I thank the Senator for raising this issue and showing an interest in it. He appreciates the value of sail training and the opportunities it opens up for many young people who may otherwise not have the opportunity to benefit from it. I have spoken to many people, some of whom I know well, who say that their time on the Asgard changed the direction of their lives as a result of the people they met and the experiences they had. That is effectively what sail training is about. Looking at the models in other countries…

I thank Senator Currie, in particular, and other Senators for bringing this motion on the British Government’s legacy proposals to the attention of this House, and for their strong and emotive engagement on the issue. It is clear this House shares the unanimous view of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Government that the British Government proposals cannot be the basis of a way forward on the legacy of the conflict. It is an issue which we know to be of profound personal importance to many families across this…

I thank Deputy Duncan Smith. He has given me a good introduction for my response. I propose to deal with the two Departments for which I have responsibility. I have just under nine minutes to do so. I will deal with the Department of Defence first. The total allocation for the defence sector for 2022 is €1.107 billion comprising €836 million for Vote 36 and €271 million for Vote 35, the Army pensions Vote. This represents an overall increase of €35 million on 2021 and reflects the Government's ongoing commitment to…

The Government has launched the most ambitious capital investment programme in the history of the State. It committed €165 billion of investment over the next ten years. This is a plan to deliver a sustainable development plan for the country. It is not just for the big cities; it is for rural Ireland as well. This plan is sustainable and focuses on the challenges of climate change as a priority, perhaps for the first time. This plan is consistent with the national planning framework that others in this House, part…

The Deputy is well aware that there is a strong commitment in this Government to build a motorway between Cork and Limerick. That has been confirmed by the Taoiseach many times, by the Tánaiste many times and by me and others. Any piece of infrastructure at that scale must go through a planning process, a permitting process, an environmental impact assessment and all of the other things that need to happen. Route selection has not even been finalised yet. Therefore, yes, we are committed to delivering on the much-n…

I have said "Yes" on many occasions with regard to this project-----

-----but I do not control a planning process and I should not. I also do not control public consultation processes or the other permitting that is necessary before an investment of this scale can take effect.

The Deputy knows well the commitment that has been given to this project. In my view, it is an essential part of Cork's and Limerick's expansion and growth and economic prosperity in the future, as well as a plan that focuses on people's quality of life. The Deputy will see additional commitments being made by the Government, however, in terms of sustainable transport systems also linking the second and third cities along with motorway infrastructure.

I can confirm first of all to Deputy Mattie McGrath that he is very unlikely to see the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on a Honda 50 at any point in the future.

He generally pedals his own bikes.

The NIFTI process is simply good governance, ensuring value for money and there is an environmental audit before hundreds of millions of euro are invested. The Deputy knows only too well why that is necessary, having served in Departments in the past. The truth is we are committing to significant expenditure each year. While people may say this is a wish list and there are not dates next to certain projects, this is a list the Government intends to pursue. It has committed to significant capital expenditure each ye…

It has not gone out into never land. Those projects are named and we have the funding now, which is a significant increase on the funding for the last national development plan because, the country can now afford to borrow into the future for strategic capital investment, which is exactly what is happening. One does not propose to spend €165 billion and not deliver significant projects, many of which are named, some of which are not, in this development plan.

There was not a clear timeline-----

-----in relation to all projects----

We will progress projects-----

-----as quickly as they can be progressed through the planning process. The Deputy knows as well as I do of the potential delays in projects of this size and scale that will come through planning systems, environmental impact studies, potential legal challenges and so on. We now have the resources to be able to deliver a significant scale of investment annually, every year for the next ten years-----

-----that will allow us to build strategic sustainable infrastructure. The latter will, in my view, include prioritising, over time, a motorway between Limerick and Cork.

In the context of the significant increase in shipping services from Rosslare Europort direct to the Continent as a result of Brexit and to enhance Rosslare Europort’s trade competitiveness, Iarnród Éireann and Rosslare Europort have completed their strategic investment master plan for the port for the coming years. The master plan includes investment of €42 million over the period 2021 to 2026 in customer facilities, port infrastructure, freight facilities, port assets, new technology and linking the new entrance …

Is the Deputy saying she does not want the €40 million investment?

With respect, we need to work with the port authorities there and we are.