This is not extra money. It is money required by the health service to stand still and allow it to deliver what it has delivered heretofore. The Government forces health services to wait and react to demand rather than giving them resources that would allow them to plan and prepare. Representatives of IFAC outlined to the Committee on Budgetary Oversight that spending less on health is likely to cost more money. A chief economist stated: A bit of money probably needs to be spent to save money in the long run. There…

This question relates to flooding in Crossmolina. I know the Minister of State is familiar with the town. I have raised the issue with him a number of times. Will the Minister of State provide an update on the flood relief scheme for Crossmolina? People have seen damage to their homes and lives, just like the businesses in Cork, Galway and other places. They remember the destruction the community faced in 2015. When will construction commence on the River Deel flood relief scheme?

I know the Minister of State will agree that this has gone on for far too long. He referred to 17 November. I was told this scheme would start this year. Going forward, from 17 November, with the full information being there, when will it be signed off? When will construction start? There needs to be clear communication with the people of Crossmolina. The Minister of State knows what happened there in 2015 and that they have been watching the floods happening all over the country in recent weeks. Businesses have st…

I completely understand that but we are standing here after 11 p.m. on a Tuesday eight years after that flooding happened. I was told early this year that it would start before the end of the year. Why was I given that information when I am now being told it will take several more months? It is extremely difficult for people to understand that the pillars are being moved all of the time. If the Minister of State is now saying it will take several months, will we still be in a situation where we are asking if it is …

There is currently legislation to amend the Civil Service Regulation Acts. This was initiated in 2018 and is only now being brought to the committee. This legislation, if it is ever progressed by government, does not address the issue of accountability of most senior civil servants. Does this Government have plans to legislate to bring senior civil servants under the standard disciplinary measures of the Civil Service?

As things currently stand, Ministers are limited in their ability to hold Secretaries General to account. The Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act 2005 expanded the remit of the disciplinary process, bringing secretaries general somewhat under the umbrella of the process. However, the extent to which they are under the remit is limited because the legislation sets the government rather than the Minister as the appropriate authority and provides an exemption for government-appointed civil servants from certain d…

The elements not available to the Minister in respect of the Secretary General are the lower rate of remuneration, the reduction to the lower grade and suspension without pay. The final level of sanction, as the Minister of State has said, is dismissal, which is a matter for government. The finance committee was informed by the Department of public expenditure and reform that, despite the Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Act 2005 currently under examination with regard to how disciplinary matters operate more b…

It is disgraceful that in 2023, the residents of Clare Island are still dealing with water outages for up to two weeks at a time. They are still unable to get any commitment from Uisce Éireann on when the necessary upgrades will happen. The most recent continuous outage lasted a full ten days, with some parts of the island affected by disruptions for 14 days. Water outages are a very serious matter for our islanders, who are dependent on fresh water supply for drinking and basic sanitation but also in the case of f…

There is a real problem here, and we need to take a grip of it, first with regard to Uisce Éireann and the local authorities. I do not think that people would accept it, nor would the Minister, if there was an area here in Dublin without water and having water outages as often as these communities do, particularly the one we are talking about here tonight, Clare Island, and also with regard to Sáile and what needs to be done. There is a disconnect somewhere where the Government will say that there is sufficient fun…

I thank the Cathaoirleach of the finance committee, Deputy McGuinness, for his work and for the work of the committee on the report on banking. The report predates my time on the committee but I want to indicate my support for the general assessment and the recommendations in the report. The report is rightly critical of the banking sector for this historic damage to the economy and for its ongoing treatment of customers. A lot has happened since the hearings were held and the report was produced. The report warned…

It is the timing.

Yes, but it is the timing of the selling of the shares.

It is not easy at all. It is complicated.

I move amendment No. 12: In page 16, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “Report on Relief for Renters 12. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the introduction of a refundable tax credit payable to private rental tenants not already in receipt of any State subsidy, equivalent to 8.3 per cent of annual rent payable, at a minimum value of €750 and maximum value of €2,000, accompanied with the introduction of a ban on rent incre…

I cannot understand how Government TDs, including those who represent my county, are allowing this to happen. They have to be seeing the same families and talking to the same people about how much their rent has increased, how they cannot afford it and how families are absolutely crippled with the rises in rents they are being asked to pay. It is atrocious. I welcome the fact that there is rent relief for student accommodation but the refundable tax credits cannot be claimed for students who are forced to go abroad…

We proposed it months ago.

An election.

I welcome the amendment. I thank all the GP practices throughout the country that contacted us. I look forward to the strategic review of general practice. I accept the Minister's acknowledgement that there are outstanding issues that remain to be dealt with. There is a huge shortage of GPs, particularly in rural Ireland, and we cannot afford for mistakes like this to be left standing or issues to be left outstanding. This issue is a priority for all areas and particularly for rural areas.

I cannot believe the response the Minister has given this. I really thought that he was going to come in here, listen to what was being said and commit to bring forward a Revised Estimate for health because he will have seen by now the disastrous decisions that were made in the budget, but he did not. Instead, he has come in here to paint a picture that is not the reality on the ground. The reason I know that is as late as yesterday our party health spokesperson, Deputy Cullinane, and I visited Mayo University Hosp…

Sinn Féin is in favour of any measures which will contribute to the safety and protection of children in online spaces. We worked hard on ensuring additional measures for online safety, particularly for children, in our work on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act. For example, we worked with other Members of the Houses and a large number of children's charities and advocacy groups to ensure that an individual complaints mechanism is available to social media users in situations where people are being harasse…