It is very good but it is a very difficult watch because it is about people with disabilities who are forced to go through medical assessments under the work capability assessment introduced by the British Tory Government. Their disabilities and inability to work is not being recognised. It is a heartbreaking and very difficult film to watch. The reason I ask is that it seems the Government is out to make this film happen in real life in Ireland by copying the Tory policy of the work capability assessment. That is …

ActionAid recently published a report on Ireland's involvement in financing fossil fuels and environmentally damaging agribusiness in the global south. It found that investment managers registered in Ireland hold an incredible $6.2 billion in bonds and shares attributable to fossil fuels and agribusiness in the global south. The top six investments are in oil and gas companies. How is that compatible with Ireland's emissions and climate finance commitments? We cannot continue to donate paltry levels of climate fina…

We can see that this Bill limits itself solely to changing the corporate arrangements of Ervia and Gas Networks Ireland. It is a missed opportunity on many levels. Not many people are aware that semi-State bodies like Gas Networks Ireland, Dublin Bus, the ESB and Coillte are not legally subject to the State's emissions reduction commitments under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. This Bill was an opportunity and still is an opportunity to legislate to ensure that Gas Networks Ireland and other…

Children with spina bifida have been failed scandalously by this State. Now, their families are faced with the horrifying revelations that some of their children who went through surgeries in Temple Street hospital did not get the care they needed. There were extremely high rates of complications and, most scandalously, three had unlicensed, non-medical-grade springs inserted into them. I spoke to one of the families over the weekend and it would be fair to say they are in absolute turmoil. They do not feel listene…

I told the Taoiseach on 5 July.

I heard the allegation that unlicensed implants were being used in April so I did what was appropriate and asked the Minister if it was happening. The response I got twice from CHI stated it was not happening. I went back to the person who was alleging this to me with more specifics. I came forward with specific parliamentary questions on 13 July about how many spring implants had been used, how many had been removed, how many had failed in situ and so on. At the very latest, the Government or the Minister knew abo…

It means there is a spinal surgeon-----

-----involved in the external review. The Taoiseach can see how it is important that I raised the matter with him on 5 July.

He is now saying the normal practice would be to pass that on to the Minister-----

-----and the Minister says he did not know about it until August.

I am not on the list. I think Deputy Ó Murchú put his hand up before me.

Deputy Ó Murchú is extremely polite.

Will the Government increase significantly in the budget the monthly rate of child benefit to help families struggling with the cost of living and will it help parents by funding childcare properly? The thousands of people protesting outside are a graphic illustration that the Government's policy of relying on the private sector to provide quality, affordable childcare has utterly failed. It is a failure for parents who pay some of the highest childcare fees in Europe. It is a failure for childcare workers who are …

The programme for Government says: Ever since Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we have signalled to those with a disability that we are now serious about making a difference – a difference that will make things better. The Government has not done that, however. It has not acted to make things better. I attended a very powerful meeting last Monday night, organised by WALK, an organisation that does tremendous work in supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Serv…

Today's edition of The Irish Times reports that the Government is considering reducing tax on rental income. Why on earth should people pay less tax on passive income than they pay on earned income? Why on earth should tenants pay a higher rate of tax on their income than landlords pay on their income? The justification for this is the idea that there is a flood of landlords leaving the market because they have such a hard time and so on. The evidence does not back that up. We have the highest rents on record. The …

This is obviously horrendous. It is horrendous for all the families involved and it is a horrendous failure by the State. I am going to ask a series of detailed questions of the Minister later on, but for now I just want to put some things on the record. Various people are asking questions and so on, and I happen to know the answer to some of them. For example, I know that three springs were used. One caused severe damage to a child's pelvis and ribcage, requiring multiple operations; one broke a few ribs; and one …

The Minister said he was informed on 4 August about the use of these unlicensed implants. When was he informed about the fact that there were allegations of use of unlicensed implants at Temple Street?

Of allegations that this was happening. Is 4 August literally the first time the Minister heard that there were allegations and when it was confirmed? Did he hear about an allegation at any point previously?

They were submitted on 13 July and the Minister answered them on 25 July.

Let us even take that. The Minister says 4 August, but on 25 July, the Minister responds to detailed questions. He does not respond with detail and he kicks it off to CHI, which is the process, and I still do not have an answer to those questions from CHI. Therefore, the Minister was aware of the allegations at what time - was it 25 July?