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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Oct 2026

Vol. 1091 No. 5

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

Deputy David Cullinane

It has been almost ten years since the Tánaiste made a promise to children with scoliosis and spina bifida that they would not have to wait longer than four months for treatment. As he will be aware, many parents see that as a broken promise and they do not want any more broken promises, which is why they are concerned about the Remy Farrell report, which was published a few days ago, and its recommendations.

The starting point for everyone in the House is that we need to get this right, that we need to have an inquiry that is fit for purpose and has the confidence of advocacy groups and parents. I think the Tánaiste said today on the floor of the Dáil that the start date of 1 January 2019 is too rigid. I have been saying that. It has to go beyond that. I understand that the Scoliosis Advocacy Network and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland have written to the Tánaiste seeking a meeting. My understanding is that they have not received a response. I urge him to meet them and others to ensure he hears their concerns. Let us ensure we have an inquiry that is fit for purpose, that can answer the questions, that there is no hiding place-----

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

You should conclude, Deputy Cullinane.

Deputy David Cullinane

-----and that we establish the truth and accountability for all involved.

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy for the constructive way in which he is engaging on this. I do not doubt the bona fides of anyone in this House and I ask that no one doubt the bona fides of people on this side of the House in terms of wanting to get this right. There are diverse views and what Deputy Rice said earlier may be right, there may be a significant view that it should all be in public, but some people will want to give information in private. We all understand that. The Sinn Féin leader said that yesterday.

Getting the structure right matters. Getting the terms of reference right matters. In my experience, and I am sure in that of the Deputy, getting the chairperson right matters, so the chairperson has an understanding of the terms of reference, not just what they mean in black and white, but what they mean in effect and the spirit to be given to them.

There will be engagement with the advocacy groups. The Taoiseach was clear about that yesterday in the House and I am clear on that too. It is appropriate for that engagement to take place through the Department of Health and the Minister for Health. The Government will consider all that. There will be engagement and the terms of reference will have to come back to the House for the statutory inquiry to be established. Let us all work to get this right.

People have different views, but I think the Remy Farrell report is an important piece of work and should be considered in that context. However, there is always room to engage and consult.

Deputy Jen Cummins

Last week, I asked the Tánaiste about special education in this country in advance of Virgin Media's documentary airing on Monday. On Tuesday, Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach about the documentary and the stark things outlined within it. The Taoiseach said that he had not seen it and that it would only give one side of the story. Those words really hurt people. It is one side of the story where we are seeing children being educated in cupboards and undertaking regulation in bathrooms. That is one side of the story. One of the most heart-breaking moments was when we saw that one side of the story where a mother said, "Why is it always the children who have the least time who have to wait the longest?" When the Tánaiste answers me, I ask him to please not tell me how much money the Government has spent on special education. I know all of those numbers very well. What is most important is not how much you have but what you spend it on and how effective it is. I also want to know whether the Government can do an audit of all special schools and special classes to ensure they are fully resourced and staffed and have everything they need to support the children they educate.

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy very much. I know of her interest in this area and her work on it. I have seen the programme. I told the Deputy last week that I would watch it. It is an important programme because it gives a visual insight into the real lived experience of parents and schools. I know the Taoiseach is also very committed to this issue. I will ask the Minister for education to reflect on the point the Deputy has made regarding an audit. To add another point, what we mean by "inclusive education" is a debate we should get right in this House too. If some good is to come from the very large investments being made, which I will not go through, we will need to look at the model of inclusive education. One of the exciting structures the Minister, Deputy Naughton, has put in place is the new forum on inclusive education. There needs to be a way for everyone in this House to have input if we are to get that right. If we are spending a vast sum of money and still seeing many kids not getting the education they are entitled to and need, we have to look at bringing those two things together.

Deputy Ciarán Ahern

Will the Tánaiste provide us with an update on the work under way to change regulations here to allow for plug-in solar panels? We were previously told that this work would be complete by September. There are over 1 million plug-in solar panels already in use in Germany. Regulations in the UK have recently been updated to allow for the sale and installation of such panels. This is a simple and cheap solution to help households bring down their energy bills, particularly for people living in apartments. They are absolutely brilliant. You just pick them up in a supermarket, bring them home, put them on your balcony, plug them in and away you go. It is an easy win. I hope Deputy Nash will not mind me leaking that we have a costed proposal in our alternative budget to provide up to 1 million free plug-in solar panels to households that would also qualify for targeted energy credits. It just gives lower-income households access to solar power without the upfront cost of rooftop installation. It helps to permanently lower their energy bills. Will the Tánaiste do something similar?

The Tánaiste

I have a professional affection for Deputy Nash and I reassure Deputy Ahern that, in my experience, he is pretty good at media management, so I would not worry about him. The issue of plug-in solar that the Deputy has raised is a serious one. It is a much more practical option for people in a whole variety of household settings, including apartments and the like. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is giving the matter serious consideration. Work is under way on it. I will have to get the Deputy a detailed update from the Minister. I welcome the part the Labour Party's alternative budget will play in feeding into the debate on next week's budget. There will be a lot of focus on what we can do to reduce fuel costs. We should absolutely do our best on that but there are big savings to be had if we can help households to sustainably reduce their own bills. I accept that plug-in solar could play a very important role in that. I need to get an update as to where the Minister is on that.

Deputy Charles Ward

As the Tánaiste will know, over 100,000 public sector workers, including teachers, SNAs, healthcare workers, council workers, civil servants and people who work in this building, are now on a work-to-rule because the Government has refused to offer them a pay rise that would allow them to keep up with the current cost-of-living crisis. I fully support them. Over the past few days, I have talked to many public sector workers in Donegal, including members of the Inishowen and Letterkenny branches of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. I was struck by how downhearted they are at the fact that they feel the Government is not willing to engage. They feel it demonstrates a lack of respect. They are under severe stress in this crisis and are struggling to pay bills. They deserve respect. Will the Tánaiste intervene and ensure the Government comes to the table with a decent offer that keeps up with the pace of inflation so that public sector workers can get through the current cost-of-living crisis?

The Tánaiste

I have nothing but respect for public sector workers. The political and economic philosophy of this Government is that work should always pay. That includes those working in our public services. Let me be absolutely clear, crystal clear, and beyond any doubt. Please let every public sector worker hear this. The Government wants to sit down with their representatives without precondition to engage on a new public sector pay deal. I know there is hurt and pain out there and that people are under pressure. I get that. However, the way to get to a new public sector pay deal is to go into a room and get around a table with no preconditions on either side in order to make progress. We will make an allocation in next week's budget that shows we are very serious about getting a good, sustainable and affordable public sector pay deal that makes sure work, including work in the public sector, always pays. We need to get in that room, however. We on the Government side are willing to turn up without precondition. I respectfully ask the unions to consider that.

Deputy Paul Lawless

Yesterday, I met with a group of women who have benefited from the three-day wait. These women attended their first abortion appointment but subsequently changed their minds and, as a result, had their babies. Indeed, their babies were with them in the room yesterday. The legislation to abolish the three-day wait is currently before the Committee on Health but that committee is strategically blocking the voices of these women. These women are the one section of society to have had their voices ignored by the HSE, by the O'Shea report and now by the Committee on Health. These women have benefited and have children today as a result. Does the Tánaiste agree that the really important voices of these women should be heard before the committee concludes its deliberations? Will he meet these women? It is a wonderful and powerful story. I want to ensure their voices are heard as we discuss this really important legislation.

The Tánaiste

I acknowledge and accept that there are very sincerely held views on all sides of the issue in this House. There are a variety of views within my own party and within the other Government party. The Government approaches these matters with a free vote. They are treated as a matter of conscience and people can vote in accordance with their own views. That happened in this House, and the legislation is now with the committee, as the Deputy rightly says. I do not want to interfere in the committee's work. I would take that approach on any issue. It is not for me to tell a committee who to hear from but, in general, the more inclusive discussions can be and the more voices that can be heard, the better.

Deputy Brian Brennan

I recently had a very interesting meeting with the chairperson of Wexford Macra na Feirme, Clíona O'Leary, and Sean O'Brien. We had a lengthy discussion on a wide range of subjects but high on their agenda was the issue of succession. Will the Minister update us on the status of a clear succession scheme to encourage and support the transition of the managerial role to the younger farmer? What are our plans to deliver a comprehensive national generational renewal strategy and to act on the commission on generational renewal's report to deal with ageing within farming? There is currently a three-year requirement for succession farm partnerships. This is seen to be acting as a barrier to farm transfers rather than as an incentive. I have no doubt that the concerns of the Wexford Macra representatives are replicated throughout farms across Ireland. Young people are the future of Irish farming. It is essential that there are clear succession plans in place.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Martin Heydon)

I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this point and for his engagement with Macra in Wexford. We deal with Macra and with all of the farm organisations across the board. Generational renewal is one of those key issues that are at the forefront of my mind in every decision I make as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It is not just about one scheme at the end, although it is my ambition to include generational renewal schemes as part of the new CAP, should we be able to design it in that way. Right now, I am implementing the 31 recommendations of the commission on generational renewal. In developing last year's budget, I had asks in respect of supports for elements of generational renewal. On the tax side, the Tánaiste and I have discussed existing schemes that can be improved and how we can work together to address issues in this area. Generational renewal was foremost in my mind when I was negotiating an extension to the nitrates derogation last year, when I was implementing a new bovine TB action plan and when I was looking at additional supports in the area of TAMS. I want to continue to put record amounts of money into TAMS because that capital investment supports farmers taking over farms. Generational renewal is a key priority for me and for the Government. Working with colleagues across Government, I hope to be able to continue to make progress and deliver in this area.

Deputy Máire Devine

Dublin South-Central is experiencing huge levels of antisocial behaviour around the inner city. Shootings and petrol bombings have become more common in the past fortnight. I have been working on this, particularly in the Fatima Mansions area but also in other areas, for the past six years.

The last straw was when little ones were told to feck off back to their apartment and they were not to come out when they hear the sound of the ice cream man in the van. It is unsupportable. I ask the Tánaiste to meet the local representatives. An Garda Síochána is asking for extra resources in this area. We had a fantastic meeting last week that I arranged and all stakeholders came to it. We are really serious about tackling this. We need support, encouragement and the Tánaiste's say-so.

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and highlighting in the Dáil the concerns of the community around the Fatima Mansions area and other parts of her constituency, along with the need for resourcing. On foot of the Deputy raising it, I will raise the issue with the Minister for justice. I am sure the Deputy has done this but she can share that stakeholder engagement piece with the Minister. We need to continue to invest more in communities along with supporting the Garda in terms of its numbers. We will endeavour to do both in the budget next week. If the Deputy wants to send that information on to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, I will also contact him on foot of this.

Deputy Joanna Byrne

Several times this year, I have raised the hot school meals programme for St. John's and St Paul's schools in Drogheda, including with the Taoiseach back in March. These schools have an in-house canteen providing affordable daily hot food options for children. The Department of education saw its value and importance. It has been lauded as a best practice model for school meals and it has been cited in various publications as a good guide for school food initiatives. Despite providing the first breakfast club of its kind in the State, meeting all of the recommendations and ticking every box for what the Government says it is trying to achieve with school meals, the schools now apparently do not fit the Government model for hot school meals. I ask the Tánaiste to make this make sense to me.

Both these schools are at the heart of a proud community in Drogheda that has felt the brunt of organised crime feuds. The breakfast clubs, school meals and canteen are a lifeline for the whole community. The schools need clarity from the Minister and the Department. I ask the Tánaiste to ask the Minister to now visit the schools, provide the funding, ensure they do not lose their staff and endorse the model so that they do not lose the ability to run their breakfast clubs and continue to provide hot, nutritious meals to their students.

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue about St. John's and St. Paul's schools in Drogheda. I will ask the Minister to visit next time she is in Louth and certainly to engage with the Deputy on that. As the Deputy will know, a review of the hot school meals programme came to Cabinet a couple of weeks ago. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, will now consider how we give effect to that. I will ask that he also take a look at the fact that there is another model in place in Drogheda as part of that.

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí

Since I have been elected to this House, I have heard little or nothing from the other side of the House on job creation. It never seems to feature. It is all about eating the size of the pie, eating the pie that we have and how we are going to cut up the pie. It is never about how we will make more pie. I went to college in 1990 when unemployment was 18%, just coming out of the 1980s. I remember 2012, when we were at 16% unemployment after the crash. Commissioner Hoekstra visited this week and he highlighted the made in Europe narrative and intentions within the European Commission. That provides a real opportunity for Ireland to further develop our domestic economy and build high-value jobs. However, we have to square up and keep job creation at the top of our agenda. What is the Government doing to maintain and develop job creation as a top priority?

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy for the question. In my time taking Leaders' Questions in this House, and let somebody fact check me if I am wrong, I do not ever recall being asked a question about job creation by an Opposition Member during the Leaders' Questions slot, which is interesting. At the moment, the political and often the media discourse just takes full employment for granted. It is a case of "We are at full employment, and sure is that not all grand." Of course, there are people who went to bed last night and lay awake looking at the ceiling wondering how they are going to pay the wage bill at the end of the week or the end of the month. Many of us in this House can say they have done it in past lives and many of us have never had to do that. The first thing we need to do in here is stop coming up with good ideas without working out how small businesses are going to pay for it. That is the first thing.

The second thing is that the Government can help in two ways. It can help in practical ways, whether that is through improved grants, through improving the research and development tax credit or improving the tax system itself by reducing income tax to have some positive effect on both purchasing power but also on wage growth pressure. Sometimes, the Government can also help by getting the hell out of the way if there is too much red tape and too much bureaucracy. The cost of doing business advisory forum has provided well over 60 recommendations that can really help and support.

The first thing we have to do in the budget next week is protect what we have as a country. The conversation about how to divide up the national pie is really important and speaks to our values. How much do you give to education? What about health? All of that is important but what if one day the pie is smaller? That conversation then becomes much harder. We remember those days and we can never forget them.

Deputy Maurice Quinlivan

Yesterday, the staff at the CCTV operation centre in Moyross were issued with a protective notice because no funding commitment has been provided from the Department of justice, the Department that should be funding this project. Let us be clear: this is a vital service established in the aftermath of the Limerick feud in the early 2000s, a dark period of Limerick's history that none of us ever want to see repeated. These 300-plus cameras cover not just our regeneration areas but the whole of Limerick. Comments made to my colleague, Councillor Sharon Benson, by An Garda Síochána indicated that 100 additional gardaí would be needed should these cameras cease operating. Gardaí also said these cameras play a critical role in crime prevention and detection and making our communities feel safe. Closing this vital project would be completely counterproductive. I call on the Government to immediately commit to multi-annual funding to keep these cameras operational and protect the jobs of the staff who are now on a protective notice. Allowing 300-plus cameras to go dark on this Government's watch would be a serious failure of public safety for the people in Limerick by the Government.

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. My thoughts, and I am sure the thoughts of everyone in the House, are with the workers and families affected by the protective notice. I am sure this is a very stressful and worrying time for people. We also want to see an expansion of CCTV in general in terms of public safety. I am not across the detail of it in the way Deputy Quinlivan is but, on foot of him raising the issue today, I will make contact with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and ask that he and An Garda Síochána look at this and come back to the Deputy directly.

Deputy Ryan O'Meara

I met with a number of equestrian centres in north Tipperary this week. They raised serious concerns with me about the commercial rates financial burden they are facing. Equestrian centres require large areas for stables, indoor and outdoor arenas, yards and car parks but the size of those premises does not mean that all of those spaces gather commercial activity. The valuation of these premises can therefore create a significant rates burden. I have also been told of inconsistencies in how car parks and outdoor areas are treated.

These centres provide sport and physical activity for children and young people, opportunities for people with disabilities and important facilities for rural communities, as well as access to the sector and sports for children of all backgrounds who otherwise might not get a chance to do so. I ask the Government to examine the relevant legislation and consider whether genuine riding schools and equestrian centres should have a specific agricultural or equivalent rates classification. If we want our children to be more active and spend less time on screens, why are we putting commercial rates barriers in the way of them accessing these very facilities?

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue with riding schools and equestrian centres and how the commercial rates legislation interacts with them. I agree from a policy and public health perspective on the benefit of these centres at a time when we are trying to encourage our young people to be more active and have less screen time. I know this issue was also raised with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, in his engagement with equestrian centres. The Minister, Deputy Browne, has responsibility for our valuations legislation. I will talk with him and ask that he liaise with the Deputy on this matter. I know from memory that at the moment, if you reduce rates in one area - once again, we go back to our pie analogy - the pie stays the same for the county. Obviously, no one wants to move that burden to another place. Let me ask the Minister to take a look at that and engage with the Deputy to see if there are creative ways we can make progress.

Deputy Colm Burke

As the Tánaiste is aware, the Defence Forces have confirmed that they intend to dispose of armoured personnel carriers. These are vehicles they no longer require. Has a decision been made in respect of inviting tenders to be submitted to facilitate the sale? Would consideration be given for a charitable organisation to acquire same, to be used for humanitarian purposes? One of the groups interested has already sent over 200 all-terrain vehicles to Ukraine, providing support to people who are injured and getting them out of the war zone. What is the process in relation to the tender and will serious consideration be given to making those vehicles available for use for humanitarian purposes?

Tánaiste (Deputy Simon Harris)

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Obviously, we want to do all we can to support Ukraine and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. In that context, we have what is called a light tactical armoured vehicle fleet. It was procured through a competitive process and provided an important operational capacity to our Defence Forces from 2010 until its withdrawal from service in 2023 at the end of its planned service life. There was a detailed technical assessment on its withdrawal from the service and the Defence Forces concluded that the fleet could be made available for donation for potential restoration and operational use by the armed forces of Ukraine for the humanitarian purpose the Deputy highlighted. The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine expressed its sincere gratitude and thanked Ireland for its continued support but ultimately on that occasion, it did not accept the vehicles. That was an operational decision for the Ukrainian authorities.

However, the future of the fleet will now be considered by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. A board of survey will be convened by the Defence Forces in accordance with the Defence Forces regulation and it will make a recommendation on the future disposal of the vehicle.

Preparatory work for the board of survey is currently under way. We need that to do its work first, and that will come up with various options. I can confirm that any proposals received regarding it will, of course, factor in our Department's assessment of the options that are available.

Deputy Aidan Farrelly

I recently completed my doctoral studies in youth work. I conducted research with youth workers around the country, having been a youth worker myself for 15 or 16 years. Simply put, being a youth worker is the best job in the world. It is as simple as that. Youth work changes lives. Youth workers change lives.

However, there is a concern within the sector with regard to the implementation of opportunities for youth, which is the national youth work strategy. Will the Tánaiste liaise with the Minister for education to publish not only the very important workforce data that was collated by the Department, but also the next series of actions that will come from that strategy to inform the workforce with regard to future planning and the precarity of contracts but also the dissatisfaction levels within the sector?

The Tánaiste

I congratulate Deputy Dr. Farrelly on the completion of his doctorate in youth studies and for being able to share that insight that he has professionally with the House. I join with him in acknowledging the important role that youth workers play in all communities and maybe the even more vital role that they play in communities at times of particular challenge, trauma or societal difficulty as well. On foot of the Deputy raising this, I will talk with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, in relation to that national youth work strategy and those concerns and issues he raised here today.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

I wish to raise the ongoing industrial action or work to rule by the public service unions and the impact it is having on many aspects of our economy, especially in Cashel town, where two wonderful special schools, Scoil Aonghusa and Scoil Chormaic, provide outstanding support to children and young people with additional and complex needs. The staff in these schools are dedicated and hard working and they do their utmost.

I fully support the right to industrial action and to try to be recognised, but I want the Tánaiste today to give a commitment that the Government will meaningfully engage with the unions and try to avert this because, as I said, these young people need a routine. It is so vital to them, and I think the Tánaiste himself knows that. Even the change of a bus route or bus time affects them. This would have an enormous effect on the daily lives of these young special children and their families. In the interest of humanity, I ask - there are many other sectors but in this area, in these wonderful schools in Cashel and around the country - that we try to avert any prolonged action.

The Tánaiste

I thank Deputy McGrath for raising the issue in relation to Cashel. I do not doubt the importance of that service provided and the people who very much depend on it. Let me reiterate, and I say this to be helpful, that the Government wants the public sector unions to engage with our representatives in talks without precondition. We could not be clearer about that. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, has confirmed that view to the public sector unions. Every dispute, every discussion, gets resolved in sitting around a table. There is no advantage, tactical or otherwise, for either side to delaying that engagement.

We need a new public sector pay agreement. The unions in this country have always been responsible, constructive partners in standing up for those they represent. We have a job to do as well. We will make an allocation for a new public sector pay deal, or an indicative one, in our budgetary figures next week. The sooner the talks can begin, the better.

It is important that both sides, including the Government, approach those talks with no preconditions. We are willing to engage without precondition. I would ask in the interest of everybody, including public sector workers, that unions would do the same.

Deputy John Clendennen

Today I would like to raise the provision of diabetes care and services for the people and families of Offaly and the midlands. The HSE acknowledges the importance of timely access to appropriate diabetes care, yet waiting times for this service at the Regional Hospital Mullingar, RHM, are over two years. I have had a number of constituents in touch with me. One individual, diagnosed at childhood, cannot apply for a mortgage or get on the property ladder because he is awaiting an insulin pump. Another constituent has been a patient of Mullingar for ten years. Following half a dozen appointments, he is still awaiting an insulin pump. It is simply not good enough.

I acknowledge the work the Minister in her efforts to reform the way the HSE works, but the HSE is now issuing letters to patients advising that diabetes day care services in Mullingar are suspended due to staff shortages. We spoke about small businesses here a minute ago. There is no small business in this country that would close its doors because of staff shortages, regardless of the expert levels required, and we have to see the same level of resilience and imagination in the HSE. I would ask that the Government look at reversing this decision and give peace of mind to patients because there is a level of dismay and concern out there in regard to the circular from the HSE.

The Tánaiste

I thank Deputy Clendennen for raising this issue and for the real, practical examples he has given of the adverse impact when this service is not in place on people in their daily lives. I am informed that the diabetes day service in Mullingar is delivered by four whole-time equivalent nursing staff and one dietician, but I am also informed that currently there is only one staff nurse available for the team. Clearly, we have a recruitment issue here that needs to be addressed. I am reliably informed by the Minister and the HSE that every effort is being made to fill the vacancies as soon as possible. Existing patients will continue to be managed through the consultant diabetes outpatient clinics.

However, the Deputy is correct that the diabetes day service has been temporarily suspended from 1 October. I understand why this is not satisfactory to the Deputy's constituents. This must be temporary. It must be kept as brief as possible. I am told that they are making every effort to fill the vacancies but they also are looking at other solutions, as the Deputy suggested they need to do. Redeploying staff to reduce pressure on the service could, indeed, be one. Patients currently attending the diabetes day service are advised to continue following their existing care plans but also to attend consultant outpatient appointments as arranged. The impact of this needs to be minimised. Recruitment needs to be progressed quickly. I will ask the Minister for Health to keep Deputy Clendennen informed.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I commend the community of Garvaghy Road on their courage and resilience against what we hope is one of the last pangs of Orange supremacism and triumphalism. Political unionism really needs to take a look at itself. Is this the road it wants to go down? None of the rest of us want to see that. I would include in that many within the unionist community and even probably many within the Orange Order.

We think of the realities of this march. We have seen and heard from the families of Michael McGoldrick, Robert Hamill and Rosemary Nelson and that makes it very real. I also think about the likes of Sean Brown, Philip Allen and Damien Trainor at Poyntzpass, and Elizabeth O'Neill. I do not think any of us can forget the Quinn children, and that is what it took to stop the march in 1998.

There are questions for the Parades Commission on its disgraceful action. The PSNI has questions to answer in relation to its security assessment, which was found to be-----

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Conclude, Deputy Ó Murchú.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

It was found to be farcical. I ask that the Tánaiste would continue his engagement with the British Government.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Thank you, Deputy.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I am always afraid about a new Administration. At times, I am not always sure that they understand the entire history.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy, you are past the time. The Tanáiste to respond.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I have commended the Tánaiste before on his roadmap for Irish unity.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy Ó Murchú, you have gone way over your time.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

I believe we need to keep that work going. I would ask about that and also about how the Tánaiste can put that into action in government because that is necessary and I do not think enough has been done.

The Tánaiste

It is rare the Deputy commends me.

I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising, obviously, a very serious issue. The issue in relation to Garvaghy is receiving, as it rightly should, attention at all levels of government, right up to the most senior levels, and at all levels across officialdom as well, including the engagement of Irish officials on the ground, including engagement with the Deputy's party and others.

I would just repeat the call for everybody to work towards calm and a resolution. Nobody wants to see the progress that has been hard won go backwards or be lost in any manner or means, and the Deputy has highlighted and reminded the House of the very serious trauma and loss of life that has been experienced in the past. The North is at a very different place, a much better place. We never want to go back and I hope the talks that will recommence today can make progress.

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I too want to raise the issue of the fuel income support scheme with the Tánaiste this afternoon, specifically the issues of plant hire operators and quarrymen who were excluded from the initial scheme earlier this year. At that time, many people in leadership indicated that these sectors would be included in the original scheme. Obviously, that did not transpire.

These operators have the same costs. They face the same increases in the price of green diesel that people in the agricultural sector have, and many of them are small one- or two-machine-operated businesses. With the upcoming budget, and particularly since the initial scheme was not fully drawn down, will the Government consider them for inclusion in any updated scheme?

The Tánaiste

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this issue in relation to how we support plant hire operators, quarry workers and others in that kind of construction sector space with fuel costs. We have been clear as a Government that we want to do this. There is work going on across a few Departments to work out the best modality, but both I and the Taoiseach have been clear that we want to get this done and have a proposal to the Government shortly. We are discussing it, obviously, in the context, as the Deputy says, of the budget next week too, and we will keep him updated.

The Minister, Deputy Chambers, and I met the Construction Industry Federation recently and I know this is an issue of concern.

It is also very important for the vital work these sectors are carrying out in construction across our country that we need to keep going, so I hope we can bring this matter to a resolution quickly.

Deputy John Connolly

I raise an issue that has been touched on already here today and was raised by my colleague, Deputy McGrath, yesterday as it relates to Cork.

A number of newly qualified nurses and midwives have contacted me in recent weeks because they are unable to secure employment, despite having completed their training, registration and clinical placements. Reports suggest recruitment restrictions are preventing appointments from being made where staffing pressures continue to exist. We are all aware Ireland continues to rely heavily on international recruitment of nurses. I think one in every four nurses is now recruited internationally. Their contributions are invaluable and deeply appreciated and I am not sure what we would do without them. However, if newly qualified Irish nurses and midwives cannot secure employment here, they will obviously seek opportunities abroad. It makes little sense to me that we would be exporting nurses on the one hand while on the other, recruiting internationally to fill the positions these nurses cannot get.

At the same time, a 2026 ESRI report projected substantial growth in healthcare workforce requirements across every region to 2040 and that there would be a focus on front-line deployment. What actions are being taken to ensure newly qualified nurses and midwives can enter the workforce without delay?

Deputy Máire Devine

Hear, hear.

The Tánaiste

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The word "front-line" is very important here. As the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, in working closely with Minister, Deputy Chambers, prepares for the health budget 2027, we need to make sure we grow our front-line health professionals. The Deputy makes a valid point about the people going through our own universities and colleges who want to be able to work here and are actively looking to do so. They need to be met with an open door; we need them. Therefore, we need to make sure the HSE is prioritising the recruitment of front-line staff. Having seen some very large increases in staffing in the HSE recently, I am not sure it is fair to say most of them have been in the front-line. There is a real need to focus on that.

We have a growing and ageing population, so we need to make sure we have jobs for these young graduates. I know the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is conscious of this and is preparing as part of the health budget for the months and year ahead. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy when she has clarity on that.