Elite national sport has been important during this pandemic. Yesterday, the chairman of Sport Ireland came before the Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. He said the high performance strategy would be published shortly. Can the Tánaiste outline why there is a delay as it is in the programme for Government? Apparently it is ready to go.

The Minister for Education was recently highlighting the reduction in class sizes and, where this happens, it is obviously welcome. However, in many schools, like St. Louis Primary School in Rathmines, the class sizes have increased due to the Department policy that was set prior to Covid. As a result, there is now an empty classroom in St. Louis Primary School and a teacher on the pandemic unemployment payment. Can some common sense be brought to this in order to reverse this nonsensical situation, to give the sch…

She has been let go.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Planning and Development Act 2000 and to repeal section 97 subsection (3B). I seek leave to introduce the Bill, which comes about because the scrapping of height guidelines by the previous Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government means there is a lacuna in legislation. Previously, any site that was 0.1 ha or smaller was exempt from the requirement to transfer units to the local authority for housing. Small sites which were jus…

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

I have twice raised the matter of scoliosis patients on Questions on Promised Legislation, and the case of 11-year-old Sophie Redmond. How far is the Government going to let Sophie and other scoliosis patients suffer, physically and mentally, before they have the urgent, time-sensitive surgeries they require?

In light of the issues around the return to sport and the lack of clarity for many sporting organisations and gyms, will the Taoiseach consider additional members on the expert group on the return to sport to include non-contact sports such as athletics, golf and badminton?

I want to put on the record that the decision last night by the Government to seal the records of the survivors of the mother and baby homes was both sad and shameful. It will go down as one of the most uncaring acts by this Government in the lifetime of this Dáil. History will not look kindly on this Government. With regard to Covid-19, reducing teaching staff while increasing class sizes to more than 30 students is not only a disgraceful move by the Department of Education it is also reckless. The reduction of th…

Housing in the Ringsend, Pearse Street and Kevin Street areas is a significant issue. There is not enough of it. There is not enough social or affordable housing nationally, but in Ringsend, Pearse Street and York Street in particular, and in Dublin 2, 4 and 8 more generally, the lack of housing is particularly acute. Flat complexes in Ringsend such as Whelan House, O'Rahilly House, George Reynolds House and Canon Mooney Gardens are no longer fit for purpose. They need comprehensive regeneration and investment, not…

I thank the Minister of State. What has been happening recently, and accelerating over the past number of years, is that the likes of Facebook, Google and their senior management teams have been buying homes in the Ringsend area. Prices are huge there now. There is a small one-bedroom cottage in Ringsend for which people are being asked to pay more than €400,000. This is not affordable. The long-term community in Ringsend is being forced to move out and it is having a negative impact on the community at large. The …

The public purse is ensuring that this development will go ahead and it is important that developers are not allowed to turn their backs on the people of Ringsend.

I support Deputy Ó Broin's proposals. I find it hard to believe anyone in this House could believe that co-living is the right way to develop our housing stock. Co-living is not cheap. It costs around €1,300 per month for what is, effectively, a car parking space, with 40 people sharing a kitchen. At the best of times, co-living is not suitable but at the height of a pandemic, it is completely unacceptable. These are tenements for the future. They are certainly not boutique living, as they were previously described…

Given the vital role that childcare workers have in keeping the economy open and bearing in mind their low pay structure, will the Government ensure that all childcare and front-line workers will have access to the flu vaccine this winter free of charge?

We are all aware of the importance of sports capital grants. Will the Minister of State clarify if the sports capital grant scheme is an annual funding scheme, set out why there was no funding in 2019, tell the House whether funding rounds will be opened in 2020 and 2021 and make a statement on the matter?

I thank the Minister of State. I agree that the sports capital grants scheme transforms participation in sporting clubs across the country. Due to the gap in 2019, clubs are in severe need of funding to rejuvenate their facilities. As they have no or very limited fundraising capacity but still have ongoing expenses, the clubs greatly need this injection. In the context of pay equality and the 20x20 campaign, will the Minister of State consider weighting the sports capital grant allocation to ensure there will be gr…

I thank the Minister of State. I want to underline the request to have the sports capital grant scheme weighted in support of female participation, which I believe would be very welcome as it is much-needed. Is there a commitment on the 2021 sports capital grant? Will it be another gap year? There will be many clubs in need, even next year.

During Covid, life has been very difficult for everybody. I do not think we ever really realised how important sport is. For those watching and participating in sport it has been immensely important in so many ways. However, the public health guidelines for team sports are very unclear, as Deputy McAuliffe mentioned. There is much confusion and unanswered questions for clubs playing soccer. I raised this issue with the Taoiseach yesterday and his sidestep was very impressive but that was all. I got no real clarity.…

The health guidelines on playing outdoor sports and team sports are unclear and confusing for many sports clubs. Different sporting organisations are interpreting the guidelines differently. We have a situation now where players can play one day for Clanna Gael Fontenoy in Ringsend but the same players cannot play for St. Patrick's CYFC in Ringsend in the eastern women's football league the next day. Clubs in Naas and Clontarf can play rugby but St. Patrick's CYFC cannot play soccer. All sports clubs, including soc…

Inner city Dublin has a large working class community. This is probably forgotten when people look at its skyline and see sparkling six, eight and ten storey apartment buildings and plenty of cranes. These new buildings have state-of-the-art technology and all the mod cons, but that is in stark contrast to Dublin City Council's housing in Pearse House, Glover's Court and most of the council's flat complexes. The Googles and Facebooks are pushing people out of their communities. The flat complexes that I have mentio…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Clearly, Dublin City Council is filling in the details, but it cannot do this without funding and a commitment. It is important that the Government commits to funding redevelopment projects. Pearse House is a large development of 370 flats and is experiencing many social as well as physical infrastructure issues. It needs to be regenerated. The people there have put up with terrible conditions. None of us here would live in the conditions to which they have been subje…