I listened to the Minister's comments yesterday. I cannot express how angry and frustrated SNAs, principals, teachers, parents and SENOs are. What the Government, including the Taoiseach, is trying to do is gaslight schools, parents and SNAs. The Government's policy is to blame everyone else. The buck stops here. I was in the Chamber two weeks ago when this matter was highlighted for the Taoiseach and the Minister. They doubled down at that point. Now, they are saying "We did not know the cuts were going to be this…

No, it does not.

Fine Gael objected on Cork City Council. I refer to a former Lord Mayor, Des Cahill. Go away and check it out. Deputies are coming in here making statements around councillors, but its Lord Mayor did the same in Cork.

People in glass houses.

There is an active travel proposal for Knockfree and Knockpogue avenues, Farranree, in my constituency. The residents support the majority of the elements, including safety measures, the removal of roundabouts and the renewal of roads and footpaths, but they object to certain elements. At the moment they are protesting and have stopped the work. The Taoiseach himself said there needs to be more dialogue with the residents. Sinn Féin councillors Kenneth Collins and Michelle Gould brought a motion to Cork City Counci…

What I will do is send the Tánaiste an email that he can forward on.

For families remote working can be life exchanging and it has been life changing for many. It has meant they are able to juggle the responsibilities of work and family life. We know that women are often excluded from the workplace because of these issues. Allowing people to work from home is not allowing them to take it handy or to doss but what it means is they are able to have work-life balance and a home-life balance. Many people still have childcare but the difference is that at 5 o'clock they can finish rather…

They have no choice in the matter.

I was contacted by a lady this week. Her relationship broke down and she lost her job. She said: "I’m left there working 2 jobs while taking care of my 4yo full time and will have to resort to homelessness if I don’t get help." She does not get any tax breaks, yet the vulture funds, based abroad, come in here and buy up second-hand homes. They then go to rent a home back to this woman at huge rents she cannot even afford. She is working two jobs to try to keep a roof over her and her child's head. She pays tax on t…

Like other Deputies, I have seen the same situation in my constituency. Bweeng National School in County Cork is losing two SNAs. Those are vital posts. The Minister of State made a statement about all the things the Government is doing. On the ground, these reviews are leading to cuts. A number of schools in Cork city and county are losing SNAs. The Minister of State referred to the progress that the Government is making. The reason we are getting extra SNAs and SETs is that for years there was a shortage. The Gov…

Students from Cork North-Central are attending there because the school has two special classes. I am just letting the Minister of State know that.

This goes back to the Minister of State's point about planning. We welcome extra resources, special classes and special schools. I spoke to a principal yesterday. St. Killian's School wants to build an additional school as it is full to capacity and there is a need for extra places. I know of a child in Cork and we are in February now but he has no school place. How can a child have no school place? I hear about all these announcements but what is happening on the ground is children being left behind. The Minister …

The truth.

The Taoiseach is a Cork man like myself. He knows The Glen area well. He should remember that back in 2013 the people of The Glen objected and were against the building of a new prison in The Glen. They were given commitments at that time that the old prison would not be used as another prison and that it would be used for education, the community and historical purposes because Thomas Kent was executed there and buried there for years. The Government now plans to knock the old prison, reneging on promises that wer…

When?

No, I was at a meeting last Friday with the chief executive. That is not true.

The planning has not even gone in for the road for the new hospital.

What about the prison in The Glen?

I asked a question and it was never answered.

As I listened to some of the other speakers, I thought about some of the comments the Minister made at the housing committee and in this Chamber. I just do not get it. The Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, are intelligent people. We have seen the housing crisis go from a crisis to an emergency. We know that homelessness is off the charts and homelessness is only recorded as people living in emergency accommodation. It does not include the people who are living with three or four generations in t…