There is no doubt that the scheme is an advance, but the problem is that it does not go far enough. Families are in the same situation now as they were before.

Yes, they are. If they could not afford the previous scheme, they cannot afford this scheme.

That is the reality of the situation. People with 2,300 sq. ft houses have to come up with €45,000. Such houses have to be rebuilt, and under the scheme people are not allowed to change the house to qualify. People will have those costs regardless of the situation. That is the problem these families have. They are paying mortgages. As these houses are repaired, they will have to continue paying their mortgages. They will then have to find additional money to deal with this. The Taoiseach also said they are responsi…

That is what the Taoiseach said.

He did. He said the people have to take responsibility for-----

That is what he said.

Okay, if that is what the Taoiseach did not say, I take it back.

I take it back. I said it already. The reality is that lack of regulation or light-touch regulation caused this problem.

Fair enough. The reality is that light-touch regulations caused this problem and that has to be dealt with as well. Is the Taoiseach saying that people will not have to pay €45,000 for an average house?

I refer to the Health (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill, which is proposed to go through all stages on Thursday, and the Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, which is scheduled for Friday. Neither of these Bills has been published yet so we do not even know what is in them, and amendments were to have been submitted last week. What is the situation with them? The debates should be adjourned to allow for proper scrutiny of them.

It has been sitting there for five years.

Today, outside the gates of Leinster House, the People's Vaccine Alliance Ireland held a protest calling on the Government to support the TRIPS waiver - to be helpful, I will give him a chance to answer the question again - and get Europe to actually do something to help end the global vaccine inequity that is hampering our fight against Covid-19. Over 100 nations support this position, yet it has effectively been blocked by the US and the EU. We know that it has been public money that developed these vaccines. For…

Ninety-eight per cent of the funding for the AstraZeneca vaccine was public funding.

Given that yesterday was the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it is important that we speak out against the occupation and colonisation of Palestine and the constant campaigns of dehumanisation that Palestinians face every day. The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is incredibly concerning as we hear of increased levels of disposition, violence and insecurity. The designation of six Palestinian civil society organisations as terrorist by the Israeli defence minister is espe…

I strongly support this motion to protect employment services from privatisation. I was greatly concerned to hear about the new tendering process that the Minister for Social Protection is introducing, which favours for-profit providers over the current community-focused non-profit providers. This will affect those working in local employment services and jobs clubs, who have been loyal to the service for years and whose livelihoods are now potentially at risk. I have been contacted by staff in my constituency who …

I am glad to have the opportunity to say a few words on this Bill. It may seem strange for a rural-based Deputy to be speaking on this legislation that will mainly apply to Dublin and the other cities around the country and that will be unlikely to have an impact on rural areas, at least not at this stage. As Deputies in the House, however, we all have an input into the decisions made for the whole of Ireland. The ending of the strategic housing development planning arrangement is welcome. There is no doubt about t…

I will first make a point about some of the comments of the previous speakers. We had a debate in this House last night about the mother and baby homes and the treatment of women by the State. Yet, the same Members have come in today to talk about the need for a religious aspect in our schools. It is the exact same religious aspect in our schools that led to the mother and baby home situation in the State. The position that religion has held in the State has led to all of that. This Bill is about breaking that down…

As those affected by mica in County Donegal and elsewhere face further delays in waiting for the Cabinet to agree a proper and functional redress scheme, we were hit with further revelations about the entangled relationship of Donegal County Council with the quarry site that produced the mica-riddled blocks, as well as the purchases of mica-affected homes in Buncrana. As reported by local media in Donegal last week, Donegal County Council knew in early November 2019 that the properties at An Crannla contained mica.…

We have to have answers.

What strikes me most about the 2021 climate action plan is not only its lack of ambition and bravery, but most important, its complete lack of any sense of togetherness in the face of this immense global issue that we are facing together. It is clear that the plan is not in line with climate justice. The statement by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, stating that the bulk of funding would come from the pockets of individuals and households just demonstrates how they plan for this to …