He failed them.

That would be a start.

I have. I have.

We are in the middle of a housing crisis, one of the Government's making, it has to be said. Recently, 681 homes were denied planning permission by An Bord Pleanála in Wicklow as a result of the failure of the planning SPC of Wicklow County Council to renew local area plans that expired in 2019. An Bord Pleanála decided there was no statutory zoning in place due to the outdated nature of these local area plans. It is absolutely unacceptable that the planning SPC in Wicklow County Council, which is controlled by Fin…

Last month, the Taoiseach stated that he intended to hold an inquiry into the handling of Covid before the next general election and that its terms of reference would be published within weeks. One month later and there has been nothing. I do not often agree with the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, but I do when he says that, during Covid, nursing homes in Wicklow were left screaming out for help they did not get. It is important that there be a full module in the inquiry to examine what happened in nursing …

My colleagues in Sinn Féin and I will be voting against the EU pact on migration and asylum. We do not believe that opting into this pact is in the best interests of Ireland. From the outset, the Government's approach to the area of immigration has been absolutely shambolic. It has consistently been found wanting, invariably scrambling to catch up on events as they are developing. The bottom line is, there has been no plan and there is no plan. Now, with the EU migration pact, the Government is attempting to crowba…

I ask the Minister to give detail on the current communications plan when it comes to engaging with public representatives and members of the community about the provision of IPAS accommodation. Communication has been lacking and this has caused a lot of concern and anger in communities. What is the current communications plan for the provision of IPAS accommodation?

I thank the Minister of State. That does not really answer the question. It probably raises more questions and concerns about a comprehensive communication plan which he seems to bat over to the Department of the Taoiseach. The need for a proper and comprehensive communication plan is something I have raised consistently. This is something we were told was being worked on 12 months ago. It was supposed to have been brought before Cabinet back in February and we are now being told by the Minister of State that this …

Is there a plan, at the Department of the Taoiseach level or at any level?

It is true.

The lack of a comprehensive communication plan is fanning the flames of hate and resentment being led by right-wing people exploiting the vacuum that the Minister of State and the Government have created because it is not putting out the accurate information. We see an analysis was carried out by Sky News on foot of a recent protest. A total of 56% of the online content originated in the US, 20% in Ireland and 10% in Britain. There was no strategy there from the Department and the Government to counter that. Public…

-----and that is a failure of this Government and that of the Minister.

Is there a communication plan at any level?

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 180(2).

It is the second one.

I welcome Ireland's long overdue recognition of the State of Palestine. As we look on that state or what remains of it today, only a fraction is under Palestinian authority. Israel has steadily and illegally annexed huge areas of Palestinian territory, employing a strategy of apartheid, displacement and dispersion. Palestinians remaining in these territories are left a fragmented people living in South Africa-like Bantustans, subject to indiscriminate violence from the state and from illegal colonial Israeli settle…

The single largest landlord in the State is the Government. The least accountable landlord in the State is the Government. The worst offender in terms of ignoring its responsibilities to its tenants is the Government. Tens of thousands of tenants live in substandard and badly maintained accommodation across the State. In Wicklow, I deal with families and children weekly who are in damp, black-mould-infested houses. These children are regularly on antibiotics or steroids, often developing severe respiratory problems…

The core of the issue we are discussing is the Government’s shambolic approach to the asylum issue from the outset. The Government is now attempting to present the EU migration pact as a catch-all solution to the current crisis, the root of which lies in the Government’s failure to develop a coherent plan. Ultimately, it is operating a reactionary approach to events as they develop. If the Government had a fair, efficient and enforced system where the rules were actually implemented, we would not be in the situatio…

Look at our actual health budget.

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing the motion before us. It once again places the spotlight on the chaos, hypocrisy and utter failure of the Government to address the crippling housing crisis within the State. The Government's approach clearly is not working. It exposes a chaotic approach to immigration that has failed communities and those coming to these shores seeking international protection. The crux of the situation is that there is no Government plan for immigration and providing accommodation. We nee…