I found it astounding and outrageous that when outlining his top priorities as Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar did not even mention the health crisis in this country as one of his priorities. The implementation of Sláintecare was supposed to be directed from the Taoiseach's office but it has not been. That office should have responsibility to drive it. There has to be political will to deal with its implementation. This clearly shows the attitude of this Government that these problems cannot be solved, so we just mo…

This must be the longest game of musical chairs anyone could have imagined. Tweedledum replaces Tweedledee, or maybe Tweedledee replaces Tweedledum - who knows? Quite honestly, it will make very little difference to many people. Nothing will change and the record of failure will continue. It is hard to find a single area of policy where this Government has not failed. A Government that cannot provide its citizens with one of the most basic needs - an affordable home - is a failure, full stop. Some 90,000 families a…

Deputy, this has been going on for 30 years.

Following a review last year, all 31 local authorities will see an increase of €5,000 in public housing income thresholds from January. As far as I am aware, this is an interim measure and a broader review of the public housing model is to be completed next year, which will be a review of the review. I hope that in that broader review, the housing income threshold will be increased to at least the average industrial wage. According to the CSO, that is €45,500 per year, although others have said it is €50,000. I am …

I wish to raise the issue of autistic children in mainstream schools who are excluded from the special care dental programme that autistic children in special schools and in special class are included in. I tabled a parliamentary question on this matter after I was contacted by the Dublin 12 Campaign 4 Autism Inclusion in relation to a health centre on Old County Road, Crumlin. The reply states that the dental service is not resourced to provide comprehensive dental care to all children, including those with specia…

May I just ask the question? Why are autistic children in the mainstream being excluded from the special care dental programme? Why are dental services not resourced to provide that care?

They should not.

Will that be addressed?

The Minister is not responsible for the crisis in housing. The crisis is a result of an approach taken as far back as the 1980s when the State adopted a policy of not building public housing and relying solely on the private sector. The problem is based on the fact that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Green Party bear responsibility for this. What the Minister is responsible for is spoofing and he is very good at it. He is very good at pretending he has a solution and that he is making progress. Th…

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for bringing this important Private Members' motion to the Dáil. I welcome all the groups in the Public Gallery. I will refer to an email from a constituent who lives in the Tramyard apartments in Inchicore. As an apartment owner, she has been asked to pay an initial €7,000 for essential fire safety remedial works by the end of November, which was only a few days ago. She states the full cost of the necessary remedial works will be €25,000 over a four- or five-year period. What a burden to pu…

One of the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community was: The audit [in recommendation No. 68] should include the mobile homes or caravans that are used as permanent dwellings. In the case of people/families wishing to remain living in caravans/mobile homes where they are deficient, they should be immediately replaced by new caravans/mobile through and expanded “loan scheme” or by direct supply by the relevant local authority. These should be funded out of the budget all…

I agree entirely with Deputy Ó Cuiv. There seems to be a mealy-mouthed response across the board to the Travelling community. If a Travelling family goes to their local authority and says that it needs to change their caravan as it is 20 years old or whatever, they should be able to access the money to do it. It should not be a question of continuing to sleep in the cold. We have had a few nights of cold weather, but more is to come. Only a few weeks ago, three members of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting…

Where is it then?

Will the Minister of State provide the evidence about what was drawn down last year and the beginning of this year?

I thank the Labour Party for bringing this Private Members' motion to the House. It is the start of a conversation that must go much deeper than what is outlined in the motion. I will explain that in a moment. I seek a commitment from the Minister of State that a citizens' assembly on drugs will be put in place in the first quarter of next year. If it is the case that one is to be set up, a motion to formalise the position must come before the Oireachtas in early January. That would allow the citizens' assembly to …

I fully support this amendment. We have a duty of care to health workers, cleaners etc., in particular, to those workers we asked to work in retail shops, and to all those working in areas on the front line. If we received a report on this, we might then seriously consider there should be an occupational illness for people with Covid-19. I have met so many people in my constituency who have contacted me about being ill with neurological symptoms, and not so much issues with the lungs. This has been consistent and o…

I move amendment No. 8: In page 8, after line 32, to insert the following: “(1) Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall prepare and lay before the Oireachtas a report on the benefits, or not, to benchmark and index welfare rates against inflation.”. The Minister knows I raised this last week and before that. Age Action Ireland has performed a strong analysis and found that the increases in the pension and working-age welfare payments have lost their spending power. Based on inflation to d…

I welcome that. The Minister has said it will be completed by the second quarter of next year and in September 2023, social welfare will be linked into the budget for 2024. I welcome that and, on that basis, I will withdraw my amendment.

I raise the issue of the local authority water service workers again. I have raised it a number of times. I raise it today because there are only three weeks until the Dáil recess and the changing of the guard from the point of view of the Taoiseach and five weeks until the commencement date of the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, framework plan that affects up to 3,500 workers. To date, Unite the Union water service workers have rejected the plan by 82%, and 96% of water service workers in the Connect trade un…

We have been waiting for a referendum and a wording to come forward for six years. It has been six months since the policy document was published and we still await wording and a date. It is an absolute disgrace. I have received correspondence from water service workers. They say they want a referendum now. The wording must be that the ownership of water and water service are to remain public. Terms and conditions of local authority water workers do not include allowances and regular and rostered overtime. Allowanc…