The honest answer is "Yes". We need to be more ambitious. While these are judgment calls the Minister will no doubt get right in the time ahead, with Government colleagues, we also need to recognise that projects announced today obviously have a lead-in time. This Government wants to deliver 300,000 new homes by 2030. In order to fulfil that, we are going to have to press "go" on crucial water and energy projects and provide extra support and funding for the Land Development Agency. The Deputy is right that if we d…

We are significantly increasing funding for defence and supporting the Air Corps, the Naval Service and Defence Forces more broadly. Indeed, funding for defence has increased by 30% since 2020 to a record level. It will increase again in the review of the national development plan shortly. We are back in an era of major investment. Deputy Doherty is right, however. It is no surprise to anyone that there are pinch points in parts of our Defence Forces, particularly in the context of particular skills and challenges …

I thank Deputy Ahern. This whole issue of energy security and supply is an important one. We all know where we need to get to in the context of renewable and offshore energy. We know that we need to turbocharge - pardon the pun - getting there in every way we possibly can. It is about a balanced approach, however. We do not want our country to be closed to investment and investment opportunities. I know Deputy Ahern does not wish that either. We are also seeing data centres themselves changing the way they go about…

I thank Deputy Gibney for her work on this matter on the committee. To add to the point she made, the IT project at RTÉ, which I believe was discussed at the media committee, came to light after the Minister wrote to agencies asking them whether they had anything they wished to tell about the wastage of public money. Deputy Gibney’s point in general about being transparent and up-front would certainly be extremely helpful, particularly when RTÉ has gone through such a difficult period of time. As Deputy Gibney said…

I was waiting for the twist in the story. I thank the Deputy for highlighting that issue. To be blunt, there is a challenge in that lots of people around our country want to do the right thing in their own lives with regard to climate. They are finding the schemes we are providing are either not adequately resourced or are too rigid in terms of their application of rules. I am hopeful the Government can address this through budgetary processes and the NDP review. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about G…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is right that there are far too many Irish teachers abroad. We would much rather, as would a lot of them, that they were back here teaching. I know this is a huge priority for the Minister, Deputy McEntee. The Deputy will be aware that the Minister made a number of announcements on policy decisions in this regard over the Easter period. They include making it easier for people to get permanent contracts, but also making it easier for teachers to return. If the Deputy wa…

It certainly does not sound like it, based on what the Deputy has said. I know he has done a huge amount of work on the issue of access to medication, particularly for those with rare diseases. I met the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association approximately two weeks ago. As the Deputy can imagine, we discussed trade and tariffs, but we also discussed that a new framework agreement is due to be negotiated between it and the State. I made a suggestion at that meeting, one which I think they agree with and which …

I thank the Deputy and Councillor Marie Murphy for their work on this. I was looking into this and there are approximately 17 new special classes sanctioned for County Tipperary for the coming academic year. I think there are nine at primary level and eight at post-primary level. This is in addition to 138 special classes currently in operation in County Tipperary and three special schools in the county which have approximately 409 students enrolled. One of the five new special schools for the coming school year is…

I thank the Deputy. She is right that we have consistently said that no one should be disadvantaged based on when they entered the scheme. She is bringing forward a suggestion that sounds as if it makes common sense and is constructive, and I thank her for that. In the absence of all the information, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Browne, to look at her proposal and engage with her directly.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have loads of statistics here and do you know what I am going to do? I will not read them out. The statistics tell me we are doing well in terms of response times and the likes but I also live in County Wicklow, know County Wexford well and know and hear the challenges people raise in relation to this. I am told in relation to the question on capacity that the National Ambulance Service continuously reviews capacity requirements and then feeds that back in terms of inves…

I thank the Deputy. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae thinks that is a great idea so I had better pass that on too. There is a lot of common sense in what the Deputy said. Garda vetting is an extremely important issue. The Deputy says that, I say that and we all know that. We have to support the Garda in making sure we know everything we need to know about people, particularly those who work with children and vulnerable and older people, from a safety point of view. That is not the same as saying we cannot reform the system…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and bringing to my attention the petition and advocacy of the family of the late Adam. We thank them for that too. I take very seriously the points raised. There will be a new mental health Bill coming through the House relatively shortly and that will provide an opportunity for us to tease through these issues and make sure the mental health structures and laws in place are modern and adequate. They are very much in need of an overhaul. I will ask the Minister of State with…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue with me again in the Dáil. As he rightly said, I met a number of local residents, including Ms O'Dwyer and Ms Crowe, and they were very decent people. It is not fair to say I did not come back to them. I listened to them, engaged with them and passed on their views to the relevant Ministers. The description of Ukrainian people being put on buses and not knowing where they are going is not my experience of how these issues are handled. We need to look at the number of Ukrain…

I agree with a lot of what the Deputy said in the sense that no parent should have to protest in relation to that. I would just say - the Deputy may or may not agree - that there is not a lack of political will. Everybody in this House wants to get this issue right. I believe the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has engaged with a number of families involved and is willing, as is the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, to do that again. It would be good to see that happen. People obviously have a right to protest and righ…

I thank the Deputy. There is a particular poignancy when she raises this issue because I am conscious that she served with distinction as part of our peacekeeping mission. I thank her for her service. I join with her on what is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in celebrating the vital role that our peacekeepers play across the world. It is now more crucial than ever before, at a time when the global security environment has never been more volatile or uncertain. I particularly think today about the Irish pe…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is absolutely correct. He knows better than I do that there is increasing demand for school places in the Newcastle-Rathcoole school planning area due to new residential development. So far, the response of the Department and Government has included the establishment of Coláiste Pobal Fóla in Citywest in August 2020 and the expansion of Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole. I understand that new large-scale post-primary school projects are going to site this year f…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. My thoughts, like his, are in the first instance with the employees impacted. This decision was flagged by the company in March but yesterday it was confirmed to staff that the decision to close its Irish site will proceed. I understand this is part of the company reviewing its global structure. It has been implementing cost-cutting measures over the past year, which have included the closure and downsizing of other facilities this year and last. I am told that t…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is absolutely true that everybody deserves to be safe in his or her home and community. I join the Deputy in praising the community workers and local gardaí for the excellent work they do in the area. I will talk directly to the Minister for Justice about the King's Island area and the need for more support and resourcing for the Garda. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly.

I thank the Deputy. Ireland’s support for the Government and people of Ukraine is steadfast. This remains a key focus of my Department’s engagements with Ukrainian interlocutors at political level; with the Ukrainian Embassy in Dublin through the Irish Embassy in Kyiv; and at EU and international level, where I continue to raise Ukraine as a matter of priority. The Ukrainian foreign minister regularly joins the monthly meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council to provide an update on the situation in his country. On …

I very much welcome what the Deputy says because it reminds us of the fact there is only one aggressor here. It is Russia. It is Putin. There is a President of Ukraine and a President of Russia. The President, Government and people of Ukraine are willing and ready to accept an unconditional ceasefire for a period of time to provide space for proper talks and negotiations on a lasting, just, enduring peace. Russia talks about peace but there is always a caveat, hurdle or obstruction. All the time while talking about…