This Bill deals with access to social housing support. I am aware the rules outlined in it are already in place in my two local authorities, Galway City Council and Galway County Council. I want to talk about the impact of the housing crisis on the people of Galway. For the majority of people trying to access social housing support in Galway, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible. If you are homeless and present for emergency accommodation, you have to be put on a waiting list because emergency accommodation…

The Minister is relatively new in the role as the Minister for foreign affairs. I am really concerned about the route she is going down on a number of issues. This week is outlining the Minister' policy position in terms of the Department of foreign affairs. The Government is looking to dismantle the triple lock, totally against the wishes of people. That is the dismantling of our neutrality. Now, the Government is looking at completely and utterly hallowing out the occupied territories Bill by excluding services f…

This legislation is a suite of reluctant half-measures, a package that does not meet the challenge of high fuel prices. Once this legislation is enacted petrol, diesel and home heating oil will continue to be unaffordable for hundreds of thousands of people and that is just not good enough. We know that it is not just the cost of fuel that people are struggling with. A package to reduce the cost of fuel is so desperately needed because the Government has let the cost of living spiral out of control for the past fiv…

Will the Minister give us an update on the projected overspends of the Department of education and how they will impact on the budgets of other Government Departments?

That was incorrect.

That mistake was not on my side.

That was not the question I submitted, but I understand it is what the Minister has been told. I do not know if we should skip this question. I might just ask my question and if the Minister cannot answer it is not on him, which is totally fine. I accept that he was not aware. It is a bit of a mess, like this mess. My question relates to overspends in the Department of education and specifically how this will impact on other Government Departments, including Transport, justice and housing. My concern is that this w…

I know.

To be clear, the question the Minister received is not the question I was asking. I thank him for the answer, but the issue is that if you look at it in the context of what he is saying here and what is being done, things do not really add up. In January, the Minister said that the Government's massive expenditure on consultancy services was adding cost, delay and significant fragmentation to infrastructure delivery. However, we now hear he is spending €25,000 on a consultancy firm to try to garner public support f…

The issue here is that in the spirit of the Bilderberg conference, which is a secretive conference, the Minister has not given me a full breakdown of exactly what he did and what he was discussing. It is only through a freedom of information request we have an insight into what he got up to. We also need to see it in the context of the time. When fuel protestors were out on the streets demanding the Minister's Government intervene just so they could make ends meet he was in Washington DC spending $760 a night of ta…

I did not ask the Minister about his discussions with the US Chamber of Commerce. I asked him specifically about the Bilderberg conference. The focus on militarisation was absolutely clear from the agenda, which included discussions on the transatlantic defence industrial relationship, the Middle East and the future of warfare. As he is the Minister for public expenditure I find it concerning he would foster a close relationship with bosses of military companies, which is not in our national interest. I am concerne…

Have all former Ministers either paid any money owed or set up repayment plans with the NSSO with regard to the pensions overpayment issue?

To be honest, I assumed the Minister was going to tell me that they had all engaged in a repayment plan. Am I correct that 17% have not engaged in a recoupment plan? I have raised this with the Minister numerous times, and I know he is in agreement with me. However, it is outrageous that 17% would not engage in a recoupment plan. This is a time when, as we were just discussing, people are struggling to make ends meet. Ordinary workers who go out and work every day of their lives cannot pay their bills or their rent…

Is the Minister aware of how many former Ministers are in that 17%? My God, this has to undermine public trust and public confidence. If anybody is overpaid anything, they are pursued with legal letters and threatening letters when these things happen through no fault of their own. They are pursued very quickly and in a very difficult way for many people who are not used to dealing with this. We are talking about people who were in a position of power, making decisions over other people’s lives, who now feel they a…

One of my constituents is an apprentice heavy vehicle mechanic. When he signed up for the course, it was advertised as a four-year apprenticeship. While it was a big commitment, it was an investment in himself that he wanted to make. It is, however, a commitment that he would likely not have made had he known how his training would pan out. In January 2025, he should have started the off-the-job training aspect of his course, but he was told that he would have to wait for an indefinite period of time because SOLAS …

Is rud é seo a bhfuilimid ag plé le fada an lá. Táimid soiléir go gcaithfidh an bord iomlán a bheith tofa agus go gcaithfear ionadaíocht ó gach ceantar Gaeltachta a bheith ann. Tá sé sin fíorthábhachtach. Tá muintir na Gaeltachta ag fanacht le fada an lá i gcomhair bord tofa agus teacht ar ais na dtoghchán. Ar ndóigh, tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh sé seo déanta agus go mbeadh an bord iomlán tofa. Is é sin an fáth go bhfuil na leasuithe seo á gcur chun tosaigh.

Má tá an tAire dáiríre faoi bhord daonlathach agus guth a chinntiú san údarás do phobail Ghaeltachta atá níos lú nó atá lonnaithe ar na hoileáin, ba chóir dó glacadh leis na leasuithe seo. Má tá sé ag diúltú do na leasuithe seo, ní mór dó a mhíniú cén fáth go bhfuil sé níos tábhachtaí go mbeidh seisear ionadaithe aige féin ar an mbord in áit ionadaithe atá roghnaithe ag Gaeltacht na bpobal oileánda nó Gaeltacht Uíbh Ráthach. Mar a dúradh níos luaithe, is dúbailt atá ann ó mar a bhí, ó thriúr go seisear.

Táim ar an gcoiste airgeadais.

Déanann an leasú seo ciall. Déanann sé ciall go mbeadh an cinneadh seo déanta ag an mbord féin. Ar aon bhord ar a raibh mé féin, agus fiú sa Seomra seo, roghnaíonn na baill an cathaoirleach. Ba chóir dó a bheith mar sin ar an mbord seo freisin. Ní rud fíoreisceachtúil é go mbeadh sé seo i gceist. Mar gheall air sin, tacaím leis an leasú.

Mar is eol don Aire, is í ceist na tithíochta ceann do na príomhcheisteanna atá sa Ghaeltacht. Is é tithíocht Gaeltachta ceann de na rudaí is mó ar a bhfuil feachtasaíocht á déanamh sa Ghaeltacht faoi láthair. Tá mé ag caint ar leithéidí BÁNÚ, Tinteán agus daoine eile, ar ndóigh, atá ag cur leis an bhfeachtas sin. Tá sé soiléir nach bhfuil daoine in ann teach a thógáil, a cheannach nó a fháil ar cíos sa nGaeltacht agus is é sin an bhunfhadhb atá anseo. Ón méid atáimid ag plé anseo agus ansin tá na leasuithe ann, an…