Micheál Martin

-----particularly the Department of Social Protection.

The Government is committed to dealing with the means test in respect of the carer's allowance and it will be in the next budget that progress on that front will commence. We will have to wait until budget time and the lead-up to the budget on that issue. It is a very important issue that is in the programme for Government and all parties to the programme for Government are very committed to doin…

The economy has been extremely strong in recent years. That has helped the profitability of many companies, including banks. By the way, the Central Bank governs the supervision of banks, as the Deputy knows. However, I do believe that in the next while we should focus on finance available to building and house building in particular, that both the cost of that finance would be reduced and that th…

No. There have been huge mortgage drawdowns for first-time buyers in recent years and banks benefit from that, but we need more housing. If you talk to anyone about house building the cost of finance is a big inhibitor. It is a big problem. We need to look at the cost of finance to get to 50,000. I am interested in solutions not sloganeering or politicking and so on.

Deputy O’Connor has been pursuing this issue for some time, to be fair to him. He has made some progress but he would like it to be faster. I mean that seriously. These things can take time. He has my support and that of Government in respect of this project. I will see to it if we can, through the various agencies, get a design consultant appointed.

Yes, Deputy McGreehan has spoken to me on this and I will talk to her again later. First, the Irish Government has been very proactive on the Middle East and the Palestinian question in recognising the State of Palestine and taking a very strong position in supporting UNWRA as the only viable UN agency that can enable education in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere as well as medic…

I am coming to that. I know that.

This is the point I am making. Once this is done and the next thing is done, then it is something else and it is always used to denigrate the Government.

The Government is progressing that Bill and is progressing legislation.

Mar is eol don Teachta, tá deacracht ó thaobh Fhoras na Gaeilge faoi láthair. Níl aon amhras faoi sin. Níl an Rialtas anseo freagrach as an deacracht sin. Táimid ag déanamh gach aon iarracht an cheist sin a réiteach. Mar aon leis sin, táimid sásta níos mó infheistíocht a chur isteach i gcúrsaí Gaeilge i gcoitinne agus níos mó tacaíocht a thabhairt d'Fhoras na Gaeilge. I gcomhthéacs an clár Shared …

That is a misreading of my comments. Sometimes people get the impression that vetting is extremely comprehensive in terms of the background of a person. It is not as comprehensive as people might believe. The big cry in the House for quite a while now has been for more gardaí, getting more people into training and so on. I will ask the Minister for Justice to reply to the Deputy more comprehensive…

First, I dealt with that comprehensively earlier when Deputy Rice raised the exact same question, and I made the point that a clinical audit is being conducted by an external international expert on surgery for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip across CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. Developmental dysplasia of the hip, as I said, is a problem with the way a baby's …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Beidh mé ag caint leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi sin anois. Tá an Teachta ag rá go bhfuil sé i bhfad níos costasaí do na scoileanna ar na hoileáin a bheith páirteach sa scéim seo. Ní raibh sé sin i gceist againn. Le cúnamh Dé, beimid in ann é sin a réiteach sula i bhfad. Ardóidh mé an cheist leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will discuss this with the Minister for Education. As the Deputy knows, the school transport system has its anomalies and complexities. I will see what we can do in respect of that. I fully share his view that public transport can reduce emissions through the replacement of cars, and his commitment to the climate change aspect of this is welcome. More fu…

I accept fully that community and voluntary health and social care workers in section 39 organisations are the backbone of essential services. The State depends on them to deliver critical support to people across the country every day. I welcome the fact that talks reconvened through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, yesterday for organisations funded under sections 39, 56, 10 and 40, with…

I know what it is all about. The programme for Government commits to working with the voluntary sector to progress this issue.

Ní aontaím in aon chor leis an Teachta. Go háirithe, níl aon bhaint ag an gcinneadh seo atá tógtha ag an Rialtas lenár bpolasaithe i dtaobh ár neodracht mhíleata. Níl aon bhaint aige leis in aon chor. Tá sé in am dúinn an triple lock a chur ar leataobh agus as seo amach, nuair a bheidh an reachtaíocht imithe tríd an Dáil, beimid i gceannas maidir leis an gcinneadh atá á dhéanamh againn ó thaobh ár…

I have heard the Deputy suggest from time to time that we have a referendum to insert into the Constitution a clause dealing with neutrality. Sinn Féin has never published any suggested wording, any suggested definition-----

-----in respect of the type-----

I did not interrupt the Deputy. With respect-----

I did not interrupt the Deputy.

Here we go again.

There is a reason I am putting the-----

There is a reason I am putting the question.

I do not think there is any need to answer anymore.