I will bring the Taoiseach back to his previous role as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. He will be aware that Government promised to bring in legislation to facilitate and support technological universities to be able to borrow so they could provide their own student accommodation. Places like the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, which the Taoiseach visited many times and was very supportive of during his time in the Department, have land ready to be d…

I looked back on statements that took place in the House in February of last year, when we discussed the migration challenges and the crisis that we face. Those who spoke on that occasion all referred to an asylum system that is fair, efficient and incorruptible. Much of what the Government is doing now, with the implementation of the Dublin Convention, working to return people to the UK, reviewing the safe countries and aligning social welfare payments was advocated over 12 months ago. There was a delay in the Gov…

I thank the Minister for coming to the House. There is no doubt about his commitment to this area. He has secured the largest ever annual housing budget. This proves his commitment and that of the Government to tackling housing. As he said, we have the highest number of local authority houses built since 1975 and the highest number of completions in almost two decades. We have introduced schemes to help people secure their homes, such as the extension of the help to buy scheme, the first home scheme, the affordable…

I ask about the proposed location for the new Army headquarters. When will a decision be taken on that? Will the Tánaiste commit to giving Custume Barracks, Athlone, favourable consideration?

The Tánaiste will remember that the last time he visited Custume Barracks he met with me and councillors Keena and O'Rourke, who put a strong case for considering Athlone as the future Army headquarters. The Tánaiste is right to say it was among the Fianna Fáil party requests for the programme for Government that a commission be established on the future of the Defence Forces. I welcome its establishment, the work it did, the publication of the report and its acceptance by the Government. The report recommends that…

The Tánaiste mentioned a target for Defence Forces strength of 11,500 by 2028. The current figure is 7,500, and we are, I am told, losing 50 personnel net per month. Critical to reaching our 2028 target is having an Army that is regionally disposed to aid retention and facilitate recruitment. I would argue a decision needs to be taken relatively quickly to ensure we meet the stated objectives of the commission's report. I presume the Government accepts the commission's recommendations. Will the Tánaiste clarify tha…

In the context of the LIS, I welcome last week's announcement. I am raising this matter to tease out the matter of the amount of funding that was allocated and also the change to the criteria. I would welcome some clarification from the Minister on that. Where one person on a lane refuses point-blank to participate - either financially or even to sign the form to let others do it - is there any way to get around that?

I thank the Minister for that comprehensive reply. Nobody can doubt her commitment to rural Ireland, that is for sure. I have a few questions I ask her to clarify. The funding that was announced covers 2024 and 2025, but it specifies exactly how much can be spent in each of those years. The requirement to have two herds has been reduced to one herd, but it also says that there must be a second parcel of land. It recommends that the second parcel of land must be a minimum of 1 ha. Is that a requirement or a recommen…

To be fair, the Minister has been very strong in this area. I take this opportunity to acknowledge that. All money that is allocated to Westmeath will be spent. I can confirm that. I welcome that the Minister will come back to clarify the position, but I spoke to the official in Westmeath who runs the scheme. It does say that even though they are reducing their requirements for herd numbers, it is recommended that there is a second parcel of land, which must be a minimum of 1 ha. It is a recommendation, not a requi…

I wish to raise the case of four-year-old girl from my constituency. I will share her name with the Taoiseach afterwards. This young girl suffers from a very rare form of epilepsy. Since October 2023, she has arrested five times and has had to be airlifted by ambulance twice. Thankfully, she has started on a new treatment called Fenfluramine. Unfortunately, the HSE is not funding that and the family has to fund it at a cost of €140 per day. This drug is being used for epilepsy across the EU and Northern Ireland but…

I take this opportunity to wish my colleague from Longford-Westmeath, the Minister, Deputy Burke, the best of luck in his new role. It is a great honour for him, his family, friends and supporters and for all of us in County Westmeath that he has been elevated to Cabinet and I genuinely wish him well in the months ahead. One of the biggest challenges he has is how his Department is going to support the SME sector. We have heard about the assessment of the cumulative impact of the proposed measures for sick pay and …

I do not doubt the Minister of State's commitment or the Minister's, but businesses need help now. The cold, hard facts are this money was announced in the budget six months ago and it only opened for applications in the past number of weeks. Businesses are suffering now. They need help now and they need a dedicated focus on how they can be supported. The number of businesses closing weekly is phenomenal. We need the supports now and we need priority given to this now. I welcome the commitment given on PRSI changes…

This is a simple, straightforward question. Can the Minister of State give an update on when a consultation forum will be re-established for the development by the LDA of Columb Barracks in Mullingar?

I thank the Minister of State for the reply, but it is extremely disappointing, to be frank. The LDA was announced in 2018. As part of that announcement, Columb Barracks in Mullingar was on the initial list of sites to be developed. As the Minister of State has referenced himself, almost 100 houses could be provided there. On Tuesday, 29 September 2020, I, along with the then Minister of State at the Department, Deputy Peter Burke, met with the LDA. It outlined a sequence for a timeline for the consultation to take…

-----we are no wiser about the development of this iconic site in Mullingar.

Frankly, we need something better and more concrete, so I can-----

-----go back to my constituents in relation to Columb Barracks in Mullingar.

No.

If other speakers stuck within their times, I would not be condensed.

You could get co-operation from others.