I will follow up on Deputy Ó Cuív's point quickly and discuss it with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I take the point that 75 caravans seems like a low limit if it means only four caravans going to Galway. I will engage urgently with the Minister in respect of that. I will talk to Deputy Ó Cuív subsequently to get the details on that. Aontaím leis an Teachta Ó Cathasaigh. Caithfimid gach aon iarracht a dhéanamh chun níos mó áiseanna a thabhairt do na scoileanna ionas go mbeidh siad in ann múinteoireacht trí …

Next week I will attend the December European Council meeting in Brussels. The agenda for the meeting will cover Russia-Ukraine, energy and economy, security and defence, and external relations. In his contribution this afternoon the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, will address a number of the external relations agenda items including the southern neighbourhood. I will address all other issues. Before turning to the agenda of the European Council I would like briefly to update the House on my participation …

A Cheann Chomhairle, a Chathaoirligh, a Bhaill an Oireachtais agus a Uachtaráin von der Leyen, cuirim céad míle fáilte romhaibh chuig an gcomhshuí speisialta seo de Dháil agus de Sheanad Éireann tráthnóna inniu. Is pribhléid agus onóir mhór dúinn, a Uachtaráin, go bhfuil tú anseo linn ag ceiliúradh 50 bliain de bhallraíocht na hÉireann san Aontas Eorpach ón uair a chaith pobal na tíre seo vóta sa reifreann ar 10 Bealtaine, 1972. Táimid fíorbhuíoch díot, a Uachtaráin, as ucht do cheannaireachta san Eoraip agus ar so…

A Cheann Chomhairle, a Chathaoirligh, a Bhaill an Oireachtais agus a Uachtaráin von der Leyen, cuirim céad míle fáilte romhaibh chuig an gcomhshuí speisialta seo den Dáil agus de Sheanad Éireann tráthnóna inniu. Is pribhléid agus onóir mhór dúinn, a Uachtaráin, go bhfuil tú anseo linn ag ceiliúradh 50 bliain de bhallraíocht na hÉireann san Aontas Eorpach ón uair a chaith pobal na tíre seo vóta sa reifreann ar 10 Bealtaine, 1972. Táimid fíorbhuíoch díot, a Uachtaráin, as ucht do cheannaireachta san Eoraip agus as do…

Ar dtús báire, ní aontaím leis an Teachta. Is í an aidhm atá ag an Rialtas seo ná ospidéal den chéad scoth a chur ar fáil ionas go mbeidh seirbhísí den scoth ar fáil do leanaí na tíre, ní hé amháin sa lá atá inniu ann ach sna blianta atá le teacht. I first make the point that the children’s hospital is a project that has been ongoing for some considerable length of time-----

-----well in advance of the formation of this Government and I note that the Deputy’s comment is very much focused on this Government. For future generations of children and the children of today it is one of the most important projects that is being managed by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, NPHDB, and that the Government is clearly overseeing. I am in no doubt as to the benefits to be derived for the children of Ireland from building a first class, world-class hospital which we need. That is t…

-----and disadvantage the State. I am very clear that we need to complete this hospital and to create a first-class facility. We also acknowledge the work done in Tallaght and the paediatric outpatient and emergency centre that was opened there as part of this project. By November 2021 it would address up to 17,000 outpatient and 25,000 emergency attendances alone. The facility at Connolly Hospital in 2021 saw over 11,000 urgent care attendances and 13,000 outpatients. Within one year of the opening of the Connolly…

-----approved €1.433 billion has been drawn down to date. It is a live contract and I am not going to prejudice the enforcement of that existing contract by getting into a decision about cost, hypothetical or otherwise, at this particular time. I do not think that would be advantageous to the taxpayer. I visited the hospital recently on 17 November. Substantial progress has been achieved and it is quite impressive. The integrity of the design as originally laid out is being followed-----

-----and this is something that we need to complete as quickly as we can.

Construction started in 2016 on this hospital. This Government came in last year. I am intrigued by the Deputy's line of questioning. She seems to be suggesting-----

-----that we play the contractor's game.

The Deputy seems to want the Government to look at it from the perspective of the contractor. Her estimates are the contractor's estimates of the claims. That does not mean that ultimately becomes a reality. Each claim is being contested through a process. Many have been contested and there is a system of arbitration. It would be foolhardy and wrong for me, the Government or the Deputy opposite to put a figure out there.

That would not be the correct approach and the last thing politicians should do in terms of projects, which I religiously avoid,-----

-----is to announce global figures that X project will cost X, Y or Z. The Deputy is trying to create a narrative that the claims are a new reality, but those claims will be contested by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.

The Government will hold firm on this. We are in a process but will get this hospital complete and are working with all concerned.

I thank the Deputy for raising what I have said consistently is the most important issue facing us as a society and will be for some time, namely, the provision of adequate housing to deal with a population which is growing significantly and is now over 5 million people. The Government is on track to meet its targets for completions this year as set out in Housing for All and could well exceed them. Supply is ultimately the most effective way to deal with the housing crisis. We need to increase supply on an annual …

-----including students coming from abroad. That is an enforcement issue. I commend the council on taking action because it is dangerous. Lives could be lost in a situation like that if proper fire precautions and provisions are ignored and a fire certificate not issued. I was concerned when I read the article. I think the council is pursuing the issue and taking the necessary steps. That can happen at any time but that it happens in the context of a significant housing crisis is reprehensible. On the broader quest…

Substantial protections for renters have been put in place under the legislation that I outlined already. In the budget, we gave additional resources through the tax credit for renters which is beneficial. Over half of all new purchases this year were by first-time buyers, which illustrates the importance of the help-to-buy scheme and the first home scheme, which were opposed by many in this House on the Opposition side. Yet, both those schemes have helped significantly in enabling people buy their house for the fi…

At a more general level in respect of the Irish healthcare service, the evidence is overwhelming. Certainly, in the last two decades and possibly the last three decades or longer, the Irish health service is actually increasing survival on all the main killers of people. With cardiac disease, cancer, stroke and chronic diseases generally such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, the outcomes are now much better than they would have been 20 years ago. The survival rates for cancer, based on the National C…

I have to stress the point that based on the figures, we are now living much longer as a nation for different reasons.