Helen McEntee

For the second time, I will repeat it for the people in the back who may not have heard my response to all Deputy Doherty's three questions. The Deputy might repeat what I have actually said over the past number of years. There are absolutely problems in our city centre and in every part of our country that we need to address. By addressing those, we can ensure every person is safe and feels safe …

I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue. I said when I was appointed to this role that my number one objective and goal was to make sure every young person - irrespective of their background, where they come from or what school they go to - is supported, and that our teachers are resourced and supported to help them achieve their full ability. That is my number one goal and priority. Tha…

I do and always will engage with our teachers because they are the only way this will happen and they provide our young people with the fantastic education they get. We have spent over €6 billion on capital projects since the beginning of 2020. I have said clearly to the unions that we will invest more, whether in science labs or in making sure more training is provided. I have asked my officials …

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Similar to the delivery of our education system, the delivery of healthcare in this country can only happen with the support of fantastic people: from our consultants to our GPs to our nurses to our clinicians right across the system. That is why over recent years we have continued to significantly invest not just in our built infrastructure in…

It is absolutely the case that the HSE must, will and will always work within the relevant framework. That is absolutely the case. It is what we expect from the HSE and what we expect from those working in our public sector. Where issues and challenges arise, there are very clear frameworks and structures that must be adhered to and mechanisms which can be put in place to resolve any outstanding i…

This Government has been very clear in stating that we need to invest more in our water system and that we need to do more to make sure towns, communities or villages which do not have access to the quality of water that they should get investment first and foremost. We must also ensure that sites are opened up and that in the delivery of housing in particular we have the investment and infrastruc…

I will respond to both points. In relation to the storm, a committee has already been established on a permanent basis to make sure all Departments and relevant agencies are prepared should something like this happen again. As I have said, the likelihood of that is quite high. What is Uisce Éireann doing? It is purchasing more generators and making sure sites are generator-ready. It will do anythi…

I acknowledge the absolute devastation that was caused by this explosion. I met with the families because I wanted to hear from them. I wanted to meet them because I want to make sure they get the answers they are entitled to and they deserve. The number one objective here is that families get answers to the questions they have asked, as they are entitled to. We also want to make sure something li…

I thank the Deputy for the question. He will be aware that the timelines are there to protect wildlife and certain nature.

It is certainly a question I can ask and relay to the Minister. The objective is that we do everything possible to put in place measures to prevent the type of destruction we saw in the last several weeks. I will certainly relay the specific timeline and the Deputy's request to the Minister.

I am aware that the route is closed and that this is a private contract. I am also aware that the Tánaiste has committed to writing to the NTA to see what possible measures or options could be put in place to service the towns and communities mentioned by the Deputy. Of course, I will again relay this information to ensure this happens.

I assure the Deputy it is a number one priority to ensure every child has access to the place they are entitled to, particularly those with special educational needs. I believe a great deal of progress has been made in recent years. I want to get to a point where every single child is offered a place at the same time as their sibling and every other child in their community. There is work to do in…

I congratulate Deputy Neville and wish him well in the years ahead. I look forward to working with him and I know he will be a strong advocate for people in north Meath, like his predecessor.

Apologies, in north Kildare. I think we share similar challenges within our counties as well, especially with our growing population, young population and proximity to Dublin. I assure the Deputy this Government is absolutely committed to ensuring we invest in north Kildare in communities where there is that growth and increase in population. We are committed through the expansion of the national …

It is vital that we provide many forms of transport for people through public and private operators, through buses, the Luas, BusConnects and as many different ways as possible, including the expansion of our rail lines. I am not familiar with the specific route mentioned by the Deputy, but similar to the question from Deputy Devlin, I will endeavour to ask our Minister to see if there is somethin…

I wish the Deputy well and congratulate him on his appointment. I am aware of this issue. It was raised with me when I was in the constituency during the election campaign. My understanding is that this is very much on the agenda for Uisce Éireann and that work is under way and engagement is happening with stakeholders. The commitment I mentioned is that we will increase and expand the funding tha…

This Government is committed to making sure we invest in our roads. That does not just mean maintenance and expansion but also making sure the roads that are committed to on our list are continued, progressed and finalised. In addition, with the review of the NDP, there is potential for new projects to be part of that expansion and list. I am not familiar with the stages and timelines for the road…

As a Deputy in a constituency that has three motorways, I am well aware of the burden that tolls place on people who are commuting to work on a daily basis. There is an overriding objective for all of us to try to ensure that we reduce the costs for people who are travelling to work. At the same time, we need to make sure that we are continuing to invest in our roads and infrastructure. I will rel…

I also acknowledge the fantastic work of Local Link and the vital role it plays in our rural communities in particular. Unfortunately, I do not know the route the Deputy referenced but I will certainly raise this with the Minister for Transport and ask him to come back directly to him.

While I am not aware of the exact investment that was allocated in recent weeks, investment in road maintenance and expansion has increased across the board. It is important that this continues to increase and that every local authority gets its fair share. Speed is the number one killer. It is very important that we maintain our roads, which play a key role in keeping people safe. We must everyth…

I thank the Deputy for his question. In the past four years, almost €6 billion has been spent on capital investment in education. This includes opening new schools, expanding existing schools and using modular buildings where required. This is in response to the demand that exists and the increasing numbers of students going into primary and post-primary schools. We are committed to making sure th…

I thank the Deputy and congratulate her on her election to the Dáil. Dunboyne College has expanded in recent years and provides an outstanding education to many in County Meath and the surrounding counties. Work has been under way to acquire a new site and that is progressing. Work is under way in the Department to make sure that the new build can be delivered as quickly as possible. I and all of …

I will ensure that this scheme is raised directly with the Minister. I repeat that it is a priority for the Government to make sure that we invest significantly in Uisce Éireann and its capacity to be able to do more work. We want to address as quickly as possible the challenges mentioned by the Deputy. We want to ensure that funding can be invested into communities that are experiencing these cha…

No, it is not.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: - a child's right to education is enshrined in the Constitution and, under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, must be accessible on an equal basis with others in the community in which they live; and - the Government is committed to ensuring that ea…