As the Minister said, I have acknowledged the fact that the agreement does work to a certain point. All the four companies are Abbott subsidiaries so surely someone is looking at this. Does the Minister dispute the findings of the Christian Aid report? The key thing here for me - and let us be clear about this - is that Abbott broke no law. It wants to reduce its tax liability. Revenue can say that is in compliance or it could have said that the anti-avoidance measures could take precedence here. When a company fin…

We all know the State and its people are in the grip of a housing emergency and there is a lack of genuine affordable homes. We have rip-off rents that continue to squeeze incomes and harm people's lives. There are policies that could change the dynamic and provide solutions to people who need them. The Government's Housing for All plan kicked the can down the road when it comes to the vacant property tax. I call on the Minister to inform the Dáil why this measure is being delayed. Will he consider expediting it an…

That is the problem; the Housing for All plan does not actually deal with the urgency of the crisis that we have. In June 2017, my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, called on the Minister to introduce a vacant home tax. Time went on and on and house prices became unaffordable. Rents are going through the roof and families are pressed in terms of their housing needs, and more time went on. What is the Minister planning? The reality is, and it has to be called out, that more time will go on. The Department of Finance gave t…

Unfortunately, the Minister has played a role in this. He has incentivised the vultures and the speculators. We saw it in the debate earlier on about the core part of Housing for All where developers can avoid the provision of 20% social and affordable homes, and that is part of the Minister's plan. Therefore, he has, unfortunately, had an influence. Where he has not had an influence is in the four years after we called for a vacant property tax. He still has not introduced it. The Minister wants to know the locati…

Tell us.

Will you answer any of my questions?

I want to know what you are thinking of doing.

That is because you do not have the detail. That is the problem.

Deputy Moynihan is absolutely right. We need the legislation to look at whether they are passing on the full amount of reductions. We all want the same thing here - we want money in people's pockets - but the Government needs to bring forward that legislation. Even with the changes Liberty Insurance has brought in, it is next to impossible now to compare the new quotes because it has changed its whole structure in terms of how it is issuing quotes. I renewed my insurance with Liberty Insurance just last week. The b…

Tá an scannal mica go fóill ag tarlú agus teaghlaigh agus úinéir tí ag fanacht le scéal. Thug an Rialtas gealltanas dóibh i mí an Mheithimh go mbeidh cúiteamh 100% le fáil acu. Táimid i lár mhí Mheán Fómhair agus níl soiléiriú ar bith faighte acu. On 15 June, thousands of homeowners and families affected by the mica and pyrites scandal travelled to Leinster House and Government Buildings. They sent out a clear message that they will not be forgotten. On the same day, this House passed a motion brought by Sinn Féin …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Tánaiste for his response. I listened closely to what he said about finding a solution and an enhanced scheme. Allow me to speak about the commitment he made to those families and the working group in 2018. The Tánaiste said there should be parity with the pyrite scheme. That is what is fair and that is 100% redress. In June, the Tánaiste voted in this House in favour of 100% redress. I know nothing is simple. I know i's need to be dotted and t's need to be crossed and the details needs to …

The Tánaiste is part of a Government that is notoriously leaky, and I am not going to go into his own issues as it is subject to a criminal investigation. Yesterday, the Taoiseach could not update the House in regard to the investigation into the leak regarding the mother and baby homes commission after that report made its way to Government. As he knows, this was a leak that caused massive hurt and pain to the survivors and their families. Last night, we discussed the controversy surrounding the appointment of Kat…

What about the sting operation?

Can you answer about the sting operation which your junior Minister had into your senior Minister and that you confronted him? Did you inform the Taoiseach of that? It is a serious issue.

Answer the question. Did you inform the Taoiseach of it and can you confirm the sting operation?

On the point Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised, it is important the Minister with responsibility for housing comes before this House. It is important we get to the bottom of why the Minister has misled the House about a flawed scheme, about which the senior civil servant in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said it was being lobbied by developers because it would line their pockets and push up house prices. My colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, has clarified with the Central Bank that what the Minister put on th…

It is just a statement of fact. It is not-----

I have no problem withdrawing the accusation of lying but the substance of the matter is that the Minister did mislead the House. I stand over that. The serious question is whether the Taoiseach is again going to turn a blind eye just as he has with everything else. Is he actually going to lead in government? This cannot go on.

Has the Central Bank approved it?

Can I get clarification on whether the Business Committee can now meet to arrange for the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to come before the House? It is a very serious issue, as it always has been, for a Minister to mislead the House. He has also misled the public in repeating the accusation on "Prime Time".