Money has been spent; therefore, we go in and diligently, in a detailed way, find out where the money was spent. We do know that an additional 200 clinicians and so on were appointed and that there is a fifth theatre there. That is not all not directed to scoliosis. Of course, quite a significant amount of that will be of benefit to scoliosis patients. There have been other issues within the scoliosis world, as we know, which have had an impact. The Deputy has not referred to them, but we all know the current unfor…

That cannot be done three weeks in.

The most important issue for us now is, through existing capacities within CHI and the hospitals and whatever other means in terms of-----

-----external work, to get these lists down as quickly as we possibly can.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government published in 2022 a five-year zero-tolerance strategy and has established Cuan, the agency which we agreed with all involved in the sector would deliver on this ambition. It has an overall budget of €59 million for 2024. I pay tribute again to Natasha O'Brien and Bláthnaid Raleigh and others who have come forward to tell their stories. More and more, the focus has to switch more to the victim's journey in the criminal justice system. The O'Malley report iden…

The Deputy has this tendency to suggest in a very self-righteous way-----

Through the Chair please.

She has a tendency to suggest in a very self-righteous way that everybody else in the House has a somehow inferior approach to what is a very fundamental issue for all of us.

I will deal with the question.

Deputy Cairns raised the issue of the Defence Forces and I answered on the Defence Forces. She said that it was all talk on this side of the House. I made a response, which I am entitled to make, that it is not all talk. I acknowledged that every Member in the House has a shared objective and I outlined what the Government is doing in response to the Deputy's assertions that it is doing nothing. That is a fair response. On regulation and the Dental Council, a dentist convicted of sexual assault cannot continue in d…

That is the case. Come on. In the past, I have seen investigations into horrific child abuse in respect of dental practice.

There is no question but that the taxi regulator should have a role in ensuring that no rogue taxi driver, particularly a taxi driver involved in sexual assault, can ever drive a taxi again.

While I will not go into any individual case, in my view, any taxi driver who has committed an assault should be in prison.

Across society, we have regulated extensively.

We have regulated extensively. With regard to the Medical Council and the Dental Council, we will continue to see if we can enhance that regulation.

I thank the Deputy for raising this case and this issue. The life story she outlined is harrowing. I accept the presentation she has made in respect of that life journey and what happened in our past as regards institutionalisation and how our society evolved in respect of children who were subsequently adopted and children who were placed in less than ideal situations. The Deputy said that the child in question was brought to a farm and essentially used as slave labour in shocking conditions. The commission of inv…

Review mechanisms have been built into the legislation. Doors are not finally closed. However, I would offer this point as well. I set up the commission into industrial schools. I remember meeting on day one with the survivors, who actually never looked for a redress scheme. It was clear to me that future housing, healthcare and constant counselling were important - so lifelong. At times, that can be a better response from the State.

Having been through this for 20 or 25 years now, I have seen that in all of the various commissions and investigations, lawyers get involved very quickly and it moves very quickly to redress. We do it, and the State owes redress, but the more substantive response in my view is lifelong provision of counselling, housing and supports for people who have been through terrible ordeals in their lives because of institutionalisation or whatever. That is a view I have formed over a long time dealing with many cases of thi…

I have listened to the same Leaders' Questions from Deputy Shanahan for four years now. I do not believe he is being fair in his description of the economic, educational or health development and expansion in Waterford. Waterford is very strong in terms of employment. Employment is up 26% across the south east. We are in an era of full employment. Enterprise Ireland client companies across Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny are doing extremely well. The local enterprise office has a very strong budget. Foreign direct …

I disagree with the Deputy on the impact-----