Simon Harris

I agree with everything the Deputy has said. We face multiple and varied threats. This is not just Ireland but all other European countries as well. I was cheering inside when the Deputy said that neutrality cannot be used as an excuse for complacency. We all value military neutrality but sometimes when defence and security are mentioned in here, questions are raised about military neutrality. In …

The Deputy is absolutely right. I can assure him that it will be all of those things and it will be multifaceted. Certain Departments have primacy in terms of their direct responsibility for the security of the State and the country. My Department and the Department of justice are obvious ones in that regard. However, all Departments and all agencies have a role to play. That is why I think it is …

I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 80 together. The Government remains fully committed to seeking and securing justice for Seán Rooney, his family and for the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann who served with him with pride and distinction. During my recent visit to southern Lebanon, I conveyed this in very clear and blunt terms to the new Lebanese Government, its defence minister and its…

I join with Deputy Doherty in extending my sympathy to all of those caught up in the very tragic and horrific plane crash this morning. We think of all of them and their families in what is an evolving story with, no doubt, more information to come. I too want to extend my sympathies to the Deputy's colleague, Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh, on the loss of her mother. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis…

The Government produced a series of measures this week that will extend for the very first time rent pressure zones to the constituency Deputy Doherty represents in Dáil Éireann. Do you not welcome that?

Hang on a second. In Donegal today there is no rent pressure zone. In the proposals brought forward by the Minister, Deputy Browne, the rent pressure zones will be extended to Deputy Doherty's constituency and we will bring forward legislation next week to do this. Deputy Doherty did not reference the changes in relation to no-fault evictions. He did not recognise the fact that rent pressure zones…

I will answer it and I will not be shouted down, thank you.

The only split and confusion that seems to be taking place in housing policy is in Sinn Féin. Mary Lou McDonald, Deputy Doherty's leader-----

Hang on a second.

I am answering the question, thank you.

Mary Lou McDonald said she is in favour of rent pressure zones.

Eoin Ó Broin said he is not and that he is in favour of reference rent. Reference rent would see people's rents being pushed up.

Mary Lou McDonald said she does not want institutional investment in Ireland.

Eoin Ó Broin said he and Deputy Doherty meet them regularly. Sinn Féin is all over the place on housing. Its policy did not work so it does not have a housing policy now. All it has is noise and street activism. We will be taking specific measures to support students; do not worry we will, because we have their backs.

We will expand the rent pressure zones and Sinn Féin needs to work out why it wants to bring in reference rents and push up rents and why it wanted to abolish the rent pressure zones. Shame.

You are in favour of reference rents.

I thank Deputy Sherlock for highlighting this really important issue. The short answer is that I believe the State is too reliant on the private market when it comes to nursing home provision. This is why we established a commission of care. We need to look at the entire model of how we care for older people in this country. I also think the fact we have one statutory scheme as to how we care for …

I agree with Deputy Sherlock's earlier point that there are many good nursing homes in this country. There are many good public nursing homes and many good private nursing homes, big and small, throughout the country. I do not have an ideological view in that regard. I just want older people to have a choice in their care, I want their families to be supported in making those decisions and I want …

I thank Deputy Coppinger. First, I do not think that is a fair portrayal of the Government's record, Fine Gael's record or the Government's position regarding this issue. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is sitting beside me and I challenge the Deputy to name any Minister who has done more-----

-----regarding domestic, sexual and gender-based violence than she has. She worked on a cross-party basis at every opportunity to make progress. The Deputy does not need to take my word for that; victims' groups and survivors' groups acknowledge that. I saw it with my own two eyes as well. Not every issue has to be partisan, or Government-----

This is a very sensitive issue. I am just making the point that every time Deputy Coppinger stands up it does not have to be a case of the Government being a terrible bunch of people and that she is great. Sometimes, perhaps there are just some issues that are so important that we should actually work together to try to make progress on them. The reason we are delaying the Deputy's Bill, to use h…

Let me be clear: domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is still an epidemic globally, including in Ireland. We are not immune to it. That is not to say that the work that has been undertaken has not brought about real assistance. I refer to the expansion of refuge places, the establishment of Cuan, record funding for groups working with people in this area and training now being in place, whi…

There was quite a lot in that, so let me endeavour to get through it. To start where the Deputy finished as regards the issue of accountability and the safety and well-being of people in our nursing homes, I reiterate that it is the intention of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, along with the Minister of State, Kieran O'Donnell, to bring forward adult safeguarding policy proposal…

I am very conscious of not wanting to say anything that cuts across any legal process or court process. I know the Deputy is as well. I will therefore refrain from going any further on that issue other than to reiterate that the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, who is here with us, is committed, as is the programme for Government, to reviewing the dental legislation more broadly for the reasons …

I thank the Deputy for raising what he rightly says is a very important issue. I do not think any of us in our constituencies, communities or across the country have not heard from parents, teachers, boards of management, parents' associations and principals debating and grappling with this issue. Everything the Government wants to do in this space is actually about empowering parents, young peopl…