The housing targets were missed last year by a country mile. The leaders of the Government promised before the election that up to 40,000 units would be delivered, but when we got through the election, we discovered that we just about built 30,000. The signs this year for social housing in particular, and indeed for housing delivery overall, are not very promising. Two areas that are really being left behind are cost rental and affordable-to-buy housing. The affordable housing scheme, as currently designed, is not …

The proposed changes to this scheme are greatly concerning. I believe they will cause havoc. This is a scheme broadly welcomed across the House. It is one that has seemed to be working. Does it need to be improved? Everything, of course, can be improved and I would have no objections to that. However, the proposed restrictions the Government is going to put on this scheme could render it redundant. It is going to increase the risk of homelessness. There are no vacant spaces in homeless services in most counties, in…

I welcome the opportunity to put this question. I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State beside her, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, on their appointments. It is the first time I have had an opportunity to raise an issue with the Minister in the Dáil, so I wish her the best of luck in her position. She has a big job ahead of her. I want to raise with her the income threshold for medical card entitlements. We have not moved on this for years. It is causing problems. There are a great many people caught there w…

I thank the Minister for her reply. I have another question about people of working age, or people under 66, as they are referred to in the question. This question refers to people over 66 years of age. I have deliberately phrased the questions that way because for people who are under 66, the income thresholds are €184 for a person who is single and €201.50 if you are over 66. The basic rate of social welfare is €50 ahead of that at the moment. For a couple, the figure is €266.50, and for a couple over 66, it is €…

I thank the Minister for the reply. That is helpful because the GP visit card is welcome. We acknowledge that it is there. The figures she gave mean that, I think, about one in 12 people who are entitled to it have applied for it and got it, or one in 11 or something like that. Obviously, there is a big piece of work there for the Government and all of us to try to get the word out there on that. It is important that we get people into primary care and that we are able to treat them in primary care because many peo…

I raise the issue of staffing of children's disability network teams across the country. I have replies here from the HSE that say between 22% and 29% of posts are vacant. In Laois, I can tell the Minister that there are posts where there is 100% vacancy and 67% vacancy. In Laois, there is a chronic situation regarding staffing. The figures for network 12, which covers most of the county, are absolutely shocking. I will give the Minister a flavour of what they are. Occupational therapy is 33% staffed and 67% vacant…

I thank the Minister for his reply. While there are moves afoot, it needs to be at a scale and a pace to match the demand that is there. The HSE states in one of its replies to me that there is an apprenticeship programme for social workers. Can there be apprenticeship programmes for other disciplines? Maybe that cannot be done but that is possibly one area that could be used. We agree that the current situation cannot continue. We have to expand what is there. However, on the way home last night at 9.30 p.m. on th…

This debate is welcome. However, the motion has a whiff of populism about it. As somebody who comes from a left, republican position, I believe in good public services, but I also believe in spending public money very well. We need to stop waste. Although those of us on the left advocate spending public money and creating good public services, it does not mean that we support wasting public money. That is the difference. Every euro of taxpayers' money has to be spent well. However, bringing in an Elon Musk or Micha…

The programme for Government sets out to improve mental health services. The SOSAD, Save our Sons and Daughters, organisation provides vital services and is running out of cash. It has made representations to try to move forward. It provides counselling, support and mental health services. It only has enough money to keep going for a number of weeks. In 2024, it provided services for 1,114 clients. In County Laois, it supported 229 people, with 2,891 hours of services. This is a vital service. It takes referrals fr…

It has had to cut some services.

We know our mental health services have gaps and deficiencies.

SOSAD is filling the gaps.

Will the Taoiseach prioritise it and commit to providing the money-----

-----and service level agreement that the SOSAD organisation needs?

Time and money are running out.

I wish to raise the issue of the relief road for Mountmellick, which is long promised. It has been promised for years. Traffic volumes have increased. More than 8,500 vehicles go through the centre of the town every day. A lot of that traffic is HGVs going from the west of Ireland and the midlands to the port of Rosslare. A feasibility study has been carried out at a cost of more than €100,000 and a preferred route has been selected. This road would shorten journey times, reduce carbon emissions and reduce congesti…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire agus an Aire Stáit. Go n-eirí libh. I hope they do well in the posts. They have a lot of responsibility to take on. It is important the Government take a firm position on the Mercosur deal. There is the weight of the Germans, the German car industry and other more industrialised countries on the other side. It is important the Irish representatives at European meetings take a strong position and combine with those countries that have a strong agricultural base, like France. To be …

Comhghairdeas to the Minister and Minister of State on their appointments. They have a big job ahead of them and I wish them well in it. The right of every child to access an education system is a fundamental one and the children in Laois and those attending St. Francis School in Portlaoise are no different from those anywhere else in the country. The school has 119 children with complex needs attending it and this school serves all of the county. There are 17 classes in what is a 12-classroom school. It is a newis…

The proposed sale of Bord na Móna's recycling and waste management businesses, including the facility at Kyletalesha, Portlaoise, to a private company must be halted. If it goes ahead, it will mean the transfer of a large recycling and waste recovery business, which will go from public ownership into the hands of a private investor. That will create a whole new situation for the workforce and customers. The workforce is supposed to be receiving guarantees but the Tánaiste and I both know that terms and conditions c…

In County Laois, too.