One of the most difficult decisions that families have to make is how to take care of their parents as they get older and it becomes clear that they can no longer take care of themselves. Difficult choices have to be made to ensure that elderly parents receive the type of care they deserve and that their adult children can no longer provide, especially in the long term. People want the best for their elderly parents and want to put them in an environment where they will thrive and enjoy a good quality of life. Plac…

Each year, parents find that back-to-school costs have increased since the previous year and are putting them under greater financial pressure. In a society where education is supposed to be free, parents find that putting even just one child through school can cost thousands of euro. Parents putting two or more children through school find the financial burden is becoming unsustainable. Many families are left in a very precarious financial position as they try to sustain the cost of their children's education over…

The tenant purchase scheme has been a very effective way for people to purchase their property from local authorities. There have been a number of changes to the scheme and the most recent in February 2022 included that a tenant has to have ten years' tenancy and meet the criteria to qualify on their own for a loan. The problem arises where a person has ten years or more tenancy and gets married. Their partner also has to have ten years to qualify for the scheme. Previously, if a couple got married this rule only a…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I am glad to hear that further changes are envisioned. In all honesty, when you think about it, a ten-year rule for someone who has been in a council house for ten, 15 or 20 years, who gets married and is then confined to hanging on for up to ten years, does not make sense. I hope that is reconsidered. We must get an appropriate balance, as the Minister of State mentioned. The situation as it stands is not balanced. It is unfair. The scheme was introduced in 2022 and it …

That is required under the UNCRPD.

I welcome both the Bill and the new approach to dealing with child crime, which sees children more as victims of exploitation and not simply as delinquents intent on criminal or antisocial activity. The Bill provides for the prosecution of adults who groom children to commit crimes. It is something that has been advocated for by me and other Members of the Oireachtas across all parties for a number of years. It is an unfortunate fact that I see, in areas of my constituency of Dublin North-West, children committing …

The constituency of Dublin North-West that I represent is served by three hospitals. The Mater hospital is a teaching hospital that provides acute and tertiary specialist services for approximately 190,000 people. The Mater hospital is also the national centre for a number of specialties, for example, spinal injuries, cardiac surgery, and heart and lung transplants. It is the home of the national isolation unit. Beaumont Hospital provides emergency and acute care services for a catchment area of around 290,000. It …

Price gouging.

It is more than ten years since Finglas was promised a primary care centre. A comprehensive study by the HSE and other services was carried out. It identified the urgent need to deliver a primary care centre in the north and west of Finglas. At the time, Finglas was the top priority on the list, ahead of Cabra and Blanchardstown primary care centres, which were built a couple of years ago. We were also told there was no issue with regard to funding. A site was identified and received permission from Dublin City Cou…

As the Minister of State said, this is a fantastic place. The Church of Annunciation has been there for many years. It will be pulled down. The site is very large. It is in the heart of Finglas. I do not know why we cannot decide that this project can move ahead much more quickly. The Minister of State referred to the second quarter of this year. We are in the second quarter of this year. We are talking about a design team but we do not even have that. I always thought there were prototypes, and visited one elsewhe…

I dtús báire gabhaim buíochas le mo chomhghleacaí an Teachta Louise O'Reilly as an rún seo a chur os comhair an Tí. The cost of buying groceries in Ireland soared by more than 15% in the year to January 2023. In addition, the rate of inflation in supermarkets had reached one of the highest levels ever recorded. The cost of essential basic products has risen sharply and has added to the stresses and pressures families face in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and at a time when energy bills are skyrocketing. It …

The Taoiseach answered somewhat the question regarding quads and scramblers. Over the weekend, there was a massive increase in the number of these being used right across Dublin, including in my constituency. I ran into them several times myself. There are Government amendments to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 that seek to tackle the sort of antisocial activity that is going on but it remains to be seen whether these amendments will be successful in dealing with this plague of antisocial activity. I support …

There has been a huge surge in energy costs since last year. As electricity prices skyrocketed, the impact of these drastic price increases has been felt across every sector of society. Businesses have incurred devastating additional costs, which has meant that continuing in business is not sustainable for many people. Families have seen energy bills triple. Over the winter, people had to choose to either heat their homes or put food on the table. Many families and elderly people in my constituency faced a cold win…

The cost-of-living crisis has been a dominant part of people's lives since the end of 2021. In particular, the significant increases in fuel prices and the cost of food, groceries, heating and energy, in addition to exorbitant rents, have all greatly impacted on those least able to shoulder the burden of these runaway costs. The high cost of this crisis for the country is that many have been driven out to take up better employment and educational opportunities not available in Ireland, where they will have a better…

The Tánaiste forgot about that.

We have just had an intense and emotional debate on a Sinn Féin Private Members' motion that called for an extension of the eviction ban to protect tenants and ensure they will have somewhere to live during this housing and rental crisis. There is no doubt there is great fear among renters at the moment. Many feel vulnerable and deeply distressed that when the ban is lifted at the end of the month, they may face the prospect of being made homeless. Despite the Government's claims, sufficient social and affordable h…

There is an issue in respect of the crossover between local authorities. It has not been resolved between Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council in spite of a lot of co-operation. Plans are in place, however, and the councils are considering the matter. One such plan may be to compile a list of all landlords seeking to sell in Fingal and for Dublin City Council to do the same and a swap to be made, in order that properties go into Dublin City Council, for example. It is possible that is being considered. Ano…

Will the Tánaiste indicate the status of the Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Act? Will he also indicate if unannounced inspections of dog breeding establishments will be included in the proposed legislative amendments? If so, can he tell us whether these inspections will be carried out by proper authorities such as the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?

Táim an-bhuíoch labhairt mar gheall ar ár dteanga. Mar a deirtear, tír gan teanga, tír gan anam. Nuair a bhí mé ag fás aníos i bhFionnghlas, ní raibh aon Ghaelscoil ann. Sa scoil, bhí mé ábalta Gaeilge a scríobh agus a léamh ach ní raibh béim ar an nGaeilge a labhairt, rud a bhí scannalach. Anois tá níos mó béime ar an teanga labhartha agus is í sin an tslí is fearr. Ní raibh aon Ghaelscoil nó naíonra i mo cheantar go dtí 2005, nuair a bunaíodh Naíonra Uí Earcáin i Halla WFTRA i bhFionnghlas. Blianta i ndiaidh sin,…

My constituency has seen an unprecedented increase in cases involving exorbitant energy bills. For example, a young mother received an energy bill for €6,000. As the Tánaiste can imagine, this caused her unnecessary distress and could have impacted her ability to pay her mortgage. The Government has indicated that it intends to bring in a windfall tax in the coming weeks. Can the Tánaiste tell us when it is intended to introduce this tax? It is urgently needed to assist people who are struggling, the consumers out …