Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, has overseen a steady reduction in class sizes, a radical increase in the number of schools included in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, programme, an expansion of supports for pupils with special needs and the beginning of the largest programme of school refurbishment and construction in our history. She will continue this work and will also bring forward a reform of the leaving certificate that reflects the challenges and opportunities that young people face in today's world.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, his Ministers of State and the officials of the Department of Health in both responding to the pandemic and working to address longer-term concerns. Health will continue to be a priority for this Government and it will be a central concern for our work across the Government. We must address the impact of the pandemic on waiting times and move forward with developing critical new services throughout the country, in particular, in the fields of women's health services, mental health services and disability supports.

Our family farmers remain critical to rural and community life in our country. The wider food industry represents a sector which gives secure well-paid employment throughout the country, and is one area where our indigenous industries are world leaders. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, has led his Department in delivering important supports and reforms in the past two years. The new legislation for pricing transparency and fairness marks a new moment for farming. The commitment to support farmers in achieving secure and sustainable incomes will remain at the core of his work.

As everybody in this House will acknowledge, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, has been an extremely efficient and effective Chief Whip. He has ensured that we have enacted a major body of legislation and he has also been a very effective Minister of State in developing sporting facilities and support throughout the country. In moving to the role of Minister of State attending Cabinet with responsibility for transport, aviation and logistics, he will be responsible for a critical element of our commitment to both improve public services and infrastructure and decarbonise our economy. We need both public and private transport to make a major contribution to achieving the urgent climate targets which we have agreed. This includes the road haulage sector, which is so important to everything in our economy, but sometimes is overlooked.

I had not intended to respond directly to today's speeches, but it is important to address the comments made by the Leader of the Opposition, Deputy McDonald, this morning. I think she has confirmed that according to Sinn Féin, it finds nothing positive to comment about in our country, nothing has ever been achieved, and there is no progress to be acknowledged.

See this speech in context