Séamus McGrath
Cork South-Central · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I thank the Taoiseach for the update about the Cork city futures group. As he mentioned, transport is a key theme within that reference. As the Taoiseach probably knows, I have been calling for a strategic integrated transportation office to be established in Cork.”
“To do that, we need local decision-making in a powerful transportation office established in Cork which can engage with the relevant stakeholders at a local level. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, seems positive about this idea. I ask the Taoiseach to try to support it. I am sure he would, given that it is Cork.”
“Budget preparations will be intensifying over the summer period. With that in mind, I want to take this opportunity to raise the issue of stamp duty and first-time buyers. As the Taoiseach knows, first-time buyers have to pay 1% in stamp duty when they are purchasing a new or second-hand home.”
“When I raised this matter as a Topical Issue just over six months ago in December 2025, the reply at the time was very much focused on the fact that there was an issue with the site. I reiterate that there is absolutely no issue with the site.”
“I do not want to be disingenuous, and I hope work is progressing on the tender process, but the reply seems to be the exact same, which is very frustrating. To reiterate, the project is vital for these two school communities. The conditions they operate in at present are not acceptable. It has been promised for many years.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Topical Issue debate. I want to raise the matter of the proposed amalgamation of two schools in the lower harbour area of Cork. These are Ringaskiddy national school and Shanbally National School.”
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“Over €200 million has been provided for the housing activation office, which was set up to try to unblock some of the key barriers in developments and particularly large-scale developments, which I welcome. I very much welcome that over €300 million is for the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund which will have a focus on housing delivery. I would like to see local authorities and approved housing bodies play an even greater role in delivering housing. We often hear from the Opposition that what is needed is public housing - social housing, affordable purchase housing, cost-rental housing – and I support that. Many of us would support that. They are working extremely hard. They are doing what they can and are working to capacity.”
“In 2024 €1.3 billion was issued by the Housing Finance Agency, which supported over 4,000 homes. This is critically important work. It is a critically important organisation in this State. What the Bill seeks to do is something that absolutely has to happen and I am glad there is support across the floor for it. The new housing plan is coming. The budget set aside funding of €2.9 billion to help deliver over 10,200 social units, which is critically important. There is €1.2 billion for starter homes which, as we know, is a combination of affordable purchase, help-to-buy homes, first home schemes and the vacant homes too. There is a significant commitment there by the Government.”
“It is intended it will go further in the short term as the national development plan is fully teased out and we have the new housing plan with additional housing targets and so on. That is really positive. It shows real intent on the Government’s part in terms of its housing delivery. Of course the Housing Finance Agency is a plc under the aegis of the Minister for public expenditure but it does reflect the scale of activity the Government is undertaking and that is very positive. The increase in the statutory borrowing limit will allow for an additional 5,650 homes, according to the Housing Finance Agency. That is very welcome. In the first six months of this year alone, it has issued loans to the value of €709 million which also shows the scale of activity.”
“I thank the Minister of State for facilitating this debate. Obviously, I roundly welcome the Housing Finance Agency (Amendment) Bill 2025. It sets out to do something very simple which is to increase the statutory borrowing limit for the Housing Finance Agency, which is critically important, from €12 billion to €13.5 billion. Last year, in 2024, that limit was increased from €10 billion to €12 billion. This reflects the scale of lending that is taking place by the Housing Finance Agency but also the various initiatives the Government is supporting to try to deliver additional housing across the sectors, through the local authorities and the approved housing bodies and under the remit of the Housing Finance Agency. Higher education institutions are also a very important element. It must be noted that this increase is an interim measure.”
“Doubt was cast on the person’s story and that is not acceptable. The benefit of the doubt needs to be with the victim in these scenarios and we need to ensure there is a proper set of procedures in place such that if someone believes their drink was spiked some evening or on a night out, a blood sample will be taken, the Garda will be alerted and the incident will be reported and logged, with proper follow-through. I would be genuinely interested in knowing how many convictions have occurred in relation to the offence of poisoning and drink-spiking incidents. I know the Minister of State may not have that figure this evening, but this is something we should highlight.”
“With all due respect to the Minister of State, his response referred very much to the criminal offence of poisoning and to potential penalties, including the three-year sentence, but what I am trying to focus on in particular are the measures in place when someone presents in a hospital in the strong belief that their drinks were spiked. Often, such people will have been enjoying themselves and having a few drinks, but nothing excessive, and will suddenly have got into a state not explained by the amount of alcohol consumed, for example. The logical conclusion will be that something was put into their system without their consent. We need to be very careful about how we approach these situations. In this particular case, the system let the individual down. There was no proper seizure or protocol put in place.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the response. I acknowledge that the Government is committed to taking a zero-tolerance approach in relation to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Of course, I also acknowledge the zero-tolerance strategy and its recent launch, and also the additional funding provided. It is welcome that the programme for Government specifically includes a commitment to introduce stronger laws to combat the spiking of drinks. However, as has been reported, there is currently no specific crime type of spiking. That is a very significant issue.”
“There are consequences to a spiking incident, whether the spiking of a drink or people being injected with something without their knowledge in a nightclub or other venue. If we do not follow through on this, it will become a much bigger issue. I ask that a protocol be developed and a strategy put in place by Government to address this issue once and for all. We must support victims, believe their stories and ensure they are given the benefit of the doubt in relation to their reports. A proper system must be put in place involving blood testing and sampling to determine what has been injected into victims' systems and there must be proper follow-through by An Garda Síochána comprising an investigation into the venue where the offence is likely to have happened and so on. That is what I am asking for here this evening.”
“Mary Crilly, a renowned campaigner in the area of sexual violence who supports those who are victims of it and works closely with the Sexual Violence Centre Cork, has highlighted this as a significant issue and has pointed out that significantly better systems, protocols and laws need to be put in place. It is an offence to spike someone's drink. I understand it is classified as a poisoning offence. I am interested in knowing how many convictions for this offence there have been. I suspect there have not been many at all because they are not fully investigated in most instances. That is very serious. The Government needs to become far more alert to this and put in place a significant strategy to deal with it.”
“Her story was not fully listened to and she was not attended to in the way she should have been. There was no mention of calling An Garda Síochána. There was no reference to a urine or blood test. Effectively, there was no protocol in place. I appreciate that this straddles the Department of Health and the Department of justice. At the root of all of this is a very serious offence. Unfortunately, we are led to believe there is a significant incidence of this offence taking place across the country. Many campaigners in the area of sexual assault and sexual violence argue that it is a very significant issue.”
“I obviously will not refer to names or anything but this happened in Cork in recent weeks. This woman's teenage daughter was out enjoying herself socially and suddenly became extremely intoxicated not because of the drink she consumed - she was only drinking moderately that evening - but because, in her strong view, her drink must have been spiked. She attended Cork University Hospital and it is from there that the story really begins to explain why there is a need for a far better protocol to be put in place for incidents like this. One of her parents had to come to the hospital to explain the situation. Effectively, her explanation of what had happened to her was being doubted. Because it was leaving certificate night, there was an assumption that she had drunk too much.”
“I thank the Ministers for being here this evening. I raise the issue of the need for a better protocol to be put in place in relation to the offence of spiking. To explain what I am referring to, we are all aware that, when people are out enjoying themselves on social occasions, there are incidents of their drinks being spiked. Essentially, drugs are put into their drinks without their consent or knowledge. This is an extremely serious offence. In some cases, it can lead to much more serious offences such as sexual assault or violence. These incidents are a massive concern in our society and among our electorate. What prompted me to put down this Topical Issue this week was a story that came to me from a good friend of mine regarding an incident involving her daughter.”
“We have to ensure that we get value for money and that we reform how we do our business in order that we can ensure large capital projects come in on time and on budget. It is critical that we get value for money and delivery. It is about delivery now. The Government is providing the funding, but we need to ensure that in the economy we have, which has high levels of activity and is performing strongly, inflation is beginning to creep up again. That is a concern. As well as providing funding, it is critically important to ensure that projects are managed properly, that delivery happens on time and that we get good value. All in all, this is a strong budget that will secure the future of our country.”
“They are the backbone of our economy, and we need to support them. There is disappointment out there that there was not something for them in this budget. We know there has been a significant increase in the cost of living, so this is the one element of the budget that is disappointing for many people. Again, it is something we have to try to work on to ensure we can bring about improvements in this area as soon as possible. All in all, this is a budget for securing our future and for investing in key infrastructure in a range of sectors, including the energy grid, water, wastewater, the transportation system and, of course, housing, which is our number one priority as a Government. The funding is being provided.”
“The one matter I am disappointed about is the fact that there is no measure in the budget to support workers on the personal taxation side. It is stated in the programme for Government that the Government will: Implement progressive changes in taxation if the economy remains strong, including indexing credits and bands to prevent an increase in the real burden of income taxation. It is fair to say the economy has remained strong and this budget did not provide some relief for workers in terms of their taxation or put some money back in their pockets. That is unfortunate and disappointing. The Minister indicated that this is something he will revisit at a future date. I would welcome that. Obviously, it is something we need to do as soon as possible because workers need a break.”
“Measures such as the continuation of the renter's tax credit, mortgage interest relief and the recruitment of an additional 1,000 gardaí and 200 civilian staff to support them in their work are very important. On the social welfare side, I welcome the increase in the income disregards for carer’s allowance. That increase is significant. As we know, the programme for Government clearly states that we will get to a point where the means test relating to the carer’s allowance will be removed, which is significant. I very much welcome the step taken in this regard by the Minister in Tuesday's budget. In the educational sphere the additional 1,700 SNAs as well as the additional staff in that sector is very important and something to be welcomed.”
“I welcome that, as well as the corporation tax change that is involved in this regard. There is additional funding for the housing activation office of more than €200 million to ensure that it can do its work in unblocking some of the barriers in terms of housing supply. That is also something I very much welcome. There is also the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, funding of over €300 million. The new derelict sites tax is very important, although I would like to see it come in sooner. That is something I hope we can discuss further in the future. Changes to the living city initiative will be very important in terms of stimulating activity in our key urban areas.”
“There is a 20% increase overall, and a budget of more than €7 billion that is broken down between €5 billion in capital expenditure and more than €2 billion in current expenditure. There is significant additional money of €200 million for Home Building Finance Ireland. Again, this is very important. The VAT measure in relation to new-build apartments is significant, and I welcome it. This has been characterised as a tax break for developers by the Opposition. Nothing could be further form the truth. As we know, VAT is paid by the purchaser of something. If apartments are not being built, there will not be any VAT collected. This is about ensuring we get the building of apartments under way at the scale we need for housing delivery. That is critically important.”
“To follow on from what the Minister of State said, this is a significant budget that involves expenditure of almost €117 billion and an additional package of €9.4 billion. Those are significant figures. It is about securing our future. Investment in key infrastructure is central to the budget, particularly infrastructure that will enable a continued supply of housing to be activated and progressed. That is critical. Also, we are securing our future by continuing to invest in two long-term funds, namely the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund, which are critical. Specifically on housing, this is an area in which I, as spokesperson for my party, have a great interest in. Again, there is record funding going into housing as part of budget 2026.”
“I thank the Minister for his update on the work of the office. I want to get a sense of the work plan over the coming months of the office and the level of activity that will be undertaken in trying to unblock some of these barriers. I ask the Minister to clarify when he feels that the head person of that office will be in place to lead it and the very important work it undertakes.”
“We have to unblock those barriers. I welcome the Minister's establishment also of the housing infrastructure fund, which is critical to addressing some of the infrastructural deficiencies out there in order that we can get development, particularly large-scale development, under way.”
“I very much welcome the establishment of the housing activation office. This idea came from the work of the Housing Commission. The Minister took it on board and brought forward his own proposals in relation to it, and that is very welcome. As he says, working under the one roof and having the various forms of expertise from the local authority sector, the utilities sector, the Department officials themselves and the infrastructure sector, such as transport and so on, is critical. I also welcome the fact that, in the budget yesterday, over €200 million was secured for the work of the housing activation office, as was over €300 million in additional funding for the URDF, which is very important in unblocking some of the barriers to supply. That is critical because, as we all know, housing is the number one priority of the Government.”
“They want to continue to develop and enhance their facilities and to make them better. That is something the Government has been very supportive of and it is important that we keep the support going. If I may, I want to mention one local project. I warn the Minister of State that there will be an application coming in at some point through Cork County Council for a sports complex in Carrigaline, which is my area. It is an extremely important project. Carrigaline is a town with more than 20,000 people and a hinterland of more than 35,000 but does not have a good sports complex. I know the county council and the local community are very determined to try to develop a sports complex. I hope we will be able to make an application for it in the near future. I will discuss it in more detail with the Minister of State in future course.”
“In many cases, it can divert young people away from antisocial behaviour and give them a positive outlet for their energies. It really is so positive. The €0.25 billion-plus allocated last year through the various sports grants was extremely positive news for many local clubs and organisations. The large-scale sport infrastructure fund diverted funds through the national governing bodies and the sports partnerships. All of this funding percolated its way down into communities and they are seeing the extremely positive benefits of it. We must ensure we continue to have funding set aside to enable us to open up these grants as often as possible. Every Member of this House will be inundated with requests from various clubs and organisations seeking sports funding in the next round. The clubs are extremely ambitious.”
“I thank the Minister of State for facilitating this debate. In this House, there often are very different opinions on matters discussed. The one thing we can all agree on is the positive benefits of sport, which are vast. I always make the point that sport is a great character-building hobby for young people and individuals. It helps them tremendously through their self-development and teaches them many good-quality life skills in terms of the importance of hard work, discipline, commitment and giving something your all. It also teaches them that we do not always win in life and must try again, redouble our efforts and do everything we can to succeed. Sport teaches us of all those qualities. I always make the point that every euro the Government spends on sport is a euro very well spent.”
“I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I raise the rent a room relief scheme. It is a good scheme, but I wish to discuss its income threshold of €14,000 in particular. We are in an acute accommodation crisis and this scheme could play a greater role in better utilising existing properties and empty rooms. Single person accommodation is extremely difficult to secure and student accommodation is also difficult to secure. The exemption limit of €14,000 was put in place in 2017. Since then, rents have doubled. The average rent then was €1,000. It is now €2,000, so it makes logical sense to move this income limit in the budget. I ask the Minister, in the upcoming budget, to look at raising the income limit in line with inflation in the rental sector so that we can see a better utilisation of the scheme.”
“Of course, there will always be difficulties in each of our constituencies that we have to try to work through, which is something the Minister of State is doing. It is about the benefits and importance of the scheme, but also the real difficulties it is causing families. I ask that in the coming week or so we make every effort possible to iron out the remaining difficulties. I thank the Minister of State for facilitating the debate. Many speakers have spoken on it. It is an important issue for us as public representatives.”
“The Minister of State's staff have been working on it for me. As I said, I appreciate that, but it is causing significant difficulty. We are a number of weeks into the new school term. These families have still not got traction with Bus Éireann. I have to say, and Bus Éireann was mentioned, that unfortunately I cannot give it a gold star for its communication to us as public representatives. It needs to engage better with us. We are only highlighting the issues and glitches that are there. It would be served better if its staff engaged and communicated in a better way with us as public representatives. Overall, I appreciate the efforts that are made. We have to put this in perspective in terms of the scale of the school transport scheme.”
“It should be based on medical assessment. There should not be a blanket ban on someone because he or she reaches a certain age. We all know people's health differs significantly no matter what age they are. Some people have good health; other people have health issues. We should base it on an evidential approach in a medical assessment. I ask the Minister of State to redouble his efforts there because driver availability is a significant issue in scaling up the school transport scheme. Specifically in my constituency, one particular route causing difficulty is that from Minane Bridge to Crosshaven. A large number of families are still in contact with me in relation to not having a place on the bus. That particular route serves areas such as Fountainstown and Hoddersfield en route to Crosshaven.”
“It is effectively useless having one family member qualify when the other does not. The Government is trying to encourage as many people as possible back into employment and the workforce, regardless of whether they are men or women. Many households are now two-income households. Childcare is obviously a huge barrier to people getting back into the workforce. The simple practical issue of getting children to school is also a significant barrier. If we had an effective school transport scheme, it would be a significant help for parents as they could ensure their children get to school safely through that scheme. Again, that is another benefit and another reason we have to deliver on it. I heard many speakers raise the over-70s issue. I will add my voice to that. Any approach in respect of age should be evidentially based.”
“More generally, the review that was carried out last year brought forward significant recommendations. It is important, as I said, that we continue to scale up the school transport scheme as a whole. One specific issue that has come to my attention, and it is an easy fix, relates to the distance requirement, which is 3.2 km for a primary school and 4.8 km for a post-primary school. I raise the case of siblings from a family who are travelling from the same area to the same village or town. Let us say I have two children in primary school but the next year one of them goes into post-primary school and no longer qualifies for the scheme. That presents significant logistical issues. That is something we have to be prepared to look at. There are obvious practical difficulties when one member of a family qualifies and another does not.”
“There has been a lot of criticism today of the school transport scheme but it has to be acknowledged that in recent times the scale of the scheme has ramped up significantly. Over 180,000 children are transported through the school transport scheme every day. It is a huge number. The programme for Government sets out far more ambition in terms of an additional 100,000. That is very welcome. We all know the obvious benefits, including the social and environmental benefits and so on, of having an effective school transport system in place. It is something we have to aspire to continually improve. Obviously, there are difficulties, including one particular case on which I have engaged with the Minister of State and his staff. I appreciate all the efforts that are being made to try to resolve that case.”
“I hope there will be additional policy in the new, updated plan to provide additional downsizing options for people, whether that is a rightsizing scheme such as that run by Cork City Council being rolled out further across the country or suitable retirement-type, single-storey housing being provided for people. Obviously, downsizing needs to be on a voluntary basis and entirely up to the individual, but many people whose incomes have reduced find themselves living in larger properties that were traditionally family homes with additional running and maintenance costs. These people want options but, unfortunately, they are not there at present. I think this has to be a core element of the new housing plan. I ask the Taoiseach to please take that back to the committee and work on it as part of the upcoming plan.”
“At the outset, if I may, I will mark the passing of Councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy from Cork. I served with Councillor Murphy for 17 years on Cork County Council. He was a great friend and colleague. His untimely passing is dreadfully sad for his family, friends and community. I wanted to add my voice to condolences here, and I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I thank the Taoiseach for his update on the housing subcommittee and the housing plan. Downsizing options for people are a critical issue and come up quite a lot on the doorsteps.”
“I ask that we actively engage with the postmasters and others to try to ensure the future and sustainability of our post office network throughout the country.”
“An Post was in the news this week, and thankfully it has clarified that its financial position is better than previously reported. The real issue here is the closure of post offices throughout the country. Since 2015, 34 post offices have closed in Cork county and 257 post offices have closed nationwide. As we know, a post office provides much more than just a service. It is a core part of community life in many towns and villages throughout the country. It provides a social outlet for many of our citizens, which is critical to combat loneliness and provide social interaction. We need to do more to support our post offices. Postmasters have a very active role in promoting the survival of post offices and encouraging the Government to do more to support them.”
“We face international uncertainty and have faced inflationary conditions in recent years. I thank the Minister and Department for the work they have done. We have the opportunity to rebuild public trust and ensure we can deliver. The Arklow wastewater treatment plant is an example of a large project being delivered on time and within budget, so we can do it.”
“I accept the Minister's point on balancing the process. We cannot become too risk averse. I fully understand that. Delivery of large-scale infrastructural projects is critical but we have seen examples of large-scale projects that were 100% over budget. It is critical we do not repeat that. I sit on the Committee of Public Accounts and listened to the national children's hospital development board speak of the number of claims lodged, the lengthy dispute process involved and the uncertainty as to when many of these claims will be concluded. That is just one example. It is critical we strike the right balance and have a robust system in place to ensure projects can be delivered in a reasonable timeframe and with proper risk assessment. I understand the challenge with large-scale projects. They go on over a long period.”
“It is critical we have robust processes in place to ensure proper cost analysis and forecasting, rigorous risk assessment and a sound legal basis for contracts, so we reduce the risk of budget overruns and projects not coming in on time and so we can rebuild public trust, which is badly needed.”
“I recognise significant work has been done in this area. We are about to embark on the national development plan. The current plan involves €165 billion and there will be additionality on that, which is very welcome. We will be spending significant money on water infrastructure, energy, transport, health, housing and more. It is important we rebuild public trust in our management of large-scale capital projects. Unfortunately, we have seen too many examples - the national children's hospital, the Dublin Port tunnel, the national broadband plan and so on - of significant overruns. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has commented on this. I welcome the work of the Minister and his Department.”
“I thank the Minister for taking this question. What safeguards are in place to ensure our large infrastructural projects come in on time and on budget? As we are about to embark on an ambitious national development plan review involving significant capital funding, it is timely that we set out the safeguards in place to reassure the public that we are managing the situation as effectively as possible.”
“I reiterate the importance of increasing our affordable targets significantly in the new plan. I know the Taoiseach is committed to doing so, but it is important to continue to highlight the point at every opportunity.”
“In advance of the new housing plan in the coming month or so, I stress again the importance of increasing our affordable housing targets. There must be a rebalancing towards affordable housing in the plan's targets. I have made the point previously to the Taoiseach that there is a growing cohort of individuals and couples who need support but are not receiving any. Their incomes are above the social housing threshold but are well below what they need in terms of providing accommodation, whether by purchase or rental. They are individuals and couples who have incomes of up to €70,000 or €80,000 but who are not in a position to secure accommodation. They need support. We must meet in the middle in terms of those who qualify for social housing and those who need affordable housing supports.”
“In the housing area, as someone who came from a local authority, I know that the one thing often asked of women who left the family home and sought housing support was why they left the family home. It is not acceptable that women are asked that question. We need to change that culture dramatically. I ask the Minister to take that up with the Department of housing and the local authorities because that type of questioning of women when they leave the family home as a result of abuse, violence or coercive behaviour should not be happening. While I commend the actions taking place, we have a lot to do in this area. Critically, for females who find themselves in a situation they need to get out of, we must have options and supports available for them, and we need to dramatically improve them.”
“We have all heard stories and witnessed examples of the online world and the influence it has in leading people to perpetuate violence, abuse and so forth. Much of the domestic abuse and violence against women happens within the home, within the individual household. It is fair to say there are not sufficient supports and refuge options for women in that situation. As public representatives, we have all met women who said they did not feel they had anywhere to go. That is a significant issue. I know the Minister and the Government are trying to improve that situation and that it is being dealt with as an urgency. Unfortunately, however, when it comes to family-friendly places where women can go to when they leave a home, particularly when children are involved, we are not where we need to be at present. We urgently need to address that.”
“To be fair to the Government, it has stepped up in many respects. It published its zero-tolerance strategy in 2022. I commend the Minister on his action plan that was published last month, which sets out additional funding and resources to critical areas that badly need it, such as organisations like Cuan. Obviously, that funding is vital. There has to be a cultural shift in this country and that is no easy task. It has become more difficult. It was easier 20 or 30 years ago. Now, with the online world and social media, the task of creating that cultural change and that necessary respect is difficult. The biggest challenge the Government faces is in trying to deal with the online world.”
“I thank the Minister for facilitating this debate. As many speakers have said, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a significant issue throughout our country. At the extreme end of it, 275 females have died violently in this country since 1996. That is a huge number. An Garda Síochána has said that in 2024, it dealt with 65,000 domestic abuse calls alone. The statistics are clear and while we could spend all day rattling them off, it is obvious there is a significant issue in this regard. These are only the reported and recorded cases, however. We all know there is a significant amount of abuse and violence taking place that is not recorded or reported. That is the difficulty. For example, there are females living in domestic situations that are extremely coercive and difficult. This is a huge issue throughout the country.”
“I ask him to take the matter up with the Department so that some solution can be found. It is only right and proper that the staff of St. Luke's Home would receive the same pay increases as other staff across the country. It is vitally important for the organisation that this happens. Will the Minister of State take the matter up after this debate so that we can find a solution? My sole purpose in raising this matter is to find a solution for the staff and management of the organisation.”
“Given the spirit of the agreement and the fact that other voluntary organisations have been brought in, it is critically important that we find a solution to this matter as soon as possible. As I said, this is putting St. Luke's Home, a tremendous organisation in Cork, under severe financial pressure. In terms of management and the running of the organisation, the morale of staff and so on, it is an important and significant issue. The board does not use the phrase "existential crisis" too easily, but it has done in this particular case. It is a matter that has not been resolved to date and has been going on for some time. I acknowledge the response the Minister of State has provided, but it did not address the core of the issue or unravel what needs to be dealt with in terms of St. Luke's Home in Cork.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate his response. Unfortunately, it has not addressed the core issue I raised regarding the handful of organisations that have not been brought into the tent in respect of the pay agreements. To elaborate further, prior to 2010, a section 39 block grant funded St. Luke's Home in Cork. Since then, it has had a number of different sources of funding, including the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The HSE provides funding in respect of respite and day services. It is a complicated model in terms of funding sources. That explains why staff have not been addressed as of yet in terms of the pay agreements. Staff are being pushed from pillar to post.”