Alan Kelly

Absolutely. Agreed.

Agreed.

Agreed.

Really?

What about the Garda?

A year ago, a commitment was given by the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, when he wrote to me to say that the new nursing home in Nenagh would be opened as a nursing home after completion of the 12-month contract signed with a private operator to take over the nursing home in order for it to be used as a step-down facility for UHL. I fought for this nursing home. The Minister of State knows it …

I accept the Minister of State's honesty and directness in this and I appreciate his response. I have to ask, though, why did the HSE send me this response to a parliamentary question within the past few days saying it did not have a date and did not know? If the Minister of State can confirm to the House that it is happening after 12 months, which is this summer, what is going on? Why are parliam…

I take his word that will happen. I must point out to the Minister of State that the company, Bartra, is advertising 12-month contracts for clinical nurses in Nenagh. If it is advertising for clinical nurses in Nenagh for 12 months, it must expect it is going to stay there a bit longer. By the way, at the end of this I want to see the total amount Bartra was paid for doing this because I expect it…

I will indeed, that is no problem.

There was astonishment among serving and retired Garda members at the Taoiseach's comments on Garda vetting last week in response to a question I had asked. To put back on record what the Taoiseach said, he asked what vetting actually means and what it actually produces. He stated, "It is quite limited in what it actually does." I have been contacted by a number of serving Garda members who have b…

We have a lot to get through. The CSO statistics were worrying when it came to the increase in burglaries and many other crimes. Notwithstanding this, I believe the Irish public respect An Garda Síochána and have huge support for it. However, it is a force that is in crisis. I represent Templemore. There are huge issues across the board, primarily recruitment and retention, an area which is in tot…

I extend my very best wishes to you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, in your role. It is the first time you have been in the Chair while I have been present.

I am sharing time with my colleagues, Deputies Sherlock, Lawlor and Sheehan.

I thank the Independent and Parties Technical Group for tabling this very important motion on gender-based violence. I also welcome the guests who are in the Gallery. This is an important debate that raises a number of issues that need urgent and ongoing examination. Last July, my party tabled a similar motion addressing many of the same calls following the courage of Natasha O'Brien. In that mot…

You created the mess in the first place.

You crashed the whole country.

The Taoiseach was part of the Government that crashed the country. It crashed the country and he is still spouting off.

You are the tetchy one. It is you, not me. I have already got my nickname, sorry.

Yes.

May we stop the clock, Ceann Comhairle, please?

How can the Taoiseach's stand over people being taken into the Garda College in Templemore without being vetted? People who were not vetted went into the Garda College towards the end of last year. They are being trained and this is costing a significant amount of money. They have access to all facilities, to guns, to the armoury and to a lot of information, but they were not vetted. This was done…

How can the Government stand over the intake in question when the people involved were not vetted. We do not know if they will ever become gardaí. What is the Government going to do about this?

Does the Taoiseach agree that they should be vetted?

Should they be vetted?

If you are going to Templemore, surely you should be vetted.