I propose to take Questions Nos. 61, 70 , 82, 89 and 190 together. I thank the Deputy. Tackling vacancy is a key priority for this Government and pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make effective use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Homes Action Plan 2023-2026, which was published in January 2023, builds on pathway 4 of Housing for All. It sets out the various actions that were to be pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. I recently published an up…

I thank the Deputy for his question and his support for the ongoing efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction in his constituency. On his question on vacant homes officers, all 31 local authorities now have a full-time vacancy officer in place, fulfilling one of the Housing for All commitments. Each local authority receives an annual fund of up to €60,000 to support the work of the vacant homes officers. That was an important step forward in addressing each of the issues within local authorities. A derelict and vac…

I thank the Deputies. On Deputy Stanton's question on Youghal, my Department and the local authority are engaging to take action. We hope to have something back to the local authority in that regard. On the derelict sites register, local authorities are required to submit an annual return to my Department providing information on the operations in their functional areas. As of December 2023, there were 1,913 properties on the register nationally. We need to continue to have vacant and derelict sites registered with…

The Traveller accommodation expert review report, which is intended to improve the effectiveness of the arrangements for providing accommodation for members of the Traveller community, has 32 recommendations across four categories. These are aimed at addressing research deficiencies, including how information is gathered and used; removing any potential delay and obstacle in the planning system in terms of delivery; increasing resources and delivery capacity; and strengthening governance arrangements. The programme…

I disagree with Deputy Gould's statement on how the Department is dealing with the Traveller community. I am pleased to report full expenditure of over €36 million in total by local authorities relating to Traveller-specific accommodation was achieved in 2023. I recently had the opportunity to meet with the Irish Traveller Movement, with Bernard Joyce and his colleagues. We are continuing to provide support in whatever capacity we can and we will continue to do that throughout this year and next. We will look to co…

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. The Government is not opposing the motion but will make clear the concerns being raised are being addressed through the various stock improvement programmes run by the Department and the steps being taken to move from a response based on repair and maintenance as problems arise to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to the management and maintenance of local authority social housing stock. I will make some general points. There are just over 146,000 lo…

I thank all Members of the House for their input to this afternoon's statements. I welcome the opportunity to add to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien's, opening statement and to highlight some of the key achievements. There is no silver bullet when addressing something as complex as the housing crisis. Through the Housing for All plan, we are confronting these challenges head on and we have made considerable progress since the publication of the plan back in September 2021. In 2022, the first full year of delivery unde…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes: — that Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland, now in its third year of implementation, sets out a comprehensive suite of actions aimed at addressing affordability in the housing sector and that supply, which is critical to achieving this, has increased significantly since its publication in September 2021; — that almost 33,000 new homes were built in 2023 alone, more than 109,000 new homes have been bui…

Thank you very much, a Chathaoirligh. I also thank Senator Burke for his warm welcome. I look forward to working with them and their colleagues in Seanad Éireann. This is an important matter and I welcome the opportunity to outline the current position on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth. Over the past two decades Ireland has made significant progress in moving away from disposal as our primary treatment option. Ireland's national Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy provides a roadmap to tr…

I thank the Senator. The points he has made about ownership and which Department is most responsible and most effective in the implementation of this are very valid. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communication has run a circular economy innovation grant scheme for a number of years. I understand an announcement is expected shortly regarding this year’s call for applications. This scheme is specifically aimed to support innovation and demonstrate circular economy projects by small and medium enterpr…

First, I thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter and I welcome the opportunity to address the current position on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. The Senator is, of course, referring to the criminal ransomware attack on the HSE in May 2021. The cost of the response and recovery from the cyberattack to the taxpayer in 2021 was to the tune of €102 million. It must be recognised that all organisations that operate online are operating in a threat landscape of cyberattack given the global, econo…

I thank the Senator for raising this issue and for giving me the opportunity to address it. I will take the questions he has raised today back to the Minister and departmental officials. As I outlined previously, the HSE has implemented additional controls to monitor and manage threats to the HSE network, including additional staff training and a strengthening of identity and access management processes and controls. There has been an additional allocation of €55 million in the service plan for 2024 to enhance cybe…

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister for Health on this important issue for the people of the mid-west region. He recognises that there are significant pressures at UHL. He and the Government have undertaken sustained investment in this hospital and in capacity across the entire mid-west region's health system. There are currently two MRI scanners in UHL, one owned by University Limerick Hospitals Group and a second operated by Alliance Medical, which serves patients in the h…

I thank Senator Garvey and recognise the concerns she has raised on behalf of people in the mid-west region who are trying to access these essential services. I will bring the questions she raised back to the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and his officials. As already advised, significant capital investment has been made by the Government to expand the radiology department at University Hospital Limerick. Work is under way to deliver the much-needed capacity, including an additional MRI scanner. Enabling wo…

I am.

I thank Senator Keogan for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. As the Senator will be aware, the Attorney General provides legal advice to the Government and this advice is subject to legal professional privilege in the same way as the legal advice provided to a private client by any solicitor or barrister. The proper operation of Government and, thereby, the public interest is served by this privilege as it facilitates the confidential consideration by Gove…

I thank Senator Keogan. I appreciate the points she raised. On behalf of the Minister, I assure her that the Irish Constitution requires that the pact will come before both TDs and Senators, and that is exactly what is going to happen. There will be full debates in the Dáil and Seanad and it will also be discussed at the joint committee. As with all new legislation, the Bill will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny and the full legislative process in both the Dáil and the Seanad will take place as usual. The EU …

I thank Senator Gallagher for bringing this Commencement matter before the House. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee. A central element of delivering on the zero tolerance goal of the third national strategy is the establishment of a statutory domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV, agency, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, was delighted to establish Cuan at the start of the year. Cuan has a specific mandate to drive the implementation of the strategy across Govern…

I thank the Senator. The core, overarching goal of the zero-tolerance strategy is to ensure that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one, and we continue to work towards that. The Senator will be aware of the Tearmann Domestic Violence Services based in Monaghan, and he mentioned Siobhán McKenna and her team, who provide the services in counties Cavan and Monaghan. That has now merged with Safe Ireland, which allows Safe Ireland to be the lead organisation taking forward this development in the Cavan-Monagha…

I thank Senator Dolan for raising this important topic. I know how passionate she is about advocating for the best interests of the local communities in Galway and Roscommon. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision o…