Pearse Doherty

At the end of January the Government gave its word on the floor of the Dáil that it would work with the Opposition to find a resolution to the impasse relating to the status of the Michael Lowry group of Independent TDs that would be acceptable to both Government and Opposition. It has gone back on its word now and has proposed to put a motion before the Dáil that puts Michael Lowry and his group …

Will the Taoiseach do what the combined Opposition leaders have asked of him? They have written to him and asked him to sit down to let us find a solution to this that is sensible, practical and common sense. The Government needs to show a bit of common sense on this issue.

Hear, hear.

So why are you doing this?

Little Angels School is a school in Donegal that caters for children with moderate, severe and profound learning disabilities. It has a new school that has not even been opened yet. There is a new school because the old one was not fit for purpose, but amazingly the new school is too small for the existing pupils. There are not enough classes in the new school and that is without even talking abou…

We need temporary accommodation on site for September and we need a long-term solution, namely, additional capacity in that school for all children in Donegal.

Tá mé buíoch go bhfuil deis againn an plé seo a bheith againn inniu sa Dáil. We have been talking about gardaí. I was talking to some over the last couple of days and I begin by remembering the victims of the tragic accident last Friday in my constituency and my part of the county, namely, west Donegal. There was a terrible road accident and my thoughts and prayers are with the families of Jamie D…

Gabhaim buíochas le mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Aengus Ó Snodaigh, a chuir an rún seo os comhair na Dála inniu. Tapaím an deis seo agus muid i lár Sheachtain na Gaeilge, plé a dhéanamh fosta ar chúrsaí Gaeltachta. Tá sé náireach agus scannalach go bhfuilimid bliain ar aghaidh agus bord úr ag Údarás na Gaeltachta gan toghchán a bheith ann. Le díriú isteach ar an rún cuimsitheach atá os comhair n…

Hear, hear.

Go raibh maith ag an gCeann Comhairle. It is now over four weeks since I put to the Taoiseach serious claims about Deputy Michael Lowry's evidence to the Moriarty tribunal. So much for the Deputy's huffing and puffing about coming before the Dáil and making a statement. We have not heard a peep from him since. He is one of yours, Taoiseach. He is a Government-supporting TD and one the Taoiseach is…

We will be waiting a wee while for those things.

Answer the questions on Lowry.

There is nothing new there.

Nuair a bhí an tAire ina Aire Dlí agus Cirt, dúirt sí go raibh Baile Átha Cliath sábháilte. Bhí sé seo in ainneoin go bhféadfadh duine ar bith a shúil na sráide tríd lár na cathrach a rá léi nach raibh an chathair sábháilte agus go bhféadfaí siúl tríd na príomhshráideanna gan garda a fheiceáil ar chor ar bith. Anois, díreach cúpla mí i ndiaidh í sin a rá, feicimid go bhfuil an tAire úr á rá go bhf…

Does the Minister have a problem answering the question? Let us try again. I asked three questions. As Minister for Justice she stated that Dublin city was safe. She was surrounded by gardaí as she did her walkabout through the city centre. The current Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, has told us that parts of Dublin city are not safe. He has not told us where and he has not told us what …

I am still none the wiser. Is Dublin city safe or not?

I spent the morning speaking to many of the families of the Creeslough tragedy. They are distraught and retraumatised. They learnt through the media last night that permission has been granted to redevelop the site where their loved ones were injured and lost their lives. It will be three years in October since their lives were torn apart. Some of the families met with the Minister in October and …

Will she ask her Government to commit to that-----

-----so that they can have the answers to the questions they all deserve to have answered?

Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas leis na Daonlathaithe Sóisialta as ucht an rún seo a ardú ar maidin. Tabharfaimid tacaíocht don rún agus táimid in éadan leasú an Rialtais. I can just add to what Deputy Ó Broin has said and Deputy Hearne about the failure of the senior Minister to come to the House. It now seems he is hiding and that he is scared to actually talk about housing. It is ridicu…

If we look at the targets, they are far too low, but it is the private sector that outperforms targets every year. It is the Government that misses its public housing targets every single year. It is the State and this Government that is not pulling its weight. There is a half a billion euro hole in the housing budget this year. This is a Government that failed to build enough houses last year and…

Hear, hear.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this. I am sure the Minister is aware that if you are a parent of a child with additional needs, sometimes it can be exhausting. It is not the child that exhausts you, but fighting against the system over and over again. Over the last number of weeks and indeed in the last number of days, with a huge number of people coming to us, I have …

1. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the steps he will take to deliver on transparency and affordability in the insurance sector in the context of insurance premiums either remaining too high or increasing, and the pressure this places on households, community organisations and small businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5417/25]

The question before us relates to the ever-increasing insurance costs that motorists, homeowners, small businesses and sports clubs have to pay. One would think all is good with insurance looking at the programme for Government. Does the Minister accept that there is a fundamental problem with insurance in the State? Does he also accept that premiums are too high and are increasing for many? What …