Answer the question.

Does the Tánaiste stand over this bonkers idea of giving taxpayers' money to developers?

Answer the question.

Why is the Government giving taxpayers' money to developers? Answer the question.

The Tánaiste cannot stand over the policy of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this because it is so bonkers he cannot even defend it.

The Tánaiste cannot even defend it.

It has been 18 months since the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, committed to holding an inquiry into the valproate scandal but still there are no terms of reference or timeline for an inquiry and there is no HSE disability pathway in place for families that have been harmed. This has been raised with the Tánaiste directly by many of my colleagues in the Dáil over a long period of time but he has given no clear response. The families who have suffered for decades deserve the truth. The hundreds of children who…

Ardóidh mé inniu an úinéireacht atá beartaithe don ospidéal náisiúnta máithreachais agus atá molta ag an Rialtas agus ag an Aire Sláinte. In ainneoin na himní tromchúisí atá curtha in iúl ag go leor ban agus go leor dochtúirí faoi athlonnú an ospidéil go dtí suíomh Ospidéal Naomh Uinseann i mBaile Átha Cliath, tá an Rialtas ag leanúint go dícheallach leis an rogha léas a bheith aige ar an talamh ar a dtógfar an t-ospidéal in áit a bheith ina úinéir air. Ní dhéanann sé ciall ar chor ar bith go mbeidh píosa iontach t…

The Minister did not answer my questions. I asked why the Sisters of Charity and St. Vincent's cannot gift this land to the State. It is as simple as that. From what the Minister said, it seems that he supports the idea of spending €1 billion of taxpayers' money building a hospital that we all agree is needed on land that is not owned by the State. Does he agree with the statement that I have not heard a single dissenting voice from anyone who does not believe that the hospital must be in complete public ownership?…

It is still a lease.

Figures released by the HSE reveal that since the beginning of 2021, more than 3,400 nurses have been assaulted. That means seven nurses are being assaulted in our hospitals each week. If we consider all staff, then that figure goes up to 5,600 incidents of physical, verbal and sexual assault. These figures were provided to my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, in response to a parliamentary question. In talking about her experience, one nurse described the accident and emergency department as "a pressure cooker", with "…

I want to reflect on sections 5 to 10, inclusive. Given the deadline that was imposed for Deputies to submit amendments, it was not possible for me to capture all that was required but I think it is important to reflect on the extension of the debt warehousing scheme, which will now apply to directors and employees with a material interest in a company who will be allowed to warehouse tax liabilities relating to schedule E income from a company where their income is self-assessed. Previously, if a company availed o…

Sorry?

I was not aware of that when we were debating.

I was not aware that the amendments could not be moved. I knew they were grouped for debate purposes and given the guillotine the Government placed on the debate I restricted my contribution. If I had known there would not be a vote, which was not explained, I would have contributed further.

It is no reflection on the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I understand the fact the amendments were directly opposite to each other. This is a missed opportunity for the Government and, indeed, this House to do the right thing. We have a serious problem right across the board, in every village and every community, where families are hard-pressed as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. The Government has its head in the sand about home heating oil. For the life of me I do not understand how, when the cost of home heating …

I extend my condolences to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and that of my party on the passing of his mother, Caitlin Donohoe. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his extended family at this difficult time for him. I welcome the Minister of State to take oral questions this morning. The first question is to ask the categories of energy for which the Minister sought flexibility in regard to the VAT in his written correspondence with Commissioner Gentiloni on 10 March 2022 and any subsequent correspondence in com…

As the Minister of State will know, Sinn Féin has been calling for the Government to engage with the Commission to secure a VAT reduction on household energy bills since November of last year. We did that because we understand and are aware of the provisions of the EU VAT directive and the imperative to retain our existing derogations, and that is why we called for engagement back then. We understood the process takes time, but I remind the Minister of State that these requests were met with opposition and derision…

We are going to go for it now for the third time and let us see if we can make any progress on this, because the question is very simple. Did the Minister at any time in his correspondence with the Commissioner on 10 March seek flexibility or a reduction in regard to VAT as it applies to home heating oil? Home heating oil is the source of energy that has gone through the roof most. It has increased by 127% in the past 12 months. It has more than doubled. A third of households in the State use home heating oil as th…

So the answer is no, is it? The Minister did not ask.