Yet, the Minister still does not get it. He had his time. He does not get that people who are dependent on social welfare need to see their payment rates increase to keep in line with inflation. He does not get that we need to see additional support, such as cost-of-living cash payments paid directly to low- and middle-income earners, targeted to those most in need, or to set up a debt utility fund to help people to pay what their debts cost. He does not get it, and he has never gotten it as long as he has been in …

Is í an cheist atá os comhair na Dála inniu ná an fhadhb atá ann le míoca agus le pirít. Why has the Minister ensured the remediation of dwellings damaged by defective concrete blocks does not provide for the replacement of foundations of homes that must be demolished, given that the Minister has asked the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, to examine the need for this to be done in its ongoing review? The scheme that was published required households to build on potentially shaky and damaged foundation…

Part of the question I asked related to the costs associated with this. The Minister has triggered a review into deleterious materials in foundations and other materials in the blocks but he authorised the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland to carry out a study of the cost of rebuilding while asking them to exclude the cost of foundations. The Minister has acknowledged a change from the published scheme, in that the legislation will be silent on the question of foundations and may change in future if the eviden…

I do not think the Minister answered the question. Maybe it was an issue of timing. The question I was asking was what happens if the NSAI comes back, as we expect it will, and says we need to deal with foundations. There are old Irish sayings about not building on sand. The idea of taxpayers' money going into building a structure on foundations that are at least questionable and are not even being tested is a serious issue. If the Minister decides at a late stage to include foundations, is it not the case that he …

Léiríonn tuarascáil an Ombudsman teip iomlán an Rialtais áiteanna scoile a chur ar fáil do pháistí agus do leanaí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta acu. Tá gníomh éigeandála de dhíth anois le cinntiú go mbeidh áit scoile ag gach páiste sa Stát i mí Mheán Fómhair. The Ombudsman for Children has released a scathing report of the Government's failure on children with special needs who cannot secure appropriate school places come September. Mr. Muldoon was very clear regarding the seriousness of the situation. He said th…

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. I am surprised by his commentary that there are no plans for emergency legislation. This highlights the fact the members of the Government are not speaking to each other. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, is on the record as saying she has spoken to the Attorney General in the context of emergency legislation. We need emergency legislation. The Tánaiste is absolutely right that his words and statistics are cold comfort and no comfort to any family. Today there are 106 chi…

AIB and EBS have been fined €96 million for overcharging more than 12,000 customers and 93 breaches of regulations. Harm ranged from overcharging and breaching contracts to the repossession of family homes. AIB and EBS have caused serious harm to customers and ruined many lives. To date they have been forced to pay back more than €230 million to affected customers but the irony is that AIB and EBS will pass on these costs to their customers. The fact is that not one banker has been held to account to date in any of…

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the issue of insurance reform, an important matter. This is a timely discussion, two and a half years after the Government launched its Action Plan for Insurance Reform in December 2020. Although insurance often seems like a boring or dry topic, it is crucial to the functioning of a modern economy because it allows business to transfer risk, without which many would be unable to access funding and credit. It also allows for risk to be priced, enabling firms to allocate resource…

I wish to make a point of order before we begin. I do not lay fault at the feet of the Minister for Finance, but in my 12 years as Opposition spokesperson on finance I have not experienced a situation where the Minister for Finance has not been present. There are times when a Minister has to attend other international duties or events and we in the Opposition have always facilitated the change. I understand that that was requested in this case as well, but the Chief Whip needs to get his act together. The senior Mi…

That simply does not cut it. The mantra coming from the Government that we are going to do nothing until October's budget at the very earliest is something that it feels it should be proud of. The Government needs to listen to where ordinary people are at. Every single day they are feeling that squeeze. They are seeing it in food prices that have gone up by 5%. They are seeing it in energy costs that have gone up by 57%. The ESRI report today talks about average families looking at up to €40 per week. The Minister …

I do not know if the Minister of State really believes what he says and that the Government has done enough. Let me put it like this: the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council told the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach that inflation has benefitted the tax revenues of the State. Inflation and growth have given a bonanza of €2 billion, yet since the start of the year what the Government has introduced has given €1 billion back, so there is space. That is what IFAC is telling the Minist…

Not if the Government bans rent increases.

In the past year, we have seen petrol and diesel prices skyrocket. People are seeing that very clearly. I am sure the Minister of State sees it himself as he passes the petrol pump stations. In my village, we see petrol prices of €2.25. We are told that diesel prices will rise very soon. We all wish that every household and community had excellent public transport but that is not the case. Will the Government take further measures to reduce the price of fuel at the pump by reducing the rate of excise charge, provid…

Is the Minister of State saying the Government is now acknowledging that what it has already done has been poorly targeted? A larger package - one where the vast majority of its measures are targeted - is needed. Other people are feeling the pinch, of course, which is why issues like excise also need to be considered. Fair play to the Minister of State for mentioning that the minimum rate allowable under the directive is below the rate in Ireland at the moment. Let us be clear in that there are people who have to t…

I love how the Minister of State selectively quotes reports. Maybe he should quote the ESRI’s report where it states the Government has scope to do more. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, believes more targeted measures could be taken. The Central Bank also states that the Government has that scope. The taxman has been benefiting from inflation in petrol and diesel prices. As prices have soared over past year, we have seen 12 cent more being accrued in VAT. The VAT take on petrol and diesel has increased by …

Has the Minister of State no shame? One in three households is in energy poverty.

De réir mar a mhéadaíonn praghsanna fuinnimh mar gheall ar an gcogadh, fuair an Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, amach go bhfuil duine as achan trí teaghlaigh anois ag maireachtáil i mbochtaineacht fuinnimh agus diúltaíonn an Rialtas seo gníomhú. Tá níos mó daoine ag titim isteach i mbochtaineacht fuinnimh agus iad ag streachailt leis an ngéarchéim chostais maireachtála agus tá seo do-ghlactha. D'iarr Sinn Féin arís agus arís ar an Rialtas seo cáinaisnéis éigeandála a thabhairt chun tosaigh, a thabharf…

That is not true

The Tánaiste's opening gambit again displays how out of touch the Government is. I really thought as somebody whom the Director of Public Prosecutions is assessing whether to prosecute him under the corruption Act, he would be a bit more humble in his response.

Let me put this to the Tánaiste. This report is not just expected. We knew it was going to happen because the Government has failed to act to protect the most vulnerable. This is a report of shame. One in three households is in energy poverty. The Tánaiste is not a commentator. He is the Tánaiste and the leader of a party in government. We need action now. There are four weeks left in this sitting of the Dáil. There are people who are going to St. Vincent de Paul and people who are queuing up for food parcels today…