First, I challenge the narrative being put forward here by some contributors that what we have here is simply an issue of a lack of technical competence at an EU level when it comes to procurement. I wish that was all that was at stake here. I think, however, we are paying the price for the lack of investment and co-ordination at an EU level in public health over many years. The European Union was very late in negotiating contracts for vaccines and that has resulted from years of neglect in this area. Before the pa…

I agree with the comments of previous Deputies on the process around this. There should be time for all legislation we know is to come up for pre-legislative scrutiny. Too often with housing legislation the Minister seeks to waive that process. I put it to him the members of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage are all happy and willing to engage in thorough pre-legislative scrutiny of any Bills he wants to bring forward. I would encourage the Minister to work with us in future rather than …

It is not agreed to. Yesterday, "RTÉ Investigates" published a report based on inspection reports it has received from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, DRHE. The report shows that 34% of privately run homeless accommodation has had fire safety issues. It also showed conclusively that the national quality standards are not being applied to private providers of emergency accommodation. I have raised this with the Taoiseach before. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has told the Dáil that the…

I want to ask the Taoiseach whether Ireland, at a European Union level, is supporting the waiving of intellectual property rights for vaccines, given that it is in our interests that this is tackled at a global level. Why is Ireland ruling out sourcing additional vaccines outside the European Union framework of supply? What is the reason for that? Are all other avenues to get additional vaccines being exhausted? Why is it the case that other European Union countries have been able to get additional vaccines and Ire…

With regard to the Taoiseach's dialogue with religious and faith leaders, has he raised issues regarding illegal adoptions and the potential transfer of the National Maternity Hospital to a trust set up by one of the religious orders that reflects their ethos and values? Will the Taoiseach be looking at that again?

People have been waiting years for the right to access their identity. Swift action must be taken to bring closure to that. The Government is planning to give €500 million for the new maternity hospital to a private charity set up by the Sisters of Charity. The core values of the constitution of St. Vincent's Holdings are identical to those of the Sisters of Charity. Given last night's "RTÉ Investigates" programme on illegal adoptions, it is utterly unacceptable that the Government would gift the National Maternity…

People locked out of home ownership deserve a better quality of debate and better evidence concerning the types of proposals being discussed than we have had so far today. The Minister's contribution was largely an attack on the Opposition and was mostly rhetoric. He accused the Opposition of being hysterical and of being engaged in Trump-style politics. The main hysteria in the Chamber thus far today has been in the comments of the Minister. There was a lack of the evidence in defence of his scheme. Most of the ti…

The Social Democrats support this Bill and we are very happy to co-sign it. This legislation is very important in ensuring that students are not penalised for complying with public health measures, which is what happened last year. Students who could not avail of accommodation they had paid for several months in advance were charged in full for it. In effect, they were penalised for complying with public health measures. This is important legislation and I hope there will be cross-party support for it, including fr…

I thank my colleague, Deputy Whitmore, for her work on this motion. I thank all the contributors today. First, I want to address some of the comments made by the Minister. He talked of full compliance with the requirements of the DPC. If there is to be full compliance, it is important that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation be extended so the DPC can carry out an investigation. If the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation is not extended, there cannot be full compliance with the requi…

It is completely unacceptable that each week at the Business Committee we request time for the most important issue in the country to be discussed and scrutinised in the Dáil, which is our management of the Covid crisis, and each week that request is not facilitated by the Government. We should be sitting three days a week to do that. It is a bad look for the Government not to be allowing that level of scrutiny. This is happening in a week where the Government has turned away journalists from press conferences and …

Forty years ago, 48 young people went for a night out to the Stardust nightclub and never came home as a result of the horrific fire which took their young lives. Their families and loved ones are still waiting for answers and justice. The delay to the Stardust inquest commencing, which is due to the Department of Justice not releasing funds, is absolutely reprehensible. Releasing funding to allow the legal team of the families to carry out research in preparation is essential. We should be following the good pract…

Similar to other sectors, agriculture, fishing and food production have been heavily impacted by the pandemic and small-scale producers and family businesses, in particular, have felt the effects. It is essential that, as the Minister and his officials plan for recovery, they remain focused on supporting small and locally sustainable businesses, farms and fishing communities, which are too often overlooked. These groups bear the cost of the pandemic, climate change and Brexit, with little benefit from international…

I asked the Minister about the European committee's proposal on agro-ecology. Will he specifically address the issue of agro-ecology?

It is notable that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has left the Chamber for the rest of the debate on the Land Development Agency Bill. I would not say that except that a few weeks ago during questions and answers with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, he created a scene when one of the Opposition spokespeople left. He seemed to think this was an incredible slight against him and against our Chamber. It is ironic that he has left and will not hear directly the issues o…

As the Minister of State said, this Bill introduces institutional reform of the Irish aviation regulatory system and will allow for the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, to merge its own aviation and safety regulatory functions with the economic and consumer protection roles of the Commission for Aviation Regulation, CAR, to create a single regulator. It also separates the for-profit air navigation service activities of the IAA into a stand-alone commercial semi-State body. As currently structured, the Irish Aviation …

In the recent "RTÉ Investigates" programme on homelessness, Natalie told us about how she feels safer sleeping in a tent rather than in emergency homeless accommodation. Last week in the Dáil, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage told us that the national quality standards framework applies to all homeless accommodation, including private providers. On Friday at the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Mr. Brendan Kenny of Dublin City Council confirmed that this is not the c…

I have two sets of questions and I would be grateful if the Minister were to let me back in halfway through my time to ask the second round of questions. I will not interrupt him while he is responding. On 7 December, the Minister, speaking on the "Morning Ireland" radio programme, categorically denied that anyone was being turned away from emergency accommodation. Four days later, "RTÉ Investigates" filmed this cruel and inhumane practice taking place when Joe Nolan, a Carlow man, was refused access to emergency a…

Let me be clear that we are not talking about anyone being forced into emergency accommodation; we are talking about people who are asking for access to emergency accommodation and are continuing to be refused. It is quite shocking that at this point, after everything that has been documented on this issue, the Minister is not aware of this.

It is occurring. My colleagues and I have been bringing this to the attention of the Minister for several months. I will continue to do so. It is occurring on an ongoing basis.

People are being turned away from emergency accommodation. As Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien has a responsibility in this area, rather than putting it all on the Opposition. We have been making him aware of this issue on an ongoing basis. I will engage with him on it further but he has a responsibility in this area and he cannot charge that I and other Deputies have not being engaging with him on the issue or raising it with him. It is on the Dáil record that we have done so. I …