Paschal Donohoe

-----he would have let me know so that I could have, for both Michael and Neil, given them the justice of the answer they deserve.

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. He probably knows better than I do that there are challenges in regard to the emissions from private transport. This is one of the really big issues we have in ensuring our country can move closer to the climate commitments we have to each other, not to mention those enshrined in law. Public transport and its greater availability will play…

The Deputy's point about home charging is important. Another really important feature of home charging is convenience and certainty. If people know they can charge their car at home before beginning a journey, that will give them the confidence that is needed. There must be confidence that a charging network is in place if we are to facilitate a change in how cars are used. There are lots of other…

We absolutely recognise the challenges many are facing at the moment, the degree to which some charges within our economy are going up and the effect of so many years of very high levels of inflation within our economy. However, we also must be very honest about the environment we are in and the need to not add to risks that are made here at home. Of course the Government wants to look at supports…

I absolutely accept the importance of the individual issues the Deputy has raised, but his statement regarding schools that are unable to provide education does not tally with the quality of education and teaching that happens across our schools in this country. I am not denying for a moment that there are issues that many schools confront but what we have seen is, with regard to the funding that …

I know the Rutland Street school as well as the Deputy does. I am not denying the fact that bills have gone up but I go into the school and I see the degree of special and additional education that is made available. I stand over my point regarding the value of the work it does and how it is funded. I could go around the corner to the Rutland Street community centre which is now being built at a c…

It is because of the kinds of issues the Deputy referred to that the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will be looking at what additional funding can be made available to meet the energy and water needs that our country has and in order to deal with those kinds of issues we know are developing across many communities at the moment. I do not agree with the description the Deputy has offered of Irish Water…

We are all reminded, either as parents or in the work we do in here, of how demanding life can now be for young students, and the critical role our schools can play in equipping them with the tools they need to deal with the issues the Deputy has described. The plans that are under way to do that at the moment refer to a post-primary well-being team that is now rolling out a two-day professional l…

I congratulate the Deputy Maxwell on his election to the House. I thank him for raising an issue that I know is really important for the people he represents. I know much work was done by his great predecessor, the former Minister, Heather Humphreys, with regard to this issue too and he wants to continue to build on this work. Regarding what the Deputy said, I understand that in his community, sin…

I am not aware of that issue being raised by Dublin City Council, but I take on board the importance of the issue to which the Deputy referred. I will have to raise the funding for individual programmes with the Minister for housing, but I know what the Minister wants to do is to see more and better homes delivered through our local authorities. I know that with these kinds of issues not everythin…

I know the cost of childcare is still very high for many, but I also meet many people who acknowledge the reduction that has happened in childcare fees under the last Government, a reduction that we want to continue to deliver in the time ahead. However, as is the case with all of these commitments, they are dealt with budget by budget. I know the Minister for children will be raising this issue a…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of Aughrim. He has raised with me in the past the need for further investment in water in his constituency and the issues that the lack of that investment is having at the moment. I know the Irish Water plan currently sits with the regulator and it is currently being evaluated. The issues to which the Deputy referred are the reason we need to make more mone…

I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this issue. While there has been an exchange here about Dublin, I absolutely appreciate that our cities such as Cork also face issues and need adequate policing to be in place. I have a note here regarding national garda levels and the recruitment ambitions that we have, but I know what the Deputy is particularly concerned about is that local issue, the organisat…

I thank the Deputy for raising that with me. I am not sure what influence the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority have on the conduct and level of fees on the toll road that the Deputy referred to.

All I can commit to doing is raising that issue with them, which I will do. I know well how important that road is and the fact that it is used more and more to get around parts of Dublin as opposed to beyond Dublin. I will make sure the Minister for Transport is aware of the issue the Deputy raised.

I think there is a world of difference between me producing a document that Deputy Farrelly's party published and a report in a newspaper. I produced a document that the Social Democrats published about economic policy and the role of jobs in our economy. Any engagement on the future of health spending and the allocation of the capital budget is taken very seriously by the HSE. It aims to respond …

The Deputy is not frequently a voice for calmness and moderation in this House. I did not notice him being one during the week either.

There is no doubt but that the Minister for Justice wants to engage with the Dáil on this issue. He gained Government agreement about the steps that are needed to implement the pact. He will of course come into the Dáil to answer questions on it but the aim of the pact is to reduce processing times for migration applications, which we all know in turn can help to reduce the pressures that we face …

I thank Deputy Boland for raising this issue regarding the importance of special education and additional education for those who are beginning their lives in our schools and who need additional support and help. I know the Deputy is aware that we have more than 3,300 special classes available across our country but, out of all those, there are 14 specifically available for children with dyslexia …

I thank Deputy Ó Fearghaíl. That is why the work of Home Building Finance Ireland, HBFI, is important. As the Deputy does, I absolutely support the need for our banks to be safe and well regulated. During the awful time of the pandemic, I had many reasons to be reminded of the value of a financial sector in Ireland that is safe and well capitalised. The point the Deputy makes regarding how we can…

All I can tell the Deputy is that I am aware the issue is being addressed. He is not the first person I have heard make the point. I know he is aware, as I am, of the need to make sure that whoever is driving a bus with our kids in it is able to do it safely. I know he agrees with that. That is not in doubt. The Road Safety Authority wants to ensure that if we do change the age at which you can dr…

The Government and all of my colleagues on this side of the House absolutely understand the consequences of the uncertainty of the world that we are now in and what that means for households and businesses. We see a world that has become more dangerous, more volatile and full of uncertainty. We on this side of the House are absolutely aware of the concern and anxiety that is causing for many in ou…

It is interesting Deputy Cullinane should bring up the election because he is representing the most unsuccessful opposition party in Europe at present. It is the only opposition party that managed to go into an election at a time prices were high and lose votes.

It lost votes. The reason it lost votes is because the people of Ireland knew the economic policies it was bringing forward were not credible.

If you promise everything, you are for nothing. You were seen through at that time.