Yes, but your party, I mean. Those you represent. They never do.

You want more and more, and more services. Services here, services there, but when it comes to the annual budget, you guys never vote for them.

However, other politicians have to step up with a bit of guts and courage to vote to make sure a city runs. That is the difference between the Deputy's politics and the politics of the majority-----

That is the fundamental point I would make. By the way, the city council did not pull funding-----

-----from Oliver Bond flats. That will be sorted out very quickly.

I thank the Deputy very much for raising this very important issue. We probably need to situate this in a European and global context rather than just in a narrow national context, although I take the Deputy's point that there are vulnerabilities in terms of the importation of a range of foodstuffs and that we need a plan regarding food security on the island. Our dairy and meat industries are probably more carbon efficient than others across the globe. We export to about 170 countries, so we feed a lot of people b…

That is fair. I will engage with the Minister for agriculture on the Deputy's overall point regarding a national food security plan. There is merit in that. In recent years, the former Minister of State, Pippa Hackett, and the then Minister, Deputy McConalogue, were very involved in supporting organic farmers. In that context, €256 million was allocated to support organic farmers. That resulted in significant five-year growth and a 5.5% increase in organic production up to 2025. About 5,500 farmers are now engaged …

I thank Deputy Smith for raising what is a fair and important point. I know this is something he has worked tirelessly to improve. The current threshold of six pupils for a special class at primary level with one teacher and two SNAs was introduced in 1998, when I happened to be Minister for Education and Science. We introduced a model of this kind for the first time and brought SNAs into mainstream education. Since then, the model has supported an enormous expansion of special education provision. Of course, the D…

-----that may provide some opportunities into the future.

I thank the Deputy again for his question on the Church of Ireland school in Cavan town and the special class issue. I am conscious the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, is in the Chamber as well. I take it he will have taken on board what the Deputy said. On the emergency works application, there were some issues with the current proposal because it was well in excess of the minimum scope under the emergency works scheme. However, the Department of Education and Youth emergency works scheme team will work with t…

The Deputy is wrong in her presentation. The budget for specialist disability services has increased 50% since 2023. We increased a range of payments in the most recent budget that will positively impact on people with disabilities. We did not proceed with once-off measures across the board. The Deputy has mischaracterised that, of course, in her usual fashion.

The bottom line is people want permanent and sustainable action. Consultation is not a distraction. I am appalled at the Deputy’s presentation. Organisations representing people with disabilities want to be consulted and insist on consultation. It is regrettable that the Deputy would describe consultation as a distraction.

I do not run the Department of education. The Minister and the Department have to make assessments as to what is needed in any given locality, and they have clearly made an assessment in this case. That said, the money realised from the sale of this property should be ring-fenced and put into a fund for redress.

That is what should happen here. The Department, as the Deputy knows, is examining all of that in great detail.

If you go back over the past two to three years, you will see that there has been exponential growth in various payments right across the board, including the disability allowance. That growth was higher than anything in the preceding years. That is the reality. In terms of the cost-of-disability payment, it has to be defined and worked through. There is a lot of detail is involved in this; it is not just a matter of saying that we should do it this way or that way. There are issues around definitions, who benefits…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue, which is clearly of huge concern to the people of Tipperary town. I do not quite understand what he means when he says there is an information blackout. I am sure that could not be the case.

I will communicate to Uisce Éireann that it needs to provide comprehensive information to the public so that they understand fully the challenges, difficulties, and the pathway to the resolution of those challenges and difficulties, no matter how challenging the required works are, which wells have to be drilled, or whatever else has to happen. Full information should be available to the public and we will communicate that to Uisce Éireann.

I appreciate that the Deputy is praising Local Link. I remember that it is the Deputy's bête noire , former Minister, Eamon Ryan, who introduced Local Link. Deputy Collins rather shamelessly at the time hopped on the bus and presented it as his own initiative in west Cork. He is always adept at local politics. Local Link has turned out to be very effective and very impactful. I pay tribute to our former colleague, Eamon Ryan, and give credit where it is due, for supporting that. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien…

I thank the Deputy for raising this and for his strong advocacy for the fastest-growing town in Kildare and the country. Kildare is growing apace. I will talk to the Minister about the 115 bus service and the role for Dublin Bus more broadly with regard to extending its remit, and of course the NTA, which oversees the whole route development programme.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The Planning and Development Act 2024 replaces the ministerial guidelines with national planning statements. The existing section 28 guidelines, including the 2006 wind energy guidelines, remain in force until replaced. The Department of Climate, Communications and the Environment, as the lead policy Department for renewable energy, supports the development of the national planning statement. That will include environmental reporting, public consultation, EU obligations, an…