I understand the issue with drivers, but there is also a difference in parity between drivers at Dublin Bus and drivers at Go-Ahead. The latter do not have contracts or conditions as good as the former and Go-Ahead is not as attractive a workplace as Dublin Bus. This is an issue with the private provider. Go-Ahead operates the 76, 18, L51 and L52 routes in Clondalkin, Palmerstown and Lucan. The 76 route goes to Tallaght. Residents contact me regularly having missed appointments at Tallaght Hospital because their bu…

Last year, the Tánaiste launched a DEIS connect programme in my old school, St. Kevin's Community College. The DEIS connect programme aims to bridge the digital divide in disadvantaged communities. The Tánaiste will agree this was a wonderful initiative he launched. However, South Dublin County Council is ignoring that there are digital divides in some disadvantaged communities. The council's move to an online system to report maintenance issues excludes residents who do not have the capacity to use online systems.…

The Taoiseach mentioned well-being and I want to talk about the well-being of children in mental health services. When the Government came into office, 2,112 children were waiting for a first-time appointment with the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. Currently, there is an all-time record high of 4,434 young children waiting for a first-time appointment. That is a 110% increase on the Taoiseach's watch. What is worse, 682 children are waiting more than a year for an appointment. That is a 215% in…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I will talk about some of the cultural vandalism that took place in Dublin. Dublin is a unique city. It is my city. We must protect its cultural and historical identity. There has been a move by developers and planners to modernise Dublin to the extent that when one walks down the streets, one could be in any European city. We must be sure that we protect the archaeological heritage of our city. We have been waiting for this Bill for decades. It could address many iss…

Since the Maskey report was published, the emphasis has been on Kerry, and rightly so, given the chronic mistreatment of children there. Deputy Funchion cited figures from February but they have increased again since March. I have figures to hand that show the national figures in CAMHS increased by a further 3% between February and March. A total of 4,434 children are waiting for a first appointment, while 682 have been waiting for more than a year. CHO 4, where the emphasis should have been, has the longest waitin…

If they got the appropriate primary care, they would not need them.

Bring back the eviction ban.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss organised crime. This form of crime causes terror, misery and heartbreak for communities that deserve to feel safe and protected. We must stand united against all forms of crime and ensure it is finally tackled once and for all. I am also glad that the Government climbed down and changed the title of this debate from statements on gangland to statements on organised crime. This is more than semantics. Governments must not be allowed to dehumanise our communities. I did a quick G…

I listened to the Minister on the radio this morning talking about the forecasted budgetary surplus. He had a caveat that forecasts can be unreliable and that we need to be cautious, and rightly so. Census figures are not forecasts, however; they are factually correct. The figures from the census in 2022 show that there were 160,000 vacant properties. Some 48,000 of these were vacant in 2016 and a further 23,500 were vacant in 2011. Those are the facts. The Government's vacant property tax of 0.3% of the property v…

I was reading the concluding statements of the European Council meeting this morning and noted how strong they were in respect of Russia's barbaric war in Ukraine, and rightly so. However, I was also thinking that we could change these statements to reflect what is happening in the occupied territories of Palestine. One could easily change the statement that "The European Council reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine" to "The European Council reiterates its resolute cond…

Was I last? I could have gone on.

I wish to talk about a family from Lucan whose five children, all under the age of five, are praying every night for a new house, having been served with an eviction notice. Darina, who went public last week, said she breaks down crying when she puts her children to bed because of the stress of having to move out on 1 May. The family's problems are further compounded because their daughter, Emma, has level four cerebral palsy and epilepsy, which causes regular seizures. Their father, Benjamin, who is an engineer, t…

It is.

This one is.

Sinn Féin will support the Bill, which, as has been said, has arisen from recommendations from the judicial planning working group. We support the purpose of the Bill to increase the maximum number of judges at various court levels. This is welcome particularly given last year's damning European Commission report which ranks Ireland as the worst country in Europe for judicial resourcing. It revealed that this State had 3.27 judges per 100,000 people in 2020, which pales in comparison with the European average of 17…

I was reading the concluding statements of the European Council meeting this morning and noted how strong they were in respect of Russia's barbaric war in Ukraine, and rightly so. However, I was also thinking that we could change these statements to reflect what is happening in the occupied territories of Palestine. One could easily change the statement that "The European Council reiterates its resolute condemnation of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine" to "The European Council reiterates its resolute cond…

A young person who is taking nitrous oxide is playing Russian roulette because they do not know the effects the gas will have on them until they take it. There have been reports from medical experts of the adverse side effects. What laws are in place to seize nitrous oxide canisters that are being misused and what are the penalties for those illegally distributing them?

I thank the Minister for that comprehensive answer in relation to the Act but why is it not being used at the moment? You only have to walk into any housing estate or any park and you will see discarded nitrous oxide canisters lying around. It is commonly know as laughing gas. When it first came out it was in small silver bullets and they were called one-hit wonders. It has been replaced by these larger canisters which are being sold on the black market for €40 or a dealer might do a deal of three for €100. Its use…

As recently as December this year, a neurologist specialist who I was on one of the radio debates with spoke about the long-term damage that nitrous oxide could be causing young people. There is a range of sensory issues among patients who have presented, including numbness in their hands, feet and extremities, as well as serious issues with balance, problems with their heart rates and mental health issues. I have also submitted additional legislation to the Bills Office, in conjunction with Deputy Seán Crowe, whic…

I thank the Minister.