I will participate in the June meeting of the European Council in Brussels tomorrow and Friday. The agenda will cover Ukraine, economic issues, security and defence, migration, and external relations. In his remarks later, the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, will deal with external relations issues other than Ukraine and China. At our meeting, Heads of State and Government will discuss the latest situation in Ukraine, including the consequences of the reckless destruction of the Kakhovka dam which has created a ve…

Thanks very much, Deputy. At the outset, I want to express my best wishes to Deputy McDonald, who is currently recovering from surgery. I hope that she makes a very swift recovery and will be back in action as soon as possible and as soon as she is well again. The revelations from RTÉ last week are deeply unsettling and they have shaken public trust in what is an important institution. We want to see trust restored quickly because we need a strong public service broadcaster for our State. It is important to acknowl…

We need full transparency on all of these matters as soon as is possible because we cannot have accountability until we have transparency and truth. There will be a further statement issued by the board at 3 p.m. today and board members and executive members will come before committees of this Oireachtas tomorrow and the day after. That will be the opportunity to ask them questions and to press them further. I do not know exactly why it is the case that we do not have more detail on the payments between 2017 and 20…

I am somebody who believes you do not make judgments about things or people until you know the facts. It is a basic principle of justice that people are innocent and should be afforded the principle that they are innocent before they are found guilty. It is on that basis that I say I have confidence in the board and that I have confidence in the remaining members of the executive. Obviously, if new facts emerge of which we are not aware, that changes things, but I do not think it is right in a democracy or from a b…

I have not seen the statement as yet. I understand it will be released at approximately 3 p.m. today. I do not know what its contents are. As regards the terms of reference, the Minister, Deputy Martin, has draft terms of reference, focusing on both the governance and the culture of the RTÉ organisation. We hope to sign off on those terms of reference later in the week - that would be the intention - and then to have the independent inquiry or review up and running as soon as possible.

I thank the Deputy. I worked on this issue during my previous role as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I met with delivery riders and some of their representatives, trade union groups and others, at my request. I also met with the main company involved. Under the auspices of the Labour Employer Economic Forum, we established a dedicated working group on the determination of employment status which includes representatives from unions and employers. This working group has met three times a…

As is always the case when it comes to any issue, we take into account a number of factors. It is absolutely about workers' rights and ensuring that these are protected and that people have better pay, terms and conditions and security. As the person who, as Minister, brought in statutory sick pay, began the process of bringing in a living wage, protected tips and gratuities and who led a Government that brought in paternity benefit and parental leave, I hope the Deputy will accept my bona fides in that regard. The…

I appreciate the fact that people in Ireland pay a lot of tax, whether it is income tax, USC or PRSI. In budgets over the last number of years we have reduced the burden of taxation on people. In some budgets we reduced the USC, in other budgets we reduced income tax. We intend to do that in the forthcoming budget in October. There will be a package. The exact composition of that package is yet to be determined but it will mean reductions in the amount of tax people have to pay. That is an important commitment that…

That is an interesting speech but it is a load of rubbish, quite frankly. Let me tell the Deputy what we have done for all people, ordinary and extraordinary, over the past three years-----

We led Ireland through the pandemic, saving thousands of lives and hundreds of thousands of jobs at all levels. We helped families and business with the cost of living.

We have given them unprecedented financial support, in particular small businesses and families who needed it most. We have reduced the cost of childcare-----

We have reduced the cost of healthcare and the cost of going to school for everyone with free schoolbooks in September. We have reduced the cost of childcare for everyone. We have improved patient outcomes. We now have one of the longest life expectancies in the European Union. We have full employment for only the second time in our history. We have strengthened workers' rights. We are building more social housing than in any year since the 1970s-----

We now have 700 first-time buyers drawing down their mortgages every week and we have secured an agreement with the British Government in regard to Northern Ireland. What on earth has Deputy McGrath done in his political career to help anyone?

I thank the Deputy. I do not have any further information on the 2017 to 2019 payments, other than the amounts and the person who received them. I have no other information. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Martin, will be happy to address the Dáil next week on this matter. We think it makes sense that we see the RTÉ statement this afternoon, and the committee hearings be allowed do their work on Wednesday and Thursday. We will come back when we have the terms of reference…

There are a large number of things that we have been doing to help people with the cost of living. The Deputy will know, for example, about the energy credits, the reductions that we have done on VAT and excise, and the additional welfare payments we have made. Of course, through the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission we are making sure there is proper competition in the sectors. We are also introducing a windfall tax on the excess profits of energy generators and the fossil fuel industry.

The legislation on the safe access zones was approved by the Cabinet today, so it should be published in the next couple of days. I cannot tell the Deputy what the timeline is as that will depend on the business of the House and also the business of the Seanad. I think there will be opposition to it so it is difficult to say how long it will take to get through the Seanad and the Dáil. I certainly expect to have that legislation enacted by the end of the year. In regard to the O'Shea report, the Government has not …

I do not know the facts of that case so it is impossible for me to comment on them in full. The Deputy might make the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, aware and she might be able to assist the person concerned. It is the case that jobseeker's payments are conditional on people genuinely seeking work, education and training, but I can absolutely understand how somebody might not get a letter or might not have got correspondence. I am sure there are practical arrangements in place where that occurs. …

I absolutely agree that workers should be paid what they are owed. There are mechanisms to do that both through the Social Insurance Fund and through the Workplace Relations Commission.

I will certainly make the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, aware that Deputy Pringle raised it here in the Dáil today. Recruitment and retention of consultants is a challenge throughout the country but more so in some parts of the country than others. Under the new consultant contract, we offer a salary of €250,000 a year if people dedicate themselves to public practice. They can still do private practice in their own time, so it is extremely good money, but it is not just about money, and when there are many more posts …

My understanding is that, at UHL itself, the new 96-bed block is under construction and another one has been approved. I do not know what the situation is regarding an additional bed block for St. John's but I will certainly make inquiries with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and ask that he come back to Deputy O'Dea directly. I can certainly see the advantages of additional beds in St. John's. Not having an emergency department has advantages, and certainly more surgical cases could be done and more medical patient…