First, I have one specific question. The Minister said the Health and Safety Authority is an independent organisation, which it is. Has it made a request to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, or to the Minister herself, for extra staff in view of the extra burden it will face?

My question is whether it has asked specifically for extra staff.

I have sat here through the whole debate and I appreciate the Minister's effort in explaining this. I have written it down. I had a specific question, which the Minister answered when she said the Health and Safety Authority has not yet made a specific request for extra staff.

I appreciate the range of help and supports available. That is not a problem, but those supports must be looked at in context of the Central Bank telling us that small to medium enterprises are going to need liquidity of up to €5.7 billion. We have the national small business recovery plan, and I see John Moran is the chairman of the organisation, which put that together. I hope he has the same passion for building public houses on public land as he shows for small businesses. I welcome his passion. He points out t…

Interestingly, Mr. Moran claims €15 billion is needed. My question is not on the specifics of the range of supports but on what impact analysis has been done on their take-up. For example, when I look at the figures, I see the credit guarantee scheme has been in place since 2012 and had very little uptake preceding Covid. In addition, only 156 loans have been approved under the working capital scheme. I do not wish to find fault. I am asking how we can see where this money is going and whether it is going to the pe…

I was going to ask the Minister a number of questions but perhaps I will just make a number of comments. As I listened to her and previous Governments, the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance comes to mind. I refer to the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs or attitudes especially in relation to behaviour. We treasure the arts on a national and international basis but then practically we give them very little. I think cognitive dissonance absolutely captures that. I have to hand a speech from the Minister…

The points have been made. From the little bit I have read, I understand a motion by both the Seanad and the Dáil is needed. There is no Seanad, so it does not make sense to put the motion before the Dáil today in a piecemeal fashion. Even if we were to pass the motion today, the report would remain in the Oireachtas Library, as I understand it. Are we going to withdraw half of the report until the Seanad sits? I would like clarification on that point.

I will use my five minutes by way of a question-and-answer session. I thank the Minister for his work. I do not believe it was easy to come to this decision. I would have been of a different view. I believe the leaving certificate should have been abandoned this year - I agree with that part - but opened up for third level and apprenticeships but that is my personal view. I say "well done" to the Minister. At least we have certainty now. Regarding the July provision, is it going ahead or is it not? I welcome the fa…

Very good.

I welcome that. Other Deputies have mentioned practical subjects, some of which already have taken place and the results are available. How will the practical subjects such as science, art, woodwork and so on be taken into account?

The projects will be taken into account and the teachers will be doing the assessment.

Regarding external students, the Minister has clarified that the tutors will be giving their assessment but for those students, particularly mature students, who do it themselves, the Minister has not worked out yet what is going on. Is that right?

Regarding students with dyslexia, will the tutors' opinion and assessment be taken into account? Tied in with that, I want to ask about special needs, which I have mentioned repeatedly in the past two weeks and will repeat again now. We have all received the letters. I have raised them with the Taoiseach. They have written to the Taoiseach directly. I agree with them. For approximately four or five months there has been a setting aside of education for people with special needs in particular, without any rationale.…

I am sorry but my question was specific. Will consideration be given to opening up special schools as a distinct entity?

On that, I have to say I am unhappy because I do not see any voice at the top level committee in regard to that vulnerable group of people. I do not even like the word "vulnerable". We should treat them with equality, dignity and respect. That group requires routine, structure and so on. I do not have the time to read out all of that; the Minister is fully familiar with it, and I respect him on that. What voice is there for those children to look at their needs based, of course, on public health? Who is doing that?…

I appeal to the Minister to look at this distinct group and re-assess the effect of the decisions being made on their lives and the lives of their families. My final question, for my last 14 seconds, relates to UL. What progress has been made on the return of rent on a pro rata basis?

I am sorry to interrupt the Minister but other people will be deprived. It is not his fault. We will move on to Fine Gael Members. Perhaps we will gain time from them.

The Minister has a minute and 25 seconds to answer all those questions.

I thank the Minister. I acknowledge that the amount of time for his response is unsatisfactory but I must move on.

One at a time.