I raise St. Seton's Secondary School in Ballyfermot, which the Minister of State is very familiar with because his late uncle, Brother Paul Moynihan, was a former principal of the school. The school was awarded DEIS plus status and that in itself tells a clear story about the level of need in the area and the level of support needed by the young people who attend this school. Despite that recognition, the school is still waiting for something basic, a permanent building for the children. We in this Chamber all know…

I really appreciate the Minister of State’s genuine response. He has a family connection to the school. As I said, I do not know how the school fell so behind on the list when it was promised a new building. Let us hope we can change that and do something to ensure that St. Seton's is a priority school when it comes to the Department's school building programme. We would love to have the Minister of State out to visit St Seton's Secondary School and to see first hand the amazing work the school community is doing. …

Does the Deputy wish to withdraw the amendment?

Amendment No. 3 has been ruled out of order.

I thank Deputy Ward. We will have a look at that.

The amendment was deemed out of order.

There is an amendment in the name of Deputy Cullinane in relation to a new section. Would the Deputy like to speak on that? No, that is fine.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I want to raise the decision by the Department not to award funding to the Ballyfermot Youth Service under this year's community safety innovation fund. It is a service that for the past two years has been supported by the innovation fund to employ three highly effective staff members, namely, two workers based in the adventure centre and skate park and a dedicated psychotherapist providing essential mental health support to our vulnerable young people. Unfortunately, Ballyfermot is an area with a high prevalence o…

I thank the Minister for agreeing to come out to the skate park. We know early intervention is far more effective and less costly than dealing with problems once they escalate. The Minister stated correctly the fund is to be put back into communities where there is drug-related crime and high-level antisocial behaviour. This is one such community. The service has benefited massively from the innovation fund and is grateful for that. It has worked well but needs to continue. It is really unfair. They are given resou…

I thank the Minister. I suppose the fund is a victim of its own success when it is creating these fantastic services that people want to see continue. I welcome the engagement the Minister will have with his Department in relation to this issue and that he will come out to visit the skate park. I want to mention as well that the facility has a programme for young people and children with disabilities. It has a cycling programme on every summer, which I think is highly commendable.

This question relates to the Camac flood alleviation programme. The Camac, as we know, is one of Dublin’s main rivers. It rises in Saggart in the south west, flows eastwards towards Clondalkin, Bluebell, Inchicore and Kilmainham and joins the Liffey at Heuston Station. The River Camac flood alleviation scheme is a critically important piece of infrastructure that will help up to 413 homes along the river. Residents quite clearly remain concerned about flood risk, particularly in view of the increased rainfall we ha…

I thank the Minister of State. We were told at the Committee of Public Accounts that there were issues with the initial hydraulic modelling. It has gone back to the same consultants to remedy the situation, which raises its own questions. Residents understand that the modelling has to be correct and robust and no one is looking for a shortcut. We are also not looking for a patchwork quilt in relation to this. The Minister of State is telling us to go back to Dublin City Council for any remedial works. That is not g…

With all due respect, I think I have raised this at every possible forum. I have raised it in Dublin City Council, with the Minister of State's predecessor, at the Committee of Public Accounts and in the Dáil. We are all on the same page here. What we are not seeing is any urgency from the OPW to steer this scheme and programme. It is one of the flood alleviation programmes that is just left on the sidelines. I ask the Minister of State today to commit to me that he will take a personal interest in the Camac flood …

I thank the Minister of State.

I want to begin by paying tribute to Grace Lynch. Grace was a strikingly beautiful young woman with her whole life ahead of her who was taken far too soon. My heart goes out to her family, particularly her mother, who is determined to ensure action follows this awful tragedy. Nothing we in this House can say can lessen the loss, but we owe it to Grace and to communities across our city and country to ensure that this tragedy leads to meaningful and effective action. The antisocial and dangerous use of scrambler and…

I welcome the Taoiseach's response and his clarity in relation to these bikes not being allowed on public roads. Even after this awful tragedy occurred, we still had reports to our office of scramblers out on roads in parts of Dublin South-Central. People are really keen to see action on this. Will the Taoiseach provide a timeframe as to when subsequent regulations will be enacted? Are a possible amnesty and a refund scheme things the Government might consider? If there were an amnesty, would the Government conside…

The Dublin city task force produced a comprehensive report with clear recommendations to improve safety, footfall and confidence in Dublin city. However, many residents, retailers and workers across Dublin South-Central, including the Liberties, the Coombe, Inchicore and the wider south-west inner city area, are still not seeing the tangible impacts on the ground. Antisocial behaviour in particular and persistent petty theft continue to place real pressures on small shops, supermarkets and small retailers. Cruciall…

What initiatives and plans are in place to support people with disabilities to access and sustain employment? I wish to highlight what works in practice and what is at risk if we do not protect those pathways. This is a social protection issue. In my constituency, Scoil Eoin, a school for children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, has a post-leaving certificate employment rate of 95%. This compares to the national average employment rate of young adults with intellectual disabilities of 30%. What is …

While I understand this is an education issue, when dealing with employment for people with disabilities we have to take a whole-of-government approach. I thank the Minister for his detailed and constructive reply and acknowledge the significant work led by his Department. The range of supports he outlined and the work and access, wage subsidy and WorkAbility schemes demonstrate his continued commitment to supporting people with disabilities in employment. I welcome in particular the measures he announced in budget…