Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I think the Minister will agree that those who avail of early intervention classes along with their families reflect on them very positively. Has there been an assessment of unmet need? Is it the case that this is demand-led through the NCSE? If there has been an assessment of unmet need, what are the plans to meet that need into the future?

It might be worth having joined-up consideration of it to see if there is opportunity to get additional benefit from more early intervention classes. Has any consideration been given to the potential barrier there of a need for diagnosis at that stage? These are young children. Related to that is the transition between early years and primary school and primary school into secondary school. We now have the new 1 October deadline for the parent notification system. The criteria for relevant documentation at that sta…

I want to ask the Minister for an update on a new school building project for Coláiste Ríoga and Dunshaughlin Community National School in Dunshaughlin, County Meath. Is she is aware that planning permission was granted for these schools in November 2020? It is now November 2025. What is the reason for the delays in bringing this project to construction and the indicative timeline for construction, commencement and completion?

The community will hang on the Minister's every word in relation to this. For clarity, regarding the letter of intent issued to the third contractor, are part of the works separated off? My understanding is that a letter of authorisation is due. What is the next step on that?

Is it a letter of acceptance? Is it the case that the project has been divided up and there are subcontractors? The Minister mentioned specialist work. Is that related to the struggle to get contractors to commit to this project? Is there a new approach in that regard? Obviously, there are delays in this that are very frustrating. Will she indicate, given she said it would be as soon as is possible, when we might expect that letter of acceptance will issue and the next step after that?

There are a couple of issues. There is real frustration in relation to this. As I said, planning was granted in 2020. There will be a need for additional prefab space in both of these schools come next September because pupils will not be in them. We can all agree to that due to the fact we have not got contracts signed. From speaking to people very close to not only this project, but other projects, and colleagues around the country, there is a concern about capital projects in the education sector. I have spoken …

Households across the State are faced with significant increases in the local property tax, LPT. Starting from 1 November there will be very significant increases in some areas. County Dublin and surrounding counties and large urban areas have seen huge increases in property prices. This will put a huge burden on people with very large mortgages and older people on low incomes, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. The promise on the local property tax was that there would be improvement in local services. In t…

We set that out every year.

The Government took away roads funding and grant funding.

For people who cannot afford it.

I raise a number of important issues, including school buildings for Coláiste Ríoga in Dunshaughlin and Dunshaughlin Community National School, which have been waiting for a long time, despite having planning permission as far back as 2020. However, I will focus on the creaking wastewater treatment infrastructure. There have been numerous reports by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and others on the need for investment in this infrastructure. It is welcome that there is a commitment to investment. How will…

In the audiovisual room this afternoon, a briefing organised by Deputy Guirke was addressed by Ciaran Staunton and Kelly Fincham on barriers faced by Irish citizens returning from abroad. They raised a range of barriers, such as access to driving licences and planning permission, but the issue I want to raise that relates to the economy and trade is the dearth of teachers, occupational therapists and other allied health professionals and the recognition of nursing qualifications from abroad. Is that something the T…

Affordability is the biggest issue in County Meath. The county has met its housing targets. Those targets are too low. They are being increased, but there is a track record of delivering housing without affordable housing. The schemes the Minister of State is talking about do not deliver affordable housing either. We have huge numbers of adult children living at home with their parents - I would say tens of thousands. We heard on "Prime Time" last night - and I think it reflected a sentiment across many areas, incl…

I will speak on behalf of every single one of them and tell the Minister of State that the Government is crucifying them for years to come. These properties are not affordable. The Government is crucifying them, and probably their children after them, with a level of mortgage and financial burden that is completely unsustainable. That will impact every decision they make in their lives, from how many kids they will have to whether they will be able to access work and childcare. That is the reality of it. These prop…

They want houses.

Three-bedroom houses for €500,000.

This is a budget in excess of €9 million that has, incredibly, left people worse off. It contains broken election promise after broken election promise. I will focus my comments on the education and youth sector. People can rightly see through Government spin and that was well captured on the "Prime Time" programme last night. We heard a grandparent from Coolock talking about his grandkids who were all planning to leave this country because they did not see a future for themselves. That is are our youth. We also sa…

I thank the Minister for that update. I have a few follow-up questions. On the initial cohort of 196, does the Minister have an indicative timeline on when that full cohort might be completed? It was a significant number and in excess of 196. Is the Minister close to appointing a lead for the membership of the external review? We are only at the start of the month but there is keen interest in that. There was lots of disappointment that it has taken until January to get the review up and running. Is there a commitm…

I welcome that the Minister outlined a series of dates for engagement, including today. There is some emerging and serious concern about the scope and potential terms of reference for the external review. One area is how it will specifically relate to Crumlin hospital and surgeons operating there, as well as at Cork, Galway and elsewhere across the State and, related to that, how it will apply to children with complex additional comorbidities or needs. Will the Minister commit to ongoing engagement with advocacy gr…

The situation in Gaza is not just a tragedy; it is a moral catastrophe. Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, entire districts have been reduced to rubble and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee under relentless bombardment. Starving children are murdered while they wait for food. We have genocide and we have man-made famine. I say "man-made", but they are not men; they are monsters. Ireland knows the pain of occupation, and the struggle for dignity and for peace. Our history compels us to…