I welcome the chance to talk on this important Bill. I also welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. The Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 brought the outdated wardship laws into line with modern Ireland. It was a stepping stone towards beginning to view disability from a social rather than a medical model. However, I have serious concerns regarding the current implications of the Act and the proposed legislative changes we are discussing. There continues to be a lot of confusion regarding the Act f…

The Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach, has completed its consideration of the following Revised Estimates for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2026: Vote 1 – President's Establishment; Vote 2 – Department of the Taoiseach; Vote 3 – Office of the Attorney General; Vote 4 – Central Statistics Office; Vote 5 – Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and Vote 6 – Office of the Chief State Solicitor.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House today. I thank the Social Democrats for raising this very important motion. The average GP to patient ratio in south Kildare - the area I represent - is 1: 3,163, the fourth highest in the country. Not a week goes by that I do not get somebody in my office asking for a GP. A lot of this has to do with people who have come from Dublin and other parts of the country and who cannot find a local GP. One of the biggest problems is that, in the main, many of those people retai…

About two weekends ago, I took a call from an SNA who informed me they had been told their job was under threat following a letter the school they were employed in had received from the NCSE. The fear, heartbreak and anxiety in that call will stay with me for a long time. Not knowing if you have a job or how you will pay your mortgage and look after your family reflects the reality of what a Department has caused in sending out the letters. It is the reason I raised it with the Taoiseach the following Tuesday, the …

The reason I am asking the Minister about this is that the Ombudsman for Children has raised concerns about the SEAs and their unregulation. Is she happy with the regulation of these SEAs, particularly the accommodation they offer? The accommodation can go from hotel rooms to apartments. As I said, this has been highlighted by the Ombudsman for Children. It is a serious concern for us all on this side of the House, as I am sure it is for the Minister. The question I have for her relates to the regulation of these p…

I thank the Minister. She mentioned that we would all strive for State-led accommodation. The money being spent on special emergency arrangements surely could be spent on State-led accommodation, whereby regulations would be reviewed more than regularly. My concern is over what “reviewed regularly” means. Is it monthly or weekly? My concern is shared by the Ombudsman for Children and many people I deal with. Have Tusla and the Department plans to move away once and for all from emergency accommodation provided by p…

Before I go to the Labour Party slot, I welcome all of our visitors to the Public Gallery, particularly all of the members of Probus in Mallow in County Cork, guests of Deputy Eoghan Kenny. Deputy Nash is next.

I thank my colleague Deputy George Lawlor for raising this very important workers' rights issue. I listened in disbelief to the Minister of State earlier and just now I listened to the Minister as well as they outlined the Government's opposition to this Bill. The Minister of State said "allowing employees to request remote work keeps a fair balance". The only fair balance here is for the employer.

Has the Government not been monitoring the WRC cases on their legislation? It is crazy that the Government would consider a right to request that is simply not working as fair. How out of touch can it be with the thousands of workers in this country who can work from home, but given what has happened in the WRC, are simply not in a position to put additional pressure on themselves and their families by taking a case? That is what is happening. I recently tabled a motion on commuter chaos. That, too, was opposed by …

In many of these countries, these issues are dealt with through sectoral agreements and bargaining, which are, unfortunately, so absent in this country. The Minister goes on to say that over 8,000 people have taken part in the Government consultation. Does he think that this unprecedented response is a clap on the back for the Government policy? I assure him that this response, given the thousands that have contacted my party, is far from a clap on the back but rather a cry for help from a Government that simply is…

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Barry Heneghan - To discuss the north city arterial main water main works due to commence in north Dublin. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the severe cuts in SNAs across multiple schools in Kerry. Deputy Paula Butterly - To discuss implementation of the agreed 2% pension increase for An Post and Eircom pensioners. Deputy John Connolly - To discuss t…

I thank the Minister of State for coming into the Dáíl to discuss this important topic for the residents of Moone and Timolin who have had to put up with what has been described locally and nationally as the road to nowhere. I refer to a cycle lane that was designed and commenced some time in 2024, but actually appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, in June and July 2025. It is 3 km long, and has no connections and no start or finish. Local people had a very good road which they cycled and walked. There were few, if a…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I want to go back to a couple of issues. The Minister of State said, "This engagement signalled a genuine commitment to working with the local community in delivering a safer environment for vulnerable road users." There is no doubt the Department and Kildare County Council in particular have engaged with the local community but what has come out of those engagements and the works carried out in the interim is that we…

Budget 2026 announced an additional 1,717 SNA places, which is a very welcome intervention by Government. However, the reality in my own area of Kildare South is that late last week, Scoil Mhichil Naofa in Athy received notice that it will lose five SNA posts while Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge will lose three. As the Taoiseach can appreciate, this has a devastating impact on the entire school community. We all know the great work SNAs do day in, day out assisting teachers, assisting students and creating…

Staying with the topic of community centres, will the Minister inform the House when the Government might announce a new programme for community centre investment given the serious issues many community centres are having at the moment in increasing what they have to offer for the public and if he could make a statement?

I thank the Minister very much for his reply. We are all aware of the importance of community centres throughout the country and no more so in my own area. Tonight, I will have a meeting of my own local community centre where we will discuss all things relevant, including funding and how we can expand what we can offer to the local community. It is very welcome that there is to be additional funding allocated. How quickly can that happen? The Minister said the announcement will be this year and then there will be f…

The Minister mentioned a very important point. Tonight, at our meeting, there will probably be six of the locals who have been there for the past 20 to 30 years. They are the volunteers who keep that particular community going. As the Minister just did and the Minister of State previously acknowledged, it is always important to acknowledge those volunteers. In relation to the disability and marginal groups, there is a growing demand in urban areas for centres for marginalised groups. In relation to new centres, an …

I am taking this question on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Eoghan Kenny. Will the Minister inform the House of the steps his Department has taken to investigate the significant overspend on the new SUSI IT system, and will he make a statement on the matter to the House?

The Minister will be aware that this was highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General at a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts recently. Obviously, concerns were raised at that meeting that, as the Minister correctly said, this project was initiated in 2015. At that stage, the cost was €2.2 million. The cost indicated to my colleague, Deputy Kenny, is that it has now risen to €6.4 million, and we are still at the pre-project phase. What lessons have been learned? The Minister mentioned the report he r…