I wish the Taoiseach well in his new role but I remind him that he has unfinished business with Waterford given his previous role dealing with further and higher education. I want to prove the doubters wrong and show that South East Technological University can indeed be a university of scale and substance, serving the people of the south east. However, to see that we need to see the money. We have to see the funding for the engineering building and finally make it through the public private partnership, PPP, proce…

Something that has struck me in this debate so far is the emphasis on drivers only. Automobile traffic is the only thing that has been mentioned. Members have not spoken of the fact that many of the people who have died on our roads are either pedestrians or cyclists, nor has our definition of what we understand road safety to be been broadened to include all people. It reinforces for me the car-centric nature of the discussion and of the thinking of Members of this House when we think about road safety. My eldest …

I welcome the Bill. It was a key recommendation of the OECD's review of the Irish pension system that we had to increase that supplemental pension coverage. That word "supplemental" is important. Deputy Duncan Smith alluded to it but I do not believe it is within our compass to make any promises about future governments. The system is designed to be supplemental and it does not in any way, shape or form reduce the responsibility of the State. What we are talking about here is providing a minimum floor, which is wha…

I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy.

I thank Deputy Shortall.

The Deputy is running over time now.

I thank the Deputy.

The Deputy is well over her time.

I thank the Deputy.

The Deputy is well over time.

I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy. Tá an t-am caite.

Deputy Naughten is Chair of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands. Excellent work is being done by that committee in the area of energy poverty. I have spoken strongly about the fact that we have responded in the short term and cash was the way to do that in the short term. We have long-term plans for the retrofitting of housing stock, which is absolutely where we should be headed in the longer term, but we need to do something in the medium term to reach those pe…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. On 14 February I wrote to the Tánaiste and other Ministers and Ministers of State. The letter was cosigned by a number of my Green Party colleagues. In the letter we called on Ministers to take the opportunity afforded by St. Patrick's Day to reiterate the position of the Irish Government, supported by the Irish people, on Gaza. We have three asks, namely, that there should be an immediate humanitarian ceasefire with a pathway to a lasting peace, that all participants…

Will all Ministers bring that message with them?

There are times when I disagree with Deputy Ó Cuív and more times when I agree with him, but I always listen to him because it is always worth listening to what he has to say. He has always thought it over very deeply. Ar dtús báire, is mian liom a lua, sa tseachtain ina bhfuil muid, an leabhar An Ghaeilge agus an Éiceolaíocht: Irish and Ecology le Michael Cronin. Tá sé dátheangach. It is in two languages. Má tá suim ag duine sa bhithéagsúlacht nó san éiceolaíocht agus sa Ghaeilge, is fiú é a léamh. It is a really …

Chaitheamar roinnt uaireanta sa Dáil an tseachtain seo ag déanamh díospóireachta ar úsáid na Gaeilge agus ar an gcineál infheistíochta a theastaíonn san oideachas, sa tithíocht agus i gcúrsaí mar sin chun an teanga, atá i ngéarchéim thromchúiseach, a chosaint agus a athbheochan. Tá ár gceantair Ghaeltachta, tobar ár dteanga dhúchais agus acmhainn ríthábhachtach ó thaobh ár bhféiniúlacht chultúrtha, faoi bhrú ó gach taobh. Ó chostas agus easpa tithíochta inár gceantair Ghaeltachta go dtí brú forleathan an Bhéarla, a…

I thank the Minister of State for his answer and the clarity concerning the ability, or otherwise, of the Minister to engage in this matter. I strongly feel, however, that we do need to find a way to apply a wider lens in this context. Let us leave to one side the individual case of this post office. The provision of services within communities, and especially in Gaeltacht communities, cannot always be driven by an economic or commercial model. In the case of An Rinn, and I am not here to make the case for any one …

I thank the Minister of State.