The Minister just asked what Deputy Ó Broin would do. He would not make thousands of people homeless is what he would do.

Deputy McDonald would not make thousands of people homeless. Whatever about the Taoiseach and Fine Gael, whom we know only care about big business, big landlords and big speculators, where are the Fianna Fáil backbenchers who care to talk about supporting the people? I went on local radio in Cork. No member of this Government will come on the radio with me or with any member of Sinn Féin to debate this issue. They are running for the hills. They are hiding. They will not stand up and be counted. Anyone who supports…

How would the Government know? I come from Knocknaheeny in Cork, a working-class area, and I am proud of where I come from. I am talking to people every day who will become homeless. I had a speech prepared for this debate but I do not need to use it because I know people who will be homeless next month who are coming to me and begging for help. I am here today to stand up for these people because we always knew that Fine Gael did not give a damn about them. However, Deputy Michael McGrath is a Minister from Cork. …

How many went on it?

Will the Minister of State outline the processes being put forward or that are planned to be put forward to tackle vacancy and dereliction? In 2021, 19 local authorities did not collect a red cent under the Derelict Sites Act, which has been in place for 32 years. The ban on eviction has been removed this week and derelict sites that could house people are lying idle.

The Minister of State has outlined a number of different proposals. The fact is none have made any difference. I challenge the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, the Minister or the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to walk Dublin or Cork and see the amount of dereliction and vacancy. The Government's plan was to introduce a vacancy tax of 0.3%. France, for example, introduced a vacancy tax which started at 10% of the expected revenue the property would make, rising to 15%, resulting in a 13% reduction in vacancy…

The Central Statistics Office, CSO, told us that, in 2021, there were 166,000 vacant properties in the State. The response of the Government was to introduce a levy of 0.3%. In the middle of a housing crisis, with the eviction ban ending on 1 April and a tsunami of homelessness coming at us for the summer, that was the plan. It is not good enough. The Minister of State failed to address this in his response. I hope he answers my next question. The Derelict Sites Act has been in existence for 32 years, yet the Minis…

It is 0.3%.

I thank the Rural Independent Group. I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on the motion it has brought forward. Most days here, we discuss real and profound issues such as the crisis in housing, the cost-of-living crisis and the crisis in health but, to many people, this motion is just as important because many vulnerable people have no other option but to make transactions and pay for services with cash. That is why I support this excellent Private Member's motion today. I am a proud member of St Vincent's h…

When?

People are homeless and the Taoiseach is talking about the budget.

Shame on you, Taoiseach.

You have enough money for speculators.

I wish my wife, my daughters, my sister and all my female family members the best today on International Women's Day. Unfortunately, my mother passed away 30 years ago last weekend, but she left a great legacy for my family and me. It shows what strong and great women can do. I send my support to the LGBTQI+ community, in particular trans women. Trans rights are human rights. There are no ifs or buts about it.

I am proud to be a member of a party and a movement that have been built on the shoulders of strong and committed women. Yesterday, we said our goodbyes to one of these women. Rita O'Hare personified what it was to be a republican. She was an inspirational leader, a driving force and a role model for our future generations. I am proud the republican movement has been built by, and been a home to, women like Rita O'Hare, Rose Dugdale, Margaret Buckley, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, Countess Markievicz, Mairéad Farrell a…

Once again we are in the Chamber debating legislation that the Government is attempting to rush through the Oireachtas. The approach of the Government has been nothing short of chaotic when it comes to firefighting scandals and attempting to ram through legislation to cover up its mistakes and the mistakes of previous Governments. Week after week we come into the Chamber to have a Minister of State apologising for blatant disregard of rules of the State and legislation being rammed through without the proper time o…

I thank the Regional Group for tabling this motion. Last night, Sinn Féin tabled a similar motion. This shows that the Opposition is united in recognising the crisis in our emergency services. In Cork and Kerry, response times for ambulance care have risen by over 70% since 2019. This puts huge pressure on paramedics and those working in the ambulance service. I met some of them with the Sinn Féin spokesperson on health, Deputy David Cullinane, in 2021, when they outlined the crisis they were facing. The situation …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. Credit unions are in a unique space in the context of financial institutions in this country. They are rooted at the heart of communities, which makes them completely different from the banking sector and the way it is now. Credit unions are often compassionate institutions that offer people support. I will briefly touch on a couple of matters. I have concerns about parents and vulnerable people being pushed to illegal moneylenders. We have an opportunity with credit…

IBEC's latest housing report states that the availability of affordable housing in Ireland, be it home ownership or rental properties, is becoming a critical barrier to continued growth and development of business investment. Every time we raise the need for the Government to increase public housing targets, Ministers and even the Taoiseach level the false arguments that the Opposition is opposed to home ownership. IBEC has called on the Government to set a more ambitious target for local authorities and approved h…

The Disability Federation of Ireland described the Attorney General's report as deeply discouraging. Nowhere in his report did the Attorney General refer to the State's obligation to people with disabilities under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, or Ireland's responsibility as a signatory to this international human rights convention. Inclusion Ireland has had to remind the Attorney General and the Government that Article 21 of the UNCRPD is clear on the right to inf…