Micheál Martin

Whereas I believe that what we did with the fuel allowance and what we have done-----

-----with the working family payments and so on is the proper way to proceed. We also have to change the regulatory framework. That is not simple work. It is under way, though, and will ultimately help us to deal with the issue. The bottom line is that €18 billion is an enormous sum of money. The Deputy has not given any rational explanation as to how she thinks it should be------

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is very serious. The Deputy rightly referred to the shocking deaths of Niamh McNally, Leona Cusack, Aoife Johnston, and Eve Cleary. From that, there is no question that the mid-west needs additional investment but also reform. The reform dimension started two years or more ago now and has had impact, but the investment also has had impact. The level of…

The amount of capital being allocated for projects across health and education is enormous.

Unprecedented levels of capital investment are being allocated. The Deputy knows that very often there is a parallel between the speed of acquisition of sites, speed of delivery, design and planning. There are a load of variables before we get to the drawdown of substantial capital in relation to a number of projects. The enabling works are happening in terms of the second site. There is an acknow…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. We are listening to people with disabilities. Last Monday, we had a very significant meeting with disabled persons' organisations in the context of the implementation of the national strategy for disabled persons and the action plan that underpins it. There were a number of Ministers present, and I chaired the meeting. Each Minister outline…

I disagree with the Deputy. This is a priority for me and for the Government. Just because she stands up and says it is not does not mean it is not. It is, but we need permanent change and permanent improvements, not just once-off stuff every year. That will not cut it either and-----

Deputy Calleary is working through the detail because is not simple. He is going to work through it and will have proposals in the first half of next year. This year, we brought in the highest ever increase to the child support payment, namely €16 per week for children over 12, up to €78 now-----

Of course it is relevant. That is for all children. There has been a €20 monthly increase to the domiciliary care allowance-----

-----on the back of a very big increase last year. We are not going the route of short-term, once-off payments. Such payments are not fiscally sustainable in terms of the €3 billion and more we allocated last year.

It is not your turn Deputy McDonald.

Please allow someone else to have the opportunity to hear my reply.

It will be interesting to see how long the Deputies opposite will remain colleagues, but anyway.

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. I agree with him that what happened in Brussels last week was absolutely unacceptable in terms of the pulling back of the Hague preferences. The situation is far more grave than that, however. In terms of the overall issue, it was on scientific advice that the Council based its decisions. The Deputy is familiar with the International …

I put it to the Deputy that what I am proposing is far more realistic in terms of an immediate or timely response to the predicament and the dire situation Irish fishers find themselves in, primarily, let us be honest, because of scientific advice. When the stock is-----

I gave the reason earlier.

This is Deputy Collins's time. Sinn Féin cannot cannibalise everyone else and grab their time. I know it tries to do it politically.

Deputy Collins is the one Deputy in this House who has raised this issue.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn's party chose not to raise it. Deputy Collins raised it and, in fairness to him, he should be allowed time for a response.

I say to Deputy Collins that we will look at all options. The most immediate one I am concerned about is that we need a framework of response in order to bring about a financially sustainable future for Irish fishers. That is important. We want to work with the industry to do that.

The Government did not withdraw anything. There is a need for proper debate on these matters. Everything gets weaponised and simplified and to hell with the consequences or to heal with the truth behind the issue and so on. I refer to the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU, statement of last week. This is a bit more complex now than has been articulated by the Deputy's good self and others in the past week…

Politically it is, of course, because that is what the Deputy is fundamentally about.

There is an obligation on public representatives of all parties-----

-----to get to the truth of these issues and deal with them in a straightforward way.

I certainly will. It is unacceptable. There is no call for broken windows. We have minor works grants and various schemes that can deal with issues of maintenance. In particular, if glass is broken or whatever, you fix the window, for God's sake. I will talk to the Minister and ask her to engage with the Minister for Defence, although it would seem to me that it is primarily an education matter on…