The amendments relate to public meetings. I ask the Deputy to stick to the point or I will be forced to move on.

I did not say the Deputy was out of order in relation to that point. I gave him a lot of leeway and I then asked him to return to the point and the purpose of the amendments, which do not reference any of the points the Deputy raised. In fairness to other Deputies, they did mention public meetings and the connection with the planning process. Deputy O'Donoghue was straying a long way from that and I was reminding him of that.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Bogaimid ar aghaidh anois go dtí sliotán Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre. Tá deich nóiméad acu. Tá siad as láthair. Bogaimid ar aghaidh anois go dtí an Teachta James O'Connor. An bhfuil sé i láthair? Níl sé anseo. Bogaimid ar aghaidh arís. An chéad cheann eile ná sliotán Shinn Féin. Glaoim ar an Teachta Darren O'Rourke.

Bogaimid ar aghaidh anois go dtí na Social Democrats agus an Teachta Róisín Shortall.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Statistics Act 1993, in relation to the first census of the population of Ireland taken since the establishment of the State; to afford that census a special heritage status and to have such released to the public for historical, genealogical and other research as part of the national Decade of Centenaries commemorations. This Bill has a very simple purpose, that is, to allow for the early digitisation and publication of the 1926 census …

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Ní fheicim an Teachta Stanley. An bhfuil an Teachta Kerrane ag tógáil na ceiste seo ar a shon? Is Deputy Kerrane taking the question for Deputy Stanley?

Yes. There is to be one 30-second introduction, then the Minister will respond. Both Deputies will then be allowed supplementary questions if the Minister proposes to take the questions together.

The Minister will have another opportunity to contribute on this question.

Is there a ceist eile from Deputies Cowen or McAuliffe?

We will move on to question No. 10. Had Deputy Kenny indicated that he wanted to withdraw his Question No. 8?

We have to take the next one in line, which is Question No. 10, and then it is the Deputy's question after that.

That will be discussed in the grouping of Questions Nos. 11, 24 and 27.

Táimid ag bogadh ar aghaidh anois.

Question No. 48 is to try to encourage the Minister to lift the ridiculous income eligibility threshold for applicants so they may qualify for inclusion on the local authority's housing list.

There is no logic to the current income level because it is set so low that it excludes tens of thousands, particularly young couples. A working couple with an income of, say, €38,500 would not get any mortgage. They would not even be able to afford rent in this city or any of the surrounding counties. There needs to be a proper examination of the criteria so there will be a realistic income level. I am not suggesting we should increase it in such a way as to have an open-ended system. I understand the housing syst…

I acknowledge what the Minister of State has said but that will not provide the additional supports for those who are waiting to get on the list. The average rent in Dublin at present is over €2,000. For families who are on approximately €40,000 or €45,000 per year, that means two weeks' wages or more. The minimum income required for the average priced house in Dublin is over €100,000 and the average house price is over €400,000. There is no hope for them. That is the way they see it. They are cut off from all thos…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá an cheist seo ardaithe agam léi, agus le Airí Oideachais eile, roimhe seo. D'ardaigh mé í le déanaí leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Madigan. My specific part of this relates to Scoil Colm. I know the Minister has visited the site, as has the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and other Members of this House and the other House. They saw for themselves the empty school building in an educational campus in the heart of Dublin 12 near HSE facilities. I believe the HSE is about to put a disability se…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an méid a dúirt sí, ach is trua nach bhfuil scéal níos fearr aici. It is a pity that there does not seem to be any progress, otherwise, the Minister would have taken the opportunity to announce or fill us in on some progress. All she said in relation to Scoil Colm was that it was being examined but I was told that in March, May and October. I do not expect a miracle overnight but has the examination gone beyond walking around the building? Has it looked at all the numbers in relatio…