I move:

Tuesday's business shall be:

- Motion re Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(6)) (Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry) Regulations 2025 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Motion re Referral to Committee of draft Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately)

- Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Second Stage) (to conclude within 3 hours and 34 minutes; any division claimed to be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday)

Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Student Fees, selected by Sinn Féin.

Wednesday's business shall be:

- Statements and Q&A post European Council meeting of 26th-27th June 2025 (not to exceed 1 hr 33.5 mins, followed by 20 mins Q&A and Ministerial response for 5 mins)

- Statements on All Island Strategic Rail Review recommendations (resumed) (to be taken no earlier than 4.10 p.m. and not to exceed 55 minutes)

- Mental Health Bill 2024 (Report and Final Stages) (to commence no earlier than 4.30 p.m. and to conclude within 90 minutes)

- Statute Law Revision Bill 2024 [Seanad] (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 30 minutes)

- Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024 (Amendments from the Seanad) (if not previously concluded, to conclude either at 8.05 p.m. or after 1 hour, whichever is the later)

- Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Committee and remaining Stages) (to conclude within 3 hours)

Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Transparency for Supermarket Profits, selected by Social Democrats.

Thursday's business shall be:

- Motion re Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(4)) Regulations 2025 (to conclude within 1 hour)

- Statements on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes)

Thursday evening business shall be the Second Stage of the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation (Transfer of Functions) Bill 2024, sponsored by Deputy Duncan Smith.

Proposed Arrangements for this week's business:

In relation to Tuesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(a) the Dáil may sit later than 10.48 p.m.;

(b) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business, with consequential effect on the commencement time for private members' business, which may be taken later than 6.12 p.m.; and

(c) private members’ time shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the Second Stage of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025, with consequential effect on the commencement times for the items following in the ordinary routine of business, namely, Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and topical issues;

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(6)) (Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry) Regulations 2025 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately;

3. the proceedings on the Motion re Referral to Committee of draft Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025 shall be taken without debate and any division claimed thereon shall be taken immediately; and

4. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours and 34 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(a) the arrangements for the first speaking round shall be in accordance with those contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b) on the conclusion of the first speaking round or where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; Provided that any division claimed on the Second Stage proceedings shall be taken immediately prior to Committee Stage on Wednesday; and

(c) members may share time.

In relation to Wednesday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(a) the Dáil may sit later than 9.30 p.m. and shall adjourn on the conclusion of the weekly division time;

(b) the Statements and Q&A post European Council meeting of 26th-27th June

2025, pursuant to Standing Order 133, shall be taken at the time when the SOS pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) would normally be taken, and on the conclusion of the Minister’s response to the statements, the sitting shall stand suspended either for one hour or until 4.10 p.m., whichever is the later; and

(c) the time allotted for Government Business shall be extended in accordance with the arrangements for that business, with consequential effect on the commencement time for the weekly division time, which may be taken later than 8.45 p.m. and which shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025;

2. the Statements and Q&A post European Council meeting of 26th-27th June 2025, pursuant to Standing Order 133, shall not exceed 1 hour and 58.5 minutes, and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

(a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b) following the statements, questions and answers shall be taken for 20 minutes;

(c) on the conclusion of the questions and answers, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed five minutes; and

(d) members may share time;

3. the resumed Statements on All Island Strategic Rail Review recommendations shall be taken no earlier than 4.10 p.m. and shall not exceed 55 minutes, and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

(a) the speaking slots from the arrangements for the statements from Wednesday, 2nd July, 2025, shall be continued from the point at which they were adjourned;

(b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c) members may share time;

4. the proceedings on the Report and Final Stages of the Mental Health Bill 2024 shall be taken no earlier than 4.30 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 90 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Health;

5. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Statute Law Revision Bill 2024 [Seanad] shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 30 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation;

6. the proceedings on the amendments from the Seanad to the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion either at 8.05 p.m. or after 1 hour, whichever is the later, and any amendments from the Seanad not disposed of shall be decided by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments to the Seanad amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Education and Youth; and

7. the proceedings on Committee and remaining Stages of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 3 hours by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that:

1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that topical issues may be taken earlier than 7.24 p.m. and shall in any event be taken on the conclusion of the Statements on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, with consequential effect on the commencement time for Second Stage of the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation (Transfer of Functions) Bill 2024 and on the time for the adjournment of the Dáil;

2. the proceedings on the Motion re Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(4)) Regulations 2025 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply thereto:

(a) the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:-

opening speech by a Minister or Minister of State – 10 minutes;

speeches by representatives of Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, Social Democrats, Independent and Parties Technical Group, and Independent Technical Group – 7.5 minutes per party or group;

speeches by Other Members – 7.5 minutes in total; and

a speech in response by the Minister – 5 minutes; and

(b) members may share time; and

3. the Statements on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the order of speaking and allocation of time shall be as follows:

(a) the arrangements for the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the arrangements contained in the table immediately below (to be read across, not down);

(b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and

(c) members may share time.

Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to?

No. There is a story on RTÉ today about the 257 post offices that have closed in the past ten years. Of them, 56 were in towns and cities. This is not just a rural issue. We need to have statements and for the Minister to come in. We know from the Irish Postmasters' Union that the existence of 40% of the remaining post offices is threatened unless the Government provides serious support for that sector. We need to have statements and questions and answers. We need an actual future for post offices, and not more of the same.

I second what Deputy Mac Lochlainn said.

We also need to have a debate in this House around the proposed changes regarding apartment sizes.

This is the fourth or fifth time that we have attempted to do this in the past decade, going back over various Ministers, and none of it has actually worked. We believe that these proposals are not evidence based and they are not going to deal with the substantial issues that are there.

This is the fifth week in a row I have asked that the Minister for education come to the Dáil to talk about the capitation grant and class sizes. It is hugely important now. We are facing into the summer break, almost immediately after which we will have the budget. It is a huge concern in the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO, especially with regard to the capitation grant where some schools are facing closure.

There has been a very welcome announcement that there is going to be a commission of investigation into every allegation of historical sexual abuse in every school in the country. Are we going to have a debate on that in the Dáil? Is it going to be on the agenda next week? We are going to finish next week. We need to learn from previous commissions of investigation, and it should be debated in the Dáil.

Under Standing Order 35(3), I propose an amendment to the Order of Business for Thursday afternoon. The Minister for housing needs to come into the Dáil to answer questions-----

The Deputy needs to read the amendment.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for housing come into the Dáil for a debate and questions on apartment standards and future homes. They are going to have profoundly negative implications for generations to come, condemning generations to living in dark shoe boxes-----

Is all that in the amendment, Deputy?

It is going to lead to further delays. This is an absolute disaster; it is going to heap disaster upon disaster.

I thank the Deputy. He has put the amendment.

The Deputy does not want to build anything, does he?

What?

The question is: are the proposed arrangements agreed?

A Cheann Comhairle-----

Excuse me; the Chief Whip to respond. I apologise.

You do not want to build anything.

We want to build affordable homes. The Government just wants to buy and build expensive apartments that no one can afford.

Deputy, please.

The Deputy should stop objecting to them then.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I thank the Whips for the comments.

Stop objecting to affordable housing developments in Dublin.

It said 40,000 homes. Is that what the Government is going to build - 40,000 homes?

Deputy Hearne-----

Where are they?

You objected to Balmoston.

Excuse me. A bit of respect for the Chief Whip from all Deputies, please.

There is so much out in-----

There were 83 affordable homes; social as well. The Deputy is a good objector.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle very much. I acknowledge the comments from the various Whips. We have a very busy schedule this week with several items of legislation to conclude. For example, just this afternoon, the Minister for housing will be in the House for three and a half hours for Second Stage of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025.

The Order of Business stands.

I thank the Chief Whip. Are the proposed arrangements agreed to?

They are not agreed.

Before we move to Questions on Policy or Legislation, I welcome some very special visitors to the Gallery. They include members of the Irish Wheelchair Association, the Gold Star Disability initiative from Cashel and the Tipperary Volunteer Centre who are special guests in the Houses of the Oireachtas today. I wish to record our appreciation to the groups for their invaluable insights with regard to improving disability, access and inclusion. I hope they enjoyed their visit to the House today and I thank them all for taking the time to visit us. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

We now move to Questions on Policy or Legislation. I call Deputy McDonald.

Can I take the opportunity to say, "Up Tipp"?

I knew that would be a bit of a crowd pleaser.

More than 15,000 children with autism and disabilities are overdue their assessments of need and that number is expected to increase beyond 25,000 by year's end. In each one of these cases, the Government is breaking the law. The Taoiseach's excuse for this is that capacity has been reached in terms of psychologists and therapists but a 14-year-old campaigner, Cara Darmody, a Tipperary child, has presented the CEO of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, with options to tap psychologists and therapists, locally, nationally and internationally, who could dramatically reduce the waiting list. Cara was in the Dáil today. She is directly contradicting the Taoiseach's assertion that the issue is capacity-----

Thank you.

-----and her assessment has been accepted by Mr. Gloster.

She wants to know very simply-----

To be fair to every other Deputy-----

-----what the Government will do about this.

I welcome the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Tipperary Volunteer Centre. We will maybe meet them all again in two weeks at the all-Ireland hurling final. I cannot say, "Up Tipp" or "Up Cork". I am going to try to be neutral but I think people know where my heart is.

On the issue of assessments of need, we set up a special Cabinet subcommittee on disability, which met yesterday. There has been progress on the increase in numbers on CDNTs and significant progress on the school-based therapy service for special schools. The Minister for public expenditure has allocated funding for the next school year beginning in September. On assessments of need, and I said this, there will be a change in the legislation to prioritise access for children with special needs to services. It will be a priority that they get access to services straightaway. That legislation has to take place to resolve this, as well as utilising whatever capacity is in the system. I know that Cara Darmody has met with the HSE and with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler.

I welcome our visitors from Tipp. As I have strong Cork connections, I will just say, "May the best team win". That is safer.

I will ask about an issue I have been raising with the Taoiseach for quite some time, which he has a long awareness of. It is justice for survivors of thalidomide. Activists from the Irish Thalidomide Association are wondering what the status of the thalidomide resolution process is. As the Taoiseach knows, for 63 years, families have been forced to do battle with the State. They were promised a short effective process by him and by the Government, but it has been anything but. Sadly, another thalidomide survivor, Jacqui Browne, passed away last month. Thalidomide survivors and their families have had such long delays in their quest for justice. What is the status of the thalidomide resolution process? When are survivors likely to see justice?

I share the frustration with this process. I will say two things in passing. First, notwithstanding the fact we await the signing off of the process, not on our side but by the group and the legal representation, a judge has been appointed. We sought nominees for the judge and accepted the nominations that were put forward. Meanwhile, anything relating to health is now 100% available for survivors, as is anything to do with house refurbishment or whatever is required for them. We are very anxious to get sign-off on the process and on judges. We have a HSE liaison co-ordinator who has done very effective work and is working with quite a number of survivors on their needs and so on. I express my sympathies to the family of Jacqui Browne, who was an indefatigable strong advocate for all those who suffered as a result of the thalidomide scandal.

I welcome our visitors to the Gallery. The European Commission has just raised the bar for Irish farmers when it comes to compliance with the nitrates directive. The intervention by Europe is welcome because successive Governments have failed to protect our river bodies.

Sorry?

Successive Governments have failed to protect our river bodies, lakes and estuaries. In the 1980s, there were 500 pristine river bodies in this country. We are now down to 20, so we can see the scale of the problem. The reality is the changes will be very difficult to farmers to comply with. I argue they will be near impossible. There is a responsibility on the Government to ensure that farmers are supported to make this change. What is the transition plan? We need to take our heads out of the sand. The reality is it is unlikely we will achieve this derogation. What is the Government's plan to support farmers? Where is its plan B?

The Deputy called it a transition plan but she is masking her real view that farmers should get out of farming. That is what she is saying. We have a different approach.

A Cheann Comhairle-----

No, Deputy.

-----it is absolutely unacceptable for the Taoiseach to say that.

If you want the answer, Deputy, resume your seat.

I want to support farmers but the reality is-----

Taoiseach, please resume your seat.

-----you have wrecked our water bodies, Taoiseach. You have wrecked them.

No, I have not.

You have failed to protect them.

Deputy Whitmore, if you do not resume your seat-----

Farmers are part of the solution.

Deputy Whitmore, if you do not resume your seat-----

MARA is part of the solution. In 2022 the Government introduced the nitrates action programme. The Deputy knows there is an action plan there. She also knows it is the most robust nitrates action programme to date in terms of water quality. Last August the Department of agriculture and marine published Water and Agriculture - A Collaborative Approach. Progress has been made with a 10% reduction in nitrate concentration in our rivers in most regions. EPA reports have confirmed the trend of a reducing number of rivers with elevated nitrate levels. However, further reductions in nitrate concentration are needed, particularly in the south east.

The Government is failing farmers and failing the environment.

We are not failing farmers; we are endeavouring to get a sustainable landing zone for all concerned.

I also welcome the visitors in the Gallery. The HSE has stated that the assessments of need for 15,292 children are overdue, meaning they have gone past the legal timeframe of six months. Legally this should be completed within a six-month period. A total of 13,002 have been waiting for more than nine months and 418 of these are in counties Laois and Offaly. This is totally unacceptable. The cohort affected are missing out on essential interventions at a crucial point in their development. Within the past week, the HSE chief, Bernard Gloster, stated that it is going to get worse before it gets better. HSE sources indicate it could hit 25,000 by the end of the year. Last year, the HSE sought tenders for private clinicians to help reduce the waiting list, but some clinicians have stated they have been waiting eight or nine months to get approved due to bureaucracy and red tape within the HSE.

A question.

While I know there has to be procedures, I want the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health to put some urgency on this and get the HSE to shorten the procedure period to get these private clinicians in place to provide the services. Nine months is too long.

I answered some of this earlier in response to a different question. Just to get a sense of perspective, progress is being made even within the existing system. There is no doubt there is a significant increase in people waiting. However, over 4,000 assessments were completed in 2024, a 30% increase on 2023. Some 1,400 assessments were completed in the first three months of this year, a 65% increase compared with the same period last year. A total of 2,479 assessments were commissioned from private providers at a cost of nearly €7 million, targeting the longest waiting families through the HSE's waiting list initiative. We will do everything we can to accelerate procedures, but we need to change the legislation so that we prioritise access for children to therapies. At the moment, the way things are legislated for, it is the assessment of need first and then there is a long delay while they are awaiting access to services. The CDNTs are getting more people recruited and that is also a positive.

I remind Deputies that their lack of co-operation will ensure at least three Deputies will not make the cut for Questions on Policy or Legislation. I call Deputy O'Flynn.

I would like to be associated with the words of welcome. I assure the Taoiseach that I will be shouting for Cork and I always shout for Cork in this House. Yesterday's Courts Service reports reveal a 13.6% increase in new sexual offences cases, a figure that all of us in this House should be deeply concerned about. Ireland's population at approximately 5.4 million, almost a decade ahead of the earlier demographic projections, shows that our justice system remains starkly opaque. We do not publish anonymised data on nationality or immigration status of individuals convicted of serious crimes, including sexual or violent crimes. This data is collected and collated but is withheld from public scrutiny. In the United Kingdom, it is known that one in four sex crimes are committed by foreign nationals, according to Women's Safety Initiative and The Daily Telegraph. Will the Government implement legislation similar to that in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the rest of the European Union for the collation and distribution of the data?

Everything has to be evidence-based. The Deputy's assertions-----

Can you not publish?

The biggest major research into sexual abuse in this country was done nearly two decades ago and was quite revealing. It was not revealing in terms of race or anything like that. It was revealing in terms of the prevalence of abuse across the country. One can argue that was earlier, but it still continues.

One can look at all of the inquiries we have had. We had one into institutional abuse in industrial schools and we have just announced today a commission of inquiry into sexual abuse in all primary and second level schools. By definition, given the historical timeframe for that inquiry, it is not a race focused thing.

Will you publish the data?

Deputy, please.

Get my point. We need to-----

Will you publish the data and prove me wrong?

Deputy, your time is up.

We do need-----

Prove me wrong.

I do not have to prove you wrong. I just told you-----

Publish the data then. Why not publish it?

The time is up please. Deputy, you have asked your question.

I mentioned what happened in industrial schools and in schools, in terms of other institutional settings-----

The time is up on that one.

-----long before there was any modern sort of increase in terms of different nationalities coming into the country.

Please Taoiseach, we have other Members. Deputy Brendan Smith.

I raise again the totally unacceptable delays for children with additional needs in Cavan and Monaghan in getting an assessment of need and follow-up therapies when required. Daily, I listen to parents who are very concerned, worried and absolutely frustrated that their child or children needing supports are on long waiting lists with no signs at all of early appointments. We all know how important it is to have early intervention and of providing therapies and supports in a timely manner. I am talking in many instances of vulnerable children needing these vital supports. We have families on limited incomes paying for services and incurring expenditure that they cannot afford. Children may need assessments to ensure that they get an appropriate placement in school.

Enable Ireland provides the Cavan children's disability network team, CDNT, services but with staff shortages, it is only operating at half capacity. Children with less complex additional needs depend on primary care in Cavan for services but again, there are unacceptable delays. Huge numbers of children in Cavan are on long waiting lists for supports and the capacity to deliver therapies, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology, must be addressed as a matter of extreme urgency.

Again, as I said earlier, we are providing funding in the interim both to the HSE but also to private providers. Last year private providers cost about €6.8 million and we have allocated a further €10 million this year to deliver close to 3,000 more assessments and to boost capacity, with new assessment teams and so forth. Perhaps the Deputy could work with the HSE to identify private capacity within the Cavan area. Perhaps that is something we could work on, in terms of providing some resource there in addition to the HSE resource. I know, for example, that there is a zero waiting list for CAMHS in Cavan so it may be possible to do something on a localised basis.

I also welcome our wonderful visitors from Tipperary. The decision by the ETB to cut vital local training initiative programmes across Tipperary should be urgently reversed given the critical role played by these programmes in our communities. I refer in particular to those delivered at the Spafield Family Resource Centre in Cashel, the Knockanrawley Resource Centre in Tipperary Town, the Littleton community programme and the Cahir Development Association. These programmes are not just training schemes, they represent essential educational pathways for early school leavers and those that have been long-term unemployed. They offer a second chance and provide support, structure and opportunity where it is most needed. While I recognise the financial pressure the ETB is currently under, I am deeply concerned about the impact of these cuts on the most vulnerable in our society. I appeal to the ETB to urgently review this decision and I appeal to the Taoiseach personally to intervene in this matter.

I will engage with the Minister in respect of this. It is my understanding that there is no cutback programme in place. We have been expanding services generally in the further education field but I will certainly bring this to the Minister's attention, with a view to reverting to the Deputy on it.

I wish to raise the case of a woman in Kilkenny who is unable to work due to cancer treatment and who has struggled with her mortgage as a result. Her mortgage was then sold off, without any consultation, by PTSB to Mars Capital, as it was labelled "under performing". Zero compassion or understanding was shown by PTSB, a majority State-owned bank. This is an outrageous practice by PTSB, selling off the mortgages of struggling cancer patients to vulture funds. This woman is still unable to work but her interest rate has now shot up to over 6%, more than double the current market rate. There must be an investigation into the outrageous pricing practices of these vulture funds and an end to the sale of mortgages without the consent of holders who are struggling with health issues.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I do not know whether the person concerned has secured a personal insolvency practitioner because that is the mechanism to deal with this in terms of engaging with whoever has the loan now. Generally, the courts have been sympathetic to people in their primary family residence, in terms of not evicting. A process of engagement is required to see if a resolution can be worked out that is affordable for the person, particularly given the circumstances-----

What I am asking is that-----

Perhaps the Deputy could engage further-----

Given that the person has cancer, and I do not know the full background of the case-----

The practices of these vulture funds have to stop.

Deputy, you have had your question.

Over the last decade loans have been sold but that has not resulted in wholesale evictions, which was asserted at the time. If people engage, generally speaking-----

Thank you Taoiseach.

I do not know the background to this case but if people engage, cases can get resolved.

Not in this case.

With the rapid advancement of commercial drone technology, Ireland is witnessing increasing interest from companies seeking to launch drone delivery services. I note in particular a proposed operation in Dundrum which has generated significant public attention and raised questions about the adequacy of our current regulatory framework. Given concerns around safety, privacy, noise and the integration of drones into the suburban environment, I ask the Taoiseach to outline the steps being taken to ensure robust regulation of commercial drone delivery services. Specifically, I ask him to confirm if there are any plans to update existing legislation or introduce new measures to address the unique risks and opportunities posed by such operations. How will local communities such as those in Dundrum be engaged and protected as these technologies are rolled out?

My understanding is that the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, is finalising work on a draft policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems. He expects to publish it in the summer and will seek to identify and address any public, regulatory or legislative gaps. There is a comprehensive EU legislative framework in place to regulate safe drone operations that is directly applicable in Ireland. These regulations cover both recreational and commercial use, including commercial drone delivery services. The aim of the EU drone regulations is to achieve the same level of safety for drone operations as in manned aviation. The Irish Aviation Authority, which is the civil aviation regulator, oversees the implementation of the EU drone regulations and standards. In addition to complying with the EU drone regulations, drone operators must also comply with national laws, including environmental, planning and privacy laws. While there is a comprehensive regulatory framework in place, I am not so sure everybody knows that and perhaps that is something a Dáil committee could interrogate a bit more. There are areas where the rapid pace of expansion of drone operations has resulted in gaps and uncertainty - hence the development of a policy framework.

Page 112 of the programme for Government sets out quite clearly the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. It also refers to the need to set up a task force for Cork city. We are now 150 days on and I am wondering when it is proposed to set up this task force. I fully understand that a lot of work is being done by the city council, the business association, the chamber of commerce and UCC but it is about a coordinated approach and working to improve the city centre as well as areas around it like Blackpool on the north side. We also need the northern distributor route. I fully understand the prioritisation of light rail but that is very much servicing the south side. It is about making sure that people have access to the city centre. It is also about growing the city centre and making it attractive. That is the purpose of a task force and I am just wondering when it is going to be established.

Is Ballincollig on the south side or the north side? That kind of argument was used 30 years ago but the bottom line is that light rail will be good for every part of the city. On the Cork city task force, there has been huge investment in Cork over the last four to five years. I have indicated that we will be setting up a Cork city task force but we have to get the terms of reference and the focus right. I agree with the Deputy that the focus should be on the city centre but also the immediate suburbs around the city centre, including the old north central and the old south central, Douglas Street, Blackpool and all of those areas.

However, it should not be too broad. As the Deputy will know, there is very significant investment in the docklands, which has been fantastic. The northern distributor road will be looked at in the context of the roads programme. It should happen because of the incredible role Apple has played in providing employment in the area. Up to 6,000 people are working there and the transport infrastructure should match that. I will come back to the Deputy.

A large number of landlords with private rental accommodation are willing to engage with local authorities on the purchase of these properties with a view to allowing the existing tenants to remain in situ. Moneys that were allocated for the purchase of such properties within the Dublin region this year have been spent on last year's backlog with no new properties being acquired by the local authorities, putting tenants at risk of homelessness. Are there plans to provide additional funding to purchase properties under this scheme, allowing tenants to remain in situ?

The scheme has been very effective. The targets were refined this year by the Ministers for housing and public expenditure with a view to making sure resources are targeted at those who are in immediate danger of homelessness. We do not want local authorities only doing acquisitions as part of their social housing programmes. We want local authorities building new social houses and to do more of that. That, said the Minister is looking at particular cases. He is constantly engaging with local authorities on what could be done. Some €329 million has been allocated to the tenant in situ scheme nationally but we are getting reports that, in some areas, some cases are falling through the net so the Minister is reviewing that.

Local government is the beating heart of democracy. That heart was torn out of democracy with the abolition of town and borough councils in 2014. They were replaced by committees with no powers, functions or funding. This has done serious damage to towns across the country. I welcome the recent announcement regarding a local government task force but there is widespread concern about its composition. It is heavily loaded in favour of individuals and bodies with existing connections to local government management. There are representatives of the chief executive officers, local government management and the local government audit service along with an assistant secretary from the Department. There is no representation from community organisations, residents' associations, tenants' organisations, staff, trade unions or chambers of commerce. Will the Taoiseach review the composition of that task force with a view to including these bodies?

I will talk to the Minister. The abolition of town councils was a big mistake. I said that at the time, although I was in opposition. I think it was introduced by Brendan Howlin but he subsequently said it was a mistake. I am a great believer in restoring councils or creating new councils in line with the programme for Government. I will have a look at who is on the task force because there are always people who just want to maintain the status quo. Local representation is positive for local democracy and for local areas. I want to see that advance and that is the Government position. I particularly refer to new and growing areas. Many towns around the country had great visionary urban district councils in the past. They did not have a whole lot of money but they had good vision for their areas, which then dovetailed with national plans, resulting in very good cultural, social and developmental progress in towns the length and breadth of the country.

Time and again, we have heard from Government that it recognises that dereliction is a problem in Dublin, yet there is not a single penny in Dublin City Council to compulsorily purchase derelict properties in the city. There are 4,500 derelict properties across the city but only a tiny fraction of these are on the derelict sites register. Nearly 5,000 people are facing eviction notices but this Government has turned its back on both the tenant in situ scheme and the acquisition of second-hand properties. I listened to what the Taoiseach said in reply to Deputy Ellis. The reality is that there is no reassurance for the 120 families who are eligible for the tenant in situ scheme but who cannot access it because no is funding available. They are facing homelessness this year and there is no funding within Dublin City Council. Will the Government put money in place for Dublin City Council and other local authorities this year for those families facing homelessness?

In my honest opinion, Dublin City Council could be performing better with regard to housebuilding and could have performed better over the last-----

It is not its fault.

I am just saying it. There are too many coming into the House asking for more and more. To be very frank about it, I have watched O'Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road over the years and it should not take a decade to get agreement on what we do to build houses on a massive site.

That is because of the PPPs the Government has championed.

There are two further Deputies who will not get in if this continues.

There are grants available for derelict buildings and derelict houses.

This is outrageous.

You need money for that.

They are worth up to €70,000.

You need money for that.

Does the Deputy want the answer?

The grants are available. Is there any proactivity there? I am serious. There is no questioning of anything. Members just come into the House. That is what happens in politics these days.

When your developer buddies went-----

Deputy McDonald, this is not your question.

We want a solutions-based approach.

When your developer buddies went bust in-----

Any initiative on housing just gets criticised and opposed.

That is not true. We supported the Land Development Agency.

That is not true.

There are two further Deputies but we are out of time. There is a lack of co-operation from Deputies and that is why we are out of time. We should be able to fit everybody in. The more I have to ask for co-operation, the more time we waste. Strictly speaking, I should not allow the other two Deputies in but I will allow them 30 seconds each, after which the Taoiseach can respond.

Today, the HSE made an unequivocal statement that alcohol consumption causes cancer. That is why it is ramping up efforts to inform people of the link between alcohol and cancer. However, at the same time, this Government is rowing back on its commitment to alcohol health labelling, or at least Fine Gael is. I will read a quote to the Taoiseach: "Alcohol causes cancer, and we would be negligent not to tell people that." Who said that? It was deputy leader of the Taoiseach's party, Deputy Jack Chambers, during a debate on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill in 2018. Is this still Fianna Fáil's position or is the Taoiseach's party, like Fine Gael, now on the side of the alcohol industry without regard to the fact that alcohol labelling has nothing to do with tariffs? The regulations only apply to what is imported for sale in Ireland and home-produced products. The onus is on retailers to label the products. They can simply add a sticker to the product. Will the Taoiseach be led by the facts and ensure that the Government introduces alcohol labelling next May?

I will raise dementia services in my constituency. Last week, I received a report that respite beds for those with Parkinson's disease and dementia in the Royal Hospital Donnybrook would be unavailable from August as funding was withdrawn by the HSE without warning in January. This has created significant distress for the families who rely on this service. The uncertainty regarding HSE funding seems completely at odds with Government policy. I have engaged with both the hospital and the HSE but I want a commitment from the Government that the service at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook will continue to be fully funded. I would also like to hear about the Government's expected progress in this budget as regards "doubling funding for dementia day care at home" and the dementia day care centres promised in the programme for Government.

Alcohol is a contributory factor to cancer. The more fundamental issue is to reduce the levels of consumption of alcohol in the country. The significant story is that, from 2000 to now, there has been a very substantial and significant reduction in the consumption of alcohol-----

Will the Government introduce labelling?

-----which is a very positive development that the Deputy should acknowledge. The previous Government also introduced minimum pricing for alcohol to target young people in particular in endeavouring to reduce the consumption of alcohol. We have some of the highest prices for alcohol in Europe, which has impacted-----

Will the Taoiseach answer the question? Will the Government introduce labelling?

The regulations have been signed. The Government considers all of these matters. An issue has been raised in the context of the trade and tariffs issue.

Time is up on that particular question.

There is no answer.

I just gave an answer. The Deputy does not like it.

On dementia services, I will talk to the HSE and the Minister in respect of what is happening at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, did exceptional work on dementia during the term of the previous Government and improved resources significantly. More generally, we will focus on dementia provision in the budget. I do not have the details here today but it is something we have consistently improved upon in the past number of years and, notwithstanding a more challenging scenario, we are anxious to do what we can for dementia.