I welcome the opportunity to speak on the budget again this evening. There are a number of areas I want to home in on. There is all of the spending that will happen in health and we are talking about all the money that will be spent on disability and mental health, even though I would challenge much of that. However, the biggest problem we face right now is the strike pending in the next couple of days from section 38 and section 39 workers. If that is not put right, our services, which are already collapsing, will…

My colleagues have spoken of An Garda Síochána over the last 100 years and the standard it has set and how we have to show respect for every garda that puts on a uniform every day of the week. They are family people at the end of the day. The Minister spoke about rapid changes that are happening within the force but there is a problem on the ground. Should the Minister come to my constituency or into any of our towns, there is absolutely no garda visible on the beat. That is the biggest problem, as people ask where…

For clarification, there are two Deputies still to speak and they have one minute 13 seconds.

Deputy McGuinness, speedily.

What plans are being put in place to reduce the waiting time for the warmer homes scheme to be enacted in houses? At present, the first letter applicants get is an acknowledgement confirming their reference number and stating that it will take up to 24 months before works will be carried out. I want to know what we are doing to sort out that timeline.

I welcome the fact that waiting times are being reduced but to bring them from 26 months down to 19 months is not ideal. We need to go further. The Minister of State has explained that this is a great scheme. It has the money in it to deliver what is needed by people who are in fuel poverty. The problem is with the expectation that has been created by the scheme. The design of the scheme is fine. The application form itself is very simple, a three-pager. Everything is fine until they get the acknowledgement with th…

I agree wholeheartedly with everything the Minister of State has said. This is not a criticism of the scheme. It is a free scheme. The number of people coming into my office inquiring about it has risen over the last six months. I accept that. If the Minister of State looks at the local contractors, that would be important. One other aspect of the scheme he might have a look at is cases where someone got some measures previously, maybe ten years ago when there was an attic insulation scheme. They are not being cons…

I wish to raise an issue relating to the school bus transport system that has evolved since schools went back into class. A number of bus routes, including routes in Corofin, Belclare and elsewhere in my constituency, started off with a school transport service in September but, a week later, the buses just disappeared. There are now at least five routes on my books that have no bus to bring students to school. These are not students with concessionary tickets. Rather, they are people who are entitled to a bus to s…

I welcome the opportunity to speak. The Minister's opening remarks give confidence that we will get things done to make sure that what has been happening will be sorted out and we will get to a stage where people will get confidence back in the services again. This has been a major setback for public confidence in the services in Temple Street hospital. As has been alluded to by many Deputies, it is harrowing to read in the reviews that have been published so far the extent to which things were happening. No one in…

The Deputy has passed his 45 seconds.

The Deputy can wrap up now.

Before we go any further, I wish to make clear that this is a questions-and-answers session. There will be direct questions and direct answers, over and back, rather than statements. I ask the Minister, therefore, to give a summary-----

Briefly.

The Minister can answer that afterwards because we have to move on. I thank the Deputy for his co-operation.

I thank the Minister. Next up is the Rural Independent Group.

Next is the Independent Group. Deputies Connolly and Harkin have three minutes and 45 seconds each.

I must now ask the Minister or the Minister of State to make concluding remarks.

That concludes statements and questions and answers on Children's Health Ireland - patient safety concerns and reviews in paediatric orthopaedic surgical services. I thank Members for their co-operation in getting this business done.

I welcome the motion from Sinn Féin and am glad to get an opportunity to speak on it. The banking system in this country has gone back to the way it was before this country bailed out the banks. They are making massive profits on the backs of ordinary people, that is, brave people who decided to buy or build a house, people who work and provide tax in this country, and people who have not asked the State to help them in any way. I refer especially to people who bought a second-hand house as their first house. They …

I also have grave concerns and reservations about aspects of the Bill that I hope the Government will listen to and address in the form of amendments in due course. The effect of this legislation will go far beyond what the Government has sketched out with regard to its intended impact. Proponents of the Bill say that its purpose is to stop harassment, which we can all agree is wrong. However, the type of activities which supporters of exclusion zones claim are happening seem to have no serious evidence basis. Sens…