I did not interrupt Deputy McGuinness. Last week and over the last couple of years since I have been in this Chamber, I, like many others, have raised the issue of section 39, section 56 and section 10 organisations. We have raised it for years, on occasion after occasion. We met the workers and the unions yesterday in the audiovisual room in Leinster House and they were angry that there was zero provision in this budget, which Deputies McGuinness and McAuliffe backed, to address pay restoration for these workers. …

All I can say is that I was at the meeting.

Deputies McAuliffe and McGuinness were not there.

Deputy McAuliffe was not there.

There is no doubt that people will ask why the workers are on strike. Why would people who are looking after people who are so vulnerable withdraw their labour? It is precisely because they care so deeply about the people whom they care for, including those in drug services, disability services, homelessness services and section 56 organisations, whom I have worked with previously; those who care for those in care; and the most vulnerable children in the State. In 2008, these workers took the hit for the bankers an…

One-off payments are welcome, but they are not accompanied by a long-term vision for supporting individuals, workers and families, those with disabilities and those who need protection from poverty. The initial reactions from those working with families and workers in poverty and struggling to meet the ever increasing cost of living are damning. Social Justice Ireland has said that the decision to allocate substantial resources to the wealthy rather than the poorest in our society at a time when inflation is erodin…

I ask the Minister to ensure that the promised bus routes and improved service for students attending TU Dublin Blanchardstown in Dublin 15 will be initiated before the promised 2025 deadline, as they are desperately needed now.

The Minister spoke earlier about the M50 being at capacity. The M3 is also at capacity. However, as the NTA has stated, it will be at least 2025 before this improved bus service is in place from Mulhuddart to the Tyrrelstown, Corduff, Hollywoodrath and Hollystown areas and for TU Dublin Blanchardstown. Between 3,000 to 4,000 students attend the TU. The 38 bus does not go into the college campus in the evenings and the mornings, leaving students with a 40-minute walk. The service frequency is at best every 30 minute…

The recent TV show has highlighted the incredible difficult work the Garda do in our communities day in, day out. The work of supporting people with mental health issues is extremely important but it is a shocking indictment of this Government that they must do so without having recourse to a suite of mental health supports. That is the case in particular for Fine Gael, which has been in power for 12 years. The work on domestic violence again has been immense and groundbreaking in terms of coercive control in parti…

I raise the atypical working scheme. Recently, I met Migrant Nurses Ireland, which is a support group. There are 20,000 migrant nurses and social care workers here and I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that this is a significant issue for them. Processing has improved in recent weeks but there are still difficulties. I was chasing a huge number of applications during the summer. They go through various stages and if there is any difficulty in the application, it creates massive problems. For instance, if someone h…

I would suggest one solution. If, when their initial application was submitted, someone was there at the very beginning to do a checklist and identify any difficulties that could be dealt with, that could help.

I have prepared a litany of examples of children trying to access school transport in recent months in the run-up to the new school year. There has been year after year of people left standing on the road, unable to send their children to school. Like many colleagues, I have many examples of parents frantically contacting local Deputies, including me, to get answers as to why they do not have school transport available to their children's school. For example, one parent said that in the past couple of years access …

I thank the People Before Profit-Solidarity Deputies for bringing forward the motion. As we head into the winter, many more families and workers will face a winter of unbelievable stress. Many thousands fear the letter from the landlord and the knowledge that the chance of them getting somewhere in the so-called free market is virtually impossible. I, like many colleagues and, I am sure, the Minister of State's office, get representations from people on a weekly basis who are desperate to find out what the next ste…

I raise the issue of children with additional needs in relation to physical and mental abuse in educational settings. One new group that was recently established to address the issue had 87 families join in one week. The most vulnerable group of children are in these settings. One comment struck me. It said, "You can't speak. There's no law to protect you." These children and young people have been let down and schools and teachers have also been let down with little or no multidisciplinary service. I ask the Taois…

This matter has shocked the entire country. The reports we have are truly shocking. The failure of the system's checks and balances to ensure appropriate treatment is, again, shocking. The use of non-medical springs is quite unbelievable. Children with scoliosis expected, sometimes after being on a waiting list for years and after disappointments, cancelled appointments and cancelled operations, that they would get first-class treatment but were let down time and again, with the CEO of the HSE admitting that commun…

How will the Department work with local authorities to encourage them to apply for new funding for the town and village renewal scheme? Will there be a minimum submission requirement for each local authority? I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter.

I welcome the fact that it is now open. In the previous discussion that Deputy Ó Laoghaire may have had, it might not have been officially launched. If I am correct, I think it was launched in July. It is a really good idea. I notice the ring-fenced projects for the offshore island communities. As the Minister knows, we had an historic moment last Friday when we were on Árainn Mhór for the first committee meeting on the islands, which was broadcast live. It was extremely warmly welcomed by the islanders themselves.…

I did.

I met Jerry Early, who brought the Minister around the island on the day and probably brought her on that bumpy road to ensure that the funding came through. I would like to ask one question. The press release at the launch also had a statement on refurbishment of existing community centres. Is that in addition to the existing community centres fund? Can someone apply for both or is it separate?

I ask the Minister about the community, voluntary and charity sector, which has expressed deep concerns about the recruitment and retention of staff, the measures being taken by the Minister to deal with the crisis, and if she will make a statement on the matter.