The target was a fair reflection of what could be delivered when we were having to rebuild a construction sector almost from scratch. As a result, we have now absolutely exceeded the targets. Deputy Bacik has been a voice in this House calling for revised targets to be published, which the Government has now done today. That anchors the discussion for the weeks ahead. This Government believes we can deliver over 300,000 homes between now and 2030. We have outlined a breakdown of how many we believe can be delivered…

I have still to respond.

That is okay.

Deputy Bacik has made a number of important points. As regards the targets, being honest, there is probably not much surprise about the fact that the targets are rising. The Deputy has suggested figures, as have all Opposition and Government parties, as to where housing needs to get to. We have heard figures getting to-----

We will have our detailed debate soon, but 50,000 to 60,000 homes are figures I have heard in this House and from people right across the building sector. Being honest, however, nearly the more important part, or at least as important a part, was getting the national planning framework for this. The old version of the national planning framework does not have an ability to deliver that number of homes in terms of land and zoned land across our country. What we have done today, therefore, is not just set the figures…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I wish to begin by expressing my appreciation, and, I am sure, that of everybody in this House, of everybody who has worked or is working or volunteering with Templemore Community Services Centre and indeed day centres right across Ireland. We are lucky to have around 300 day centres and around 300 meals on wheels locations right across the country. I am conscious that some of these organisations are run directly by the HSE, but so many of them, although grant-aided by the…

I know time is getting short around here but that was very quick and efficient. I stood up only a minute ago but the Deputy has said the HSE and committee are having the meeting tomorrow. That worked out well. This is an important issue. I am pleased to hear from the Deputy that the meeting between the HSE and Templemore Community Services Centre will take place tomorrow. The Government fully recognises and agrees with the Deputy and the centre that there is a need for additional space. We have to provide the oppor…

They liked that Deputy. I was in Kerry and there was nothing speedy about it actually. I was there for most of the day.

Sorry now, hang on a second. The Deputy has to give me a bit of a chance. I was there and indeed when was I driving by on the road, I saw this very large portacabin-type thing - I do not know what it was - with Deputy Healy-Rae's face emblazoned across it asking people to vote-----

-----so he is clearly ready for battle.

No, it was not a lorry I saw. The Deputy is clearly ready for battle.

We will check that.

I welcome the retired nurses from Kerry and thank them for their service in the health service. I will certainly have a word with them in a moment about some of the issues the Deputy has raised. I am not across the detail of that and it does not tally with my information but I will have a word with them in a moment. When it comes to the health service, I accept of course that it has to live within an allocation and the allocation is larger than it has ever been. It is a hell of a lot larger than when I was Minister…

All of us, including the Deputy and everybody else in this House, will have a chance to put forward proposals to carers in the days ahead as to what we would do to support them over the next number of years. I am proud of a number of the measures we have taken, under the leadership of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, in providing additional payments before Christmas to our carers, as well as the double child benefit payment being provided today, the double pension payment provided last week, the fuel allowance lump …

The Deputy is right that there was a period during the year where we had to put restrictions on hiring new posts in the health service because many more thousands of people had been hired than had been budgeted for.

We worked our way through that, and there are lots more people working in the public health service now, including in Kerry. There are around 410 additional staff in Kerry hospital today. I think there has been an increase of around 177 nurses in the lifetime of this Government. When it comes to reducing wait times we are making progress. We are one of the few countries in Europe that has seen waiting times fall over the past two years. That fall has happened in Kerry too. Let me assure the Deputy. The waiting time…

-----for cataract procedures in Kerry has fallen this year compared with last year.

No, you know why it is-----

You would swear the Deputy was paying for the bus. The reality is that we are reducing wait times. We have opened up more ophthalmology capacity in the south west. The Deputy has pointed to additional capacity that exists in this jurisdiction that does not require anyone to be brought out of the jurisdiction. We will continue to do more to drive down waiting times.

First, I wish to inform the House that today the Government appointed the first ever ambassador from Palestine to Ireland. That is an important moment. Deputy Pringle should not tut-tut about that. It is something that is seen as very important by the Palestinian Authority. If Deputy Pringle wants to tut-tut about that, that is on him. The ambassador is very pleased at being appointed, as are the President, Prime Minister and Government of Palestine. That is the first point to make. The second point is that it is m…