I asked the Taoiseach a couple of weeks ago about the unacceptable delays for An Post pensioners in relation to a pension increase that was already agreed. That was agreed back in September. The Minister was asked to approve it on 23 October. The pensioners are really upset that the increase they badly need in the cost-of-living crisis, to keep food on the table, pay bills and keep their homes heated, has not been signed off on by the Minister. All they are waiting on is for the Minister for public expenditure, Dep…

It was two weeks ago.

I did not find the answers earlier on estimated levels of service convincing ar chor ar bith. I have a briefing tomorrow and I look forward to that. When the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, has responsibility for the OPW in 2019, a site was identified for a new Garda station at Northern Cross. It was announced that a new station would be provided. Seven years later, however, there is no sign of that Garda station. In replies to parliamentary questions last year, the Minister of State referred to needing to identif…

I welcome the indication that the station will be constructed in 2028. What I am struggling with are the references to identifying a site, particularly when a site was announced in 2019 when he had responsibility for the OPW. How is that seven years after this project was announced – and there were senior Ministers from the Government out announcing it at Northern Cross – the Minister of State is still talking about identifying a site? The announcement was made by the Government before last at a time when he was Mi…

The situation is that the money is there and the Department is committed to building the station in 2028. A site was identified and announced by the Government in 2019 when the Minister of State had responsibility for the OPW. He is still talking about identifying a site when he previously identified such a site seven years ago. I do not understand this. How is it the case that, seven years later, we appear to be going backwards? The Minister of State is still talking about identifying a site. A site was announced …

Families and children have been let down appallingly by Children's Health Ireland, CHI. There has been scandal heaped on scandal, and report after report. Behind all of that are sick children and their families who have been failed by the healthcare system and the State. Children and families are still being failed because promises to act have been broken and long-promised reports remain unpublished. The Nayagam report was commissioned in 2023, two and a half years ago. Families still have not seen it. This is a re…

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. He is absolutely right that children who have suffered pain are at the heart of this matter. They have been badly let down, and that is what this is absolutely about. They and their families deserve as much information as possible. We have had 12 reports , but only six of these have been published to date. Does the Tánaiste acknowledge that this is not acceptable? Does he acknowledge that for the statutory public inquiry to work, as much information as possible needs to be ava…

Absolute rubbish.

Can I raise a point of order?

On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle-----

Point of order-----

I have a point of order, Ceann Comhairle.

I want to ask about families who have had their mortgages sold to vulture funds. This has caused an incredible amount of stress and anxiety to people all over the country. These people are supposed to have the same rights as anyone else under the code of conduct on mortgage arrears, but this has not been the real lived experience of many people. What is the Government doing to ensure these mortgage holders’ rights are protected?

I am not sure that the Tánaiste understands the extent of the problem. I thank him for the answer he has given. The code of conduct on mortgage arrears is not being enforced. People go through absolute hell when their mortgage is sold on. The Tánaiste asked for an example and I will give him one. I spoke recently to a person who had their mortgage sold through the State-engineered Project Glas, despite the fact that according to Central Bank rules her mortgage was actually sustainable – it was in positive equity. I…

The person who contacted me recently told me of how the cumulative impact has been devastating. She has lived for over a decade under constant stress and uncertainty with profound effects on her mental health and physical health, her family life and her ability to live with dignity in later life. She is now facing the risk of imminent homelessness. She has tried to go through the regulatory process. She has been on to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman and so on. Having worked in an area related to this …

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, still has investments in companies operating in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories. Over €6 million of our money remained invested in six companies identified on the UN database at the end of 2024. This is an arm of our State actively profiting from companies working on illegally occupied land. Will the Tánaiste ensure that the ISIF fully divests from companies operating in illegally occupied Palestinian territories?

The issue here is that there should not be a single cent of Irish public money invested in companies operating illegally in the occupied territories of Palestine. I do not believe there is any public support for our money being used in that way. What is clearly needed is an absolutely full divestment by the ISIF - which invests public money - from companies operating in the occupied territories. I am calling for full divestment. Will the Tánaiste also call for that? Will he call for a full divestment by the ISIF fr…

I am not clear whether the Tánaiste is actually justifying the current situation. Is he justifying it or making excuses for it? Not a single cent of our money should be invested in companies operating in illegally occupied territories in Palestine. The Tánaiste knows this and I know this. The public do not want their money invested there. I am making an easy ask to the Tánaiste. I am not asking him to direct the strategic investment fund. I understand that, because of its independence, he cannot do so. However, he …

"Who will care for our daughter when we are no longer able to do so? Nobody is able to answer that question." These are the words of Tony Murray, a 71-year-old man from Dublin who is at his wits' end looking for answers. Tony and his wife Susan are full-time carers for their 42-year-old daughter, Aoife, who has an intellectual disability. They are just one of the thousands of families where elderly parents are working as full-time carers well into their 70s, 80s and even 90s. Adults with intellectual disabilities d…

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. The disability capacity review in 2021 identified a very urgent need to substantially increase the amount of appropriate housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. What precisely has been done on foot of that review in 2021? The State is literally waiting for the advocates for people with intellectual disabilities to die before anything happens so not only do they lose their parent, carer and person who is looking after them, they also lose the person who has been advo…