I am aware that not all loan owners - non-bank lenders, in particular - offer a fixed rate option, which can be a very attractive one for many borrowers. We have seen the run rate recently. Approximately 92% to 93% of new mortgages being issued in Ireland are fixed-rate in nature because it gives certainty to the borrower about the nature and the level of their repayment for a period of time. It is the case under the CCMA that the mortgage creditor has to explore all of the options for an alternative repayment arra…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 78 and 247 together. The Government is acutely aware of the difficulties in the housing market. As I have said on many occasions, the key problem is a lack of supply. This is why the Government is committed to increasing the supply of all types of homes: social, affordable, rental and owner-occupier. Under Housing for All, the Government has provided over €4 billion this year to accelerate the delivery of new homes. The Government has also intervened in other areas, including le…

I thank the Deputy for his comments. As I said in my initial response, public expenditure measures are the preferred method of State support. The Deputy asked a very direct question, which he put to me here in writing and has repeated verbally, in respect of introducing additional tax measures for developers and investors in the residential property sector. I have no such plans. We will, as always, keep all taxation matters under review. When it comes to stimulating supply and the State playing a greater role in th…

As Minister for Finance, I will of course be part of all of the discussions on what we are doing and what more we need to do in Government to tackle the housing crisis. I am a member of the Cabinet committee on housing and contribute to that on an ongoing basis. I also did so in my previous role. It is true that it is not all about money. The planning reforms the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is bringing forward are vitally important and I hope the House and relevant O…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 115, 129, 150 and 240 together. The disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme provides relief from vehicle registration tax, VRT, and VAT on an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant. The scheme is open to severely and permanently disabled persons as a driver or passenger and also to certain charitable organisations. In order to qualify for relief, the applicant must hold a primary medical certificate issued by the relevant senior area…

I thank the Deputy. I reassure her that the Minister for Health has made the appointment of the five members of the board of appeal. Garda vetting is being completed and that is why I am hopeful. I understand the board will be up and running in the next few weeks. Assessments for the primary medical certificate by the HSE are continuing to take place. I acknowledge that there are a lot of appeals awaiting processing. There are currently 759 people awaiting an appeal hearing, with 382 of those dating to 2021. I am a…

I hear what the Deputy is saying. I have had quite an amount of experience as a Deputy over recent years dealing with this scheme. I have been dealing with people who qualify for the scheme and with others who have been waiting for their appeal to be heard. It is very frustrating for people who have very severe disabilities, in many instances, to be waiting so long to have their appeal heard and to get the benefits of this scheme. It is a good scheme, broadly but there is a need for reform and changes to it. The wa…

I thank Deputy Devlin for his good wishes. The position is that the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future contains a number of specific commitments relating to income tax. These include the commitment that from budget 2022 onwards, in the event that incomes are again rising as the economy recovers, credits and bands will be index linked to earnings. This will be done to prevent an increase in the real burden of income tax, to prevent more low-income workers being taken into the tax net because of no changes t…

I thank Deputy Devlin who has raised issues that are very important to the future of our income tax code, including the recognition of the ambition to move to a circular economy and the importance of schemes and supports for retrofitting. He also mentioned specific sectors of our economy. It is worth highlighting the specific income tax and USC recommendations that were made by the Commission on Taxation and Welfare. This was an enormous body of work and the report is one that we should all take seriously. We must …

I thank the Deputy. Many of these individuals have been in touch with me directly as well and a number of Oireachtas colleagues have raised this issue with me. It is an issue of which I am very conscious. I recognise that the rate that many of these mortgage holders would have been on prior to the changes in the ECB interest rate would have been 4% or 4.5% but all of the ECB increases have been passed on in full. That has brought many of them to rates that are at, approaching, or above 7%. That has made life really…

I have put on the record my concern for these customers. I recognise that interest rates at that level can cause real problems for these borrowers, some of whom are already in arrears, while others have cleared and come out of arrears. It is very challenging for them. I acknowledge that point. That is why, as a new Minister for Finance, I have raised it directly with the Central Bank to examine what can be done within the suite of powers it has. I look forward to engaging further with it on the matter.

At the outset, I wish to join with colleagues in conveying my own personal deepest sympathies to the family of the late Private Seán Rooney on their devastating loss, and to send my very best wishes to Private Shane Kearney and his family as his battle continues today. Today's proceedings are an historic occasion in the history of our nation. It is the first time, during a Dáil term, where the Members of the House are being asked to approve the rotation of the Office of An Taoiseach between two parties within Gover…

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a serious issue for many who are affected by overcrowding in accident and emergency departments around the country. The problem does not affect every accident and emergency department but the circumstances are quite serious in some. The Minister for Health has, of course, read the HIQA report and will respond to it formally in due course. In broad terms, he and the rest of the Government accept it and what HIQA is stating in it, particularly its points on workforce planning, m…

-----with almost €170 million. The Minister for Health, his Department and the HSE are now working to implement that plan to recruit more staff. A further 608 people will be recruited as part of the winter plan. We have increased the workforce in health by more than 16,000 in the past two years. This is the largest-ever increase in the workforce in health because we recognise it as a priority. We have had to build up the permanent capacity, in respect of both beds and staff, to meet the demands of a growing populat…

Far from hiding behind the staff, we are standing with the staff. We are investing in the Irish public health service. The Government has approved a new contract offer, which has been made to hospital consultants. It is well recognised we need far more consultants in our system. We need them to be present at weekends, and we need over time to remove private healthcare from our public hospital system. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and his team in the Department of Health and in the HSE have done an excellent job in…

That is up about 17%, which is a record increase in the delivery of bed capacity in acute, sub-acute, community and critical care capacity.

We will continue to do more. We have increased the health budget by 24% over the past two years. We have recruited an extra 16,000 new healthcare professionals.

There are growing demands but the Minister and the HSE do have a plan which they are focused on and implementing. We need a degree of balance and fairness in the presentation of these issues.

Deputy Murphy has touched on a number of important issues in the whole area of planning. It is the case the Government yesterday approved the draft of the new planning Bill. The proposed Bill will be published and will go into the normal legislative process. There will be pre-legislative scrutiny by the relevant Oireachtas committee. We look forward to seeing the outcome of that over the months ahead. I will make a broader point. We have a choice to make in the country. Do we want to have a planning system that is …

The Deputy referred to strategic housing developments, SHDs, and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has abolished the SHD process. Yesterday I brought forward a report on ethics in public office, which will lead to a new Bill that will be brought to the Oireachtas to consolidate the ethics in public office regime. This regime dates back to 1995 and was updated in 2001 by the Standards in Public Office Act. We have work to do to make sure we implement the recommendations that have been made by various tribunals of inquir…