It is disappointing that the Minister of State seems to be putting in amendments opposing the proposal. If this proposal was worked on, it would create a strong solution in relation to housing. Sometimes I wonder what the reasoning is behind the Government trying to block any good proposal being put forward. I thank Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, John Campbell and Mark Nolan for putting this motion together. Housing is one of the most pressing issues of our time. We must declare a national housing and infrastructure e…

Laya Healthcare provides many different levels of private health insurance. One of my constituents purchased one of its plans at a substantial cost of €1,470 per year. Regarding cancer care, the policy clearly stated that it covers treatment to stop the spread of cancer and, where possible, to remove it entirely. All of the company's schemes have comprehensive cancer cover and best in class approach advertised. Despite all this they refused to cover pembro, as it is commonly known. Pembro is a recommended cancer tr…

We need a discussion about education, school size, class sizes and the capitation grant. Many schools are under immense pressure. I have been requesting statements in the Dáil. We also need a discussion about immigration and migration with regard to Citywest. I would appreciate it if we could find time this week to discuss those issues.

Jennifer Marley is 88 years of age and has been living in rented accommodation-----

In fairness, I never interfere in anybody else's time for questions. I would appreciate if all Deputies would pay the same respect.

Jennifer Marley is 88 years of age and has been living in rented accommodation in Bantry for the past six years. She has received a notice to quit her rented home as the landlord wants to sell. We are frantically trying to get Jennifer a house she can call her own as she is not suited to sheltered accommodation at 88 years of age. Tomorrow, Independent Ireland will put forward a motion in the House calling for legislative action on infrastructure reform to accelerate housing delivery. We propose up to 23 measures i…

The recent "RTÉ Investigates" documentary "Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes", which aired on 4 June, showed us all the terrible conditions in some nursing homes in the midlands and Dublin. We were all horrified and shocked by the programme and the way the most vulnerable in our society are being treated - by some. I do not want to tar everybody with the same brush. When we hear what is said in this House sometimes, and rightly so, in defence of innocent, elderly people who are being abused, it can seem as if staff in…

Independent Ireland believes we must give all people on the island of Ireland the right to vote in presidential elections. It makes no sense that people who live on the island of Ireland - North and South - cannot vote for the President of Ireland. It would ensure that all Irish citizens, regardless of their residence, have a say in electing the Head of State, fostering a sense of inclusion and representation. Voting rights could reinforce the connection between Northern Ireland and the Republic while promoting a u…

My constituents are deeply concerned about the proposed closure of Perrott House mental health care facility in Skibbereen, County Cork. This residential care facility, which is staffed for 24 hours, has been home to many long-term residents, providing them with essential programmes like horticulture, music, poetry and art, as well as access to the local library, church and shop in Skibbereen. The HSE plans to move the residents to St. Stephen's Psychiatric Hospital in Glanmire, 100 km away, disrupting their lives …

Connecting Ireland is disconnecting quite a number of places, but I do not want to start with a major criticism. There have been great successes in my constituency, Cork South-West, in relation to Ardgroom, Bantry to Sheep's Head, Crookhaven, Goleen, Lowertown, Schull to Skibbereen, and Baltimore to Skibbereen, where a second bus has been put on the route is so popular. These are the routes that nobody was either interested in or pushing previously. Unfortunately, however, there are serious areas of disconnection. …

The Government yesterday announced the purchase of Citywest, the main hotel and conference centre, at a cost of €148 million. What are the projected running costs? Will the State still be renting the CityArk complex, which has 400-plus rooms, from Tetrarch? The cost per person per night is €84. How much is that per year? Doubling the capacity of the site would mean the population of the IPAS centre was equal to the population of Saggart, which the Independent Ireland councillor in that area, Linda de Courcy, tells …

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the Bill. The Minister will know I am not a man who is interested in theatrics or Government back-pats, but a Deputy elected by the people of west Cork to speak truthfully and plainly about the reality we face in the absolute failure this emergency RPZ Bill represents. This legislation is not a solution. It is a symptom of a Government chasing headlines and running away from problems of its own creation while abandoning the very families it claims to serve. It is not In…

I will do my best. I cannot do any more.

We need statements on education. Primary schools are going through a serious crisis. I met with representatives of the INTO last week, as others probably did too. We need to look at class sizes, but the capitation grant was the big issue. Basically, schools cannot pay the electricity bill. If we cannot at least give them proper funding to allow them to continue their proper functions as primary schools, then the State is failing. We therefore need a debate on education in the Dáil.

Local property tax was set out to be tax for local authorities. I am not totally opposed to any tax as long as it delivers on exactly what it was meant to be. I will outline to the Minister exactly where it did not deliver in County Cork in recent years. A road at Allihies collapsed and there is no longer a lead road into that community. The council does not have money and has basically walked away from repairing the road. It would not happen up here where if a road collapsed, it would immediately be repaired. Of c…

During the election, Independent Ireland said a housing emergency needed to be declared and everyone ran away. Now it seems as though we are rushing through legislation in the Dáil this week in a frantic bid to try to overturn the emergency that is there. There are 15,000 people without homes, which is a huge emergency for those in that dire situation. I am inundated every weekend when I hold clinics with people who do not have homes coming to me one after another. The local authority is coming to the point where i…

This country is crying out for accountability from regulatory bodies as we stumble from one scandal to another. Last week, I attended a public meeting in Oranmore, Galway, with Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice and Councillor Declan Kelly and met with parents whose children had been scammed by a local orthodontist and neglected by the Dental Council of Ireland. These parents paid large sums upfront in 2022 for their children's dental treatment only to find out they were being deceived. Some children were left with misalig…

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. He speaks about dental regulation, the Dentists Act and developments in 2024 or 2025. These people were hit hard in 2022. They have lost €2 million. How can any of them have confidence when we see the regulatory bodies fail the very people they are paid to protect? What does the Tánaiste say to the parents and children in their hundreds who are scammed out of their hard-earned money in Oranmore, Galway, to the tune of over €2 million, leaving these children in a shocking conditio…

Wellman International in Mullagh, County Cavan, a pioneer in fibre manufacturing since 1973, faces an uncertain future. The company was placed in examinership on 3 June. It has just 100 days to find an investor or buyer to save 217 highly skilled jobs that are vital to the communities of east Cavan and north Meath. Local Independent Ireland councillor Shane P. O'Reilly, a strong advocate for the workers, has raised serious concerns about management decisions and the lack of State support over the years. It is aston…

I welcome the Minister of State. This may be the first time we have been face to face. I appreciate his recent invitation to Castletownbere. Unfortunately, I was at another meeting and could not get there, but I will certainly meet him soon. I listened to some of the Deputies speaking in the Chamber earlier. I do not like talking about Deputies when they are not present, but Deputy Ward - not in a bad sense - said it is not all Europe's fault. Maybe he is right; it is his own Government's fault and successive Gover…