There were some positive aspects to yesterday's budget. I highlighted a number of them but, at the end of the day, every budget should either set or continue specific policy directions and underpin those policies with resources to ensure they are implemented. In that context, I will highlight two areas where yesterday's budget failed the test. The first relates to tackling waiting lists. While additional funding was given, it will simply not be enough to deal with the massive, and escalating, numbers on waiting lis…

Earlier today I had a look at some of my comments about last year's budget. I was especially critical of Government inaction on support for family carers and the provision of childcare. Today, I am happy to say I am really pleased to see a long overdue increase to the income disregard for accessing carer's allowance. That has increased from €665 to €750 per couple per week. We can add to this the increase in the capital disregard from €20,000 to €50,000 and such changes will ensure a greater number of families will…

I am sharing time with Deputy McNamara. A total of 70% of jobs in tourism and hospitality are located outside of Dublin. Somewhere between 15% and 18% of all enterprises in the north west are in the tourism and hospitality sector. In the context of a balance of development between the regions, support for this sector is vital. Last week, I spoke to B&B Ireland, which is based in Ballyshannon. It emphasised the need to maintain the 9% VAT rate until 2023 at least, although I think it should be permanent. That rate i…

I also thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion on childcare. We all agree that, for too long, childcare and care in general were seen as women's work - work that was carried out behind closed doors, necessary but without much value. That view has been changing in recent years, but that context shaped how we supported, recognised and financed the provision of childcare and how we ensured access to childcare facilities for parents. Our record in the provision of childcare is dismal compared to our European partners. …

I have listened to the Minister's responses this morning and I am glad he has done a complete U-turn on the inquiry to be set up to investigate these allegations made by the Women of Honour. All of us were shocked and sickened that women of different ages had to go on public radio and bear their souls and private lives to bring about real change. When I heard a young member of the Defence Forces saying she was pinned against the counter and sexually assaulted, and all she could say to a senior officer was "Yes, Sir…

We have heard some ugly truths about how some people in positions of power continue, not to behave but to operate, because that is what it is: operating within a certain culture. Is it a minority or a majority? We do not know. I agree with my colleague that we should await outcomes and results. Why have the reviews, structures and systems that have been put in place already not worked? I have no doubt there were some well-meaning people who tried hard. That is an important point, not just for the Defence Forces but…

The Irish Sign Language Act establishes "a scheme to provide Irish Sign Language support for children attending recognised schools ... whose primary language is Irish Sign Language". The Geary family campaigned for this Act and, a few months ago, appeared on "The Late Late Show" with their twin boys, one of whom, Callum, is deaf, to highlight the fact that he is still not able to access adequate Irish Sign Language support in school. Why is that the case? There are graduates with first class honours degrees ready a…

My time is brief so I will go straight into it. I am not convinced this plan will deliver for renters. Rents are out of control and many people end up paying more in rent than they would on a mortgage. This means, of course, that they cannot even save for a mortgage because they are paying such high rents, and that is a really cruel trap in which to be caught. It is worth noting that a majority of Berliners recently voted to buy out corporate landlords. How often have we looked to Berlin for the best model of renti…

The number of men, women and children on waiting lists is truly shocking. I do not use that word lightly or often but "shocking" is an appropriate word to describe the fact that nearly 18% of our population is on a healthcare waiting list. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. While the national figures are stark, the figures in the north west, at Sligo University Hospital and Letterkenny, which has already been mentioned, are dreadful. They are among the worst in the country. Trolley Watch figures fo…

As the Minister said earlier, this is a technical Bill and its purpose is to facilitate the introduction of changes to the structures in An Garda Síochána. This is to ensure the implementation of the new operating model. Of course, it is the impact of these changes on the ground that matter - the impact on communities, policing services and the police force itself. The first issue I want to raise refers to the last point. It specifically relates to the issue of Sligo Garda station and the decision to pull the plug …

I have four times raised the issue of funding for completed safety and compliance works that were mandated by the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, at Sligo Airport. I emphasise again that the busiest Coast Guard service in the country operates out of Sligo Airport. Yet, for the past ten years, Sligo Airport has not received a single euro of public money. While it has no commercial flights, the same situation pertains elsewhere and yet those airports receive public funds. At a meeting last Christmas that was attended …

The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, in defending the Government position spoke of expectation of a 10% Part V contribution and the need to be fair and proportionate. The whole idea of legitimate expectation is not legitimate, especially when it comes to the Government bringing in necessary legislation, and the Supreme Court upheld that position. I remember a case in which the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, backed by the European Commission, refused to accept the principle of l…

Since 1953, 4,682 adoption orders have been made in Ireland. It is heartbreaking to think of all of those adopted people, of all ages, who have been denied access to their birth information and of the frustration, anger and emptiness they feel at being left on the outside. Most of us think nothing of getting our birth certificates to access other documents. That is how it should be for all adopted persons. While the bureaucratic aspect of not having access is to one's birth cert is hugely significant, the personal …

I must be brief in the 90 seconds available to me. As an MEP, I said I was proud that Ireland was represented by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on Brexit, the Northern Ireland protocol and ensuring there would be no hard border on the island of Ireland. I stand by those words. Nonetheless, tonight is a different context. Many mistakes were made and they all arose from the premise that a former Minister could lobby the two most senior Fine Gael Ministers, the Tánaiste and an ambassador for a job that at that point in…

I am pleased to raise the hugely important issue of early years childcare services and the need to provide adequate funding in the next budget to ensure sustainable and accessible childcare services for 2022 at least. I do not say it lightly but there is a crisis in the sector. Early years educators are expected to work for approximately €12 per hour. That is untenable. Is it any wonder up to 50% are actively looking for employment elsewhere? Early years professionals, 98% of whom are women, are among the lowest-pa…

I thank the Minister for his response. I can hear that he has a real commitment to the childcare sector. He spoke about the expert group recommendations that are due in November. Those recommendations are important but they will be too late for many in the sector. The Minister must know that. There has to be an extra investment in the sector. I am saying that €150 million is needed in the next budget, which will be announced before those recommendations are published. In my constituency, there are more than 100 chi…

I re-echo the Tánaiste's words in thanking Oireachtas staff and members of an Garda for all their work. I wish them and their colleagues well over the coming few weeks. Just over a year ago, a major landslide occurred at Shass Mountain, Drumkeeran, County Leitrim. Leitrim County Council did sterling work in ensuring that bridges and roads were secured. About two or three months ago, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, guaranteed that basic payments would continue for this year und…

We all want society and indoor hospitality to reopen safely and sustainably. As legislators, we face extremely difficult choices. Pandemics put manners on the best of us. As humans, we want to exert control and we want answers and solutions, yet a very tiny virus has stopped us in our tracks. However, we are still trying to exert control over our lives, so I understand the Government trying to take one step at a time. In principle, I support that approach. However, we have to learn to live with Covid-19. We cannot,…

First, I am very happy to welcome our new colleague, Deputy Bacik. She will make a positive contribution and I wish her well. I have raised the following issue with the Taoiseach several times. The only reason I am raising it again is because it is an urgent matter and right decisions can still be taken. I speak of the need for a new Garda station in Sligo. To be clear, I am not asking the Taoiseach to intervene in an operational decision taken by the Garda Commissioner to restructure divisions as part of the new o…

The Taoiseach mentioned the OPW, which deemed that building unfit for purpose in December 2019. The Garda Commissioner then made changes around the operational model. I am not asking the Taoiseach to interfere but nothing has changed. The footprint of that building is too small and it is a warren of rooms. Despite the fact that some refurbishment has taken place, it still is simply and totally unsuitable. There will be more staff in Sligo Garda station and not fewer, so if it was too small in the first place, it is…