Jerry Buttimer

The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, like Deputy Burke and I, will be familiar with and recognise the importance of the N20 project. It is critical and it is lacking. It is the deficit in the infrastructure connecting the western corridor. People rightly complain from many perspectives but, from an economic perspective, it is absolutely imperative that we advance the motorway and that Cork-Limerick road. …

I will certainly do that.

Longest.

What a small-minded-----

Ar an gcéad dul síos, tá céad míle fáilte roimh Kara Owen agus déanaim comhghairdeas le Paul Johnston. I thank Sinn Féin for putting the motion before us. It is my pleasure to deliver the closing remarks on behalf of an Rialtas. I echo the comments of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, at the outset of the debate, namely, that all of us in government share as a founding princip…

I join Deputy Gogarty in condemning the actions tonight of those who engaged in thuggery. We are, and should be, as Deputy Gogarty rightly said, thinking about the young girl who was attacked. We send our best wishes to her. We also think of the member of An Garda Síochána who was attacked tonight in the line of duty. All of us who are balanced and fair people recognise there is no place in societ…

The Deputy is right to raise the issue of residents in the area. There is fear, property has been damaged and public transport stopped. People have been discommoded and unable to get to and from work and home tonight. It is important that we send a strong message not just to those who have rioted but to the people who are affected and living in fear. I have a huge amount of sympathy with the Depu…

I thank Deputy Daly for raising this very important matter. As somebody who was involved with the Cope Foundation in Cork, now Horizons, I recognise the huge work being done in special education and for those with disabilities in Kerry. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth. The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children …

I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I acknowledge the concerns he has articulated on behalf of the children and parents concerned. I want to make it clear that the Government, the Department, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, working with the NCSE, have committed to ensuring all children can access an education suitable to their needs. …

I thank the Deputy for her question and her ongoing advocacy, particularly post Storm Éowyn. The Department is responsible for the seniors alert scheme, which encourages community support for older people through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme for the pu…

Both the Minister and I are acutely aware of that. We have been anxious to ensure the distress many people felt is not replicated. That is why the review is taking place. There has been extensive engagement by our Department, and by the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, with the telecom companies. As part of that review alternative technologies are being examined and considered, because the Deputy is ri…

We must take learnings from every storm and apply them in the round to what we can do better. The Deputy is right that there was huge success. There is merit in her suggestion about community groups being involved because they are critical to connectivity. However, the Minister and I have been clear with the officials in our Department that there must be extensive engagement. Pobal staff are invol…

I thank Deputy Smith for the question and for his leadership and advocacy. The Deputy is right. The projects, facilities and amenities in his area in particular are bringing huge, profound and important change. I thank the Deputy for being cochair of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. The PEACEPLUS programme, which runs until 2029, has a total value of €1.1 billion and funds projects acros…

I will make reference to the issue of the Cavan regional sports campus and give credit to Deputy Smith on that. This is about the reimagining of communities and investment in areas. It is a project that will bring, as the Deputy said, profound transformation to the area. It is a shared space. It represents a new type of modern Ireland and this facility, when it is developed, will be absolutely fan…

Steady, Tommy.

He is not capable of that.

Ar an gcéad dul síos, tá gach muinín agam agus ag an Rialtas as an Tánaiste. Is fear uasal, ceannaire láidir agus duine cothrom é. Go mór mór, is fear agus is duine é lán le trua. In every role that Simon Harris has played, he has demonstrated a number of attributes. He is personal, and he is committed to people and to working with people collectively. Everything he does is about making our socie…

Sinn Féin is proposing 23 new taxes.

Sinn Féin proposed 23 new taxes.

I am sharing time with the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon. Is mian liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leo siúd a dhéanann ár bpobail a fheabhsú agus a chothú, agus a chuireann deiseanna ar fáil sna pobail sin. Tá €260 milliún sa bhuiséad forbartha comhphobail. Baineann forbairt comhphobail le duine nó gnó a chuireann athraithe i bhfeidhm ar son leas na ndaoine. I welcome the budget for the Department…

They know the answer to the question. There are 212 minutes tomorrow.

Hear, hear.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, who regrets he cannot be here. As the Deputy will be aware, the final report of the all-island strategic rail review was published in July of last year. The review's recommendations for County Donegal involve the development of a new rail line from Letterkenny to Derry…

I assure Deputy Ward that the Department, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, and I are aware of the needs of Donegal, which I visited in July. It is not correct that the Government has not invested in transport in Donegal. I referenced the Local Link service. We can see the phenomenal investment and growth in that service. I fully acknowledge the Deputy's p…

I do not want to get into a political back and forth with Deputy Ward because I respect where he is coming from. However, if we look at the Local Link service in Donegal and talk to the TCU manager there, Fionnuala O'Shea, we see the investment in the 966, 959, 957, 954, 952 and 953 routes. People are using Local Link. If the Government had turned its back on Donegal and was not investing in it, a…