The Government is ignoring the ideas.

The Taoiseach has given up on its own plan already. Where are the targets?

Go raibh míle maith agat. I start by expressing the Social Democrats' warm welcome for President Zelenskyy's upcoming visit and our absolute, unreserved condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is an imperial war that has caused massive loss of life. We talk about the war in Ukraine and Russia's attack and sometimes I think there has not been enough focus on the number of people killed in that war, and particularly military - the soldiers on either side. We do not know the exact figures, but from what we…

No accountability

I thank Deputy Farrelly for introducing the Bill. Dr. Farrelly and I were lecturers together in the department of applied social studies in Maynooth, and one of the areas he worked on in particular, as was spoken about, was the issue of youth work. His research has been in this area and he is one of the foremost experts in the country on it. We really need to take seriously the evidence base understanding and the experiential understanding of young people and what they need and what they are looking for. I want to …

The issue Sinn Féin has raised is extremely important. The cost of motoring, particularly in the context of tolls, is a massive issue for people. This is another example of the price gouging taking place in this country. The Government throws its hands in the air and asks, "What can we do about the cost-of-living crisis?" The Government created the aspect of the cost-of-living crisis that relates to tolls. It was Fianna Fáil that brought in the public-private partnerships back in the 2000s in the years of the Celti…

Táim anseo today to speak about an issue related to disability services in my constituency but which affects the wider Dublin area and the country. I will speak about St. Michael's House and about a constituent whose issue I have raised and want to raise again today. St. Michael's House on the Ballymun Road provides a range of services and supports for people with disabilities and their families, from residential supports and independent living to clinical support, day supports and respite. St. Michael's House is a…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit but that is an inadequate response. He acknowledged that the HSE is facing significant challenges in the provision of residential placements and in the availability of suitable housing and staffing, as well as the increasing costs of providing residential care and the changing needs of service users. He has outlined the challenge, but we need to see solutions. While there is an increase in funding, it is clearly not enough and that is the issue. What about families like the one i…

Yesterday's report from the Department of Finance said that the housing disaster will continue for another 15 years. That seems to be an optimistic forecast based on housing delivery doubling to 60,000 by 2030. We are facing 30 years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil housing failure unless their housing plans radically change or they are removed from office. The lives of generations of people in this country have been destroyed and will be destroyed. They have been betrayed and abandoned because this Government, despite…

-----trying to put together a housing plan. Does the Minister agree that we face another 15 years of a housing disaster?

Who is actually to blame for this housing catastrophe?

Have you just figured this out now?

In recent weeks we have seen in Citywest and Drogheda absolute violence with the potential for children and adults to be murdered with that arson attack. That is the reality. The Government can talk about condemning and say it absolutely thinks this is disgraceful, but I encourage people to read what the Hope and Courage Collective has put out. It makes it clear that it is the words of political leaders that have fanned these flames. What they have done is they have dog whistled. The Minister of State can talk abou…

I thank Aontú and others for bringing forward the motion today. It is an important discussion about how we choose our President, the processes set out for that and who is eligible to vote. The Social Democrats are open to engaging in a cross-party discussion about the processes in place to elect a President. Uachtarán na hÉireann, as has been set out, is the highest office in the land. It is a position that sets out the vision for Ireland and one that everyone in this country holds dear. That is why we have seen su…

I completely back my colleague, Deputy O' Callaghan. The Minister talked about politics of the lowest kind. Politics of the lowest kind is to allow over 5,000 children to be homeless every single year and to vote, year after year, against implementing an eviction ban. The Minister is a Minister of homelessness. He stands over all the things he been done in this country, all the great development, but year after year, thousands of children and their families are made homeless, and many of them are linked with domest…

The Social Democrats are happy to strongly support this motion. I thank Deputy Ward and the Independent and Parties Technical Group for bringing it forward. It is absolutely one of the most important motions that will be brought forward in this Dáil term because the issue that faces people across the country who are affected by defective blocks is twofold. It is State and market failure. It is market failure because developers and builders who built these homes knew what they were doing. Where is the accountability…

It is the developers. You just give it to the developers.

More emergency accommodation.

Because the Government is causing-----

The Social Democrats are happy to support this increase to the borrowing ceiling for the Housing Finance Agency. It is the correct thing to do, but it is limited. We would like it to be higher. We believe there needs to be a significant increase in the delivery of social and affordable housing beyond what is currently being delivered and financed. Many questions are being asked at the moment about housing and the Government's housing plan, what has happened to it and where it is. We heard earlier from the Taoiseach…