I thank the Deputy. False self-employment is a problem that the Department of Social Protection takes very seriously. We want to make sure that employees receive their proper PRSI contributions so they get their entitlements, and that is our focused role. Revenue looks at it from a tax perspective and the Workplace Relations Commission looks at it in terms of workers’ rights. The scale of false self-employment is probably exaggerated by some commentators. Research and statistics over the past 20 years indicate that…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The current rates of welfare payments for young people were constructed to incentivise young jobseekers aged 18 to 24 years to access further education and training, with the aim of improving employment outcomes. A young person who takes up a place on a training, education or employment programme qualifies for the full adult rate of payment. In this way, the State is seeking to address the issue raised in the EU and elsewhere of the so-called NEETs, that is, young people …

It would be fair to say that my Department has had a fairly busy year. I know the Deputy appreciates that. Some 24 million individual payments have been issued to almost 900,000 people. Our priority has been to get these payments to people. If we had not done that, we would rightly be criticised here. I assure the Deputy that I will consider the poverty impact assessment and publish it afterwards. I am happy to have a further conversation with the Deputy at that stage. I will see what the report says and will certa…

I will launch the Pathways to Work scheme on 12 July. The best way that we can help young people is by helping them to get back into employment so that has to be the priority. I will outline the different schemes at that stage. There will be intensive work to assist people to get back into employment because it has been a difficult time. I was keen to support young people during the pandemic. Students received the pandemic unemployment support because I was aware that students lost their jobs as everybody else did.…

I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for raising this matter. It is wrong to look at the tender published on 26 May as profit-focused. It is absolutely client-focused with a strong focus on local services, community linkages and client service levels and outcomes. It is expanding service provision into seven counties that currently do not have a local employment service. About 90% of the fees to be paid under the contract are based on client service rather than outcomes. The outcome fee is an additional payment and is about…

They will not need reserves because they will get the payment upfront whenever a client is referred to the local employment service. I reiterate we are expanding these services under the first phrase of the request for tender. We are putting it into areas that do not currently have this employment service. When a customer or client is referred to the local employment services from the Intreo office, the service immediately gets a 45% payment. That means that it has the money to focus on the client. When the client …

I reassure Deputies that the request for tender will take account of local knowledge and community engagement. There is a strong emphasis on that in the request for tender. I have spoken to a number of the providers. I understand the Deputies' concerns, but we have taken them on board. There has been significant engagement with the particular group for whom we are expanding the service. I am satisfied that, at the end of the day, we will make sure that clients are number one throughout this process and will get the…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This emergency Bill seeks to bring the clarity required by business, local authorities and the Garda as the Government continues to support an outdoor summer. In line with public health guidance, Government policy is to have a gradual reopening of the hospitality sector, beginning with outdoor hospitality. Unfortunately, as Deputies will be aware, due to the significant risk that the incidence of the Delta variant of Covid-19, the Government decided yesterday that …

I was not foisted anywhere.

I move: That Dáil Éireann resolves that sections 2 to 4, 6 to 12, 14 and 17 of the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 39 of 1998) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2021 and ending on 29th June, 2022. The two motions before Deputies today seek the continuation in force of important provisions in law aimed at combating terrorism and organised crime. As Minister for Justice, I am required to lay reports before the Oireachtas on the use of the relevant provisions of th…

I am grateful to the House for its consideration of these important motions and I thank the Deputies for their contributions, particularly those who spoke in support of the motion. As I said, there remains a real threat from terrorist activity, particularly from dissident republican paramilitary groups, which warrants the continuance in force of the provisions of the 1998 Act. The provisions we have discussed this evening are important in supporting An Garda Síochána in its efforts to investigate, disrupt and disma…

I move: That Dáil Éireann resolves that section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 (No. 32 of 2009) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2021 and ending on 29th June, 2022.

I thank the House for taking these two motions today. The two motions seek this House's approval to continue in force certain provisions in both the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 which are aimed at tackling terrorism and in the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 in respect of organised crime. Given the nature of these provisions, the Houses of the Oireachtas has decided they should be routinely reconsidered. As Minister for Justice, I am required to lay reports before the Oireachtas on the use …

I thank Senators for their consideration of these important motions and for their contributions to the debate. I thank, in particular, those who are supporting the motions. As I said earlier, terrorist groups remain a threat to the people on this island. They are opposed to the benefits that have flowed from the peace process and are determined to undermine it. The State must retain in its laws the capacity to defeat them and we have a duty as legislators to ensure that is so. Likewise, the renewal of section 8 of …

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I wish to start by offering my deepest sympathies to the parents and family of the late Shane O'Farrell. Shane's death was a terrible tragedy and a huge loss for his family and community. As the Deputy will be aware, a highly respected retired judge, Mr. Gerard Haughton, has been conducting a scoping exercise into the tragic circumstances surrounding Shane O'Farrell's death. The purpose of this exercise is to advise on whether any further investigation or inquiry beyond th…

I am well aware of this case and have previously spoken to Lucia O'Farrell about it. I understand the grief that the family have gone through. It has been an horrific time for them. The Deputy mentioned the delay in Mr. Haughton's report. I hope the Deputy will understand that Mr. Haughton is completely independent in conducting this exercise. It is not open for me as Minister to comment on any aspect of that work or the process of compiling the final report. My Department maintains regular contact with Mr. Haughto…

We were in touch with Mr. Haughton last week. I understand that he is waiting on the family to revert to him with some answers. It is only right that we should give them the space to respond to him. I cannot interfere in the process, as it is ongoing. Like the Deputy, I hope that Mr. Haughton will make a recommendation as soon as possible.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. First, I extend my deepest sympathies to all those impacted by the tragic events in Hartstown last December, and in particular to the family of George Nkencho. As is the case in every incident involving the Garda that results in the death of a person, the shooting is being fully and independently investigated by GSOC, which is chaired by a High Court judge, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring. GSOC has confirmed that it has begun a criminal investigation under section 98 of the Gar…

I accept what the Deputy is saying but I want to be very clear that GSOC is the body that has been established to carry out these investigations. It has full powers and the authority to carry out a criminal investigation. It was set up to investigate issues such as this. The Deputy may be interested to know that agreement has been reached so that local gardaí in Blanchardstown will be involved in the creation of a local diversity forum based on the Garda national diversity forum model. I very much welcome this deve…

The Deputy mentioned that the Nkencho family had been abused, which is disgraceful and should not be happening. Regarding GSOC's powers, it is a statutorily independent body, which was established to investigate matters such as this. It can also make wider systematic recommendations on issues it investigates. In fact, a GSOC investigation constitutes a much more powerful and intrusive investigation than any other form of statutory inquiry. In this context, the most appropriate course of action is to await the outco…