I have heard this raised a couple of times. I would certainly like to hear more in relation to this. We have increased our funding levels to schools each and every year. We increased our capitation funding in the budget this year. I have never before heard the idea that children have to bring their own toilet roll to schools. This needs to be explored and we need to understand more comprehensively the rationale behind the sending of any such email to parents. That is not a widespread practice across our schools.
Sentiment score: 0.16
It is not widespread. Are there schools in Donegal or Wicklow asking people?
Sentiment score: 0.00
Hang on a second. Do not shout me down.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The Deputy is here long enough. He asks and I get to speak.
Sentiment score: 0.00
That is how it works.
Sentiment score: 0.00
It is a democracy. Remember that. The Deputy asked me a question and I will answer it how I wish. The answer I wish to give is I want to understand exactly what happened in relation to that situation from the Department of education because the practice the Deputy referenced is not widespread. Nor is it reflective of this Government's commitment to investing more in education, most particularly when we saw an increase in capitation funding for all our schools in the recent budget, quite rightly so, because investing in education is key to our economic success.
Sentiment score: 0.34
As a Crohn's sufferer, I have a conflict of interest here as well. I will talk with the Minister in relation to this matter. More broadly, and I say this to be helpful, while there is sometimes a need to change laws, and we will always consider constructive Bills that Deputies like Deputy Wall bring forward, sometimes there is just a need for a bit of common sense in making sure there is clarity in relation to the use of toilet facilities and the likes. As always, the Minister will constructively engage. Sláintecare is bringing us on a journey that is trying to overhaul a lot of the structures in place around long-term illness and so on. That work is under way but I look forward to considering the Bill.
Sentiment score: 0.14
I make the point that the budget, by any objective standard, was a progressive budget. It was a progressive budget that helped those with the least the most. That is how progressive budgeting works. It is there in the ESRI SWITCH model and the likes as well.
Sentiment score: 0.15
I have outlined very clearly what the Government is doing to help those most in need. I appreciate the fact the Social Democrats have brought forward a proposal around targeted energy supports. One crowd here wants a universal support, another does not want any supports and the Social Democrats wants targeted supports. If this is a united left, I would not like to see them divided.
Sentiment score: 0.36
I answered it at great length from the Deputy's coalition colleagues.
Sentiment score: 0.62
I appreciate the Deputy's strong mandate to represent people in this House on this issue. I respect the fact he engages with us on this regularly. I will point out that the figures we cite are not just headlines. They are a genuine commitment to provide from the Exchequer an extraordinary, quite rightly, sum of money to try to assist people with this issue. I accept there are challenges that we are all trying to work our way through constructively, including Government Deputies, such as the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue. That is why there are commitments in the programme for Government and legislation is coming forward. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Browne, to specifically come back on those homes the Deputy mentioned.
Sentiment score: 0.33
Yes, we will. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Religious freedom matters. It matters in our own country too. Sometimes, there is an effort in what is sometimes called the progressive agenda to try to exclude the conversation on this, including parents who want to send their child to a school of a religious ethos of their choice, which is that parent's choice. I welcome the publication of the report today. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, probably as we speak, is raising at the issue of Sudan at the Foreign Affairs Council. Ireland specifically asked that Sudan be tabled as a substantive item at the Foreign Affairs Council today. I will also ask the Minister to take up the issues the Deputy referenced relating to Nigeria and other parts of the world.
Sentiment score: 0.19
I never quite thought there would be a day when Paschal would ask me to spend more money but it did come on his final day. I really want to thank you, Paschal - Deputy Donohoe - for this question. It is fitting on your last day in Dáil Éireann that you are talking to us about borrowing, but now about borrowing books instead of borrowing money. When I walked into what was your former library yesterday, I thought I had taken a wrong turn and walked into a library, such was the collection of books you have built up there. Thank you for your support for our various library projects around the country during your various Ministries. They include projects in Kinsale, Virginia, Macroom, Trim, Castleblayney and Thomastown, so many of which you visited and all of which your fingerprints have been involved in. Can you believe it is 5,364 days since you stood and made your maiden speech? That day you talked about diversity, stability, addressing the banking crisis and creating jobs. In the subsequent days before you ever became a Minister, you contributed frequently, thoughtfully, philosophically and with immense knowledge and understanding. You have stayed entirely true to your values over those thousands of days. I cannot help thinking of your time as a Trinity student and the famous quote in the Long Room that states, "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." I think that might be a vision that you share. However, as you address this Chamber for the last time and depart the Dáil, I was trying to think of how best to define you and your great contribution to our country. I turned to one of your favourite authors, and from a book you gave me a couple of weeks ago by Timothy Snyder, in which he states: A patriot ... wants the nation to live up to its ideals, which means asking us to be our best selves. A patriot must be concerned with the real world, which is the only place where his country can be loved and sustained. A patriot has universal values, standards by which he judges his nation, always wishing it well - and wishing that it would do better. Paschal, you have been nothing if not a true patriot.
Sentiment score: 0.33
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. While I do not believe I have had the pleasure of meeting with the Coventry centre, I have had the pleasure to meet with many centres working in the UK. I share his view that they are doing incredible work. I visited one in Camden Town in London relatively recently and I am aware of the work it is doing with survivors of residential abuse and mother and baby homes. It is incredible work. I will ask, in the context of drawing up the new strategy, our embassy in London to see what we can do to assist, and I will come back to the Deputy.
Sentiment score: 0.14
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I take from his contribution the depth of feeling there obviously is in his community in relation to this and all of the sports clubs, autism families and others that he highlighted. In light of his raising it I will ask the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, to take a specific look and to come back to him with an informed view on this. The Government has taken a number of measures to prevent land hoarding, as the Deputy called it, including the residential zoned land tax. We are also going through a process of meeting with chief executives of country councils individually, that is, myself, the Taoiseach and the Minister for housing. I will arrange that we meet South Dublin County Council shortly. I will come back to the Deputy.
Sentiment score: 0.08
I could not agree with the Deputy more. I have been with her in Balbriggan. It is a great town but I know how fast growing it is and how important this appointment is. Indeed, she has chatted to me about it in recent days as well. I have made inquiries. I am informed that, as we will recall, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 changed how the Garda fills its vacancies at senior ranks. It now runs the competitions for the vacancies. This was a major legislative reform and necessitated a temporary pause in promotion competitions for certain ranks, namely superintendent and above, until the Act was commenced and regulations signed. That happened on 2 April. As a result of that, a promotion competition was run for the rank of superintendent. I am assured that that competition has been undertaken and will enable the filling of outstanding vacancies. I expect the vacancy to which the Deputy has referred, a new superintendent for Balbriggan, to be filled imminently or very shortly.
Sentiment score: 0.20
It is very fitting the Deputy should raise this because while we have been in the Chamber the play-off draws for the World Cup have taken place. I believe we will face the Czech Republic - that is the "check" I have been thinking about most in the Department of Finance today - with a possible home final against Denmark or North Macedonia. That is just the latest soccer information. The Deputy is right, and that is the backdrop against which he asks his question. While we all cheer on our national team and we are all so proud of the progress made, including by Troy Parrott, and the Hungarians being as sick as a parrot, we need to use this as an opportunity to make sure we continue to invest in and support grassroots football and sports facilities.
Sentiment score: 0.19
That is exactly the point I am making. I will make immediate inquiries with the Minister for sport, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, about the Oscar Traynor Centre and will ask him to talk to the Deputy directly.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I thank the Deputy. Both he and Paschal would be disappointed if he did not point out their significant political differences while doing so in such a courteous way. I am going on my memory here but I believe we did increase the income thresholds for social housing in the previous Government. I acknowledge that we probably need to do more on this over the lifetime of this Government. I see it in my constituency where incomes have risen, thankfully, but, as a result, sometimes people can miss out on eligibility and, therefore, there can be a poverty trap there. I will talk to the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, about his plans on this and specifically the issue Deputy Boyd Barrett raised in relation to Dublin City Council and its decisions on rents.
Sentiment score: 0.05
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue in the House, as he has done on many occasions. I will not, for understandable reasons, comment on matters that are the subject of a commercial dispute before the courts. I understand that the Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, has agreed to meet with the Deputy next week to discuss the broader matter he raises on behalf of the people of Dundrum. When I have been in his constituency I have met many local kind, decent people who want to have a conversation about this issue. It also raises a broader issue. As we form our new national migration policy, which we must do because immigration is a good thing but so too are rules and structures, we need to move away from the reliance on hotels and private facilities, which is causing real difficulties and challenges, particularly in rural Ireland. We will ensure that the Deputy has a meeting with the Minister for justice next week, and I will continue to engage with the Deputy on this.
Sentiment score: 0.28
In my new role I must be even more disciplined in commenting on various tax changes and the likes. I have been watching Paschal do this for a few years. I am committed to the programme for Government, of course, as is the Government. The sequencing and advancement of various initiatives in the programme will be a matter for individual budgets. The Deputy is entirely right: this was put into the programme for Government because of his view and the view of others on the importance of helping keep our population fit and healthy, particularly as we age. Future Forty is a great gift to all of us as policymakers across this House. It is a treasure trove of various scenarios and the like that may unfold over the time ahead and it will help us plan better. Specific timelines for specific tax measures are a matter for future budgets but we do intend to honour what is in the programme for Government.
Sentiment score: 0.49
I am glad the Deputy reminded me of that Bill because we should try to make progress on it. I will seek an update on that. On the library issue, we have a public library strategy 2023 to 2027. We are genuinely committed to continuing to invest in our libraries. The evolution of our libraries has been a source of collective national pride at a time when other countries are reducing their investment in and funding of their libraries. Some are even closing down libraries. It might be useful for me to arrange for the Deputy to have a briefing with the CSO or officials as appropriate on this. The census is a highly important moment in gathering data. We need that data to help us develop services and plan for our future. I have been learning about this recently. The CSO has gone through a very extensive process with an advisory group but the questions the Deputy raised are valid. I do not have the expertise on the floor of the Dáil to answer them accurately. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, who has responsibility in this area, to come back to the Deputy and arrange for him to have a briefing and direct answers to his questions.
Sentiment score: 0.19
When the Deputy asked Paschal to follow Leo's lead, I thought she was going to ask him to write a book.
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I think it would be a very interesting one, but that is for another day. The Deputy raised a very serious matter about the wait times for psychology services in County Mayo. She also highlighted the very serious issue of death by suicide in her county. I will ask both the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who has responsibility for mental health, to come back to the Deputy directly specifically on child psychology provision in County Mayo.
Sentiment score: -0.17
I thank Deputy Murphy for raising it. I have been around long enough to know that disputes are generally resolved by engagement and consultation so I would encourage everybody to engage intensively with Dublin Fire Brigade, which does an incredible public service, and indeed with the ambulance service. I know that from quite a while back, in my memory, these issues with ambulance and fire brigade provision in the city of Dublin have caused points of friction at times in industrial relations. I really urge the State side and the union sides to engage to try to find a way forward. The use of technology is always a good thing, but I take the point about the particular situation in Dublin with a fire brigade service and an ambulance service and the need for alignment. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Browne, whose Department has responsibility, to come back to the Deputy on it.
Sentiment score: 0.14