I will bring back the Deputy's views. I know women are there today, and I fully understand what they are asking for and what they should have. They should have access for their partners to the maternity hospital. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, has made that clear too. I very much take on board the issue the Deputy has raised, however.

I assure Deputy Kelly that the Government understands this. It is a very serious issue for women and their partners. The latest guidance was published on 3 September with an implementation date of 13 September, and that clearly sets out the controls and access for partners as well. I know the Minister for Health appeared before the Joint Committee on Health this morning to deal with other matters. I will certainly raise this matter directly with him. The Deputy will also know that clinicians at a local hospital lev…

I have answered the two previous Deputies and it is an important-----

The Deputy might let me answer this one. It is a very serious and emotive issue on what is for many families a very special day. We must also recognise the fact that we are still living with Covid-19 in the community right now.

I am not talking about nightclubs. I am talking about hospitals and maternity hospitals.

I have been very clear in what I have said today. The Government has issued guidance on it. The HSE is committed to keeping any restrictions that are in place under review. Let us be straight with people as well. Covid-19 is still in the community. People are still being hospitalised with Covid. We have to manage those who are vaccinated, and, perhaps, also those who have symptoms and assess how that can be managed. I think most of us through the pandemic - not all, but most - have respected and taken on board clin…

In this instance, though, I have been very clear on what I have said on maternity hospitals. Where hospitals can allow unfettered access, they should. The Minister for Health has also been very clear on that.

In any measures the Government takes to tackle climate change, and where carbon taxes are required, we need to ensure and have ensured that we also tackle fuel poverty in that space. This has been debated last night and today and will be voted on by the Dáil later this evening. The Government has outlined its position, which is a realistic one.

We will ensure measures we bring in to protect against fuel poverty for the most vulnerable will guard against any of those increases due to carbon tax increases. We also have to be real about climate change. It is happening and we need to change behaviour, the Deputy knows that.

I will certainly take up the matter directly with the Minister for Health and relay the Deputy's comments-----

I ask Deputy Tóibín to relax.

Just to be helpful-----

As Deputy McGrath will know, the NDP commits Government to an overall investment of €165 billion in infrastructure, throughout the country, which is unprecedented. I will raise the matter of the Tipperary town bypass, on the Deputy's behalf. This is the first time we have an NDP here that is fully funded. It is now about delivery of these projects, to which Government is really committed. I will raise the project the Deputy mentioned with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport.

I heard.

I am sorry the Deputy feels previous questions he has asked on respite care in Donegal have not been adequately answered. I will take his word on that and commit to talking to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and his officials today to make sure the Deputy receives a comprehensive answer on respite care. The Government has made significant strides in the past 12 months on the provision of respite care and additional resources. That has, obviously, been hampered by Covid as well, but I will ensure the Deputy gets a co…

I thank the Deputy for her question on diabetes care. I have visited a centre in Santry that is providing significant new treatments for diabetes and treating people with difficult health issues and having a really positive effect. The community-based treatments needed for managing chronic diseases are clearly highlighted in Sláintecare, as to how that roll-out happens. As best as possible, we need to see an expedited delivery of that for diabetes and others, which are prevalent throughout the country. That is some…

What Revenue is involved in concerns legislation we passed before the recess on the review of the local property tax. One of the reasons for that is to ensure all those properties built since it was brought in are brought into the net, to fund local government. I know the Deputy supports that, in particular. Now is the revaluation period, when we ask people to submit what they believe is a true valuation of their property, within bands. We have widened the bands and decreased the rate. Most people will not see any …

I will raise the matter with the Minister for Education.

I thank Deputy Colm Burke for his question. It is a timely one as we are coming into budget week. Post budget, we will have a social welfare Bill. I suggest that we could then raise these matters directly with the Minister for Social Protection to see whether any changes can be made to deal with them.

It is a fair question. There is an issue with vacancy right across the country. One of the pathways in the Housing for All programme deals with vacancy. We will be providing significant funding to our local authorities to deal with vacancy through the Croí Cónaithe cities and towns funds, as well as through a new compulsory purchase order, CPO, programme. We will manage that through the Housing Agency, that is, to compulsorily purchase some of those vacant properties to get them back into use for first-time buyers.…