The Taoiseach's answer highlights why this is so worrisome in many ways because he correctly states the homeless figures are decreasing but the deaths among homeless people are going in the opposite direction. That is the key issue. The figures are already massively higher than they were in the past two full years. I believe there is a number of reasons for that. If a person is from outside of Dublin and he or she needs help in Dublin, that person is told to go home to his or her own county. Such people cannot go h…

Today, the Irish Examiner reports that the OPW has admitted not being able to recoup €10 million of an overpayment relating to the Department of Health building on Baggot Street. This is an incredible situation. To put it in context, we spoke about the Dublin Region Homeless Executive a couple of minutes ago, an organisation which spends €4 million a year on day services for homeless people. I understand that the owner of the building in question is Larry Goodman. I also understand that the Government was involved …

Should we not crack the whip when it comes to State funds?

I have raised this before. Covid is obviously a serious illness and we obviously need to do the best we can to reduce its incidence. Ireland is the sixth most restrictive country on the planet, yet it has the third lowest incidence of Covid in European terms. That would be fine but there is a massive cost to the restrictions in terms of patients missing cancer appointments, the large number of people waiting for cancer screening, the mental illness pandemic and the complete flooring of the retail trade, whereby 51%…

I did not hear any reference to the question that I put in which is, obviously, grouped with these questions. I take it my question is being taken after these.

As far as I understand it, we are discussing Questions Nos. 23 to 26, inclusive. My question is Question No. 25.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The point of my question is that there are so many victims of the current Covid restrictions in this country that it is hard to separate them but, obviously, small businesses have been massacred because of Covid and because of the restrictions over the past six months. We have seen a large amount of pubs close which have left the isolated even further isolated around the country. We are seeing hundreds of crèches, childcare services, shops, cafés and restaurants all closing for go…

This matter is important because Ireland has been racked by insider circles for decades. Insider circles are not a victimless crime. They have a radical influence on the development of a society and everyone else's ability to live in that society. Either we call insider circles out or give licence to them. If we vote confidence in the Tánaiste, the Dáil will give licence to that type of behaviour. How will we be able to turn around to anyone else at any level of government or in the Civil Service if he or she does …

I am sharing time with Deputy Fitzpatrick. At first glance, the Finance Bill looks like legislation for the ultimate Ross O'Carroll Kelly budget. When one looks more closely, it is clear that a phenomenal number of sectors have been left out of its provisions. In the case of older people, for example, who are most vulnerable and exposed in this particular crisis, there is not even a tenner a week for them out of an €18 billion budget. Another group that has been massively stuffed in this budget is student nurses. T…

Am I right in saying there were four communications between the Taoiseach and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of the North of Ireland since the start of September? It would be useful to detail the meetings before that as well. The question says "since the election in February", and the Taoiseach has so far detailed four occasions when he was in contact with the First Minister and deputy First Minister of the North of Ireland since the start of February. I have raised this matter before. Dr. Gabriel Sca…

We can say we know of six occasions since the election in February where the Taoiseach of the South has been in contact with the First Minister of the North. Dr. Gabriel Scally, who I am sure is held in high regard on all sides of this Chamber, has said that "if this was an animal disease ... there would be an integrated effort North and South". When he was asked if he felt there was sufficient communication and co-operation between the two states in Ireland, he went further and said absolutely not. In his view: If…

It is clear that the Tánaiste's conduct and actions have been unethical, underhand and deceitful. His actions may also have been illegal. Indeed, I believe the Garda has been notified on two occasions regarding what the Tánaiste has been involved in. I am amazed that he is even seeking to create confusion here because the facts are obviously clear that this is a confidential document that was not for putting about the place. He leaked it to a friend, who stated, "Leo always delivers." It shows that Ireland in 2020 …

Was it a public document or a confidential document?

If this was a confidential document, there were other parties to the document and to the agreement that was being made in confidence. Was their confidence not broken when the Tánaiste released the document to a third party without their permission?

The Tánaiste has agreed here today that it was a confidential document, it was understood as a confidential document by the parties to the document, and that he broke that confidence. Is it not a very serious issue that the Taoiseach of the day broke the confidence of major parties with which the Government was negotiating? Every time the Tánaiste was asked why he did not do this the right way at the time, he said that he would do it differently now. That answer skips over his motivation for doing it the wrong way …

I am sorry, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, this is irrelevant.

The reason I say the act of distributing this confidential document was secret is that the Tánaiste never told the then Minister who was charged with negotiating and developing the contract about it. He never told anybody about it. That is startling. Nobody was told about this particular action. Did the Tánaiste include a cover letter with the document that was posted?

The Tánaiste left no paper trail whatsoever. There was no cover letter and he told absolutely nobody. He sent the document, breaching the confidence of those participants in the contract, to a friend. He said that there was no material benefit involved, but of course there was; knowledge is power. When an individual gives confidential information to someone, it increases his or her influence with that individual or group. In addition, Dr. Ó Tuathail's organisation was a competitor to the IMO which actively sought t…

I am referring to the secrecy element. I am not asking about the Taoiseach's motivation for briefing a rival organisation to the IMO. Such a briefing could have been carried out publicly, formally or even in a published document. I am asking the Tánaiste about his motivation for doing so in secret.

The Tánaiste is asking us to believe that Dr. Ó Tuathail's judgment on the document would be materially affected by receiving it in a secret fashion rather than a formal or public fashion. How would his understanding of that document have been in any way affected by the method in which it was received?