The employees and pensioners have been co-operative in the transition of Bord na Móna over the past number of years.

With the permission of the House, I am sharing my speaking time with Deputy James O'Connor. I welcome and support this Bill. I compliment the former Minister, Michael McGrath, who worked on it initially, and the Minister, Deputy Chambers, for bringing it forward and ensuring there will be sufficient and effective access to cash in future in this State. Without Government intervention, it is likely that over time we would see a further reduction in the number of ATMs across the State and this is something we do not …

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter. Like, I am sure, many other people, I am dealing with many constituents who have no option only to deal with vulture funds. For example, in marital breakdown, a couple decided to come together and were prepared to sell the house. It was a voluntary sale. They engaged an auctioneer, did all the work for the vulture funds and submitted multiple financial statements in the hope that they would be allocated some bit of a write-d…

I know the Minister of State is only replying on behalf of her colleague, so I do not expect her to be able to answer all questions herself. To my mind, however, the simple fact is that the Central Bank is only concerned with ensuring its debt ratios are achieved. It was a cheerleader for the banks to sell off distressed assets to vulture funds in order that the bank's ratios in terms of non-performing loans would be achieved, the balance sheets would look healthier, it would be the best boy in the class and to hel…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." As we gather here today, late on a Thursday evening, to discuss the final piece of business after a long week that was dominated by excessive costs of bike sheds and security huts and the justified outrage, the reality for most people concerns far less grandiose matters. They want us to deal with simple bread and butter issues that impact on their daily lives. For anyone still tuned in I would ask them to take a look at what matters to the working people. The form …

I thank the Minister of State and the previous two speakers from Sinn Féin who contributed. It is welcome that there is broad agreement on the objectives of this Bill. Of course, when you are in opposition or on the back bench of Government, you do not have the wherewithal to ensure that everything in the drafting of the Bill is to the standard of one brought forward by the Government. It is welcome that there is no one opposing it. It is welcome that there is cross-party acknowledgement of a need for this Bill. I …

Will the Minister provide an update on the scheme he introduced, the tenant in situ notice-to-quit scheme? It is successful. Will he provide an update on how it continues to be rolled out through the Department to local authorities such that local authorities are in no doubt that this scheme will be well funded into the future?

As I said, it is a positive initiative and we are getting value for money because the State is no longer paying for RAS or HAP for the property; it is buying an asset. More importantly, it gives tenants certainty and ensures they have a forever home in areas in which they are part of their communities. I am worried about the guideline figure issued to councils and that councils need, for every house thereafter, to seek approval from the Department. That seems overly bureaucratic and removes the power of the directo…

I should have said on the record that I am a landlord but I have not issued any notices to quit. Will the Minister of State clarify whether local authorities, once they meet the ceiling, need to come to the Department on a case-by-case basis for approval? Has guidance been issued by the Department about whether, where there is a link between the landlord and tenant regarding a family relationship, the local authorities cannot purchase that property? Flexibility is required. I am aware of a family in which there was…

Earlier this year, the Minister, Deputy Foley, published the review of the school transport scheme and the proposed changes. It was very welcome. The report was long overdue. It is a scheme that does need modernisation to take account of the travelling patterns of children going to school today. However, I am concerned that some of the proposals will take some years to implement. There is a situation in Delvin in County Westmeath where 36 students have applied for school transport tickets but they will not get a sc…

I am raising the case again of a four-year-old constituent of mine, Clodagh Walsh, who suffers from a rare, life-limiting and devastating degenerative neurological condition called Dravet syndrome. In six months in 2023, she was attended to five times and airlifted twice. Since she started on a drug called fenfluramine, she has had no seizures and it has been life-changing for this young girl. The company marketing fenfluramine submitted an application to the HSE to have this medicine added to the reimbursement lis…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this very important debate. We are having it largely because of the courage of two women, namely, Natasha O'Brien, who was brutally assaulted by someone who wore an Army uniform and who had a sentence handed down that was inexcusable, and Bláthnaid Raleigh, a woman who had to wait five years to obtain justice while her rapist was free to live a normal life. I reached out to the Minister earlier to tell her I met Bláthnaid Raleigh yesterday. She knows I am speaking about he…

With regard to medical cards, there seems to be a situation over the past month or so whereby the processing time has got longer, they are looking for more documentation and patients awarded medical cards for life are having their cards reviewed. I have one constituent whose adult daughter has severe intellectual disabilities. She is her primary carer and her only income is disability allowance. A medical card review has been sought to see if her circumstances have changed. Unfortunately, this girl's circumstances …

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating me coming in having missed my earlier speaking time. I welcome the Minister of State and making a statement on this critical issue. I acknowledge the work she has done since her appointment. We have seen a significant increase in the annual funding for older people to €2.6 billion this year, and €730 million per annum is being spent on home care. That is money well spent. The majority of our senior citizens want to remain in their own homes. I urge the Minister of State …

We can all agree that migration works best where integration happens in communities. I acknowledge there is a difficulty with the lack of spaces for people seeking international protection but IPAS seems to be moving people around like pieces on a chess board. I am dealing with an elderly lady with severe medical complications has been living in a centre for two years. She has got involved in the community and made contacts with GPs and consultants. With three days' notice, she is being moved from one centre to ano…

I thank the Minister of State for sharing time with me. It is fair to say that, as a consequence of war, famine, climate change and general unrest across the globe, migration is something that we will be dealing with as a country for a considerable time to come. Despite what people in the Opposition claim, if we want to deal with this issue comprehensively, we cannot do so alone. The Irish are probably some of the most decent, humane and fair-minded people across the globe, but we must also acknowledge the growing …

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me in. I welcome the fact the Minister is committing to streamlining and improving the appeals process. As other speakers in the House have alluded to, I deal with constituents who are faced with lengthy waiting periods for having their appeals heard. I suggest the Minister puts a time limit on when appeals can be heard. Any applicant for a social welfare payment must make an appeal within 21 working days or the appeal will not be taken on board. Anything that is time …

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue matter this evening. I start by acknowledging the role that family carers play, firstly in society, in keeping people in their own home, where the vast majority want to be kept, and secondly in the economy, to which they contribute €20 billion per annum. The State of Caring 2024 report was based on a survey of 2,127 carers. These are people who are providing full-time care, often for more than 90 hours per week, for children, adults with additional needs …

I welcome the Minister of State's response. I do not for a minute doubt her commitment to this area. However, when we have a situation where the State has made capital investments into respite houses and they are not being used 24-7, around the clock, it is simply inexcusable. Nobody should be able to stand over that. A mother of an adult child with a range of disabilities wrote: Robert, as far as I am aware, it is available all weekdays and the weekend arrangement of one weekend each per month for adults and child…

I welcome the Bill that is before the Dáil today and the opportunity to contribute to it. The Bill is timely. It is important that we bring forward these amendments, which are fair to people who have been working hard and paying their taxes. Therefore, when they fall on hard times there are additional supports available to them. When we are in a time of full employment it is appropriate that we look at the social welfare system and examine how we can make sure it is fit for purpose. I often felt that bringing forwa…