There is no disputing that the housing crisis is the single biggest social crisis we face. It is also true that it is the single biggest failure of the Government and its predecessors. The alternative, of course, to being evicted is not being evicted. The alternative to being homeless is to have a roof over one's head. These are the only alternatives at this stage that I believe the Taoiseach and his Government need to understand. The Government has moved on the matter of a ban on evictions. The Taoiseach said it w…

No, we would not.

Two weeks ago, the Taoiseach gave a commitment that no household would be disconnected from electricity this winter, including households using prepaid meters. However, since then, the Government has not introduced any plan to protect prepay customers from disconnection. This can and must be done. As the Taoiseach knows, some prepay companies already have bans on disconnections at weekends and on some public holidays. This ban should be extended to provide 24-7 protection for prepay customers. It should kick in now…

Speaking on radio last Sunday, the Taoiseach gave an assurance that nobody would be disconnected from electricity supply this winter. He said: In an energy crisis of this kind we cannot have disconnections. We are very clear about that. This is very welcome news, as people are now under severe pressure. The energy credits announced in the budget are already being gobbled up. From this week, Electric Ireland customers face a price hike of 38% for electricity, while Bord Gáis customers have been hit with a massive in…

These times are very reminiscent of a decade ago when the troika was in town and people used to ration everything, including food. I remember families having cornflake days; that was dinner for them. I am hearing from families that they are rationing their electricity. The reality for many, and fear for many more, is that they will be left in a position whereby they have to take a decision to turn on a light or put breakfast in front of their children. The Taoiseach gave a commitment at the weekend that disconnecti…

Things are clearly not normal.

Do not call me dishonest. Answer the question and do your job.

Answer the question.

Make a commitment. You are an absolute disgrace. Insulting me is not an answer.

You consistently do it. You come in here and insult me and call me untruthful, and you do not answer your questions. Do your job.

I want to return to the issue of potential energy disconnections this winter. I will put the question that I put to the Taoiseach earlier and I would appreciate a straight answer to the question. Will he move to ensure the ban on disconnection starts now and runs to the end of March? I seek a "Yes" or "No" answer. Will he ensure those on pay-as-you-go meters are not open to disconnection? Will he give a cast-iron guarantee that that will not happen? How will he achieve that?

The Government has not done anything.

The Taoiseach has still not answered the question.

I ask the Taoiseach to scrap the Government's concrete block levy. The proposal is flawed and will make the housing crisis even worse. The Taoiseach says the levy is to ensure that industry contributes to redress schemes for defective blocks and pyrite. However, the reality is that this is not a levy on the industry at all. The Government's scheme is really a levy on those desperately seeking to buy or build a home, because companies will simply factor it in. They will pass on the increase to customers and it will …

With pleasure, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I welcome our visitors from Ballyhaunis Community School. Fáilte isteach gach duine. The Taoiseach would be more Animal Farm than 1984 , some being more equal than others and none more unequally treated than that generation I have described to him who are locked out of home ownership, and well he knows it. Yes, industry has to pay. By the way, all of those on the benches opposite are responsible for the light-touch regulation or the no regulation at all that gave rise to this…

We have a serious mental health crisis in Ireland. Communities and families are crying out for help. Front-line services and voluntary organisations are crying out for support. It is not an exaggeration to say that we face into a tsunami in mental health need, not least because of the pandemic. We know that children and young people are left waiting for far too long for mental healthcare. More than 4,000 children in the State are on CAMHS waiting lists and another 10,000 are on lists for primary care psychology ser…

I ask the Taoiseach to revisit this before the finance Bill comes before the Dáil.

The annual Education at a Glance report published by the OECD found that Ireland's investment in education as a percentage of GDP is ranked lowest in the OECD. That is the reality. As regards the teaching unions, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, ASTI, has warned that schools are in urgent need of a significant increase in funding. Similarly, the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, raised concerns regarding students from disadvantaged backgrounds and that the refusal by the Government to invest appropriate…

A recent national port study published by Wind Energy Ireland found that Belfast Harbour is the only port on the island ready to construct offshore wind farms. The sector has repeatedly warned the Government that it cannot build 7 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 from a single port. The opportunity that renewable energy affords our island in terms energy security, affordability and job creation cannot be overstated. There is an urgency to all of this so we need a step change in the pace of delivery from Governmen…

Whatever about a change in tone from the British Administration, which of course is welcome after six years of Brexit uncertainty and two years of threats to break international law, what intervention will the Government undertake in respect of the protocol legislation? It was championed in the first instance by Liz Truss and I understand it is to go to a second reading in the House of Lords on 11 October. What use will be made of the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference in this regard? It is the only remaini…