Mick Byrne of the UCD school of social policy, whom the Tánaiste has been quoting, said that what the Government is doing is effectively removing rent regulation. The Tánaiste has been selectively quoting what he has been saying on this.

IRES REIT has been very clear in what it has said on this. It has said it believes its rents are currently about 20% below what it believes should be the market levels and it has said these changes will result in its rental income going up by about 25%. The Tánaiste has not addressed that. Simply saying that not every renter will face this straight away and, when they do face it, the rent can only go up by 2% every year for a few years does not address it. When it balloons by such an amount, how will people be able…

None of that justifies a 20% increase in rent.

It never said to increase rents by 25%. When did it say to do that?

What the Government is doing is putting the fear of God into people.

I thank my colleague, Deputy Rice, for all the work he has done on this motion. Is minic a thagann Airí isteach anseo agus léann siad ráiteas atá ullmhaithe, gan mórán ionchuir ón Aire féin. Ar chúis éigin, shíl mé go mbeadh an tAire Stáit, an Teachta O’Donnell, difriúil ach bhí mé mícheart. It is welcome that the Government is not opposing the motion. There are some very good ideas and suggestions in this motion that the Minister of State did not even address in his contribution. It is disappointing that he did no…

I pay tribute to all of the workers in local authorities and emergency services for everything they have done. On Friday last, the banks of the Mayne river burst causing absolute devastation for residents living in apartments on Marrsfield Avenue, Clongriffin. Residents were left without electricity and the lifts were put out of action, leaving a disabled person who uses a wheelchair effectively cut off from the rest of the community. The flooding of an underground car park left several cars completely destroyed. T…

I thank the Minister of State for that confirmation. It is very useful because there was no clarity on that. I appreciate that confirmation. These apartments were built right next to the Mayne river. Má chaithfimid súil siar, if we look back, there is a long history of flooding associated with that river. In June 1993, homes in Balgriffin, very close to the apartments that were just flooded, were badly flooded resulting in residents having to leave their home for two months. More than 30 years ago, in 1993, a resid…

I asked the Taoiseach a couple of weeks ago about the unacceptable delays for An Post pensioners in relation to a pension increase that was already agreed. That was agreed back in September. The Minister was asked to approve it on 23 October. The pensioners are really upset that the increase they badly need in the cost-of-living crisis, to keep food on the table, pay bills and keep their homes heated, has not been signed off on by the Minister. All they are waiting on is for the Minister for public expenditure, Dep…

It was two weeks ago.

I did not find the answers earlier on estimated levels of service convincing ar chor ar bith. I have a briefing tomorrow and I look forward to that. When the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, has responsibility for the OPW in 2019, a site was identified for a new Garda station at Northern Cross. It was announced that a new station would be provided. Seven years later, however, there is no sign of that Garda station. In replies to parliamentary questions last year, the Minister of State referred to needing to identif…

I welcome the indication that the station will be constructed in 2028. What I am struggling with are the references to identifying a site, particularly when a site was announced in 2019 when he had responsibility for the OPW. How is that seven years after this project was announced – and there were senior Ministers from the Government out announcing it at Northern Cross – the Minister of State is still talking about identifying a site? The announcement was made by the Government before last at a time when he was Mi…

The situation is that the money is there and the Department is committed to building the station in 2028. A site was identified and announced by the Government in 2019 when the Minister of State had responsibility for the OPW. He is still talking about identifying a site when he previously identified such a site seven years ago. I do not understand this. How is it the case that, seven years later, we appear to be going backwards? The Minister of State is still talking about identifying a site. A site was announced …

Families and children have been let down appallingly by Children's Health Ireland, CHI. There has been scandal heaped on scandal, and report after report. Behind all of that are sick children and their families who have been failed by the healthcare system and the State. Children and families are still being failed because promises to act have been broken and long-promised reports remain unpublished. The Nayagam report was commissioned in 2023, two and a half years ago. Families still have not seen it. This is a re…

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. He is absolutely right that children who have suffered pain are at the heart of this matter. They have been badly let down, and that is what this is absolutely about. They and their families deserve as much information as possible. We have had 12 reports , but only six of these have been published to date. Does the Tánaiste acknowledge that this is not acceptable? Does he acknowledge that for the statutory public inquiry to work, as much information as possible needs to be ava…

Absolute rubbish.

Can I raise a point of order?

On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle-----

Point of order-----

I have a point of order, Ceann Comhairle.