The mounting debts of people deferring payment of their local property tax due to inability to pay are extremely worrying. Information revealed by the Revenue Commissioners last year indicates that, on average, 43,000 people defer their payments every year. I suspect the number has increased this year because of the unprecedented times we are living in. Workers and families do not defer payment lightly but do so because they cannot afford to pay. If the local property tax was truly a wealth tax, this would not happ…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I will share time with Deputy Ó Murchú. The vast majority of the money seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, has been ripped from communities in which the criminals have been most active. It must, therefore, be returned to these communities. I represent Dublin Mid-West and I grew up in north Clondalkin. Parts of my constituency have been ripped apart by drug use and criminality over the years. It is no coincidence that some of our most disadvantaged communitie…

I thank all the contributors to this debate. It was an informed and good debate but we also saw the need out there in our communities. I also welcome the support of the Minister of State for this Bill and for putting the moneys back into communities. While we may differ slightly on how that goes, it is a starting point and I look forward to this Bill proceeding through the proper legislative scrutiny. I will be seeking Government support on that. As I mentioned already, I am from north Clondalkin. When I moved up t…

Domestic abuse is sadly all too common in society and not enough is being done to prevent abuse and support victims. While domestic violence is more commonly perpetrated by male abusers, it can also be committed by women. The domestic violence prevention programme, Choices, only accepts male abusers. There is currently no facility or programme for female abusers. This is deeply concerning and I would like to know the rationale behind it. Abuse committed by female abusers is a serious issue and it must be taken as s…

The Bill before the House is legislation that will place parameters on outdoor dining and drinking. It also outlines what constitutes an area for the provision of outdoor dining and drinking and what street furniture is permitted. We do not oppose this Bill but I must mention the fiasco of the Government announcement yesterday that has caused so much anger and concern about the proposed resumption of indoor hospitality. The idea that indoor hospitality services will only open to those who have been vaccinated will …

As has been stated, Sinn Féin will not oppose the Bill. However, we tabled a number of amendments in the Seanad that would have strengthened it. They would have limited the extension for county development plans, as there is no realistic justification for allowing the operation of multiple extensions to happen all the way out to 1 Jan 2024. Joined-up thinking needs joined-up planning and these extensions could create a disconnect with other county development plans and the national planning framework. An extension …

We are in a housing crisis because the Government's plan is not working. We are in a housing crisis because the previous Government's plan did not work. The legacy left by Fine Gael's disastrous former housing Minister, Eoghan Murphy, from the by-election area of Dublin Bay South, is something our children and children's children will be the victims of for decades. This is unless real change happens. This is the change that Sinn Féin will deliver. This is not just some ideology. It is a fact and a simple strategy. …

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. This week I met the Therapists for Change group, which represents psychotherapists. Its main concern is the HSE's over-reliance on charities to provide mental health services, where the prevailing culture is that pre-accredited and post-accredited psychotherapists are expected to work for nothing. Pre-accredited counsellors and therapists are caught up in this unpaid system but they must do this unpaid time in order to get a job. Group members have a couple of asks. One…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Mental Health Act 2001 and for that purpose to provide for the right of minors over the age of 16 to consent to mental health treatment and to provide for related matters. I wish to share my time with Deputy Mythen. I begin by thanking the former Senator, Máire Devine, on the Trojan work she did on this Bill in the last Seanad. This is a progressive mental health Bill that acknowledges and supports our young people. It will give autonomy…

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

Figures released to my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, by the Residential Tenancies Board highlight how this Government is continuing to fail renters. Since August, more than 1,000 notices to quit have been issued with a significant increase in the numbers since March. The Government has failed to protect renters. The limited protections in place are just not working. The 2016 rent pressure zone legislation, which was supposed to limit rent increases to 4% per annum, has had the opposite effect. Instead of being a deter…

We are all aware of the recent incident involving Christian Eriksen collapsing on the field of play. I take this opportunity to commend the Danish football team on the dignified way they minded their teammate and the medical staff on their response. Like most people, I watched in horror thinking the worst was going to happen and was delighted that it did not. Having a defibrillator and trained personnel on site made a difference to Christian Eriksen still being alive today. Will it be a requirement for sporting org…

I thank the Minister of State for that response. In my area I commend the Ciaran Carr Foundation. Ciaran collapsed while training in 2012. He was training for my club, Round Tower GAA club, and despite the valiant efforts of his teammates, Ciaran tragically passed away just short of his 21st birthday. His parents, Gemma and Phillip, set up the Ciaran Carr Foundation to raise awareness of sudden adult death syndrome and provide supports for the families of people who pass away as a result of it. I acknowledge the wo…

Na Gaeil Óga is an Irish-speaking GAA club in Lucan. It plays in two different parks, located in two different local authority areas, Griffeen Valley Park and St. Catherine's Park, one of which is in the South Dublin County Council area the other of which is in the Fingal County Council area. Members of the club are really concerned that if there were an incident, it would be too late for them if they needed to get a defibrillator on site. Not all clubs have a structure or a building in which to locate a defibrilla…

Up to the age of 65, people on invalidity pensions are eligible for medical cards and free GP visit cards regardless of spousal income. At the age of 66, however, they are transferred to the State pension and they lose eligibility. This has presented a cliff edge for a number of my constituents, including Margaret Ede, who has been contacting me regularly. Margaret and others like her are reliant on the medical card due to the cost of medicines and GP visits. She will have to wait four years to be eligible again th…

The pandemic has disrupted education for all, but it has had further implications for children with disabilities. As the Minister of State said, it has disproportionately affected this group of children. As schools turned to remote learning, countless parents have seen their children regress. Many children with disabilities need the structure that schools offer. Others need interventions that are difficult to provide remotely, such as hands-on instruction, occupational therapy and special needs assistance. The loss…

Last night the Government rushed through legislation that will impinge on people's civil liberties. I was waiting to speak on amendments I put down that would repeal Part 5 of the Mental Health Act 2001, which allows mental health tribunals to be reduced to one-member, paper-based tribunals. This legislation was introduced to reduce the amount of personal interaction between relevant persons in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Since this legislation was introduced there have been 755 mental health tribunals…

A response to a parliamentary question stated that the HSE paid debt collection agencies over €2.4 million in the last four years to collect money owed by patients such as €100 emergency department fees. Almost €600,000 was paid to debt collectors by the HSE in 2020. The HSE's use of a debt collection agency is an incredibly regressive measure, especially during a public emergency, particularly when it is going after people who have lost jobs and loved ones and who have been impacted by Covid-19. It is plainly and …

The Clondalkin Equine Club is based in an area of Clondalkin that is highly disadvantaged. In fact, it is in the area where I was born, bred and buttered, as we say in Clondalkin. The club is based in a purpose-built facility that stables 20 horses and teaches young people the importance of responsible urban horsemanship. I am asking if the Minister's Department will provide multi-annual funding to this wonderful facility. Multi-annual funding is essential so the club can plan for its future.

I thank the Minister and acknowledge the funding provided by his Department. As I stated, the Clondalkin Equine Club needs multi-annual funding. I also agree with the Minister that it has been really difficult for the club to obtain alternative funding because of the limitations imposed by Covid-19. The club was told by the Department it could apply to the Pobal process but community service programmes underwent a review last year and the club has been advised that this is at ministerial level, with nothing happeni…