 0.28
First, I disagree fundamentally. The Deputy is conflating the unacceptable behaviour of certain people in society with Government policy. That is wrong. The Deputy should not do that. She has been trying to do that now for a couple of weeks in the Dáil.
Sentiment score: -0.22
I think that is wrong. That is the first point.
Sentiment score: -0.24
No, that is wrong. I really resent that and I think it is not fair to do it.
Sentiment score: -0.55
I did not interrupt Deputy Cairns when she spoke, so I would appreciate the same facility and tolerance from the other side of the House in respect of this. There are legal pathways to work in Ireland. There always have been and we have a generous work permit system. There have also been visa-free arrangements with certain countries. Every country has a sovereign duty and obligation in respect of who comes into the country and who leaves it, or certainly whoever comes into the country. Every country has that. There are always limits and there always have been limits. The Deputy is suggesting there should not be any, it seems to me.
Sentiment score: 0.30
That is what I have picked up. Therefore, all that is happening right now is that fair, robust and timely procedures are being put in place. The best way to do things is through legal pathways. That gives sustainability for the individual as well.
Sentiment score: 0.38
At all times, by the way, irrespective of what avenue people come in, dignity is important-----
Sentiment score: 0.40
-----and the treatment of every individual with respect. Our education system has shown that.
Sentiment score: 0.24
Government policy through education has been very inclusive and we have very supportive of every child who comes into this country who needs to access education.
Sentiment score: 0.36
Who?
Sentiment score: 0.00
I thank the Deputy very much. That is why, this morning, the Government launched the accelerated infrastructure report. The Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, has led the charge since this Government was established nearly a year ago with regard to an infrastructure division within the Department of public expenditure. He appointed an external task force led by Mr. Sean O'Driscoll and a number of people from the private sector or involved in State agencies who have first-hand knowledge of the challenges and barriers to development in this country. Its report is comprehensive and it is not any one measure that will change this but the sum of all the measures. We are going to pass legislation to establish a critical infrastructure Bill. We will also develop legislation around emergency powers being given to Government. There is also a need for concurrent decisions by various State agencies, not sequential ones. In other words, when the planning is going on, the procurement should be going on and the other permits should be sought as well, not one after the other. There is much more in respect of that. We are also bringing in legislation. Yesterday, the Minister for climate and energy announced, for example, that there is a six-week consultation in respect of capping the fees for judicial reviews and how much the taxpayer ordinarily pays now compared to what should be the case into the future. There are a lot of measures; the issue for us is to implement them over the next 12 months and we are determined to do that. There will be timelines and there will be no hiding place for agencies either. There will be clear instructions given to agencies to do their work. If they do not, a light will be shone upon them for not doing their work. We always have to keep in mind that the Environmental Protection Agency was established at the time for good reason. I remember it; I think it was back in 1989, 1990 or that period, if I am not mistaken. Why? There was a major incident in a pharmaceutical plant, if I recall. There would have perhaps been plans coming in relation to that but there was always a good rationale as to why agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency were established. We need a planning authority. That is required. The EPA was established in 1992 and I think there was an incident in Ringaskiddy, if I recollect. People cried out for protection. The public wants protection. With regard to measurement, the Deputy is correct. I was on farms a year and a bit ago where the whole flow is measured right to the estuary by Teagasc and the farmers. In fairness, it is measured every ten minutes. The only thing is that the estuary is still polluted. They are not totally disconnected so we have to be aware of that. In fairness, a lot of metrics from farmers on the ground are quite impressive with regard to what is happening on the farm and things are very more advanced in that regard. Agencies have to work more effectively; there is no question about that.
Sentiment score: 0.10
If the Deputy could put us in contact with that company, the Ministers, Deputies Peter Burke or Jack Chambers, would be interested in meeting. The first Minister, as Minister for enterprise, would maybe see if he could do anything to help it in its situation. Then, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, could do well to listen to that company in terms of the barriers it has faced. The Deputy said An Bord Pleanála is the problem. We have established a new planning commission, which has been substantially resourced, much more so than its predecessor. Certain systems have changed there because there was an inherited situation with An Bord Pleanála that was not good. The planning Act allows for timely decisions. There has to be statutory delivery. This business of looking for more information is driving people nuts and decisions have to be taken on time in respect of the core economy. I fully accept that 200 jobs in rural Ireland is huge, particularly in that sector. They are good, high-value jobs and I fully accept that.
Sentiment score: 0.19