Answer the question. Why is the Minister going against his officials' advice, allowing these executives-----

A Thánaiste, ní chreideann an tAire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta gur cás éigeandála í an ghéarchéim tithíochta cé go bhfuil méadú ar chíosanna, ar chostais agus ar phraghas tithíochta, agus ar líon na ndaoine atá gan dídean. On Tuesday night, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage claimed there is not a housing emergency. I am sure that anyone who heard that remark was aghast at the suggestion we do not have a housing emergency in this country. Yet, the Taoiseach thinks he is doing…

The Tánaiste has had 12 full years to deal with those constraints. As we now approach the end of 2022, house prices have never been as high in the history of the State. Rents have never been as high. Homelessness figures, which include 4,000 children, have never been as high in the history of the State. Thousands of people, who are contacting all of us, are locked out of homeownership. People cannot afford to get by. They are seeing rents increase over and over again. The Government continues to refuse to bring in …

If the Tánaiste thinks housing in Derry is similar to housing in Dublin, then he is delusional.

The Tánaiste is delusional.

He is delusional if he thinks housing in Derry is similar to housing in Dublin.

The Tánaiste is not entitled to that.

That is ridiculous.

It is almost a decade since the Tánaiste first promised to reduce waiting times for children with scoliosis. I have lost count of the number of times his Governments have made and repeatedly broken promises. According to Children's Health Ireland, CHI, 149 children with scoliosis or spina bifida have been waiting six months or more for surgery, with 117 of those waiting for more than a year. The Minister for Health has said that the promise will again be broken this year. This means that those children will be faci…

Hear, hear.

It is not populist to bring the stories of people to this Chamber.

The Taoiseach is living in a bubble.

Last month, the EPA published its 2021 report on urban wastewater treatment. It found that only half of sewerage is treated to EU standards with more than 2.5 million tonnes of raw sewage being pumped into our seas and rivers every year. This pollutes our environment and poses a real health risk to the public. The most recent EU monitor report found that we have a compliance rate of 44% for the proportion of water that meets the requirements of the directive compared with an EU average of 76%. Raw sewage is being d…

That side of the House created it.

It is one month since the tragedy visited Creeslough, with the loss of ten beautiful lives that gave so much joy to their families, friends and community. They were 14-year-old Leona Harper, who went into the shop to buy an ice cream, excited about the sleepover she was about to attend that evening; Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter, little Shauna Flanagan Garwe, who had gone into the shop together to buy a birthday cake for Shauna's mother; Hugh Kelly, who had driven Shauna and her father, Bob, to the sh…

Táthar ag súil ar maidin go n-ardóidh an Banc Ceannais Eorpach a ráta úis arís faoi 0.75 pointe céatadáin eile. Sin méadú de dhá phointe céatadáin ó mhí Iúil, agus beidh tionchar láithreach ag an ardú seo ar theaghlaigh a bhfuil morgáiste rianúcháin acu, le go leor ag feiceáil a gcuid aisíocaíochta ag ardú le €2,000 i gcomparáid le tús na bliana. Tá sé in am anois dearcadh arís ar fhaoiseamh ús morgáiste. The Tánaiste will know that workers and families are struggling and that prices are rising and spilling over in…

All those excessive profits the banks are making go untaxed under the Tánaiste's Government. The banks have told us themselves that, despite making nearly €1 billion in the first six months of this year, this will boost their interest income by another €1 billion. The Central Bank has told us that, of all European banks, Irish banks will benefit most from the hikes. It is not just about making excess profits. We are now in an almighty cost-of-living crisis and the banks should do the right thing. Some banks have no…

That is not true.

It is Fine Gael's sister party that wrecked the economy across the water because it introduced tax cuts for the rich.

Tax cuts for the rich.