Micheál Martin

That is crazy.

It clarifies the issue. I will pursue it. I do not think that should happen. I think we need certainty. If we are putting something into a capital programme in 2025, it should be in there in 2026 if it has not been progressed. I will pursue that with the Minister and with the HSE. Roscommon has proven itself to be a very good hospital for services. I remember the row we had back in 2016 on the eme…

I appreciate that he will be pursuing and advocating on behalf of them. On the 24-7 cardiac care, I will have to go back with the Minister. The commitment is there. I remember it going through Cabinet last year. We were told by clinicians for a long time and all the expert groups that it could not be done. Now it can be done, following the reviews, and I am determined that we pursue it and fulfil …

I will look at that because I think we should be in a position. Very often the health service is not responsive because it wants to do general approaches to supports but I have often had a view that visually impaired and hearing impaired should be carved out somewhat, particularly where it facilitates employment. We should really support employment. We do not do that as well as we should. I will …

We have to get tough again on tobacco. In the manifestation of all these new technologies, we are witnessing the revenge of tobacco following the smoking ban and other smoking cessation initiatives. The Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2002 was comprehensive. It was not just about the smoking ban; it was about getting rid of ten-packs and the sale of single cigarettes and putting cigarettes out of sigh…

I will discuss that with the Minister for Health in order to see what we can do. Developmental checks are very important in terms of early diagnosis. We can prevent a lot if developmental checks are done earlier.

I will go as fast as I can.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 to 31, inclusive, together. On 5 December, I attended the 44th British-Irish Council summit hosted by the Welsh Government in Hensol in Wales. The theme of the summit was a creative future and unlocking the potential of the creative industries across these island, with a particular focus on the screen sector. I was joined at the plenary by a number of Ministers…

On Deputy Coppinger's contribution, the one person who was convicted was Jeffrey Epstein, and rightly so in terms of the horrific crimes he was found guilty of. With others, such as Ghislaine Maxwell, it seems he ran a very depraved criminal network trafficking young women. The law must take its course on that.

Yes, and children.

It was young women as well, and children. The Deputy does not have a monopoly of horror on what happened. I will simply say that the law must take its course. There should be thorough and comprehensive investigations before we arrive at conclusions in terms of anyone else named in that. That is what is happening in the United Kingdom, although it is on a different issue in terms of material that e…

There is an application in for support. That is designed to capture exactly what the Deputy articulated regarding the story of Omeath, the Irish language and the migratory pathway to west Belfast. That would be very interesting. I presume the county council or somebody has submitted this and it can be covered. We will keep an eye out for that. That is exactly what was envisaged by the Shared Home …

I am talking to Deputy O'Hara. Deputy Mac Lochlainn did not ask the question.

The shared island initiative is the most substantive initiative in 50 or 60 years in terms of investment in Northern Ireland by a Government in the Republic. Those are facts. I get on with the pragmatic connecting of people in every aspect of life. It is not just about building roads, which we are doing, building bridges, which we are doing with the Narrow Water Bridge, or the Ulster Canal. It is …

-----in the Good Friday Agreement as how we proceed. Fianna Fáil has always believed in substance on the North. We had a critical role to play-----

-----in the Good Friday Agreement. Now, we are in a modern era. We are living out the Wolfe Tone ideal of connecting people and reconciliation. That is a very important thing to do.

Over the past five years, we have invested very significantly in the creative industries and in the arts. This Government will continue to do that. I believe passionately in the arts. The arts have a central and civilising role within society. They create opportunities for analysis, reflection, critical inquiry and diversity. It is wonderful to witness the flowering of talent and ability from gene…

Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom a rá gur uafásach an scéal ar fad é an méid a tharla i gCiarraí thuaidh maidir le cúrsaí leigheas intinne. Is drochscéal é. Is féidir liom a rá go bhfuil sé uafásach. At the outset, the report is not published yet. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, will bring a memorandum to the Government this afternoon and will publish the report in its entirety in the aftermat…

Fundamentally, there has to be accountability from a clinical perspective. That has to happen. We do have a Medical Council and we do have a framework. I do not want to prejudge anything here but clearly there are issues in relation to that dimension of it. We have to be very careful at the same time. The Deputy mentioned a case there. That is, fundamentally, a clinical decision-making situation.…

It is not tenable and I do not think we can as a Dáil but that is what the Deputy was suggesting in that last exchange.

You just did and I think it is wrong-----

I am sorry but you referenced the case. I am happy to discuss that case with you offline-----

I am happy to answer questions.

First of all, we need to have some degree of objective assessment of what actually has happened in terms of investment in education. Investment in education has increased dramatically over the past number of years - of that, there is no question. Just go through the number of extra teachers in our education system over the past number of years, which is quite significant. We have had a sustained r…

Yes, I was just making the point. I presumed the Deputy did not and that is what I was saying. If the Deputy accepts that there are reviews, then reviews can work both ways because of changing need. A lot of schools get increases when those reviews are done. I think the mistake made here is that there has not been a comprehensive review for quite a number of years. The NCSE endeavouring to correct…