Micheál Martin

I said I am going to have a look at it. The Deputy asked me to have a look at it, so I am telling him that I am going to have a look at it. Deputy Ó Cearúil is correct on the moves we made in terms of dependency on Russian oil and gas. On public transport, it is key. I have spoken to the Ministers for public expenditure and Transport in respect of DART+ South West. That has gone through all the p…

-----in terms of securing additional safeguards. Quite a significant number of safeguards have been secured. That is contrary to what was there a year ago. They are taking the form of legal instruments that the Commission has committed to. We succeeded in securing the nitrates derogation. It is a significant advancement that we now have that for a further three years. It was challenging and diffi…

If we were to add up the figures from everybody's contributions, I would guess that we would arrive at another €50 billion. We have to try keep things moving with planning in the context of progressing as many projects as we possibly can and to make sure that we have sustainability, financing and all of that. I will have to look at the rail prioritisation strategy that emerged on Friday.

First of all, tá an-chuid déanta i gcoitinne ag an Rialtas chun costais a bhaineann le cúrsaí leighis a ísliú. Tá sé sin déanta againn, go háirithe ó thaobh an drugs payment scheme. Tá an tairseach i bhfad níos fearr anois ná mar a bhí sé cúpla bliain ó shin. More generally on the cost of medicine, and particularly charges and so on, this Government has, over the last number of years, significantl…

I am sorry, this is the issue. Invariably Sinn Féin will come in another day and question Government about how the costs got out of control, value for money and so on. There has to be an engagement between the pharmacy sector and the HSE on these matters. Unfortunately in the Oireachtas from time to time, the Deputies opposite just blow all that out of the water and do not even allow interrogation…

-----but there are issues here. I mean, there are agreements between-----

-----the Irish Pharmacy Union-----

-----and the Department-----

The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics carried out an evidence assessment.

I am just giving the background as the question was asked. It indicated the evidence was very equivocal in terms of supporting the programme. We will go back and discuss this with the HSE.

During discussions with the pharmacy union-----

-----it was agreed that improved controls would be introduced.

My view on monitored dosing systems is that I am not sure there should be a fee attached to them at all, but I am not so sure either-----

Hold on. I am not sure either that the State should be ponying up for everything here. There is no analysis by Deputy Doherty of both sides of this engagement. That is my point. There is too much of that in the House. The easy thing to go for is that the Government must pay for everything, no matter how it is presented or manifested. Deputy Doherty, even though he is finance spokesman, just casts …

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was responsible for a lot of the very proactive work in respect of dementia.

There needs to be an engagement between the Irish Pharmacy Union and the HSE on this, but it cannot be the case that every new system or modification of a system or approach is just agreed. That cannot be it either.

First, I reject completely the assertions made by the Deputy in respect of this. I think he is missing the fundamental point. The assessment of need framework as it currently stands is not fit for purpose, and recent High Court decisions have made it less fit for purpose. The objective of the legislation, along with a whole series of other measures, is to prioritise and increase timely access to t…

The private procurement of assessment of need will be supported by €20 million in this year's budget, and there is more on top of that, but I do not have time to elaborate on it.

You did.

I did.

Again, you did criticise it, by the way.

From the outset, you have been extremely negative. The whole question was articulated in a negative way.

Fine. I welcome Deputy Kenny's turnaround and reverse within five minutes. As for the question, I did say that there will be assessment teams. Teachers will not be assessing. I would appreciate, if the INTO has issues, that it would engage with us and engage with the Department of education. Do not be shooting from the hip.

People should not be shooting from the hip all the time. The current system is not fit for purpose. Many children will present with special needs from the earliest diagnosis, when it is very clear they have special needs. They do not need to go through elaborate further assessments of need before being allocated a school place. We do need to streamline this. Therapists need to be freed up to prov…

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. The Government is talking a whole-of-society and a whole-of-government approach to online safety, recognising the rapid pace of change in the digital world and also the need for very co-ordinated, robust and rights-respecting responses. That response spans regulation, education, parental supports, age verification measures, curriculum …