Micheál Martin

I will just say to the Deputy it is not suspended. There is engagement between the Minister for housing and the Minister for public expenditure-----

There are ongoing discussions between the Ministers in respect of the allocation for 2025. There was an allocation. It is not large enough, so the discussions are around how we can target this scheme for the most needy and particular areas where it makes absolute sense for people who otherwise would be homeless if we did not have the availability of a tenant in situ scheme. Hopefully, I will have …

This is an important and distressing issue for those suffering as a result of this decision. Our main concern is for the employees of BIMM who are affected by these redundancies. It is very difficult for them. Industrial relations mechanisms should be used, particularly to resolve issues between the institute and its staff. It is a private provider of education and not a public provider.

We have a very strong suite of employment rights in this country to protect and support workers in redundancy situations and employers must comply with a number of legal obligations when proposing collective redundancies, including the requirement to consult and provide information to employees and their representatives for a 30-day period before any notice of redundancy can issue. The Minister fo…

The Dublin city task force is very important, as is its report. Dublin City Council has a fundamental obligation here as well. Local authorities in general are primarily responsible for their city centres. I say that in good faith. This idea that has emanated from the report that we would simply charge every public body rates is simply another way of getting a grant from the Government. This has b…

The State needs to be involved that way. That is what I would favour, in a difference with the Deputy.

I pay tribute to the ESB crews who worked night and day. Many of them were exhausted, along with the crews from the various providers across Europe. I refer to the relationships the ESB has with them. This was the most severe storm in living memory and it had an impact to such an extent that 768,000 people were left without power. I accept it has been a long time, but, thankfully, the last of thos…

I am focusing on trying to ensure that we create forestry corridors to prevent this from happening again.

First, I will examine the issue Deputy Clarke raises. It would be appalling if that person was back working in the same profession. I will ask the Ministers to examine that and see what can be done. In terms of what Deputy McAuliffe raised, I will talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, in respect of that issue. I take on board the significance of it. Deput…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future was approved by the Government on 23 January 2025. We will be working to establish an office in my Department to ensure the full implementation of the programme for Government over the lifetime of the Government. The programme sets out policy and legislative proposals for the full ter…

The Deputy will be aware that in my capacity as Minister for Defence we had significant discussions on this issue in this House. I outlined substantially the amendments that we were considering, essentially to end the veto. I do not accept Deputy Murphy's point about the General Assembly. I dealt with that before as well. Essentially, it is the Security Council that has the veto. The Russian invas…

Yes, but things have changed dramatically. Russia's behaviour, which has always been challenging in terms of human rights and compliance - you guys say that in a pro forma way but you do not really deal with it to the same extent as others-----

The point I make is about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for example. We are involved in KFOR, a NATO-mandated peace initiative. The European Union may be involved in conflict resolution, in line with the Seville Agreement. We have been involved in that regard as well, where people try to reach peace agreements. The UN itself has been supportive of regional approaches. For example, the African U…

It does. It is the Security Council that approves peacekeeping missions. That is the reality and the Deputy knows that. The triple lock is essentially about taking the Security Council out of the decision making. The Dáil has to decide and the Government of the day has to decide and anything we decide has to be in accordance with military neutrality and our Constitution.

I thank all of the Deputies for raising issues with me. Regarding Deputy Boyd Barrett's comments, that is a matter for the entire Oireachtas. It is not a Government issue as such because the Oireachtas Commission presumably-----

Let me finish. I do not have the full background to this. I do not know whether these are self-employed contractors or how the company won the contract but it seems to me to be fundamentally an issue that the Deputy should raise in the context of the Oireachtas Commission and the organisation of the House. I do not know whether he has done that or not in the context of the House but-----

I know but I do not think this issue has been raised with me in the past. It never has been-----

Yes, but I am just wondering if he has raised it. He has been in the House a long time. I am just wondering whether he has-----

Fair enough. Okay. Anyway, it is a matter for the commission and we will certainly check it out-----

-----and examine it to see what has happened. In response to Deputy O'Callaghan, there is a very real issue with regard to the entitlements of retired postal workers. I will be talking to the Minister for public expenditure in relation to that and to wider issues in terms of agreements of this type that happened in the past and people feeling that their pension entitlements have not stayed at par…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 6, inclusive, together. The new programme for Government underscores our commitment both to solving the housing crisis and to providing the infrastructure to sustain a growing economy and society. Delivering infrastructure effectively is necessary to continue to attract foreign investment to Ireland, grow our economy, foster regional development, deliver on o…

Where is this?

Regarding Deputy Shane Moynihan's comments, it is true that his constituency is a rapidly growing one. In the considerations for the updated and renewed national development plan, we will look at what can be included and what types of developments can be done, particularly in respect of rail services more generally, public transport and roads infrastructure, particularly in new areas. Very often, …

To respond to Deputy Boyd Barrett, the local authority needs to take action. Increasingly, people are asking the Government to get into the workings of local councils. They should be rehousing people-----

They should be rehousing people who are in the conditions the Deputy outlined. In many local authorities across the country, that has happened. Many of the regeneration schemes in Dublin seem to be very slow compared with those in other areas, which have been more extensive and focused. I do not know why that is. Some of the flat complexes and so on should have been refurbished a long time ago.