I asked a question specifically about the Minister for housing.

Is there not an obligation to respond?

The Taoiseach probably saw the figures yesterday that showed that the average rent in this country is now over €2,000. My question is simple and straightforward. The Taoiseach and his Government accept that the housing crisis is no longer just a crisis. It is an emergency. How, in that context, can he agree with the Minister for housing, who said, as quoted in the Irish Examiner yesterday, that the Government will be making changes to the rent pressure zones? How can the Government agree to lifting rent caps in the…

Because we also said there needed to be a period of time.

The rent caps. That is what I raised.

Cara, you are an inspiration to parents and children up and down this country. You are a citizen in the true meaning of the word. You have taken selfless action to right what is wrong, you have spoken truth to power and, while you see empty Government seats, that does not diminish in the slightest what you have done, your powerful action or the massive impact you are having. We in the Social Democrats and across the Opposition will continue to support you in what is happening. Mark, I am sure you are a very proud f…

We hear today that rents are up again 5.5% nationally. The new average rent in Dublin is €2,177 per month. A worker earning €30,000 per year would have to spend their entire take-home pay to cover that amount and that still would not be enough. Renters across this country are struggling. How can they keep paying higher rents? They are stressed and terrified about the potential removal of rent caps. Renters feel unheard. They also feel that the only voice the Government is listening to is that of the vulture fund la…

Will the report be published?

To back up my colleague, we very much support this Bill. I thank our colleagues in People Before Profit for introducing it. This is important legislation. Collective bargaining is key in terms of Ireland and our economy. When we look at it, the Irish economic model has, unfortunately, been built on an undermining of workers' rights by not ensuring collective bargaining is in place. When we look at the situation across the world, one of the key reasons inequality has risen to the level it has - the research shows th…

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I raise the case of a five-year-old autistic boy with additional needs in my constituency who is attending junior infants. His mother Grainne contacted me recently and their story is revealing of a system that is badly failing children with additional needs. After months of school distress, hours of work with the school, mediation and facilitation, Grainne explained that her child is finally going to school happily and not hugely distressed afterwards. The parents in th…

It is SNA, and ANA as well. The school is saying it does not have-----

I thank the Minister and my colleagues for the opportunity to speak on this issue. As an educator who worked as an associate professor in the area of social science in Maynooth University, I emphasise the importance of social policy and social sciences in education. I worked at Maynooth University, but there is also a university in my constituency, namely, DCU. It provides high-quality education. However, our education system is affected by inequalities, lack of access and underfunding. In particular, as was mentio…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. We will be supporting it and opposing the Government's amendment. This is a vital discussion. Unfortunately, it feels as if every week, we are discussing a new blockage to providing housing. The incredible thing is that each week, this new barrier is responded to by the Government and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as if it was a complete surprise and as if they were not aware of these issues - the infrastructure blockages and the lack of…

The housing crisis is a social and economic disaster. Solving it requires an emergency response that is unprecedented in scale and a radical reset in policy. Yet, what we have seen so far from this Government is disarray, half-baked ideas, kite-flying and a complete lack of a joined-up approach. The proposed appointment of Mr. Brendan McDonagh, NAMA CEO, now appears to have been another ill-thought-out solo run by Fianna Fáil to add to the scrapping of rent caps and the tax breaks for investor funds. How can we hav…

According to the Simon Community, the number of people aged 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness is approaching 1,800. This represents an 8% increase over the past year. Some of the most vulnerable and those most at risk of experiencing homelessness are young people leaving State care. This cohort of young people often leave care without a support network. They have also experienced trauma in their lives and we know homelessness is a very traumatic experience. Ensuring that the State is there to support them is vital…

I am aware from consultation with the Simon Community that young people leaving the care system are often not aware of the supports the Minister has outlined which are available to them. I ask the Minister to ensure information about housing and homelessness services, and social protection supports are made available in schools, local communities and youth services. Another issue I would like to raise is the collection of data. Currently, Tusla does not provide any distinction in its data about where young people f…

Those are the main issues we wanted to raise today. I thank the Minister.

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and say hello to my kids in the Public Gallery. I want to talk about Beaumont hospital. It is a core provider of healthcare for the half a million people in its catchment area across north Dublin, which includes my constituency areas of Finglas, Ballymun, Whitehall, Santry and many others. Beaumont hospital is a key public service, a key provider of healthcare and provides many people with high-quality care. Unfortunately, the hospital, as with much of our healthcare service, is …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit for the response. I appreciate the work being done in our health services across the country. We have to accept that the care being provided, even though doctors, nurses and administrative staff are doing their best, is not up to what is needed in all cases. Too many people in this country are left waiting on trolleys, including in Beaumont, and left waiting for appointments. What we have not seen is the full implementation of Sláintecare, which was the cross-party policy that wa…

This planning framework is important but, unfortunately, it is insufficient and inadequate in a number of areas, which I will talk about presently. I wish to discuss the housing emergency because it is linked to this. It is linked to what is absent from the planning objectives. I refer to the absence of an objective to deliver affordable housing and any assessment of what scale of affordable housing is required or how it is going to be delivered and where. We heard a claim yesterday by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin…