There were heated scenes in the Dáil today during the final leaders questions session before the House broke for the summer. Simon Harris hit out at Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín after he issued Mr Harris with a “report card” for the term, slating what he said was the Government’s “atrocious” record over crime, a rise in reported sexual assaults, increasing homelessness, and an “embarrassing” housing crisis among other things.
Mr Harris hit back, saying that while he had not “had as long” to write Mr Tóibín’s report card, he came “top of the class” for “name-calling and personalised attacks.”
“Peadar has excelled this term. Rinse-and-repeat attempts at sarcastic humour: significant improvement during term time,” Mr Harris said – in an interaction which Sinn Féin TD Denise Mitchell said was “childish.”
“On the last day of the Dáil, many around the country will look to mark the Government’s report card, so let us have a look at it,” Deputy Peadar Tóibín told Tánaiste Simon Harris.
The Aontú leader said that the attendance record had been “atrocious” so far – stating that in the 230 days since the general election, the Government has turned up to the Dáil for just 59 of those. “Is it not the case that, in the last seven months, the Government has been floundering?” he asked Mr Harris.
“That is 75% of the time that has elapsed since the election in which the Government has not come to the Dáil. It has been a stay-at-home Government seeking to dodge the accountability of the national Parliament,” the Meath West TD claimed.
“The Government promised it would make this country the best country in Europe to be a child, but it has presided over the implantation of unauthorised springs into children. It presided over a situation where children who did not need scoliosis and hip surgery received it, yet 245 children are still on the waiting list for scoliosis operations.
“The Government presided over a CHI that operated under a toxic culture and misused State funds. There are 37 children missing from Tusla. Since 2021, Tusla has made referrals to the Garda in respect of 161 children under its care who are suspected of being victims of child sexual exploitation or child trafficking.”
“Since 2014, 235 children in State care or known to State care have died. Of them, ten were murdered and 51 died as a result or suicide or drug overdoses. When the Tánaiste first entered this Chamber, there were 457 children homeless in the State.
“Today, there are 5,000 children homeless in the State. The Government misled the State about 40,000 houses being built last year when 10,000 of those homes never materialised. The Government promised 41,000 homes would be built this year. It is now going to be closer to 32,000. The ESRI has stated the Government will not make next year’s targets either.”
The TD also hit out at the Government over “record-breaking house prices, record-breaking rents and record-breaking numbers of people who are homeless at the moment.”
“I asked the Minister for housing about how long it took to get a planning application through An Coimisiún Pleanála. He said he did not know. In many cases, it is taking more than 16 months and some applications are there for two or three years,” Mr Tóibín said.
“Uisce Éireann has said it will not get around to filling all the gaps in water infrastructure that are blocking homes being built until 2050 at the moment, and there is no plan for the Apple tax to be invested so far in relation to this. The Government’s solution to the housing crisis has been to make apartments smaller and darker. Its solution to rents has been to create a situation where rents will be forced up and its bright idea of a housing tsar has been shelved because of embarrassment.
“There is one thing that is more affordable and more available at the moment, and that is cocaine. Criminals are doing a better job in creating a functional market for an illegal drug than the Government is in terms of housing. Rape and sexual assault are increasing in this country. The incidence of domestic violence is four times higher now than it was when the Tánaiste first entered this Chamber.
“The number of Gardaí per capita and the force’s morale are on the floor. Fifty-three 53 Garda stations do not have an assigned garda at the moment. Last year, 1,000 prisoners were released from prison after 24 hours because of the overcrowding in prisons at the moment.”
In response, Simon Harris called for “a little bit of decorum in how we speak in this House.”
“The Minister, Helen McEntee, has done more than any Minister in the history of our State in terms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence with a zero-tolerance strategy. I am very proud of the work of this Government around the issue. We have a lot more to do on what is clearly a societal epidemic,” he said.
HARRIS HITS BACK
“The Deputy obviously gave us a report card there. I thank him very much for his perspective,” Mr Harris said. The Fine Gael leader pointed to what he described as record levels of employment, alongside an economy that is running budget surpluses.
“We have had the ability to effectively create two national wealth funds to protect our country from economic shocks. We have been able to take real measures in the here and now, some of which I outlined, to help cares, to help increase the fuel allowance, to help improve the student grants, and to help reduce the cost of books and provide free books in our schools. We have been able to increase social welfare payments, particularly for our older citizens and our pensioners, to help them live with dignity.”
He also said that the Government had taken “major” steps towards housing reform, including around planning by “taking the planner out of the back garden in terms of exempting a number of things people might want to do from planning.”
“We have introduced and passed a new national planning framework so we will have enough zoned land to build the homes we need. Next week, the Deputy will see a major capital plan that we have all been working tirelessly on for a number of months that will see record levels of investment in key infrastructural areas like water, energy, housing and also the social infrastructure that is needed in our communities,” he added.
‘THE GOVT IS HURTING PEOPLE’
On the issue of an increase in reported sexual crimes, Mr Harris asked: “Can we please be clear that increased reporting is a good thing?”
“This Government, which is seven months in, as the Deputy said, and with five budgets to go, has already undertaken a lot of work and we will continue to do it while he will continue to critique us from over there,” he said.
“The increase in domestic violence statistics are not down to increased reporting,” Deputy Peadar Tóibín argued in response.
“They are down to increased domestic violence. To hide that fact is actually dangerous as well,” he said during the tense interaction.
“Let us talk about the health service, which the Tánaiste mentioned. Billions of euros have been poured into the HSE and we are getting less and less in return. “ The Math TD pointed to the cost of the national children’s hospital, which is still “mired in cost overruns and delays.”
“There have been 500,000 adverse incidents in hospitals just in the last five years and 3,142 people died as a result of those adverse incidents in hospitals. Since the Government has been elected, it has spent €2.4 billion in compensation for those adverse incidents.
“Incredibly, 115,000 people went to accident and emergency departments last year and waited so long they left without seeing a doctor. Thirteen thousand nurses have left Ireland in the last five years, and in some years, the majority of doctors are emigrating as well.
“Today, we learned about 500,000 people who were in either electricity or gas arrears. The Government is putting them into debt. It collected €4.1 billion in fuel taxes last year, which is the highest ever level in the history of the State, in the jaws of a cost-of-living crisis.”
“Carbon taxes are topping out at €1 billion and are hardwired to increase for the next five years. The Government is hurting people at the moment. There has never been a Government with as much access to cash, but there has never been a Government that has done so little with it.”
Mr Harris said that Deputy Tóibín had taken access to cash for granted, adding: “The economy cannot be taken for granted, by the way. He just kind of glosses over that fact. The fact that we have resources is down to the good, prudent management of our country by this Government, its hard work and the hard work of the Irish people.”
“I have not had as long to write Deputy Tóibín’s report card as he has had to write ours, but here is my go at it. Name-calling and personalised attacks: top of the class, Peadar has excelled this term. Rinse-and-repeat attempts at sarcastic humour: significant improvement during term time.
“This is too serious,” replied Mr Tóibín.
“Attendance: reasonable effort, but a lot of noise for a class of just two TDs. Chasing every divisive issue and seeking to divide this country and misrepresent the Government’s position: A+.”,” Mr Harris concluded, adding: “Actual constructive policy suggestions: no grade, do better.”