The British and Irish Governments working in lockstep was critical. Northern Ireland was never embroiled in the politics of the union, in terms of Wales or Scotland or anything else like that, because we always asserted the exceptionalism of Northern Ireland because of partition. We always did that. If we embroil it in the union, strategically what will happen is the Westminster Government will look at everything in Northern Ireland through the prism of the union, through the prism of Scotland and Wales. What happe…

That is not advancing unity in this country.

There are two things. The Deputy has limited in his commentary the level of engagement North and South on health. I do not know whether he has been to Altnagelvin and the cancer centre or the cardiac centre. I have met people from-----

It is very significant for people living in Donegal-----

The Deputy has just dismissed it. It is a very significant investment by the Republic in the cancer centre in the North and also in cardiac care so that if a person in Donegal needs heart treatment immediately, they can get it in 20 minutes if they live on the Inishowen Peninsula.

Likewise, the Deputy talked about reconciliation. I witnessed the marvel of Comhaltas in Belfast this summer. I went there. I went to east Belfast to witness the loyalist pipe bands participating in the Fleadh Cheoil.

Let us not dismiss the prospect of reconciliation-----

-----as a never-never, as the Deputy seems to be asserting. I will meet Prime Minister Burnham. Legacy will be on the agenda, which would be a real, substantive breakthrough-----

-----for the people who have lost family members-----

-----because of the violence over that 30-year period.

I will also raise reform of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and we will discuss the British-Irish situation more generally then.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue in his evidence-based, researched and informed way. Clearly, all of our thoughts are with the victims and the families of all of those who have lost their lives on our roads across the country in recent times. My understanding is that to date, we have had 134 fatalities this year, 13 more than for the same period last year. This is a very serious issue. The nature of the accidents and fatalities on our roads is also changing. The manner in which certain events are happening…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Ar dtús, adhmhaím go bhfuil agus go mbeidh ról faoi leith ag an teicneolaíocht maidir leis na bóithre agus daoine a bheith níos sábháilte ar na bóithre. Táimid sásta i bhfad níos mó áiseanna a chur ar fáil ionas go mbeimid in ann an teicneolaíocht sin a thabhairt isteach. Mar aon leis sin, tá géarghá go ndéanfaimid gach aon iarracht ar an togra seo. On the role of local authorities, I would be cautious to a certain extent in terms of the legal framework covering all of that and cap…

We will get to 15,000 very shortly. We are at about 14,750 at the moment.

It is fair to say that Northern Ireland has made enormous progress on parades over the past decades. We have to avoid any return to the divisions of the past. I am aware of the decision of the High Court in Northern Ireland, of the Parades Commission ruling on the Drumcree march application and of the review announced by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. It is important to recall the High Court's decision was based on procedural grounds and is not an approval for the parade to take place. I understand Po…

First of all, the Central Bank report was from 2019 until the present day. The very measures the Central Bank highlighted are the ones we have taken over the past year and a half, in particular, and before that in terms of accelerating our planning process - all of which the Deputy opposed. Everything that the Central Bank has articulated needs to happen the Deputy has opposed. Regarding environmental assessments and apartment guidelines - you name it - the Deputy has opposed it all.

Yes, the Deputy has. As for the Deputy's State construction company, that would take years now. A total of 80% of all housing now is funded by the State in one form or another or as a State investment process.

We built a record number of social housing units last year - 9,000 plus. This year, we will build more again. Over the past five years, if we look at the numbers of social houses that have been built, they have been very significant, and we have facilitated and funded that, apart altogether from affordable housing and so on. The Deputy never acknowledged that. There is significant momentum compared with where we were five years ago. We are the fastest in Europe in terms of house construction.

I would look forward to Deputy's support if we take other measures to accelerate-----

-----planning and housing-----