I met residents and representative business owners in Clonmel. I had a good meeting just prior to Christmas before the recess. I have engaged with Uisce Éireann on the behalf of those people as well. There has been significant investment by Uisce Éireann in Clonmel, as the Deputy knows, and in the region. Another potential investment is required and some workarounds are also being looked at. I do not have an update yet from Uisce Éireann but I did engage with residents and the chamber of commerce in the town last D…

This Government has supported businesses right the way through the Covid pandemic. Most businesses and sectors will respect what we have done there. We work together to protect businesses. I am aware of increased costs on businesses due to inflation in the cost of wages, materials and so on, as are we all. The Government is bringing forward and has signed off on a package of €257 million through the increased cost of business grant. That will be a vital measure to support those small and medium businesses. I know t…

Gabhaim buíochas le Deputy Ó Cuív as ucht na ceiste. Is cinnte go bhfuil deontas folúntais Chroí Cónaithe ag obair go dian tríd an tír. People have responded to it extremely well with over 7,000 applications and 3,600 approvals. We update it per local authority and we are now building data on one-off homes. Since the scheme was extended to rural homes, we have seen a really big uptake. I have received approval to double our targets this year. I want more grant applications coming in. The average processing time is …

I am not familiar with the specific case of Castlebar Educate Together National School. I will raise the matter directly with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and ask her to engage directly with the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. The Government is committed to providing all possible assistance to facilitate a resumption of operations at Tara Mines. This is a matter that has been raised directly at Government level by the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and by Senator Shane Cassells. As the Deputy will know, Enterprise Ireland is liaising with the company on energy and productivity supports that could assist with a sustainable reopening. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, and off…

I agree with the Deputy that what is happening in Gaza, and now in the West Bank as well, is extreme, horrific and horrendous. It is totally and utterly disproportionate. What the State of Israel is doing in the destruction of Gaza, the killing of women, children, men and women and bombing Gaza into oblivion is outrageous but it is what is happening. As the Deputy has rightly said, our Taoiseach and Tánaiste have been to the forefront of the Government's response to this in trying to bring about a collective approa…

When the three parties came into government, the LDA did not have legislation underpinning it and it had no money. We have been able to make significant advances in that regard and fully capitalise the LDA. I received approval for further capitalisation before Christmas. It delivered approximately 800 homes last year. I have been in Limerick on a number of occasions with the LDA. I was at the launch of the Colbert Station master plan, which will make a massive difference to Limerick. We want to see that drive forwa…

To correct a point made by the Deputy, we met our housing targets in 2022. We exceeded them in that year and in 2023, and substantially so. As regards student accommodation, I will be with the Minister, Deputy Harris, tomorrow at a launch in DCU. We have already invested €61 million in additional student accommodation that we want to be affordable. My Department has worked directly with the Minister, Deputy Harris, on this. Specifically in respect of the south east and Waterford, the Deputy will be aware there has …

What we are seeing in the North as well is the fact there is no Assembly or government there. The public services there are under incredible strain across every sector, from local government to health. I came into politics through my membership of a trade union and I support the right of workers to defend their rights and pay and conditions. What we have been able to do in this country for many years is to ensure we get agreement on public sector pay. We have done that and we are in the middle of those negotiations…

I will bring the matter Deputy Durkan raised to the attention of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and get her to come back to him. I join Deputy Donnelly in commending the work of the gardaí in Dublin West after the horrific incident on Christmas Eve on Main Street, Blanchardstown, a place I know very well as he does. We are committed to continued increased investment in An Garda Síochána, with this year's budget 2024 allocation at €2.31 billion, which is a 23% increase on 2020. We need to make sure there …

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for tabling the Private Members' Bill again. Much of what we are discussing this evening was discussed last week, though the Sinn Féin motion did not include this proposal to reintroduce a temporary moratorium on evictions over the winter period. We have to make sure anything we do in the private rental sector does not make the situation worse. I have said here many times that the private rental sector, as it stands, is not functioning as it should. We need a functioning private rental sector…

Anois, an fhírinne. Ar dtús, caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuil ár bplean ag obair. Tá sé ag obair anois. Níl na buntáistí á fháil ag gach duine fós. Thógamar 30,000 teach nua anuraidh agus tá mé cinnte go mbeimid ábalta níos mó ná sin a dhéanamh i mbliana. Thógamar níos mó tithe sóisialta anuraidh ná mar a tógadh le 50 bliain. Arís, táim cinnte go mbeimid ábalta níos mó ná sin a dhéanamh i mbliana. Tá tithe ar phraghas réasúnta le ceannacht don chéad uair le cúig bliana déag anuas. Don chéad uair riamh, tá tithe á ligean…

The Deputy cannot.

What we need to do and what we are doing is to increase supply across all tenures. Deputy Paul Donnelly knows that very well because he has been out turning sods with me his own constituency at the largest social and affordable housing schemes in the country. These are in Mulhuddart and in Donabate-Portrane, which is my own area. There are 1,200 homes, which the Deputy’s party objected to, by the way. We are increasing supply and we will do more than 30,000 homes this year. Between 40% and 50% of those will be supp…

Withdraw it.

What did you do?

Cad a dhearna thú? What did you do?

One amongst many of you.

I thank Deputy Bacik for her question on this important issue. She will know we have commenced Second Stage of the Planning and Development Bill. As I have said, this is the most significant reform of our planning legislation that probably ever has taken place. It is a 700-page Bill that seeks to provide clarity, certainty and consistency in our planning legislation and system. That is crucially important. I want to say to the Deputy that any amendments that are tabled will be looked at very seriously. We have not …

Indeed. We are filling those roles now. There are now 15 board members and 314 posts have been approved in the board. We were as low as five members last year with all the controversies that came about in An Bord Pleanála. We had to stabilise it and get it moving. I will happily work with the Deputy and colleagues in the Opposition to strengthen this further if that is required. There are two existing Acts, which I have referred to, where prosecutions can be brought on for these types of cases.