I agree with Senator Malcolm Byrne regarding the commencement of decision-making capacity provisions. I appreciate that and all the Minister of State is doing. I was going to speak extensively on this aspect yesterday, but I was unable to be here for the debate. The overturning of the assumption of who is at the centre of circumstances such as these and who has the ability to make decisions in this regard is going to bring change. I refer to an assumption of there being a choice of being directed towards education …

There are not too many farms in my home constituency, but I do have family from Mayo and it has been an issue with neighbours and people known to us. I congratulate the Minister of State on this. It has been a lot of hard work in the past year and by the previous Minister of State, former Deputy Jim Daly before that. It is part of addressing sensitively a whole suite of measures for older people and the vulnerable in our community. We need to ensure we are looking at family carers. Getting the Assisted Decision-Mak…

Dr. Holohan has successfully-----

That was well said and it summed up all our fears. I also commend this Bill to the House and I support it 100%. I am glad to see that the numbers who have registered have improved even this week since the debate in the Dáil. It is regrettable that we have only seven women involved from those more than 221 potential applicants. I heard the Minister’s reassurance that it looks like participation will improve and the number will increase. I read the transcript of the Minister’s speech in the Dáil and I listened to him…

I like and understand the intention of this amendment. From my own experience, I have often volunteered to be part of the referee process for individuals I have represented where, when they go for their next employment, it has been important for them to have their representative be prepared to explain the circumstances. Therefore, I understand the sentiment. However, it needs to be particular and there is no reason we would be too prescriptive to the adjudication officer as to his or her discretion. The discretion,…

I support the key point made by the Minister of State in that I believe the public reporting of WRC cases will enhance the standard of engagement and the performance of employment contracts throughout the State. We will see the repeat offenders. As I said some days ago, there are appalling cases of repeat offending. The reporting of cases will allow us to see just how innocent employees fall prey to ignorance and arrogance in some instances, and to see that the employees are right in such instances. The reporting o…

I support the Bill. I said I would speak after the Minister of State. He has comprehensively covered why this amendment is not necessary. In addition, as I have said before, I believe the reporting and publication of matters at the adjudication hearing stage informs members of the public as to their employment rights. You have to know your way around the WRC website. It is really good and really thorough, there is very good advice on it and it provides good access to decisions and determinations but you have to kno…

He did not.

I will begin, with due respect to the Leas Cathaoirleach, by saying that I am disappointed he did not ask Senator Keogan to withdraw her remarks-----

-----because it is a gross misrepresentation of Senator Cummins-----

-----and of what he said. We are in the House where the vast majority of the people bar a few us have not been voted to be here by councillors so I get that there is a certain playing to the gallery going on. I understand that it looks good for social media clips that will be emailed around that vilify certain Government Senators but it is really quite a despicable level of politics. The very clear, well-researched-----

-----and well-argued position put forward by Senator Cummins follows the line that councillors have the right to vote for zoning and to bring in their development plan. Their ability to bring in the development plan has been extended to ensure that we have full public consultation in the context of Covid-19. All of that has been done. This very narrow qualification of the normal rights of councillors arises where they do not have - or in the absence of where they have voted for zoning of residential land - have thi…

----- way of doing politics. Since 2018 Sinn Féin have voted against 6,000 potential homes which could have been built. That is a fact. They are local councillors who, despite the fact there is zoning and that there is a housing need, are denying real people the keys to their home on an ideological basis. Does the Senator want the actual breakdowns?

I can give the House the breakdowns per council. There were 6,000 in Dublin alone.

The Senator can sit there spouting his ideology-----

-----while real people live in hubs.

This is about the amendment. The fact of the matter is that nobody is curtailing the rights of councillors except where those councillors are putting their party before a roof over families’ heads. It is an appalling abuse and misrepresentation and I am disappointed in the Leas Cathaoirleach.

I congratulate Deputy Bacik. I wish to raise awareness of homeowners who are awaiting the outcome of the working group to assist some 90,000 apartment owners who are living in Celtic tiger legacy apartments with substandard fire safety provisions. In some instances, there are no fire retardant measures at all. I am in constant contact with homeowners who have been obliged to pay exorbitant fees to rectify the substandard fire safety provisions in their complexes and who are also paying mortgages for homes they beli…

Hear, hear.

I thank the Minister of State and encourage him to take a breath now. I call Senator Seán Kyne.