I also join others in calling out the scourge of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in our society. It should be called out at all junctures - in WhatsApp groups, in sports clubs, in our local pubs and here in the Dáil. I acknowledge the work of the Minister's predecessor, Deputy McEntee, in terms of the legislation, which Deputy Connolly has previously referenced, and also the structural changes and the funding that has gone with it. As has also been referenced, this is an increasing phenomenon. Local gard…

I appreciate the Minister outlining in detail the previous work that has been done on this case. As he said, there is now confirmation by the Department of two reports of allegations of child sexual abuse. In the Minister's words, they relate to a "deceased" member of the Probation Service. Of course, this matter has also been the topic of much media coverage. The "RTÉ Investigates" programme carried out an investigation, entitled "Scouts Dishonour", in which it referred to the then chief scout, the late Joe Lawlor…

Perhaps a redress scheme would be overly complex and result in people receiving justice delayed. Equally, we should not be placing the burden on victims of having to sue the State. That is not necessarily the best way forward. We have seen in other cases where people's only option is to sue the State and often justice is incredibly delayed. Perhaps there is a mechanism here to try to mediate this and to try to come forward with a non-adversarial solution. The criminal justice process is not an option because the pe…

I raise the issue of lengthy waiting times for oncology services in the Mater. This issue was brought to my attention by a constituent of mine called Maura, who was referred by her GP in early February for an urgent ten-day appointment with BreastCheck. Unfortunately, it was May when she received a letter, and she was told there was a five-month waiting list for an urgent ten-day appointment. The Minister knows the important work that unit does in saving many women's lives. I put in a parliamentary question asking …

I express my condolences to the family of Brother Kevin Crowley and in particular his colleagues who he worked with. As a freeman of Dublin city, he was a Cork man who made a huge impact on our city. I want to acknowledge that today. I raise bundle 3 and the Minister’s decision not to proceed with the tendering process related to that bundle. I served on Dublin City Council for ten years and for the best part of those ten years, we had public sites on which we wanted to build homes. We wanted to do that in a way th…

I thank the Minister. As I say, when people see sites under construction they have some hope and belief that things are changing. When planning went out for these sites they saw the designs and plans for them. There is an expectation. I welcome that the Minister is taking this seriously and urgently. I also agree with the Minister. As a member of the Committee of Public Accounts, I will not stand over the Government spending more than €1 million per unit. I can understand the difficulty. Just because a developer pu…

-----and the sites with full planning permission are given priority so we can get shovels into the ground and these homes can be built. They are the way forward for how we provide housing. That is what Housing for All is all about. We have hit a speed bump. We cannot pay any figure that is presented to us but we also have to act with urgency to find an alternative.

It is not a matter for the Order of Business.

The Deputy cannot be telling the House-----

She is not entitled to mislead the House.

Hear, hear.

Sinn Féin does not even know what it is opposing.

There are no plans for a shopping mall.

The Labour Employer Economic Forum is an important opportunity for members of the trade union movement to make representations to the Government with regard to the labour market and the issues which impact it. Legislation has been put forward in this House with regard to the rights of pensioners, particularly pensioners of many State bodies, who after retiring have very little input into the changes to the pension scheme which may impact them. In some cases that relates to increases that may or may not be due, but …

I compliment my colleague from Dublin 15. Representatives from that area have been working on the issue of drones for some time. Griffith Avenue residents have raised it on the basis that drone use is expanding to new areas. While it currently relates to food deliveries, we can only imagine the impact it would have if, for example, all parcel deliveries were to be transferred to drones in a short space of time. The issue here is also about the planning application for the site. We have time restrictions on when we …

I want to raise an issue that is identified in the national development programme, which is the Finglas Luas project. It is a fantastic project that makes a lot of sense, with 4 km and four stops connecting it to an existing line that will give access to thousands of people in my constituency. We are one of the few constituencies in the country that does not have rail services. We are entirely reliant on bus services. However, we hope the Finglas Luas will come out of planning this year, and we want to make sure th…

It is very welcome that we will have a planning decision by 30 September. The Minister is right that the decision to bring it to the Cabinet for gate 1 was really important. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, really assisted us in doing that. He came on site and examined the potential of it. I was pleased the Cabinet signed off on that. Almost all the Luas projects that have happened have gone through the planning and procurement phase in one five-year cycle and in the second five years they have been constructed and de…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I see we are making good progress on that. We will keep a watchful eye and ensure it continues. Many people on the other side of the constituency will hope for the delivery of the metro project with the same urgency. It is a far more complex and detailed project but one that has been promised for some time. The review of the national development plan is happening in the next couple of weeks. Those two key projects in my constituency are really important, along with the BusConnects pro…

Hear, hear.

I know that, as a Cork man, the Taoiseach will join me in saying how great Dublin city is, but as great as it is, we certainly have challenges, especially in the city centre. The task force report was an important way of identifying those challenges. The challenge now will be delivering them. Within the Dublin City Council structure, there certainly seems to be the appetite to establish a dedicated vehicle to deal with the issues relating to derelict sites and also to fund improvements and additional services, for …