A week ago, I canvassed in a mid-size Irish town outside the greater Dublin area. I knocked on a door and the man who answered told me that within the past ten years six pubs, two hotels and two banks in the town had closed. He said people cannot get a hot meal in the town anymore. The town is similar to hundreds of other towns outside the greater Dublin area. In reality, there are two economies in this country. Anybody who has walked the main streets of most towns outside the greater Dublin area would say they are…

More than 200 children either in State care or known to State care services have died since 2014. One fifth of them died by suicide, many more died of drug overdoses and 11 of those children were murdered. It is incredible that more than 5% of the children in State care or known to State care services have been murdered. Does the Taoiseach agree? A national review panel that investigated these deaths had alarming things to say about the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. On a number of occasions, C…

The last number of weeks have been shocking to people. The scandals that have emanated from Sinn Féin daily have been incredible. The conviction of an ex-Sinn Féin press officer, Michael McGonagle, for child sex offences has horrified people. The incredible way that it was handled is stunning. That there is not the necessary cop-on, common sense and decency for two very senior individuals in the press office not to have done what they did is amazing. It is also incredible that the necessary protections were not in …

If the election does not get in the way.

It is quite serious.

Very serious allegations have been made against a Member of the Oireachtas, including that he or she is being used as an intelligence asset by the Russian Government. That any Oireachtas Member elected to represent the interests of the Irish people would allow himself or herself to be manipulated to work in the interests of a foreign government is scandalous. It is actually treacherous. Ireland is a member of the EU. We have a common travel area with Britain. We are the location for a high concentration of tech com…

You get national security briefings.

It is still the highest in western Europe.

At the right cost.

There is a level of democratic disrespect in the Government here today. God be with the days when they used to say that there were budget leaks. Budgets are not leaked anymore; they are broadcast fully in preview before the debate even happens here. The fact that we have TDs from all parts of the country here representing tens of thousands of citizens, yet the Ministers responsible for this budget had not even the democratic manners to stay in the Chamber and listen to the debate in full, which is a big problem as …

There will be cheques all right.

The overspend and the massive delay that exists in the national children's hospital exists because of the ill-defined, woolly confusion in that hospital contract. The contract for the national children's hospital was signed by the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, and it has proven to be a shambles. It has created an open chequebook for BAM. I have the bill of quantities for the tender for the national maternity hospital. It appears that the Government is again rushing to tender before the job is properly designed. It also …

The Government is incinerating taxpayers' money.

Will the Government review the tender process for the national maternity hospital, given the fiasco over the national children's hospital?

They were signed off on.

That was your fault.

That is a different question.

The question is about the bill of quantities.

They must make sure it is done right.

They are not working.