We all know about issues like violent crime, organised crime or chaotic crime. We know about the estate management failures that exist. We all deal at times with the Garda, Tusla, the council and intervention services, which have insufficient tools to deal with the cases in front of them. The Drogheda implementation board did good work but could not deal with the issues in front of it. We will wait to see what comes from the community safety forums. I want to deal specifically with one issue that is constantly in front of the Garda, that is, mental health. I will not give specifics, but I know of people who have been arrested multiple times under the Mental Health Act and have not been committed. The Garda is the only body dealing with such people, and that is insufficient and a failure to everyone.
Sentiment score: -0.24
15. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on any recent discussions with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. [5940/25]
Sentiment score: 0.00
16. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the 42nd British-Irish Council in Edinburgh, in December 2024. [5941/25]
Sentiment score: 0.00
I would like to agree with all that has been said on the legacy Act. I imagine there is agreement across this House and beyond that it is utterly unacceptable and some of this relates to the fact that Britain does not want to deal with its particular role in the dirty war that it conducted in Ireland. In my own constituency, in my own town of Dundalk, we are looking at the 50th anniversary in December of the Dundalk bombing which was the same night as Donnelly’s Bar. In Dundalk we lost Hugh Watters and Jack Rooney so it is very real for these families. Was there any conversation about dealing with the electronic travel authorisation and the issues it might create for cross-Border tourism which we need to deal with? I concur with what Deputy Daly and others have said on how we need to look at our infrastructure and resilience. There are particular issues in the Border area around addressing that including facilitating each other around work but also on the actual infrastructure. I am thinking especially of water, electricity and other facilities.
Sentiment score: -0.03
22. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach for an update on the work being done by the shared island unit in his Department. [4795/25]
Sentiment score: 0.11
If we are to move anything regarding the constitutional question and unity, there is obviously a huge body of preparatory work that needs to be done. I accept that some work on modelling and comparison has been done by the shared island unit. More needs to be done on that. The Taoiseach gave his answer about the citizens' assembly. I do not care what it is called once it is a forum that allows for a conversation on what a new Ireland could look like. If the Government is against a citizens' assembly, there is an onus on it to set out what it is actually in favour of. There is no shortage of cross-Border issues. I raised this previously with the Taoiseach, as well as the former Taoiseach, who spoke about a hub or something to deal with these issues. The Executive is up and running and some of these are bilateral issues. The taxation of remote workers is a huge issue. There are those who work in taxi tours and that is a particular issue. Another issue I have raised is the derogation of the second generation version 2 tachograph retrofit. That is an issues for hauliers who work cross-Border. Student accommodation tax relief is not available to students who live in the North and attend Magee College.
Sentiment score: 0.14
This is the Taoiseach's proposal. Obviously, he is against tax relief for students-----
Sentiment score: 0.24
-----in the North. It is the Government's tax relief.
Sentiment score: 0.24
It is an anomaly that could be dealt with.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Will it come in on budget?
Sentiment score: 0.00