Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I move:

Tuesday's business shall be: - Revised Estimate for Public Services 2024 [Vote 23] and Further Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024 [Votes 16 and 34] (to be moved together and decided without debate by one question).

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Regulations and a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on international protection, asylum and migration (debate on Tuesday to consist of two speaking rounds; proceedings will then stand adjourned until Wednesday; first speaking round on Tuesday ‒ 202 minutes; second speaking round on Tuesday ‒ 100 minutes). Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Carers, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be: - Digital Services (Levy) Bill 2024 (Second Stage)

- Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Second Stage)

(if not previously concluded, debate shall be interrupted on these Bills either at 4.30 p.m. or after 2 hours and 16 minutes, whichever is the later).

- Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Regulations and a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on international protection, asylum and migration (resumed) (to consist of a single speaking round not exceeding 210 minutes, following which proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion).

- Employment Permits Bill 2022 (Amendments from the Seanad) (to commence no earlier than 6 p.m. and if not previously concluded, to adjourn after 60 minutes).

- Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024 (Report and Final Stages) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn after 60 minutes).

- Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023 (Report and Final Stages) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn either at 11.30 p.m. or after 90 minutes, whichever is the later). Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Hospitality and Tourism Sector, selected by the Rural Independent Group.

Thursday's business shall be: - Digital Services (Levy) Bill 2024 (Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded)

- Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Second Stage)

(if not previously concluded, debate shall be interrupted on these Bills either at 6 p.m. or after 4 hours and 16 minutes, whichever is the later). Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Mortgage Interest Rates Cap Bill 2023.

In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent: (i) the Dáil may sit later than 10.32 p.m.;

(ii) the time allotted to Government business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Regulations and a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on international protection, asylum and migration;

(iii) private members’ business may be taken later than 6.12 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of Government business, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; and

(iv) topical issues pursuant to Standing Order 37 shall not be taken and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of oral Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; 2. the Motions for Revised Estimate for Public Services 2024 [Vote 23] and Further Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024 [Votes 16 and 34] shall be moved together and decided without debate by one question, which shall be put from the Chair; and

3. on Tuesday, the debate on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Regulations and a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on international protection, asylum and migration shall consist of two speaking rounds and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (i) the arrangements for the speeches on the first speaking round shall be in accordance with the arrangements agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 200 minutes, and the Resolution of the Dáil of 20 September, 2023, providing for two minutes for non-aligned members;

(ii) the arrangements for the speeches on the second speaking round shall be in accordance with the arrangements agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30 July, 2020, for 100 minutes;

(iii) on the conclusion of the second speaking round, the debate shall stand adjourned; and

(iv) members may share time. In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent: (i) the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time, which may be taken later than 8.45 p.m., and shall in any event be taken either on the adjournment of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023, or where that Bill concludes within the available time, on the conclusion thereof: Provided that if there are no deferred divisions, the Dáil shall adjourn on the adjournment of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023, or on its conclusion if it concludes within the available time; and

(ii) the only Taoiseach’s oral questions to be taken pursuant to Standing Order 46(1) shall be those within the remit of a Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach; 2. in relation to Second Stage of the Digital Services (Levy) Bill 2024, and, if reached, Second Stage of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2024, the following arrangements shall apply: (i) the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 4.30 p.m. or after 2 hours and 16 minutes, whichever is the later;

(ii) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Wednesday; and

(iii) any divisions claimed on the proceedings shall be deferred until immediately prior to Committee Stage of the relevant Bill; 3. on Wednesday, the resumed proceedings on the Motion re Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Regulations and a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on international protection, asylum and migration shall be brought to a conclusion after 210 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto: (i) the arrangements for the speeches, not including the Minister’s response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30 July, 2020, for 200 minutes;

(ii) on the conclusion of the speeches, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(iii) members may share time; 4. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Employment Permits Bill 2022 shall be taken no earlier than 6 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 1 hour, and shall not be resumed on Wednesday;

5. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned after 1 hour, and shall not be resumed on Wednesday; and

6. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 11.30 p.m. or after 90 minutes, whichever is the later, and shall not be resumed on Wednesday.

In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent: (i) topical issues pursuant to Standing Order 37—

(a) may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the adjournment of proceedings on Government business, or where Government business concludes within the allocated time, on the conclusion thereof; and

(b) may be taken for 96 minutes, and more than four topical issues may be taken; and

(ii) Thursday evening business, i.e., Second Stage of the Mortgage Interest Rates Cap Bill 2023, may be taken earlier than 8.12 p.m., and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of topical issues, with consequential effect on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil; and 2. in relation to Second Stage of the Digital Services (Levy) Bill 2024, and, if reached, Second Stage of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2024, the following arrangements shall apply: (i) any proceedings, resumed or otherwise, shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned either at 6 p.m. or after 4 hours and 16 minutes, whichever is the later;

(ii) the proceedings shall not be resumed on Thursday, and

(iii) any division claimed on the proceedings shall be deferred until immediately prior to Committee Stage of the relevant Bill.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is that agreed?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Not agreed.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Yesterday the Taoiseach said the consensus was emerging among many EU leaders to back Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term. I listened carefully to his comments a few moments ago. It will be a concerning development for people in Ireland, notwithstanding what he said about Ursula von der Leyen. She has not rowed back from her initial unqualified support for the Netanyahu regime, as we see the genocidal death toll in Gaza rising. I ask that we have a debate on her reappointment as Commission President in this House so we can highlight and insert some transparency to the process, to see who from Ireland will be backing her in this attempt to become Commission President for a second term.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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On the EU migration and asylum pact, we had asked for as much time as possible and to take whatever time is needed on this. It is a matter of serious concern among the Opposition that, while the Government has granted more time, it will be scheduled to conclude tomorrow. I again ask the Government to consider allowing this to take as much time as possible and to adjourn until Thursday, or next week. We clearly need more time in the Oireachtas to demonstrate we have had the fullest debate and the fullest opportunity before we vote on the matter.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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The Taoiseach will recall that as Minister for Health in 2017 he committed to introduce a statutory right to home care. In 2020, he said the scheme was nearly ready and the new Government would introduce it. Here we are, four years later, and we are no nearer to having a statutory scheme for home care. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, admitted as much last week when she said the nut of funding that scheme had not been cracked. This failure to follow through on that broken promise has huge implications for the care of older people, as more older people are being forced into nursing homes because of the absence of such a scheme. Will the Taoiseach allow time this week to discuss the implications of that for a large number of older people who have been let down by this Government?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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The Women's Aid annual report is a chapter of horrors, with 40,000 disclosures of abuse against women and children, which is the highest recorded since the charity's inception 50 years ago. It is noteworthy that 86% of abuse was committed by a current or former male intimate partner. It is also interesting that 48% of women who reported abuse to An Garda found gardaí to be unhelpful. That needs to be discussed. I propose that the Business Committee put this issue onto the Dáil schedule as soon as possible.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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As the Ceann Comhairle knows, at last week's Business Committee meeting, I forcefully put across my opposition to the imposition of a guillotine this week. I made the point that every Member who wishes to speak on the migration pact should be, and must be, facilitated to do that. I have been in contact with the Taoiseach's office and that of the Chief Whip. I know additional time is being provided and that is welcome.

If that happens, I will not oppose the moving of the debate today.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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The Ceann Comhairle knows well I have raised this for several weeks at the Business Committee, and the fact the Government deceitfully hid this pact until after the local and European elections. Now, we are debating a red herring here because it is already adopted in Europe, we are told. The Government has changed the wording of it. We need ample time to discuss this. Indeed, the Taoiseach promised us we would have ample time to debate it on the floor of the Dáil, as did the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, and the Minister for Justice. It is a pact that took ten years of gestation in Europe and we are going to dispense with it with a guillotine here after maybe six and a half hours. It is outrageous. We in the Rural Independent Group are fundamentally opposed to it. We have been trying to get debates on this issue for almost 18 months - we are the only party or group that has been – and we continue to do so. This is being rushed after, as I said, it was hidden away from the people until after the elections. The Government did the same with the referendums, for which it did not divulge the Attorney General's advice. We want to see the Attorney General's advice regarding many issues and many aspects of this pact. We are fundamentally opposed to it.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies. First, in respect of Deputy Bacik's point, I am not sure this always come across in our domestic debates on European positions but four posts are currently being considered in Europe - the European Parliament President, the President of the Council, the President of the Commission and the High Representative for foreign affairs - and the different political groupings at a European level are involved in that, including the Deputy's own group, the Socialists and Democrats. Based on the conversations I had yesterday, my understanding is the S&D group is very actively involved in these discussions, and I have yet to see any sort of red flags or opposition be raised by the S&D to President von der Leyen at a European level. The European Council will meet again next Thursday and Friday, when I hope the Council will be in a position to make a decision on a name to go to the Parliament, and then it will be up to each MEP, including our Irish MEPs, in a secret ballot, I believe, to vote yea or nay on whatever name is sent there. I am not sure, in all truth, whether the House will be able to facilitate a debate in advance of that, but I am open to it and have no difficulty with that.

In regard to the issue of the EU migration pact, I think there were some sensible suggestions from Deputy Naughten and others, and I do not disagree with what Deputy Mac Lochlainn said. There is no deceitfulness going on. We did say we would provide ample time on this. I think eight and a half hours are scheduled between today and tomorrow, from my recollection. What we are clearly saying today in the Dáil is that if time is running out tomorrow on the EU migration pact debate and if there are still people who have indicated they wish to speak, the Whip will come back to the House and make a new business proposal on the floor to extend the time. Every Member of Dáil Éireann, therefore, who wishes to speak on the pact will have time to do so. To clarify, anyone who wants to speak on the pact will have time to speak on the pact, and I think that is the definition of ample time, where everyone will have an opportunity.

On the issue of statutory home care, for that reason, it is unlikely there will be an ability to have a debate on the statutory home care scheme this week, but I am happy that we would facilitate a debate on it. It will not be this week because of the time we are passing over, but I am happy for it to be pursued. There is an update I can give to the House on a lot of the good work that is going on, including the legislative piece recently receiving Cabinet approval, but let us schedule that debate for as soon as possible.

Similarly, on the Women's Aid report, there is no difficulty from our perspective on having a debate on the work of Cuan, the Women's Aid report and our zero-tolerance strategy. Again, it is just that the timing will need to be agreed by the Business Committee.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I thank the Taoiseach. Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Not agreed.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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How many times do you want to speak on it? Are you voting against the arrangement to allow every Deputy to speak on it?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We have just 21 minutes so I ask Members to keep to the time limits. I call Deputy McDonald.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Tomorrow, 13-year-old Cara Darmody from Tipperary will again protest outside the Dáil. It is not her first time. She has been campaigning for several years now. Her key demand is that the Government gives a clear date as to when the State will comply with the Disability Act 2005 which, as the Taoiseach knows, sets out that children with disabilities are legally entitled to an assessment of needs within six months. In the past seven years we had two Ministers for Health, namely, the Taoiseach himself, and the current Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and in that time, assessment waiting lists have more than trebled. They have ballooned from 4,000 to 15,000. Such long waiting times have serious consequences for children because early intervention is crucial. Will the Taoiseach answer Cara's question? When will the Government abide by the law and ensure that every child requiring an assessment of needs gets that assessment within six months, as is his or her legal entitlement?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I met Cara and her father, Mark, briefly this morning when I came back from Brussels. I met them in the courtyard of Government Buildings before the Cabinet meeting. I will formally and properly meet Cara this week with, I hope, other relevant Ministers as well. I have here her letter, which she gave me this morning. She is an incredible young person. We have taken a number of steps already in relation to assessments of needs since I became Taoiseach, including €12 million in funding, which will result in an extra 4,500 assessments of need. I will meet Cara. She has a number of issues that she wants to discuss. I hope to meet her either tomorrow or on Thursday.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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When will the health service recruitment ban be lifted? It is affecting real people, especially the over-75s. It is June, yet, yesterday morning 33 people were on trolleys in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. That number, unfortunately, has repeated itself today. There are 43 in Cork today and 34 in Galway, which is unprecedented for June. This is because these hospitals are not allowed to recruit the nurses who have actually been cleared to take up roles in hospitals such as Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. There is a deficit of 71 whole-time equivalent nursing professionals in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. That is 71 fewer nurses than there should be. Management, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and SIPTU are firefighting to support patients and to support stricken staff.

Bernard Gloster, the head of the HSE, is in the media today talking up the possibility of the removal of the recruitment ban and saying that it will be lifted soon. When will the HSE recruitment ban be lifted?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Nash. We are having a meeting of the Cabinet committee on health in early July, I believe, and I look forward to seeing whether we can bring progress to that issue of the pay and numbers strategy there because discussions are ongoing between the HSE and the Department of Health. However, there is broad agreement in relation to the pay and numbers strategy. The Minister has approved the allocation of the 2024 new development posts, along with the roll-out of safe staffing through the conversion of 418 agency staff. I can get specific figures in relation to the Deputy's local hospital.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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At the outset, I wish the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, the very best as he announced he is stepping down as leader of the Green Party. He has always been sincere and helpful. He can be proud of his contribution to Irish public life.

Domestic violence is a problem which is endemic, systemic and growing. Women's Aid recorded more than 40,000 disclosures of abuse last year. These figures are truly shocking. That is a 20% increase on the previous year. I acknowledge that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is working on this issue and that tackling it is not easy. What goes on behind closed doors is difficult to police. That is why it is so important that women feel safe in coming forward. It is why we have to ensure that women feel they have options other than remaining in an abusive relationship. Too many women do not feel that way. We know we have a chronic shortage of women's refuge spaces. There has been almost no progress on that. We have just one third of the recommended number of refuge spaces. There are nine counties which do not have any spaces at all. Where is the urgency? What new measures will the Government introduce to tackle this issue? What progress can we expect to see this year?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cairns for her kind words for the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and I congratulate her on her own good news. I know everyone in this House is genuinely delighted for her and for Barry and we wish them all the very best. It is nice to have good news in this place too.

I thank her for raising the very important issue relating to the Women’s Aid report and the work relating to the zero-tolerance strategy. She asked specifically about new measures. The honest answer to that, in addition to the list I can provide her on how we will get to the significant increase in places that has been promised under the strategy and the work that is under way in Wexford, Dundalk and Navan and the 17 new safe homes last year and the 13 more this year, the new approach is that there is now a statutory agency, Cuan, and it has been asked to produce a monitoring plan every quarter to show the delivery of those projects. It has also been asked to look at new ways to accelerate the delivery because I accept this is urgent and so too does the Minister, Deputy McEntee. I hope that having our new statutory agency with a co-ordinating role will help.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Can the Taoiseach tell us when the Government will make an announcement on the issue of funding for the Cork events centre? It is now nearly eight and a half years since a clatter of politicians, led by Enda Kenny and Simon Coveney, were photographed turning the sod in the run up to a general election and still to this day, not a single brick has been laid.

Can the Taoiseach tell us what the cost to the State will be? The original plan was for €20 million. Over the years it has skyrocketed to €57 million. To be honest, the State could have built it for less than that and held it in public ownership but instead the Government chose to hand it over to a private operator. In any case, I understand the new figure will be higher than €57 million and I would like to know what it is. Can the Taoiseach tell us?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will be able to very shortly and will be happy to tell the Deputy once I have received a final submission on the issue. My Department, for legacy reasons, as it were, has a role in bringing this project forward. I intend to bring a memorandum to the Government on it very shortly. Once I have brought that final memorandum to the Government and it has made a decision, I will be happy to share the details with the House.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Will it be before the summer?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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That is my hope.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I wish to get some information on the all-island rail review, which has been published in draft. An implementation plan is also being prepared for its execution. I have a particular interest in the western rail corridor, north from Athenry through Tuam and on to Claremorris. It is phase 2. It was shelved back in 2011 due to austerity measures but is now part of the all-island rail review. I want to acknowledge the work that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan did on this and to wish him well in his decision today. When might the review be published? When might we see it moving to the implementation stage?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Canney for raising the matter and for his kind words for the Minister, Deputy Ryan, which I am sure he will appreciate.

I acknowledge that the Deputy has been pursuing the issue of the western rail corridor and the all-island rail review for some time and we discussed it recently when I became Taoiseach. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, is due to bring a memorandum to the Government on the all-island rail review in coming weeks and the detail of any implementation groups and structures and timelines associated with that will be contained in that update to the Cabinet. I hope that we might see that before the summer recess.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I too want to be associated, on behalf of the Rural Independents, with Deputy Ryan’s departure as party leader.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Oh my God.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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He was always courteous in debate, while I fundamentally disagreed with him in policy. I hope he did not find the coldest June too hot to handle. Maybe his climate change clock has gone wrong but I wish him well.

While I thank the Taoiseach for meeting Cara Darmody today with her father, Mark, she should be in school today. She will be off for the summer shortly but she will be up here every week protesting while we are here and continuing to protest and to fight. I heard her say on the radio, and I am sure she told the Taoiseach, that she has met two taoisigh already and they promised her. The time for promises is over. People like Cara’s two brothers and her mother, Noelle, at home minding them are profoundly suffering. They need proper, timely assessments, treatments and supports. When will that happen? I appreciate that the Taoiseach will meet them on Thursday with other Ministers. That is very important because we need to have meaningful action here. We cannot have a school child forced to come up here to Government Buildings or the Dáil to look for what all the children should have.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his words of tribute to the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I think many could learn from his courteous and civil approach to politics -----

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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-----in this House and indeed outside this House as well.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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There are many lessons that could be learned from him in that regard.

I thank the Deputy for his words about Cara Darmody. I met her as a Minister, not as the Taoiseach. She highlighted a number of things to me then and some of those, I believe, we have made progress on. I look forward to meeting her again on Thursday.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am going back again on the Women’s Aid report. It has already been raised by two Deputies. We could not fail to raise it given the damning figures: an 18% increase in disclosures from last year, making it the highest on record. Women’s Aid is now 50 years on the ground. I would have hoped that it would be redundant by this point and we would not need it anymore and instead it has got worse.

What I want to focus in on here is this. In 1996 and 1997, there was a task force and following on from that, we had many strategies and Green Papers. But since that task force published its repot in 1997, 265 women have been murdered by people close to them. That task force identified a number of recommendations. One that jumped out at me was on prevention and help or education for the perpetrator. That has never been dealt with in any of the papers which have followed. Will the Taoiseach respond to that?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The first thing I will do is familiarise myself with that task force report. I appreciate that a lot of work has been done since then but I will familiarise myself with that. We do need to come at this from all angles. There is, of course, a criminal justice element to this. A lot of good legislation has been passed through these Houses on that. The establishment of the agency is important but so is the education and cultural aspect. I have significant concerns, for instance, about how young men in particular are seeing things on social media and are being miseducated about what a healthy sexual relationship is and so on.

If the Deputy will let me come back to her on the recommendations on prevention and health specifically, I will ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to take a look at the 1997 recommendations with me.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on his departure as leader of the Green Party.

Last night, I was at a well attended, large public meeting in the Killygarry Community Centre, County Cavan. Gathered were people from the Shankill lower and Pottle area in Cavan where two sites are proposed for the development of battery energy storage systems. It is arguably the first of its kind in County Cavan.

A number of speakers educated everyone in the room, along with myself and other public representatives. The main concerns are around safety for local residents and the possible risks to the general public. The question is being asked as to who is responsible for that element of the development of the sites. Locals have done a lot of work on this and they are getting feedback that no one is responsible at the moment for the safety of these sites – not EirGrid, the ESB, the Departments of the environment or housing, the EPA or the SEAI. They all give the same answer that no one is responsible. I have three asks. It is quite alarming for the locals and for public representatives. Cavan County Council has granted planning permission for these sites-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are out of time, Deputy.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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-----and I understand the applications are now sitting with An Bord Pleanála. However, no EPA environmental impact assessment has been requested or is required. That should be non-negotiable. It also does not fall under the COMAH regulations, which are for the control of major accidents and hazards. I ask that the Taoiseach would see to those two measures being introduced very quickly.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Smyth for raising with me the issues that were raised in Killygarry, County Cavan last night in respect of these battery energy storage systems. In fairness to her constituents and the important issues, were the Deputy to provide me with a note of those three asks, I would co-ordinate a response across the Government and see if we can establish information for her constituents and if there are lessons to be learned that need be applied in the future.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I give my best wishes to Eamon Ryan. He is a very courteous man and very willing to engage. I have great respect for anyone who recognises that their first priority is their family. That is an important thing that we would all do well to remember.

One of the last Private Members' debates in the Dáil before the elections was on housing maintenance. Doubtless this is an issue that the Taoiseach will have come across while canvassing too. In my own constituency, several apartment complexes were identified in the Housing Commission report as being in need of renovation, demolition or replacement.

They are at Togher Road, Cherry Tree Road, Clashduv Road, Desmond Square and a few other locations. Many of them were built in the 1960s and 1970s and are experiencing serious issues with cold and damp. Is the Taoiseach aware of the Housing Commission's particular recommendation on maisonettes and apartments and will he ensure that the next budget provides adequate funding so that these apartments, many of which are in a very poor condition, are either thoroughly renovated or replaced?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire. I will. I am aware of that recommendation from the commission and the importance of the issue that the Deputy highlighted. I will certainly ask the Minister for housing to respond to the Deputy formally in respect of it, but I will also see what we can do in the forthcoming budget.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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I also wish to be associated with the tributes paid to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan.

I am sure the Taoiseach will agree with me that this country derives significant benefit from the work done by carers. Unfortunately not all carers are treated equally. In many cases, the backup or ancillary services for carers depend on where you live. There are some parts of the country where such services are hardly available at all. It is a classic example of the postcode lottery.

On page 50 of the programme for Government, there is a specific commitment to introduce a carer’s guarantee that would effectively end that postcode lottery. In fairness, the Government has started to implement this proposal and I understand that the cost will be approximately €5 million per year. Up to €2 million per year is being spent currently. Is it the Government’s intention to fully implement the commitment within its lifetime? It was a specific commitment to a very deserving group of people.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am sorry. I was not talking over the Deputy. Rather, I was talking to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on this important issue to get the most up-to-date information. The short answer is “Yes”. It is our intention, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler’s intention, to implement that recommendation in the programme for Government. This week, I will meet Family Carers Ireland and Care Alliance Ireland to hear what more they believe we can do in terms of progressing it.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Several times, I have raised the Government’s failure to adequately provide services for children with special needs in County Monaghan. Many families are in crisis because of the lack of services. In Monaghan, we have no overnight respite care and no special school, we have a shortage in occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, and we have lengthy delays in assessments of needs.

I understand that the Taoiseach will be in County Monaghan tomorrow. I know that a request has been made by families of children with special needs to meet him while he is in the county. Will he give half an hour to meet these families so that he can hear directly of the impact that Government failures are having on their lives?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will meet them. I will not be able to meet them tomorrow, so I do not want to mislead them, but if the Deputy wants to contact my office, I am happy to arrange to meet them with him and other Oireachtas colleagues from Cavan-Monaghan. I am aware of the issues that the Deputy and other Deputies have raised in the House. Perhaps I will ask the relevant Ministers to attend as well.

We want to make more progress in this regard. We now have a Cabinet committee on disability, which I am chairing. I would be very happy to directly hear from those families that the Deputy wishes me to meet in the coming days.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Will the Taoiseach outline the Government’s policy on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, between the EU and Canada? Does the Government intend to make changes to the Arbitration Act, as was suggested by the Supreme Court, and if so, is there a timescale for that?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Stanton very much for raising this important issue. The Government remains very supportive of free trade and free trade agreements. Obviously, the Government needs to reflect on the court’s ruling. I will ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke, to revert to the Deputy directly in terms of timelines, as I am not across that matter.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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In order to prevent a shortage of school bus drivers this August or, as it may be in some cases, September when schools reopen, I call on the Government to intervene immediately with Bus Éireann and the RSA, which advises on policy, to try to deal with the current policy whereby people cannot remain on as drivers after reaching 70 years of age. The policy is discriminatory and counterproductive and will mean that we will have a shortage of drivers if we do not act now. As far back as March, I wrote to the transport committee asking for Bus Éireann to appear before it, but to the best of my knowledge, there has been no progress. Will the Government intervene now? If 70-year-olds are medically fit, they should be given the choice to remain in the workforce. This issue needs urgent attention.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I instinctively agree with the Deputy. I know this causes a lot of issues in many constituencies and counties, including my own, where there is someone who is willing and able to drive the bus but is told that, because of an arbitrary age on his or her birth certificate, he or she cannot drive the bus. It is offensive to those individuals and is problematic for our constituents who are trying to get their children to school.

In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Foley, she has done a major overhaul of school transport. It will take a number of years to implement, but it will start this September. One of the issues she was going to examine specifically was engagement with Bus Éireann as to the rationale behind the policy and whether there were reasons that we did not fully comprehend. I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy on that matter.

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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I have often raised the issue of University Hospital Waterford, which is the least funded of our model 4 hospitals and has the lowest ratio of healthcare practitioners to beds in such hospitals. I wish to discuss the stroke unit today, though. University Hospital Waterford receives more than 1,000 stroke patients every year, yet it has only five stroke unit beds and two single rooms. One in five people in our country will suffer a stroke. I ask the Taoiseach to examine this matter. Only 25% of our acute stroke patients get into the stroke unit at University Hospital Waterford and only 6% of transient ischaemic attack sufferers get in. UHW is being denied the ability to deal with acute heart attacks seven days per week and, now, is being denied the ability to deal with strokes effectively. I ask the Taoiseach to resource this service properly and consider a new capital programme for stroke as well as cardiac issues at the hospital.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My thanks to Deputy Shanahan for raising the issues in respect of University Hospital Waterford. My understanding is that 96 additional beds have been announced in the past three years for the hospital, and rightly so. They are needed in Waterford and the wider south east.

Specifically regarding the stroke issue the Deputy raised, I will raise it with the Minister for Health. I will also ask him to raise it with Professor Rónán Collins, who has done brilliant work as the clinical lead for our national stroke care programme, and see what progress can be made for the south east.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Last but by no means least, I call Deputy Ó Cathasaigh.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I suppose I had better say something nice about Eamon Ryan, seeing as how others have. Eamon was the reason I joined the party in 2015. Many of us in the House can describe a problem, but few people put a solution to that problem afterwards. I have got to know Eamon since 2020. He is a great politician, but he is a better man.

Deputies:

Hear, hear.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I wish to raise the issue of post offices. They are a vital piece of community infrastructure. Postmasters are falling between two stools at the moment. They are suffering from cost-of-living increases. Many of them have missed out on the increased cost of business scheme, ICOB. As many as 50% cannot avail of it. They have funding out to 2025 but will have to negotiate a new seven-year contract afterwards. Currently, they cannot negotiate with the Government or the company to better their position. They are looking for a little certainty as regards Government funding. Can we give them that clarity? We are losing post offices constantly. I view them as vital community infrastructure and would like to see them preserved, particularly across rural Ireland.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As is perhaps fitting from a Green Party Deputy, that was the most accurate tribute I have heard to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. He is a good politician and an even better man. That is certainly my experience. I am conscious that today is a difficult and challenging day for the Green Party – it always is when there are moments of transition – and I wish the Deputy and his Green Party colleagues the very best. We look forward to continuing to work together on the implementation of the programme for Government and what we have committed to doing for the Irish people.

Regarding the issue of postmasters and post offices and their falling between stools, I will specifically ask the Minister of State, Jack Chambers, to engage with the Deputy and see if we can provide that certainty.