The Government and many successive Irish Governments have made clear our commitment to that cause. We have also made clear the steps we believe should be put in place beforehand to bring us closer together and to unite this island. That is already happening. I have pointed to the work of the shared island fund, overseen by the Department of the Taoiseach, supported by the Department of foreign affairs, putting in place investments to bring us also together. I point to the work the Government has done in dealing with the consequences of Brexit. I make the case that those who point to economic consequences are not necessarily opponents. We should be able to have a fair and open debate regarding an issue that is so important. The Government will do more than debate; we are putting in place the practical steps to bring us together, as I have just highlighted.
Sentiment score: 0.28
I thank the Deputy. There are quite a few questions there and I will do my best to touch on each of them. Before I do so, I join him in offering our condolences to the family in Donegal who have just received such terrible news. The most terrible of news is sometimes unexpected. Earlier, I neglected to agree with Deputy O'Flynn in offering condolences on the death of Brother Kevin, a man who did such good work throughout Dublin, as I saw myself. He was an amazing man and may he rest in peace.
Sentiment score: 0.13
The Deputy has raised some really serious issues. First, the Government will continue to put in place additional funding and support to help those families who are waiting for the additional needs assessments that we know are really important. Second, actions are being taken by the Government to increase the classes, the therapists and the teachers who are needed to be in those classes. Third, we need to consider, which of course we will do in conjunction with the committee of which the Deputy is a member, how we are conducting these assessments of additional needs and how it could be done in a way that deals with the issue of speed of access. I know at first hand the huge frustration, anxiety and worry that many families experience as they wait for that assessment and the deep effect it has on their lives and those of the young girls and boys they are looking after as parents. They are the actions that we are taking as a Government and this is a high priority for us in terms of making a difference.
Sentiment score: 0.10
I thank the Deputy, who is, of course, raising such a serious issue regarding what is happening in the Middle East and what is happening to the people of Gaza. I have outlined the Government's view on it and what we are doing to make a difference. I am not in a position and nor do I have the necessary information in front of me today to offer a view on the actions of other parliaments or governments in relation to this. All I can do is reiterate two points. First, we in Ireland recognise and will continue to recognise the right of people to assemble in a peaceful way to make their voice clear in relation to what is happening to the people of Gaza. Second, we as a Government will continue to do what we can, which I outlined earlier today, to make a practical and political difference to the terrible suffering that the people of Gaza have had to endure.
Sentiment score: 0.04
I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this issue. The Taoiseach, the Minister for agriculture and the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, are very much aware of the importance of the issue raised by the Deputy. The reason the Taoiseach went to the aforementioned conference in the first place was to highlight the personal interest he has in this issue and the Government's commitment to do more in this area. Our marine life, our oceans and our seas are such a precious economic and natural asset. I am informed that the Government has no such plans in relation to this legislation at the moment. As far as I am aware, it is still in our legislative programme. I will refer the comments the Deputy made to the relevant Department but my understanding is that the legislation is still on our programme to be brought forward to both the Dáil and the Seanad.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I am sure the Deputy will understand that I am not in a position to comment on any individual Garda station. I am sure the Minister for justice will be able to respond to the Deputy on that but the Government is fully supportive of the efforts of the Minister to increase the number of gardaí and to continue our efforts to keep our streets safe in Cork and elsewhere. Three things have been done in that regard. First, as the Deputy will be aware, we have increased the stipend that is available to those who want to become gardaí and are attending Templemore to help them to deal with the cost of that training and to maintain their living standards when they are there. Second, we have changed the age at which people can join An Garda Síochána, recognising the fact that many people are able to join An Garda Síochána a little later in life and do really important work. Third, we have increased, budget by budget, the amount of funding that is available to An Garda Síochána to ensure that Templemore is supplying new gardaí and prioritising them being on the beat on the streets of our cities and towns. That is what we are doing. We know that issues of law and order and safety continue to matter so much. We need to do more on it and they are the actions that the Government and the Minister have put in place.
Sentiment score: 0.39
I thank Deputy O'Shea for raising this important issue. I know the local improvement scheme is really important for the communities he represents and the many other communities that need additional support in upgrading their roads. Since 2017, €169 million has been invested in this scheme. Last year, the figure stood at €40 million, which represented an increase of €12 million on the previous year. The Government continues to increase funding for this important scheme. I understand the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht will look at how to prioritise the scheme further and the further steps that can be taken to strengthen it so that it can respond to the needs and issues the Deputy has referred to. I will make sure the Minister is aware of what the Deputy has said today, although I imagine he is already committed to looking at how this scheme can grow in the future.
Sentiment score: 0.43
The Deputy knows I do not have the information. He knows it is not reasonable to expect me to know the status of every greenway in this country when answering questions on promised legislation. If he wanted an answer, he should have let me know he was going to raise this particular issue. I then could have given him a more detailed answer. It is not acceptable to expect that, when I am on my feet responding on a variety of issues, I would know the status of every greenway in our country, even one as important as this one. I know the part of the country the Deputy is referring to well. I know how beautiful it is and that a greenway will only benefit those who live there and those who want to visit. I will commit to making sure the Minister for tourism and the Minister for Transport are aware of the issue the Deputy has raised but, if this issue is as important as he believes it to be, it would have been reasonable to let me know he was going to raise it so that I could have done the issue justice here in the Dáil today. In the absence of that information, I am not able to do so. I will raise the issue with the Ministers responsible for this area, however.
Sentiment score: 0.26
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As we build more homes, which we need to do, it is really important that we do so in a way that makes services and facilities available for those who will live within them, including families. I am sure the Minister, Deputy Foley, will be giving this matter consideration. I will raise the issue with her and let her know the Deputy has made this suggestion. There may well be trade-offs that need to be considered with regard to the impact it might have on development within an area. However, the Deputy's suggestion sounds very sensible to me and I will make sure the Minister is aware of it.
Sentiment score: 0.31
I am aware of the issues the Deputy has referred to, which affect not only the people of Louth, but also those of the wider north east, as the Deputy has said. The location of surgical hubs depends on the evaluation and recommendation of the HSE. The Minister and the Department of Health then do their best to act on such recommendations. I am not aware whether such a recommendation has been made for the Deputy's hospital but I will certainly pass this on to the Minister for Health because I know the availability of surgical hubs makes a really big difference to waiting lists and, more importantly, to the health of those who are on them. I thank the Deputy for raising this. I will make sure the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is aware of the matter.
Sentiment score: 0.35
I thank the Deputy. I will outline what we are doing to support people with the cost of living, which we know continues to be a significant issue and problem for many, even when the price growth we have had to deal with for many years is slowing. What has the Government done to respond to the needs we know are there? We are rolling out the free hot school meals system and making free GP care available for under-eights. We have rolled out a free schoolbooks scheme in primary schools across the country and the Minister for Education and Youth is now looking to roll out free schoolbooks across secondary schools. The back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance will be available before the summer. We have rolled out a summer school meals programme. Action has been taken to reduce the PSO obligation in respect of renewable energy. Eligibility for the fuel allowance has been expanded so that thousands more people, particularly older people, are able to qualify for the scheme. We know the cost of living continues to be an issue for many. These are the actions the Government has taken. We need to ensure that the actions we take in the time ahead are affordable and permanent and that we can build upon them. That is why these important decisions need to be made on budget day.
Sentiment score: 0.29
The very reason the higher rate of HAP was made available in the first place was that the Minister and the Government recognised the need for that payment to do more, to help more and to make a difference in preventing homelessness. I am not aware of the exact issue that could prevent somebody from accessing the higher rate. Of course, the last thing we want to do when designing something like this is create incentives that make it more difficult for somebody to move out of the terrible difficulties of being homeless. The best thing for me to do is follow up on that matter with the Minister for housing.
Sentiment score: 0.22
I thank the Deputy for the manner in which he has raised this matter. I am also aware of the issues he refers to and the views of MABS. The issues he raises are really serious for so many citizens in our country. First, no budget decisions have been made. We are here at the start of July. The budget will happen in October. In between July and October, various other measures I have outlined to the House will be implemented to help with the cost of living. Second, and generally, this budget will have to move to a more normal budget in terms of scale and measures. Third, what that means is we want to move back to where we have been at other points where measures were in place that could help our country with all the other needs there. However, these measures were permanent, different in scale and were ones we could build upon. I know the cost of living is an issue for so many at the moment, but we are in a place where the really big increase in prices we saw over two years in particular has begun to change and slow down. We have to recognise that in the decisions we make, and we are well aware of the important issues the Deputy has raised.
Sentiment score: 0.15
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The terrible behaviour he has referred to is inappropriate, given that somebody could be suffering, distressed or vulnerable. It is equally repugnant to those who love that person and who might find out about it on their phones in an unprompted and unplanned way with no support. For those two reasons, and there are many others, the behaviour the Deputy has referred to is terrible. I compliment and acknowledge Deputy Duncan Smith. My understanding is - I am sure he will correct me if I am wrong - that he has introduced some legislation in this area.
Sentiment score: -0.00
Okay. While the Government indicated that, in recognition of this issue, we did not oppose the legislation, we indicated our significant concern that we believed it would be difficult to legislate for the behaviour the Deputy has referred to and the harm it could cause. I know we need to debate this issue and consider it more carefully. I cannot imagine how any of us would feel if we were in a moment of distress, pain or vulnerability and we had somebody standing over us recording and it being broadcast in a way that others could see. This is serious. This behaviour should not be happening. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and the wider Government are not yet certain that it is something that can be dealt with through legislation, but we will seriously consider it.
Sentiment score: -0.21
Yes, it is. I thank the Deputy for raising it. He and I are aware of the great work the Mater hospital does, how much it is respected and how hard its staff work. I also know how important and sensitive the issue he is raising is. I understand that, last year, approximately 60,000 women were seen in a rapid access clinic. The HSE, in recognition of this issue, has set a target for 95% of urgent referrals to be seen within ten working days and non-urgent within 12 weeks. Five of our centres met those standards and targets and four did not. Sometimes, these were for reasons of staff shortages or problems in accessing diagnostics. On the particular issue raised by the Deputy, the Minister is intending to write to the CEO of the Mater hospital about this point to draw this matter to his attention. However, I know the Mater hospital will be doing all it can to see patients and those who are really worried about their health as fast as possible. I am sure the Department of Health will give them any assistance to deal with this important matter.
Sentiment score: 0.15
Funding for apprenticeships is increasing. Funding for higher and further education has increased as well. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, is committed to this. He is doing important work in this area. We have seen in recent years the funding we are making available has been prioritised particularly for those who need to retrain and want to move into parts of our economy where we need additional skills. I know the overall picture is one in which the funding for this work has been increased. I am not aware of the specific and important matter the Deputy raised regarding funding for ETBs and for those involved in adult education. However, I am sure the Minister is aware of this, and I will make sure he is aware of this exchange in advance of the protest next week mentioned by the Deputy.
Sentiment score: 0.24
The Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, will reply to any communication that we have received from the European Commission on this matter. When he has decided on the appropriate response, I am sure he will be able to come to the Dáil and answer questions in relation to it. I see him in the Dáil and Seanad virtually every day. I did not hear any sniggering when the issue was raised earlier. Anybody who sits beside me over here is well aware of the importance of this issue, and getting the balance right between freedom of expression and being conscious of the consequences of hate speech. I know that balance will be maintained in any engagement we have with the Commission on this topic.
Sentiment score: 0.24
I am extremely proud of the quality of libraries that are opening up across our country. I am proud of their beauty and the essential role they play. I believe libraries are cradles of decency and learning. We have shown that in our investment in our library programme in recent years. On the particular library referenced by the Deputy in Cork, we need local authorities to make decisions on the allocation of funding and the projects that they wish to prioritise. As the Deputy says, I can imagine that the cost has gone up because of construction inflation. All public and private construction projects have had to confront that. I will make sure the Minister for housing and local government is made aware of this. He has many competing demands at the moment but he and the Government are doing their best to manage them. We have made good progress with libraries in our country and we will continue to do this. I am proud of them. We need more of them.
Sentiment score: 0.32