The Minister said earlier that it is so important that we make a difference. I agree with him, but what does his difference look like? What does the difference that he is bringing forward today look like? We know that it currently costs well over €1,000 to fill a tank of oil, and that cost is rising. There is nothing that the Minister has announced today that will make a difference to households that are struggling to heat their homes. In fact, the only difference they will see is an increase of almost €20 on a fil…

I too commend my colleague Deputy Tully on the work she has done in bringing forward this motion. For a parent with a child who has additional needs, the battle for services and supports is constant. A parent may notice something when the child is only two or three years of age: their balance, their eye contact or their inability to do things children of the same age can do. That is just the start of a very long road. Parents may know very little about the world they are about to enter when seeking an assessment fo…

I welcome those in the Gallery this evening, many of whom played a key role in what has become a major debate on pension age. The Minister of State will know that during the most recent general election, the people sent a very clear message to Government on pension age. While many of us might run a mile on hearing the word "pension", the pension age clearly matters to the public and particularly to workers. The pressure in the general election forced the Government into a significant U-turn. If the Government had i…

I welcome the publication of the town centre first policy. In particular, I welcome its recognition of the fact that one size does not fit all and that we need unique solutions for the unique challenges each and every town faces, given they are all different. I also welcome the idea of tailored plans for towns. It is important for buy-in that there be consultation not only with the town teams, but also with local businesses and residents in towns and villages. There are many wonderful rural development groups, town…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This is very important legislation and, if passed, it will make an immediate difference to lone parents and their families. The current situation for both income supports which lone parents can receive, the one-parent family payment and jobseeker’s transitional payment, sees lone parents having to prove they have sought maintenance in order to both qualify for and retain that income support. In many cases, for lone parents that can be their only source of weekly in…

I thank the Minister of State. On the amendment and the proposal, this day six months will bring us to the end of August. At that time, the Dáil will be in recess and will not return until the end of September, and we will then be into the budgetary cycle. This report was due at the end of last year. It is now, we are told, to be published by Easter. If it is published by Easter, which I expect it will be, there should be no excuse or reason to delay this until more or less the end of next year. The other issue is …

The Minister of State will know that the e-mental health hub in Castlerea was opened in June 2020 as a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind hub for mental health. This was to serve the western region as a psychiatry of later life day hospital and a child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, Connect, that is, to serve the needs of both young and old. I first began asking questions in late 2020 on the staffing levels at the hub and the services that were available. One reply from the HSE on 7 December 2020 ad…

I thank the Minister of State. She still has not answered the question, though. We deserve answers as to why funding was not continued into 2021. Funding was provided in 2020. The Minister of State said work was progressed by the HSE, including initial recruitment in 2020, but by 7 December one consultant had been recruited - just one. There was nothing significant in regard to work progressed at that time. The real question is why funding was allocated in 2020 for the recruitment of staff and was then gone in Janu…

It is clear that the cost of living package that was announced a number of weeks ago is not enough. It was interesting that the €505 million that was announced was lumped in with the budget. We have raised the cost of living for a number of months, particularly after the survey we conducted last October to which more than 14,000 people responded. At that stage, it was clear that the cost of living was becoming more of an issue and it has only gotten worse. In response to the issue of the cost of living we hear a gr…

I want to raise the issue of broadband roll-out with the Taoiseach. This is critical infrastructure for homes and businesses across Roscommon, Galway and many rural areas across the State. We know that the target for National Broadband Ireland, NBI, for 2021 was reduced from 115,000 premises to 60,000. Both targets have been missed by a mile. We know that 34,500 premises were completed by the end of last year. There are no penalties built in when milestones are missed, unfortunately. Clearly, there is a real issue …

First, it is important to say that nobody on these benches has suggested that the carbon tax has led to the current energy cost hikes. I would have thought that was quite obvious. However, what we are saying quite clearly is that heaping additional costs from 1 May, when people are already struggling and going cold in their homes, is not the right thing to do. Whatever way it is put, including the package and the measures from the budget last year, people's energy bills are going to increase from 1 May. That is a s…

This is to ask the Minister about the roll-out of the connected hubs. Perhaps she might be able to provide figures on the numbers rolled out last year and what the intention is for this year. I also wish to ask her about the possible impact on the roll-out and continuation of remote working now that many people have gone back to the office and there has been a return to work after Covid.

It is really welcome to see those 189 hubs rolled out at a fairly fast pace. I know of some who have looked for it and it has been up and running fairly quickly. That is all really welcome. There is a lot of focus on remote working in Our Rural Future. It is so important that we get it right. Equally, post Covid, it is really important that the level of remote working remains steady. We know from reports that the number of vehicles and cars on our road are the same as pre-Covid times. There is a concern that the ne…

The Minister is right that it will be about promoting them. The Minister mentioned the connectedhubs.ie website. I suggest promoting them on a greater scale. One has just opened in Ballinlough, County Roscommon, and they are trying to promote it to get people into it and so people know it is there. It is a service that people can use and it is really welcome. However, we need to ensure that we get the legislation right. Otherwise some workers who have been working remotely for the last year or two are going to be p…

Nothing the Government has done has had any impact whatsoever on rising rents. These are not unique to our larger cities and towns. In my constituency, rents are up in County Roscommon by more than 22% in the past year. On average, renters are now paying €912 and rising every single month. At the same time, every other outgoing in that house has also increased. In County Galway, there has been a 19% increase in rents. They have now surpassed €1,100 with renters paying €1,138 a month and rising. The consistent Gover…

Regarding housing and infrastructure, rural development comes under the Taoiseach's remit. He knows the importance of funding under the Trans-European Network for Transport, TEN-T. In December 2021, the European Commission published its proposals for a revised TEN-T, which remains largely unchanged. Crucially, it does not include the western rail corridor. Given the core funding of 85% that will be earmarked and provided between now and 2030, the western arc in the revised TEN-T is really important. The west of Ire…

I understand that the long-awaited Tusla review on refuge provision is due to come before Cabinet next week. This is welcome. Action on the lack of refuge spaces and capacity across the State has been delayed on the basis that this work had not been completed. County Roscommon is one of nine counties across the State to have no refuge spaces for women or children. Together, Roscommon, Galway and Mayo have a population of more than 228,000 women. According to Safe Ireland, based on the Istanbul Convention, those thr…

I want to ask the Taoiseach about a specific commitment in the programme for Government to increase the availability of activation schemes, including those run by local employment services, LES. Far from increasing their availability, local employment services, along with job clubs, are being dismantled. The Taoiseach will know that many of those involved in local employment services - I see them in Ballaghaderreen and Ballinasloe in my constituency, while the Taoiseach will have seen similar people in his constitu…

I want to ask the Taoiseach about the Cost of Disability report that was published by Government, an Indecon report, in December. This is not the first report to recommend the introduction of a cost of disability payment. There was one by Indecon 18 years ago this month. There was another one as far back as 1986, 36 years ago. The latest report, we are told, is now going to become part of a straw man proposal which will go to be reviewed by the national disability inclusion strategy steering group. Rather than havi…

The Minister will be well aware of the situation in Laois-Offaly with the local employment job services and job clubs following the first tender process. She will also be aware that staff protesting there suspended their industrial action just before Christmas to engage with the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. The Minister’s Department has refused to engage in that process, which was proposed by the WRC. I ask the Minister to comment on that and on the situation in Laois-Offaly regarding the trade union.