That is a startling admission, Minister.

We know the price of a Minister of State now.

Come off it.

The Minister is misleading-----

Will the Minister join the sit-in protest?

Will the Minister join the sit-in protest?

Minister for bluster.

There was plenty of time in Government business today.

Once again, the Government is talking about reports and plans while treading water when it comes to developing infrastructure. It is a case of more glossy documents, little in the way of targets and timelines and more false dawns. People roll their eyes because what communities need is delivery as opposed to brochures and concrete progress rather than press launches. In Waterford, the gaps are obvious and long-standing. Deputy Cullinane and I have been raising them consistently. The safety upgrades to the N25 and t…

How long has the Taoiseach been in government?

Ar dtús báire, tá an cheist seo an-dáiríre. Baineann sé le gnólachtaí a chuireann seirbhísí cúnamh linbh ar fáil ar fud Contae Phort Láirge. Tá sé thar a bheith deacair dóibh leanúint ar aghaidh ag cur na seirbhísí sin ar fáil de dheasca billí a bhfuaireadar roimh an Nollaig ó Chomhairle Cathrach agus Contae Phort Láirge ag eascairt ó athluacháil de chuid Tailte Éireann. This is a really serious issue affecting childcare providers in County Waterford. I have no doubt similar issues, if they have not arisen, will ar…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. It clarifies the situation in that he stated explicitly that for-profit childcare providers are liable for rates. However, there has been a change of policy. It may have taken place several years ago but there has been a change of policy and that policy was not executed in County Waterford. These businesses were not liable for rates in the past but they have now been hit with these bills. Nobody has communicated this change of policy to them. Several of them, if force…

There is massive demand for flexible hours and remote work because people know it works. It saves time, reduces stress and allows people to manage work alongside family, caring and community responsibilities. Yet, every morning, workers are still forced into traffic and onto overcrowded buses and trains, travelling at the same hour to the same place, even when the job does not require it. That lost time is taken directly from people's lives. In counties like Waterford, thousands of people are being forced back into…

Very tetchy Taoiseach.

The misuse of nitrous oxide is no longer a fringe issue. It is not something novel. It is happening in housing estates, parks and town centres, and at the back of parish halls all across the State, urban and rural. It is overwhelmingly impacting young people. This substance has legitimate uses in medicine and licensed food businesses and no one disputes that. What we are seeing now is widespread misuse, industrial sized canisters with no legitimate purpose, and a complete failure by Government to keep pace with wha…

Did you ever get seven months of a window for them?

The Minister doth protest too much.

Should they pay it back?

Should the Ministers pay the money back?

Last January, Storm Éowyn exposed serious weaknesses in how the State protected older people and sustained rural communities. In many rural areas, the loss of power and connectivity carried consequences far beyond inconvenience and unpleasantness. For elderly people living alone, often at a distance from family and neighbours, pendant alarms and home-monitoring systems are a vital safety net. Those systems exist precisely because Government cuts and neglect mean Garda and ambulance response times are too long and t…