Micheál Martin

This cannot be resolved in the public domain. The Deputy should know that. Either we want to genuinely try to help, and I know the Deputy does-----

The issue is status, it seems to me. That is the number one issue that I would like to see dealt with. I cannot promise anything in respect of securing that, but I would have thought it would be the objective for Seamus Culleton. He is married, he has been there for 20 years and he has a business. That is the ultimate objective that we want to achieve.

Without question care for mothers particularly postnatal is absolutely important. Despite what the Deputy said, the Government has made a lot of progress in this area over quite a number of years, in particular the establishment of nine postnatal hubs, giving women access to postnatal care in community settings. Additional funding of €2 million in 2025 will initiate four further hubs which will br…

The Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, are absolutely committed to expanding this. I am not clear about that 29-year reference but I repeat that in terms of mental health, the perinatal mental health service is now available in all 19 maternity hospitals, supporting pregnant women and women with a baby up to one year old. That is the current pos…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is an extremely important issue. The ultimate priority, of course, is housing. All of us in this House agreed a long time ago that housing is a priority. Short-term lets, particularly in cities and large towns, have replaced a lot of rental properties for housing. That is the ultimate priority. Cities and large towns provide the best opportunity for sh…

It is above 20,000 and we are trying to get the balance right between tourism and housing. It is important to note, there will be an obligation to register. The Bill is the short-term letting and tourism legislation. We published that, as the Deputy knows. We got Cabinet approval. I think it has gone through pre-legislative scrutiny. It will introduce a national register of all short-term let pro…

The Deputy is confusing his Bills.

You are.

The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 has nothing to do with short-term letting.

No, it does not. I want to make it clear that the short-term letting Bill will be brought to the House by the Minister, Deputy Burke. We had a meeting of the housing committee yesterday. We dealt with it. The issue in terms of variation is a matter of law as we stand, and that is anywhere, not just in the context of short-term lets. For any premises, permission has to be obtained for a variation o…

As I said earlier, I heard of the case yesterday. The Department of foreign affairs has been aware of the case since October and has been engaging with homeland security through the consulate general in Austin and the embassy in Washington. There are further meetings being held today. When I finish Taoiseach's Questions and so on, I will be updated in respect of the matter. I will proceed as I see…

I will ask the Minister for justice to review this case.

Again, however, it speaks to the issue the Deputy raised earlier in the context of America and migration law. The Deputy has raised two deportation cases today-----

-----I mean this sincerely - one in terms of the US implementing its law and the other in terms of Ireland-----

-----implementing its law.

What is interesting is that the debate moves along the continuum, depending on given situations. I take the Deputy's presentation in very good faith and I will talk to the Minister for justice in respect of it. There were quite a number of cases like this seven or eight years ago. That reversed and the mood changed in Irish society and more generally. There have to be rules for migration. The key …

First, welcome all the students from UCC, both those who were here earlier and those who are here now.

The study of politics in UCC has always been a very positive and productive endeavour, as I know myself to good effect. The issue the Deputy raised is very serious. The Central Mental Hospital relocated to the new state-of-the-art purpose-built health facility at Portrane in November 2022. The new facility cost of €240 million, which was a demonstration of moving to a new era in respect of forens…

Please wait, and I will give the answer. We either want a genuine debate or Deputies just want to score points. They should make up their minds. Some 93 patients had been transferred at that stage, and 114 beds are now open in the Central Mental Hospital. In 2025, we funded the recruitment of 41 additional staff to open a further 18 beds, two of which opened in December. The other 16 will be open…

That is progress. We want to do more. We want to get to 140 beds.

I will discuss this with the Minister for justice. If a garda or any other person is guilty of domestic abuse and violence, that takes away from acts of heroism or courage. There is no doubt. I do not know the specific case or the act of bravery that merited the award of the Scott medal, but it must have been a significant act of bravery and perhaps An Garda Síochána took the view articulated by t…

No, it is not.

That is a serious assertion-----

-----which should be taken off the record

That is in breach of Standing Orders. It has to be.