In dealing with Covid, we have tried to do two things. We have tried to grapple, in some cases, with an infrastructural deficit to try to continue normal life, while at the same time we need to look forward to ensure that the supports that are in place are protected for the security and connectivity of the island. Let me deal with three sectors. In July, I was delighted when the public consultation period opened for the extension of the Luas green line to Finglas, an area that is exclusively reliant on bus services…

Community employment is used by organisations across the country to support communities, deliver services and maximise community facilities. Is the Minister's Department committed to reforming the community employment scheme to ensure the long-term sustainability of these services, bearing in mind the people who work in them?

While the service is used to provide much-needed community facilities, the real problem is that the CE scheme is funded by the Minister's Department to provide a training opportunity for people exiting long-term unemployment with the hope they would progress into the job market. I have supervised some of the people involved in these schemes and there is no doubt they benefit greatly from the opportunity. However, those positive stories mask what I believe to be a system with massive governance funding and structura…

On a wider point than just the CE pensions, the real problem with the CE schemes is the nature of them being independent limited companies. In many ways, it is a little bit of a corporate governance black hole. The Department is effectively the shadow director, the funder and the real decision maker and CE supervisors are often one-man or one-woman shows. They have little support and the board of directors is often there in name only. Equally, some schemes are used by large charities to do vital fundraising work. T…

When can we expect that those who had their PUP incorrectly reduced might receive the payment? Many of them include taxi drivers who incorrectly had their car repayments included in the assessment and this has been corrected on appeal. Some of them are being told they will not receive it for some time.

I thank the Minister for clarifying today that the payments will be made this week. Initially, one taxi driver who spoke to me had been told he would not receive it until April next year, which would have been completely unacceptable. I appreciate there is a major workload for the staff in the Department. I also appreciate the huge frustration and sense of loss that many taxi drivers and other self-employed people have felt. I appreciate the Minister giving me the clarification that the payments will be made this w…

I will be supporting the Government's amendment to the motion, and I urge the Opposition to do the same, in order that we can send a strong message from this House that the type of activity taking place in Dublin in recent months is unacceptable and this House rejects it. I agree with other Deputies who described the problem, which dates back to July, of people with pets, people with children with special needs and older people being terrorised in their own communities. The difficulty is that in communities such as…

I always welcome the opportunity to speak about the unforgivable shortage of housing in this city and the rest of the country, and in turn, the unenviable and unacceptable position of renters. I welcome the opportunity provided by the Opposition to highlight again the real experience of renters, the lack of security of tenure, the uncertainty, the disproportionate percentage of rental cost relative to their income and the failed housing policies pursued for the past nine years rather than providing public housing f…

As we saw in the July stimulus package, this new Government is investing in key projects and supporting workers and businesses at an unprecedented level at an unprecedented time. The massive scale of the response underlines our commitment to protecting jobs and communities. With the July stimulus package, the State is spending approximately €87 billion in 2020. There is one category of worker, however, which has been adversely affected by this pandemic and which urgently needs further supports from the Government. …

I welcome the Ministers of State, Deputies Butler, Rabbitte and Feighan, to the House. Having waited eight years for a Minister to champion their primary care centre, the people of Finglas will be delighted that three Ministers of State have come along all at once. This project dates back to 2012. The HSE, local GPs, elected representatives and the community all agree on the need for a primary care centre. The budget and plans were in place and the HSE proceeded, despite being advised by local representatives that …

I appreciate the Minister of State outlining some of the difficulties with the site, but it is clearly water long under the bridge since 2012. What people want to know now is, first, when will the design team be initiated? I appreciate that the Minister of State confirmed it will be appointed, but when will that be done? Second, is the funding in the capital programme to deliver this project? There is no reason that should not be the case. As the Minister of State noted, there is great need for this service. All of…

I thank the Minister of State for his bona fides on this issue. I acknowledge that he is taking the question on behalf of the Minister. We have a very strong team in the Department, led by the Minister and the Ministers of State. I hope that they, working with me and other Government Deputies who represent the area, will be able to deliver on the commitments in the programme for Government and for the people I know each of them wish to serve.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. In the immediate aftermath of the election, the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, said that there was an urgent need to provide the country with a functioning government. In outlining the many reasons why that was needed, he spoke very passionately about how parents of children with a disability must fight to secure a place each September for their children in primary and secondary school. Many parents of children with special needs are facing considerable difficulties in securing…

I thank the Minister of State. At the heart of her reply, as well as the experience of any parents who sit before us at a clinic explaining their real urgency and frustration, is the issue of transparency. Many of those parents do not feel part of the process but feel they are subject to the process. Many do not believe there is transparency about how a school or ASD unit is established, or how a school avails of that process. We also really need to take into account the needs of the schools. Many of the schools I …

I had the pleasure this week of attending the launch of the latest phase of affordable housing with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. It is great for any politician who attends such events to see the pleasure of any young families in being able to purchase their own homes. Unfortunately, however, many young families now have a level of uncertainty concerning their applications to financial institutions and the drawdown of funding because their employer is availing of t…

I thank the Minister for his reply. I understand the regulatory framework, but when my constituents, Derek and Sandra, attended my clinic last week and told me about their mortgage application, it was very difficult as a Member to explain to them why we have such a large stake in the ownership of many of these banks and yet they feel they are being treated unfairly. I accept the statement by the banks that there will be no delay, but I fear we are just pushing this process on to the next stage, because the issue my…

I thank the Minister and I accept his bona fides in this matter. As well as the responsibility that we have, and as someone who purchased a home in 2008, I know all about the issues relating to protecting those people who may not have long-term financial security. We also, however, have to ensure that we have a functioning housing market and that we continue to allow people who can to purchase a home. I thank the Minister and I urge him to maintain the pressure he is placing on the banks, both this afternoon and in…

Like previous speakers, I congratulate the Minister on his appointment as Minister for Health. I say that, not out of some sense of party loyalty, but because I have seen in a very real way the ability and skill he has applied to the health portfolio as an Opposition spokesperson. I saw it here in the Chamber but more important, I saw it when the Minister came to visit my constituency with a number of other spokespeople from the Fianna Fáil Front Bench. The Minister listened with real integrity to people from that …

This is the first opportunity I have had as the parent of two children to acknowledge the work that many principals, teachers and special needs assistants, SNAs, have done during the pandemic. In many cases it was done without the assistance of a national online learning platform, which is something we need to look at very speedily. We also need to look at the issue of the digital divide, particularly in DEIS and disadvantaged areas. On the issue of July provision, I fear that this summer, many parents may yet be t…

Like my colleague, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, I welcome some of the proposed improvements and responses to domestic violence in the draft programme for Government but, like every Deputy, I will be holding whoever holds the relevant responsible ministerial positions to account because the State has not done enough to address domestic violence. I know this from having visited the Aoibhneas centre last November. I was not prepared for what I encountered. First, I was not prepared for the fact that somebody I actually kne…