Deployment in a fair manner is key. Based on the figures the Minister of State provided today, by comparison with those provided in response to other questions, it does not seem to be fair. I ask him to impress on the Garda authorities that deployment should be fair and that every part of the country has to be policed in the same way. This is important for community safety. It is important that communities see gardaí have been deployed and are available. I ask the Minister of State to seek assurances from the Commi…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak to this very important issue. Being the third most common cancer in Ireland, it is likely that we will all have had mothers, grandmothers, aunts, spouses, sisters or daughters affected by breast cancer at some point in our lives. This is a disease that affects us all and one that has taken too many too soon. I take a moment to acknowledge all those diagnosed with breast cancer, all those undergoing treatment, the family members and friends of those affected, …

As an aside, perhaps we should take all Bills on Thursday evenings because they would progress very quickly. I was supposed to speak when the Bill reappears on the agenda the week after next or whenever and then I informed that I was to contribute at 8.15 p.m. Five minutes ago, I was told I was due to speak now. We would get through Bills very quickly if they were all taken on Thursday evenings. I cannot say why that might be. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the Child and Family Agency (…

The recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality are a stark reminder of how far we still have to go to ensure gender equality in this country. It is clear from these recommendations that we will never have a gender equal society until big, institutional changes are made. That is the simple fact. If this Government is as serious about gender equality as it says it is, it would consider making those changes. The people do not need another photo opportunity or another tweet saying "We support a gender…

They very much felt there was a very brief interaction with them by the Minister and the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, outside Leinster House today. They had travelled for many hours to be here-----

I have letters from them that I will forward to the Minister.

It struck me when reading this report that there seems to be a solution that would address most of these recommendations, that is, proper funding of our public services. This is, again, an argument of ideology. The Government's pro-market thinking that the private market will provide is extremely flawed. It is not good enough to expect the private sector will fulfil the public need. The Government is elected to provide the public with the services they require. It is not elected to allocate this responsibility else…

I fully support this motion's intention to support renters, who are stuck right in the middle of the worst housing crisis that we have seen in the history of the State, and whose situation only seems to look more and more bleak, despite the fact that this same crisis has been going on for years. I recall the former Taoiseach, or perhaps the present Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, declaring the homeless and housing crisis a national emergency over three years ago. What I want to know is what has been done to address thi…

I would like to say I am disappointed by the lack of green vision in yesterday's budget but, unfortunately, I am not, despite the fact that the country's Green Party supposedly forms a part of the Government proposing this budget. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, must have been joking when he said the budget would be "very green". A different type of green it might have been because I see no evidence of that, but the lack of just transition and good environmental policy in budget 2022 is no laughing matter. Yesterd…

Here I stand on yet another budget day, disappointed once again and frustrated at the many missed opportunities and the regressive nature of this budget. The pandemic showed that the provision of proper healthcare services and the eradication of homelessness is actually achievable, despite decades of governments telling us differently. For the Government to recognise the benefits of this but yet revert back to a pre-Covid type budget shows just how backward looking it is. It shows where priorities truly lie and it …

There are over 650,000 people in Ireland with a disability. As one campaigner said, participation does not mean them coming along to a weekly meeting and telling their stories. We should be encouraging full participation in all aspects of political and social life. What steps is the Minister taking in this regard?

I am glad to hear there is evidence of interdepartmental co-operation, which is sadly lacking in most aspects of Government life here. I hope that continues because it is vital to ensure that all voices are heard, especially for a sector that makes up such a large part of our society, but unfortunately is largely hidden and not seen or noticed by us policymakers. I heard at a committee meeting that 24% of people with disabilities have difficulty even accessing their ability to vote and 52% who have postal votes hav…

One of the participants at the committee noted that the party whip system further prevents many disabled people from speaking the truth when they disagree with policies that affect them. Impaired people with disabilities may fear they will get lost in the party system with no avenue to ensure their perspectives are fully considered. This is surely an indication that being an Independent is the way to go as it allows people to work independently on behalf of everybody. Does the Minister of State have any comment on …

The Minister will probably be glad to hear I will not be raising mica today. I raised it yesterday during Leaders' Questions.

I will ask about respite care in County Donegal. On 25 May, I asked the Minister, Deputy Ryan, the same question on the Order of Business. He told me he would refer to the relevant Minister for response and, as usual, we have no response. I have heard nothing since. Is it a case there is no relevant Minister or that the Minister is not relevant? Either way, the issue is still an ongoing problem throughout Donegal. That day, I asked specifically about the restoration of a seven-day service, by operators Rehab, to Se…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the National Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027. I welcome its attempt to address youth crime in an holistic, multi-agency and proactive way, focusing on early intervention and preventative work. This type of work, although effective, is often overlooked and the Government has a history of only addressing issues after they arise instead of putting the supports in place to effect real and meaningful societal change that would prevent such issues in the first …

Last week, we saw a major Government kite-flying exercise involving leaks from within on the issue of mica redress prior to the publication of the working-group report on the grant scheme. I can tell the Minister that they went down like the Titanic with people in Donegal. I am sure it was the same in Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Tipperary and other affected countries. What happened only served to enrage the people in my constituency who have sincerely engaged with the processes put in place by the Minister for Housing, Loc…

Perhaps I have a lack of experience, but I thought the budget set out what the Government intends to spend money on in the coming year. Perhaps I am wrong in that regard. As I see it, the budget is the deadline for what is happening with the mica issue. What I can see is that the Government is kicking the can down the road. This email, which I printed off, arrived last night for us. The report of the working group on defective concrete blocks was published last week. It is basically pages and pages of nothing. It d…

In the couple of minutes that I have, I would like to say how shocking it is that this situation has arisen again in the hospital services. We are aware that this issue was investigated previously and reported on through public inquiries. It must be a truly shocking situation for the families and my thoughts are with them at this very difficult time. Management did not rate the incident as serious, but did express concern about the adverse publicity for the hospital if the situation came to public attention, accord…

I noted this morning that what is described as a senior Government source is now briefing the media that 100% redress for families affected by the mica issue is now being considered. This is some position shift from the Tánaiste's statements of last week and, as always, there are caveats with this latest kite-flying exercise, which is testing the waters to see what might be acceptable. It is nothing to see this Government all over the place on an issue. I have to say "fair play" to the Donegal mica redress campaign…