Séamus McGrath

I thank the Minister for facilitating this debate. As many speakers have said, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a significant issue throughout our country. At the extreme end of it, 275 females have died violently in this country since 1996. That is a huge number. An Garda Síochána has said that in 2024, it dealt with 65,000 domestic abuse calls alone. The statistics are clear and whi…

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this matter. I raise an issue in respect of certain organisations across the country and particularly their staff and workers, who have not benefited from the pay agreements of recent years. They are former section 39 organisations. I acknowledge that many of the section 39 organisations have benefited but there is a cohort out there which, beca…

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate his response. Unfortunately, it has not addressed the core issue I raised regarding the handful of organisations that have not been brought into the tent in respect of the pay agreements. To elaborate further, prior to 2010, a section 39 block grant funded St. Luke's Home in Cork. Since then, it has had a number of different sources of funding, including…

I thank the Minister for being present for the debate and I welcome the opportunity to speak on this provision. Picking up on the Minister of State, Deputy Healy Rae, I also welcome these proposals. They are very sensible. Keeping planning permission alive is a practical and simple measure but an essential one and I commend the Minister on bringing it forward. It is estimated in Dublin alone, the…

I thank the Minister for being here to facilitate the debate on the Middle East. All of us in the House can agree on how horrified we are by what we are seeing on our televisions day in, day out in terms of the atrocities that are taking place in the Middle East. The massacre of human life is absolutely atrocious. A number of years ago we would not have expected to witness this in the year 2025. W…

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this question. It is critically important that we continue the downward pressure on interest rates in Ireland. I acknowledge significant progress has been made in recent times in reducing mortgage interest rates across this country and bringing them somewhat more in line with EU averages but, unfortunately, we are still above EU averages. As th…

I thank the Minister of State. His reply very much focused on the climate of reducing interest rates we are now in. As I said in my initial remarks, this is very welcome and exactly why it is important to raise this point now. The Minister of State referred to the ECB reducing interest rates on eight occasions since last summer, and again this is all very welcome. The ECB covers the entire EU, tho…

I raise again the issue of school secretaries and caretakers. As the Minister knows, they have made a request for full public sector recognition and status. The Minister will agree school secretaries and caretakers play an integral role in the life of the school community and when many of us politicians visit these schools we always recognise secretaries and caretakers and the role they play along…

I join with other Members in expressing my disgust and revulsion at what was exposed on “RTÉ Investigates”. When we see scenes like that on television, we think of our own relatives and friends who spend time in nursing homes. It makes every family wonder about the care they are receiving. Of course, it has to be said that what we saw results in a stain on all nursing homes across the country. How…

With regard to the overall changes proposed by the Minister recently, I compliment him on the balance he has struck. The Opposition will always try to pit landlords against tenants, and have the narrative around tenants versus landlords. We have to focus on both groups and that is the reality. This is about increasing housing supply and we have to deal with the needs of tenants and landlords. The …

10. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Taoiseach for an update on the Cork city task force. [25116/25]

I raise the Cork city task force. As we know, the programme for Government provides for the establishment of a task force for Cork city. Like all urban areas, Cork city needs renewed focus, funding, resources, collaboration between key stakeholders, and short-, medium- and long-term planning. I hope the task force will address issues around public realm, streetscape, urban design and investment in…

I wish to raise the issue of Garda numbers in Cork city. I know it is a concern shared by the Taoiseach. There are 668 gardaí serving in Cork city. This is 9% down on the position three years ago. Despite the fact that many public representatives have raised the issue, including in the Dáil, the situation has got worse. After the recent attestation from Templemore, we received three gardaí. This f…

I thank the Minister for facilitating this debate. I do not want to focus on individual issues, initiatives and schemes. I will focus on the big picture in terms of the acute housing crisis we are in. To me the only solution is ramping up supply across all forms, whether new builds, reuse of existing buildings and better utilisation of existing buildings such as over office, over shop and so on. T…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue. I refer to the long period people have to wait for a social welfare appeal to be decided. As the Minister of State knows, this places huge stress on individuals and families who are waiting for decisions to be made. Invalidity pensions, domiciliary care allowance and carer's allowance are some of the applications subject to very lengthy …

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I welcome some of the reply regarding some of the improvements already in train. I very much welcome that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, has met the appeals team and additional staff are now being employed, bringing the total number of staff to 64. This is certainly welcome. With regard to the new appeals regulations, there are positive changes in term…

I thank the Minister of State for facilitating this debate, which we badly need to have. I do not want to repeat everything that has been said. The position is stark with 15,000 children waiting for assessments and very poor figures for those who get assessments within the six months. The overwhelming majority do not get assessments within the six months, which is a requirement under the 2005 Act.…

5. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for his expectations for the delivery of affordable housing this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24902/25]

Will the Minister outline his expectations for the delivery of affordable housing, particularly affordable purchase housing, for the coming year?

I thank the Minister and I know he very much values affordable housing. I thank him for the figures he provided indicating that 6,400 units will be provided this year, which is very welcome. Prior to the election I strongly committed to individuals and couples that I would be a strong voice in relation to affordable housing. We all know the cohort of people who are above the social housing income …

I acknowledge the progress that has been made in Cork, both by Cork City Council and Cork County Council in the delivery of affordable purchase houses in particular. That is very welcome and I note the strong ambition in the programme for Government under the starter homes theme, which is important. Again, I reiterate that when one looks at the delivery of housing, the quantum of social housing is…

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for facilitating my taking of this question. I would appreciate it if the Minister would outline his plans to introduce a new voids programme.

I thank the Minister and welcome his commitment to vacant housing and the voids. The figure of more than €300 million since 2014 is very significant. I very much welcome the Minister's statements on a commitment to a prompt turnaround of properties, ensuring only essential work is carried out so those houses can be re-let quickly and that any other work that is non-essential can be done through a …

As the Minister said, there is a significant difference between some of the local authorities. He referred to counties Laois and Kerry, for example, between which there is a significant disparity. That is something we certainly have to delve into because how some local authorities can do it much faster than others needs to be examined to see how best practice can be applied across the local author…

126. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the number of new class intakes that will enter Templemore this year; the expected overall number of students to enter Templemore in 2025; and the number of recruits in 2023 and 2024. [24765/25]