Thank you. I am obliged.

The State not alone failed Garda Margaret Loftus; it actively protected her abuser, Garda Trevor Bolger. Margaret was subjected not alone to a prolonged, sustained and violent assault, as has been commented on in the public domain, but also to a sustained campaign of threat, intimidation and menace by Trevor Bolger. Yet, this man was promoted, given a firearm, given more responsibility and protected. This raises the most serious questions for An Garda Síochána, including its failure to investigate, its promotion of…

I want to tell the Taoiseach about the final hours of Stephen Lavelle's life, a man from Erris in north Mayo. On the night of Saturday, 10 January, he became gravely ill shortly after arriving at the pub in Binghamstown. An ambulance was called at 10.25 p.m. but despite several follow-up calls, no ambulance arrived. A doctor was called and by the time they arrived, Stephen's family were growing more and more distressed. The doctor told Stephen's son Anthony, "This is a category one emergency. You need to get him to…

I have given the Taoiseach the circumstances surrounding Stephen's death. My colleague Deputy Conway-Walsh has written to the Minister for Health setting it out. I cannot imagine the fear that must have been felt in that car that night. Imagine, on dark country roads, your father crying out in pain, your husband fighting for his life and knowing still how far away you are from the hospital. That is the cost of the failure of this service. An emergency like Stephen's should be responded to within 19 minutes. That is…

A man died.

I want to return to the issue of carers, thousands of whom have received letters telling them that they may owe tax. This is a mess of the Government's making. Carers are not tax dodgers. They are people who care for others and who save the State a fortune. Some of them may work part-time just to make sure they can make ends meet because carers experience the cost-of-living crisis just like everyone else. Now, out of the blue, they get this letter from Revenue stating they may in fact have a tax liability and a bil…

But they are after getting a letter telling them they have a tax bill. The Taoiseach should sort that out.

I put to the Taoiseach that the actions on the ground in the inner city in particular starkly contradict the aspirations of the task force plan. I will give two examples. The task force has an aspiration to expand artistic spaces and develop new cultural hubs, yet in Smithfield in the north-west inner city, The Complex, a critical hub and piece of community and artistic infrastructure, has been shut down. Will he explain that contradiction? The task force lauds the importance of community facilities for children's …

The lost facilities.

That is not a good enough answer.

I raised Portland Row as well.

I want to raise a very alarming and distressing case. It is the case of a woman from the west of Ireland left to wait six weeks to start her chemotherapy. At the end of November last, this mother of two young children received the devastating news that she had breast cancer, the same cancer her mother had died of in her 40s. To get a diagnosis of cancer is traumatic enough but to be told you have the same cancer that took the life of your mother is really terrifying. However, she did not give in to fear, she was up…

The issue is that it is not a specific or isolated incident. I would like to know the extent of this. I know about the case of this woman in particular. I have given the details of it. Dr. Michael McCarthy, who is president of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology, during the summer said: The reality in Galway is that patients are now typically [and I emphasise "typically"] waiting seven to eight weeks for their first session. With every week that passes, the risk increases that their cancer will grow, or worse tha…

-----and to know exactly how widespread this experience is and, more important, what the Government will do to fix this urgently.

That is for referrals.

No.

I can certainly do that.

This is D-day for The Complex arts facility in Dublin's north inner city. At midnight, its lease expires and, as it stands, we risk losing what is a key project for our community. This issue has gone on and on for years and the project has been passed from Billy to Jack. Promises of intervention have been made and have amounted to nothing. Central government, Dublin City Council and the Arts Council all have a role play. At this final hour, we need all concerned to get their act together and save this project. Pass…

Could the Taoiseach communicate with me on that?

The Government has approved big pay hikes for CEOs of semi-State organisations and the pay increases are substantial. The pay packet of the head of CIÉ is up by €35,000. There is a €60,000 hike for the CEO of the Irish National Stud, a €50,000 pay bump for the chief executive of Bus Éireann, a €75,000 hike for the head of Iarnród Éireann and it has also been reported that a pay increase has been sought for the RTÉ director general, which would bring the salary package for that position close to €300,000. I think we…