-----in terms of anywhere over 20,000 for cities and large towns. That will be significant progress.

We will have specific policies for the Gaeltacht areas. Tá siad tábhachtach. Tá na hAirí, na Teachtaí Calleary agus Browne, i dteagmháil maidir leis na Gaeltachtaí. Admhaím go bhfuil cás faoi leith ann ó thaobh lucht na Gaeltachta a labhraíonn an teanga go rialta agus gur cóir go mbeadh seans acu tithe a cheannach nó a thógáil ina n-áit dúchais féin.

The entire defective concrete blocks schemes have moved on apace over the past number of years and that needs to be acknowledged as well.

The sum of €293 million has been provided this year alone for the remediation of homes affected by defects including pyrite, apartment defects and defective concrete blocks. The pace has accelerated, in particular over the past two years. There was €155 million spent in 2025, compared with just under €60 million in 2024. As the scheme ramps up, more sufficient additional funding will be provided as required. As the Deputy knows, the overall cost is estimated at about €2.2 billion. The scheme is designed, as per the…

In special areas or right across the board?

It is important. The scale and pace of this is growing enormously. I will talk to the Minister and ask him to engage with the Deputy to get clarity on that specific point, particularly for families that are under pressure either with disabilities or a wider range of issues.

I have spoken to people in Donegal and to public representatives who have said there is real momentum in this scheme-----

-----and do not give the exact same-----

It is not your question, Deputy Mac Lochlainn. This scheme-----

There are new asks all of the time in relation to the scheme. We need to get on with it and get it delivered.

We do.

The legislation has changed, expert advice has changed and the science has changed. The Government's commitment is absolutely 100% in terms of delivering this scheme, and 3,000 people are not trapped in the scheme.

They are engaged in and involved with the scheme at different stages.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and I will pass on his good comments in respect of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, about what is happening in the midlands and the energy transformation that is occurring. Recently, I was in Shannonbridge myself with Hanwha Energy to launch the battery storage and the condenser, which is a very novel proposal. There is no doubt that the midlands is going through a very exciting transformation. It will have very significant potential for jobs and a modern economy for th…

Absolutely. What I would like to see happening with the energy transformation that is occurring is the resetting of the investment profile for the midlands in terms of foreign direct investment coming to the midlands in greater numbers than it has heretofore. There are some significant plants around the midlands but there is potential for more. Given the link between energy, industry and investment, some significant companies are looking at the midlands. That is very positive news all around. There is a lot of unta…

Absolutely not. If you take Iarnród Éireann, for example, it has been extremely efficient, on budget and on time with all its rail projects. This is unacceptable. The agencies involved here should not have allowed that to happen. Across the board with public transport, some very significant investments have happened within budget and on time.

I know Deputy McDonald wants to keep attacking the Government, its agencies, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and so on like that-----

-----but a hell of a lot has been done in this country in the last number of years in terms of infrastructure. You know what? An awful lot more will happen as well.

I agree 100% with the Deputy in the sense that this is an existential crisis. I have noticed that, in the House, there seems to have been a drop in the contributions on climate in terms of political discourse. That may be due to other events. Ireland now has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in 35 years. It is important to point that out when you look at the extraordinary increase in population. There has been a concurrent increase of about 1.5 million people over that 35 years. There has been more than 1 million…

I was out knocking on doors and I did meet pensioners. We had very good conversations. In the last budget we increased the pension by €10. That was significantly above the going rate of inflation at that particular time.