The Government is engaging with the BPFI. The Minister has, in the broader scheme, set up an implementation group in respect of delivering on it and people are applying to the scheme. I have met various groups in the past on this matter as well. There has been a lot of engagement particularly between the Department with responsibility for housing and other groups. I note the constant dismissal of what, by any yardstick or any precedent, is an unprecedented intervention that involves using the people's money - it is…

The Government did not cause the crisis.

I do not accept that at all. That is for another day.

The more important point is getting the houses built, getting delivery on the ground through the local authorities, getting action, and getting the thing done.

We are interested in getting it done, moving on it and facilitating that. The Minister for Finance and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage have facilitated this with the BPFI.

The Deputy is wrong. All he is attempting to do is exploit our Defence Forces for his own electoral and political benefit. The fact of the matter is that not one project is being held back, capital-wise.

Some €120 million worth of projects are under way and being developed. The capital programme is not finished, actually, because there are further national development plan allocations to take place. Your €250 million, of course-----

Yes. You have to build it up.

You are a bit more intelligent than you are letting on.

You know we cannot get to €250 million from day one when you have to build up the capital programme-----

-----and you have to do the procurement.

There you are again. You are shouting again.

You are roaring again because it is all about the soundbite.

Your politics are the politics of the soundbite. I am more about substance.

I appreciate the Deputy raising this issue. I say to her that the Government is committed to resolving this issue. There had been discussions between the unions and Government officials and there had been contacts. As the Deputy knows, an offer was made but that was not acceptable to the union side. Contacts are ongoing and it is our determination to work with all sides to avoid strike action. We want to avoid strike action next week and we want to try to get this issue resolved on a sustainable basis into the futu…

As I said to the Deputy's party leader, I have been interested in and involved in this issue for many years. What happened last Saturday is so significant that we have to take a moment to try to understand the impact on the Israeli psyche and society. This is not to justify anything but just to understand it in terms of the prism through which they have looked at this issue, which is security, security, security, terror, terror, terror. I do not believe in any military solution, ultimately. I believe in a political…

I have asked my officials to work with UN authorities. The situation is very grim and what we are getting back from our UN interlocutors is very grim.

It is not right that this should happen.

I hope we can have a debate next week in the House on this matter, when we will get more time to elaborate on it. I think it is time for all parties in this House to condemn Hamas as an organisation.

I genuinely say that in fairness. It should happen. Ireland has already submitted legal opinion to the International Court of Justice in respect of settlements and in respect of breaches of international law. Long before this terrible atrocity happened, we submitted a very robust and comprehensive legal submission. We have always called out breaches of UN resolutions and international law in respect of settlement expansion. To this day, there is an urgent need to stop settler aggression, which is happening right no…