The key to this is housing supply. Our initiatives since the beginning of the year have been designed to get more houses built more quickly. The rate of increase is in decline, but that is not enough. We need far more supply to deal with the rental issue. Some positive news is that the percentage of first-time buyers has been steadily increasing, as I said, from about 23% of all household buyers in 2015 to 35% in August of this year. We want to continue that momentum. If we look at the situation internationally, right across Europe and the globe, there are housing crises more generally. That is the case in any of the major cities across Europe. We would probably rank in the top three European countries in terms of investment in construction. That is the key. We have to build more houses faster.
Sentiment score: 0.09
The situation is unacceptable. I agree with the Deputy's approach in respect of the professional bodies and CORU. People who are trained in the UK or across Europe should be accelerated. The Minister has had an engagement with CORU in respect of therapies and the professional bodies. The professional bodies also need to look in a realistic way at the thresholds, so it should not need a PhD-based qualification to deal with the primary care scenario. Master's degree levels should be sufficient in my view. This is something on which the Minister is going to engage with the professional bodies, including the Psychological Society of Ireland and others. Historically, there has tended to be a protectionist strain within professional bodies more generally, and that is something that we need to address. I hope I am wrong on that but that is my perception. Some of the inexplicable delays for people who are well qualified and have operated in similar environments are not acceptable, given the scale of the waiting lists that we have.
Sentiment score: 0.17
There has been a significant increase in health personnel in the last five years - dramatic increases.
Sentiment score: 0.48
In all services.
Sentiment score: 0.00
If we are honest, what is required here is a more radical look at the model. It is not working.
Sentiment score: 0.26
Just a minute. It is not just more, more, more from the State. People have to look radically at this. Professional bodies have to look at it, in terms of how people are assessed and dealt with and how services are provided, because the number of therapists has increased with recruitment and so on. We are open to doing more, and we have provided more funding for more.
Sentiment score: 0.07
The model has to change as well in terms of how services are structured and provided. The HSE did develop a primary care intervention targeted approach in respect of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. It needs to do it now, and it is going to embark on one for psychology as well.
Sentiment score: 0.43
Yes, we are, but these are legally binding targets that both the Government and Europe have imposed. I would argue that the last Government did more than previous Governments in moving this forward and step-changing the nature of the response, but it is very challenging. I disagree with the Deputy's analysis. He disparagingly referred to tech companies. Tech companies in this country put bread on the table of many families. We are talking about workers here. We are not in thrall to any company or corporate headquarters but I do value the thousands of jobs-----
Sentiment score: 0.07
-----in the country in such companies, be they indigenous or multinational. The Deputy just dismissed them.
Sentiment score: 0.00
It is as if work does not matter.
Sentiment score: -0.02
Work matters. Is Deputy Murphy saying to the workers that they should be laid off or that we should reduce the investment in the companies?
Sentiment score: 0.01
We will deal with it. In terms of the energy reserve, the Deputy is also wrong. It is a security imperative that we develop an LNG facility. We are dependent on two connectors, which are vulnerable from a security perspective.
Sentiment score: 0.05
I know the Deputy does not want to see any evil in terms of Russia's designs and so on, but that is a problem.
Sentiment score: -0.75
The Deputy must know the answer. Does he?
Sentiment score: 0.00
I beg your pardon?
Sentiment score: 0.32
I know but the Deputy must have picked up a phone and talked to someone in the council or someone-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
How am I supposed to-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
I am sorry. The Deputy is a fairly diligent fellow on the ground. I would imagine he knows the answer.
Sentiment score: -0.03
Maybe he can communicate with me on this. He must know the answer.
Sentiment score: 0.00
There is always a reason something happens. If we can establish the reason, we can see if we can rectify it.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The Deputy must know the answer.
Sentiment score: 0.00
GDPR?
Sentiment score: 0.00
I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. The Minister for housing and the Minister of State in that Department are examining that issue of the guidelines for rural planning. Obviously, it can make a contribution to the housing issue - there is no question about that. There are issues that have to be resolved, but I know the Minister is actively working on the matter.
Sentiment score: 0.20
No one is being treated as a second-class citizen. Enormous resources have been committed and are currently being spent on the remediation scheme in Donegal, Mayo and elsewhere. That will continue. The legislation in relation to all of this is imminent.
Sentiment score: -0.01
This Government is very serious about investing in road projects. The sectoral plan from the national development plan in transport will be very comprehensive and substantial. Investment has already been allocated to the Kilmeaden to Carrolls Cross stretch. That should be acknowledged. More generally, there has never been the level of investment in our roads in the history of the State that we have allocated through the national development plan and in this budget.
Sentiment score: 0.07
I thank the Deputy for raising a very serious issue. It is a distressing and devastating issue for all those who have been victims, essentially, of the activity and business of this company. Deputy McCormack also raised this publicly. As the Deputy said, there are issues for the workers. We will do everything we can through State agencies to be of assistance to the workers. There are issues of self-employed contractors who are owed money and then customers in terms of confidence and getting the packages supplied to them. We will continue to work with the Ministers involved, particularly in the transport area, to see what more we can do to help the workers and the self-employed contractors concerned.
Sentiment score: 0.04
There is flexibility in the workplace in the current era compared with any other previous era. Many companies are still working through the aftermath of Covid. Many good practices have emerged. Some have been reviewed. At company level, there is a legislative framework governing the right to seek to work remotely. It is within that framework that I think companies to work with their employees with a view to getting satisfactory practices in place. Not every industry can facilitate remote or hybrid working but some can and do. Flexibility is key to recruitment now. If a company is not flexible, it may not get the human capital it requires.
Sentiment score: 0.15
Again, that is an issue which has to be resolved at the local authority level. If the Deputy can give me some further material on that - I am obviously not aware of the individual case - we can examine it and see what the situation is.
Sentiment score: 0.12
First, no workers should be harassed. I hope that is not the case in Dublin Bus but I will have the matter examined. I will talk to the Minister involved in terms of the specific issue. This is, of course, the industrial relations machinery available to resolve these issues but I will talk to the Minister and have the matter examined.
Sentiment score: -0.04