-----because sometimes it is not as clear.

There has been a lot of commentary over the past week about the sale of land in Patrickswell, County Limerick. It has been reported that in December 2006 a solicitor acting on behalf of the wife of the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, wrote to the council seeking to purchase the land and that then, the following month, councillors, including Deputy Collins, voted to allow the council to dispose of the land. At that meeting he did not declare his wife's correspondence to the council, and the land was subsequ…

Sometimes when I listen to debates about housing I wonder whether those sitting on the Government benches live in some kind of alternative universe. Earlier today, I heard the Taoiseach say that we in Sinn Féin are gaslighting young people. That is from a Government that tells us it is there for the people who get up early in the morning, whatever that means, and is there for the people who want to own their own homes. Since 2012, the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds who are living with their parents has increased…

They will be homeless. That is not a slogan; it is a fact.

What is the safety net?

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

Of all the terrible housing decisions that this Government and previous Governments have made over the past decade, I truly believe that this one will be judged the harshest because the Minister agrees and admits that thousands of people who are now served with notices to quit are absolutely terrified that over the next period they will end up homeless. The Minister even admits that we will see an increase in homelessness yet at the exact same time he also admits that there is very little emergency accommodation ac…

We have had sight of the proposed reform of the EU fiscal rules and governance framework. The Government had not prioritised this but the Joint Committee on Finance attempted to engage with the process of reform. The new proposals will take time to work their way through different stages at EU level before they become law but, having now seen them, it seems to be a case of the new rules being just like the old rules. I am flabbergasted that there is no change to the 3% rule, which provides that member states must k…

The Bill will, of course, make the required changes that were identified as a response to the cost-of-living crisis. My colleague, Deputy Doherty, has mentioned this. We had heard time and time again that things could not be done but we kept raising them. I welcome that we are having this discussion. The Bill also includes provisions to amend the TBESS. I will speak to these issues as well as to others that are timely and necessary. The first issue I will address is excise duty and VAT. Households are continuing to…

Fáiltím roimh an deis atá againn an Ghaeilge agus an Ghaeltacht a phlé anseo inniu. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go bhfuil Seachtain na Gaeilge againn. Is dócha gurb é seo an céad uair don Aire Stáit, an Teachta O'Donovan, bheith mar Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge. Cuirim fáilte roimhe sin. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar chuid lárnach d'ár gcultúr náisiúnta. Feicimid inár gceantair féin an stair a bhaineann lenár dteanga féin, mar aon le teanga ar bith. Is rud fíorthábhachtach é. Léirí…

I commend the Rural Independent Group for bringing this forward. Often when we talk about cash and those people who access cash, we talk about older people. Personally, I far prefer to use cash because it is a far easier way to know how much you are spending, where your money is going etc. Many speakers before me have already detailed the impact that not having access to or being able to pay for goods in cash can and would have on a vast array of different people, especially older people who find online banking etc…

My colleagues have already pointed out that this week we heard the news that Electric Ireland would reduce its prices for some of its business customers but not for households. I have to admit I could not believe this when I heard it. We have energy companies making bizarre sums of money and record profits off the backs of households that are struggling to get by. In recent months my office has been inundated with people who simply cannot afford to pay their energy costs. They simply cannot afford to pay for their …

I ask the Minister to outline the process and procedures by which a line Department would come to his Department seeking permission for the release of funding for a pay claim.

The reason I ask is because of a current industrial dispute regarding adult education tutors. As the Minister will be aware, this is a long-running campaign and some of the issues date back to the Haddington Road agreement. There have been multiple meetings at the WRC. In March 2020, three years ago this month, the Labour Court made a recommendation that the Government, of which Deputy Donohoe was then Minister for Finance, would make them an offer. In July 2022, the Government made a promise to them that an offer …

The reason I asked initially about the processes and procedures by which a line Department seeks permission for the release of funding is because there could sometimes be seen to be a pattern in this regard. The unions representing workers in a sector go to the line Department, and I understand that the Minister is saying this is where they need to go. However, the line Department might say that it supports them and that it can pay for this through existing funds, but that it cannot get the Department of Public Exp…

I think we all echo the Minister's sentiments.

My question relates to the inflation-supply chain delay co-operation framework and what analysis has been done on it.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. There is no question that the cost of building has increased. The cost of underlying materials, be they concrete, timber, steel and so on, has increased. The cost of energy has also increased. These are the inflation effects we are dealing with as a result of this war. This will obviously have a knock-on effect on the end price and I completely get that. However, it was recently pointed out in The Irish Times that local authorities were paying up to 50% more for social homes in …

I appreciate that response. When this framework came into being, I looked into it and discussed it with the Minister of State's officials. I have always said that what we must ensure is that there is robust oversight to ensure nobody is trying to game the system. I understand completely that there is an increase, and all of that, but of course we must ensure that what I referred to does not happen. When it comes to public works contracts, issues such as bid-rigging, low-ball offers, etc., have been flagged for a lo…