Without question, the criminal and antisocial behaviour of many in certain communities in our capital city and certain other locations is absolutely unacceptable. Every single resource will be made available to An Garda Síochána to deal with those who are breaking the law on an ongoing basis. Gardaí have the powers and do not have their hands tied behind their backs, actually. They have significant powers. The Garda Commissioner has confirmed with the Minister for justice his intention to take intensive action in specific locations where there have been repeated breaches of the law and dangerous use of scramblers. There is already a body of legislation in respect of scramblers and other vehicles. The majority of scramblers are illegal in terms of their use on public roads, particularly those that are not taxed and do not have a licence. The Garda has powers to dispose of a seized vehicle six weeks after the date of detention. However, the 2023 Act was introduced because a number of Deputies, particularly Deputies McAuliffe and Lahart on the Government side, asked us to bring in further measures. As a result of the 2023 Act, and the sections that were commenced in that Act, it became an offence to drive dangerously in any location, not just in public places, which had been the case prior to the 2023 Act. The Garda has the power as a result of the 2023 Act to seize vehicles being driven dangerously. The third aspect is that the Minister for Transport can make regulations to restrict certain vehicles or classes of vehicles in particular locations. The Minister has today brought a memorandum to Government and received sanction to bring in regulations that would give effect to that measure, irrespective of whether the vehicles are licensed or not, or whatever status they have. They will simply be banned. That will significantly enhance the Garda capacity to take these out of operation both in public parks and on public roads. Fundamentally, these off-the-road scramblers are no longer just illegal for use in public places. It is illegal to drive them anywhere dangerously, even on private land. The Garda has full powers to seize a scrambler being driven dangerously. The Minister is going to give additional powers to not just seize and confiscate but also to destroy seized scramblers, to reduce the number of seized vehicles that could potentially end up back on our roads. This is a singular, focused approach to the commencement of these regulations. It is important that we give every power possible to the Garda to deal with this scourge that is particularly manifest in certain locations and communities by certain individuals. The Government will spare no effort in that. In addition, the Government will bring in regulations in respect of e-scooters, e-bicycles and so on to ensure there is greater protection. These will be preliminary measures in respect of e-scooters, potentially looking at further regulations thereafter.
Sentiment score: -0.08
It is too late for Grace Lynch. It is absolutely shocking and extremely traumatic for the family and friends of Grace that what happened last week happened in the manner that it happened. What is essential is that every possible dimension of law is brought into being to prevent this insofar as we can in terms of human behaviour. The reckless use of scramblers by people in public parks and on public roads is something we simply have to stamp out. The significant additional power is not the power to seize, which already exists, but to destroy scramblers that are seized.
Sentiment score: -0.18
There is also a very clear message, irrespective of whether a person has a licence. We must remember that the bulk of scramblers that are driven in this particular manner are illegal because they do not have any regulatory governance or licences. The drivers do not bother taking out tax. Those scramblers are illegal. With regard to hot pursuit, that is a Garda policy issue but the Commissioner is clear that there will be very intensive action on that front.
Sentiment score: 0.02
This is an important issue. I would just make the point that significant progress is being made on the housing front. There were 36,000 completions in 2025. That is a significant figure when we compare it with 2019 and 2020, when we were building just about 20,000 per annum. Then Covid-19 intervened for a good two years after that. The measures we have taken in the last 12 months are having an impact, and the feedback on the market side, in terms of potentially increased private sector investment, is positive. On the rent reform measures, and the Housing Commission-recommended reform of rent pressure zones, RPZs, it is interesting that the Labour Party shares the opposition of some large developers and so on who do not want this legislation to come through. I read The Irish Times last week. Certain leading developers and landlords felt that this measure was encroaching on their property. It shows the level of polemic, spin and shallow commentary in the absence of any substantive and decent debate on these issues.
Sentiment score: 0.30
On one level, developers are saying that the RPZ reform is an encroachment on their constitutional rights, while the Labour Party is saying that reform is trampling on rights.
Sentiment score: 0.40
It is not.
Sentiment score: 0.00
It is, and the Labour Party has been saying it consistently.
Sentiment score: 0.40
Let us come to the HSE. It has about 190 vacant properties. We have been effective with the LDA in getting a lot of State property for significant housing developments already, and that work continues. The HSE has about 4,300 buildings at the moment in about 2,500 locations across the country. It is one of the largest property owners in the State and it has a very large portfolio. Of course, the properties range from small health centres in rural locations to very large acute hospitals. Some of them are pre-18th century buildings and others are modern, purpose-built facilities. That said, we have made it clear to the HSE that any properties that are surplus to requirement must be sold and the LDA has first call in respect of those. About 168 of the properties are in disposal. They are surplus to the HSE's requirements and are in various stages of disposal. If a property is to be disposed of, a disposal strategy for the property is determined by the HSE on a case-by-case basis. Properties are disposed of on the open market and most have been disposed of via public auction. Twenty-two of the properties are vacant and under review. Those currently under review are being considered for retention and reuse by healthcare services. The Deputy is complaining about the building on Baggot Street. It is being sold.
Sentiment score: 0.09
What is wrong with that?
Sentiment score: -0.48
The most effective thing we did in terms of dereliction was the grants for restoring properties and houses that are derelict or vacant. Thousands of young families have benefited from those very generous grants we introduced and there was no great enthusiasm from the Deputy's side in respect of those grants. It does not even reference them.
Sentiment score: 0.57
That is positive. It is a proactive way of dealing with dereliction in rural and urban Ireland. The Derelict Sites Act is still in place. Limerick has been the best example. It demonstrated what can be done in terms of the derelict sites levy. Other local authorities were not as good as Limerick. The Government is saying we are putting Revenue in charge-----
Sentiment score: 0.18
-----but Revenue has to do a proper detailed mapping exercise with local authorities to get all of the properties properly identified and documented so that the levy can be applied correctly in an appropriate regulatory way.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Already, people are conscious of this.
Sentiment score: 0.00
People are very conscious that Revenue is coming onto the scene. We are getting action already in advance of it.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I take offence at the Deputy's very dishonest portrayal of the Government's position in respect of this and his deliberate conflation of a different series of events to give the impression that the Government somehow condones the behaviour of X, Grok or Elon Musk. That is reprehensible political behaviour by him but it is par for the course all the time to distort the actual truth. The French prosecutors are prosecuting. Our prosecutors are pursuing.
Sentiment score: -0.07
That is the point. The Garda has indicated there are up to 200 complaints and lines of inquiry. We do not interfere with prosecutors in this jurisdiction. We do not interfere with the Garda. The Deputy has used another phrase, "kicking the can to" Europe. It is another dishonest betrayal of the reality. He knows the legislative framework as well as anybody else. The European Commission is responsible for the very large platforms, including X. It has opened an investigation in collaboration with, and working with, national regulators, in this context Coimisiún na Meán. When we met last week, Coimisiún na Meán gave us a comprehensive presentation on the work it has been doing on this and the degree to which it was co-operating and working with the European Commission, which I believe is essential. This is not about kicking the can. We all have an obligation in here to lay out for the public the legal frameworks by which we can go after large platforms. There is no toleration of child abuse materials on any platform. There is no attempt by any Government to protect such proliferation of abuse material. After all, it was this House and the then Government in 1998 that brought in very far-seeing legislation in respect of the issue of the generation and dissemination of child abuse material. The 2020 Act is also very comprehensive in its coverage. The Attorney General is quite positive in terms of the depth and breadth of the 2020 Act regarding what it can deal with and what the prosecuting authorities can pursue in respect of that Act pursuant to the sharing of adult material generated on any platform, particularly and specifically the X platform here. The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport is meeting his French counterparts today in respect of this issue and will also introduce an age verification tool. Significant work is being done on that, initially on a pilot basis, to inform how we would do that on a nationwide basis. All potential measures are under review in terms of how we deal with social media-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
-----because we understand fully the very negative impact social media can have, and is having, on many children the length and breadth of the country.
Sentiment score: -0.64
The Deputy just made a reprehensible assertion at the commencement of his last comment. The idea that we would give priority to not standing up to big tech over the generation and sharing of child abuse material is an absolutely shocking and reprehensible assertion. How dare you?
Sentiment score: -0.22
Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have some moral superiority over everybody else? You do not have moral superiority over anybody else in this House. Everybody in this House is at one in terms of going after anybody who would generate and disseminate child abuse material, and the legislation is there to do that. The State does not get involved in a Garda investigation. Politicians do not bring in the Garda and ask, "What are you doing in that investigation?" The Garda, under the law, is pursuing all aspects of the 1998 legislation where it is breached and the 2020 legislation, but particularly the 1998 legislation, to make sure there is absolutely full accountability before the law and before our courts in respect of this issue. I am thinking both domestically, in terms of our national laws, and-----
Sentiment score: -0.05
-----in terms of the European Commission. It is important that the European Commission, on behalf of everybody within Europe, pursues X and the platform in respect of this.
Sentiment score: 0.30
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Without question, there should be no cover-up in respect of any medical misadventure, any error or any wrongdoing. Hospitals and the medical community should own up immediately. That is good practice. It is unacceptable that for decades many families have had to go long periods endeavouring to find out the full truth in respect of what happened to their loved ones. The Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023, landmark patient safety legislation, was commenced in September 2024. It provides a legislative framework for a number of important patient safety issues, including the mandatory open disclosure of a list of specified serious patient safety incidents that must be disclosed to the patient and to their family. It was passed by both Houses and signed by the President in May 2023. It is to ensure that families and patients have access to comprehensive and timely information. It is achieved by an open disclosure mechanism in the Act. It contributes to embedding a culture whereby clinicians in the health service as a whole engage openly, transparently and compassionately with patients and their families. The requirements apply to all healthcare bodies, including the HSE, all section 38 and section 39 organisations, private hospitals and private health and social care providers, such as GPs, dentists and pharmacists. The Act contains a provision by which the Minister can add to this list via regulation. Patients and their families must have access, as I have said, to comprehensive and timely information, including an apology where appropriate. We have seen good examples recently from the chief executive officer, Bernard Gloster, who in a number of cases has changed the culture, it would appear to me, come forward, identified clear faults, and apologised himself publicly on behalf of the HSE in respect of significant wrongdoing and errors that have been made. The HSE has updated its national open disclosure policy. The Department and the HSE, in consultation with stakeholders, are currently finalising a revised HSE incident management framework that sets out how serious incidents are reviewed and learned from. I am told that the Act was commenced, other than section 68. I do not have the specifics around that section with me, but that is what I have been told and the information I have here. The implementation of the Clarke report into the tragic death of Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick also brought forward a number of significant improvements, supporting the implementation of key initiatives, such as the framework for safe nurse staffing and skill mix, the emergency medicine early warning system, updated sepsis guidelines and a new national quality improvement framework for emergency department triage and local escalation plans.
Sentiment score: 0.24
Disciplinary action was also initiated in respect of that.
Sentiment score: 0.48
Historically, it is fair to say the cultural norm in medicine was not to disclose openly. Over time, that has changed, to be honest to all involved, but we still have a distance to go. We learn through error and medicine is not failure-proof, although the more you create a systemic approach to medicine, the less error you have. The cult of the miracle worker or of the brilliant person was always a challenge and a cultural challenge within health. It is a system-wide approach that reduces adverse incidents, bad practice and poor practice. We must have a systemic approach and the culture has to be all about that. In most of the training colleges now, it is all about that, with multidisciplinary teams working together and every person on that team being an important cog in the wheel to make sure the surgery or treatment of a condition goes properly. Open disclosure is the key to that. Non-disclosure agreements have no part in that.
Sentiment score: 0.07