An Garda Síochána has undergone massive reform in recent years, which was badly needed. One reform was moving the promotions and appointments system of the Garda to the remit of an independent oversight agency, which we believe was essential. The Labour Party set up the Policing Authority. It demanded it was set up in order to remove these appointments from the Commissioner. An independent body making senior appointments is something we really fought for. The Commission on Policing has recommended this be reversed.…

I have three points, the first of which concerns the Taoiseach's announcement yesterday on housing. He has taken on board what we have said about stamp duty but I just do not know why he opted for 10%. The Government has missed it. It should have been at least 15%. I do not understand why the Government is coming in at ten homes and not a lower figure. I genuinely do not understand the three-month transition period. Since I last raised the issues about An Bord Pleanála and strategic housing developments, another 30…

I am unique in having asked a number of questions regarding the IT infrastructure of the HSE and the security thereof in 2019 and 2020. At the end of 2020, 37,000 computers had not been upgraded from Windows 7. The year before, the number was even greater. This was only a few months ago. I ask the Taoiseach directly whether this was a component in the malware attack. There has to be a difference between the Department of Health and the HSE because the Department was able to deal with this attack through its securit…

Is it?

With recent developments and new policy commitments on housing, are there plans to review what the Government has put down in the programme for Government in respect of housing? Things may have changed. The Government is obviously going to make an announcement on a package that has been agreed at Cabinet today. Will the Government be changing the commitments on housing that it has written into the programme for Government? It is reported by Simon Carswell in The Irish Times today that the National Asset Management …

Deputies first learned of this group when it was reported on in The Irish Times on 19 April. It was set up to avoid some of the serious political and logistical differences that were beginning to emerge. Is it a formal group? Is it constituted formally or is it just an informal group? We are hearing today that the vaccine roll-out is moving to those aged between 45 and 49, which is very welcome. They will be offered the option of receiving AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson. If they do not want one of those vaccines,…

It is myself, I think.

It is No. 11.

The main issue I wish to raise is the new national maternity hospital. There remain serious concerns regarding ownership and control of the proposed new hospital. Unless this hospital is built on State-owned land, religious ethos will continually hinder the healthcare received by the women who use it. As long as there is continued ambiguity about the control and operation of the hospital because of who owns the site, it casts a cloud over the hospital and there will be a concern about the independence of the proced…

I wish to raise a sensitive issue. John O'Meara is my neighbour from Toomevara in County Tipperary. He is a self-employed agricultural plant contractor. He has three young children, Aoife, Jack and Tommy, aged from nine to 13 years. His partner, Michelle Batey, was 42 years old. She was from Nenagh and was a bank clerk with AIB. She was a couple of years behind me in school in Nenagh. Michelle got breast cancer in March 2018. She spent her 40th birthday receiving chemotherapy. She recovered. After the cancer they h…

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. It is a very sad case. I have been working with John to try to help him through the various issues he must deal with and some of the bureaucracy involved. In his situation, he does not qualify for widower's pension. He does not qualify for one-parent family payment because it is means tested on the preceding year. He does not qualify for jobseeker's payment because he had to give up his job and was self-employed. It is a catch-22. He can work and not mind the young children, but …

There are reports that the national immunisation advisory council, NIAC, is expected to clear the way for the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and possibly the AstraZeneca vaccine, for the 45 to 50 age cohort. In terms of the detail of this, there are issues relating to timing as regards cohorts, so this would be very positive news. I understand the Tánaiste told his parliamentary party last night that everyone who wants a vaccine will be offered one by the end of June. That would be great news. Can he confirm…

What the hell is going on with antigen testing? Last October, I was the first person to raise this in the Dáil. It is so long ago that the Dáil was sitting in Leinster House. I use these tests every week after I return from Dublin in order to protect those around me. Professor Nolan's comments about snake oil were totally inappropriate and unwarranted. I understand the Chief Medical Officer has written to the Government on its comments on antigen testing on Monday. There is complete confusion out there. We use thes…

It is.

I do not. If I did, I would not ask the question.

What are we going to tell businesses and students?

What are we going to tell people?

This needs much more analysis. The IBRC commission will be six years old in June. It is investigating 38 transactions in which there was a loss of €10 million or more in the former Anglo Irish Bank but has been been working on Siteserv alone for its whole existence. It was reported on thecurrency.news that the commission had completed approximately three quarters of its draft report, or 900 pages, and the full report should be completed by the end of June. The projected cost when it was set up in 2015 was, amazingl…

Thousands of young people and their parents woke up to a notification on their phones yesterday morning that stated the ESRI had found that those aged under 30 are likely to be the first generation worse off than their parents due to stagnant wages and a collapse in home ownership rates. That was the message that people's phones alerted them to, but those young people did not need that message or proof. This is a generation of young people who work hard and who get up earlier than their parents in the morning, but …

Those were different times.