Go raibh maith agat, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

We are over time.

Thank you, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

Go raibh maith agat, a Thaoisigh. Táimid thar am.

We have run out of time. With the permission of the House, I will take the last three together. I call Deputy Danny Healy-Rae.

I must now deal with a postponed division on amendment No. 1 to the Second Stage of Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Prohibition of Winter Disconnections) Bill 2021.

I must now deal with a postponed division on amendment No. 2 on the motion on rising rental costs.

I must now deal with a postponed division on amendment No. 1 to the motion on affordable housing.

I would like to return to the issue of the national maternity hospital, particularly in the context of the Taoiseach's emphasis on honesty. Last Tuesday, the Cabinet had concerns and could not sign off on the proposal for the national maternity hospital. The Government has allowed for a two-week period before a final decision but in the interim, we have been consistently told by Government sources that there will be no change. That is disingenuous. Why are we going through the process of having a committee meeting …

The Taoiseach has quoted Mr. Finlay-----

I welcome the opportunity to take part in this discussion. It is hard to believe that 50 years have gone by since we signed up to what was the European Economic Community, and 72 years since the Schuman Declaration. It is hard to imagine that. I thank the other Members for their written speeches. I note what the Taoiseach said: "those convinced that Ireland's future lay in Europe showed the courage to imagine a new Ireland". After 50 years, we are at the point where we need the courage to imagine a new Europe, beca…

Before the Minister of State comes in I wish to advise Deputy Durkan that his question is grouped in this set of questions if he wants to grasp his opportunity to come in.

We are not used to such brevity.

We are working from different clocks but the Deputy has already spoken twice.

The two questions are linked. One is to ask the Minister what action has been taken on the challenges identified by the approved housing sector in delivering on its targets. The other question is on homelessness and the stark increase in numbers in Galway city and county.

I thank the Minister of State for the response. In a contribution I made yesterday I highlighted the acute situation in Galway and the extraordinary rise in rents in the county and city, which have increased by more than 115%. Homelessness is as acute. I have a serious concern that the new subgroup will be like the existing task force, which meets and monitors but the situation gets worse. It is monitoring a situation that is becoming unbearable and unsustainable and that calls for serious reflection on our housing…

It would be helpful for us on this side if the questions were answered and with a little less heckling from the colleagues to the right of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I am not one bit reassured. I welcome the pause, but I am deeply troubled that at the same time there is a pause that will allow the committee to look at it, we have reports in The Irish Times , a newspaper of repute, telling us that the Government has no intention of changing any of the documents. It is as if the Government is seeking to calm the mass…

Let me try to clarify the position in 60 seconds. The Government is open to change; is that what the Minister said?

So the Government is not open to change. That is very good. We have that clarified. My concerns are in respect of the documents I have read and the absence of some extremely important documents, such as, for example, the constitution of the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. Mr. Menton tells us that the group is evolving into a secular organisation. Evolution is slow and I would like to know where we are in the evolutionary process of the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. Where is it as a secular organisation? The Minis…

I am asking the Minister for specifics.