I have no difficulty engaging with the Deputy on this issue. There had been reforms of the bail laws. People are very intolerant of people who are awaiting trial, etc., and who then go out and commit crimes again. I do not know whether the Deputy is proposing wholesale internment of everybody who is a suspect because that is another side of the story. The point is, the figures are huge but that is a wide range of cases.
Sentiment score: -0.03
We have to focus on those who have a history of crime and who are again brought before the system. The bail laws have been reformed. They will be reformed further. The Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, is looking at this, but there are limits to what can be done, as I am sure the Deputy would appreciate. If you take the politics out of it, we have no issue. We want to stamp down on crime. We are very intolerant of people committing crime while out on bail but you cannot have a system where everybody who is a suspect gets locked up.
Sentiment score: -0.17
I hope that is not what we are talking about.
Sentiment score: 0.44
That is why there is prioritisation in the tenant in situ scheme that has been announced by the Minister for housing with approximately €325 million allocated, which is a substantial sum. There should be prioritisation because the original idea of this was to prevent people from falling into homelessness. Additional to that, of course, there is significant investment under way in the Housing First programme, which is one of the more effective ways, working with the approved housing bodies involved and with the various organisations for the homeless, to look after people who are homeless or on the brink of homelessness. It is important because we have had a debate in the House about value for money, looking at schemes, reviewing them and whether we are targeting properly. There has been huge debate about that. We should have that too in terms of a scheme and see whether we are actually directing the money to where it is needed most. That is the focus of this particular scheme and why priorities are being identified.
Sentiment score: 0.29
My understanding is that a clinical audit is being conducted by an external international expert on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital at Cappagh. Development dysplasia of the hip is a problem with the way a baby's hip joint forms and some children with DDH may require surgery. The purpose of this audit is to assess that surgical practice was in line with international standards and practices. The audit process is now in its final stages. CHI and Cappagh, I understand, are committed, and should be committed, to sharing the findings of the audit once it is completed and to communicate that, in particular, with the relevant families and patients in accordance with any recommendations from the final report. We have not seen the final report yet. It is awaited before any conclusions can be drawn on the matter.
Sentiment score: 0.05
Deputy Doherty raised this yesterday and I answered it comprehensively in terms of the information that I had. There is a new school nearing completion, as the Deputy says, and there are some proposals in terms of additionality to try to facilitate children who need places there. It seems the new school is already at capacity. I can get the note to the Deputy on the up-to-date position.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I am disappointed with the Deputy's approach in the sense that the PUP was essential for people.
Sentiment score: -0.48
You do, actually.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Sorry, you do. You are just playing it all ways.
Sentiment score: 0.06
I just want to make the point. I am not making a different point; it is a very important point. If the State did not intervene in the emergency fashion that it intervened, businesses would have gone under and people would have been destitute and impoverished. That does not excuse fraud but if the State had been more cautious and slower and went through every single case, people would have been in deep trouble during the Covid.
Sentiment score: -0.15
The State took people on trust. The State said we have to intervene comprehensively and decisively and help people in their hour of need. That is what we did.
Sentiment score: 0.30
You come back four years later and you say, "You are wasting money and you are full of it," etc. That is just disingenuous distortion. That is what that is.
Sentiment score: -0.13
I want to say this: we will go after the overpayments.
Sentiment score: 0.08
The Department will go after the overpayments.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Fraud must always be pursued and dealt with-----
Sentiment score: -0.59
-----but there is always a balance in life. Let us give people credit. A lot of people did the right thing during Covid-----
Sentiment score: 0.13
-----particularly the Department of Social Protection.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The Government is committed to dealing with the means test in respect of the carer's allowance and it will be in the next budget that progress on that front will commence. We will have to wait until budget time and the lead-up to the budget on that issue. It is a very important issue that is in the programme for Government and all parties to the programme for Government are very committed to doing this. It is very important. More broadly, it is about how we can support families with children with special needs across the income spectrum and do everything we can to ease the financial pressures many of them are under. I take the Deputy's point that this year there are challenges but the budget last year was enormous. There was significant expenditure. We will do this on a programme basis and, on a number of fronts, we will endeavour to help people in the circumstances the Deputy identified.
Sentiment score: 0.40
The economy has been extremely strong in recent years. That has helped the profitability of many companies, including banks. By the way, the Central Bank governs the supervision of banks, as the Deputy knows. However, I do believe that in the next while we should focus on finance available to building and house building in particular, that both the cost of that finance would be reduced and that the banks would engage much more on the single greatest priority facing this country, which is housing. That is where my focus is on engagement.
Sentiment score: 0.41
No. There have been huge mortgage drawdowns for first-time buyers in recent years and banks benefit from that, but we need more housing. If you talk to anyone about house building the cost of finance is a big inhibitor. It is a big problem. We need to look at the cost of finance to get to 50,000. I am interested in solutions not sloganeering or politicking and so on.
Sentiment score: 0.02
Deputy O’Connor has been pursuing this issue for some time, to be fair to him. He has made some progress but he would like it to be faster. I mean that seriously. These things can take time. He has my support and that of Government in respect of this project. I will see to it if we can, through the various agencies, get a design consultant appointed.
Sentiment score: 0.25
Yes, Deputy McGreehan has spoken to me on this and I will talk to her again later. First, the Irish Government has been very proactive on the Middle East and the Palestinian question in recognising the State of Palestine and taking a very strong position in supporting UNWRA as the only viable UN agency that can enable education in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere as well as medical provision. We have also been very strongly involved in ensuring a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza and working with Arab partners in respect of peace within Gaza itself. I have noticed that every time the Government takes a step, there are those in our political system who want to drive a wedge between the Government and the people on this question.
Sentiment score: 0.56
I am coming to that. I know that.
Sentiment score: 0.00
This is the point I am making. Once this is done and the next thing is done, then it is something else and it is always used to denigrate the Government.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The Government is progressing that Bill and is progressing legislation.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Mar is eol don Teachta, tá deacracht ó thaobh Fhoras na Gaeilge faoi láthair. Níl aon amhras faoi sin. Níl an Rialtas anseo freagrach as an deacracht sin. Táimid ag déanamh gach aon iarracht an cheist sin a réiteach. Mar aon leis sin, táimid sásta níos mó infheistíocht a chur isteach i gcúrsaí Gaeilge i gcoitinne agus níos mó tacaíocht a thabhairt d'Fhoras na Gaeilge. I gcomhthéacs an clár Shared Island, táimid sásta níos mó a dhéanamh le Foras na Gaeilge agus leis an áisíneacht a bhaineann leis an Ultais. Beimid ag déileáil le Foras na Gaeilge. Tá an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, ag déanamh gach aon iarracht an cheist phráinneach atá ann faoi láthair a réiteach.
Sentiment score: -0.24
That is a misreading of my comments. Sometimes people get the impression that vetting is extremely comprehensive in terms of the background of a person. It is not as comprehensive as people might believe. The big cry in the House for quite a while now has been for more gardaí, getting more people into training and so on. I will ask the Minister for Justice to reply to the Deputy more comprehensively and specifically in respect of Templemore, but I think we need to reflect on things generally. That is the spirit of the rhetorical question I put back to the Deputy last week. I know people may say I am against this or that, but I am not. I am simply trying to have a reasonable discussion on issues of this kind. I remember during Covid when were screaming to get people to do things in a public health emergency, and people were saying we could not do that because the vetting would take three months. We did not have three months during Covid. I have no issue with vetting - none - but we need more gardaí and more training places. I will ask the Minister to talk to the Deputy in respect of the specific issue in Templemore and where we are going forward.
Sentiment score: 0.07
First, I dealt with that comprehensively earlier when Deputy Rice raised the exact same question, and I made the point that a clinical audit is being conducted by an external international expert on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. Developmental dysplasia of the hip, as I said, is a problem with the way a baby's hip joint forms, and some children with DDH may require surgery. CHI and Cappagh hospital are committed to sharing the findings of the audit once it is completed, I understand, as they should, and importantly, to communicating with relevant families and patients in accordance with any recommendations from the final report. I do not have the report and my understanding is that it is still awaited. We need to await its presentation to the Minister.
Sentiment score: 0.08
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Beidh mé ag caint leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi sin anois. Tá an Teachta ag rá go bhfuil sé i bhfad níos costasaí do na scoileanna ar na hoileáin a bheith páirteach sa scéim seo. Ní raibh sé sin i gceist againn. Le cúnamh Dé, beimid in ann é sin a réiteach sula i bhfad. Ardóidh mé an cheist leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary.
Sentiment score: -0.28
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will discuss this with the Minister for Education. As the Deputy knows, the school transport system has its anomalies and complexities. I will see what we can do in respect of that. I fully share his view that public transport can reduce emissions through the replacement of cars, and his commitment to the climate change aspect of this is welcome. More fundamentally, however, I think he wants to get a bus for the kids. I will talk to the Minister. There are issues, as the Deputy knows, around school transport.
Sentiment score: 0.20
I accept fully that community and voluntary health and social care workers in section 39 organisations are the backbone of essential services. The State depends on them to deliver critical support to people across the country every day. I welcome the fact that talks reconvened through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, yesterday for organisations funded under sections 39, 56, 10 and 40, with some progress having being made. As the Deputy referenced, these talks have been adjourned at the request of the WRC until tomorrow morning. A number of issues remain to be resolved, including the range of funding streams within the scope of any new agreement. We are anxious that there would be agreement and I hope the talks that will continue tomorrow can lead to a breakthrough on this issue.
Sentiment score: 0.46
I know what it is all about. The programme for Government commits to working with the voluntary sector to progress this issue.
Sentiment score: 0.22