Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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On the Tánaiste’s watch, the Irish Air Corps traffic control at Baldonnel is moving to five days per week. It does not have the personnel to provide full seven-day cover. The air traffic controllers based there manage military, helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. They also manage Garda aircraft. Garda leadership is now looking for alternatives because responding to crime, as the Tánaiste knows, is not a five-day-a-week job. There are concerns these cutbacks will lead to a loss in essential support for the Coast Guard. If more personnel are lost, operations could be wound up completely. While the Tánaiste has been out drumming up headlines about fighter jets, the most basic needs of our Defence Forces, and of a functioning state, have been completely neglected. The Government received a high-level report in 2021 highlighting the need for urgent action on this issue. Why was no action taken? Why is the Air Corps traffic control going down to five days per week? Why are we putting core issues in jeopardy?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We are significantly increasing funding for defence and supporting the Air Corps, the Naval Service and Defence Forces more broadly. Indeed, funding for defence has increased by 30% since 2020 to a record level. It will increase again in the review of the national development plan shortly. We are back in an era of major investment. Deputy Doherty is right, however. It is no surprise to anyone that there are pinch points in parts of our Defence Forces, particularly in the context of particular skills and challenges in the retention of air traffic controllers. We are working with the Defence Forces, the Department of Defence and the Government more broadly to see what more can be done in this regard. Contingency planning will also be put in place. This issue pertains to Baldonnel. We live in a country which has other airports and air bases. We are working to make sure those contingency plans will ensure the continuation of services.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The most senior official in the Department of environment and energy said today that we will have to decide between building more homes or expanding our data centre capacity because our energy infrastructure cannot handle both. This is an extraordinary intervention. The Labour Party has long been sounding alarm bells about the scale of data centre construction. We have serious concerns about their energy consumption, the pressure they are placing on our grid and the dirty fuels they will have to use going forward because new renewable energy sources cannot keep pace with their exponential growth and energy demand. While data centres are currently responsible for 21% of our overall energy consumption, that figure will grow to 30% by the end of this decade. The Taoiseach, in particular, has been dismissive of our concerns. The Government's policy appears to be to give more and more data centres the green light. Will the Government now ignore the warnings of its own officials or will it take up the Labour Party's call for a moratorium on new data centres until we can at least be sure they will not put further pressure on our grid and can be self-sustained by energy from renewable sources?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Ahern. This whole issue of energy security and supply is an important one. We all know where we need to get to in the context of renewable and offshore energy. We know that we need to turbocharge - pardon the pun - getting there in every way we possibly can. It is about a balanced approach, however. We do not want our country to be closed to investment and investment opportunities. I know Deputy Ahern does not wish that either. We are also seeing data centres themselves changing the way they go about their operations. The way forward on this will be for the Government to work on the large energy users connection policy. I would ideally like to see that published in the autumn. It will show what the policy approach should be from here out to the medium term.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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At a meeting of the Oireachtas media committee yesterday, RTÉ executives revealed yet more wasted spending at the State broadcaster. An IT project, specifically a channel management system, went over budget by nearly €1 million. This comes just weeks after we learned, for the first time, about a €3.6 million writedown for another botched IT project. That is nearly €5 million either overspent or wasted on IT projects alone. These are only the projects we know about because RTÉ did not volunteer this information. The revelation that €900,000 was overspent on a channel management system only came to light when I asked a direct question at the end of a two-hour session of questioning. It had to be dragged out of them, which is hugely concerning.

While RTÉ executives have been screaming from the rooftops about a €150,000 payment to Ryan Tubridy for nearly two years, they wasted more than 30 times that figure on IT cock-ups alone and did not bother telling anyone about it until very recently. Shamefully, it is ordinary workers who are bearing the brunt of this mismanagement with cutbacks and redundancies. Is the Tánaiste concerned about this latest revelation? Is he happy RTÉ is being sufficiently transparent? Is he concerned there is more waste in RTÉ that we are yet to learn about?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Gibney for her work on this matter on the committee. To add to the point she made, the IT project at RTÉ, which I believe was discussed at the media committee, came to light after the Minister wrote to agencies asking them whether they had anything they wished to tell about the wastage of public money. Deputy Gibney’s point in general about being transparent and up-front would certainly be extremely helpful, particularly when RTÉ has gone through such a difficult period of time. As Deputy Gibney said, it is the ordinary, decent staff out there who are working hard and want to see this organisation go to where it needs to be. The taxpayer, the Government and the people of Ireland have rightly decided to support public service broadcasting. We have provided a way forward. In return for that, we need to see real delivery and a reform plan. A key part of that must include transparency and interacting in a very open way with Oireachtas committees.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I want to share with the Tánaiste a positive letter I got from Galway City Council. It is delightful. I am told the council is incredibly proud of the impact the energy retrofit programme is having in providing warmer and more efficient homes and helping to reduce energy poverty. It is a delightful letter except the family about whom I raised representations has gone on a waiting list and the city council has no money for the energy retrofit programme. It is all used up and that family is gone onto a list for next year. Yesterday, we heard the head of the Environmental Protection Agency tell us we will fail to meet all of our targets. I am drawing this to the Tánaiste's attention to show the staff are there, ready and willing, but there is no funding for them to carry out the retrofit programme.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I was waiting for the twist in the story. I thank the Deputy for highlighting that issue. To be blunt, there is a challenge in that lots of people around our country want to do the right thing in their own lives with regard to climate. They are finding the schemes we are providing are either not adequately resourced or are too rigid in terms of their application of rules. I am hopeful the Government can address this through budgetary processes and the NDP review. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about Galway and the fact that there are people ready to go but there is not an adequate degree of funding. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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We have a teacher shortage that is worsening year on year. Principals are finding it increasingly difficult to fill teaching posts. We also have a lack of places for children with disabilities. Meanwhile, there are thousands of Irish teachers teaching in the UAE, Australia and other parts of the world. Many left during the crash in search of employment. Many of them want to come home, but there is a barrier and disincentive. That disincentive is the teacher pay scale. Many teachers have to start at the very bottom. I have a letter from a constituent, which is a rejection of incremental pay credit. This man has taught in the UAE for 15 years. He has valuable experience in the areas of teaching, learning and assessment. He has senior management experience abroad, and yet he starts at point 1 on the pay scale in the Irish system. We need to address this. On one hand, we have a shortage. On the other hand, we have thousands of teachers teaching abroad. It is time we had a proactive approach. I understand the Teachers Conciliation Council met about this issue a number of times in 2019, but there has been no action. We need to intervene here. We need proactive solutions, and we need to bring home these wonderful teachers with experience abroad. They are staying away because the Irish system does not value their valuable contribution in the teaching industry.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is right that there are far too many Irish teachers abroad. We would much rather, as would a lot of them, that they were back here teaching. I know this is a huge priority for the Minister, Deputy McEntee. The Deputy will be aware that the Minister made a number of announcements on policy decisions in this regard over the Easter period. They include making it easier for people to get permanent contracts, but also making it easier for teachers to return. If the Deputy wants to send that letter to me, the Minister, or both of us, I will ask her to take on board the points he is making.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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This week, patients with spinal muscular atrophy, SMA, came to the audiovisual room to highlight their case for equal access to treatments and drugs. As Minister for Health in 2017, the Tánaiste once described the reimbursement system we have as being in serious jeopardy. He may actually have inferred that it was broken. Every paper published since then continues to show HSE non-adherence to timelines as outlined in the Health Act. The Mazars report says the HSE was not adhering to the spirit of the legislation. Subsequently, at least four academic papers have highlighted the decision timelines for reimbursements involving health technology assessments, HTAs, have exceeded that 180 days. The Irish Examiner published an article last year, which noted it was taking 180 days just to get a reply from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE. In February this year, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, IPHA, published three years of data showing 86% of applications exceeded the legislative timeline. In light of this, and I would appreciate a direct answer if he can, does the Tánaiste believe the HSE is adhering to these timelines and what will we do to ensure it does?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It certainly does not sound like it, based on what the Deputy has said. I know he has done a huge amount of work on the issue of access to medication, particularly for those with rare diseases. I met the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association approximately two weeks ago. As the Deputy can imagine, we discussed trade and tariffs, but we also discussed that a new framework agreement is due to be negotiated between it and the State. I made a suggestion at that meeting, one which I think they agree with and which I will speak to the Minister for Health about. The discussion and negotiation are always about the quantum, or how much money we are going to spend on new drugs in the next number of years. However, I think the most important and urgent thing to do in that framework is to spend time to get the system and structure right because we ultimately end up buying the drug but it takes too long and there are patients with SMA, many of whom I met back in the day. That is an example. I will ask the Minister for Health to come back to the Deputy on that specifically, but the new framework agreement is a chance, once and for all, to make a broken system work much better.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Ballyporeen national school in County Tipperary was sanctioned by the National Council for Special Education for a special class on 3 March. On 15 May, the NCSE withdrew this sanction because of rent implications linked to the building being provided for the class. This building is ready for use. It is on the school grounds and is owned by the local community council, a not-for-profit organisation. Everyone associated with the school is devastated. The community of Ballyporeen is devastated and, most importantly, the six children already enrolled in the special class and their parents and families are devastated. On my behalf and that of Councillor Marie Murphy, I appeal to the Tánaiste to intervene to engage with the Minister and Minister of State to find a solution and give these six special children the opportunity they deserve to reach the maximum of their ability and restore this sanction.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy and Councillor Marie Murphy for their work on this. I was looking into this and there are approximately 17 new special classes sanctioned for County Tipperary for the coming academic year. I think there are nine at primary level and eight at post-primary level. This is in addition to 138 special classes currently in operation in County Tipperary and three special schools in the county which have approximately 409 students enrolled. One of the five new special schools for the coming school year is going to open in Nenagh.

I take the point about Ballyporeen and how upsetting this has been. My understanding is that the school received sanction based on potential local demand for special class places and based on the information the school had available accommodation to host a special class. I am sure there are people locally who will contradict this, but I am saying what I am being told. I am being told this was not the case and the school did not have available accommodation and the class could only be supported in an external location property that needed to be rented. The NCSE re-evaluated the situation and was satisfied that the needs of the children locally could be met in another way. I know this is not to the satisfaction of the school or the local community, and in light of the Deputy raising this matter, I will ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to engage with him on the matter directly.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Tánaiste to do a practical thing to help families impacted by the defective concrete blocks scandal. I ask him to tag on a non-consequential amendment to the emergency planning Bill to ensure homeowners currently in the process of rebuilding can avail of the updated Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, rates. This will help bridge the gap between the building costs and the grant. It will also help those who are constrained by the cap. The Minister has accepted that the rates needed to be increased to address construction inflation. This is not a policy change I am asking for, so tagging on an amendment to enable updated rates to be applied retrospectively would enable the homeowners to get on with rebuilding their homes and lives. It has been publicly stated on numerous occasions that no one would be disadvantaged by the date at which they entered the scheme. I ask the Tánaiste to tag on this non-consequential amendment to the emergency planning Bill to help people in the process of building their houses to get those completed, get back into their homes and stop having to pay huge rents when there are not rentals available. This is a solution to the situation people are in right now.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. She is right that we have consistently said that no one should be disadvantaged based on when they entered the scheme. She is bringing forward a suggestion that sounds as if it makes common sense and is constructive, and I thank her for that. In the absence of all the information, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Browne, to look at her proposal and engage with her directly.

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I raise the issue of the National Ambulance Service. I have heard from multiple constituents of prolonged waiting times, sometimes lasting hours, in cases of urgent need for medical attention. In my constituency, Arklow, County Wicklow, and Gorey, County Wexford, each have only one operating ambulance at any one time. This is to serve a population of more than 50,000 people. If these ambulances are out on calls, coverage is requested from as far away as Bray and Waterford. Last night in Gorey alone, the ambulance was called to two incidents. One was in Meath and one was in Maynooth.

This is simply putting people's lives at risk. Incredibly, measures were introduced on 10 February which meant three advanced paramedics in my constituency no longer have off-duty access to specialised vehicles which were an essential part of supporting our ambulance service. Do not get me wrong; our crews, paramedics and advanced paramedics are doing the best they can but the system has failed them. When was the last time a capacity report was undertaken? Is the deployment model fit for purpose? This issue is being replicated throughout Ireland.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I have loads of statistics here and do you know what I am going to do? I will not read them out. The statistics tell me we are doing well in terms of response times and the likes but I also live in County Wicklow, know County Wexford well and know and hear the challenges people raise in relation to this.

I am told in relation to the question on capacity that the National Ambulance Service continuously reviews capacity requirements and then feeds that back in terms of investment plans. I will ask that the head of the National Ambulance Service and the Minister for Health engage with the Deputy directly on this.

Putting infrastructure in place is important, in terms of where the ambulances are deployed from. We will see a new ambulance base in Gorey. It is expected to progress to detailed design this year. We also have a new ambulance base in New Ross, which involved the purchase of a former fire station. That is investment in two crucial pieces of infrastructure for the ambulance service in County Wexford.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The Garda vetting process is in urgent need of reform and is proving frustrating for volunteers in community groups and sporting organisations. I acknowledge and recognise the importance of Garda vetting in order to safeguard young people and vulnerable adults. I understand its main objective is to indicate whether somebody has a criminal record or is a threat to a vulnerable person. If someone wants to coach with their local GAA, they need Garda vetting. If they want to get involved in coaching the local soccer club, they need Garda vetting again. If they are involved in something like the community games, Garda vetting is required again. This is clogging up the system. There is a serious lack of joined-up thinking in relation to the process around it.

Surely to God, with the technology available to us in 2025, there has to be a simpler and slicker way to manage Garda vetting nationally. The process needs to be simplified to make it is easy as possible. Surely once a person is vetted once and qualified, this should be accepted for all organisations and groups. Similar to a passport, once a person is approved, they should be Garda vetted for a certain period of time and should then have to renew perhaps every year or every three years, but one vetting would cover all organisations. This would make a huge difference to all the groups and to the Garda vetting process and it would stop unnecessary clogging up the system with multiple applications.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae thinks that is a great idea so I had better pass that on too. There is a lot of common sense in what the Deputy said. Garda vetting is an extremely important issue. The Deputy says that, I say that and we all know that. We have to support the Garda in making sure we know everything we need to know about people, particularly those who work with children and vulnerable and older people, from a safety point of view. That is not the same as saying we cannot reform the system and use technology to apply a common-sense methodology. I am sure a lot of gardaí would support that. In light of the Deputy raising this matter in the Dáil, I will ask our colleague, the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, to consider the proposals and revert to him directly.

Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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Lives continue to be lost because of the State's failure to provide adequate mental health care. Each year, more than 50,000 people try to access mental health services for the first time through hospital emergency departments. A petition started by the family of the late Adam Loughnane has received more than 17,000 signatures. It calls for alternatives to emergency departments for people in a mental health crisis. Our emergency departments are chaotic at the best of times and are not an appropriate setting for people presenting with mental health issues. The NHS in Britain recently introduced mental health emergency departments while the Mental Health Commission report here confirmed general emergency departments are failing people in a mental health crisis every day. Will the Tánaiste take note of the commission report and NHS decision and provide real alternatives to emergency departments for people experiencing a mental health crisis?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and bringing to my attention the petition and advocacy of the family of the late Adam. We thank them for that too. I take very seriously the points raised. There will be a new mental health Bill coming through the House relatively shortly and that will provide an opportunity for us to tease through these issues and make sure the mental health structures and laws in place are modern and adequate. They are very much in need of an overhaul. I will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Butler, to come back to the Deputy on the suggestions he made on the commission report, the NHS and funding levels.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Twelve months ago today, the good people of Dundrum - two of whom the Tánaiste met and I mentioned them to him before, Ms Nora O'Dwyer and Ms Andrea Crowe - started a peaceful, decent protest at the gates. I had a video sent to me half an hour ago of the bus leaving with the last of the Ukrainians. We do not know where they are going but they are being moved out to be replaced by international protection applicants. This is a shocking vista. It is a grave abuse of the community and people of Dundrum. The Ukrainians were working, integrated and being well looked after by the community. Now they have been loaded on a bus this morning. I do not know if even they know where they are going. The hotel is now an IPAS centre. The Tánaiste told me some months ago that he wanted a pause on hotels being taken over by IPAS centres, and here we are. He met Ms O'Dwyer and Ms Crowe but he never came back to them. There was no proper community engagement ever. It was token engagement. To put 277 IPAS people into a village of 220 people is criminal. It tears to shreds the Government's guidelines about not changing the demographics by 5%. What is the Government trying to do to the people of Dundrum and Tipperary? There will be apologies in this House in years to come about the way communities and good, honest people who want to make a living are being treated. They do not want to be at those gates 24-7. They have enough to do. There are there 12 months today and I am marking that this evening. It is a shameful situation.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue with me again in the Dáil. As he rightly said, I met a number of local residents, including Ms O'Dwyer and Ms Crowe, and they were very decent people. It is not fair to say I did not come back to them. I listened to them, engaged with them and passed on their views to the relevant Ministers. The description of Ukrainian people being put on buses and not knowing where they are going is not my experience of how these issues are handled. We need to look at the number of Ukrainians in Ireland, State contracts, value for money and the fact people have been here quite a while. People want to get on with their lives and a lot of work is done to try to do that correctly.

On the decisions the Department of Justice and Government take around the location of IPAS centres, it is well known it is Government policy to get to a number of State-led, State-owned facilities, including the one in Citywest that we have, and to move away over time from having to use smaller facilities in communities, particularly ones that were used for the likes of hotels in the past. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and-or the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, to come back to the Deputy directly with an update on Dundrum, conscious of what the Deputy is saying is happening in the community tonight.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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On Saturday week, 7 June, at 2 p.m. at the Garden of Remembrance, parents, families and their supporters will hold yet another protest to demand their children with additional needs have the right to education, just like any other child - appropriate education in their community as outlined in the UNCRPD. The protest is part of a growing national movement, equality in education, demanding urgent action to ensure children with additional needs receive the education support and resources they deserve. These parents should not be forced to sleep outside the Dáil or to organise protests and public meetings around the country. It is a basic thing to have a school place with the support and staff their children need to thrive. It is unacceptable that in 2025 children are being denied access to education because of a lack of investment, planning and political will. This protest is a vital opportunity to show those families will not be silenced or sidelined any longer. Will the Tánaiste guarantee that every child will have an appropriate school place in their community?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I agree with a lot of what the Deputy said in the sense that no parent should have to protest in relation to that. I would just say - the Deputy may or may not agree - that there is not a lack of political will. Everybody in this House wants to get this issue right. I believe the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has engaged with a number of families involved and is willing, as is the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, to do that again. It would be good to see that happen. People obviously have a right to protest and rightly feel strongly about this but engagement directly with the Minister and Department is important and I would like to see that happening. I know the Minister would too.

It is our absolute priority to ensure every child in the State has access to a school place. The Department of Education and Youth is continually planning for this and investing in existing and new schools and is also now bringing forward the time at which projections for the following year are made. That needs to happen much earlier. The Minister is working on that. We have seen 400 new special places provided for in budget 2025. My understanding is 399 of the 400 have been sanctioned already. I can get the Deputy a breakdown, which might be useful for the families he is working with as well.

Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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As it does every year, the UN today, 29 May, marks the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. This day serves to honour their dedication, bravery and sacrifice, and I pay particular tribute to the Irishmen and Irishwomen who have served, and continue to serve, our country with distinction and honour at home and internationally. As the Tánaiste knows, Irish peacekeeping began in 1958 and Ireland currently has the longest unbroken peacekeeping record of any country in the world.

This year's theme for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers is the future of peacekeeping, which reflects the evolving nature of peace operations in a complex world. With that in mind, will the Tánaiste update the House as to Ireland's continuation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL? As always, I cannot mention UNIFIL without mentioning Private Sean Rooney. Can we please ensure that we keep applying pressure to ensure his killers are brought to justice?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. There is a particular poignancy when she raises this issue because I am conscious that she served with distinction as part of our peacekeeping mission. I thank her for her service. I join with her on what is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in celebrating the vital role that our peacekeepers play across the world. It is now more crucial than ever before, at a time when the global security environment has never been more volatile or uncertain. I particularly think today about the Irish peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL mission. They are not just promoters of peace but also work every day to support communities, instil hope and make a positive difference to people's lives. I was delighted and honoured to visit them in recent weeks.

On international peacekeeping day, I am happy to do as the Deputy asked and confirm that I secured Cabinet approval this week to renew our mandate at UNIFIL for another 12 months.

On the killing of Private Sean Rooney, we absolutely will continue to raise the issue at every opportunity. His family needs justice. There needs to be accountability. That must happen and the Lebanese authorities must bring it about.

Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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As I have said in the House in the past, I represent Dublin Mid-West, one of the fastest growing constituencies in the country. I wish to ask the Tánaiste about secondary school places for the people of Newcastle, which is the fastest growing town in Europe. At the county development plan stage in 2022, it was forecast that by 2028, 5,000 people would be living there. However, the most recent census in 2020 showed 4,500 people living in the town, meaning there will be over 6,500 people in Newcastle by 2028. The primary school in the town is full to capacity and consideration is needed for a second primary school. That means we need to start the process of planning for and providing a secondary school for the people of Newcastle.

Additional capacity is being provided in Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole and in Coláiste Pobal Fóla in Saggart, but both of those towns are growing faster than was forecast. That new capacity will already be taken up by local demand. Compounding that is the fact that there are no active travel links or free bus transport for the people of Newcastle to schools in Rathcoole, Celbridge or Lucan. We must get ahead of this in light of the revised national planning framework that was passed by this House and the revised assumptions about population. We need to provide a secondary school for the people of Newcastle.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He is absolutely correct. He knows better than I do that there is increasing demand for school places in the Newcastle-Rathcoole school planning area due to new residential development. So far, the response of the Department and Government has included the establishment of Coláiste Pobal Fóla in Citywest in August 2020 and the expansion of Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole. I understand that new large-scale post-primary school projects are going to site this year for both of those schools, which will accommodate over 2,000 pupils. The Deputy's challenge to the Government relates to future protections and demand. I understand that the Department regularly meets representatives of South Dublin County Council on the issue and will keep the need for a school in Newcastle under review. The Minister for Education and Youth will keep in close contact with the Deputy on the matter.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I raise the disappointing news of 300 job losses in Limerick with the closure of Carelon. It is extremely disappointing given that the company was established less than four years ago. It is clearly profitable. It made profits of approximately €400 million over two years. What level of engagement has the Government had with the parent company and, in particular, the CEO, Ms Gail Boudreaux, given this development was flagged over two months ago? I am concerned that there could be negative implications for the parent company in terms of IDA grant repayment, redundancy, difficulty recruiting quality staff elsewhere and, most significantly, possible capital gains implications arising from intellectual property made here in Ireland. Has this been conveyed to the CEO, Ms Boudreaux, in the United States by the Irish Government and Minister for enterprise? I assume that if this closure goes ahead as indicated, Revenue will take affirmative action, if necessary.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. My thoughts, like his, are in the first instance with the employees impacted. This decision was flagged by the company in March but yesterday it was confirmed to staff that the decision to close its Irish site will proceed. I understand this is part of the company reviewing its global structure. It has been implementing cost-cutting measures over the past year, which have included the closure and downsizing of other facilities this year and last.

I am told that the closure of operations at Castletroy will happen over the next number of months. I assure the Deputy that the Government and our agencies will be on hand to support workers. In terms of immediate supports, the new pay-related benefit will be available to workers. It is instances such as this that highlight the need for the benefit.

I understand that the staff involved cover a wide range of specialist areas. They include data scientists and analysts, AI engineers, software engineers and product managers. These are highly skilled people with highly skilled roles. I know the Minister, Deputy Burke, will be working hard with our enterprise agencies to identify new job opportunities for those staff members.

The mid-west has, as the Deputy knows, a significant ecosystem in this area. The focus now will be on trying to identify new opportunities for the region and the workers. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the IDA to keep in close contact with the Deputy. Specifically on the issue the Deputy raised in respect of Revenue, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Burke, to come back to him.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I raise the issue of criminal gangs in Limerick, which I have previously raised on a number of occasions. There is an ongoing feud in the Ballinacurra-Weston area on the southside of the city. We also have an ongoing issue in the King's Island area. In fairness to the Government, it has in the past put resources into the King's Island area under Operation Cobalt, Operation Croí and other operations. Unfortunately, those operations have finished. I understand the resources from King's Island have been transferred to Ballinacurra-Weston. They are needed there, but are also needed in the King's Island area.

In the past week or so, I have written to the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, and the Minister for Justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. I also spoke to local gardaí in Limerick, including the chief superintendent. They are deeply concerned. I am asking specifically that we give additional funding to the King's Island area to ensure that the hard-working people in those areas are protected and safe in their homes. We also need to deal with the feud in Ballinacurra-Weston. We need additional resources in both those areas.

I commend the community workers and those working in the services in those areas, who are doing their best in a difficult situation.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Hear, hear.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is absolutely true that everybody deserves to be safe in his or her home and community. I join the Deputy in praising the community workers and local gardaí for the excellent work they do in the area.

I will talk directly to the Minister for Justice about the King's Island area and the need for more support and resourcing for the Garda. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy directly.