I thank the Minister. The following is not really related to the question so he might have to come back with this information, but we have the opportunity. In regard to the pay talks, and it came up at the recent Estimates as well, there have been savings, and when we questioned those, it was that the money for the pay talks had to be returned to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. Unfortunate does not even describe it when money that is secured has to be handed back. Will that delay the …

I will just double-check that this is the question regarding the White Paper and the ombudsman's report because I had my question order incorrect. This question follows on from the discussion we had in this Chamber two weeks ago about the report of Dr. Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children. It gives us an opportunity to discuss again some of the recommendations that came up in that report and in the initial White Paper on Ending Direct Provision. Can the Minister give us some more information or any more timeli…

As we said previously in this Chamber on the day of that debate, we really are very lucky to have Dr. Niall Muldoon and his team. When he highlights an issue, he really does it because it needs to be highlighted. As we know, we have so many children living in direct provision, which includes a combination of children who are here as unaccompanied minors. That combination is the most heartbreaking and worrying because, obviously, they do not have an adult or family member looking out for them. Then, we have children…

I thank the Minister for clarifying that point in relation to the designated person. He will probably share my view that State-owned accommodation is where we have to go. Obviously, in an emergency situation or when something is unfolding, one has to respond in real time. There are such situations. If we are all being honest with ourselves, there are a lot of people making significant amounts of money from this and there will always be a question mark. I would say that about anything to do with care. I would like t…

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak on this Bill. As has been previously said by some of my Sinn Féin colleagues, we want to see a planning system that meets the social, economic and environmental needs of society. Public participation is key to this but it is very important that this be meaningful participation. I say that in particular on behalf of rural communities, which feel even more and more isolated from decisions taken over the past number of years. People often feel frustrated when they hear there i…

I commend Dr. Niall Muldoon and his team and welcome him here this evening to the Public Gallery. This is a really important report that, unfortunately, paints a very depressing childhood for the 5,000-plus children living in direct provision, hotels and emergency reception centres in Ireland right now. I share the concerns that are raised in this report. From our own constituency work, we know about some of the issues and difficulties. The issues are so serious that it is good to have the opportunity to discuss th…

The Rural Independent Group is next. Will Deputy Collins take the full 20 minutes?

My question regards the announcement that was made in the budget a couple of weeks ago about the AIM programme and the additional provisions. I think an extra €7 million has been allocated to the AIM programme. I would like some more information on exactly how that will be allocated. Is the plan to extend it past the early childhood care and education, ECCE hours, or what exactly is the plan for it?

I thank the Minister. The AIM report he referenced came up today in a committee meeting we had with regard to early years. Does the Minister expect that AIM report to be published before the end of this year? If I am picking the Minister up correctly, it is envisaged that for children who are currently eligible for ECCE, the idea of the expansion initially is that if they wish to take up a day care place, they will also have AIM attached to it. That sounds great, but children up to the age of three are left totally…

I welcome that. AIM is an excellent programme and it is a huge benefit to children, particularly in the ECCE years. I know it is very frustrating for parents of children who are younger than that but it is welcome. I want to ask about some of the other issues that came up today, and I know we have a committee session on this next week. There was definitely clear frustration, with people feeling they had engaged in a consultation process, and I am talking about the providers and the workers, with one particular situ…

I thank my colleague, Deputy Tully, not just for bringing this motion forward this evening but for all of her work in this area. We are very lucky to have such an excellent spokesperson. My colleagues have spoken about the strike action. It is true that it was averted at the very last minute. As somebody who used to work in the trade union movement, I can tell the House that no worker ever wants to go on strike. It is absolutely the last place they want to be, in particular those who work in the community and volun…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: - childcare fees are unaffordable for many families and this is made worse by the cost-of-living crisis, which has families' finances on the brink as they are hit by a barrage of day-to-day costs; - these prices mean many parents, especially mothers, feel forced to give up work or cut their hours, and this is exacerbating gender inequality; - many workers in the childcare sector receive low pay, despite being highly qualified, resulting in them feeling forced out of the indust…

I thank everybody for their contributions and those who are supporting the motion. I again acknowledge that there has been work done in this sector. I said that last year at budget time as well. I also welcome aspects of the Minister's speech in relation to AIM. If that is to be extended, that would be welcome. It would be fantastic. On the administration that we regularly talk about, it is not that anyone has an issue with the burden of it but that they just need support to be able to hire somebody to deal with th…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend and extend the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 and to provide for related matters. I am delighted to introduce this Bill today. It has been in the works for a long time. It aims to amend the current Commissions of Investigation Act 2004. The idea for this Bill came to me during the work on the mother and baby institutions. As we know from the report and the manner in which the commission wrapped up its work in January 2021, the main ob…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Hear, hear.

All aspects of the housing system are broken. Whether it is first-time buyers trying to save for a house, those who are renting or on a housing list or those who, due to a change of family circumstances, need to move out and try to get a different property, there is so much we could talk about on housing that it is sometimes difficult to know on what to focus. This evening, I will focus on renters who do not qualify for assistance or supports. I am not talking about people on seriously high wages but, rather, peopl…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. I am delighted to see that we are at this stage. It is five years since we repealed the eight amendment and as I find myself often saying in this Chamber around issues that disproportionately affect women, everything seems to be a battle, and if it was not for the women and the advocacy groups that continue that battle, would we actually be here? I look forward to the day when we can be in here discussing issues that are not both long overdue and years in the making. I pa…

The Minister finished by saying that the amendments will not affect anybody who is eligible for the scheme, but I will ask about the reasoning behind the "concluding year" provision. I support some of the Seanad amendments, even though, as the Minister knows at this stage, I do not support the Bill because of the fact it excludes anyone who was resident for six months or less in these institutions. It also excludes people who were boarded out. To describe this as a missed opportunity is a bit of an understatement; …

I wanted to come back in to make one or two points I did not get to make earlier, but I might first ask a question on a point of order. Will there be a vote on the Bill as a whole after we dispose of the amendments? Am I correct in thinking that is not the case?