The problem is that the Tánaiste has been in government for quite a period of time and we do not have the proper infrastructure in the middle of March, where GPs had to cancel hundreds of appointments because the vaccines that should be arriving are not arriving, and others are getting it with very little notice.

This morning, the Irish Independent reported that one of the authors of the Government's pro-developer shared equity scheme has confirmed that it may push up house prices. Mr. David Duffy, who heads IBEC's Property Industry Ireland, was asked about the scheme and whether it would push up prices. He said it would be something that would contribute to the demand side. This confirms the concerns of the Tánaiste's party colleagues in Dublin City Council, who wrote to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Herit…

Tá géarchéim tithíochta ag cur isteach ar mhórchuid de dhaoine agus ar chaighdeán saoil oibrithe, ar theaghlaigh agus ar dhaoine óga ar fud na tíre. Tá an ghéarchéim seo ann mar gheall ar deich mbliana d’Fhine Gael i gcumhacht agus ní thig linn an seans a ghlacadh go ndéanfaidh Fianna Fáil an scéal níos measa arís. Níl dabht ann go mbeidh sé níos measa mar gheall ar an scéim atá molta ag an Aire agus an Rialtas. Caithfear deireadh a chur leis an scéim seo. The housing crisis did not happen by accident. It happened …

Cuirim fáilte roimh na ráitis tábhachtacha seo. Tréaslaím leis na grúpaí uilig ar fud na tíre atá ag ceiliúradh Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Tá sé deas go bhfuil seachtain faoi leith againn ina bhfuil muid ábalta béim a chur ar an nGaeilge, ach tá sé níos deise go bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar theanga labartha ag éirí níos láidre. Tá 1.7 milliún duine sa Stát seo le cumas Gaeilge de réir an daonáirimh is déanaí. Is páistí iad 560,000 dóibh siúd sa Stát atá ag labhairt i nGaeilge go laethúil ar scoil. Tá 73,000 duine ag labhairt…

I welcome the opportunity to have this timely debate on banking in this State, which is probably overdue. I have ten minutes and I hope to give some of that time to the Minister to respond. It is unfortunate that we are going through difficult times. I will focus on four issues, all of which have arisen in the past month and which have serious implications for the sector and for consumers, staff and banking policy. I am glad that the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach has taken…

D'inis an tAire Sláinte dúinn sa Dáil inné go bhfuil idir 1,000 agus 3,500 duine ag taisteal isteach go hÉirinn achan lá. An tseachtain seo caite, tháinig 10,500 duine isteach trí Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath amháin. Tá muintir na tíre glasáilte taobh istigh de shrianta 5 km agus ag an am céanna tá daoine ag teacht isteach ar saoire chun na tíre gan chosc agus gan bhac. Níl plean an Rialtais maidir le coraintín éigeanteach fada go leor agus tá sé sin soiléir. Ní maith ar bith leithjab a dhéanamh agus coraintín in óst…

We should call a spade a spade. Mandatory quarantine in a person's home will not work. It is not quarantine. Garda sergeants and inspectors have come out and said they do not know what the Government is talking about. This is what Garda sergeants and inspectors are saying when the Government claims this is being followed up on and that there is a robust system in place, when everybody and their dog knows there is not. We are an island nation. We have an opportunity to do our best to support the efforts that are hap…

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is hell-bent on introducing a shared equity scheme that will only push up house prices. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, knows, as we all do, that a whole generation is locked out of home ownership because of the prices that are being charged for houses. It is not just Sinn Féin that is saying the scheme will push up house prices. The most senior official in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is saying the property industry is l…

The warnings are there for the Minister and his party to see.

Tá scéal ann inniu go bhfuil sé le fógairt ag NatWest amárach nach mbeidh Ulster Bank ag trádáil níos mó sa mhargadh ina dhiaidh dó a bheith anseo ar feadh 160 bliain. Drochscéal a bheas ann d’oibrithe, don phobal, do ghnáthchustaiméirí agus don gheilleagar ar fud an Stáit. Tá Ulster Bank ar cheann de na hiasachtóirí is mó do mhorgáistí agus do chomhlachtaí beaga agus measartha sa Stát seo. Gan an banc, tá baol ann go mbeidh ardú ar rátaí úis agus go dtiocfaidh lagú ar an ngeilleagar. Má tá deireadh ag teacht le Ul…

I thank the Tánaiste. We recognise that there are protections there, including for mortgage holders. However, if these loans fall into the hands of vulture funds, there could, upon review of those mortgages, be significant consequences for borrowers. I also recognise that this is a decision for NatWest and that it is outside the control of Government. However, if the decision is taken tomorrow, which seems to be the direction of travel that this has been on for quite a period of time, there is a responsibility on G…

Yesterday, during Leaders' Questions, an Teachta McDonald raised with the Taoiseach the issue of family carers and the failure to set out a specific place for them in the Covid-19 vaccination programme given the vital front-line care they provide. We in this House know that family carers look after vulnerable loved ones with compassion and love. Their value is immeasurable. In response to Deputy McDonald, the Taoiseach said that the Minister for Health had written to the national immunisation advisory committee, NI…

I have three questions but as I am very short on time I will ask them as quickly as possible. The first concerns the future growth loan scheme. It is working well because there is longer tenure than the credit guarantee scheme, which is not going as well. Since expanding in July, there have been 4,000 applications but only 2,000 loans approved. I am told AIB and Bank of Ireland is fully subscribed and the Department has said Ulster Bank is still accepting loan applications. We have been told by businesses that it i…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Lé tréimhse ró-fhada anois, tá na comhlachtaí árachais ag cur costas ró-mhór agus míchóir ar thiománaithe agus ar úinéirí tithe. Tá sé seo ag tarlú bliain i ndiaidh bliana. Tá an Bille seo chun é sin a athrú. Tabharfaidh sé tús áite do thiománaithe agus d'úinéirí tithe, a bhfuil árachas acu, ag laghdú costas. Tabharfaidh sé ar chomhlachtaí árachais a gcuid cleachtais a mhíniú. Cuirfidh mó Bhille deireadh le déphraghsáil, cleachtas ina bhfuil a fhios ag comhlachtaí …

I thank all of the 26 speakers who have spoken on this legislation so far, those who offered their support - outside of the Government speakers who are attempting to delay this legislation - and those who mentioned me, in particular. This legislation is about fairness. I will deal with some of the issues put forward by Government spokespersons in their rebuttal. To the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, I say that he is a year behind the time and needs to catch up. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority is not completing its …

Cé gur tugadh úinéirí na dtithe tábhairne FBD os comhair na cúirte agus cé go raibh bua acu sa chúirt, tá comhlachtaí amuigh ansin le polasaithe árachais a chosnaíonn iad in éadan Covid-19 agus níl na comhlachtaí árachais ag cloí leis na polasaithe sin. Caithfidh Banc Ceannais na hÉireann gníomhú air seo. In May last year, four pubs launched a High Court action against FBD Insurance. These businesses had nowhere left to turn so they decided to fight their corner in the courts. The case revolved around the issue of …

That is a shocking response from the Tánaiste who has ministerial responsibility for enterprise. The Tánaiste said that I am trying mislead businesses that I am on their side. I have met the Central Bank privately and discussed with it the need for an examination of this issue similar to the tracker mortgage examination. I have provided it with documentation in regard to how insurance companies are wriggling out of policies. The Central Bank asked for that documentation. There is nothing preventing us as Members of…

I raised the issue of the court case before.

I must point out to the Tánaiste that I made my call for the Central Bank to intervene and asked for the Government to support it before papers were lodged in the High Court. That is just for the record. We continue to be the laggard when it comes to international travel. When I last raised the issue with the Tánaiste, he said he would examine making it mandatory for all international travellers to take a PCR test post arrival, as recommended by NPHET, but there have been no subsequent updates in this regard and no…

Táim buíoch as a bheith ábalta labhairt anseo. Tá an t-ádh orainn i nDún na nGall go bhfuil muid beannaithe le 1,100 km de chósta ar bhéal ár ndorais. Níl radharc níos deise ann ná radharc an Atlantaigh fhiáin. Is í an cheist atá ag an lucht is mó ná ceist faoin mhéid atá faoin uisce agus faoin dochar a bhaineann leis. Dúradh go bhfuil timpeall ar 240,000 tona d'airm cheimiceacha na Breataine i ndumpaí ar chúl Oileán Thoraí. Tá imní ar mhuintir na háite faoi seo. Cad é go díreach atá sa dumpa? Cé mhéad atá ann? Cén…