-----compared with €100 here. People will see in the next few weeks, for example, an increase in the SUSI grant for those attending third level. The budget in September will introduce a series of measures that people will see in their pockets within weeks, and then another set of more regular measures that will take effect in January 2023. Therefore, far from not responding to inflation and the rising cost of living, what people are seeing from Government is a dynamic response with action in January, action since J…

That is a false narrative. It is also a populist narrative. I spend as much time outside this House as the Deputy does, as do my colleagues on these benches. I spend as much time talking to my constituents - working people, middle-income people, business people and people from all backgrounds - as the Deputy does. I do not know what the Deputy will be doing through July or August, by the way, but I can guarantee him that Ministers will be continuing to work. There is a Cabinet subcommittee meeting this afternoon, f…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. It is one I am very familiar with in my constituency as well, where a large number of apartments have apartment defects. People have been sent bills, sometimes for €10,000 and sometimes for as much as €60,000 per apartment, to carry out necessary repairs. The inevitable happens. Some people can afford to pay, some cannot afford to pay and some people will not pay. Therefore, the money cannot be raised and the work cannot be carried out, so people are left in a te…

I have not seen the report yet so I am not sure what measures, actions or remedies are being suggested. I do not want to comment in detail until I have. However, I understand the point the Deputy is making with regard to some degree of retrospection. I mentioned some of the blocks I am familiar with in my constituency where people have paid or are paying the levy and others have not paid or cannot pay. It would be unfair if those who have made a contribution already did not get any State support while those who did…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As the Deputy knows, Hungary is holding up the European ratification of the international agreement on tax at the moment. Their decision to do so has consequences. The United States, for example, has indicated that it will suspend its double taxation agreement with Hungary. One can imagine that if we were to adopt the same approach and if the US were to suspend its tax agreements with Ireland that would not be a position that we would like to be in, given the amo…

-----to fund the future costs of pensions.

I have to ask the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to come back to the Deputy later in relation to the finance side. In terms of my own Department’s consultation on the new enterprise White Paper, the deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, 29 July. The consultation documents ask that submissions be no longer than 1,500 words, but they do not have to be so if somebody wants to make a longer submission of 2,000 words or 10,000 words, we will still accept it. It is not that it has to be less than 1,500 words. Because it i…

I want to say at the outset that I, as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and the Government understand that businesses have endured some really difficult years with Brexit, the restrictions related to the pandemic and now, of course, inflation particularly when it comes to energy costs. I think it is fair to say that this Government has not been found wanting when it has come to helping businesses get through difficult periods, whether it was the wage subsidy scheme to help businesses to keep their sta…

It may well be that the Deputy is right. It is often the case that we experience things on the ground and hear about them anecdotally, yet it is weeks or months before the official statistics prove what we know already. That is what we are seeing now with the statistics on inflation. According to the Central Statistics Office, CSO, prices are rising at 9.6% a year. I think everyone knew that weeks and months ago. In fact, it feels to me that they are actually rising faster than that. I expect that we will see the r…

At the outset, I want to be associated with and thank the Ceann Comhairle for his words and his good advice. We are all heading off on what is a nine-week recess. It is true of all of us that we will still be working in our Departments, Cabinet will still be meeting and constituency offices will still be open. Most Members of the House will take two or three weeks' annual leave and will work for the rest of the recess period. Everyone, incidentally, should take their annual leave. We only live once. This is not a d…

I am pretty sure that that is an all-time record but I know that does not happen just because of what we do here. It involves everybody else as well: the ushers, the Bills Office, and everyone working in this precinct. I express my appreciation on behalf of the Government for that.

On the matter raised by Deputy Doherty, I spoke on Newstalk yesterday and I am happy to repeat what I said then. It is not often the Deputy and I agree 100% but on this occasion I do agree 100% with him. What we saw happen in Northern Ireland with effigies and posters of politicians, including Michelle O'Neill, Naomi Long and others, mainly female politicians but not always, being burned is unacceptable. We also saw the Tricolour and the Palestinian flag, you name it, being burned on bonfires in Northern Ireland. I…

I do not have a date for a decision on that but a decision has been made on new tenancies. It is right and proper that we should increase the HAP limits but we do not want to increase them and cause rents to rise further. A distinction is being made where it is a new tenancy. A higher limit is now allowed for that.

It is a hospital I know well and have visited several times. As Taoiseach and Minister for Health previously, I did my best to ensure it got a new state-of-the-art emergency department and additional beds. There are probably 100 or so more beds than a few years ago with more on the way. I helped secure the opening of the Leben Building, for example. A huge amount of investment has gone into that hospital. I accept it may not be enough, given that it is the only level 4 hospital for a very large region, but it is fr…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and bring it to my attention. I will have to make inquiries with the Minister for Health about it. We have a large number of public health nurses in the State. They generally provide a very good service so I am not sure why those cancellations have happened but I will make sure the Minister replies to the Deputy directly on it.

At present, there are no plans by Government to introduce a ride-sharing system in Ireland, whether it is Uber, Lyft or any of the many companies that offer that service. However, I have used it in other countries. I think approximately 10,000 cities in the world have ride-sharing in some form. I say to people travelling over the summer to try it out in the city they visit, talk to the driver and then form an opinion as to whether it is a good idea or not.

The European patent court has now been established and is a reality. We have signed the treaty but have not yet ratified it and therefore cannot take part. We want to take part but a referendum will be required. We have not yet set a date for that. It will either be next year or concurrent with the local and European elections the year after that. A unit has been established in my Department to begin preparations for that.

I am sorry; which Bill is this?

I am advised that the amendments are being examined by the Attorney General. I will try to get a more detailed answer for the Deputy.

My understanding is that there have been negotiations with the Irish Dental Association about this. Additional funding for public dental services was provided in the budget. I am not sure where we are in the deployment of that funding but I will certainly let the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, know that the Deputy raised this issue today and ask him to come back to him with a more detailed reply.