Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)

I have a fundamental objection to any involvement by this State in organisations that are complicit in an ongoing genocide. That is not meant disrespectfully to any individual person who I am sure is working away well. However, the report I quoted from came before that tender process was engaged in. That information was known. I do not think the State should reward organisations that provide the core digital infrastructure for Israeli settlement-financing banks and a company which is a key partner in Project Nimbus. I do not think that company should be rewarded with a lucrative contract form the State. With respect, nothing the Minister said has changed my mind on this. The Government has had years to prepare for it - the Minister said it himself. It would have been possibly to keep this in-house and not to outsource it to the private sector. Of course the skills do not exist within the NTMA and neither did those skills exist until such time as the process was engaged with. The State had years to get this right. It is fundamentally important, given the state of the housing crisis and the likelihood people will be facing into their retirements having to pay exorbitant rents. We should perhaps talk about that a bit more. It is essential that people make provision for their retirement. It is something I have long believed in. However, that does not have to be at the expense of what could potentially be a benefit to the State.