In a major homelessness and housing crisis, the Government has put forward a solution to these chronic problems by putting in place a scheme that is restrictive in its design and prevents the family home from being passed on to children. If the Minister had an opportunity to develop a policy or scheme to tackle the housing crisis, in particular the general lack of affordable housing, why did he bring out a scheme that is obviously so flawed? The Government's view of an affordable house is at total variance with the…

The price does not matter.

There are serious concerns among people with disabilities with regard to the requirement to carry out a means test when making an application for disability allowances. Many with serious disabilities can fall just outside the threshold for the allowance. Their quality of life is severely affected as a result. Can this be looked at urgently and can the Government eliminate the need for a means test for those with a disability applying for disability allowance?

Tá mé síos le haghaidh ceithre nóiméad go leith níos déanaí.

Is féidir gan amhras.

Tá ceann amháin maith go leor. Today is World Mental Health Day. It is a day for raising awareness of mental health issues. It is also a day when we talk about mental health in a way that breaks down the stigma around mental health. It is a day that shows those struggling with mental health issues around the world that people really care about them, empathise with what they are going through and want to show that they are there to support them and to tell them that it is okay to not be okay. Today is important but …

This Government has had plenty of opportunities to build a legacy of competency, stability and fiscal rectitude. Instead of a legacy of achievement, this Government can boast of a legacy of crisis, ineptitude and incompetence. The Government has a responsibility to help the vulnerable in society, particularly those who struggle each day because of a disability, mental health issues or addiction problems or because they are elderly and infirm. The lack of supports and proper resourcing from the Government means peop…

It is a cover up.

The Government pledged that children who have a diagnosis of autism and who require either a special class or a special school placement to meet their assessed needs will get those places. Despite the child being in primary school for many years, it should come as no surprise to the Government the child will then progress to secondary school. Yet, each year parents face a last-minute scramble to find such places. This is due to a lack of proper forward planning by the National Council for Special Education and a la…

Working parents who are trying to hold down a job and at the same time care for young children find it difficult and stressful to do both. This is particularly acute when there is no family member who can act as a caregiver to the child or if the job has no flexibility in working hours. These days few parents can afford to stay at home because of the ever-increasing cost of living, the runaway rents, and so on. A single income is just not sufficient to maintain a decent standard of living or for a family to stay fi…

Dublin City University is one of the top universities in the country. Located in Dublin North-West, it has a well-earned global reputation for both research and innovation. DCU has three academic campuses on the north side of the city located in Glasnevin and Drumcondra. It has 19,000 students studying there. Many of the students who go to DCU are from Dublin and, consequently, can travel from their homes to the college. The college offers on-campus accommodation at both the Glasnevin and the St. Patrick's campus t…

Is é sin an fáth.

In my constituency of Dublin North-West, there are a significant number of areas that have a high percentage of elderly people. There are also areas of the constituency with a much younger population and who have young families. There are also some areas of economic disadvantage. Unfortunately, unemployment rates are also high in areas of Dublin North-West and it is a constant struggle for many people to put food on the table for their families or to give them any sort of basic quality of life. We have also seen ov…

Generations of Irish people were forced to emigrate to places like the United States, Australia and England as a result of famine, poverty and conflict. Irish people for the most part have made a positive contribution to their adopted lands. Often newly arrived Irish people faced discrimination, racism and ostracisation. It is not that long ago that there were signs in England saying, "Irish need not apply" or "No blacks, no dogs, no Irish". However, over time Irish people became prominent in politics, healthcare, …

There has been a very obvious increase in the number of cases coming in to my constituency office that concern issues around carers. In particular, more people are coming looking for help in getting the carer's allowance or the domiciliary care allowance. Most applications fail because of the strict adherence to section 179(4) of the carers Act. While it is important to have a set of criteria as a guiding principle for those applying for carer's allowance, it is clear from cases my office deals with that there are …

In light of a number of very serious incidents involving dogs described as XL bullies, it has been indicated by the Government that it intends to introduce legislation to ban these dogs. I have seen a worrying increase in the number of such dogs in my constituency, often without any restraints or leads. This is of real concern for residents. XL bullies are not a specific breed, so how will the Government identify or define an XL bully dog? When does the Government intend to introduce legislation to ban such dogs? W…

It is about houses.

There are loads of your own-----

The housing crisis is a manufactured crisis caused by bad housing policies by successive Governments and the dependence on private developers to increase the housing stock. It has continued to spiral out of control under this Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party coalition. Young couples are finding it impossible to get on the property ladder even when both have good incomes. To add insult to injury, they are being virtually gazumped by investment funds with ready access to resources whereby they can afford to buy…

So you take responsibility then.