It could be called the Carlow caveat or the Carlow clause.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue in a constructive way with a proposal to deal with the issue. I could not agree more that multi-agency working is essential. One of the great problems and challenges in public services is the silo mentality and the absence of a genuine cross-agency and multiple agency co-operation approach. I will refer the matter to the Minister for Justice and the Minister for children to see if the Deputy's ideas can be activated.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It is important. Citizens Information offices are essential in terms of providing information to our citizens and have performed wonderfully over the years. The Deputy mentioned that an additional allocation was made to cover a pay deal this year. I will have to check with the Department of public expenditure and the Department of Social Protection, but I presume talks are on the way or there is a process in terms of arriving at a settlement. I will check that.

The Deputy is getting more bellicose as the elections are getting closer. Deputy Chambers is a fine Minister of State.

The Deputy seemed to indicate to me that there is a commitment to do it, if various sites have been looked at.

I am surmising that what the Deputy is saying is that sites are being rejected because there is no commitment to provide.

I will revert to the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers. Drogheda is a large town of 40,000 people. It is a fine town with great history and great heritage. It is an important resource for people.

I appreciate the constructive approach the Deputy has taken in terms of working with school principals and schools in the area to bring about an increase - 19, he said - in the number of classes. In the context of Sacred Heart, I will certainly intervene with the Minister to see if the needs of that school in terms of two ASD classes can be provided for.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to present this Bill that will play a key role in driving the necessary transformation of the Defence Forces to the House. A number of high-profile reviews have been undertaken on matters relating to the defence sector in recent years. Key reports include those of the Commission on the Defence Forces and the Independent Review Group, IRG, on Dignity and Equality Issues in the Defence Forces. As I outlined previously, and as we have discussed extensivel…

That is no secret.

First, I will say that all of our thoughts are with the families of those who died in the Stardust tragedy in 1981. For over 40 years now, the families have pursued their search for truth and justice. In a couple of hours' time, we will hear the verdict of the Dublin Coroner's Court. This will be an important moment for the families and for the entire country because the Stardust tragedy is seared into the collective consciousness of the Irish people. The tenacity of the families and their success in securing this …

When I mentioned October, it was in reference to the task force that was put together, came together and developed a cross-sectoral plan. That was what I referenced. The Deputy keeps saying nothing is being done-----

-----and just ignores what has been done. He creates the scenario, for a political reason that suits him, that the Government does not value apprenticeships. That is nonsense. Of course the Government values apprenticeships. Come on, cop on with the nonsense. That kind of language is grand for politics and the back and forth, but it does not make any real sense.

We want to grow craft apprenticeships and construction. We have expanded in that regard. There are now 17 programmes across the broad categories of construction, including electrical engineering, which are relevant to the construction sector. We have actually expanded. That includes the plumbing, electrical, geo drilling and scaffolding programmes and so forth. The numbers who register are increasing. Just because the Deputy said it is getting worse does not mean that is the truth. The number of people registering …

We have to deal with the backlog.

I will make the point, and I have said it repeatedly in the House, that housing is the single most urgent and important social issue facing our people at this moment in time. Access to housing is fundamental to our security, social cohesion, opportunity for people and progress as a nation. There is not a family in the country untouched by the crisis. I respectfully suggest the Deputy does not have a monopoly on this issue in terms of empathy or understanding of the crisis facing many individuals and young people. I…

Again, I say to the Deputy, everything or the majority of what she has outlined there or some of what she has suggested would reduce supply of houses, which is about curtailing the market or restricting.

We do not have to do this as we have already curtailed the bulk purchasing of property through the planning laws and through a stamp duty.

It is working.

It is working, despite all of the Deputy's spin-----