Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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I will speak about the education section of the programme for Government and particularly educational buildings and facilities. I had a look at the previous programme for Government from which this one has virtually been cut and pasted. I will reference two schools in my constituency. One is Coolmine Community School. Recently I visited it when it was raining and had to dodge the buckets catching the rain. There were nine buckets in the main hall as we walked through the building. There are leaks in classrooms where children are moved from one side of the classroom to the other. There is mould on the walls. The children were wearing their jackets in the classrooms because the Portakabins are so old that they are freezing. The school was built in 1974. It has made an emergency application for the roof, which was repaired in 2016 but has failed, primarily because it is such an old building that it needs to be completely replaced. I have written to the Minister to ask her to have a look at this urgently for the school. It was built in 1974 and needs to be replaced. It is entirely inappropriate for children in this day and age to be educated in a school such as this.

The other school campus I want to mention is on the Navan Road and includes St. John Bosco junior and senior boys' national schools and Mary, Help of Christians girls' national school. They are due for replacement. A lot of work has been done by the schools. While I was visiting one of the schools just before the election, as we sat there the electricity went off in all three schools. This is something that happens on a regular basis. They have been continually asked to add on to the schools, including adding on special classes. Unfortunately the capacity of the electricity system is not able to take it. They have applied for planning permission but there is a hold-up. The programme for Government speaks about educational facilities and how children should be educated in first-class and world-class facilities. It is time for this to be done. As I have said, I have looked at the previous programme for Government and this programme for Government and both say the same things. I hope I am not here in five years' time with the same story.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Some Members of the Opposition have remarked that the programme for Government represents more of the same. Having had some experience of how a programme for Government is put together and implemented I disagree with this point. I see a real difference and a real step backwards in terms of the absence of ambition, the vagueness of timelines and targets and the lack of clear funding commitments in the new programme for Government.

The policy ambition in the new programme for Government, as we have seen with the Government so far, will always come second to prevailing political interests. In 2020 "ambition" was taking unprecedented steps to protect biodiversity and halt nature loss championed by Malcolm Noonan. This ambition was continued throughout the lifetime of the Government, demonstrated by the creation of the climate and nature fund. In 2020 we mobilised the entire political system to publish a climate action law in the first 100 days, delivering change at pace. This legislation proved the importance of ensuring that our emission reduction efforts would be achieved in a just way. In the new programme for Government we get a bare mention of this with no detail. The key decision to ensure Ireland would never be a destination or transit point for LNG gets no reference. We have already seen media briefings predicting a policy change here.

In 2020 clear funding commitments were set out to ensure that spending on public transport infrastructure would be 2:1 over roads. This was achieved. Now, the commitment is gone. This commitment ensured that great progress was made in making our cities and towns safer for walking and cycling. Now, we see no mention of how this spending will be maintained. What of the view that a programme for Government reflects a blending of what the governing parties promised in their manifestos? It is not really clear with this document. I will take one example. There is no mention of a legal right for children to an ECCE place. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised this but the programme for Government fails to mention it. Was it just something they said at election time? Did Michael Lowry not like it? We are all left to guess.

It is true that not everything a Government says or does is written in a programme for Government but the programme for Government is critical, especially at the start of a coalition's term. In 2020 that was where the direction was spelled out. It was the contract on which the Government was based. It was necessary in a coalition and it worked. Then, we do not really have a coalition anymore. We have two electoral machines focused on maximising their respective votes, where policy at the centre is simply an arrangement of political preferences and, in between them, a group of Independents whose support has been obtained through ministerial appointment and a web of unseen agreements, and whose commitment to the Government is so half-hearted they want to keep a foot in opposition so they can keep lobbing grenades from the outside while, at the same time, enjoying the benefits of access. The programme for Government speaks to a Government devoid of innovation and afraid to commit to detail, and one which is centred on political expediency rather than on a clear vision.

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
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The programme for Government continues the failed policies of its predecessor. It lacks ambition and is deliberately vague with no costings or timelines. It means the continuation of the housing and homelessness crisis, the cost-of-living crisis, hospital overcrowding, long health waiting lists, a broken disability service and the continuation of the health recruitment embargo, the so-called pay and numbers strategy. Everybody agrees the housing and homelessness crisis is the most fundamental issue facing this country. This programme continues the failed policies of the previous Government. There is no new urgency, no emergency measures, no reset of housing policy as recommended by the Housing Commission and the commitment to hold a referendum on the right to housing has been reneged on. The section on disability services is weak, vague and non-specific. There is no proposal to eliminate the long waiting lists for therapy services. Indeed, the programme foresees the continuation of the long backlogs. It continues to decide to deprive children with additional needs of their legal entitlement to an assessment of needs within six months.

I want to draw attention to two areas in the programme for Government that directly affect my constituency of Tipperary South. The first is palliative care. The Government states it is committed to enhancing palliative care services to provide best end-of-life and bereavement support for patients, families and carers. The Government closed St. Brigid's Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir. That hospital provided high quality palliative care in three of the most modern hospice suites in the country. It is a big loss to the people of area and to the people of Waterford and Kilkenny. It should be reopened without delay.

The other issue is the question of mental health. The commitment is to promote good mental health and ensure access to appropriate supports when and where people need them.

The former Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people in the 32nd Dáil, Jim Daly, had agreed with all stakeholders to construct a 20-bed inpatient mental health unit at Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel. There are no inpatient services in the whole of Tipperary. I ask the Minister to bring that back to the two respective Ministers responsible for palliative care and mental health and ask that these issues be dealt with without delay.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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There are many matters I would like to discuss regarding the programme for Government, ranging from housing to climate change but in the time available I am going to zone in on just one discrete item that has huge implications for future generations, which is the undermining of our neutrality, spelt out in black and white. Before I come to that, it is significant that words like "progress", "encourage", "work towards", "support" are used in respect of really important policies and when it comes to the triple lock, set out on page 144, the Government states it "will reform the triple lock". That is a full commitment without any problem. I have the more serious concerns. I am going to use my time today and as often as I can to highlight this issue for the people of Ireland who have repeatedly told us that they hold the policy of neutrality very near to their hearts.

A carefully choreographed propaganda campaign has been afoot for a number of years that has adopted a multipronged approach, including well-placed articles in the newspapers and the holding of a process that is misnamed as a consultant process. Notwithstanding that, the people of Ireland told us they did not want to get rid of our neutrality. Along with that we have the tried and tested tools of propaganda: the shaming about how we should not be freeloading on other countries; the patriarchal approach that Government parties all know best; the use of fearmongering to tell us that we live in a very unsafe world; and the narrowing of the discussion to say "there is no alternative" to this consensus that has been manufactured by the Government. There is then the reduction of it to a simple question encapsulated by Professor Ben Tonra in a recent article in The Irish Times, who told us that the question that will be put is: "Are you with us or are you not?" Where did we hear that type of language before? "Are you with us or agin us?" as it was said.

I will use every single minute that I have in this Dáil to convey to the Government that the people on the ground have a completely different version of what the Government is telling us and that we hold a very active policy of neutrality as a cornerstone of our republic to be a voice for peace in the world, moreso now than ever. I will have no truck with a Government that is meeting in secret in relation to the arms industry and forcing us down a road where we spend less and less on public services and health, and ever more on an arms industry led by that complex. We have a Taoiseach who is going to the US to meet with the President of the United States who met with somebody for whom a warrant for his arrest has been issued and who is committing genocide in Gaza as we speak. We have had no clear answer from the Taoiseach as to what he is going to do when he meets that president. We talk about the international rules order-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. I call Deputy Charles Ward.

Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party)
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I welcome the programme for Government commitment to establishing a building standard regulatory authority to undertake a planned review of the defective concrete blocks scheme and to expand the scheme to other counties. However, the programme for Government does not go far enough in committing to a full 100% redress scheme for the families affected by the defective concrete crisis. I am extremely disappointed that the new programme for Government completely missed the opportunity to include genuine science-based facts. We continue to implement the current scheme, which does not and has never worked. The Government claims the scheme will evolve but it should never have had to evolve given that we knew the problems in the first place. The previous Government ignored the lived reality of homeowners, ignored 82 home amendments that may have made the scheme workable and rejected pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill pretending it was to do with patience. We waited a year. If this had gone through pre-legislative scrutiny, we would not be in the mess we are in currently. We are now left with a scheme that is completely unfit for purpose. I ask the current Government not to make the same mistake again. This crisis needs a practical, humane approach, such as side-by-side building where a homeowner has the space to do so. People need to get on with their lives. Bridging finance needs to be considered.

Side-by-side building has the potential to provide a solution at zero cost to the State and we give families, particularly where families have members with disabilities or older vulnerable people the chance to build on their land if they have the room to do so. The lack of working capital for homeowners means families are being forced into financial uncertainty. Many have to act as project managers. It is an impossible and unjust burden to put on anybody. A plan for bridging finance needs to be considered. People simply cannot access this scheme without having the funds to do so. The current grant scheme for defective concrete completely lacks alternatives and consistency. Families are given no alternative and no accommodation, just remediation programmes that do not work.

Many are left to live in dangerous homes and face severe hardship while waiting for solutions. The wait drags on for years with no end in sight. I ask the Government to rethink the scheme and approach this in the programme for Government. Going forward, we must ensure immediate action is taken with technical reviews and confidence is restored in the Housing Agency which at the moment is not there. We must address the financial hardship many families face and we do by supporting all vulnerable groups that are in this. I remain ready to work with the Government to contribute practical and humane solutions to address this humanitarian crisis.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on the programme for Government. The programme is a great working document for the next five years. The Government is deeply committed to doing its level best in a very workperson-like way to help all sectors of society. My brother, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, and I were glad to have participated in those negotiations. I thank the spokespersons from both of the leading parties for the genuine commitment they gave, including long days and long nights, to put together a good programme. I believe it is a good programme for Government.

There will be Exchequer returns that will be positive. Maybe for the first time in a long time, we will be able to make decisions. For example, I am glad about the decision relating to carers. There is nothing more important than people who take care of people in their homes. The fact that the means test is going to be completely looked at in a positive way in addressing that anomaly where people were not getting the full recognition for the excellent service they were giving in taking care of their loved relatives in their own homes. The best place for any person to be is in their own home. The programme for Government recognises that. Whether it is in education, agriculture, industry or infrastructure, we are committed with this programme to help the people of Ireland in a positive way. Industries such as tourism, foreign direct investment, business and keeping small businesses open are all important. I will touch on small businesses again shortly. From an agricultural point of view, we have to work with the farmers. The programme for Government recognises that farmers are not a problem; they are the solution. I mean that. They are the solution for our environment into the future. We must remember the farmers are the custodians of the environment. They are the people that cherish our small family farms.

I was privileged today to have been with 300 or 400 students in UCD who were having their careers day. Some 40 or 50 employers were in UCD eyeing up the talent. The talent that was in UCD today will be the CEOs of the future. They are going to be the leaders of industry and agriculture in the future. There are 4,000 people working in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have no doubt that many of the young students I met today will be working with the Department. They might be in this House and they might become Ministers in the future.

They are bright, young and intelligent and they come from great family farms. I met people from small farms around the countryside and it was a privilege to meet them and see the enthusiasm they have for their work. I recognise the sponsors of today because careers day is a very important day and I thank them. I thank Agriland and the Irish Farmers' Journal, which I would call the bibles of agriculture in Ireland because they are there to cover the events. They too recognise the youth of Ireland who have an interest in and flair for agriculture. I was privileged to meet a man today who a number of years ago left UCD. He had no acre of land and today is milking 250 cows because he is using his brain. He saw opportunities, such as older people who were leasing out land. He has expansion plans and a model he is working to. I have no doubt in my mind that young man will be milking 1,000 cows within five years. That is what we want.

While recognising people like him, we have to remember his uncles and aunties who might have a small farm in Mayo or around the country. They too are integral to the future and to the respectability of our produce. That is why I welcome the role of the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish. He will be the ambassador and salesperson for our agricultural produce, whether from horticulture, dairy, beef, poultry or pigmeat. Our way of farming in Ireland is organic. We do farming and the production of farm goods better than anyone else. We do it more cleanly and efficiently. Our product is second to none. We can go anywhere around the world. People in media might complain of people in government going abroad for St. Patrick's weekend. I welcome the fact they are going because it is not twiddling their thumbs they are; they are going out to represent us. When I say "us", I mean people in opposition and in government. They are flying the flag and meeting with employers, customers and the Irish diaspora around the world. It is important to fly the flag for Ireland. I passionately believe in that. It is a terrible important job of work to do.

With regard to agriculture, forestry and horticulture, things have been quite literally turned upside down. We have many thousands of hectares of forestry that are knocked at the moment. Not only was there windblow, but there was an unusual thing connected to the storm event we had. We had forestry that was split. I mean that trees did not blow over but split maybe a third of the way up, which is where the saw wood heads into the boxwood. We have had awful incidents and have lost a life already.

The message has to go out clear from the Government to any person with forestry damaged by the storm. I immediately - as in half an hour after being appointed - set up a task force which has been working diligently with the forestry and horticultural sectors. We have worked diligently to ensure we change and make more user-friendly the way people extract timber. However, it is an awful dangerous job. Our forests at present are dangerous places to be. I have a €2.5 million budget for farm safety, which is my direct responsibility. We have to send out a message to people. If you have a forest that is down, engage professional foresters and seek advice and guidance but please, especially older people, you do not have to be going into these forests yourselves. We have been gathering satellite image over the past 14 days and have a handle on this now. We are getting a total acreage of what exactly is damaged.

I will provide a statistic that it is important for everyone in the Dáil to know. In their constituencies, Deputies will have people asking how they should go about licensing and what is their next step. The first thing to tell them is to be safe and mind themselves. I really mean that and cannot emphasise it enough. We did a snapshot of 435 forests affected by the storm. If you take the people with a licence for clearfell already or a licence to thin forestry, they account for something in the region of 56.5% of those 435 forests. They have permission from my Department to go in tomorrow with contractors and extract that timber. While 435 is not the total number, it is representative. If that follows through to the rest of the forests, the owners of many thousands of acres that are down have permission from the Department to extract that timber. Our next problem will be getting enough contractors. We do not have enough machinery in the country. I have instructed officials from my Department to make contact with people abroad who will have the wherewithal to assist with the work. It is a big programme of work and is like a race against time. We cannot leave the product on the ground for too long because it will lose value.

Another message I want to give to the people relates to our sawmills. I was glad to bring representatives from the sawmills around the table yesterday. They assured me they will not in any way try to take advantage of the situation.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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Sorry, am I out of time? Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I call Deputy Cathal Crowe and thank the Minister of State.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I do not think I have ever praised Deputy Michael Healy-Rae but it is great to see him on this side of the House. After the election, everyone had a mandate to sit here. Some chose to come over here, make a difference and not speak out of both sides of their mouths but only from the side that could deliver and lead on policy. I welcome hearing the Deputy speak as a Minister of Government. Fair play to him.

One of the big positives in the programme for Government is the abolition of the means test for carer's allowance. Carers do so much work and save our country so much Exchequer money each year by caring for loved ones in the home environment, where people are cared for best. They do all of that for a pittance. For far too long, the wry eye has been cast over them and their finances have been examined. They have had to prove time and again a real disability and care need and a financial need in the house. That is not the way it should be. If someone is caring, the payment should not be means tested and I am glad the Government will abolish that. I would like the abolition of the means test to be sooner rather than later. The threshold should not be incrementally brought back each budgetary year. We should front-load it and try to remove it in the first budgetary cycle of the Government.

In the programme for Government, there are some very positive things relating to aviation. I am delighted to see Shannon Airport has been selected as a hub for testing new aviation technology. This was an issue I raised from the backbenches of Government over the past few years. I have already travelled to a number of airports around Europe, including to Rotterdam with then Deputy Joe Carey, to see what they are doing. I can see many new roles for Shannon in testing new technology. It is not all about jet engines and new fuels; so much more can be done with aviation, including vertical take-off and landing, new small aircraft, drones and hydrogen-powered and even electric aircraft. It is great to see Ireland embracing that new technology and that Shannon in my home constituency will be the test bed for all of that.

The regional airports programme needs to be expanded so the likes of Shannon Airport, and indeed Cork and Knock airports, are not left behind. There is a suggestion the cap on Dublin Airport could be lifted. I believe that cap does not have to be lifted if slots are better managed. Airports like Heathrow have a finite number of slots and they are managed effectively to ensure airlines can land and take off without disrupting the overall operation of the airport. Slots could be managed in Dublin and anything exceeding the slots of a particular airline could be allocated to the regions to ensure our other airports and, ipso facto, other regions can grow strongly.

In terms of healthcare, there is a HIQA review into UHL and whether there should be an additional accident and emergency department in the mid-west. That will be key for the Government going forward. I have long held the view the 2009 decision to downgrade Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's hospitals and close accident and emergency care was an absolute failure. We can only address that issue by reversing it and reopening an accident and emergency department. Of course, I am parochial and believe Clare more than any county in the mid-west needs 24-hour emergency care but, looking at Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's, I cannot see how you can shoehorn an accident and emergency department into any one of those hospitals.

This will require a new hospital building. It will require a seismic change and I hope this Government will lead us in it. We were promised the HIQA report would come out in February. I am hearing mutterings that it is delayed. We needed it yesterday. I do not expect there will be anything massive in it that we do not already know. The hospital has many good things, but there are also huge failings and lives have been lost in that hospital. What more evidence do we need?

I am a teacher by profession. I spent many years in the classroom before coming here. I am glad to see that more therapeutic supports will be offered in schools. I would like to see teachers at both primary and secondary level who give hours after school for sports, choirs, chess clubs and so forth rewarded in some way. All teachers can do courses during the summer that entitle them to extra personal vacation, EPV, days. The Government should reward the volunteerism of teachers, remove the awful Croke Park hours, acknowledge what they do, incentivise more volunteerism and reward them with additional EPV days each year. I would like the Government to examine that. Overall, the idea that therapeutic services are provided in schools, instead of children being referred onto lengthy child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, lists on each and every occasion will make a huge difference. It makes sense for children to be seen by a professional down the corridor on the school campus who knows the child better than a stranger in CAMHS via a list that is taking far too long.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We will move to a Sinn Féin slot and to Deputy Marie Devine who is sharing with Deputy Ward.

Máire Devine (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Gabh mo leithscéal, a Cheann Comhairle. It is Máire.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Excuse me.

Máire Devine (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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While this is considered to be my maiden speech, my first utterance in the Chamber consisted of loud gasps a fortnight ago as I was incredulous at the embracing by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of the Regional Independent Group to be half in and half out of the Government. Luckily - it is concerning and it took time - the penny has dropped and we move on.

I thank the people of Dublin South-Central for electing me to represent them. It is a place that values community. I remain a Liberties gal at heart and always will be. I will continue to serve my constituents each and every day. I also thank my family, friends and party activists for their enduring support. Without them, I would not have won a seat here. Tá an-áthas orm.

As an experienced psychiatric nurse, I have grave concerns that this unimaginative programme for Government does not even acknowledge, let alone begin to alleviate, the serious problems in our health service. I have seen first hand how the recent HSE recruitment embargo and chronic underfunding by successive Governments have resulted in catastrophic understaffing and this new and so-called improved programme for Government does nothing to resolve that. Understaffing is extremely dangerous. We lose experienced healthcare workers because we do not respect their hard-earned expertise. They cannot afford to stay in Ireland. Eleven of the 15 who were under my tutelage recently qualified and left the country because of economic issues. That is no way to build a thriving country, let alone a strong, resilient health service. The sick and vulnerable languish on trolleys for days waiting for beds. Anxious parents in Dublin South-Central cannot access full public health development checks for babies and children with additional needs go on waiting lists to get on a waiting list. In addition, no plans have been made for women to receive the promised free hormone replacement therapy.

I send solidarity and greetings to my fellow 100,000 nurses on this island. As the only nurse here, I will be their voice. Finally, I send my heartfelt love and respect to my fellow healthcare workers in Palestine who are victims of murderous intent, abducted and tortured as they attempt to fulfil their duty of care to ensure the well-being of others.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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There is only one mention of public health nurses in the whole programme of Government. Many parents have contacted me in recent weeks to say their children are not getting the vital developmental checks they need from public health nurses. When a baby is born, developmental checks are carried out at regular intervals. During the baby's first week, a public health nurse visits the home and typically checks the baby's weight and overall health. The public health nurse then carries out a developmental assessment when the baby is three months old. Babies in my area, Dublin Mid-West, are not getting this assessment due to a shortage of public health nurses. Parents are concerned that there could be a delay in diagnosing certain conditions. Developmental checks are crucial to identifying whether additional supports are needed. The brain develops most during the first five years of a child's life. I raised this matter directly with the HSE and was informed the developmental checks in Dublin Mid-West are basically suspended. I put it to the Minister of State that this is simply not good enough.

I will raise the case of an elderly lady from my area. She is 86 years of age, has Alzheimer's disease and is at risk of falling. She has already fallen twice. She is waiting for an appointment with an occupational therapist to be able to make her home safe. I made representations to the HSE in June last year, outlining the urgency of the case. It was so urgent the HSE did not get back to me until last month, six months later. The response, when I got it, stated the current waiting time for occupational therapy is 184 weeks for this lady. That is three and a half years of waiting time for an 86-year-old Alzheimer's patient. That is simply not good enough. I put it to the Government that, not only has it failed but it has broken the social contract with this lady and other people like her. The onus is on the Government to fix the broken system that has allowed this to happen. I have seen nothing in this programme for Government that gives me any confidence that this will be resolved going forward. I urge the Government to go away and really look at how it can resolve this. We cannot have a situation where an 86-year-old lady who has Alzheimer's disease and is at risk of falling is waiting three and a half years for an appointment. It is simply not good enough.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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One of the most important characteristics of the previous Government was its complete waste of taxpayers' money over and over again. We heard Deputy Varadkar, when talking about the national children's hospital, say that, save an asteroid hitting the planet, the children's hospital would be built by 2020 with €700 million. The cost is €2.25 billion at the moment and we do not have an opening date. The Government spent €300 million on metro north and no shovel has been put in the ground yet. The Government spent €22 million on ventilators that never worked and is now spending €50,000 per year to store them in a shed. One hundred electric buses were bought and did not move an inch for well over a year because someone forgot to put in a planning application for the chargers for those buses. The Government spent €2.5 billion in 2023 on compensation paid in respect of adverse incidents in hospitals. The HSE has spent more than €100 million so far on the cyberattack and it is now likely the security upgrades that relate to that cyberattack will cost €657 million.

Today, we learned about the next instalment of the shocking Government waste. We learned the Arts Council has spent €6.6 million on an IT system that was never delivered. It is an absolutely shocking situation. The Government is paying millions of euro of taxpayers' money for items that are not even delivered. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, was in the Department concerned under the last Government. The initial investigation found that the Arts Council was not prepared for the scale of the IT project development and did not put in the right resources to deliver it. Where was the oversight by the Department? Where was the oversight by the Minister? Where was the oversight by the chair and director of the Arts Council. These people are well paid. Is it not part of their job to make sure taxpayers' money is spent properly? My worry is that Ministers will speak of deep frustration in measured, angry tones, that there will be reviews and perhaps even an investigation, and that the truth is that the incineration of taxpayers' money will continue as normal as soon as media scrutiny subsides and moves on to the next issue. This is an important issue and I do not see the programme for Government tackling it properly.

I will raise immigration and address the following issue with the Minister for Justice. It is an important issue. It was reported in the Irish Daily Star in October 2023 that the subject who was charged with the stabbing of three people in Stoneybatter overstayed an expired visa and was charged with an offence contrary to the Immigration Act that year.

One of the big problems for the Government over the last number of years has been the number of people who have received deportation orders or have overstayed visas and have never left the country. It appears that if this individual was removed from the country when immigration law was broken, he would not have been in Stoneybatter with regard to the alleged incidents as such. That is a very important issue.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy, and I caution him with regard to cases that will be coming before the courts.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Yes, and I used the word "suspect".

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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It is just a caution. I call Deputy Michael Collins.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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On the programme for Government, I listened with interest to the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, saying the reason we would not go into Government with Independent Ireland was our climate plan. I am amazed that he went into Government with Independents who had no policies put in place. That is astonishing. It looks like they wrote them on the back of an A4 page a couple of days before the formation of the Government to cover Deputy Martin's back. It is astonishing that he really did not look at our policies because if he did, he would see a reference to freezing and reviewing all fuel taxes. Obviously, that is the carbon tax. We did not say it would be withdrawn completely. We just said "freeze" because people are suffering at this time. Deputy Martin did not understand that, and he does not seem to understand or recognise that people are suffering on the ground.

We proposed to abandon the unachievable and destructive net zero target. We know where that is going at this present time; it is going nowhere. It was a green agenda that caused serious destruction to this country and it cannot be achieved. Making Ireland a global leader in green tech came out in our policies, as did no longer following ineffective and often harmful policies that are not fit for purpose. The Taoiseach did not read that, did he? We proposed to ensure climate action does not destroy Irish food. We have concerns about the Mercosur deal. We also have concerns about the nitrates directive. We see how many thousands of cattle are being destroyed in this country. It is astonishing. All of a sudden, we have an epidemic of TB that is there forever and a day but it is a handy way, in my view, to get rid of animals. It is a backdoor system of destroying Irish agriculture and farmers. We wanted to put those proposals before the Taoiseach. He was not interested, which is fair enough. He is entitled to that. He has gone with no policies because he can get a deal across the line with ministerial positions or whatever. That is fine.

However, look at the issue of a 9% VAT rate. I am not very clear about the 13% VAT rate going to 9% but it is part of the programme for Government. I asked the Taoiseach last week when that will happen and if it will be straight away. I have not got a straight answer, so we are still in a crux, with 612 businesses having gone bust over the last 12 months. They are cafés, restaurants or whatever, and it does not seem to resonate within Fianna Fáil. Fine Gael is supposed to be arguing with Fianna Fáil that it is interested in doing it.

Look at the housing plan. I look at all the housing plans and listen to all the predictions from Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. The whole thing was dreaming. They were leading the people astray because they could not deliver. The programme for Government will not deliver because the infrastructure is not there. Deputy O'Donoghue explained that in detail and there is no better person to do so. The infrastructure is not there, so we cannot deliver the houses. The Labour Party has promised 1 million houses. I do not what Sinn Féin or the Government has promised but none of those promises are achievable. Ask the main developers in this country what is wrong with the country. It is infrastructure, whether sewerage, water or electricity. We cannot deliver, end of story, but we will keep pouring out figures.

Independent Ireland were the only party to say we would not give any figures on how many houses would be delivered in this country. We were the only party to stand by the principle of not making fools of the people. Every other party in this Dáil made fools of the people because they could not deliver and they did not have their homework done. We were criticised about that. I have a lot of issues with the programme for Government but we will deal with those at a later stage.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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I will talk about the programme of Government 2025 vis-à-vis my city and constituency of Cork North-Central. To my mind, this plan does not go far enough. With the exception of Luxembourg, Ireland is the richest country in the European Union but the plan does not show ambition. It does not go far enough for the people of Cork and certainly does not go far enough for the people of Cork North-Central.

Regarding the housing crisis and the housing emergency we are in, this Government says it will build 300,000 houses by 2030. That may sound good but where is that plan, as my colleague has said? Where is the infrastructure? What about the people who are homeless, the 15,000 people who are sleeping rough in this country tonight, 4,500 of whom are children? This plan is farcical.

From Little Island to Ballincollig and from Blackpool to Mallow in my constituency, people cannot afford to rent properties. You are talking about €2,000, €2,300 or €2,700 to rent a property in Cork if you are lucky enough to find something to rent. That not has been addressed in this document.

The Government has not addressed the cost of living either. We all accept that everything, from fuel to food, is getting more expensive but this Government is doing nothing. It will say in the programme for Government that it will increase by €12. The Taoiseach then came out yesterday and said he would cut the cost-of-living supports. The Government is doing exactly what it has done before - robbing Peter and paying Paul - but it has not mentioned the northern ring road, the Cork to Limerick motorway or the Mallow relief road. My colleague spoke about Shannon Airport but what about Cork Airport? What about the commitment to provide money to remove the old terminal and expand the airport to open up flights to the United States? What about the commitment that was given over and over again by the Cork politicians on the southside of the city who occupy the Government benches to knock the building and extend the runway to be able to berth more planes overnight? That has not been fixed.

We now recognise that over €500 million has to be spent on the drinking water system in Cork city. Water in the northside is brown. This has been discussed in the House by my colleagues on a number of occasions and it has continuously been ignored. It is not mentioned once in the programme for Government. How can we have a situation where we have drinking water that people cannot drink in the northside of Cork city? We need a commitment of €500 million for that and the Government is simply ignoring it. If it happened on the southside of the city, would it have been ignored?

We also have the event centre. We have had five taoisigh since there was a sod turning.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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I wish both the Minister and Minister of State well in their positions. I look forward to working with them.

As my colleagues have said, infrastructure is the main issue. I went across the road today to Buswells Hotel to meet Uisce Éireann. I am probably one of Uisce Éireann's biggest critics. I have been in business all my life. I like value for money and I do not believe that company is value for money. The Taoiseach did not want to go into Government with us, and that is fine. The Government still has the experience of people who know where there is value for money, and we can help.

There have been mistakes made in the past. The Government's projection this year is that it wants to deliver 60,000 houses. Its projection last year was that it wanted to deliver 40,000 homes, and it delivered just under 30,000. Common sense will tell you that the infrastructure is not there.

Every time there is a change of Government, there is a change of policy. If I wanted to put a business proposal to the Ministers, I would have a five-year plan. I presume Uisce Éireann is doing the same. Then there is a change of Government and it goes in a different direction, and the five-year plan that was started up goes out the window. It cannot do business like that. What the Government needs to do is look at the five-year plan of the previous Government and see how it can add to that rather than going in a different direction. That is how you get value for money. If you are halfway into something and you have to change direction, you then incur costs.

When I look down through the mapping Uisce Éireann showed us today, it was looking at taking water from the Shannon and bringing it to Dublin because 40% of the sewerage capacity for the population of Ireland is in Dublin. This will suck the life out of rural Ireland because there has never been any delivery in the sewerage or water systems in rural counties. Governments have never increased capacity to allow for growth in towns and villages around Ireland, which can be come self-sustainable. That was a mistake that was made and this is what needs to be invested in now.

I am asking the Minister and Minister of State for help and to listen to people with experience. I will help them if they want me to help them. Where mistakes are being made, I will help them to rectify them. If there is no value for money from Uisce Éireann, I want it audited. We will then need to look at other international companies that are able to deliver projects of the same size for less money. Value for money will make sure the money the Government has in its purse can deliver twice the amount of infrastructure if it is done properly.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Seo hé mo chéad díospóireacht mar Aire agus ar dtús ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Taoiseach agus a rá gur onóir an-mhór í a bheith mar Aire dlí agus cirt. Is post an-tábhachtach é a bhfuil freagrachtaí tromchúiseacha air. Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall a chinntiú go bhfuil an pobal sábháilte agus go dtugtar tacaíocht don Gharda Síochána.

This is the first time I have had an opportunity to contribute to a debate as Minister for justice, home affairs and migration. I say at the outset that it is a great honour for me to hold that office, and I will work tirelessly at it.

I assure Members that one of the fundamental obligations I have is to be answerable to this House and to respond to the legitimate questions of its Members, irrespective of whether they are Opposition or Government TDs.

We are discussing the programme for Government. The programme's content in respect of justice, home affairs and migration is very ambitious. Overall, it reflects the fundamental need of all of the people to feel safe and secure in their homes and communities. I assure the Ceann Comhairle and other Members that I and my colleagues the Ministers of State, Deputies Niall Collins and Brophy, will seek to ensure that we have a system of justice that is modern, efficient and works for the citizen. We need to ensure that we focus exclusively on ensuring that the justice system is there to serve the needs of those who seek access to justice.

Obviously, one of the big parts of my job is trying to ensure that our communities are safe and that people feel safe in them, whether they are in our cities or rural areas. In order to achieve that, we have to have a vibrant and strong Garda force. I will be unhesitatingly supportive of gardaí in the pursuit of law and order. It is also important to note that we all recognise there are challenges when it comes to getting more numbers into An Garda Síochána. I would appreciate the support of all Members of the House in trying to encourage people to consider applying for membership of the force. There is a recruitment campaign on at present. Some Deputies have been very helpful in promoting that. I ask other Deputies to do the same.

It is important to point out that security is my first responsibility. The title of my office is not just about justice and migration; it also includes home affairs. Home affairs relates to the fact that we have to ensure that our national security is well protected. As set out in the programme for Government, I intend to bring the National Cyber Security Centre and the new national security authority under the remit of my Department. We will also establish a new national security committee, as set out in the programme for Government, which will ensure we have more democratic involvement in terms of ensuring that our national security is well protected.

As indicated previously, I want to see An Garda Síochána grow in numbers. At present, there are approximately 14,100 members of the force. We should not forget that we also have 3,500 civilian members were doing very important work in the force. We need to try to grow numbers in An Garda Síochána, as without growing numbers we will not be able to see what everyone in this House wants to see, namely more members of the force out on our streets and visible in our communities.

I also intend to invest in equipment and essential technology for An Garda Síochána. I will support the introduction of body-worn cameras nationwide, along with automatic number plate recognition systems and the facial recognition technology that is needed for serious crimes and missing persons cases. I do not think we can be hesitant in trying to make sure that gardaí have top of the range technology when it comes to fighting crime and protecting the public. Criminals now have access to forms of technology, and gardaí must have that as well. These tools will enhance Garda accountability, improve safety for gardaí and the public and mean that officers can be out on the beat rather than wasting valuable time stuck doing office jobs.

It is important that we realise all of the powers the gardaí exercised many years ago could be exercised based on the common law. That is no longer acceptable in a modern society. If gardaí have powers, we need to make sure that those powers are specified in legislation. It is my hope to bring forward during this term a new Garda powers Bill, which will set out accurately the powers that An Garda Síochána has.

I will address my next comment to many of the Deputies who are not from Dublin. Even though I am a Dublin TD, I fully recognise that my responsibility in respect of policing and ensuring there are strong Garda resources extends beyond Dublin. Rural crime has been a significant issue. I have attended many meetings with constituency colleagues from rural constituencies and I intend to ensure that rural crime and the new rural safety strategy will be published this year to address that issue.

One aspect of the justice system that for too many years has not received sufficient attention is supporting victims. An effective justice system that can provide a timely response for victims requires that our courts system is modern, efficient and well resourced. Of course, if we want an efficient and well resourced system, we need to ensure that when people go to court there are judges there to hear cases. Over the next 12 months, the Government will nominate 20 additional judges. The reason we are nominating these judges and getting the President to appoint them is because want to ensure that the public has access to a system of justice quickly. If we do not have enough of them, there will be delays in the system. As everyone in this House knows, a delay in justice is a denial of justice. Victims of crime must also be at the heart of our justice system. Comprehensive support services for victims and a statutory victims compensation tribunal will be significant priorities for me.

I also want to commend my predecessor, Deputy McEntee. She did outstanding work on tackling the epidemic of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence in our society. I want to continue this work, and we will build more new refuge spaces and implement a range of measures which will ensure our criminal justice system is more victim centred. We also want to do something that was in the Fianna Fáil manifesto and included in the programme for Government. I want to put in place a system whereby there is a register of people who have engaged in domestic violence so that if somebody has been convicted of a serious offence in respect of domestic violence, anyone they enter into a new relationship with will be made aware of that conviction. That is the least we can do, given the fact that the justice system is a public system.

If somebody is convicted of a serious offence of assault, that is something that is in the public domain. The only reason we may not hear about it is because there is not a journalist in court. I want to ensure that women - regrettably, it is predominantly women - who are in relationships with people who have previously been abusive or convicted of assault of previous partners will become aware of that.

I have met the new chief executive of Cuan, an outstanding new agency that is doing an excellent job. I am completely committed to the zero-tolerance approach to the attitudes and conditions that allow domestic, sexual and gender-based violence to be such a scourge on our society. The zero tolerance plan for the period 2022 to 2026 will be fully implemented, with a new national strategy developed for the period 2027 to 2030.

I am conscious that our prisons are overcrowded at present. Our population is growing. We need further spaces. That is why the programme for Government has committed to an extra 1,500 spaces and included in that number will be the fact that we need a new prison. As the population grows, it is simply unsustainable that we would not seek to have another prison to deal with that.

Another part of my function, and something the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, will work on with me, is the area of migration. Ireland is a small open economy that relies on trade and investment to deliver economic growth and raise living standards. Thousands of people come to Ireland each year to work, study and fill essential skills gaps, and they make a significant contribution to our society. Many people who have come here have gone on to gain citizenship. It will be a great honour for me tomorrow to participate in my first citizenship ceremony, at which we will celebrate the granting of new citizenship to citizens. I also encourage people in the House to involve themselves in those events.

We need to recognise that while immigration has been a great success story in this country, we have to take into account that the number of people coming here to seek international protection has significantly increased and is putting considerable stresses on our system. I intend to bring forward legislation to put in place the migration pact that has been agreed. We need a system that is fair, but it also has to be firm. If people come here to seek international protection and are not granted international protection, there must be a consequence for them. The consequence must be that they depart. I am committed to doing that.

I also intend to prioritise a more efficient return system for people whose applications have been unsuccessful. There are clearly challenges with the Dublin III regulation. When I was in Warsaw recently at a meeting of the home affairs ministers, my German counterpart mentioned that the regulation is not working. We need to focus on that and ensure there is a more efficient system.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I would like two words to guide the new Government and my work as a new TD over the term of the 34th Dáil, namely "reform" and "delivery". We have much to be optimistic about, such as full employment, budget surpluses and putting money aside for two long term funds to future-proof growth and investment. However, we would be foolish to take this position for granted. Brexit and Covid showed that our strengths lie in being prepared, united, well funded and capable of agility in confronting crises and challenges.

We need to remember those qualities and the fact that stability is not a cover for stasis.

Over the next five years, we have to address the public service and infrastructural deficits that already undermine our standard of living, limit opportunities for our young people and threaten our competitiveness in the areas of housing, transport and essential services that we depend on like education, disability and childcare. In Dublin West, we feel the cost of delay every day.

We must tackle deeply-set barriers, whether they are systemic, structural or simply bureaucratic, and deliver for families, workers and businesses - for Dublin - as per the roadmap and commitments in the programme for Government, through reform and delivery. Dublin has its challenges. In that context, a lack of childcare, after-school infrastructure and youth services needs to become a thing of the past. Not only is the lack to which I refer affecting our competitiveness as a city and country, it also undermines the progress we have made in addressing inequality in the workforce and social vulnerability. According to Dublin Chamber, nine out of ten businesses reference childcare as a barrier to attracting and retaining staff.

While women's workforce participation rates have increased in recent years, what about the women I meet who are delaying the return to work after maternity leave because they cannot source childcare? Perhaps, these are some of the less captured indicators of the true experience of families in Dublin who are struggling. The current childcare model is not delivering to the scale that is required. There are thousands of children under the age of three on waiting lists for early years services and thousands families without after-school options in their communities. The programme for Government gets the balance right. Our local childcare services need to be funded fairly in order to be viable while parents need affordable fees. We need to review and increase core funding, in particular for the smaller providers, while stepping into State-led provision.

There is a great deal of emphasis in the programme for Government on delivering for children with additional needs and disabilities. This is very welcome. Dublin West has been identified as the most difficult place in the country in which to secure an appropriate school place. We worked hard as community last year for a Dublin 15 task force involving local schools, parents, the Department of education and the NCSE to be set up to streamline applications and lead out on national reform. The Department of education and the NCSE, having identified demand for school places through this process, must deliver supply. They must ensure that every child has an appropriate school place for September and make good on their promises and show change is possible.

My experiences on both sides of the Border have shaped my all-island outlook. I want more people from places like my home, Dublin West, to share the benefits of all-island co-operation and cohesion. The Good Friday Agreement, in its entirety, must be implemented. It is the roadmap for stability, respect and progress now just as it was in 1998. However, I am uncomfortable if there is an emerging train of thought that constitutional change can only be entertained once the reconciliation of people is achieved. If we are to be true to the Good Friday Agreement, we must acknowledge that is not what it says in letter or spirit. How could that to which I refer be measured in any event? I am part of a generation that wants to contribute to a new vision for the future. My views do not fit into the Border poll now camp, nor with anyone who puts a limitation on hope. A new Ireland, based on the values of reconciliation and the values of the Good Friday Agreement, is an achievable reality. It does not have to be a lofty concept but we have to work consciously, selectively, proactively-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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-----towards it to make sure it works for everyone, regardless of whether you live in Castlecaulfield or Castleknock.

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom roinnt rudaí a lua mar gheall ar an gclár Rialtais chomh fada agus a bhaineann sé le mo cheantar féin, which is tuaisceart Loch Garman agus deisceart Chill Mhantáin. First, let us take the example of Arklow, which has never had a TD elected in the history of the State and has been neglected for decades by Government. It is a town which, in many ways, is dying on its knees. However, it is also a town that has massive and unharnessed potential. It needs to be key objective of this programme for Government to improve things in the Arklow area. The wastewater treatment plant there has just come to completion. What we need now is to see the biggest affordable and social housing delivery programme in the history of Arklow and in the surrounding villages of Rathdrum and south Wicklow.

This morning, just across the county boundary in my hometown of Gorey - which is also in the Dublin commuter belt - we had the opening of the sales portal for the first affordable homes scheme in County Wexford. However, not one single affordable home has been delivered to date by the Government in County Wexford. Unfortunately, the Government's 30% rule means that just six of these 20 houses in Wexford will be ring-fenced for local applicants. I believe 20 out of 20 need to be ring-fenced for people in that local area and should go to local families. In addition, we need far more of these schemes.

We certainly need to harness Arklow's maritime potential and redevelop the quay area, the riverbank and the main street. We need to work to develop recreational facilities, which are very neglected, in the town. We need to deliver infrastructure for south Wicklow for recreation in terms of the Arklow to Shillelagh greenway that is planned. We also need to support Arklow fishermen. I mention the case of C.J. Gaffney, whose case has come up at committee meetings and in this Chamber on many occasions over the past five years. I want this to be the programme for Government that delivers justice for C.J. Gaffney and his family.

We need to the see the coastguard station delivered in Courtown. We need to upgrade the primary care centre in Arklow and expedite the delivery of such a centre in Gorey. Of course, centres on their own are pretty useless they are staffed. As a result, we need ensure that the necessary the GPs, the psychologists and the occupational therapists, OTs, are employed. The Ceann Comhairle will be aware that County Wexford, which is home to 163,000 citizens, has just one OT. That is both incredible and shocking.

Similarly, in relation to CAMHS, we have to depend on a voluntary group, Talk To Tom, to fill the void that is there in terms of the provision of services for child and adolescent youth health services. That is due to the Government's failure to address this in the matter. We have no acute mental beds in County Wexford. That is really shocking in a State that is awash with money and has a massive budgetary surplus. We need to see the provision of community spaces and centres. Arklow does not have them, and many groups have no home base. There are about 60 groups that do not have a place to go.

We also need to redevelop the old Eir centre in Arklow, and I know this is the Minister's brief, which was designated as an international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centre. This needs to be made available for use by the local community. It is no longer going to be used for IPAS but it needs to be put to local community use for many of the groups to which I refer. Other facilities also need to be developed in the town, particularly, as was happened in this instance, it is just a case of speculators making very quick profits in these villages by means of the IPAS system.

Caithfimid dul chun cinn a fheiscint chomh maith leis an nGaelscoil san Inbhear Mór agus Gaelcholáiste san Inbhear Mór. Tá na páistí ansin ag fanacht rófhada ar scoil. As a primary school teacher for 34 years and a special education teacher for many years also, I would like to see the programme for Government delivering the ASD units that many villages and towns in north Wexford and south Wicklow are seeking and applying for at present. We need enhanced sports facilities, including the east coast sports hub, to be delivered. In order to reduce our carbon footprint, we need to upgrade the outdated rail service to Dublin. A new exit to Arklow from the N11 is also needed. We also need to see the delivery of the Gorey inner relief road and the provision of Local Link buses. Basically, we need to have much enhanced facilities.

Do not get me started on Wexford roads. The Ceann Comhairle is very familiar with this matter. Wexford has the worst roads in Ireland. That is official according to three decades' worth of National Oversight and Audit Commission, NOAC, studies. We need massive investment - there is €194 million needed to bring them up to what is classed as acceptable standards.

In short, the programme for Government needs to be ambitious for Arklow. It must also deliver for Gorey and the surrounding villages, rural hinterlands and farming communities in places from Ballindaggan to Bunclody to Ferns to Ballycanew. We need to support these communities and reject the Mercosur deal.

Faoi dheireadh, it would be remiss me of not to gabhaim buíochas le mo chlann, mo pháirtí, mo lucht tacaíochta and to all the voters of north Wexford, to my family, friends and party. I am very grateful to have the honour to represent them.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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Tá áthas orm an deis seo a fháil labhairt ar an gclár Rialtais inniu. Whether we agree or disagree with the contents of the programme for Government, the fact remains that we need a programme for Government that truly addresses the chronic level of need that exists across so many areas and indeed so many sectors. For example, while I welcome the Government's commitments to increase supply of housing by ramping up construction to meet demand, aiming for 300,000 new homes by 2030, the fact remains that going on past practice this is almost farcically ambitious without a major revolution in how we address the problem. I issued a statement only yesterday calling for a more focused level of debate around the link between supply and demand and the impact soaring immigration is having on housing. We cannot be afraid to have that conversation. Regarding some of the supports for Uisce Éireann to deliver strategic water projects crucial for housing development, that too is welcome. However, I have expressed major concerns around the proposed pipeline from Parteen Weir to Dublin. I really fear this has all the characteristics of turning into another National Children's Hospital debacle in terms of the costs and the delays.

Regarding the reduction of VAT for food and catering services to 9%, that cut was certainly long overdue but why the delay? Why can that not be implemented straight away? The businesses are really struggling to keep the doors open and their bills cannot wait until the next budget. With respect to public services and infrastructure, I am quite fed up hearing the aspirational rhetoric around investment in rural public transport infrastructure, including road and rail connectivity across this island. I give the example of the N52 Durrow project in my own constituency of Offaly. That has been left without funding for years now. We need the N52 link road in Durrow prioritised, and more importantly, delivered by Government before we have fatalities along that road. I appeal to Government to please prioritise that particular road.

We also have a situation with a lack of therapists for children. The situation in Offaly is particularly acute. We have a small number of therapists who are trying to do their level best but they are trying to hold a broken system together. It is just not fair on the therapists who are there or on the many parents and indeed teachers who are frustrated over the delays to children being able to access basic services such as speech therapy and occupational therapy. I visited the Offaly School of Special Education and made representation. Indeed, I organised a briefing in Leinster House last year to have this issue addressed. It needs to be addressed.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis an dá Aire. I wish them well in their new portfolios. I listened to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, with great aplomb because he has stated quite clearly he is going to support An Garda Síochána and do a lot of work there. We all - every man, woman and child - must support An Garda Síochána. We need them so badly. Under the carer's badge I always wear here I mention Councillor Richard Molloy who was an unsuccessful candidate for the Seanad but did very well. He is the carers' support manager in south Tipperary. After a long time arguing about it, getting rid of the horrible means test is included, albeit over the five year programme. I welcome this. There are also so many other projects. What we really need to do is get accountability and stop the runaway projects. One just mentioned is the Parteen to Dublin water pipe. They talked about €2 billion for that. Now it has gone to €10 billion before it even starts. We must get value for money. There is the 60-bed long-stay unit in St. Patrick’s site in Cashel that has not been delivered and Brigid's Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir that needs to be reopened. Then of course there is mental health. We do not have a single mental health long-stay bed in Tipperary. South, you pass to go to Kilkenny who are full and, north, you pass to go to Ennis. That is not fair.

We also need the reinstatement of the borough councils because it was the best way of getting people into politics locally and serving their own people. It brought people on from that as well.

We need a reform of the National Ambulance Service and we need a new ambulance space for south Tipperary as the one we have is chronic. There are many aspects of the programme that I welcome and support and I look forward to the change. I am quite pleased that the Government has taken Michael Ring's advice. It was gone too far liberal and too far left for far too long. We are back to basics, bread and butter - infrastructure and looking after people. The CAMHS service in south Tipperary is non-existent and there is the whole area of mental health. They are linked. There is also the frustration for people trying to get special needs places. I know everything cannot be done together but, working together, we will be able to achieve much.

We badly need a bypass for Tipperary town. I raised this earlier during questions on promised legislation. I got a good response from the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. There are issues like that. It cannot be all Dublin-centric. There must be investment in rural Ireland. We have good people out there. We have proud people in Ireland willing to put their shoulder to the wheel. We saw that meitheal spirit in the recent storm incidents. I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Government Whip for giving us some time here. We have parties here who want us to be silenced and we have so-called Independents, fake Independents I call them, in Independent Ireland who want to silence us also-----

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you Deputy.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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-----but that is not acceptable and we will not be silenced.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I hope this new programme for Government delivers for County Kerry because Kerry has definitely left behind for a lot of years now. Even Killarney is in a desperate state. It needs a bypass first of all but in the short term daily traffic is going in to Killarney from every side meaning that people are now avoiding it. That is detrimental to tourist providers and to business in the town and we need to do something in the interim to ensure the traffic is freed up in Killarney. We have over 660 other roads on the list and we are doing 24 a year. We need to up that by four times the amount. We need to be doing at least 100 so that the roads could be done in six or seven years. Blackwater Bridge to Sneem was left behind last year again because of Eamon Ryan. It was shovel-ready to start last January. It never started because it got no funding. Bridges like Listry Bridge, Boston bridge and all the bridges around the Ring of Kerry were built over 200 years ago. They were only built for horses and carts.

We need hospitals properly staffed and we need the new community hospital in Killarney to be open right away. We need to value farmers and not be blaming them. We need to do something to encourage farmers' sons or daughters to get into the farming because they are not doing it at present. They are going to avoid it.

On planning, so many people would build their own houses in Kerry if they could get planning permission but they cannot - even on their own land. If it is not a farm, they will not get planning permission beside their mothers and fathers.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you Deputy. We will move back now to the Government.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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This Government-generated pressure from strict planning is the cause of it. I want to mention treatment plants. Every one of them is not capable. We cannot build even one house in some of our towns and villages.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am really pleased to have an opportunity to speak on the programme for Government that I was pleased to negotiate with colleagues over the last number of weeks and months and one that sets out our priorities as a Government over the next five years. It is built on delivering a strong economy and a fair society and central to that is our education system. We have set out very clearly in the programme for Government that education is at the heart of all our ambitions as a country. Excellent and innovative education and training are essential to delivering a fair society and a strong economy. The education system must begin by supporting everyone to fulfil their potential no matter their background or ability. We all have ability. It is about identifying, supporting and harnessing it. Working with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and following on from the work of our predecessors, I intend to place a significant focus on supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their potential while working closely with the NCSE and my Department in that regard.

We must ensure our education system is inclusive of all of our students. That means opening additional educational schools and special classes. It means expanding the number of SNAs, building on the huge expansion to date. It means further special education teachers, expanding on the resources available to special schools and making sure we have a better structure in place particularly when it comes to parents accessing school places. This means placing a greater focus on the rights of parents. The introduction of a common application system for children applying for special classes or for special schools has the potential to be a game-changer for parents and we will work to implement this system building on the work of the Dublin 15 task force. We must also take additional actions to tackle educational disadvantage.

The DEIS programme is a significant support to 260,000 students right across 1,200 schools. The Minister, Deputy Foley, secured funding to extend the DEIS programme to 322 additional schools. The intervention by the Minister is already having a real and very positive impact on the lives of children. However, we want to and must do more. As Minister, I intend to prioritise actions that will close the gap between our DEIS and our non-DEIS schools. In particular, I wish to place a focus on improving outcomes for children from areas of high deprivation, while of course increasing innovation and collaboration between schools.

Since Covid-19 and the pandemic, the rate of absenteeism in schools has, unfortunately, increased significantly. The proportion of children in primary schools missing more than 20 days has doubled since the pandemic. This is even more profound among some cohorts of children and young people. As Minister for education and youth, I am determined to take actions that can reverse this trend. There are of course many complex reasons children do not attend schools, so tackling this issue requires a real partnership approach of school, home and community supports, as well, of course, as listening to our children and young people. I think there is a real opportunity now that the responsibility for youth is moving into the Department to ensure there is that synergy. We have our schools, which are really important places for our young people to be supported. The question, though, is how we can work outside the schools with our youth services more and ensure greater connectivity between both. How can we ensure that we support our young people to flourish in school and outside of school to ultimately maximise their potential and help them to achieve their ambitions for the future?

The world is changing and it is essential that the education system changes too and that we and the students are equipped with the abilities and knowledge to succeed in this rapidly changing world. The AI and digital revolution, in particular, presents the biggest change for our economy and society. That is why curriculum reform is so important. I again commend the work of my colleague the Minister, Deputy Foley, on reform of the leaving certificate. There is now an opportunity and momentum to move forward on examinations that recognise a broader range of competencies looking at critical analysis, creative thinking, information processing, communication, being personally effective and, something we all know is important in here, working together. I will also take action to support teaching and learning in Irish. I will publish a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht with an objective to increase the proportion of children and young people attending Irish-medium education settings. I am also determined to continue to upgrade our schools across the country. We all know the opening of a school, a refurbishment or a new extension is a great moment for a school and a community, and I intend for that to continue. Since 2020, my Department has invested more than €5.7 billion in our schools right across the country. It has involved the completion of more than 1,150 school project buildings. Much more is under way. Again, as the Minister for education and youth, I want to ensure this record investment continues.

Finally, a key commitment in the programme for Government is to support our teachers, who are so important to everything I have discussed, and all those who work in our education system. This will be absolutely key. Between 2018 and 2024, the number of allocated primary teaching posts has increased by 14% or more than 5,000, while post-primary posts have increased by 18% or more than 5,000. Our population, though, is growing and so is the demand. We need to do much more and in the coming weeks I intend to set out additional measures we can take to improve our teacher supply and to support our teachers.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Ceann Chomhairle as ucht an ama agus an deis seo a thabhairt dom. I am very pleased this afternoon to have the opportunity to speak on the programme for Government. I was also pleased to have been a part of the negotiating team for this programme for Government. In particular, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to outline the key priorities that will shape the work of the Department of children, disability and equality over the next number of years. The programme for Government is committed to prioritising improvements in disability services throughout the country. In the first instance, the programme commits to the formation of a new disability unit in the Department of an Taoiseach, which will form the basis of a whole-of-Government step-change in the approach to service improvement and delivery.

The Department and I look forward to working closely with this new unit, and with all Ministers right across Government, to deliver on commitments and priorities in a new national disability strategy which is currently in development. In terms of cross-departmental collaboration, for example, I am committed to working with the Department of further and higher education to secure a significant pipeline of appropriately-trained staff. In this regard, we will double the number of college places available to students who wish to study, for example, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, as well as those who wish to become dieticians, psychologists, social workers and other relevant disciplines. Proactive collaboration will also take place with all other Departments, including the Department of housing, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of education, the Department of Transport and others. The singular aim here is to ensure that across all aspects of life and society the needs of people with disabilities will be appropriately catered for and addressed.

As Minister, I acknowledge the vital role played by all staff in the disability sector, including those employed by voluntary agencies. I welcome the agreement reached at the Workplace Relations Commission in 2023 that resulted in an 8% increase in pay for section 39 workers. Of course, I am very conscious that further work is needed here to improve pay and conditions for staff. I do believe agreement can be reached in this regard. Support for families is absolutely crucial across the disability sector and under the action plan for disability services work will continue to improve capacity for respite services and to offer a better variety of respite services to suit the diverse needs of families. We know all this good policy intent across the disability sector must be matched by strong and robust resources that sustain this collective ambition. Over €3 billion has been allocated for HSE disability services in budget 2025, which represents more than an 11% increase on the budget allocation in 2024. In this regard, I particularly wish to acknowledge the former Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the former Minister of State, now Senator Rabbitte, on their excellent work.

While the issue of improvements to disability services is front and centre in the programme for Government, great progress will continue to be made to support parents, children and providers across the early years sector too, to ensure that children receive the best start in life. Central to this is a commitment in the programme for Government to progressively reduce, over the lifetime of the Government, the cost of childcare to €200 per child through the national childcare scheme and also explore options to cap costs for larger families. This will be achieved through further and ongoing investment in the national childcare scheme as well as providing universal and targeted subsidies to assist parents with childcare affordability or to help them back into the workforce. In budget 2025, State investment in the early years sector exceeded €1.37 billion for the very first time, and the Government will remain committed to using these funds to improve staffing levels in the sector and to significantly enhance and provide for additional childcare capacity in areas where needs remain unmet.

There is also a commitment to review the 2001 childcare facilities guidelines for planning authorities with the aim of ensuring that childcare spaces are not only provided in new housing developments, but actually put into use, which will in turn help to ease pressure in the sector. Of course, the programme for Government makes very real commitments to the ongoing support of Tusla and of child protection more generally. As Minister, I am acutely aware of the need to ensure that Tusla is supported in recruiting and retaining vital front-line staff, including social workers and foster carers. This has been and will continue to be achieved through social work apprenticeships, advertising campaigns and a commitment to recruit more foster carers into the system by providing greater levels of State support such as pensions and exploring the feasibility of extending the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance.

Finally, the programme for Government commits to building on the good work already done in the gender equality space to ensure that women are afforded the same opportunities as men in business, sport and public life. Specifically, the Department is working to launch an online portal where organisations will be required to report directly to Government on the progress they are making on the gender pay gap. This data will be used by academics and policymakers alike to further our understanding and to identify where future improvements will be needed. This has been just a snapshot of the key commitments of the Department for children, equality and disability in the programme for Government.