I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Harvey Morrison Sherratt. While he was failed by this State, he was very lucky to have such loving, strong parents, Gillian and Stephen, who fought and did everything they could to get him the treatment he needed. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, but they continue to fight for all children like Harvey. Before coming to the House today, I rang a constituent of mine who has a son with scoliosis who is in a wheelchair. I want to let the Minister know…

You would think he would turn up then.

Where is he gone?

The Tánaiste. Surely, you know where your Minister for housing is on the day he launched the housing plan.

I was waiting for the Minister.

Tánaiste, I have a document here that is 107 pages long. I read it this morning. It nearly put me to sleep ten times. There is nothing in it. I swear to God Almighty. Has the Tánaiste read this document? I have read it.

Do you know what I could not figure out? There are tens of thousands of boarded-up houses across the State that people are looking at every day. There is nothing in this for them. Do you know what I will tell you? There are thousands of houses owned by local authorities that are destroying communities because they are boarded up for years. There is nothing in this document for them. The Government gives local authorities €11,500 towards repairing vacant properties when the average cost is €31,000. Where is the extr…

I have one last case, and I will leave it at that. I know a woman who does not qualify for social housing because her job is too good but who does not earn enough to get an affordable home. Where is she going to go after Christmas? She has an eviction notice now.

Can the Tánaiste tell me that? I tell him that there is nothing in this. It is a waste of paper.

What page?

Tell me the page.

I read it. There is nothing in it.

No, it is not there.

I suggested that three years ago and you told me I was wrong. Then you adopted it. That is my policy. Myself and Eoin Ó Broin brought that to the House three years ago.

In principle, auto-enrolment is a good idea, and it is badly needed. However, when it is being brought in by this Government, which recently introduced a budget that gave tax breaks to developers and speculators while giving nothing to ordinary workers and families, we have to be very sceptical about it. The reality is that this Government's auto-enrolment scheme prioritises increasing profits for private pension funds over the rights of ordinary workers. The National Treasury Management Agency, rather than private…

I agree with my colleague on the provision of childcare places and crèches, specifically the right type of building. I have areas in my constituency where massive private housing estates are being built and the childcare centres are not and have not been built at all. I have queried them with Cork City Council regarding one estate in Glanmire where 500 houses are being built with no parks, no playground, no community centre and no childcare centre going in there. To me, we need these guidelines delivered. We saw du…

I ask the Minister of State to update the House on the number of staff that have been recruited in CDNTs in Cork in the past 12 months and the number who have either left or resigned. At the moment, we are facing a crisis in the CDNT units in Cork.

I am sorry but what was the first figure?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. The only thing about that figure - she said there was 87% staffing and only 13% vacancy - is that if you take off the 32 staff members who are out sick, on maternity leave or off work for whatever reason, it means the figure is down to a 75% staffing level, which means there is a 25% vacancy rate. If a person goes on maternity leave, is out sick or is out of work for whatever reason, that post still needs to be covered. If it is not, then the children who need the therapies that…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I have just double-checked my figures there and 308 full-time with 234 in place is 76%. That means there are 74 therapist staff members who are vital to delivering really urgent therapies to children. If the Minister of State Googles CDNTs and what they do, she will read they are about child development and permitting kids to reach their maximum potential. How can children reach their maximum potential if they are not getting the therapists, therapies and the support they need? …