The Minister stated that a decision will be taken in the summer on how we will fund RTÉ and others. We all realise the spectacular work that was done, especially during the Covid-19 period, by some of our local radio stations and other local media. It is a matter of ensuring we have public sector media in this age of disinformation. It goes without saying, given what has come into the public domain in recent days, that there are still huge issues in accountability at RTÉ. The public has made a determination on that…

The decision will be taken before the summer, but we are awaiting the two expert reports. Does the Minister have any notion of the timeline for that? Does it mean that no conversations or communications are taking place at Government level about a decision? Many of us believe there is enough information in the public domain to make the decision. I welcome the Minister's statement that clarity has to be brought on this matter. This needs to be brought to an end as soon as possible. Sinn Féin has been clear this week…

This is very good news. I suppose we only need to get the date and the terms of reference and make sure people have enough time. I have spoken to the Minister of State previously regarding the League of Ireland. It is flying on some level, but sustainability is all about stadium. Obviously, I am talking particularly about Dundalk FC at this point in time. It is a matter of making sure that we have the scheme up and running, the terms of reference and that people can apply.

I raise the issue of adding County Louth to the defective blocks scheme. I spoke to the Minister about this previously.

Unfortunately, I am aware of a number of properties where the owners found cracks and had the work done, but then had reports done which showed, unfortunately, that the problem is pyrite. I will not name the townland other than to say it is in mid-Louth. Obviously we have given this information to Louth County Council. One of the properties was previously a council house that was bought under the incremental tenant purchase scheme. I hope Louth County Council will be in contact with the Minister, and I will engage …

This is straightforward. We have had an over and back. Like Deputy Ó Ríordáin, I brought it up with the Taoiseach and the Minister of State. As I told her recently, I happened to meet representatives of Scoil Mhuire na nGael in this House and they said they initially thought they may lose two teaching positions and they will definitely lose one. Fiona Mhic Chonchoille of Scoil Naomh Lorcan, Omeath contacted me to say that special education teachers were at their wits end. We are hearing about increased numbers but …

That is it. We could all name parents and multiple schools - I am afraid to ring any more of them - who think they will be detrimentally affected by the hours that they require to provide the supports for children with special educational needs. I know engagement has started with some of the officials in the Department, and I welcome that. However, on the basis of what the INTO and others have said, and even the information we have put forward, we must look at these cases from the point of view of not being able to…

I do not believe there is anyone in this entire building who has not been contacted by those in business. I thank the Regional Group for bringing this motion forward and giving us the opportunity to debate. We know the issues being faced by micro, small and medium enterprises. We have often had an over-and-back in relation to energy costs. There is an accommodation crisis and a property crisis. We know the cost of rents. No doubt this is a significant factor in the costs for businesses and this is before one even t…

We are all very interested in the response Premier Li gave regarding China's well documented human rights issues. China is a huge geopolitical player. What questions did the Taoiseach put to the Chinese about their engagements on a worldwide basis, not only in regard to ongoing conflicts but also the Chinese engagement across parts of Europe and right across Africa, particularly as those engagements relate to scarce resources? I had hoped to get in during the previous group of questions with a question on the tech …

We are talking about the western Balkans and accession to the European Union. I have no doubt that when the Taoiseach spoke with the leaders of North Macedonia and Montenegro in particular, he got that element of annoyance - probably more than annoyance - that they have because the whole conversation on accession has not been real for the last while. We all accept that some of that was down to the European Union. The likes of France or whatever came to the conclusion that there were huge rule of law issues. We all …

He cannot.

Lá stairiúil a bhí ann, an 3 Feabhra, nuair a toghadh Michelle O’Neill ina Céad-Aire. We have all overused the term “historic” before but I think we need to look at what happened when Michelle O'Neill became First Minister. I congratulate her on that. She is the first nationalist First Minister in the North. It has been a long journey from Basil Brooke, James Craig and a Protestant parliament for a Protestant people. We are delighted that we have an Executive up and running. I also congratulate Emma Little-Pengelly…

I add my voice to that of Deputy Murnane O'Connor. I have come across a similar scenario relating to boys' and girls' schools in Ardee. One of the schools got DEIS status but the other did not, in spite of the fact that they deal with the same demographics. These anomalies need to be considered. It is about trying to get resources to the people who require them. This is not the first time I have raised the issue of early interventions. I am thinking about specific cases. We know that many families and communities c…

In relation to the previous question, what I was talking about is the worst of circumstances, really chaotic circumstances where the council is probably looking at nuclear options. The fact is that we do not necessarily have all of the resources required to deal with what are very complex cases. I am also talking about circumstances that have reached the level of chaotic criminality and whatever the fears are in relation to those kids, this is having a detrimental impact on the wider community. We need better proce…

There are huge issues with special education teacher allocations and the new scheme. We have all been approached by teachers who got the circular. This was first brought to my attention by Fiona Mhic Chonchoille from Scoil Naomh Lorcan in Omeath. She put it very well: The new SET model that is coming into play from September 2024 is not supporting children with additional needs. The new model is based on academic results and does not take into account any other needs. The Department will say it is up to the princip…

I agree with an awful lot of what has been said, particularly what Deputy Lahart spoke about. We can have the best legislation in the world but if we do not have the capacity to enforce it, it will be worthless. Many have spoken here about the tragedies we have had on the roads recently. We need to ensure the Garda has the capacity it needs to deal with this sort of stuff. We all welcome the movement made on drug testing. We have to create the conditions to ensure less and less drunk and drug driving happens. There…

To be fair to Louth County Council, great works must be done. As we really need to get the work done, we need to make sure that money is added in.

The county council cannot make a determination in regard to anything it does at the moment because it does not even have the money to follow through on what would be the regular planning budget.

I have very poor hearing.

Like everyone else, I have been contacted by schools on this issue, including a member of staff at Scoil Naomh Lorcan. I have already read her words into the record but I do so again because she put it better than I ever could: The new model is based on academic results and does not take into account [complex needs]. The Department will say it is up to the principal to give out SET hours but they do not have enough hours allocated so they either help the children with special or additional needs or they just help t…