I will give this response on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, as it gives me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position regarding the school building programme and a number of school building projects, which are on hold from proceeding to either tender or construction due to capital funding pressures. The Department’s capital allocation has always been under significant pressure and it has a strong track record of fully ut…

What is the school in Rathcoole?

Is that a primary school or a secondary school?

St. Pius X-----

Where is Sancta Maria College based?

That school is incomplete. There are outstanding works.

I will bring these to the attention of the Minister and ask that the Department gives the Deputy an update on those schools. I will also bring to the Minister's attention the Deputy's request that she visit St. Aidan's Community School. I have no doubt she would be delighted to do so.

I assure Deputy Lahart that the Department and the Minister are very conscious of the need to continue to support the operation of the schools system and intend to provide clarity to individual schools on school building projects that are on hold as quickly as possible. As the Deputy noted, discussions are ongoing between the Department of Education and the Minister and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with regard to capital funding pressures. I expect that everyth…

I thank Deputy Nash. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Education, who is unable be here. I can understand the frustration of the principal of Ardee Educate Together National School. I know the great work Educate Together schools do nationally. I thank Deputy Nash for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the current position as to the development of the new school building for Ardee Educate Together National School. The brief for this major school building pr…

I will respond to the two main points raised by Deputy Nash. The Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and her Department are fully committed to the provision of the new school building for Ardee Educate Together National School. In the wider context, I assure the Deputy that the Department is very conscious of the need to continue to support the operation of the school system and intends to provide clarity for individual schools about their school building projects that are on hold, as quickly as possible. We hope…

I thank Deputies Colm Burke and Tully for affording me the opportunity to address the House on this important issue, which is of great concern to the parents involved and has a big impact on their children. CORU was established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education and training among health and social care professionals. CORU’s regulatory model is based on the protection of title. Once a profession has been regula…

Establishing a register for the psychology profession is a strategic priority to which the Minister for Health is fully committed. He has asked his officials, along with the PSRB and CORU, to progress this work as soon as possible to deliver regulation of this important profession. His Department and the two organisations are actively engaging on the matter. On the issue of the public consultation, the PSRB was established in 2017 and works in what is, obviously, a complicated area. It worked on the standards and w…

I am familiar with Carrigaholt. I spent two years in Irish college in Carrigaholt and I know it well. Many of my constituents holiday there on a regular basis. It is a lovely part of Clare. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and providing me with the opportunity to address the matter. The programme for Government supports the uptake of Uisce Éireann's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-2024. The programme provides water and wastewater growth capacity in smaller settlements that would ot…

I will make a couple of points, the first of which is that I have no doubt the Deputy has engaged with Clare County Council on this particular matter. I suggest that he sends a proposal into the Minister to get a formal response on the particular issue of Carrigaholt. That is his prerogative as a Deputy representing the constituency. I will take the matters he highlighted back to the Minister. However, there is a need for him to continue to engage with Clare County Council and then come back to make a submission or…

If the Deputy was in the Chamber for questions on housing about three weeks ago, he will have heard the Minister give a commitment that any local authority that wishes to appoint additional housing officers can make a business case to the Department, which will be very receptive to it. I ask the Deputy to go back to Tipperary County Council to make a case for additional vacant homes officers wherever they are required in Tipperary. The Croí Cónaithe scheme has been very successful to date, with more than 900 applic…

I thank the Deputy for raising that point. He might give us the specifics of that case, but the point he makes is valid and is one we in the Department will look into under the tenant purchase scheme. He raises a point on which there appears to be an anomaly. He might bring forward the specific case so we can look at it in the context of the overall policy.

Deputy Donnelly might bring the specifics of the point he raised to me. I am not aware of it but we can look at it. We want people to be able to remain in their homes. That is certainly the intention. In response to Deputy Leddin, we are on track to have the legislation for a directly-elected mayor published in April. It is a priority for this Government, particularly for the Taoiseach and me. Once the legislation is published, it will go through both Houses, then there will be a decision by the Cabinet about when …

As the Deputy will be aware from the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, the regulations are out. They are with the local authority. The Minister has met with various political groups. He hopes and intends to meet with residents very shortly on the mica issue in County Donegal. The Minister is very much engaged on this and wants this-----

It is certainly something I will take back to him. He has met various councillors. On this particular issue, however, he is very keen to meet the residents first and foremost. That will happen relatively shortly.

I will read out the written response and then address the specific case raised by the Deputy. With the ever-increasing demand for social housing accommodation to meet housing need, the management of vacant properties in local authorities is an important function. In accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, local authorities are legally responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of planned maintenance progra…