Cuirim fáilte rompu freisin. I hope they have a successful and fruitful visit. We have discussed and debated in the House and at committee meetings in the past four years the challenges that remain in housing. I have not claimed success, as Deputy Boyd Barrett said at the start; absolutely not. What I have done is to clearly record where progress has been made. Last year, we built more new social homes than have been built in 50 years and this year we will build more than that. This year, we will deliver----- Does …

Okay, perhaps she can wait to ask a question and let me answer Deputy Boyd Barrett. On affordable housing, when this Government came into office no affordable homes were offered at all. The Deputy knows that. Last year, 1,757 housing solutions were delivered on affordable housing. This year the figure will be more than 6,000. I am not claiming success or that we have dealt with every challenge and every issue, absolutely not. Unquestionably, to get to grips with what still remains a massive challenge in housing, we…

That is why we need a planning system that supports the delivery of the homes and infrastructure we need. That is why I expect Deputies on both sides of the House to support the Planning and Development Bill when it comes back to the House for its final Stages, so we can ensure we have an efficient planning system under which someone from Ballina cannot object to a social housing development in Bray and under which we do not have people blocking housing for others and delaying housing. We have planning decisions be…

I was the first Minister since 2011 to increase the social housing income limits. We increased them all across the country and they remain under review. We need to increase our own stock of social housing. In the four years of this Government, we have been able to do that and to scale up the capacity to deliver. Certainly, there is much more to do. I only used Shanganagh as an example; I could give the Deputy 20 more. He only has to drive around his own constituency, around Dublin or anywhere across the Twenty-six …

I am happy to look at those cases if the Deputy gives me the details.

The Deputy has raised a very important point with regard to accountability and value for money. Thankfully, the State, due to the hard work of the 2.75 million people in employment, is running a budget surplus. We continue to do that. We are investing in significant infrastructural projects and will continue to move forward projects such as metro north, as the Deputy mentioned, which is crucially important for the east coast region and Dublin in particular. Yesterday, the Ceann Comhairle dealt with how we all feel …

There have been many advances in this country. I do not want the Deputy's depiction to stand that everything is wrong and everything is broken; it is not. Let us be straight on that first. If we look at the vast improvement over decades in infrastructure-----

The Deputy can assist in this regard. All Deputies have a responsibility in this. The reason for most of the delays in some of our largest infrastructural projects is planning. It is objections, delays, judicial reviews, protests - all of those things.

The Deputy will have an opportunity to speak eloquently here about his frustration with delays and cost overruns. He will have an opportunity within two or three weeks to either vote for or against the Planning and Development Bill, which will make a massive difference-----

-----in streamlining our planning system. In many instances, though not all, cost overruns are caused by delays in planning or objections. We cannot continue to see that if we need to deliver, which we do, significant infrastructural projects like, as the Deputy mentioned, metro north and others. We need a planning system and planning legislation that underpins that, so I-----

It probably would be objected to.

The ARP scheme is being reviewed in the context of the extension of the directive. The operation of that scheme is being reviewed. We do not want to see a situation whereby properties that were previously in a rental market - and that is being looked at-----

I am trying to answer the Deputy. Will he just relax for a minute? With regard to the contributions by those who are seeking international protection here, first, as a country, we still have a moral and a humanitarian obligation to look after those who are seeking shelter from persecution here. While they are here, what contributions they will make is a matter that will be brought forward at the Cabinet subcommittee on migration in the coming weeks. We await proposals on that as to whether changes will be made in t…

I once again join the Deputy in her condemnation and the House's condemnation of the absolutely despicable actions that the Israeli state is undertaking, not just in Gaza, which it has flattened, with more than 40,000 people killed, many of whom are children, the continued actions in the West Bank, the continued annexation of land and the building of illegal settlements, and the continued persecution of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Then we have seen what we all assume and know is an escalation …

Just before Leaders' Questions, we had an hour and a half of questions on housing, many of which related to the situation of those in homeless emergency accommodation. As I said in reply to Deputies then, it remains the number one challenge we have. I have engaged directly with our local authorities with regard to allocations and, particularly, allocating families permanent social homes to enable people to exit emergency accommodation. In quarter 2 this year, 630 families exited emergency accommodation into safe an…

I have not read the article. I am aware of the historic incident to which the Deputy refers and the tragic loss of life. I will raise this matter directly with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence and we will revert to the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. I am a massive supporter of the citizens information service. All of us know the work that is done right across the country and the invaluable service it provides. I am fully supportive of a pay increase for these workers. I want to be clear on this. I have not met a Government colleague who is not supportive of that at this stage. The Department of Social Protection has been actively engaging with the Department of public expenditure and reform on the Lab…

Which report?

I have not seen the report.

I am glad the Deputy has raised it. I will review the report and revert to the Deputy.