Not that I am aware but I will double check for Deputy Murphy. I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for the point he made today and has made on a number of occasions about the importance of the opportunity for Ireland and Britain to engage at a senior level. In my initial conversation with the Prime Minister, we spoke about the importance of getting the structure for engagement right, for the very reasons the Deputy said. It used to happen almost automatically that whoever the Taoiseach was would meet the British Prime Min…

I propose to answer Questions Nos. 6 to 9, inclusive, together. I attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 27 June. I was delighted to travel to Brussels with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. At the meeting, which had an extensive agenda, leaders and heads of state and government agreed on a package of appointments and nominations to top roles in the Union’s institutions for the next period, adopted our five-year strategic agenda to cover the period to 2029 and agreed a…

I thank colleagues for raising a variety of issues. First, Deputy Boyd Barrett and I do not agree on a lot on foreign affairs, but I have said in this House recently and in the European Council, as well saying it publicly at the peace summit on Ukraine, that I do believe there is an inconsistency in the approach being taken by many countries in relation to conflict, and not this one. I said before that I do not like this country being described as being pro this or pro that. We are pro international law and pro hum…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together. The Cabinet committee on children and education and disability oversees programme for Government commitments relating to children, education and disability and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, local area disadvantage and the reform of our disability services. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet committees, I meet Ministers on an individual basis to focus on different issues. The …

I agree.

I thank the Deputies for raising a range of issues. I appreciate Deputy Boyd Barrett's point that we need to do more and do better when it comes to children’s disability services. The Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, wrote to me specifically about a number of cases in Dún Laoghaire. There seem to be particular concerns with the scale of the teams, and the Deputy has referenced a number of individuals, such as Sam Lewis, Theo and others. There are two issues here. Indeed, this brings me to Deputy Paul Mur…

-----is a significant cause for concern. There is some encouragement. We ran a recruitment campaign that concluded a little while ago. At the end of May, 160 offers were made to successful candidates. I am going from memory here, rather than my note, but I think approximately 53 job offers from the figure of 160 have now been made and processed. There is another recruitment campaign about to be run as well. They are also looking at new, innovative ideas around therapy assistants and new grades in that space. This w…

There is an interesting discussion to be had about that, particularly regarding master's level degrees. I am a big fan of reducing fees; I did it twice. At master's level in particular, there is a conversation to be had, especially if the person is willing to work in the Irish health service, about whether that is an intervention that could be made. That is under active consideration. I take very seriously the point raised by Deputy Ó Murchú about the concern that people in Dundalk have about Dave-----

-----who is due to retire on Monday but has no wish to retire on Monday and neither do the people of Dundalk wish to see him retire. I will ask my colleague, Deputy Dillon, who is the Minister of State with responsibility in that Department, if anything can be done. There is obviously a role for the local authority there but I do not wish to speak for it. The Deputy’s office might contact the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, after this. Let us see if clarity can be brought to the issue. On the issue raised by Depu…

It is an important point. What we have to look at as well as the funding of our children’s disability services is how we can use technologies and reform the delivery of services. I hear that from parents and that is one issue that is being supported.

I attended a meeting of the European Council on 27 June in Brussels which dealt with an extensive agenda. Leaders agreed a package on appointments to key EU institutions following the European Parliament elections and adopted the EU’s strategic agenda for the next five-year institutional cycle. We also took stock of EU enlargement, and agreed a roadmap for internal reforms to ready the Union for the challenges that lie ahead, including a European Union with more member states. Leaders also discussed Russia’s ongoin…

I welcome the opportunity to again discuss the important issue of housing and affordable housing in this House. Dublin City Council is perfectly entitled to seek a meeting with the Minister. I am sure he will be responding to that. In general, it is a good thing for local and national government personnel to have opportunities to meet and engage. As the Deputy points out, councillors from right across the political spectrum, including my own councillors for whom the Deputy does not speak, very much welcome the oppo…

I do not need a chorus. There are many other examples of affordable housing schemes throughout the country. This is not just a meeting of Dublin City Council. In Waterford, for example, we are working to deliver affordable homes with a private developer for prices as low as €225,000. Of course it is more expensive to build an affordable home or a home in parts of Dublin than in other parts of the country. The Deputy probably found that out when she gave a commitment last December to construct and build houses in Du…

Those are figures that are clearly for Dublin City Council to provide. I presume that is where the Deputy is progressing it, and that is the right and appropriate place. However, the Deputy continues to misrepresent our position on housing. This is Government that is absolutely building and ensuring that homes are built on State-owned lands. We set up the LDA - I think the Deputy opposed it - and it is currently actively advancing development on 16 sites across Ireland capable of delivering around 6,000 homes, incl…

This is important.

Sinn Féin cut its targets-----

-----for council houses in the North. It was planning on delivering 2,050 and a Sinn Féin-led Government has had to slash its social housing targets to just 400.

I thank Deputy Bacik and join her in her comments on the war crimes that were carried out by targeting sick children in Ukraine yesterday. Imagine what that is like. The war in Ukraine has been going on for quite a long time but we can never allow ourselves to be in any way immune or accept what is happening, nor should we with the crimes against children happening in the Middle East. A state that commits war crimes targeting sick children and using hypersonic missiles is one that has no interest in peace. This att…

That is an excellent idea. I will talk to the relevant Ministers as to how to take that forward. Based on what I have been told and what I read, a number of positive measures have been taken by sporting organisations in recent years, which I know the Deputy would accept and acknowledge. I do not suggest the 1990s was a very long time ago but many years have passed and a lot has happened, quite rightly, in safeguarding, policies and procedures. That is not in any way to take away from the horrific instances discusse…

I have to take a deep breath because the start of Deputy Shanahan's contribution was really out of order. It was fundamentally out of order because I do not ever think there is a justification for the hatred some Members of this House have experienced or for the intimidation and attacks they have experienced, online, off-line, at their homes and towards their families. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I defend the right of any Member of this House to not ever have to encounter that. Although it is the Deputy'…