I have raised with the Taoiseach so many times the issue of vulture fund-owned student accommodation. We now know that vulture funds own almost as much student accommodation as the universities themselves. We now have a situation where in Cork and Dublin, there is more vulture fund-owned student accommodation than beds owned by the universities themselves, and Galway is actually getting to that point now as well. There are 1,000 beds proposed in Menlo in Galway. The issue here is that for students and people in the…

Hear, hear.

The Simon Community's report entitled Locked Out of the Market was published today. It again shows that there are zero rental properties available that would be affordable for people on HAP. According to the latest report from the RTB, rents of existing tenancies have risen by 7% and 12.6% in the past year. I do not need to read reports to know that housing is completely unaffordable for the people of Galway because I see it every week in my clinics. Galway City Council is so overwhelmed by people presenting as hom…

The serial waste of the public's money on the watch of the Government is absolutely astonishing. The catalogue of waste is well rehearsed. A sum of €336,000 was spent on a bicycle shelter and the Government cannot even tell us who signed off on it yet. There was €1.4 million on a security hut. There was a doubling of the cost of modular homes for Ukrainians to a jaw-dropping €442,000 each, despite being initially costed at €200,000 per unit. Some €9 million is being spent on phone pouches, something the Government …

Thosaigh an Tánaiste agus léirigh sé na tograí a tháinig isteach ar an bpraghas gur chóir dóibh teacht isteach. Is é sin an jab atá ag an Rialtas. Shílfeá go mbeadh a fhios ag an Tánaiste gur chóir d'aon togra teacht isteach ar an bpraghas gur chóir dó. The Tánaiste started off talking to me about the projects that have come in on budget. One would hope the Government would be trying to bring things in on budget. The reality here though is that it is not. There are so many examples of huge cost overruns consistentl…

That is not the question I asked.

Will the Tánaiste answer the question?

Can the Tánaiste answer the question?

This is Leaders' Questions.

Can the Tánaiste answer the question?

The Tánaiste is talking down the clock.

I am asking the Tánaiste questions. It is Leaders' Questions.

The Tánaiste has mentioned every area in Cork. Does he think there is an election coming?

I ask the Tánaiste to answer the question. It is Leaders' Questions.

I thank Deputy Whitmore. We move now to the Independent Group. I call Deputy Connolly.

A business owner told me today: "Without a business like mine, there would be no Atlantic Way." This is a business owner who has felt the impact of the lack of Government support or interest across the west and that is what I hear back from businesses across the west. When we talk about SMEs, as we all know in this Chamber, we are talking about so much more than one business. We are talking about so much more than several businesses. We are talking about the whole community impact a business has. For a community in…

I met a mother of three young children who has recently gone back to work two days a week. She was contacted and advised her medical card will be removed. Her going back to work for two days a week is good for her family, her mental health and the local economy, to which she is contributing. I know financial thresholds in respect of the medical card have not changed in the past ten years. She is facing a cliff edge when she tries to transition back into the workplace, something which should be seen as very positive…

Tairgim: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to give further effect to Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 and for that purpose to provide for certain reporting functions in relation to procurements to which that Directive applies, to amend the Companies Act 2014 and to provide for related matters. A Thaoisigh agus a Airí, I am delighted to introduce this Bill. It is something I have worked on over the last number of years. It is entitled the …

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

Tá sé iontach go bhfuil sé seo curtha os comhair na Dála ag mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Pauline Tully, anocht. Ar ndóigh, tá sé iontach go bhfuil daoine anseo atá in ann a gcuid tuairimí a roinnt linn mar go bhfuil sé fíorthábhachtach go gcloisfear tuairimí na ndaoine seo. Ón athbhreithniú a rinneadh maidir le hinniúlacht seirbhísí do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas, tá a fhios againn go bhfuil an t-uafás maoinithe agus infheistíochta ag teastáil. Táthar ag rá go dteastaíonn idir €750 milliún agus €1.35 billiún go dtí 2032…