Dáil debates

Thursday, 7 November 2024

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

11:40 am

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

I beg the Ceann Comhairle's indulgence before I reply, as we finish up the Dáil, to put on record my profound thanks to him and to the unsung army of men and women who make the Oireachtas and, through it, our democracy work - the stewards, the catering staff, the cleansing and maintenance staff, researchers, clerks, the media who are based here and the gardaí who are posted here. We are all part of a community and I am very grateful to every one of them for making it work as well as it has. This Dáil was a particularly challenging Dáil. If one remembers, at the start of this Dáil, we had the enormous disruption of Covid-19 and all of those responsibilities had to be transplanted to another venue. Indeed, I was elected as Taoiseach in that other venue. They were strange times indeed, but everybody in this entire community made it work and I am very grateful to them. I want to take this opportunity to put on the record my appreciation and thanks to the excellent public servants and private-office teams in the Department of the Taoiseach, office of the Tánaiste and Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence for their tremendous support over the course of the past four and a half years and, indeed, wish all those elected representatives who are retiring the very best of health and happiness in the years ahead.

Ní aontaím leis an Teachta in aon chor maidir leis an méid atá ráite aige. Is léir domsa go bhfuil an-chuid déanta againn. Go háirithe, tá an-chuid foirgneamh scoile timpeall na tíre tógtha againn. Tá an-chuid ag teacht as an infheistíocht sin. Tá a lán bóithre déanta againn anois. Rinneadh infheistíocht chruinn agus mhaith i gcúrsaí sláinte agus mar sin de. I disagree fundamentally with the Deputy's assertion in respect of an issue that they are trying to engineer for the election. It is as clear as night follows day the sort of high feigned outrage about the issue in terms of smart phones in schools. The Deputy is desperately grasping at the straws to grab an issue that he thinks might rescue or help him in the election campaign.

The Deputy failed to mention the fantastic school projects that have been completed on budget and on time, from Scoil Mhuire gan Smál in Blarney to the Limerick educate together school in Castletroy in Limerick, and the extension of St. Conlath's primary and St. Mary's infants' school in Newbridge, all significant investments and huge value for money; the primary care centres across the country - we now have 174 of them; and the big road projects in terms of Castlebaldwin on the N4, the N59 Moycullen by-pass, the Dunkettle interchange and the Listowel by-pass to mention just a few of the public investments that have come in on budget and on time, have been good value for money and have helped the situation for many people. If one looks at the Macroom by-pass, for example, right through to Ballyvourney, it is extraordinary value for money and has huge impacts for the public as well.

In terms of the bike shed, as indeed the Chairman of the OPW said, it was excessive. I did not ask for that bike shelter. Members of the Opposition did. They wrote in. In fairness, I do not think they expected the level of expenditure that subsequently ensued but the OPW was asked to provide a bike shelter by Members of this House - the majority in the Opposition. That is what happened. It was excessive-----

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