This is an important matter.

It seems that in the new order Deputies McDonald and Bacik will dictate who forms the groups in this House.

We have freedom of association.

It is a fundamental, basic principle that people are allowed to associate with whom they like. That is the first point. That is being denied here for the first time. I have never seen this before, since I became a Member of Dáil Éireann. There has been a bit of a herd-like attitude to this debate among the Opposition and some commentators. People have not looked at the fundamental principles underpinning all of this. In the next six weeks alone, 90 priority questions will be asked here. Sinn Féin will have 47 of th…

The people who elected their TDs-----

With respect, a Cheann Comhairle, I have had to listen for five or six minutes-----

I want to make a point. The people have elected TDs-----

People would be shocked by the idea that their TDs do not have the right to speak or ask questions-----

-----whether they are in a political party or not. We are not going to be railroaded, browbeaten or intimidated by the Opposition in terms of its tactics. I will be very happy to facilitate a debate on the issue of flooding in Cork. The Deputy asked last week for a debate on the Housing Commission and there will be statements on it on Thursday. If we can do it this week, we will.

My clear belief is that there is a constitutional right for every child to have a school place and an education. I met yesterday with eight Ministers to discuss the establishment of a disability unit within the Department of An Taoiseach. There has been and there will continue to be significant investment in special education, particularly in the context of additional special schools and classes. The number of special classes doubled in the past five years to 3,336. Some 11 new special schools have been established…

The tenant in situ scheme has been effective and impactful, certainly last year and the year before.

The Minister is looking to target that scheme more effectively, particularly for people who are very vulnerable. We will have clarity next week on the situation for the remainder of this year.

I addressed this earlier. I make the point that as a percentage of the overall population, the number of children with special and additional needs is increasing fairly significantly. For example, in 2018, about 42,000 children benefited from domiciliary care allowance. That has risen to 64,500 in a short number of years. We need to provide additional spaces in this regard. Officials from the Department of Education are visiting St. John's today, as are officials from the National Council for Special Education. The…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The decision by New Look is a devastating blow for the workers in the first instance. We will do everything we can, through the Government agencies, to see if we can secure alternative employment for those workers. Clonmel is a fine and very attractive town, and a significant hub in the region. I will talk to the Minister about a timeline for call 4 of the URDF.

Fundamentally, it is about recruitment and retention. What is the name of the service?

The Deputy outlined the situation. One person is on maternity leave - I will check with the HSE about that because there should be a locum operating in that role - and another has left. The recruitment and retention of therapists has been a real issue for the HSE. There have been additional resources provided. Progress is slow. Approximately 272 extra whole-time equivalent staff were recruited last year. A further 111 are expected to join soon. The national vacancy rate dropped from 29% to 21% in 2024. How that man…

I agree with the Deputy 100%. He articulated very well the importance of St. Patrick's week in the US, particularly in regard to solidarity with our significant diaspora there. The diaspora really values the engagement with Ireland. It is important in terms of the undocumented. The link with Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen is extremely important in terms of looking out for the undocumented in various parts of the US.

The economic relationship is enormous. Many thousands of Irish livelihoods and Irish workers depend on the economic relationship between the United States and Ireland. That needs to be said. It has been taken too much for granted. Hence the need for a very proactive engagement for the entirety of St. Patrick’s week across the length and breadth of the US.

I thank the Deputy for raising an important matter. As he will know, along with him and others, I have been a champion of an elective site being built on this site. I am also supportive of the project relating to an elective hospital for Galway. The HSE tends to have rather lengthy processes, particularly in terms of getting to the stage of tendering for a project of this scale. My understanding is that it is close at hand, but I will check for the Deputy to get an accurate timeline for the progression of this part…

The Deputy will accept that the Government has invested heavily in the Dundalk area over many years.