People must be allowed to trade and the town must be allowed to thrive. We are depending on the Minister.

I thank the Minister of State. I too wish to be associated with the thanks he gave to everybody involved. This legislation is long overdue but it is a good initiative that is badly wanted. We need to have control of tickets. It is obnoxious to see the blackmail that touts carry out, particularly on kids who are very interested in a team, or whatever. Families were put under huge pressure to get tickets any which way. I have never, thankfully, bought a ticket from a tout, but many people have to do so. It is, theref…

He should ask the Minister, Deputy Ryan.

I too am concerned while we all wait with bated breath for action from Government. I am aware of the Minister's bona fides and listened to him on the housing committee. However, I do not know where it all gets lost and choked up when it comes to the drafting of legislation. It is not at all clear to me from this legislation and these amendments that we are going to see the logjams unblocked and the whole bureaucracy around the delivery of affordable and social housing in this country addressed. We could do this bac…

I am not in favour of amendments Nos. 5 and 12. I honestly believe that public private partnerships have worked quite well. Big is not always wonderful and it may be that the problems that arose were on the larger projects. I agree with some of the points made by the Deputies supporting these amendments but I would like to ask whether any of them was ever involved in voluntary co-operatives or voluntary housing committees. Did any of them ever roll up their sleeves and do a bit of work to set up those types of sche…

Good man.

Maith an fear.

The Deputy can go back to the building site any day.

It is not agreed.

I was to speak on this with my colleague, Deputy Michael Collins, but he is as láthair today and sends his apologies. We badly need reforms right across the education sector from na naíonraí or playschools to third and fourth level. As far as I am concerned, education goes from the cradle to the grave. The Minister of State is very understanding and is always top of her brief. She might come from the same stable as I do in dealing with such matters. There is a wide range of education available. We mentioned today i…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí Mark Ward agus Ruairí Ó Murchú for bringing forward this important Private Members' Bill. It is nice to hear the initiatives being rolled out by the Minister of State also. I honestly believe that the community policing and the different initiatives the Minister of State talked about are too little too late. Drugs, drug crime and the money around it comprise just a whole epidemic in every town and village now. I spoke about my area several times in this House. There is intimidation…

I always read about mobsters in Chicago-----

I am not. It is there. We can all be careful and go around the house and mind the dresser, but let us deal with this. How are we going to reform it? How will we get the likes of the legislation, which these good Deputies have put forward tonight, and people want to support it and have the debate-----

Yes, I am going to finish. We need a thorough investigation into what is going on in Limerick Prison.

I commend the Regional Group on bringing forward this motion. Deputy Naughten did what he could, which was a lot, when he was Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. I have been in the House since 2007 and I am like a bad record talking about post offices. I believe the Minister, if I am not wrong, was a postmaster. I could be wrong, but the Minister should understand this. There is a greater problem here, which we have had with big companies for decades. We see it now with all the big delivery…

A Punch and Judy show.

The Taoiseach may have seen Ardfinnan bridge when he was canvassing in the last election. Ardfinnan is a beautiful village in the south east of County Tipperary, located on the R665. The bridge has been closed for nearly six years. We often hear the old adage about a bridge over troubled waters but this is a bockety bridge over the tranquil waters of the River Suir. The Department is refusing to give funding for a cantilever pedestrian bridge, despite the Minister visiting it on two or three occasions. A number of …

There are good footballers there.

It happened on the playing pitch last year.

I too support the comments of Deputy Cullinane. Why is it so finite and why are so many categories of people excluded? Surely we should have a proper no-holds-barred investigation and proper access for all people. The access should not be as wide as a field, but anybody who was misdiagnosed or involved in this should have access, as should their families, no matter whether the woman is unfortunately no longer with us or is still alive or whether both spouses are involved or children are involved. I support that poi…