Vol. 988 Tuesday, No. 3 22 October 2019 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) 22/10/2019A00100Gnó na Dála - Business of Dáil 238 22/10/2019B00150Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders’ Questions 239 22/10/2019K00200An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business 249 22/10/2019P00500Acknowledgement and Apology to Women and Families affected by CervicalCheck Debacle: Statements 253 22/10/2019X00300An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) 270 22/10/2019AA00550Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters 278 22/10/2019AA00700Planning and Development (Amendment) (First-Time Buyers) Bill 2019: First Stage 278 22/10/2019AA01400Latent Defects Redress Bill 2019: First Stage 280 22/10/2019BB00800Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rents) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Referral to Select Committee 281 22/10/2019BB01100Ceisteanna - Questions 282 22/10/2019BB01200Taoiseach’s Meetings and Engagements 282 22/10/2019CC01900Citizens’ Assembly 286 22/10/2019EE00550Taoiseach’s Meetings and Engagements 290 22/10/2019GG00750Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions 295 22/10/2019GG00775Childcare Services Inspections 295 22/10/2019GG01450Foster Care Provision 296 22/10/2019HH00500Childcare Services Provision 298 22/10/2019JJ00250Climate Change Policy 300 22/10/2019JJ00950Child and Family Agency �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������302 22/10/2019KK00600Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions 305 22/10/2019KK00700Childcare Services Administration �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������305 22/10/2019MM00500Child and Family Agency Staff 308 22/10/2019NN00100Children in Care 310 22/10/2019NN00900School Completion Programme 312 22/10/2019OO00500Child and Family Agency Staff 314 22/10/2019PP00750Childcare Services Funding 316 22/10/2019PP01350Childcare Services Administration �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������317 22/10/2019QQ00400Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate 318 22/10/2019QQ00500CLÁR Programme 318 22/10/2019RR00900National Drugs Strategy Budget 321 22/10/2019SS00600Public Services Card 323 22/10/2019TT00350Charitable and Voluntary Organisations 326 22/10/2019VV01100Developments in Spain: Statements 329 22/10/2019ZZ00100Child Maintenance: Motion 338 DÁIL ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 22 Deireadh Fómhair 2019 Tuesday, 22 October 2019 Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 2 pm Paidir. Prayer. 22/10/2019A00100Gnó na Dála - Business of Dáil 22/10/2019B00100An Ceann Comhairle: Before we take Leaders’ Questions, I would like to address the recent controversy regarding voting in the Dáil. These revelations are very grave and go to the heart of the credibility of our parliamentary process. As I said in my public statement, the in- tegrity of the voting process in Dáil Éireann is of the utmost importance. The public must have total and absolute confidence in it. Given the gravity of the matter, I have directed the Clerk of the Dáil to prepare an urgent report to establish the facts of what transpired last Thursday, 17 October. Work on this is well under way and I have now requested him to speak with a number of Members, with the tellers on the day, and with the party and group Whips. I also ask all concerned to co-operate with this process as I believe it is imperative that we get to the facts without any delay to restore public confidence in our voting system. I should also say at this juncture that last Thursday’s events are also the subject of a com- plaint under the Ethics in Public Office Acts of 1995 and 2001. This statutory process must take its course but in the meantime, it is essential that the facts be established and that the Committee on Procedure considers any recommendations that may be required in the short term relating to the electronic voting system and the operation and procedure of it. This afternoon, at 4 p.m., the Committee on Procedure will meet at my request and I will take the opportunity to brief Members on the process so far. Let no person in this House and beyond be in any doubt that this is a very serious situation which requires urgent action. I am absolutely committed to establishing the facts and making any changes to the electronic voting system that are deemed necessary following the review. The electronic voting system is integral to our parliamentary system and has been since 2001. Any recommendations on changes to the system that emerge from the review will be given im- mediate attention. In the meantime, any votes this week shall only be taken when all Members are seated in their designated seats. Furthermore, I have directed that each Whip certifies the Members who voted from his or her party or group. This certification will be given to the tell- ers 238 22 October 2019 In conclusion, it is my intention to convene a meeting of the Committee on Procedure on Thursday morning to consider the completed report of the Clerk of the Dáil. I will revert to the House on that at a later stage I should point out that the Dáil Business Committee met earlier today and provision will be made, if necessary, on Thursday for a debate on this matter, that is on the report of the Committee on Procedure 22/10/2019B00150Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders’ Questions 22/10/2019B00200Deputy Micheál Martin: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his statement, with which I agree On Leaders Questions on 1 October I raised with the Taoiseach concerns about the escalat- ing costs at the national children’s hospital. He undertook to reply to me. Last week, I received his written response, which again clearly points to escalating costs at the national children’s hospital It is all a far cry from April 2016, when the Taoiseach, then Minister for Health, an- nounced that the hospital would cost €650 million all-in. Those costs increased year by year and the current Minister for Health had to apologise to Deputy Barry Cowen in the Dáil for mis- leading information about those costs. As the Taoiseach said in his reply to me, the guaranteed maximum price established through the two-stage tender process does not provide a contractual ceiling on cost and significant residual risks remain of additional further costs. These include the risk of construction inflation in excess of 4% which are allowed by the contract to be re- covered. We also learned from the Taoiseach’s response and from the August minutes that the main contractor has submitted claims to the board, which I understand to be quite significant as well. For some reason, ICT is not covered in these costs, neither are the costs associated with the children’s hospital integration programme. I suggest that is designed to reduce the overall cost for appearances and so on. I ask the Taoiseach to give me specifics on the costs of the ICT programme and the integration initiative. The Taoiseach will recall that PwC’s report on the construction of the new children’s hospi- tal was a shocking indictment of a badly-managed project. Critical phrases leap off the pages of that report, such as “Significant failures” and the “lack of sufficiently comprehensive or robust planning”. The report said the understanding of the risk profile was “poor at all levels of the governance structure” and that “red flags ... were missed.” The report said the business case: “contained material errors and did not adhere to the Public Spending Code.” It also described the execution as: “poorly coordinated and controlled.” We have learned from the August minutes, as revealed in the Irish Examiner yesterday, that the State’s chief procurement officer, Mr. Paul Quinn, who appears not to have alerted the Government to the original spiralling costs of the hospital, has resigned from the hospital board. This follows the resignations of Mr Tom Costello and the project director, Mr John Pollack The minutes state that all we have at the moment is “a best estimate” on the