Through the Chair, it is always condemnation of the European Union. They condemn nobody else-----

-----who have done very little when it comes to the export of vaccines. I refer to over 150 countries and 800 million vaccines being exported by the European Union. I would argue with the Deputy that the European Union is the most progressive entity in respect of global supply of vaccines. It is about time he gave it some acknowledgement.

To be fair to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, he has a very good relationship with the sector and engages regularly with it on a whole range of issues. As for children more generally, I do not know whether or not the Deputy accepts the public health advice or the importance of it, but the public health advice is such that the rates among five- to 11-year-olds and their parents are very high at the moment. The CMO and deputy CMO have therefore advised on reducing socialisation and inter-household mixing.

Let me finish, please. In the context of contact tracing, that was public health advice. We need to make up our minds on these matters. Are we to become the public health experts on everything? I take it we can interrogate and deal with the advice. In respect of children, 8,000 free antigen tests were given out and dispatched yesterday free in schools.

It is not the truth.

It is a great mystery that we gave out 212,000 PCR tests last week and no one got them, apparently, and no one can get them in Kerry. Is that what the Deputy is saying? We need a bit of balance.

The Deputy needs to come off the stage, for God's sake.

I have no issue with discussing this in considerable detail. I do object to the sloganisation and the ideology around it because I am not convinced at all that it produces one extra vaccine. In the case of BioNTech or any other company that has produced vaccines in record time, if you waive the intellectual property, who will do the next vaccine in six months' time for the next variant?

The point is that what has happened in the world did not happen the last time we had close to a pandemic with SARS. They were all over the place at European level and globally in terms of production of vaccines. I accept that we need to get vaccines to less developed countries. There are many issues involved. Some of those countries refused the Pfizer and other mRNA vaccines initially because they thought AstraZeneca was going to be the vaccine at the time. The Deputy will recall all the issues with the manufacture…

I am delighted that the walk-in booster clinics are opening there. According to clinical and medical advice from NIAC, there must be a five-month interval between the vaccination and booster vaccination. The EMA has also stated that the optimal time to get the booster is five months after the second mRNA vaccination. For the Janssen vaccine, it is three months after the administration of the vaccine. That is the current position. That is something that is kept under review. In respect of GPs, there has been a chall…

In the first instance, I support the strengthening of the League of Ireland. I believe, under the current leadership within the FAI, that there is a genuine agenda, working with the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Chambers, to develop long-term plans for the strengthening of League of Ireland football. It should be acknowledged that there has been a considerable investment over the years in League of Ireland facilities, including Tallaght Stadium and…

The Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has outlined the scheme in great detail. It will cost more than €2.2 billion, over a protracted period admittedly, because not all the houses will come on stream together. The scheme has been expanded in an unprecedented way to cover rental properties as well. There has to be a framework. Decisions have to be taken. All of the upfront costs, which originally, householders had to take on board, will now be dealt with by the Housing Agency. There is €20,000 being…

My understanding is that they are recruiting staff as we speak, but I accept that there is challenge overall in terms of recruitment, notwithstanding that 4,500 staff members were recruited last year. The funding was provided and it is frustrating that staff for key posts such as those referred to by the Deputy are not recruited in a more timely manner. I will take the issue up with the HSE.

At this stage, an alternative leaving certificate is not being envisaged. The inspectorate will keep under review the marking schemes and the type of leaving certificate papers that are developed, and the State Examinations Commission will take on board the challenges that students have faced this year and indeed, last year, in respect of preparing for the leaving certificate.

The requirement for specialist policy input and advice is a matter for each individual Minister to consider having regard to the area of responsibility and the support in place in the relevant Departments in line with the terms of the Public Service Management Act 1997. As outlined in the programme for Government, a number of reforms have been implemented to ensure openness and co-operation within Government. These include the establishment of an office of the Tánaiste and an office of the leader of the Green Party…

Deputy Kelly said that this Government is breaking all records when it comes to advisers. I do not accept that. To be fair, Deputy Kelly's party pioneered the whole idea of special advisers and programme managers.

When former Deputy Dick Spring became Tánaiste, he insisted on a very strong political advisory capacity behind the Government to implement the programme for Government. I agree with the Deputy that it is an important aspect of modern government, and that was an initiative taken by the Labour Party at the time. This is in line with that. We are a three-party coalition. If Deputy Kelly was in government as the leader of the Labour Party, he would demand the exact same accommodation in respect of advisers as the Gree…

-----card, I think, but I will have to check that. That should not be happening. There is a Cabinet social affairs sub-committee which has dealt with disability in the past and it is an opportunity to co-ordinate with other Government Departments. It is an area which demands co-ordination at the same time-----

-----from transport, to work, to education and right across the board. One of the bigger areas that I am interested in - I am interested in all areas of special needs and disability - is employment. That area needs to be worked on much more pro-actively in getting agencies and Government Departments employing more people more quickly in respect of disabilities. Deputy Mac Lochlainn raised the area of appointments, and these were transparent and in line with the legislation. He said that he put forward an amendment.…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 to 11, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on education oversees implementation of the programme for Government commitments in the area of education including the management of Covid-19 in schools. This Cabinet committee last met on 13 May. I have regular engagements with Ministers at Cabinet and individually to discuss priority issues relating to their Departments. In addition, a number of meetings have been held between my officials and officials from relevant Government …