Public Sector Reform Review
Dail Éireann — 2023-04-18
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Éamon Ó Cuív (FF), Galway West

"As soon as possible" means it is on the méar fhada, agus ní fios cén uair a gheofar freagra. Táimid ag iarraidh cinnidh, nó dáta faoina mbeidh cinneadh againn.

Malcolm Noonan (GP), Carlow-Kilkenny

If it is of use to the Deputy, we might provide a more detailed briefing for him. I cannot give him the full response regarding the information he is seeking from me this morning but it might be useful to give him a detailed briefing by NPWS staff regarding the project, and that might be of assistance in providing where we are on the timeline.
Regarding the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2021, we are progressing it, and it is on the Order Paper. I hope we will make progress on that this year.

Ivana Bacik (LAB), Dublin Bay South

In light of yesterday's judgment by the Special Criminal Court, I think we would all agree that organised crime is a key strategic policy concern across Irish society. I commend the work of the Garda in the wake of the Hutch-Kinahan feud and note there have been no murders in the last four years in that regard. I also note that two convictions were secured in the court yesterday. The failure, however, to convict on the charge concerning the murder carried out at the Regency Hotel raised several questions regarding how and why the prosecution was taken, the basis for the murder charge and so forth.
I wish to ask the Taoiseach about a related matter, which is the appointment of the expert group in 2021 to carry out an independent review of the Offences Against the State Acts, and the apparatus of the Special Criminal Court as established by those Acts. That expert group was chaired by Mr. Justice Michael Peart. The then Minister for Justice said in response to Dáil questions before Christmas that she expected the final report of the review group to be received in the first quarter of 2023. Will the Taoiseach confirm if the final report has been received by Government, and whether he or the Minister for Justice has received it? I should say that we very much supported the holding and establishment of that review into the Offences Against the State Acts. That review received widespread support. I believe we would all wish to have the opportunity to debate the findings of that review.

Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP), Dún Laoghaire

I am not sure if the forum proposed by the Taoiseach to deal with foreign policy, security and neutrality matters is part of this foresight and research group but I would like an answer to the question asked earlier by Deputy Paul Murphy. Why has the Taoiseach decided to abandon the original proposal to have a citizens' assembly made up of a representative but random group, which would be a cross-section of Irish society, and instead have this stakeholder forum where it would appear to me that the Government is looking to find justification for moving us away from neutrality, which I believe the Government wants us to do? Personally, I believe this is what the Biden visit was substantially about. It was about conditioning Irish public opinion to the idea that we should align ourselves with the US and with NATO. What guarantees will the Government give that this forum is not going to be as biased as that visit was in terms of the examination of issues it proposes to look at such as the international rules-based order? I find it extraordinary that we can use those phrases in the same sort of sentence as we welcome Joe Biden and applaud him. He is someone who supports apartheid in Israel. He is someone who sells weapons to the most brutal dictatorship in the world in Saudi Arabia. One can go through the list of brutal dictatorships. In this forum, are we going to examine the threat from US imperialism?

Mary Lou McDonald (SF), Dublin Central

Last month the Council of Europe published its annual conclusions assessing member states' compliance with the European Social Charter on labour rights. The European Social Charter is a Council of Europe treaty that guarantees fundamental social and economic rights to member state citizens. Ireland is in breach of nine separate areas of rights relating to workers' terms and conditions of employment, and trade union rights. Among other matters, the Council of Europe found that the sub-minimum wage paid to workers aged 18 and 19 does not ensure a decent standard of living. Ireland's failure to meet obligations on the right to strike to certain categories of workers under the charter is also raised. Of course, these breaches will not come as news to the Government because these matters were raised with the previous Government four years ago but continue to go unaddressed.
The Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond, has admitted the Government is not where it should be - as he puts it - on collective bargaining. In fact, progress and commitments made by the Taoiseach when he was the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment have been glacial. Will the Taoiseach provide us with the timeline for the legislative recommendations on collective bargaining made by the high-level group on collective bargaining and industrial relations?

Mick Barry (PBP), Cork North-Central

I want to raise the issue of the so-called broadcasting charge. In response to a parliamentary question I submitted, I was told on 22 March:
Government agreed to establish a Technical Working Group to examine the necessary reform required of the current TV licence system to properly provide for the funding requirements of public service media in Ireland. The Group commenced its work in September last year and is expected to report to me [the Minister] at the end of this month [March] after which the report will be considered by Government.
I am opposed to the current television licence system and I am opposed to a broadcasting charge that includes phones, laptops and so on. I am in favour of a digital tax on the digital media corporations that are making super profits in this State at the moment. I am also in favour of increased funding for public service media. Has that report been submitted yet to the Minister? If not, when does the Taoiseach now expect it?

Malcolm Noonan (GP), Carlow-Kilkenny

As I outlined, in accordance with the EU VAT directive, farmers can elect whether to register for VAT in respect of their farming business. I take on board the point the Deputy made about larger farms being more inclined towards VAT registration, but for many small farmers, registering for VAT is an unnecessary complexity that is not possible to justify given the small-scale nature of their business. The farmer's flat-rate scheme, therefore, provided by the EU VAT directive is key to supporting such farmers. It is used by the majority of member states, including Ireland. The current rate for the flat-rate addition is 5% and this is reviewed each year in the run-up to the budget in accordance with the criteria set down in the directive. It is based on macroeconomic data, including the cost of agricultural inputs and production, as well as the prevailing VAT structures averaged out over the three preceding years. The rate for 2023 is based on data obtained from years 2020 to 2022.
Farmers who do not choose to register for VAT have an entitlement to reclaim VAT on costs incurred in respect of agricultural business. As I mentioned, a VAT-registered farmer would, therefore, be entitled to reclaim VAT incurred on slurry storage bags through their VAT returns. Farmers who are not registered for VAT are compensated for VAT incurred on goods and services used in the course of their farming businesses, including the purchase of agricultural equipment, through the flat-rate addition they receive on payments for their supply of agricultural produce and services. Unregistered farmers can also reclaim VAT for the construction, extension, alteration or reconstruction of a building or structure designated for use solely or mainly for the purposes of farming businesses. However, this cannot be extended for other purposes such as slurry storage bags, given Revenue has advised they do not come within the scope of the refund order.
The Deputy could have this conversation with the Minister during the discussions for budget 2024, although I will certainly raise the matter with him on his behalf.

Johnny Guirke (SF), Meath West

What measures are being put in place in rural areas to prevent an increase in homelessness on foot of the Government's decision to end the ban on no-fault evictions? In my county, Meath, 319 people are in emergency accommodation, including 85 families, 87 children and 130 single people. On top of this, 250 further tenancies have been issued with notices of quit. At present, there is no availability of emergency accommodation in County Meath and, therefore, people from the county are being sent to Drogheda, County Louth. I have been called by people in emergency accommodation in Drogheda who have been on the housing list in Meath for years. I have been contacting the local authorities but have made little or no progress. It is deeply depressing for me, so the Minister of State can imagine what it is like for the people I am representing.
A family who came to my office the other day have been living in their house for more than ten years. They have three kids and have been served with a notice to quit. They earn too much to qualify for the housing list but not enough to get a mortgage. They anticipate they are going to end up in emergency accommodation. Where are they going to go?
Almost all local authorities are at full capacity and no social or affordable housing is available. At the same time, there has been an underspend of €1 billion in the middle of the worst housing crisis in history. Where are people going to go?

Leo Varadkar (FG), Dublin West

I thank the Deputies. On Deputy Bacik's question, I join with her in commending the work of An Garda Síochána, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the courts. As the Deputy said, it is five years since there has been a murder in Ireland linked to a feud involving serious organised crime gangs. Please God, this will continue. I am aware the gardaí have done phenomenal work in that regard as have the prosecutors and the court. Two convictions have been secured this week. There was one acquittal, which was not the outcome the State wanted, but it proves the Special Criminal Court is a place where people get a fair trial. It underlines the case for retaining the court. It is particularly important that we all understand it is one of the reasons we have the two Special Criminal Courts. It is because it allows trials to happen without a jury and it enables us to put some really bad people away who would otherwise intimidate a jury and their family members and make it impossible for there to be a trial at all.
With regard to the independent review, which is being headed up by former Mr. Justice Michael Peart, this is the review of the Offences Against the State Acts. I have not received it and it has not gone to the Government yet. I do not know whether the Minister for Justice has it but I will find out. Ideally, we would like to have it published and debated before June when we will have the vote on the continuation of the Special Criminal Court.
With regard to a citizens' assembly on neutrality and security policy, there was no proposal or draft proposal put to the Government on that. When he was the Taoiseach, I believe the Tánaiste suggested it as an option for consideration but there was never a proposal made to the Government. He gave it further consideration and came up with a different proposal, which was then put to the Cabinet and was agreed. This is the one he is proceeding with at the moment.
On collective bargaining, if my recollection is correct, the commitment we made around legislating for collective bargaining derives from the EU directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining.
We have something like two years to produce an action plan. The commitment we made was to have some legislation this year or next. I have not been across that file for a couple of months and I will have to check with the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, as to where we are in that regard. I am happy to get back to Deputies on that point.
I have not seen the report of the expert group in respect of the television licence or broadcasting charge. I am not sure if the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has the report yet but it is imminent. We should see that report soon and have a chance to debate it.
Deputy Ó Cathasaigh mentioned Finland and horizon planning. I know a little bit about that but not enough. I am familiar with the fact that Finland has had a committee for the future for a long time. It probably dates back 20 years at this stage. I knew a Finnish member of parliament who was a member of, and advocate for, the committee. I have not had a chance to look at Deputy Ó Cathasaigh's Bill but I will do so. I will see if there is space for us in that. We have an awful lot of committees, as the Ceann Comhairle will acknowledge, but perhaps it is something we could work up for the next Dáil. It could be a part of the programme for the next Dáil to have a committee in that regard.
In respect of evictions or illegal evictions, I am very reluctant to make any comment on any video that has gone viral. One can look at a video online without knowing what happened in the four or five minutes beforehand or afterwards. We need to be careful not to jump to conclusions in that regard. The role of the Garda is to keep the peace and enforce the law. Breaking and entering somebody's property without permission is against the law, as is threatening violence or using violence against someone. That is against the law. These are questions that only the Garda can answer.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-04-18