The Deputy will appreciate he covered a lot of areas there, so I will try as best I can to touch on all of them. When it comes to our capital city, we all want to make sure we are investing in a vibrant and growing capital city. It is not just about tourism but that people are able to live and work here and that we are investing in our schools and infrastructure while at the same time making sure the offer is a big as it can be. Obviously, the airport plays a huge role in that and that we open it up to as many peop…

In terms of the solar programme, the Deputy should speak to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. Everyone in government is open to a way in which we can ensure individual householders and home owners can reduce their bills. I mentioned figures earlier in terms of the investment that has already taken place. Some 250,000 homes have been retrofitted. Over 73,000 homes are targeted for this year. How can we do more and go beyond those overall targets? We need to ensure that for any new scheme, we have the right oversight in …

I would again stress that the programme for Government is a five-year plan. We want to make sure that we can get to as many of our commitments as soon as possible. I appreciate that for many hospitals, it raises revenue. However, like the Deputy, I have constituents who have raised concerns with me, particularly when they have to attend hospital on a regular basis and the impact and the cost that is having on them. We need to find a way to reduce the costs for people overall. I will come back to the Deputy with an …

I think the Deputy would agree that our budget year on year has increased. We had a budget last year of €105.4 billion. Within that, each Department is given a specific budget and within each Department, we are all expected to work within that overall budget. In terms of health, it is the case, and has to be the case, that if the HSE is given a particular budget, we work within that and where there are overspends or changes that are required, that is all done in line with that overall budget because if we overspend…

We need to understand fully what has happened when it comes to the Oliver Bond complex. I appreciate that there is a huge amount of frustration and anger when it comes to this specific project. We need to understand how we have got to this point and how the direction has suddenly changed and the project has not been approved. More broadly, in terms of social housing, between July 2020 and the end of last year, almost 60,000 social houses have been built. There is an absolute commitment there to make sure our local …

-----accommodation but also delivering new accommodation. A group has been established specifically to make sure the process by which local authorities can build and develop new homes is sped up and that authorities understand it and know how to use it. That forum has brought together all our local authorities to make sure that everybody is delivering more social housing as well as making sure we are investing in private, affordable and rental accommodation as well. We are committed to that. We see that in the figu…

We have over the last number of years, in particular in previous Governments, invested hundreds of millions of euro in childcare and making sure we can provide early childhood care and education, ECCE, spaces for children to which every child has access. About 96% or 97% of children are accessing the ECCE programme, which is available to parents. Beyond that, we have set out a very clear commitment in the programme for Government not just to make childcare affordable but to make sure that, with a growing population…

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is setting out and working on a plan as to how we can achieve that overall.

It is the case that commercial early years providers have always paid rates. However, there is a long-standing agreement or exemption for community not-for-profit services, that is, those that solely offer early childhood care and the ECCE programme. The Minister, Deputy Foley, is aware of a small number that are now starting to be charged and where issues are emerging. She wants to respond, given the importance of early learning and what the Deputy has raised, and she is giving her full attention to the matter. Sh…

I agree with the Deputy. Most of us are not from Galway, but we see the importance of the road and its approval recently. It is, however, important that any new project engage with families locally in a sensitive way. I will relay the Deputy's concern directly to the Minister and ask that the transport authority engage directly and as quickly as possible. I know people locally want to see the project move as quickly as possible.

A core objective of BusConnects is to have a better network, with a more frequent service that reduces journey times and provides better service for people. My understanding is that under BusConnects, the 70 route will be replaced by other bus services, including the L64, which will provide an all-day frequent service to my constituency, in Dunboyne, Clonee and Blanchardstown, and the peak-hour P64 service, which will provide a direct service between those places and Dublin city centre. It is being launched among o…

I am really sorry to hear about the particular case. Where possible, where there are particular rare conditions, we need to support people insofar as we possibly can, with the HSE working closely with the companies as well. If the Deputy passes on the details of the specific case, if that has not already been done, I will certainly raise it again with the Minister for Health.

I will engage directly with them.

I commend and acknowledge the role of town councils. We had some in my constituency in Meath. I have worked with councillors since then who perhaps share the same view as the Deputy and would like to see things resumed as they were. I understand the local democracy task force is due to make recommendations or findings on this matter soon. When we are presented with those findings, I will be happy to engage with colleagues to see what is the best way forward.

The Department's budget for this year has been set. The housing budget has been set. At the same time, we have a new budget coming up. All of these different matters have to be taken into consideration, to make sure funding can be most impactful and support people who need it most. I will certainly raise this issue with the Minister.

I will sound like I am taking on my previous role, but the deployment of An Garda Síochána is a matter for the Garda Commissioner. The most important thing is that we are starting to see, in all of the changes that have taken place in recent years, the numbers of recruits coming through at the high level that we need and, most importantly, that they are now flowing down to various parts of the country, including Dublin which has a huge population. I have no doubt that the chief superintendents on the ground will en…

Nobody wants to see the National Ambulance Service or paramedics on strike. I commend the fantastic and unbelievable work they do. The Minister for Health has assured me that she, the HSE and the Department are open to further engagement with the National Ambulance Service and want to engage with them through the industrial relations mechanism. That offer, I believe, is there and it is open to the NAS to engage. The Minister very much encourages it to do so before next week.

I am happy to raise the matter directly with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and, in particular, the Minister. It is essential, whether through legislative means or financial support that is required, that people have access to dental care. I am happy to raise that directly.

Overall, the Government fully recognises the need to create more connectivity to make sure that people living in rural and not-so-rural areas are able to use public transport and that there is greater investment. A huge focus of the €102 billion investment in our infrastructure plan is for public transport, investing in our roads, railway networks and bus networks to ensure that they are joined up and connected insofar as possible. Obviously, it is about making sure that we are working directly with the Deputy on t…

There is a very clear commitment in the programme for Government. We have seen a reduction in recent years, in particular under the previous Government. We know the impact it has on students and on teaching, coupled with the significant increase in the number of teachers, including special or additional needs teachers who are supporting our mainstream classes. We know when we walk into a classroom now there are more teachers there and more support there at the same time. We need to make sure that no classes go beyo…