That is within the Estimate.

I know that.

On the earlier comments, we want the shared island unit to lead the way in doing research and developing a work programme. I said the work programme will be complete at the end of the month and work is being done on it now. The objective is to develop consensus on the island. Earlier I got the sense that the Deputy was adopting a more territorial, majoritarian approach, whereas I prefer to develop a more consensus approach-----

That is my observation, and while we can talk about it again and engage, that is my sense of it and I had to put that on record as to where I was coming from in respect of the evolution of the Good Friday Agreement and trying to get it done-----

As for the functioning of government, the previous Government had a range of advisers, press secretaries and other support staff for not only the Fine Gael Party but also the Independent Alliance and other Independents. This is a tripartite Government and I will retain roughly the same number of staff that the previous Taoiseach had, but there will be a Tánaiste's office within the Department of An Taoiseach and the Green Party leader will also have staff. The full complement has not yet been finalised to my knowle…

First, within-----

That is fair enough.

I thank the Deputy very much for his kind comments. Obviously, the work of the Chief State Solicitor's office is independent of the Department of the Taoiseach but I will take up the Deputy's point on the making of representations to INIS. What is occurring should not happen. We should have the facility to make representations on behalf of individuals or, as the Deputy is essentially saying, to have the process subjected to the oversight of this House.

Yes, perhaps people could expound on matters. As Deputies, we have all come across matters in individual cases. My experience has been that solicitors are not shy about sending matters to our constituency clinics, and that is where the heavy lifting is done in many cases. The matter arose in the allocation of portfolios with respect to migration policy and the security dimension, and whether the wider issue would be moved over with direct provision. The view was-----

I would not say they won. A bit of logic won out as well. In fairness, the Department that will deal with children, equality, disability and integration will take on a lot that is over and above what it had previously. A substantial section of that new Department - in respect of disability services - would have been part of the Department of Health. There is a discrete piece around direct provision and integration and, if managed well, it could make a significant difference to people's experience on the ground. The…

Yes. If the Office of the Chief State Solicitor comes to us, we will respond sympathetically. On the survivors and victims of child abuse in primary schools, the outgoing Taoiseach told me that 13 settlement offers were made after the judge's review and that the redress scheme was being updated and changed. That has not come through yet but I will examine it. I am meeting officials to discuss more general matters on Friday and I will raise this specific matter with them.

I will look at that agreement with Hong Kong.

On the first question, there will be no additional cost to the Department arising from those offices. The Estimate at the beginning of the year indicated an extra €800,000 for staff in general within the Office of the Taoiseach.

No. The cost will be met with the existing Estimate. The Deputy asked about staff salaries being tied to particular grades and that will happen. There will be specialist advisers and people who will be qualified in their own right. I believe in the principle behind this in the political world.

There must be an avoidance of overlap. This is an efficient Department. The citizens' assemblies could also be covered within the administrative framework and the Estimate provided. The real issue with a citizens' assembly will be Covid-19 and the capacity to get work done. It is a challenge and we must develop innovative ways in which a citizens' assembly can do its work. I will work with the Deputy on the issue of face masks. There is work under way on that, particularly in terms of public transport and the need …

We have about five matters to get through the Citizens' Assembly under the programme for Government. They are the priority right now but depending on the progress of Covid-19 and the capacity of the Citizens' Assembly to get its work done-----

My apologies.

First, the Government Information Service is broadly responsible for the Covid-19 communications campaign. The staff in the GIS are established civil servants. I accept the principle, as enunciated by the Deputy, that there is a need to keep the GIS non-party political and that it should not be used to advance a party in government. In fairness, over the past six months that has not been the agenda in the Covid-19 communications material. As Deputy Shortall noted, there are metrics on the reach and types of campaig…

I do not need to pander to any electoral base. I am totally self-confident in where I come from. The people from whom I sprung fought for Irish Independence, understood it and never gloried in it. We have long gone beyond this business of trying to ask people if they are for it or against it. The Good Friday Agreement is about relationships. It has been for a long time. It is not about declaring that my will is the best will. I was involved in the negotiations around the Good Friday Agreement. I was at the heart of…

That is what I take issue with.