I call the inimitable Deputy Durkan.

Deputy Healy-Rae has a brief supplementary question.

It is difficult to understand how the previous speaker could have issues with this budget, of all budgets, or with the budgetary approach of the Government during the pandemic. Essentially, billions of euro have been spent on the most vulnerable in our society. As I have mentioned on a number of occasions, there is an unwritten social contract between the State and its citizens whereby the citizen hopes that in a time of crisis the State will be there for the citizen. The manner in which the State has behaved over …

A speech could be very brief today based on the previous contributions, which submitted that the Government is responsible for absolutely everything, even for the pandemic itself. I, along with a few others, but not everybody, attended the briefing given by the Minister's officials yesterday on what Jonathan Swift would have called modest proposals, yet we have heard today a litany of questionable comments, unusually from Members I would normally consider sensible, including Deputy McNamara, who is in the gods up a…

Will the Deputy speak to the amendment?

I call on the Minister. I am sorry; I did not see Deputy Harkin up in the gods.

It is at 6.45 p.m. There are other people who wish to speak.

There is an amendment before the House which has to be disposed of first. We have to go through the procedures.

The problem with the experience of abuse from the perspective of those who have been abused is that when it happens - I refer specifically to the experience of the women in the mother and baby homes – it appears that there is a tolerance level for it and that it is tolerated by the institution in which it happens. Clearly, it was tolerated with a few notable, kindly exceptions. That tolerance serves to reinforce its validity and the belief that it is somehow justified, right and correct. That leaves those who have …

This is an unexpected opportunity. I raised this matter at a meeting of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight but obviously circumstances have changed. Provisions have been made to support businesses, particularly in the three counties forced to lock down. There are serious issues arising regarding retail footfall in Dublin city. In the Convention Centre, I gave the example of PricewaterhouseCoopers, which was next door. It used to have 1,500 desks but only 100 are now in operation. The guidance is now to work from …

I thank the Minister. I acknowledge he is aware of the issue and I welcome his response. He will be aware that, at the start of the pandemic, remote working was embraced as a new, ground-breaking concept that would change the world. It is now recognised that employees probably need a blend of remote working and participation in the workplace. Is there work ongoing in this regard? Are there any studies or research on how we could safely blend the two approaches? It is good for people's mental health to socialise and…

I am happy with that reply. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for facilitating the question.

I must be strict about time so that as many Deputies can speak as possible.

The Minister has four minutes.

Does Deputy Clarke wish to make a short input on this?

I thank the Acting Chairman, Deputy Durkan, for facilitating my move from gamekeeper to poacher for a minute or two. As the Minister knows, members of the Defence Forces are forced to retire at the age of 50. What plans has he to help them bridge that gap of ten years until they reach pension age?

I thank the Minister for that comprehensive response, which contains some interesting material. He said he assumed I was referring exclusively to the supplementary pension provision but it is not just that. Obviously, as he said, the age of retirement reflects the duties involved and he also referred to the fast accrual system of pension for military personnel. The final part of the reply refers to ongoing work on barriers and measures being considered to benefit members of the PDF. Does that include continued empl…

I appreciate this being included on the Topical Issue agenda today. It is a local issue, especially in the parish of Ballyroan, where Sancta Maria College is located. I thank the Minister of State for her attendance to take the question. It is a serious issue. As background, Sancta Maria College has a brand new building. It is barely open. It cost the taxpayer a lot of money. It is proud educational infrastructure in the heart of the community. It is an all girls school, serving the local community of Ballyroan, Ba…

That is good news for the school community and its parents and teachers. There is no point in labouring the issue. I am grateful for the comprehensive reply given by the Minister of State. It is very bad news to hear about the contractor, and that this was a cause for the school closing. There is another matter, as blended learning has had to be used and there was an understandable lack of preparation because the school could not anticipate that it would have to move to online learning so quickly after resuming nor…

On the subject of expediting things, I thank the Deputy. Deputies McGuinness and MacSharry are sharing time.