Micheál Martin

It is not an omnishambles. Yesterday, the Minister spoke in the Dáil. She is working very hard on this issue. We must always remember the Government is contracting this service, in this case from pharmacies, as we do from general practitioners also. It should be possible to do this fairly and in the best interests of the women of the country. The Minister is working very proactively on this. The a…

The general assessment of remote working in Ireland has been positive. Over time we need to evaluate it, through a whole-of-society approach to the evaluation of remote working. It certainly is good for climate. It certainly is good for congestion within cities and towns. It is good for individuals. It has helped increase participation in the workforce and it creates a flexibility that is also be…

-----the comments of that particular individual the Deputy has referenced, I think-----

-----that is not the core of this. The important part here is that we continue to evaluate-----

-----and productivity seems to have increased.

I heard the Deputy. The Deputy may be aware that the Minister has brought the heads of the Bill in respect of the issue of counselling notes.

The Deputy has raised the issue. The Minister has brought legislation. It will go to pre-legislative scrutiny and people will have an opportunity to input into the Bill. The Minister is acting on it, and has acted on it, and no person in this country is above the law.

I have experience. I know what is going on here. The Deputy calls for clarity but what he wants is confusion. What the Deputy wants is to be able to say that it is incoherent, it is drip-drip, it is bit by bit whereas I am asking if we cannot wait for the audit to be completed and given to the Minister, with the Minister to share it with the Oireachtas, the public and, above all, the families that…

I would accept that. Obviously, there is some degree of uncertainty. Most artists on that scheme, by the way, were very positive about the impact of the scheme on artists, and particularly those on the lower income spectrum of earning artists. I will talk to the Minister for arts and culture to get more information in terms of the reviews but also future plans.

My understanding is, while the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme, it is TII that is responsible for the delivery of the national roads programme. It has informed the Department that Wicklow County Council has just completed the option selection phase for the N11-M11 bus priority scheme. The project team ma…

I will do everything I can. I will raise the issue with the Minister.

The Deputy can send me the detail. I will forward this to the Minister concerned and we will come back to the Deputy with a reply.

My understanding is - I will check it - that it may have gone out to tender as part of a bundle that could involve Lismore primary care centre as well. There has been a lot of progress made on primary care centres over the last four to five years. Gorey is a huge and growing town and area.

I hear what the Deputy is saying. I will talk to the Minister and get her to respond to the Deputy in respect of the issue.

It is a beautiful part of the country.

Again, our bathing water continues to improve because of the provision of additional wastewater capacity. I note that the Minister is also from the sunny south east. I will certainly talk to him about the wastewater requirements there. We are looking at capital for Irish Water. Additional capital will be provided. We will endeavour to progress that.

I absolutely agree. Reflecting on the last number of years, there is a perception that urban environments are not as safe as they once were. I refer to the centres of different cities. That is the perception in Cork, although it is a beautiful city with a beautiful city centre and there are continuous improvements to the public realm. I believe people are specifically talking about the city centre…

I thank the Deputy for the interesting point he has raised. I was the one to introduce the threshold of six for a special class with two SNAs and a teacher back in 1998 when we took a very significant decision in a Government memorandum. It is fair to make that point about a model for rural schools and schools whose numbers are quite low. I will talk to the Minister for Education, Deputy Helen McE…

Would that report come from the HSE?

We will let the HSE know that the Deputy has raised the issue and ask that a serious incident report be completed. I do not know the background of the case. I extend my sympathies to the family of Jimmy Loughlin on what transpired here. I do not know if it was referred to the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, which could be one way of-----

Well, it depends. It may be for the Mental Health Commission in respect of mental health issues but there may be broader issues. That should be the direction of travel rather than a full public inquiry, which could take a very long period of time. It is a serious issue the Deputy has raised and I will follow up on it.

Over the last number of years, the Government has allocated significant investment to pubs. The investment during the Covid-19 pandemic was unprecedented and enabled many rural pubs to develop good outdoor facilities and so on. That is a good thing and very positive. I do take the Deputy's point about socialisation being good for you. Professor Luke O'Neill has written in his Sunday Independent a…

I am just saying what the reality is.

We are all familiar with it. We have all enjoyed a pint in a pub.

Will I engage in having a pint?