Thomas Gould

The new buzzword of this Government is "infrastructure". It blames local authorities, Uisce Éireann, the NTA and An Coimisiún Pleanála for things. The Government blames everyone. I do not know if the Minister of State gets it. Does he think we are all fools over here? We are not fools; we know what is happening. Those opposite are in government. Fine Gael has been in office 15 years and Fianna Fái…

139. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to collect the outstanding €26 million in derelict sites levies prior to the introduction of the derelict sites charge. [5325/26]

Will the Minister provide the House with an update on his plans to collect the outstanding €26 million in derelict site levies before the derelict sites charge comes in? I believe he is providing an amnesty to speculators and land hoarders while buildings are rotting in every town, city and village in the State.

That is unbelievable because the Minister told me he would not be collecting the derelict sites levy. I have come in here and asked him a straight question on whether he will ensure its collection. We now know local authorities have not been collecting it. Number one, they do not have the staff and resources.

They do not. I have spoken to them. Their officials were in front of the housing committee even before Deputy Browne was the Minister and told us they do not have the staff or resources. What the Minister is saying here now is different. Some €26 million is owed. The amount went up by €6 million in 2025 and it will go up by at least the same amount again in 2026. That means €32 million regarding h…

Last night I introduced a Bill to this Chamber that would have made it the responsibility of local authorities to ensure that a report would be compiled and that the Minister would answer it to ensure derelict sites levies would be collected. The Government voted it down. It was a solution, supported by the Opposition, that the Minister blocked, so he should not come in here and blame the local au…

In two years’ time.

No, but it is the Minister’s job to make sure they do their job.

It is the Minister’s job to make sure they do their job.

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. A lot of the time, we come in here and talk about issues that might be abstract or wonder if they really make a difference to people's lives. This actually makes a difference to the lives of workers, families, communities and employers. This provides a solution and a pathway to making a real difference. In Cork at the moment - the Ministe…

Can the Minister imagine if the water he and his family were drinking was poisonous or if the water was poisonous for their families and children and he found out this had been going on for three years? This is the situation on the north side of Cork city. It is actually unbelievable that the manganese levels are so dangerous. This is not me saying this; it is Uisce Éireann-Irish Water itself, bas…

There might be a small bit more time because of the absent Members. I will just mention that Gabriel Scally was instrumental in exposing CervicalCheck. They are exposing Irish Water and what it is doing to the people of Cork. These court cases will be coming up in the new year and people will have to answer the question of how this has been allowed to happen.

11. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Taoiseach when the Cork city task force will be established. [3471/26]

The Tánaiste said in 2024 that within 100 days of Government formation, Cork city would have a task force. It is 362 days later and there is still no sign of the task force, but what we have are broken promises and all the talk out of the Tánaiste. This Government made promises to the people of Cork, but does the Taoiseach know what it is like? It is like the promises made about the events centre,…

The Bill is a step forward but it is a really small step forward. What we needed was a giant leap to really take this by the scruff of the neck. Five years ago, loads of promises were made and we were expecting to make further progress in relation to regulation and the provision of care. What we are seeing now is more privatisation when we need more community-based services. We need more resources…

I will. I could fill that today. I am dealing with one family. The back garden of their house backs onto the wall of the hospital and they cannot get into it. The man's family are looking out the door when they are caring for their father and there is a dementia unit right there, 200 or 300 yd from his house. Another lady has to stay miles away because there is a shortage of dementia units and bed…

I commend Deputy Ward and Joseph O'Callaghan in his office on bringing forward this legislation. It is well thought-out and well developed. The Bill Deputy Ward is bringing forward is comprehensive. It does not work against the Government. The Deputy is reaching across the floor, saying that this needs to be implemented and asking the Government to work with us. The Minister has decided to postpon…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This Bill aims to finally end the non-collection of derelict sites levies and to force transparency on the reasons why the levies are not being collected. Since the introduction of the derelict sites levy 35 years ago in 1990, we have heard excuse after excuse as to why the levy is not being collected. In 2023, less than 10% of the levies that we…

That is right.

I thank my staff, especially my PA, who have done a tremendous amount of work on this legislation. I also thank the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA, which has assisted me in bringing in this legislation. The Minister might criticise it but it is right and has gone through the whole process. As a back bench TD, I am limited in the legislation I can bring forward. I would love to go muc…

3. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will intervene to prevent the closure of homeless prevention services in an organisation (details supplied) in Cork in mid-January; and to ensure the service does not cease in providing vital community support to homeless young people through social care and work [73584/25]

Will the Minister give a commitment to intervene to prevent the closure in mid-January of a homeless prevention service in Cork, and to ensure the service does not cease to provide vital community support to homeless young people through social care work?

I thank the Minister for the update but the information I have is that Liberty Street House will be out of staff by mid-January and is currently not recruiting. I understand it has not replaced the staff who have left, been redeployed or have retired. I want the Minister to be right, and I hope she is right, in what she has just said here. Liberty Street House has been operating very successfully …

I have two worries on foot of the Minister's comments. She is saying that the services are being integrated. Is Liberty Street House being closed down? Liberty Street House provides a service to young people who are at risk of homelessness and who enter homelessness. I am looking for a commitment now that this will not be closed down. The information I have is from people who are in the know. They…

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