It is not something that most people from most parts of the country do. The Deputy can call for something to be improved and expanded without talking it down and making out that it is-----

-----something less than it is. I actually have an update on those three issues. I cannot remember it all off the top of my head but I did follow up on the PPP building, the former Waterford Crystal site, the student accommodation issue and the borrowing. I will send that to the Deputy in writing so that I get it exactly right.

The vast majority of people entitled to the payment have received it and received it last year. I should say that it was intended for people who were front-line workers - the people who wore masks and gowns and were exposed to Covid patients before the vaccines were available. It was for our own employees who were employees of the State. We put in a provision allowing non-State employees' employers to pay €1,000 to their own staff without having to pay tax on it. Pretty much anyone who was entitled to it has got it…

The Deputy referred to the funding in the budget to recruit 1,000 more gardaí this year. That should be more than enough to cover retirements and resignations. That recruitment campaign is now under way. Decisions on how gardaí are allocated to different services in different regions are not made by the Minister or the Taoiseach. Such decisions are made by the Garda Commissioner, and it is appropriate that it should be thus. Perhaps it would be best if the Deputy were to contact the Garda Commissioner directly abou…

I thank the Deputy. I believe that all of us in this House, and the Deputy, are familiar with the Constitution, the law and Standing Orders. We all know what they are. There are motions of confidence, financial motions, Private Members' motions and legislation. They are all different. Legislation trumps Private Members' motions. We passed legislation in this House - I think almost every party supported it - to bring in a temporary winter eviction ban to end on 31 March. It was introduced by the Government and suppo…

I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor for raising the issue of Garda resources in Carlow. I do not have a date for the reopening of the station in Leighlinbridge, but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Harris, to contact the Deputy directly about it, and also about Garda resources were generally in the county. Certainly, when it comes to personnel, it is the Garda Commissioner who decides how gardaí are best allocated to national units and to different services around the country. There is, obviously, a strong political rol…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to accept the following measure: Regulation (EU) 2021/2303 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2021 on the European Union Agency for Asylum and repealing Regulation (EU) No 439/2…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Criminal Justice Act 1984 (Treatment of Persons in Custody in Garda Síochána Stations) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 28th February, 2023.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, together. The most recent formal meeting between the Office of the Taoiseach and church leaders took place on 15 April 2021 when the then Taoiseach, now Tánaiste, met with the leaders of the all-island Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church and Irish Council of Churches. I understand that discussions covered the ongoing contribution to peacebuilding and the work the churches undertake on an…

I will take the questions in order. I have received a copy of the book Deputy Bacik referred to, but I have not yet had time to read it, so I cannot comment on the assertions made by the authors or adjudicate on them. In relation to records relating to Magdalen laundries, major work is currently under way to establish a central repository of records within the national centre for research and remembrance. The repository will encompass records related to industrial schools, reformatories, Magdalen laundries, mother …

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, together. International Women's Day is marked annually on 8 March and is an important day for recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women in Ireland and women around the world. It is a day to honour the contributions of women, as well as to advocate for greater gender equality and women's rights. The campaign theme for this year was: “Embrace Equity: equity isn't just nice-to-have; it's a requirement". The Department of the Taoi…

Okay. Deputy Bacik asked about the interdepartmental group on the referendum, which met for the first time in the last few days. I have the report and the minutes from the meeting on my desk. Like many things on my desk, I have not had a chance to look at them just yet but I hope to do so in the next few days. It is my expectation that the group will follow, or at least seek to follow, the recommendations of the joint committee and that that will be the basis for what we decide to do. That would involve looking at …

It is very fair of the Deputy to ask the question he asked but as is so often the case when he raises individual cases in the Dáil, and I know they are real cases, it is very hard to comment on them without understanding all the detail. I have a constituency service too and get lots of housing queries - believe you me - and try to deal with them and help people as much as possible. You have to understand all the details. From what the Deputy said, I do not know all the details. I think the Deputy may have said the …

Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 10 go 17, go huile, le chéile. The Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination generally meets in advance of Government meetings and is scheduled to meet again on Monday, 27 March. The committee reviews the agenda for Government meetings the next day, looks forward to Government meetings to come, discusses political priorities and reviews the activity of Cabinet committees. I am a member of the committee alongside the Tánaiste and the leader of the Green Party. The committee is also a…

The Deputies have raised a number of important questions but given the time allowed, I will prioritise answering the questions that relate to the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination, which is the issue addressed in the group. Regarding the reasoning given to us by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for the lifting of the eviction moratorium, the Department's advice and the advice of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage - line Ministers will attend these committees …

We certainly met the Minister. I cannot remember exactly which meeting he attended or did not attend but we certainly met him. He almost certainly was there but there was more than one meeting on this, as the Deputy can imagine. The very strong assessment from the officials was to go for the option of ending the moratorium as planned on 31 March. In terms of statistical modelling, the view is that it is impossible for anyone to do accurate statistical modelling on something like this. When the eviction ban was put …

I do not think any modelling has been done by the Opposition. We had an indication of the RTB figures but not the exact figures. They indicated two things. One was an uptick in notices to quit driven by the eviction ban. Landlords got the message, in part as a consequence of the eviction ban, and it accelerated the number of landlords that were leaving. That bothered us and is one of the reasons why the option was recommended that the eviction ban and threat of further eviction bans or extensions would accelerate t…

I cannot respond to that. It is not a matter for the co-ordination committee. Perhaps I can come back to Deputy Barry at a different point.

I will participate in the March meeting of the European Council in Brussels tomorrow and Friday. The agenda will cover Ukraine, competitiveness, the Single Market and the economy, energy and migration. We will also discuss some recent developments including the Windsor Framework, the normalisation agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, and a donors' conference held in Brussels on Monday to assist those affected by the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. We will also discuss the situation in Belarus and condemn t…

As was always the case, whether six months ago, before the moratorium was in place, a year ago, three years ago or five years ago, it depends on everyone's individual circumstances. It is not the case that every notice to quit turns into an eviction, and it is not the case that every eviction results in somebody living in emergency accommodation. Deputy McDonald conflates the three things, and it is not accurate to do so. Some people will find alternative accommodation, while others will need to rely on the State t…