2026-05-13

I remind Members that they have one minute for questions to the Taoiseach and that he has one minute for answers. If their questions are longer than 60 seconds, they are asking them in the wrong forum.

The October budget, which was worth €9.4 billion, left disabled people €1,400 worse off in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. For months, disabled people and their advocates have told their stories of choices between heating and eating. They have appealed to the Government again and again to deliver a cost-of-disability payment immediately, but it has ignored them. The Government’s consultation process is a distraction. It has stated that it needs to figure out what a cost-of-disability payment should be. However, it has had a report on the matter in its possession for five years. It knows what the additional cost of disability is. Disabled people cannot wait. The Government refused to give them an emergency cost-of-living payment and now it is asking them to wait for a permanent payment. That is not acceptable. They are under pressure and are struggling now. The Government needs to listen and to act with urgency on this matter.

The Deputy is wrong in her presentation. The budget for specialist disability services has increased 50% since 2023. We increased a range of payments in the most recent budget that will positively impact on people with disabilities. We did not proceed with once-off measures across the board. The Deputy has mischaracterised that, of course, in her usual fashion.

No, I have not.

The bottom line is people want permanent and sustainable action. Consultation is not a distraction. I am appalled at the Deputy’s presentation. Organisations representing people with disabilities want to be consulted and insist on consultation. It is regrettable that the Deputy would describe consultation as a distraction.

A “For Sale” sign has gone up this week on the Christian Brothers monastery building on Synge Street in Portabello in my constituency. The property has a guide price of €3.75 million. For some time, I have been calling on the Minister for education to ensure that this building will be retained for educational use by the existing four schools on the street. Indeed, I have also called on the Christian Brothers in this regard. The area suffers from an acute shortage of local school places, particularly places where students can receive education trí Gaeilge. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, has said in response that her Department has no intention of acquiring the site. which is regrettable. Earlier this week, adults who were the victims of child sex abuse had to get an order from the High Court to compel the Christian Brothers to disclose the names of alleged abusers and members of the order in order that they could be sued. The Christian Brothers are still using controversial legal strategies to keep redress beyond the reach of those to whom it is owed. Now we are seeing the Christian Brothers selling what could create a world-class public educational campus to the highest bidder. This will be a commercial sale, with no conditions attached.

The Taoiseach to respond.

Whether they will use the proceeds to compensate victims of abuse, we do not know.

Time is up, Deputy Bacik. Prepare in time. The Taoiseach to respond.

I am asking the Taoiseach to intervene with the Minister for education in order to ensure this building remains in public usage as an educational campus-----

Deputy, your time is up. You need to prepare in time.

-----or at the very least that the money to the Christian Brothers is used to pay victims.

The Deputy is taking absolute advantage and is using her colleagues' time.

I do not run the Department of education. The Minister and the Department have to make assessments as to what is needed in any given locality, and they have clearly made an assessment in this case. That said, the money realised from the sale of this property should be ring-fenced and put into a fund for redress.

Hear, hear. Exactly.

That is what should happen here. The Department, as the Deputy knows, is examining all of that in great detail.

This morning, the Taoiseach opened a cost-of-disability summit. Immediately prior to him doing so, the Minister for Social Protection was on “Morning Ireland” and refused to commit to a cost-of-disability payment in the forthcoming budget. Over the past month, the Government refused to introduce targeted energy credits that would benefit people with disabilities. Earlier this year, it refused to support my motion for an emergency payment for people with disabilities. In that debate, the Minister for Social Protection refused to acknowledge the lived experience of people with disabilities choosing between heating and eating. Shockingly, in an appalling act of cruelty, the Government cut the incomes of disabled people by €1,400 in the budget. It has been 30 years since a cost-of-disability payment was first mooted. Will the Government commit to its introduction in the forthcoming budget?

If you go back over the past two to three years, you will see that there has been exponential growth in various payments right across the board, including the disability allowance. That growth was higher than anything in the preceding years. That is the reality. In terms of the cost-of-disability payment, it has to be defined and worked through. There is a lot of detail is involved in this; it is not just a matter of saying that we should do it this way or that way. There are issues around definitions, who benefits and so on. Meanwhile, we did increase the domiciliary care allowance by €20 again this year. We did the same last year. Disability allowance core payments went up substantially as well. The whole process is about arriving at a situation where we can develop a proposal. The Minister will have a proposal in July on foot of the consultation process that is taking place. That will then be fed into the Estimates negotiations for the budget. The Minister has to respect the negotiations that will ensue for the Estimates for next year for his Department but also all other Government Departments-----

I call Deputy Seamus Healy. The time is up Taoiseach. Deputy Healy is on his feet.

I should not have to ask this question but, of course, Irish Water has no respect for customers, so I do not have a choice. Tipperary town, with a population of more than 5,000 people, has been on a boil water notice since 12 February. There is an information blackout from Irish Water. Despite the efforts of the public, local radio and local and national public representatives, we still do not know when Uisce Éireann will be able to provide a safe water supply for the town. For ten weeks, the only information that could be extracted from Irish Water was the initial post on its website about the boil water notice. Eventually, on 1 May, it confirmed that new wells would have to be drilled. There were no further details and there has been silence since. All the time, families and businesses are buying bottled water. Can the Taoiseach establish for the people of Tipperary town when a safe water supply will be restored to the town and what plans Uisce Éireann has to do this?

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue, which is clearly of huge concern to the people of Tipperary town. I do not quite understand what he means when he says there is an information blackout. I am sure that could not be the case.

It is the case.

I will communicate to Uisce Éireann that it needs to provide comprehensive information to the public so that they understand fully the challenges, difficulties, and the pathway to the resolution of those challenges and difficulties, no matter how challenging the required works are, which wells have to be drilled, or whatever else has to happen. Full information should be available to the public and we will communicate that to Uisce Éireann.

Local Link has been a game-changer for many communities throughout the country. I pay tribute to all those who have helped to deliver the service but, alarmingly, in recent times, new services where tenders were sought and received have been unable to run due to funding constraints. Services from Dunmanway to Clonakilty, Grange to Timoleague, and Bantry via Kealkill to Macroom were put out to tender seven or eight months ago. They were tendered for and now they have been told there is no money to run the services. This, coupled with the NTA's stubborn resistance to including small additional loops in populated areas like Castletownsend, Mizen Head, Rinville and Oranmore in Galway, or on the extension of the Mayo anseo rural link from the Louisburgh, Killeen, Drummin and the Roonagh harbour hinterland is leaving people deeply frustrated. We found out last week that over €500 million of National Oil Reserve Agency, NORA, fuel tax has not been spent and remains in Government funds. Will this money be spent on these new transport services?

I appreciate that the Deputy is praising Local Link. I remember that it is the Deputy's bête noire, former Minister, Eamon Ryan, who introduced Local Link. Deputy Collins rather shamelessly at the time hopped on the bus and presented it as his own initiative in west Cork. He is always adept at local politics. Local Link has turned out to be very effective and very impactful. I pay tribute to our former colleague, Eamon Ryan, and give credit where it is due, for supporting that. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has continued his support for it. There are always limits to public expenditure in terms of what we can do in any one year but this is a programme that is working for people on the ground in rural Ireland. It has a significant impact on increased socialisation and facilitating movement. We have included a recent €750 million package to support its operation with regard to the increased fuel costs. I will alert the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to Deputy Collins's continued interest in Local Link.

Kilcock in County Kildare is the fastest-growing town in the county and one of the fastest-growing towns in the country. There was greatly welcome news that DART+ west will be extended to Kilcock, which is extremely welcome. However, the only bus service at the moment is the Bus Éireann 115 service. There have been many issues with it. Previously, Dublin Bus went to Maynooth. I am trying to get across the need for Dublin Bus to be extended to Kilcock. It is a wider issue for the commuter belt in Dublin, particularly those areas that are growing exponentially, and the need for additional bus capacity, particularly in light of people reducing the number of cars at home and how we are relying more on public transport. Dublin Bus has a bigger role to play here. I have met the NTA and Dublin Bus about this. I ask how the NTA and Dublin Bus are working together to deliver public transport for the commuter belt, Dublin in particular, and obviously Kildare and Meath.

I thank the Deputy for raising this and for his strong advocacy for the fastest-growing town in Kildare and the country. Kildare is growing apace. I will talk to the Minister about the 115 bus service and the role for Dublin Bus more broadly with regard to extending its remit, and of course the NTA, which oversees the whole route development programme.

I am looking for an update on progress regarding the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025. I am fully aware of our responsibility to reach our 2030 targets but is the construction of these monstrous turbines close to many rural villages really the best option for these communities? Should we prioritise solar panels and financially tweak the already-successful schemes so that every house, industrial premises, and farm shed can avail? Should we focus on the incredible untapped potential of offshore wind farms? Today, not 1 kW is being produced on the Irish Sea as progress is tied up with planning issues. By addressing these issues, villages such as Craanford in County Wexford will not have to accommodate these turbines, which are the height of the Spire in Dublin and span the length of the pitch in Croke Park. We know we have to reach our targets but the way we are going about it is simply wrong and we must take into consideration the communities there.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The Planning and Development Act 2024 replaces the ministerial guidelines with national planning statements. The existing section 28 guidelines, including the 2006 wind energy guidelines, remain in force until replaced. The Department of Climate, Communications and the Environment, as the lead policy Department for renewable energy, supports the development of the national planning statement. That will include environmental reporting, public consultation, EU obligations, and matters such as setback distances, noise and shadow flicker. A focused review of the wind energy development guidelines is informing the new national planning statement. That national planning statement will address noise, setback distances, shadow flicker, community obligations and dividends, and grid connections. A strategic environmental assessment and public consultation will be carried out in line with EU requirements. That is currently under way.

When the Taoiseach entered politics, people were able to buy a family home for £50,000. Now house prices in Galway have exploded. They are up by almost 50% in the city and more than 60% in the county since 2020. Buying a home now costs over €140,000 more than it did a few years ago. In five years of the Taoiseach's so-called affordable housing scheme, not a single affordable home was delivered in Galway. Now, finally, the Government has announced 33 affordable homes. Does the Taoiseach know that the prices being charged for these houses are up to €450,000? Does the Taoiseach agree that his own political legacy from when he first entered politics to his role in a Government that crashed the economy to now is a housing crisis, unaffordable rents, the collapse in homeownership, and many young people who see no future here because of the housing crisis?

I do not accept the Deputy's proposition at all but the key point is that people who are looking for housing is the top priority of this Government and indeed the previous one. It is interesting that our supports for first-time buyers are having an impact. The percentage of first-time buyers has been steadily increasing from 26% of all household buyers in 2015 to 40% in 2026.

Percentage of homeownership.

That is a huge increase. That is because of the help to buy scheme, the first home scheme, and the derelict and vacant housing grant schemes, which are helping first-time buyers. The costs are too high but the only answer is supply. We need more and more supply. We need fewer people and political parties objecting to housing to make sure that we have sufficient housing to provide for the younger people in the country. That is the target and objective of Government across social, affordable, and private housing.

We have a real problem in Athenry with capacity on public transport services to Galway. The NTA and Iarnród Éireann have stated that there is no funding in place to maintain the 6.50 a.m. train to Galway beyond August of this year. This is a vital service for those who have work commitments early in the morning in the city. It has been 18 months since the previous bus service to Galway ended and since the NTA approved the public service obligation, PSO, for a replacement service but the NTA is saying it does not have funding in place from the Department to establish this service either. I cannot stress enough the frustration the current transport situation in Athenry is causing for commuters. Rail services are dangerously overcrowded. More than 1,300 people have signed my petition to maintain the 6.50 a.m. service and establish a new bus service. We need more services, not cuts. The Government speaks constantly about sustainable transport and getting people out of cars, but my constituents are being denied viable alternatives. Will the Taoiseach commit to ensuring that the funding is provided for these services?

I thank the Deputy, but just before I respond, I want to welcome the group from Laois, Mountmellick and Portarlington who are in the Public Gallery, accompanied by Deputy Fleming. They are very welcome to Leinster House. In terms of the train service from Athenry and the budgetary situation, Deputy Dolan has spoken to me about that as well. We are engaging with the Minister for Transport. That service is working and has worked very effectively. In terms of additional services, there has been substantial expansion of public transport and rail services, but we do need more. We are continuing, through the national development plan, to provide for the expansion of public transport more generally and particularly with a focus on Galway. There have been some good planning decisions in Galway that have come through An Coimisiún Pleanála with the ring road and, indeed, the port and other developments as well.

The horrendous fire in Tycor in Waterford city was obviously devastating for local residents, but most especially for the social enterprises, small businesses, service providers, a school of music, and a company that provided costumes for theatre. Much was lost. I met many of them yesterday. I know that the Minister was in, but I also met them afterwards. They have a number of asks. The first is that everything possible be done to get them back on their feet and get those businesses up and running again. I spoke to the CEO of Waterford City and County Council this morning and he said that what was needed was a fund that should be administered by the local authority. Money has to be put on the table. That could enable supports to be given to those organisations quickly. They also need premises. There was a real sense of community among those people. They have been working together for years with a mix of social enterprises and service providers. Can Enterprise Ireland and the IDA look at sites that would be appropriate?

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue, and I appreciate his genuine commitment to this. I saw him there yesterday and I know the Ministers of State, Deputies Butler and Cummins, and all the public representatives in Waterford are obviously shocked at the impact of this fire, which has been terrible. The dislocation of so many groups and people has equally been very profound. It is very serious. The CEO was in touch with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in terms of the fund idea. The Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, was down yesterday. The Minister, Deputy Browne, has also been there. We are working through a humanitarian approach. We are looking to pull that proposal together with a view to seeing if we can progress it as an option. There are also the questions of alternative premises for quite a number of the organisations involved and of working with State agencies. There are a lot of people working there but there are also disability services. It is quite shocking and devastating what has happened to the people. Every effort will be made to try to help those in distress at the moment.

The Currency reported today that, at the height of the genocide in 2024, the Department of trade authorised the export of €20 million euro worth of military-capable so-called dual-use goods, not just to Israel, but specifically to the Israel Defense Forces, IDF, or Israel's Ministry of Defense. What on earth was the Department doing sanctioning the sale of these goods, potentially for military use, to those organisations involved at the time of the mass slaughter of Palestinians? Did the Minister know anything about it at the time? Did he sign off on it? Did the Taoiseach know anything about it? Does this not make the case for full sanctions on Israel and for no trade with this apartheid and genocidal state, which is contained in our Bill that will be debated tomorrow?

First, I have not read that article in The Currency. I will read it before commenting. Second, it does not justify a full trade boycott with Israel because we need to work out what the implications of that would be for Irish jobs and workers in particular. The Government favours a suspension of the European Union-Israel trade association agreement, which at the moment gives preferential tariffs to Israel. A full-on boycott and divestment could have serious implications for Irish jobs and companies as well. We need to just figure that out so that people can make informed decisions and not make them on the fly.

Will the Taoiseach join me in condemning the racist abuse that Suad Mooge, the recently selected Dublin Rose, received simply by virtue of winning the competition? She was subjected to racist abuse because of the colour of her skin. I understand that she grew up in Sligo and then went to school in Terenure, which is in my constituency. I happened to listen back to her on "Liveline" yesterday and it was a personality explosion listening to her. I listened to the resilience that she has to display on a day-to-day basis through her whole life. We would not tolerate the level of racist abuse that she faced if it was happening on the streets daily. She faced this volume of racism because it was on online platforms. Let us blunt be about this - those online platforms are monetising the hate and racism. We are doing a lot in these Houses and in Europe to protect children. What can we do to protect people like Suad Mooge and some of our incredible sporting heroes who faced the same level of racism in that online sphere?

I join with the Deputy in condemning those racists attacks on the Dublin Rose who has been selected. It is absolutely appalling and there should be no tolerance of such racist abuse of any person in Ireland, or anywhere for that matter. Again, all of us in the House need to reflect on this. I recall in the last Dáil that there was legislation on hate speech, which eventually ran into a roadblock politically because others suggested that it undermined free speech and so on. To be honest, the Dáil collectively shied away from some aspects of that. We did bring in the additional penalties for criminal convictions and so on. At least it was done in terms of assaults and that. However, there is a huge issue, and the Deputy is correct in terms of the monetisation of this. I am reading some stuff on the by-election in Dublin Central that is quite appalling. Stuff just appears online irrespective of the candidate, and it is just appalling that this kind of stuff can happen. We need to collectively address it.

Yesterday marked something of a milestone for the health service. For 50 days in the past three months, the number of delayed transfers of care has exceeded 500 patients across acute hospitals. For 50 days, there have been over 500 people waiting and ready to leave acute hospitals but cannot. They need step-down care, specialised beds, home care packages and nursing homes. These people need care that would cost a lot less than being in an acute hospital bed. Of course, all of this is taking place at a time when the HSE has overspent for the first quarter of this year, the Minister for Health is telling us that we need another €300 million in the health service for this year and the medical board at University Hospital Limerick is saying that there is a very real risk to patient safety there right now. When I talk to hospital managers across the country, they are telling me of closed step-down beds and repeated business cases being submitted but going nowhere. Are alarm bells going off at the moment with regards to the health budget and the needs that are there? What plans does the Minister specifically have for step-down beds?

I thank the Deputy. I have not said anything about a supplementary budget. That was reported based on last year's, so I have no idea where that is coming from. Taking the case of Limerick, there were 20 delayed transfers of care there yesterday. Over the past ten days, Limerick has ranged from having 15 people on trolleys to 70 people on trolleys, at an average of about 30 to 40 each day. I was in Clare on Monday. The community supports are just as important in Clare to take the pressure off Limerick as anything else and I noticed that, on the same day I was in Clare talking about the development of care there, the Limerick doctors were highlighting patient safety issues. The reality is that if someone turns up to the medical assessment unit in Ennis in the morning and needs an urgent CT scan, it will be read by a radiographer in Limerick, but if someone turns up to the medical assessment unit in Ennis in the afternoon instead of the morning and needs an urgent CT scan, it will not be read by the radiographer in Limerick. Instead, the patient will be transferred by ambulance to the emergency department in Limerick to have the scan there. There are still things that do not make sense and need to be fixed. Processes need to change to take the pressure off Limerick and other hospitals. A big part of that is investing in the community and step-down beds, as the Deputy said.

I have raised this matter on several occasions since my election to the House. It concerns the idle IDA site in Fermoy on the grounds of the former Fitzgerald Camp Army barracks. Although it is a serviced site close to the Cork-Dublin motorway, it has unfortunately remained without tenants for nearly 24 years since being handed over to the IDA. In addition, there have been no recent expressions of interest to operate on site. This continues to be a major disappointment to the people of Fermoy and the Blackwater region, given the site appears to be perfectly suited for investment. I highlighted this fact with the Taoiseach as recently as January. He said he is familiar with the site and that he would talk to the IDA and seek clarity on its development potential. I, therefore, ask the Taoiseach whether there is any update from the IDA on possible proposals being considered. I thank the Taoiseach for the interest he has already taken in this matter.

I thank the Deputy again for raising this. On the last occasion, I said to him that sometimes we have to be patient but I accept that 24 years is a long time. Often, it depends. The IDA will bring people to various sites. Ultimately, it is up to companies to decide the location of any particular site. I will engage with the IDA to see whether it has any different plans for the site. It would be a big boost to Fermoy if we could attract a foreign direct investment, FDI, company to that particular site. It would make a significant difference to the economy of Fermoy. That is the balance. It could be used for something else, such as indigenous enterprise and so on, but that would cut off the prospect of FDI.

I thank the Government, particularly the Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, and the Minister, Deputy James Browne, for the excellent work they have done in progressing planning exemptions on modular homes. I take issue with some political commentators and people in the media who refer to them as beds in sheds. This is highly insulting to the excellent and reputable Irish companies that are producing these modular homes. If only they knew what they are talking about. The BER rating of many of these modular homes will be far superior to bungalows built as recently as 20, 25 and 30 years ago. In other words, they are a comfortable place for people to live for a period of time. I am not trying to say that it is a housing solution for everyone for all time but it is at certain times. It will be positive. I again thank the Minister and Minister of State involved. It has been dragging on for quite a while, however. When can people look forward to the necessary legislation being put in place, so that local authorities can allow these exemptions to go ahead?

I agree with what the Deputy has said. The use of that language is deliberately demeaning to undermine what is an important initiative. It is not a silver bullet in and of itself but we have many different people looking for different types of accommodation in the country. This provides a further option. As the Deputy said, we are looking at buildings and modular units that are quite modern in terms of their configuration and so on. People have used the term "sheds" and all that for naked political reasons as opposed to any informed assessment of what is happening and what potentially will happen. I will ask the Minister and Minister of State to talk to the Deputy again but my understanding is that there has to be a degree of screening in terms of the various environmental aspects to this, planning and so forth. We will be moving on this quickly. The decision has been taken.

I have a letter from retained station officer, John Molloy, from Dunleer fire station. It was sent to the Taoiseach. It states: I am serving retained station officer with Louth County Council due to retire in a number of weeks on 24 May 2026. At 62 years of age, I do not want to retire, nor am I ready to retire. All assistant chief fire officers can stay until 70. All county council outdoor working staff can stay to 70. I am pleading with you to put something in place in the interim to allow us retained fire fighters to stay until the age of 65. This was done previously for age 62 on the basis of health checks. There are approximately 300 retained fire fighters due to retire at 62 over the next year. It is going to come into legislation eventually to keep us to 65. Please step in and do the right thing. The gardaí are extending the retirement age. I served in the army for 22 and a half years and joined the fire service for 20 years within a week of leaving the army. I have given everything to this country. We do not want to be on social welfare. We are very experienced fire personnel who want to remain and pass on to our knowledge and experience to younger firefighters.

The Deputy will have to learn to read faster. I call the Taoiseach to respond.

We should acknowledge that we have made a lot of progress on this. In the previous Government, we went from 55 to 62 across all the uniform grades. That was significant. We will keep all of this under review. I cannot make any specific commitment to go to 65 today or anything like that.

Could there be an interim solution?

There are issues we have to take on board in terms of the nature of these professions and the work that is involved. We have come a long way from 55 to 62. That simply has to be acknowledged. It is and will have an impact on the Defence Forces and the Garda. While I did not catch his name, I appreciate the public service the gentleman-----

He is John Molloy.

I appreciate the public service John has given to the country. That is accepted. These are issues that we will continue to keep under review.

We have two Members waiting. We have taken the number of Members required but we will take the remaining two Members. I ask them to be brief.

The community sports facilities fund, formally known as the sports capital grant, is very popular in north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny. I will be hosting an information evening with the Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, on Tuesday, 26 May at 8 p.m. in Littleton in the Moycarkey-Borris Community and Sports Centre. It is in conjunction with Senator Imelda Goldsboro from south Tipperary and local councillor and Littleton man, Councillor Sean Ryan. The previous Government delivered record funding for sports clubs across Tipperary. I have two questions on behalf of the clubs I represent in north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny. First, when will applications open? Second, how long after applications close do we expect grants to be awarded?

I thank Deputy O’Meara for raising this issue. Clearly, he has assembled a formidable Tipperary team for that public information meeting that will involve both Tipperary and north Kilkenny. I anticipate it will be this year. Hopefully, we will be in a position to open for applications in the next month or two. It is a vital scheme that reaches into communities. Across the length and breadth of the country, we can see the impact of this scheme, with first-class sporting facilities in communities and clubs from all different codes. It is important that we can facilitate the applications again this year.

The student council from Scoil an Linbh Íosa in Prosperous is in the Public Gallery today. Those students have written this question directly. I am merely reading it out for them. It is their words. They ask: We do enough work in school. Our teachers agree. Children, families and teachers are so busy in the evenings. We want to promote well-being and nurture our hobbies and skills as children. There is no expectation that adults bring their work home, so why must children? Will this Government consider putting an end to homework for primary school children?

When I was Lord Mayor of Cork, one of the great privileges I had was to give a half day and give the homework off. Unfortunately, the Department of education came down on that practice after I left my job as Lord Mayor of Cork. As the Minister for education, I repeated the act. To be more serious, education and learning have evolved a lot. We know that children learn more through play in many instances than just through formal academic rigor. We do not want to dictate to schools across the length and breadth of the country but we think schools, particularly at primary level, should factor that into curriculum development. The teacher in me says that doing the odd bit of homework reinforces the message and makes sure that students have picked up and absorbed what was taught in the class.

Time is up, Taoiseach.

The students asked that question to me as Taoiseach rather than as a teacher, however.

It is a very good question.

We have evolved a lot.

For this evening, both the Taoiseach and I combined-----

The homework is off.

There is no homework this evening for the students.

Is that for me too?

It is not for you.