Cian O'Callaghan

That is an astonishing answer. The High Court judgment was more than three years ago and the Taoiseach has just now told us that the reason it has not been acted on or that the Government has not got its act together on this is that the previous Government could not agree on what to do. Is that the case? We have more than 15,000 children waiting for an assessment of need that they desperately need…

Successive Governments have let children with autism and intellectual disabilities down in the worst possible way. Permanent damage is being caused to thousands and thousands of children. The fact this is happening is a national disgrace. Those are not my words but those of Cara Darmody, who joins us in the Gallery, who has begun a 50-hour protest over disability services outside the Dáil. Cara di…

The Taoiseach talks about progress and step-change but the HSE is saying that the shocking figure of more than 15,000 children overdue an assessment of need this year will be 25,000 by the end of this year. That is what is happening. He knows that early intervention is crucial for children. It makes a world of difference. It can mean the difference between children with the proper supports learnin…

The Government has repeatedly stated that it does not want to see a drip feed of information about the audit of hip surgeries at the three children's hospitals but that is what we are getting. Any information about the scandal has had to be dragged out of the Government. Yesterday, responding to me, the Taoiseach confirmed for the first time that he expected the audit to be finalised next week. Wh…

For parents and their families not to have information that they are seeking is hugely distressing for them. It is the least they deserve and expect. We know at this stage, from some of the information that has been drip-fed, that some of the recommendations in the draft audit are being implemented. Why can the Government not share with us all of the recommendations in that draft audit? It is alre…

It is more than two months since my colleague Pádraig Rice first asked the Taoiseach about disturbing reports of an audit of hip surgeries on children at three separate hospitals. Back then, the Taoiseach said the audit process was in its final stages. That was ten weeks ago. The parents of the children involved have received no further information since. They have been told the audit is in its fi…

Thanks, Taoiseach. The parents who have been in contact with me are deeply worried about the situation. They do not know who to turn to for information and are finding that very frustrating. They want a timeline on this. They also want to know how many letters have been sent out. The Taoiseach does not have that information at present. Is that the situation? He is not able to tell us. When will he…

On behalf of the Social Democrats, I extend our deepest sympathies to the friends, colleagues and family of Garda Kevin Flatley. Garda Flatley lost his life while serving the community to keep us safe. Our thoughts are with all those mourning this terrible loss, his wife Una, and his children Aoife and Erin. The State is continuing to fail children with additional needs. All over the country ther…

I thank the Taoiseach for his response. Families have heard these promises before. There is a world of difference between a sanctioned classroom and a classroom that will actually open in September. A child cannot go to school in a classroom that is just sanctioned; it has to be up and running. No family should have to fight to get an education for their child and no parent should have to take leg…

6. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [18953/25]

11. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [22414/25]

The Israeli blockade on Gaza is now in its third month. No food, no water and no medicines have crossed into Gaza in that time. The only things that Israel has sent in are bombs and bullets. As it slowly starves the civilian population, it has continued its relentless bombardment. Yesterday alone at least 59 people were killed in air strikes on two schools. People huddling together in a school, te…

I put a couple of questions to the Tánaiste that he has not answered. The key issue is that EU humanitarian aid is not getting into Gaza because the actions that need to be taken by the international community to ensure it happens are not being taken. People in Gaza cannot wait any longer; they need action now. The Government must do everything it can to stop munitions going through Irish airspac…

I am sharing time with a couple of colleagues. I thank my colleague, Jen Cummins, for all her work on this motion. I also acknowledge the huge work done by parents across the country who are campaigning to get an education without religious instruction for their child. Parents should not have to campaign to get the basics for their child. I thank the Minister for attending and for her contribution…

Energy prices in Ireland are extortionate. Annual gas bills are €120 higher here than in other EU countries. When it comes to electricity bills, they are €350 higher. These sky-high prices, on top of extortionate and exorbitant housing costs, are causing real hardship for people. As we speak, a whopping 440,000 households around the country are in arrears. The previous Government introduced a tax …

Yesterday, the Social Democrats put forward a real solution to increase the finance available to build affordable homes. I hope the Taoiseach will look at that seriously. Not content with creating a new €430,000 post for the housing tsar, this Government now wants to increase pay for senior executives in semi-State organisations. Yesterday, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, announced plans to change …

A living wage is not just good for low-paid workers, it is also good for the local economy. Money that is put in the pocket of workers gets spent in the local economy and boosts local businesses and jobs. There is a very strong economic case for it. Can the Taoiseach not see that it is an absolute kick in the teeth for people on low pay to hear about Government proposals to increase pay for those …

-----on the living wage. Will it bring forward the living wage, as it has promised? Why can the Government do it for top-paid workers but not for people on low pay?

I was hoping the Government had learned its lesson when it was caught out deliberately misrepresenting last year's housing delivery numbers. I was wrong. When the figures for affordable housing were finally published last week, something was clearly off with them. Cooking the books was the only way the Minister could pretend the targets had been met. The target was 6,400 new-build affordable homes…

The Taoiseach knows well that increasing the funding sources for housing will increase the construction of housing. In fact, he has often said that the reason the Government relies on investment funds is because of a lack of alteratives. The situation is that there are now 15,418 people living in emergency homeless accommodation. There are 4,675 children growing up without a home. Rents have neve…

They are not an affordable home.

They are not a new build affordable home.

The Government is painting them as a new build affordable home.

10. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [17123/25]

13. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [18952/25]