Yes.

I take it from the Minister’s last remarks that these children will be accommodated next September in Athenry and that this will happen in Clarin College. That is most welcome. The parents need to know that is going to happen. The Minister mentioned the school principals, who work together in co-operation. They are there to produce the finest education they can. In fairness, the schools in Athenry are a credit to the Department and the school building unit, SBU. I have to acknowledge what we have achieved after a c…

The Minister might have a different numbering system.

It is about temporary accommodation for Lough Cutra National School in County Galway. It is looking for temporary accommodation while the existing school is refurbished top to bottom. It is not being funded for the temporary accommodation it needs to keep the school going while construction work goes ahead.

I submitted the question. I will give the Minister the kernel of it. The school got an additional accommodation grant but it is a total refurbishment of the school. The problem is that every one of the students has to be taken out of the school and there is no place locally to put them. The Department has said it must find its own accommodation to put them in temporarily for about six months. It is an impossible task. Funding is also a problem. The school is looking for the Department to provide temporary accommoda…

The Chair has put me up again for Question No. 32. Has Bus Éireann been allocated the necessary resources to make sure there is the adequate number of buses and sizes of buses in place for the school year in September? Last year, we saw lots of problems arise. Buses were not in place, some started off and after a week they stopped. A lot went on and there was a lot of stress. It needs to be planned properly for this year. I know payments are now coming so the volume that will be required should be apparent shortly.

I thank the Minister. I know a lot of money and effort goes into it. At the end of the day, it is the inspectors on the ground who have to deal with parents and students who might have a ticket for a bus but there is no bus to bring them. The parents then have to try to get them to school and they have to go to work. In some cases, great work is done to try to rectify the situation under awful pressure at a time of the year when everybody is trying to get back into the school term. While I understand the applicatio…

A proposal to establish two new veterinary colleges has been put forward. When will the two preferred locations be announced in order that those involved can get on with establishing these veterinary colleges, which will be very important for rural Ireland and those involved in agriculture?

I wish the Minister well in his new position. This is the first time I have had the chance to do so publicly. I accept that the process is ongoing. I know that the Minister and his colleague, the Minister for agriculture, will look at the financial supports and how they will be brought together. The Minister mentioned that the decision on where these veterinary schools will be located is important from a regional perspective. I hope due consideration will be given to the Mountbellew-Atlantic Technological Universit…

I thank the Minister. I take solace from the fact he spoke about regional development. It is important we are all singing off the same hymn sheet. It is also important for colleges to have a decision as soon as possible. Many pieces of the jigsaw need to be put together, but I believe the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is on board. I look forward to an announcement at the earliest possible date.

Today I want to raise an issue that is affecting many communities around this country. Outside on Kildare Street today, hundreds of people have gathered from 18 counties representing probably 50 community action groups regarding the development, proposed or otherwise, of wind farms across this country. It is unbelievable to think that the communities have to come together. They have formed an alliance called the Community Environmental Protection Alliance, CEPA. The problem is that we have sleep-walked our way into…

I will say two things about what the Taoiseach said: people matter and families matter. It is important that in any rules, regulations, guidelines or anything like those we bring in, our people have got to be at the top of the agenda. Deputy O'Donoghue will talk about this matter after me. However, it is important we see this as something that needs to be done for people on the ground. They are in the Gallery listening to the Taoiseach. I ask him to take on board that CEPA needs to meet with him as a matter of urge…

I want to raise an issue that I know was close to the Taoiseach’s heart when he was Minister for higher education. It relates to the proposal to locate two additional veterinary colleges in the country. A process has been gone through and three locations have been shortlisted. The colleges are waiting anxiously for the announcement as to which ones will be running these courses because they want to put things in place and manage them. As well as that, there are many students throughout the country who are thinking …

I welcome the opportunity to speak about housing. I will first wish the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, well in his position. It is the first time I have met him across the floor. As a fellow coming from the west of Ireland, I know he will do his best to bring houses there. I will start with the affordable housing scheme. I spoke to the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Donohoe, about this in committee earlier. The affordable housing scheme as it is currently constructed is not working outside of major grow…

In accordance with Standing Order 80(2), the division is postponed until the next weekly division time.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Brian Stanley - To discuss funding for youth services in counties Laois and Offaly. Deputy Joe Flaherty - To discuss the increased administrative burden on small and rural-based community employment schemes. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne - To discuss the review of the expansion of the medical cannabis access program and ministerial licence pathway. Deputy C…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on what is a very emotive subject whether people are directly affected by it or not. One of the issues that has manifested in recent days is the total confusion in the Government about numbers and percentages. This is leading to more fodder and ammunition for those termed right-wing groups that are trying to put the fear of God into people. It is high time the Government gave us a factual account of how people are coming into the country, what numbers are coming through Northern I…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. It is tough for everybody to try to grapple with what happened in the past. When the Government brought in the redress scheme for mother and baby homes, it built things into the relevant Bill that created division. It included a timeframe requirement whereby people had to have spent six months in a mother and baby home before they were entitled to redress. That created division among people and categorised them differently even though they were all survivo…

The Minister can revert to the Deputy with an answer on that because we are out of time. Has Deputy Ó Murchú something to say to the Minister before we conclude?

The Deputy can take up the matter with Minister.