I acknowledge all of that and in no way want to suggest the Minister is not focusing on SMEs. I acknowledge all of the work that is being done. I know SMEs are the backbone of the economy. The quibble I have in relation to the VAT 9 reduction is that it is across the board. That does not mean that big businesses are not valuable - of course, they are - but they do not need the reduction in the way that small businesses do. We have had this conversation previously and I would much rather see a targeted relief for sm…

My question relates to the promised reduction of childcare costs to €200 per child per month, which we all campaigned for and we much anticipate. Will the Minister give us an update on the progress towards achieving that goal?

I acknowledge what the Minister said about the State not being able to mandate providers to get involved in the scheme. Would she also acknowledge that many have pulled out? It is a cause of huge concern for parents where their child is in a facility exiting the scheme rather than being included in the scheme. It would appear those providers are saying the incentives are not there for them to partake in the scheme. While she cannot mandate them to get involved, what incentives are being put in place? What specifica…

I appreciate what the Minister said about the investment. I acknowledge the huge investment and commitment to making this happen. I also appreciate her acknowledgement that the pressures on childcare providers are not the same throughout the country. In a constituency like Dún Laoghaire where the cost of living and the cost of accommodation are so much higher, would the Minister consider, as part of the incentives being put in place to ensure childcare providers remain within the schemes, that the incentives might …

I welcome these statements. It is very important to have debate on these issues. However, it is also important when having this debate to have it in a reasonable, informed and safe space because it seems that anybody who engages in debate on this issue now is criticised by one side or the other as being extreme in one direction or the other. That is a really regrettable state of affairs. Some Members who have contributed to this debate so far have been quite unreasonable but rather than train my guns on them, I wil…

I welcome this Bill. It is a hugely important piece of infrastructural progress. I welcome the fact it has come to us as quickly as it has, making good on a commitment in the programme for Government. I recognise that the Bills Office and the Minister of State’s Department turned it around in quite a short period of time. I also recognise the pre-legislative scrutiny done by my party colleague Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí and his committee. I welcome the fact the Bill has progressed quickly and is here. It does some impor…

My question is about the provision of funding for outdoor recreational facilities such as playgrounds and open space, but also provision for new ones and the maintenance of existing ones. What are the opportunities for primary schools in particular?

I acknowledge the amount that has been spent on the schools building programme and on the provision of facilities. I also recognise what the Minister said about community facilities and the importance of the provision of sports facilities. I am looking even at a more micro level and I am thinking particularly of Loreto Primary School on Loreto Avenue, Dalkey. The principal, Fióna McKenna, has been in touch with me. The school is in a relatively small area with a playground on-site. It needs repairs to the playgroun…

I acknowledge what the Minister said about the emergency works scheme and the minor works scheme. How does the Department prioritise one application over another? If a number of schools are asking for emergency works grants or minor works grants where they have a playground, a play facility or sports facility that is unusable, how does the Department prioritise one school over another? What can schools do to ensure they are on that list? We all recognise the importance of these facilities. I do not say this as a cr…

Baineann an cheist atá agam leis an nGaeloideachas or the importance of education trí mheán na Gaeilge. This question relates to the provision and staffing of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí.

I learned about the survey this morning. I welcome it. It is about giving parents the choice they need as to where their children are educated and in what circumstances they are educated. An issue I have raised with the Minister before, specifically in relation to a secondary school in Cherrywood in my constituency, is the way in which plebiscites are conducted and how the Department chooses whether there will be education through the medium of the Irish language. The community that wants Irish-language education i…

I look forward to the publication of the strategy and I appreciate the work the Minister is doing. The reality currently is that every child who leaves a Gaelscoil to go to a Gaelcholáiste does not have that choice. There are not enough Gaelcholáistí to accommodate the population coming out of Gaelscoileanna. Children who have been through the primary process as Gaeilge do not have the option to continue their education to university level as Gaeilge. Is the Minister satisfied that the resources are available? We h…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, for coming to the House to deal with this important issue, which relates to the progression of a naval base at Dún Laoghaire. The Minister of State will be aware that in recent years Ireland has procured two coastal patrol vessels from the New Zealand navy. These are in the possession of the Irish Naval Service. One of them, the LÉ Aoibhinn , is currently docked in Dún Laoghaire Harbour. I understand that the plan is that they will be used as coastal patrol vessels in the…

I am glad to hear that work is continuing apace. I am glad to hear there is an agreement in principle. We have an opportunity here and one of the things we are lucky to have as a State is a team of committed people, not just in Óglaigh na hÉireann but specifically in the Naval Service. We do need to make it into a navy. We need to give it the equipment and the personnel necessary to operate as a navy, thereby allowing it to serve the people of this country and patrol our waters. More than most countries in the Euro…

Will the Tánaiste give us an update on the preparations for the Irish Presidency of the EU Council next year?

We have a very good history of having strong, well-organised and productive Presidencies in this country, and I look forward to the same thing next year. I particularly welcome what the Tánaiste has said about the public consultation around the priorities for the Presidency. That is very welcome and very important. Could he give us details of how the public will have an opportunity to contribute to that? Obviously, it will be done at national level, but will it be done also in schools, for example? Many children ar…

I look forward to that as well. One of the important things we will look at during our Presidency is the multi-annual financial framework, a really important body of work to be done during the Presidency. Are there any specific preparations for that? Second, as regards the enlargement agenda, there are many accession countries looking to become part of the European Union. Many of them feel that the enlargement process by the Commission has somewhat stalled. I know the Commission would not agree with that terminolog…

Tá ceist agam ná faoi na men's sheds agus an t-airgead atá curtha ar fáil dóibh. I ask about the value of multi-annual funding for men's sheds to give them certainty with regard to what they can do year on year, rather than depending on budget-to-budget and year-to-year decisions on funding. It would give them much greater certainty regarding what they can and cannot do and I would be grateful if the Minister could address that issue.

I acknowledge the work being done and the funding that has been made available. I agree with what the Minister said about the value of men's sheds and women's sheds. I do not really understand why we cannot put a multi-annual framework in place for funding for them. It would give them huge assistance in delivering and providing the services they do, which, we can all agree, are really positive for communities all over this country. I accept what the Minister has said about the lack of a national organisation or ass…

I appreciate what the Minister has said. I understand the importance of making sure the money is spent correctly and appropriately. Nobody has any difficulty with that. I also appreciate what he said about the value of the associations and the value of an association that can act as an umbrella body. My suggestion is that where we provide multi-annual funding for various organisations in other areas of the budget, is it not open to us to make that multi-annual funding available to a particular association so that t…