Yes.

I move: That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight entitled "Report on Section 481 - Film Tax Credit", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 9th May, 2023. Deputy Cowen sends his apologies but he was unavoidably detained. He also made the point that he has just recently been installed as Chair of the committee and that he was not around for the putting together of this report so he felt it was-----

Hopefully, there are a few of us.

I would like to thank all of the committee members who participated in the production of this report and all of the contributors who work or are involved in the film industry. I would also like to thank the former Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, Deputy Hourigan, who was the Chair during the production of this report, who inputted significantly to the report and who was open to the suggestion that we should do a report on section 481 and the film industry. I appreciate that. I asked our committee to d…

Okay. Misled.

I am just relaying what they told me.

I did not mention his name.

On the issue of the negotiation, what was told to the committee was not true. Is that better?

I am simply relaying what I have been told. The point is this needs to be investigated. That is all I am saying. It is an allegation but it needs to be investigated. The committee has gone as far as to write to the European Union to ask it to investigate the matter. The EU directive is clear on these issues, that under fixed-term workers legislation, there should not be the use of successive multiple fixed-term contracts. That is the whole point of the directive. Similarly, buyout contracts should be the exception,…

To pre-empt everything I am going to say, I am personally and politically committed to public funding for the film industry and for arts and culture in general. I am one of the most vocal, although not the only one because there are many others, in arguing every year that we should put more investment into film, arts and culture. I will do it again this year. I am in favour of significantly increasing investment in the Irish film industry. To be honest, I think we could be doing much more with the talent we have he…

The situation at RTÉ is an unholy mess and a scandal that has done extraordinary damage to the vital institution of public service broadcasting in this country. It involves secret payments mislabelled as consultancy; an organised deception of the public, the Dáil and the workers in RTÉ; a barter account that looks like a slush fund, and then three barter accounts that may look like slush funds; no accountability about any of this; staggering salaries for a favoured few at the top; a group of people who work week in…

There is simply no justification for a small number of people at the top to get salaries that are multiples of what the ordinary journalists, crew and workers in RTÉ get. This notion of "the talent" implied a sort of hierarchy. The truth is, to make a show, it is not just a contractor or highly-paid presenter that is needed. Sound people, researchers, a producer and all sorts of people, who are just as important, are needed for the creation of those shows. There is no justification for these staggering salaries or …

I did not say anything.

Can we extend the the time for the grouping? The next one is short.

If someone on the social housing list who is facing eviction gets the housing assistance payment, HAP, it is nearly impossible to find accommodation. If someone is over the threshold for social housing, however, they are absolutely goosed because they do not get HAP and cost rental is for the most part unavailable, so they are trapped. I am dealing with a working mother and her child who have spent four years in emergency accommodation because she is not entitled to social housing or HAP and is trapped. She is not …

Not agreed.

On Thursday, there is a debate on Ireland's further participation in the European Defence Agency. This is a mouthpiece for the European arms industry. The Taoiseach is planning to further involve us with this organisation, which represents those who make profits from producing weapons that are sold to, among other places, countries like Israel to murder Palestinians. Not only do European governments not sanction Israel for its murderous activities, as we have seen in Jenin on an ongoing basis - day in, day out - bu…

I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends and classmates of Max Wall and Andrew O'Donnell. I simply cannot imagine the unbearable sense of loss, tragedy and devastation being felt by their families and friends. I also extend all my sympathy to the St. Michael's school community who have to bear this terrible loss. Does the Taoiseach think we owe a State apology to families who are homeless through no fault of their own, and children who are now homeless in record numbers and are living…

Children first.

There are a lot of people who are just trapped through no fault of their own.