Aidan Davitt
Industrial and Commercial Panel · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State back today. He has outlined important legislation. He touched on two parts that I think are of the utmost importance. First is the part pertaining to online issues. How matters are reported online and associated disinformation happens has to have some sort of filter or safeguard.”
“I am sure there are safeguards pertaining to them, as the Minister of State has outlined, that will protect them in a certain way, but they need some sort of financial help. Many of these papers and entities are at a crossroads.”
“As part of his brief and as part of this overall review, while this regulation is welcome and much-needed, I ask the Minister of State in his position to do anything he can to influence and bolster these blocks of real information in our lives. I thank the Minister of State and appreciate the legislation.”
“I refer to the local democracy task force established by the Minister, Deputy Browne, which is looking at recommendations on supports and boundaries. The biggest issue is to do with the role of councillors. Most Members of this Houses were councillors for quite a while.”
“We need to see an empowerment of councillors and a reversal of the stripping back of powers that happened over the past 20-odd years. I have talked briefly to the Minister about the task force. I am aware that a lot of work is under way and its report may be near enough ready.”
“I have been in the Seanad for about ten years. To speak to something the Minister of State said, this has been on our radar for the past seven or eight years. The guys over there have been talking about it a lot more than I have. While we are here to fully implement the legislation, the agreement has been in use for seven or eight years.”
The complete record
Every one of 65 lines we hold for Aidan Davitt, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 2.
“As part of his brief and as part of this overall review, while this regulation is welcome and much-needed, I ask the Minister of State in his position to do anything he can to influence and bolster these blocks of real information in our lives. I thank the Minister of State and appreciate the legislation. We look forward to seeing him with his sports hat on in St. Loman's in Mullingar very soon. He was instrumental in providing a great service to the club there recently. Robert and I will be delighted to have the Minister of State back in Mullingar to turn on our lights. We will be doing it literally this time, not just metaphorically.”
“I am sure there are safeguards pertaining to them, as the Minister of State has outlined, that will protect them in a certain way, but they need some sort of financial help. Many of these papers and entities are at a crossroads. If we do not do this, we risk the quality of news that has been produced over the years from the Dundalk Democrat to the Westmeath Examiner or Westmeath Topic in County Westmeath. These papers are extremely important. People know when they open the paper that what they are hearing is reality, not fiction or somebody's hard opinion on what they think reality should be. They are getting the hard facts. This source of information and news was never more needed than it is at present. Anything we can do to help assist and maintain these sources of news for the local communities is most important.”
“I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State back today. He has outlined important legislation. He touched on two parts that I think are of the utmost importance. First is the part pertaining to online issues. How matters are reported online and associated disinformation happens has to have some sort of filter or safeguard. That is an important part which the Minister of State has hinted at. He also mentioned the national media, the priority, and the guarantees to our national media. It is something else that we have a grade A - we are lucky to have in this country - a guaranteed standard of verified information that people know they can go to and rely on. As part of his briefing, the Minister of State might tease out one other matter further. The regional and provincial newspapers really need to be protected and nourished at present.”
“We need to see an empowerment of councillors and a reversal of the stripping back of powers that happened over the past 20-odd years. I have talked briefly to the Minister about the task force. I am aware that a lot of work is under way and its report may be near enough ready. Alongside the Minister we have the hard-working Minister of State, Deputy Cummins. I talked to him about this earlier today. The review is near completion and I would like to see it implemented in full. Perhaps the Minister will come to the House to discuss the report with us. This issue is close to the heart of the Cathaoirleach. I ask him and the Acting Leader to invite the Minister to the Chamber for a debate on it.”
“I refer to the local democracy task force established by the Minister, Deputy Browne, which is looking at recommendations on supports and boundaries. The biggest issue is to do with the role of councillors. Most Members of this Houses were councillors for quite a while. The roles and powers of councillors certainly have diminished in recent years. They could achieve a lot more as elected representatives instead of having some faceless civil servant or whoever else making particular decisions. Councillors put their name forward, as we all know, and put themselves before the people at the hustings. The least they deserve is to have the proper powers to implement particular laws that represent the rule of the country.”
“I have been in the Seanad for about ten years. To speak to something the Minister of State said, this has been on our radar for the past seven or eight years. The guys over there have been talking about it a lot more than I have. While we are here to fully implement the legislation, the agreement has been in use for seven or eight years. We have been talking about a lot of figures here. What has been the upside for the economy? Can the Minister of State give us figures in that regard? Can he just give us a couple of numbers on trade and employment and explain the benefit of all of this is? Whenever I hear anything about this, it all seems to be negative. I am trying to see the bigger picture as regards the position since the agreement has been in use, if not fully implemented.”
“The legislation is fabulous in its detail and everything else but we must put the squeeze on and bang heads together to get the result. I know from dealing with a lot of these projects that you are dealing with Irish Water, the ESB and, possibly, Waterways Ireland. The Minister will have seen several of these things himself. Things are pushed from Billy to Jack. The implementation and how the Minister intends to use his powers will be key to this legislation proving its worth. The Minister might want to give us more detail. If the Minister has decided a specialised project will fall into this category, to push it forward, he needs to bring all of the necessary bodies together to make it happen. How does he intend to make that happen and oil the wheel? I will let my colleague, the Deputy Leader, raise a couple of queries.”
“I am delighted to see the Minister back here again today. He is here nearly every week. The legislation he is bringing to us is very comprehensive. As the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers is evidently going to be hands-on in implementing it. I am curious about how he sees that working. Will he put some meat on the bones that he has shown to us here today? For argument's sake, let us say a key project is envisaged, whether a bridge, water supply infrastructure or whatever else. While it already happens in some cases, although not all, I humbly suggest it would be good working practice to hold a meeting once a month or, God forbid, every Friday morning to bring the head of the ESB and his technical guys on the ground, Irish Water and all of these different bodies together under the Minister's stewardship.”
“I mentioned it to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, today when the topic came up. It is a good enough idea. I would appreciate it if the Leader were to bring it further up the line.”
“I know from my own position, having a business on a main street, that gardaí regularly look for camera footage for piles of different reasons, as we can all imagine. I suggest that these cameras should be to a certain standard, and that businesses liaise with gardaí before they are placed, so as to possibly pick up some blind spots. The quid pro quo could possibly be a tax rebate but a grant would be more efficient. It could be teased out, but there could possibly be a 50% grant for businesses that were going to install cameras. They could liaise with their local community gardaí and have the cameras to a certain standard. Most businesses have cameras at present, but the level and quality of them are hit and miss to say the least. This would stop duplication and give a fuller picture of what is going out there. It is worth looking into.”
“Go raibh maith agat. I can see the smile on the face of the former Senator and Minister of State. Waterford is going well again, so he has something to shout about. The county will have a difficult weekend ahead of it, but I have faith in it. I have a proposal. I recently heard an Teachta Geoghegan mentioning more security surveillance in towns and cities and all this type of stuff. It is quite a noble idea and I can see where he is coming from, but possibly a more pertinent way to do this would be to provide a grant to businesses that already have the relevant street fronts and positions. Most of them have security cameras of some sort, although a lot of them are outdated and of poor quality.”
“I believe there is a general shift in the parameters for the awarding of contracts in favour of EU countries. This has been coming down the tracks for quite a while. The EU is publishing a memo on this at present. Will the Minister of State bring us up to speed on this? What effect is it going to have? There is definitely going to be a policy shift because heretofore we had companies from Turkey and lots of different places being awarded large contracts but this will shift decisions on contracts in favour of EU countries. This ties in with a lot of what my good friend, Senator Craughwell, has said. Will the Minister of State enlighten us about that when he gets an opportunity? I am not going to delay the House any further.”
“I am also delighted to welcome the Minister of State here. We served shoulder to shoulder here in the Seanad for many years. It is quite fitting that he is here in the Upper House today. I met an old adversary of his, Terry Leyden, in the corridors today. I well remember those two colossuses of politics clashing here in the Upper House, usually on the topic of Roscommon hospital if my memory serves me right. They had several heated debates here. I was remembering them with a wry smile when the Minister of State came in. On the overview the Minister of State has just given us, I certainly welcome his proposals. They make a lot of sense, as he has outlined. A lot of work has gone into them. I would like clarification on one particular facet of this.”
“Particularly, the time to make decisions in some of these processes is certainly outweighing the cost benefits because they are taking so long that a lot of the costs have gone up in the meantime. We have seen that and it has really cost the State on several occasions instead of saving the State money, as it has happened. They are the ones that really caught my eye when I went through the general headings. Again, one I would know a good bit about is the aim to increase the construction sector capacity and productivity. We are looking at different methods, different training and enabling a different set of workers who maybe heretofore have not been involved in the industry. That is another that will certainly be a help. I thank the Cathaoirleach for the time. I welcome the Minister to the House.”
“This plan is going to streamline a lot of that awkwardness that was within the system, particularly for major infrastructure plans, as is indicated in this report. There are a few other things that caught my eye. Enabling developer-led infrastructure is one, especially where we have had blockages with ESB, sewerage and general basics that are needed to have a site up and running. Some of these have been bogged down physically and legally. Again, this plan is targeting that particular section to progress. The reformative procurement process is another part of the 30 actions of the plan. That is a very important part. Some of the regulation can onerous in relation to time.”
“This accelerated infrastructure report is a fine and badly needed report to streamline assist the Minister and the various Departments in the large infrastructure projects we have taken account of in the programme for Government. The Minister has a list of 30 different actions as part of his plan. Again, there is no point in crossing over the whole report and plan but I will discuss some of the most important actions. One is to reform judicial review. As we know, the courts have delayed quite a lot of heavy infrastructure plans and projects and have slowed them by numerous years. I am sure the Minister might go into some detail with respect to some of the projects that have been so badly waylaid.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann: notes: - the publication of the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan; - that major strategic infrastructure projects are now taking significantly longer to plan and deliver than in previous decades, with delivery timelines in some sectors having doubled; - the evidence within the report that delays in the delivery of critical infrastructure including water, energy and transport are acting as constraints on housing delivery, balanced regional development, economic competitiveness and climate transition; - the report’s identification of legal, regulatory and coordination processes as contributing to extended project timelines; - the report’s emphasis on the need for improved coordination between State agencies involved in infrastructure delivery; recognises: - that Ireland is investing unprecedented levels of capital funding in infrastructure through the new National Development Plan published last year; - that funding alone will not resolve delivery challenges without systemic reform of planning, legal, regulatory and procurement processes; - the importance of maintaining robust environmental standards and access to justice while ensuring that nationally significant infrastructure can be delivered in a timely manner; welcomes: - the clear acknowledgement within the action plan that delays in infrastructure delivery have become a structural constraint on housing supply, balanced regional development and economic growth; - the Government’s commitment to streamlining decision-making and reducing duplication across regulatory systems, in order to address avoidable delays arising from sequential consenting processes; - the action plan’s focus on improving coordination across State agencies, strengthening delivery capacity and improving public engagement processes to support the timely rollout of enabling infrastructure; - the proposal to enhance strategic planning and prioritisation of nationally significant projects; - the commitment to improving public engagement and transparency in order to build public confidence in infrastructure delivery; - the intention to leverage innovation, digitalisation and improved procurement practices to accelerate project timelines and translate investment into delivery; - the scale of investment committed by the State under the National Development Plan to support and drive the acceleration of infrastructure across the country; calls on the Government to: - prioritise the full and timely implementation of the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan; - bring forward the necessary legislative measures to support more efficient delivery of critical infrastructure projects; - improve coordination between State bodies, utilities and local authorities to support infrastructure-led housing delivery; - invest in delivery capacity across the planning, legal and construction systems; and - report regularly to the Houses of the Oireachtas on progress in implementing the action plan and reducing infrastructure delivery timelines.”
“In a modern, well-educated country, which has great access to everybody - particularly if you want to pay your tax, the State will be fairly aware of where you are - this is a basic. From the age of 40 onwards, there should be an assessment and an outreach to make sure every man in the country has had some contact with a doctor and basic assessment of their general health. Further down the line, it could save the State a considerable amount of money if we put people on the right track as they might not be aware. The first step with this would be to have an awareness day for men's health and dovetail it with assessment from the age of 40 onwards. It would be well worthwhile doing.”
“I commend Senator Flynn. It sounds like very logical legislation. I am sure our Leader and Deputy Leader will have an interesting conversation with the Senator. Today, I bring up a topic that is seldom discussed. It might not apply to the Leader or the Cathaoirleach just yet but it is about men's health and a national men's health check from 40 years of age onwards. Our compatriots across the water have a system in place whereby men in the UK between the ages of 40 and 76, without existing conditions, are entitled to a check to assess their heart, diabetes and the possibility or likelihood of having a stroke or being susceptible to stroke. This is not in place in Ireland. As we know, you can get it if you go to a doctor or through any of these private assessment companies but this is very basic.”
“The sentiment is well intended but the amendment is certainly not helpful and ill worded. The amendment to the motion is not of any help as it will give the power back to where we were trying to get it away from, which was the legal services and they will be all over this again. This is why we are where we are. I believe acceptance of the amendment would put us back to square one as an unintended consequence of today. What I have said is no reflection on anyone who talked here. They all talked in good faith about the amendment. The Cathaoirleach has the power, under Standing Order 44, I think, which allows any member to withdraw a motion or an amendment from the Seanad, by agreement of the Seanad. I urge the Cathaoirleach to strongly consider that today because I am afraid that this amendment to the motion is not going to be helpful.”
“As we have heard here already, and I appreciate Senator McCarthy moving this motion in order to assist the IPAV in what way he can, quite a lot of work has gone into this. There has been over three years of work done. The current CEO of IPAV, Ms Genevieve McGuirk, and her predecessor, Mr. Pat Davitt, were at the front of that work. I think Seán Canney, originally, and Marc MacSharry then carried out a lot of work, and Robbie Gallagher evidently. Quite a lot of different people have helped along the way. There was a hell of a lot of progress. It was through pre-legislative scrutiny and the whole lot. It was ready to be taken up and ran through the Dáil, which would have been the natural process. However, we find it here today in the Seanad. Unfortunately, today's process will be a backward step.”
“It comes before us at this time of year and it is the oil that greases the mechanics of our public expenditure. The Minister has gone through in detail all of the expenditure that this legislation facilitates. I would certainly like to commend this Bill to the House and I thank the Minister for his good work.”
“I am delighted to be able to welcome our Minister back to the soothing House of the Seanad. There is a nice, easy-going pace here in the Seanad. It is great to have him here in calm surroundings. We do not get to meet in calm surroundings too often, so it is quite nice. In regard to the Minister - I am not going to dwell too long - I would like to put on record that, certainly from my point of view and experience, he is one of the hardest-working Ministers here. Any time you want him or, more important, want him to make a decision, he will make it. He is not always going to kick the ball back to you but at least he will play the game anyway, in fairness to him. I find him very fair and just and I thank him for his effort in his Ministry, and his staff. It does not go unnoticed. This Bill is primary legislation, as we know.”
“I too acknowledge the ambassador and her team. I hope they have a happy and peaceful Christmas. To reciprocate with the Cathaoirleach, I wish him, his team, the Leas-Chathaoirleach and all the team here in the Seanad a happy Christmas and hopefully a prosperous new year. It has been a great year for the Cathaoirleach to be in the Chair. I congratulate him on the all the good work he and his team have done during the year. Well done.”
“A lot of families find it comforting to have an acknowledgement and some recognition of the unfortunate circumstances that have befallen them. Councillor Hogan mentioned that he knew some people in England who had got such certificates over the years and the comfort given to them through the general process of having a recognition from the state of their misfortune and the journey they had taken until that dark day. According to Councillor Hogan, it has certainly been of comfort to some people to receive such a certificate of acknowledgement. Maybe the Minister will come to the House and talk to us about it.”
“I will speak briefly about the passing of the father of the Minister of State, Deputy Troy. I know it is a private time for his family. I was speaking to him earlier today and it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge it today. May the light of heaven shine on him. I wish to speak on something that has been in practice in England for quite a while and has not happened here. This came up in a conversation with Councillor Paul Hogan in the last number of days. It is to be able to request a baby loss certificate. It has previously been talked about in this State but it has never happened. It is where people who lose a child during pregnancy up to 24 weeks can request a certificate in memory of their loss.”
“I echo what Senator Gallagher said in congratulating the Minister. Having 29 more judges appointed to our courts system will be welcome. The work burden on judges is ferocious and there is a backlog in certain types of cases. I commend the Minister on this prudent and badly needed legislation. As my colleague said, the Minister for Justice is a very hardworking Minister. I wish him success in his brief. He is certainly getting a good handle on it. I welcome Councillor Áine Smith, who I know well, and all her friends, as well as the students and teachers. I also welcome my friends from daft.ie , who the Leas-Chathaoirleach also mentioned.”
“I am talking about the way it is going and the regulation. I have listened to talk of broken legs and everything else. Where are they not going to break them? On a carousel, is the reality. I am well entitled to make my point, and a very valid one it is.”
“I am curious, though. Under Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and some Independents, whom I have listened to intently, where is this leading to? Is it leading to there being no dog races? Are we going to look at King Charles spaniels and Maltese being run outside latte houses or something? What version do we get to? It seems clear to me that dog racing is a no-no and they want it banned. That is what my friends are telling me here. In regard to horse races, it seems like the only horse race we would see is on a carousel somewhere. I disagree with that totally. The fundamental heart, spirit and culture of Ireland disagrees with that.”
“As we know, the cost of feed and many different resources have gone up over the last while, including power, manpower and everything else. I listened intently to the whole vibe of this conversation and some good points were made which I agree with. I wholeheartedly agree that nobody wants to see cruelty to any animal. No owner or trainer, as far as I have seen in my lifetime, has inflicted that. There are red herrings and there is the odd bad apple but that is it, in my experience. Who would go out and pay thousands of euro for a horse and then give it to a trainer who is going to abuse it? It would make no sense. An animal is not going to perform if it is not being looked after in good conditions. I would be fair and never criticise any other party or anyone else here in this House. I do not have a record of doing so.”
“I asked one of the learned Senators who was talking about this the other day when was the last time they were at a racetrack. It was an extremely long time ago. I encourage Members to come to a race meeting and see how trainers and owners treat and mind and are so anxious about their livestock, their animals and thoroughbreds - dogs and horses. I would be delighted to welcome any Members to Mullingar, Shelbourne Park down the road from here if it suits better, or Dundalk racecourse. They are all fabulous facilities. The care these people go to is evident. I agree with Senator Paul Daly about the funding. I am disappointed there is not more funding in the Minister's envelope. As Senator Daly said, nothing sits still.”
“I attend dog racing tracks four or five times a year and I have not heard of that procedure in years. I can say that with my hand on my heart. My learned friend here tells me that the procedure is done in less than one in 1,000 cases. It happens in an extremely small number of cases. While I suggest it is a red herring, it is not to be ignored. I agree with my learned friend. I am sure the Minister will come back to us when the review has been carried out. Nowhere compares to Ireland for thoroughbred racing, in particular for dogs and also horses. The money they bring to Ireland through tourism is second to none. Likewise, the entertainment is second to none. It is one of our biggest tourism industries. The figures speak for themselves. I have listened to a lot of my learned friends who have stated the figures already.”
“I welcome the hard-working Minister. I am in favour of the motion he has brought before us. Coming from Mullingar, I have a lot of links and a strong relationship with horse racing and dog racing in particular. We have a track at Kilbeggan, as Senator Paul Daly mentioned. He has been heavily involved with it over the years. Navan is only up the road and Tullamore is a bit further on from Kilbeggan. I have had great days out and great occasions. I have great friends involved in all these areas and I wish them continued success. We strive to achieve success and the highest standards. We must weed out the few bad apples. That is extremely important. I agree with Senator Higgins. The surgical insemination procedure is under review. It belongs to a bygone era.”
“He said that Billy gave him two tickets to go to the all-Ireland final. He nearly cried in telling me. That is my lasting memory of Billy. It is a fitting one for a man who would give you the shirt off his back.”
“Billy had his couple of tickets through various connections in Galway and whatever else. A Limerick man had been there not long before telling me he could not get a ticket for a family member and all the usual you listen to. He probably knew I was involved in the GAA but I did not say much. Billy came in, we had a bit to eat and I told Billy the story. Anyway, a couple of weeks passed and I met the same Limerick guy in the bar. I asked if he got the ticket. He said he got two tickets at the last minute. I asked him how he came across them. He said I would never believe it, but Billy Lawless rang him, said he heard he was stuck for tickets and asked whether the ticket was for him. The man told Billy he had given his tickets away to a good supporter he had to give them to, and did not have a ticket to go.”
“I welcome Billy's wife and family. I met Clodagh in the Dearborn previously. She is with us here, as is former Senator Marshall, Deputy Connolly and Councillor Anna Grainger. On the hospitality of the family, I was lucky enough to go to Chicago and enjoy a lot of their establishments when I was there. Billy had asked me on several occasions and I said I would take him up on it on a particular Paddy's Day, which I did. I was delighted I did and had a great experience. The thing that I remember most was the hospitality, the genuine decent person Billy was and the values he passed down to his family. They went out of their way and above and beyond to make you feel at home in Chicago. The abiding memory I will have of Billy is being in the bar late one evening when an all-Ireland final was coming up.”
“In fairness to previous Ministers, Deputies Peter Burke and Darragh O'Brien, they brought in provisions for councillors and looked at their pay and conditions. The Moorhead report was to be reviewed after a year and harder commitments were to be made in relation to pensions. With auto-enrolment coming up in March, we have an ideal opportunity to piggyback on that and address the anomaly of the gratuity, which has to be addressed. I would appreciate if the Cathaoirleach and Leader would talk to the Minister and get him into the House to thrash out these important issues.”
“Lots of councillors serve for 30 years. We are trying to encourage councillors to continue because so many of them start young. In Westmeath, a lot of councillors who started recently are quite young, in their 20s and 30s. We are not giving them any incentive. If they start at 25 and serve for 20 years, they will be 45 years of age, which is still young. Councillors have a lot of experience and we should try to encourage them to stay in the council. Instead, they will get no further pension. They do not get anything else at present. The bit of gratuity they get is not going to increase any more after 20 years. There is no incentive to stay on as a councillor after the 20 years are done. We have to address this.”
“The previous Minister of State, and quite a good one he was, Deputy Brophy, was due to upgrade and have the Moorhead report looked at in relation to pensions. There is to be a review, which was built in. We are nearly a year late. It would be worthwhile, through the Cathaoirleach and the Leader, to bring the Minister to the House for a discussion on this issue. As we know, everybody else is entitled to participate in auto-enrolment, which is coming up on 1 March, I think. It is being rolled out, to use another pun, in case Senators did not get the first couple of puns. It is going to take effect. There are a lot of anomalies for councillors. They will only get paid for their first 20 years, no matter how long they as a councillor, when they receive their gratuity and lump sum at the end of their term, after the age of 50, of course.”
“I add my support to the agriculture industry and associated businesses. Senator O'Loughlin mentioned her local saddlery business associated with agriculture and Senator O'Reilly voiced his support for shifting nitrogen targets and the nitrate derogation. I support both Senators. Something I know would be close to the Cathaoirleach's heart is the pension entitlements of pensioners. The Cathaoirleach is very proactive and I ask him not to forget me when the Minister comes to the House, particularly in relation to auto-enrolment and pensions. The situation is slightly up in the air. Councillors' entitlements under the new auto-enrolment system do not seem to have been totally clarified. As we have talked about before, under the Moorhead report, there was to be a review of councillors' pensions.”
“A report on the cost of power today said Ireland was the most expensive country in Europe. It is evidently a massive factor in industry. What can we as a Government do about it? What are the Minister's thoughts?”
“They have been a great help to both counties straddling the River Shannon. On a local note, there have been announcements and some things are in the pipeline regarding local jobs. The Minister might give us a brief outline of what is going on locally, if he does not mind.”
“Larger companies often have someone experienced in pensions and investment working in them and their own pension scheme or whatever else, but many smaller companies do not have a clue what is going on. I am sure the Minister is well aware of this. He is from that background and I am sure he is receiving these sorts of queries. Senator Scahill mentioned the far side of the River Shannon and guys who think they are in Athlone. He referred to Novo Nordisk. I am sure anybody in Athlone who asks is told there is only one reason those jobs are there, namely, the Minister. There is no doubt about that. We would not have to ask the Minister twice. It was a coup and it is to be hoped the ship has sailed and there will be no further jobs lost because they are very good high-paying jobs in Athlone.”
“He is doing his bit regarding the hospitality industry, as has been discussed. I know a little about the industry and I know it is not that easy at present to get companies to play ball. They do not want to know about auto enrolment or pension schemes. Some businesses only have one or two employees. It is a problem for them. Getting people signed up and organised is a hassle. The amount of time involved is considerable, in particular for people who have no background in this. There should be a small grant or some sort of one-off allowance in next year's budget to assist people, in particular smaller businesses that are trying to establish themselves.”
“We are treated very differently from the wet trades, such as block layers, plasterers, electricians or whatever else. Such apprentices are subsidised by the State, but that does not happen in our industry. An auctioneer sends somebody off to college one day a week and does not have them working for them, yet is paying them the entire time. They are paid the minimal wage and whatever else. People starting off find it tough. A hell of a lot of schemes are in the same boat. There are banking and insurance apprenticeships, as the Minister is aware. Perhaps when he is around the Cabinet table it would be worth discussing. A change would help and encourage more people to take on more apprentices. I refer to auto enrolment. In fairness, the Minister understands the pressures businesses face as regards the minimum wage and auto enrolment.”
“I am delighted to welcome the Minister to the House. It is a testament to how hard-working he is that all of the people who have spoken have commented on well he has done in his brief since he started. He should keep up the good work. I have some queries and a question on the local front. I refer to apprenticeship schemes. It is not under the Minister's brief, but he is dealing with business and getting people into work. One of the biggest problems we have now is getting qualified staff for many jobs. As the Minister is aware, we are providing waivers and permits to bring people into the country. Regarding auctioneering, there is a one-off grant per year when somebody starts – I believe the figure is €3,000 and was originally €1,000.”
“This came about on foot of the serious concerns of gardaí regarding security for elected representatives. I am delighted the Minister of State has followed up and is taking this seriously. It is a worthwhile debate. We should have it soon; next week if possible or, if not, when we return in the autumn.”
“I ask the Deputy Leader to call the Minister of State with responsibility for local government, John Cummins, to the House. A topic I had discussed and have been working on for quite a while is the security allowance for councillors. I am delighted there has been movement on it. I praise the Minister of State and the senior line Minister, James Browne, on this. Much of it has been aired in the media so far. The various councillors are asking us questions about the circular and looking for the nitty-gritty details, but we do not have the exact answers. We could do with a bit of clarity on it. We could delve through the detail in it. It would be worthwhile to bring the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, to the House to talk about his good news announcement so we can get it rolled out with the councillors.”
“I join colleagues in welcoming the Minister to the House. He has shown in his short time in the ministry that he is an extremely hard-working Minister and has taken decisive action in that time. I commend him on the hard decisions he has made. It is not easy to make such decisions and I am sure he will face lots of ire due to them. The recommendations from the EU seem to be quite reasonable. I do not think this is anything knee-jerk. It seems most of our compatriots in Europe agree and are of like minds. Many have a much stronger line on immigration than we do. Of course, many of them feel the brunt of it more heavily than we do. Through the pact, there is a certain sense of equalisation. It is quite a reasonable measure and the Minister has my full co-operation and support.”
“Improvement and upgrade of the dual line would be part of this process. This is something we should look at in the national infrastructure programme.”