I thank Deputies for their questions and contributions. I think we can all agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett that the quality of school buildings varies hugely. I have the privilege from time to time of opening new schools. I am really impressed with the quality of building and facilities but that reminds me how much we need to do to bring the older ones up to standard. Some of our schools are very old indeed. The budget for school building is now more than €1 billion a year. It has increased dramatically but it is cl…

A Cheann Comhairle, mar Thaoiseach agus mar Cheannaire Fhine Gael, déanaim comhbhrón ó chroí le teaghlach, cairde agus comhghleacaithe John Bruton. Molaim tírghráthóir a chaith saol seirbhíse poiblí iontach. Chuir sé go buan lenár dtír agus d'fhág sé oidhreacht shuntasach. As Taoiseach and as leader of Fine Gael, I extend my deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of John Bruton. I pay tribute to a modern patriot who led a life of extraordinary public service. He made lasting contributions to our cou…

I do not have those numbers available yet but I think they will be available in the next couple of weeks. I want to acknowledge that rents are very high for far too many people in this country and that a lot of people are waiting far too long to be in a position to buy their own home. This is something that the Government is helping with. The rent credit, for example, is worth €750 per renter per year, this year. It was worth €500 per year last year. Many people are claiming that and it is helping them with the ren…

The statement the Deputy made earlier was not correct because he did not take account of the first home scheme. The whole point of the scheme established by the Government is to close the affordability gap, where there is a gap between what a new house costs to buy and what a person can get in a mortgage. If we take into account the first home scheme, which thousands of people are now using and which Sinn Féin wants to abolish, it is possible for a couple on an income below €127,000 to buy those homes mentioned by …

I join Deputies Bacik and Doherty in welcoming the news earlier this morning that the DUP is willing to re-enter power-sharing in Northern Ireland. This paves the way for democratic and devolved government to be restored, for the assembly to function and for the executive to meet and make decisions for Northern Ireland. Crucially, it will also allow the North-South bodies, including the North-South Ministerial Council, to work again. Many of the problems people face in Northern Ireland are very similar to those we …

We are always happy to consider proposals for new laws and regulations but any time we consider a new law or regulation, we must always consider the unintended consequences. We have seen that play out so many times. When renters are surveyed, as the Deputy will know from the recently published survey, approximately 80% say they have a favourable experience. That still leaves 20% with a bad experience. That is a lot of people when you consider the number of people who are renting. What we want to do with the RTB, in…

I thank Deputy Nolan for raising this important issue. Everyone in the House can agree that we need to do all we can to ensure people with disabilities have independence and freedom and can take up employment, use a car, travel and do all of the things we and they need to do. I do not have an up-to-date note on the primary medical certificate, but I will get more information for the Deputy as soon as I can. I know the Minister for Finance is seized of the matter. He has appointed new board members, as the Deputy me…

I have also come across one or two not dissimilar cases in my constituency. The Deputy has my assurance that I will follow up on this. The Minister, Deputy McGrath, is in Brussels today but I will see him during the week and we will try to make some changes to make things better.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know he has raised it before in the Dáil. It is a very distressing situation for people living and earning their livelihood around Lough Funshinagh. I have not had the chance to visit but am familiar with the area and it has been raised with me personally by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, and Senator Dolan. The Minister of State, the OPW and Roscommon County Council are working to find a resolution to the issue. Temporary defences will be deployed in …

I confess I am genuinely not sure precisely what emergency legislation the Deputy is referring to. I know something about emergency legislation because I have been involved in it on a number of occasions in government. It is not as clear-cut as the Government deciding it wants to declare an emergency and bring about emergency legislation. It requires-----

Yes, but it is not as simple as the Government-----

-----just deciding what an emergency is and is not.

There have been a number of requests for statements on Northern Ireland, the fishing industry and negotiations currently happening at European level, Dublin, housing affordability and Garda recruitment. On many of these issues, such as housing affordability and gardaí, we regularly have discussions in the House. We would be happy to have statements on Northern Ireland, perhaps next week when the position is more clear and the documentation is published. The Whip will be happy to organise that. The Minister, Deputy …

I thank the Deputy. I am told that over 1,600 applications have been received for the old scheme and 236 for the enhanced scheme until the end of December but that over 300 have received grants of the higher rate under the new scheme. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy with the exact figures.

Ireland welcomes the decision by the International Court of Justice to order provisional measures in the South Africa versus Israel case. The court’s order is significant, that Israel must ensure that its military does not commit actions prohibited under the Genocide Convention and takes immediate and effective measures to enable basic services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The court’s order is legally binding and final and Israel must urgently implement all provisional measures. We have also called for huma…

I thank the Deputy. To be clear, as a Government we will not accept any displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza or any attempts to resettle Gaza or the permanent reoccupation of Gaza. What we are now working towards with our international partners is a ceasefire; one that can allow humanitarian aid in, that can allow the hostages to be released, which is crucial, that can allow the killing to stop and that, crucially, can allow us to talk about the day after in Gaza when Hamas is no longer in charge and wh…

I thank the Deputy. I am not in favour of tax amnesties and I am surprised to hear him advocating them. I thought it was something he was against. The law is clear. People have to pay the TV licence and I encourage people to pay the TV licence, not just because of the law but because of funds. It is really important to have public service broadcasting including the news, current affairs, children's programmes and Irish-language programming. While most of the money goes to RTÉ, it does not all go to RTÉ as it goes t…

I thank Deputy McGrath for raising a very important issue for the people of Tipperary. I do not have any information on it to hand but I will certainly make inquiries of the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, and I will come back to the Deputy later.

I thank the Deputy. The safety and quality of drinking water is paramount. We are aware of the judgment in the case, and we are studying the details of it. We will respond to it in early course.

We are very keen to proceed with the interim works in Midleton and then to proceed with the flood relief scheme. As the Deputy knows, I was down there a few months ago and I gave a commitment that we would pursue these projects so I will follow that up with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, and also the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan.