----- and of anyone who gives an inflammatory response or weaponises this issue to divide people. Our focus is on community, on building harmony between people and on supporting and investing in communities while also ensuring that we have a migration system and policy which works. That is why we should have an ongoing evaluation of it. It is unfair to continue to conflate this, as the Deputy has. The experience of the women and children in that house and the threat that was brought on them is shocking and is unive…

I thank the Deputy. What I would say about transport specifically is that there has been a big uplift in the transport allocation for the next five years. Some €22 billion of the over €100 billion being invested in the next five years will be in transport, specifically to build more roads and ensure our public transport objectives are delivered. There is going to be a serious transformation of transport investment over the next five years. The Deputy is correct in saying that additional allocations in themselves wi…

-----risks when it comes to delivery of infrastructure and other projects across our economy.

I acknowledge that in some instances there is excessive bureaucracy and red tape and we need to cut it, remove it and reform it. That is central to my work beyond what is happening in the national development plan. The Deputy is correct that we do need to radically reduce the timelines it takes to deliver critical projects and housing across our economy. There are too many layers and too many barriers to the delivery of that, and I acknowledge that in many of the commuter counties. I work with my colleague, Deputy …

The Deputy is simply ignoring the record level of investment in our health service, which is €27.4 billion in funding in 2026. If she compares 2020 to July 2025, there are over 29,000 more staff, which is a 28% increase in staffing across our health system. There are over 10,000 more nurses and midwives, 5,000 health and social care professionals, 1,400 consultants and over 2,000 doctors and dentists, all of whom are making a really positive contribution with changed demographics, increased demand and pressure acro…

-----to respond back to the pressure and the changing demographics we are seeing.

That is why we took measures in the budget to support families and households. As I said, the response around the VAT on gas and electricity was a measure that came with a cost. It was important to prioritise that in the context of the tax package. In addition, as I said, the social protection package we introduced will mitigate costs in the context of the changes we have made to the fuel allowance. Increasing the eligibility for households will help to support families most in need. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, i…

I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue. My thoughts are with all those workers affected by this receivership. I know how concerning it is for each of them. As the Deputy knows, a receiver is individually appointed by a lender to take control of a company. Its role is to secure the assets in that respect. The receiver is independent in its role and the Government cannot intervene in how the receiver approaches the position. However, I understand the Department of Social Protection is engaging directly with the…

I thank the Deputy. I know, as constituency TDs, it can be difficult to get particular feedback from some State bodies and they reference GDPR or ongoing formal or legal proceedings. I will ask the Minister for housing, who obviously oversees the RTB, to reflect on what the Deputy has said and if there is a way of providing some level or layer of communication so people have a sense of where something is within a particular process. I will ask the Minister to revert to the Deputy directly.

I thank the Deputy. I regret that Irish Water has not properly communicated with her constituents, businesses and critical services in Enfield and beyond. When we are investing in Irish Water, there will be a focus on the importance of public service performance. As €12 billion is allocated to it over the next five years, it needs to ensure that customer service, communication and engagement are critical parts of its wider investment programme. When it is doing overall capital investment in the community, there wil…

At the outset, I commend the family of Ashling Murphy and everyone in the community in County Offaly who have shown such incredible resilience, strength and dignity while dealing with the most horrendous circumstances that any family could ever experience. Ashling's murder shocked the nation. Everyone in this House and throughout our country offers them nothing but our love, support and deepest sympathies. Regarding the Deputy's question, from a policy perspective the removal from the State of convicted criminals a…

As I have said to a number of colleagues today, I am shocked and appalled by what happened in Drogheda. I heard many people from the Deputy's community express how appalled they were about that particular incident. We all condemn it. To the Deputy's question, I am not aware of the particular circumstances in which the contract for this property was entered into. Perhaps the Deputy can provide the details to the Department of justice or to the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, and he can assess that. Because of the …

I thank Deputy Roche. I am familiar with the funding needs of many roads and the road network across east Galway. One thing the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, is doing as part of the sectoral investment plans for the road network and investment in public transport is to give better funding certainty to TII. As we know in recent years there was a difficulty in funding certain roads projects and maintenance, which the Deputy has referenced. The overall distribution of the €22 billion is being developed as part of the sect…

I thank Deputy Crowe. I am not familiar with the contribution he made a few weeks ago but what I would say is An Coimisiún Pleanála is independent in its functions and around its assessment and evaluation of planning considerations and decisions. I do not know the direct circumstances the Deputy has referenced, but there may be difficulty in taking someone out of the Irish Aviation Authority and bringing them into An Coimisiún Pleanála if it is doing an independent evaluation or assessment of a particular planning …

I absolutely refute and reject what you are after saying there. All political parties and many politicians who are not part of one receive media training. It has been a matter of public record that Ivan Yates was providing media training to various politicians within Fianna Fáil over a series of years. Fianna Fáil has every right to hire contractors or media trainers as it sees fit. It is a matter for Ivan Yates to disclose any potential or direct conflicts of interest in his interaction with or contribution to med…

Something you prioritise around your funding is to take defamation actions against many members of the media.

That is how you prioritise your resources. We are able to hire media trainers and we have every right to do that. It is for Ivan Yates to respond to any issue in terms of his own conflicts of interest.

I thank the Deputy. I know from engaging with the Ministers of State, Deputies Christopher O'Sullivan and Moran, how seriously they take the issue of flooding in terms of capital allocations for the OPW. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to respond directly to the Deputy. He wants to accelerate many flooding schemes and, as part of his capital settlement for the OPW, has prioritised flood relief schemes across the country. Uplift for the OPW is being prioritised to respond to the needs across communit…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Taoiseach met with the survivors. I understand there was a plan to have a mediator in place. Due to the personal circumstances of the mediator, that was not possible today. The mediator who was due to be in place has recommended an alternative. I understand the intention is that the meeting could go ahead as proposed and an email will issue to that effect. That is the latest update, as of the past couple of hours. I understand the sensitivity and urgency of having enga…

I thank the Deputy. I go out to Portrane-Donabate and know the area very well. There has been a wonderful transformation in terms of housing, construction and work happening across the community. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to respond directly to the Deputy on the increased demand for public transport and, in particular, the bus service that has been mentioned. I understand the acute need and demand in that area.