Listening to the Minister and the Minister of State, you would swear to God we were not in the middle of a housing crisis. You would swear to God we did not have rents at record levels, house prices at record levels and a whole generation locked out of any prospect of homeownership the longer the Government stays in power. Listening to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, you would swear 11,754 people were not in emergency accommodation. Under his watch, 3,400 children are in emergency accommodation tonight, and the Gover…

Hear, hear.

Táimid ag maireachtáil i lár ghéarchéim tithíochta de bharr pholasaí an Rialtais. Bhí an cinneadh deireadh a chur leis an gcosc ar dhíshealbhú fuar agus cadránta. Tá údaráis áitiúla ag rá le teaghlaigh, is é sin, na tionóntaí sin a bheidh díshealbhaithe, nach bhfuil áit ar bith acu le cur fúthu. Tá siad tréigthe ag an Rialtas seo. We are living in the middle of a housing emergency caused by Government actions and inaction, and the Government's latest policy is to end the eviction ban that was helping to keep the ro…

Where are they going to go?

Where are they going to go?

In the Tánaiste's four-minute diatribe, he did not answer the question I put to him, or the question an Teachta McDonald put to the Taoiseach yesterday. Where are these individuals going to go? The Tánaiste may want to focus on me or Deputy Ó Broin or whatever; I am focusing on people like this parent with two children who South Dublin County Council told there is no emergency accommodation available in that local authority. The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive said there is no available accommodation in the coun…

That is the reality and the Tánaiste can spin it as much as he wants. Answer the question. Where are these families supposed to go?

They are being evicted now.

In the real world they are being told-----

In the real world they are told to go to a Garda station.

It is a very serious matter.

Tánaiste, there are thousands going to be evicted.

It could not be.

It has come as a huge blow to the school communities that the Department of Education has decided to put on hold the construction of 29 new schools that were supposed to go to tender. This is part of a total of 58 schools that were to be constructed and go to tender and are now under review by the Department. The Department has refused to provide a list of the schools that are affected. Some of these schools have been waiting for more than a decade, relying on temporary buildings, in some cases across the road. A s…

Deputy Ward sorted it.

Is deas go bhfuilim ábalta cúpla focal a rá ar an ócáid seo, agus muid i lár Seachtain na Gaeilge, faoin tábhacht atá ag baint le húsáid na Gaeilge agus an Ghaeilge atá againn a úsáid agus a labhairt, fiú muna bhfuil againn ach cúpla focal. Níl go leor de sin ag tarlú taobh amuigh den fhoirgneamh seo ach taobh istigh fosta. B’fhéidir go dtig linn uilig i bhfad níos mó agus iarrachtaí níos fearr a dhéanamh sa todhchaí. Mar dhuine ó cheantar Gaeltachta agus duine a rugadh taobh amuigh den oileán seo agus a tháinig go…

We hear more and more talk about moving to a cashless society but cash remains a critical pillar of the financial system and access to it is crucial for citizens and businesses. Despite widespread commentary regarding the transition to a cashless society, most consumers value having cash. Its importance is even more critical for certain cohorts, including the elderly and those on low incomes, for whom the use of cash is not just a choice but a necessity. There is no doubt but that cash is in decline, and we acknowl…

You have made a conscious decision to increase homelessness and it is shameful.

It is a conscious decision to increase homelessness.

On a point of order, this is a Government that cannot deal with the fact that it has made a decision to increase homelessness.