Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Before I ask my question, perhaps the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will give me the opportunity on this, the last day of this term in the Dáil - although some of us will be here for committees next week and the coming weeks - to thank all the staff on behalf of Sinn Féin, and I am sure everyone else, who keep this place working and going, whether that is in the canteen or the ushers, cleaners and the many staff who make sure the Oireachtas functions smoothly, although we can sometimes make it quite challenging for them. I wanted to put that on the record.

As the Tánaiste will be aware, on Sunday, GAA supporters from Cork and Tipperary will make the pilgrimage to Dublin and Croke Park for the all-Ireland hurling final. They will be followed the following week by folks from my county, Donegal, and from County Kerry for the football final. Many of them cannot believe their eyes when they see the prices they are being charged to book hotels in our capital city. They are being charged €450 or €500 for a room for one night, when it is a fraction of that on other weekends. It is scandalous. Those attending the Oasis gig later, next month, will face exactly the same rip-off. It is now the case that people can get a week's sun holiday cheaper than they can get two nights in Dublin. It is absolutely scandalous. I have raised this with the Government before and nothing is happening. This is just another example of the do-nothing Government. Will the Government do anything about the rip-off and price gouging that happens every summer? Whether people are trying to take their families to watch our national games or going to gigs or tourists are coming in, it is scandalous and needs to end.

Will the Government do anything about this?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I join the Deputy in thanking all of those who work on the Leinster House campus to make this place work efficiently and effectively on behalf of the people of Ireland. I thank all the people who the people watching at home may see on their screens and the many hundreds who work in the background to make sure we have effective democracy. To everyone in this place, regardless of political perspective, I believe that all politicians, on all sides of the House, work bloody hard in the interests of their constituents. We will be back doing this hammer and tongs again soon but, in the meantime, despite sitting beside a Meath woman, I wish Donegal well in the final after the team's victory at the weekend.

The Deputy is right to highlight the issue of prices that people are experiencing. The tourism function has been moved to the Department of enterprise. This creates real synergy in terms of policies. There is an opportunity for the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Alan Dillon, to consider what can be done. Clearly, there are examples of price gouging and the like. There is a role for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the Minister and the Minister of State intend to engage with the CCPC on this matter.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I too thank the staff and wish everyone well for the summer break. It is very clear that IBEC is trying to manipulate the Government to exclude services from the occupied territories Bill. We have had more than 21 months of genocide. The EU is now saying that it will keep a "close watch" on Israel, so a close watch on genocide. The EU is worse than useless. At the same time, the EU said that member states should consider the legal opinion of the International Court of Justice in the context of trade with the occupied territories. It is very clear that we need sanctions now. We should not bow to domestic or international pressure on this. The fact that Mike Huckabee, a horrible racist, accused the Irish of falling into a vat of Guinness makes me more resolute that we are doing the right thing. I ask the Tánaiste to make it clear that the Government will not capitulate on the inclusion of services in the occupied territories Bill and that we can come back here and sit in August to finally pass this legislation.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I had a very constructive meeting with the US ambassador to Ireland this week. We discussed a variety of issues and I welcomed the opportunity to talk to him about the Irish people's very strong, almost guttural, view of the horror of what is happening in Gaza. I thank him for that respectful engagement. It is always important to have respectful engagement. Some of the language used by others, which the Deputy referenced, does not help the debate or discussion on policy in any way.

The Government's position on the occupied territories Bill is as I have stated it on many occasions. I thank the foreign affairs committee for the good scrutiny it has done on it. It is important that the committee hears all views. It is important that any decisions the Oireachtas takes are done with our eyes wide open and having scrutinised and considered all aspects of the Bill. A variety of people have appeared before the committee, some I absolutely agree with and some I do not. The Deputy can probably guess who those are. It is important to have had that engagement. I expect to get advice from the Attorney General over the course of the summer recess, receive the report from the committee and then advise Government on the next steps. I am happy to work constructively with the Opposition once I have received both of those.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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I also pay tribute to the outstanding staff in the Oireachtas, with a special mention for the excellent broadcast workers here, 13 of whom will be laid off over the summer due to the precarious and unfair nature of their contracts.

Almost one year ago to the day, my party leader, Deputy Holly Cairns, raised the issue of more than 5,000 young people waiting for primary care psychology services in the Cork-Kerry region. Of this group, 109 had been waiting for between four and five years. The Tánaiste responded to Deputy Cairns by saying that there seemed to be a particular challenge in the region that he did not believe was replicated nationally. A year later, it is clear from figures I have extracted with great difficulty from the HSE that the primary care crisis is not only national, but it is also across disciplines. We have children waiting up to seven years for physiotherapy in Cork, up to six years for speech and language therapy in Dublin, up to nine and a half years for occupational therapy in Dublin, up to nine and half years for psychology in Galway and, incredibly, up to 13 and a half years for psychology in Dublin. Astonishingly, during Leaders' Questions this week, the Taoiseach denied that there had been any recruitment embargo in primary care services. Does the Tánaiste accept that he was misled by the HSE about the crisis in primary care this time last year? Does he agree that the Taoiseach distorted the reality of recruitment restrictions on primary care this week in the Dáil? Will he now commit to an urgent recruitment drive to address these out-of-control waiting lists?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I remember the day Deputy Cairns raised the issue and I remember that the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was here at the time. On the issues in Cork-Kerry, my understanding was that there were recruitment challenges for funded posts. Let me refresh my memory on that and come back to the Deputy directly. The Deputy is correct that there is a nationwide challenge with access to therapy services that goes beyond any particular geographic challenges. I do not dispute that at all. We are taking a number of steps to try to get on top of this. One is the establishment of a national education therapy service, led by the Minister, Deputy McEntee. This will apply to parents who have a child in a special school, in the first instance, and then spread out to special classes and mainstream school over time. Therapy services will be provided in the schools. This will start with speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. We are also looking at how we can use private capacity for assessments of need. We have seen a very significant increase in the number of people accessing assessments of need this year compared with last year. We are also increasing the number of college places, with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, to train more people. I accept that this is a very challenging area but we are taking a number of measures to try to get to a better place on it.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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I join in the thanks to the many workers who make this place tick. I raise the case of the 35-year-old Irish father of three who was held by the US authorities for 100 days. He overstayed his ESTA visa by three days because of a medical condition. He was then taken by ICE and held for two months before being transferred into the regular prison system. The story is horrendous and horrifying. He was freezing on many occasions and only had a thin blanket. He was hungry and the food was of a very poor quality. The mattress was dirty and there were cockroaches and mice. He mentioned a pair of used, ripped underwear, with brown stains and jumpsuits with bloodstains and holes in them. This gives a glimpse of the horror that ICE means for so many people being deported or who face the threat of deportation from America. Did the Tánaiste raise this case and the treatment of an Irish citizen with the US ambassador when he met him earlier this week?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I did not, but I am very happy to receive the details from the Deputy. It is probably likely that our consular services and embassy are aware of the case. I am very happy to receive any information from the Deputy on the matter and to follow up on it. As I would be expected to say, the migration policies of any country are a matter for that country. However, we would always expect Irish citizens to be treated with dignity and respect and consular services should be provided for any Irish citizen abroad.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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I hope the Tánaiste will join with me in welcoming Don José González Carballo and his wife, Justa García Toro, on their visit to Leinster House. Don José is a professor of history who is studying in Ireland at the moment.

On 3 July, ComReg activated the SMS sender ID protection register, which is a great idea. It is meant to stop the scam texts we are all receiving. More than 360,000 of them have been received to date by people who have reported it. As we know, €100 million has been lost due to scam texts. Having said that, unfortunately, the system does not appear to be working correctly. The algorithm is not working correctly and computer engineers and the engineering team have not rectified it yet. Many people are losing appointments and legitimate communications from bodies such as the HSE. CAO offers and bank alerts have been mistakenly flagged as likely scams. While I want to bring this to the Tánaiste's attention, the company does not believe that it has found the source of it. What happens in autumn is that those that are flagged as scam texts are no longer on the text system, so the likes of the HSE and Bank of Ireland have not been. I have received two of these texts, one for my hotel reservation this week, which came up as a likely scam, and another, which was a scam but was not flagged. I am asking that we communicate with ComReg that it should not roll this out further until all the technology is correct.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Deputy's guests. I hope they have a pleasant visit.

I thank the Deputy for highlighting this issue, which is something everyone is trying to get on top of, but getting on top of it correctly, as the Deputy highlights, is very important. I will ask the Minister for communications to engage with the relevant authorities and ComReg and come back to the Deputy directly.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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An Post was in the news this week, and thankfully it has clarified that its financial position is better than previously reported. The real issue here is the closure of post offices throughout the country. Since 2015, 34 post offices have closed in Cork county and 257 post offices have closed nationwide. As we know, a post office provides much more than just a service. It is core part of community life in many towns and villages throughout the country. It provides a social outlet for many of our citizens, which is critical to combat loneliness and provide social interaction. We need to do more to support our post offices. Postmasters have a very active role in promoting the survival of post offices and encouraging the Government to do more to support them. I ask that we actively engage with the postmasters and others to try to ensure the future and sustainability of our post office network throughout the country.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy McGrath. He is entirely right. The postmasters have, quite rightly, been vigorously engaging with us. This is an issue of concern for them and I assure the House and the postmasters that the Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and a sustainable post office network. We see it as a key component of economic and social infrastructure throughout the country. The programme for Government we have agreed states the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. My understanding is that an amount of approximately €10 million per annum is being provided by the Government over a three-year fixed term to An Post, which then disperses the funding across the post office network. We will continue to work and engage to make sure we can deliver on the commitment to have a sustainable post office network and to support our postmasters.

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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My question is on carers. I acknowledge, as most of us do from time to time, the outstanding work Family Carers Ireland and carers in general do in our communities. I also acknowledge the increase in the income threshold in the assessment. As part of the programme for Government, there is a commitment to abolish the means test. I am anxious to know the timelines in this respect.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Roche for raising this matter. I know he is a vocal advocate for carers and those been cared for. As he rightly said, the programme for Government includes a number of measures to support carers, including a commitment to phase out the means testing for the carer's allowance by increasing the income disregard in each budget, with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government. We are all determined to see meaningful progress on the means test through the lifetime of the Government and as part of the upcoming budget. I will not speculate on the upcoming budget as it would get me into all sorts of trouble, other than to say it is important that we show a roadmap for how we intend to get there and that we work together to achieve it. In the meantime, with effect from Thursday, 3 July, the income disregard did increase and this is important. All of these improvements mean that more carers can now avail of the carer's allowance payment. We are all very clear on what we want to do here. The means test for carers is mean and we want to abolish it in a way that is sustainable over the lifetime of the Government.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I raise the issue of serious problems in our mental health services, particularly in acute mental health services. I will raise the individual case of a young man in Sligo who was murdered. His name was Jimmy Loughlin. The person who committed the murder was somebody in the care of the mental health services. When incidents like this happen the HSE is meant to carry out what is known as a serious incident report. It was not carried out in this case. It has also not been carried out in other cases, as another family has contacted me in similar circumstances. I raised this issue previously with the Taoiseach, who said the Mental Health Commission would have to investigate it. The family wrote to the Mental Health Commission, which has come back and said it does not investigate these situations. The family feels they are being stonewalled in respect of this situation. They want this issue resolved. After the recess, will the Government meet these families and sit down and discuss this issue with them? Will it ensure that in all these circumstances serious incident reports are carried out? This will allow people to understand where the failings occurred. In these cases people were murdered by somebody with mental health problems who attacked them. In most cases the people themselves end up dying by suicide. It is a tragedy for these families. It is the impact of a failed mental health service that we need to get right. Will the Tánaiste please ensure he meets these families and that serious incident reports are carried out in all of these cases?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Kenny for raising what is clearly a serious matter. Out of respect for the seriousness of it, I will speak directly with the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Butler, and see whether the meeting requested can be progressed. I will also apprise myself of the details because Deputy Kenny has raised it in the House previously.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I wrote to the Taoiseach three times.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am very happy to follow up and come back to him on it.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The patrol of our coasts and coastal waters is a mammoth task for the Defence Forces, customs, An Garda Síochána, the RNLI and the Coast Guard. I want to put on record my admiration for those involved in the seizing of the MV Matthew and the drugs haul that came with it. The work done by the Defence Forces, the RNLI and An Garda Síochána has borne great fruits for this country in stopping the drug shipment. The patrolling of this enormous exclusive economic area is a very difficult task. Is there a role for more economical means, such as the use of long-range sophisticated scout drones to patrol these waters? This would also save money and carbon emissions. It is an opportunity for us to patrol these waters more effectively and do so in a more economical way.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Ward is entirely correct. This is a very important issue and we have to start taking national security very seriously in this country. We need to see a step change in our investment in the capability of our Defence Forces. I am very proud of the work done by all parts of Óglaigh na hÉireann but just because we are militarily neutral does not mean we do not invest in defence. In fact, in many ways it means we are more required to invest in defence. I think we are going to see a step change in investment in defence and security over the lifetime of the Government. We are really committed to looking at how we can transform the Defence Forces into a modern, fit-for-purpose organisation to meet the challenges of today and the future. The specific issue Deputy Ward has raised is correct. There is a recommendation in the report of the commission on the future of the Defence Forces on using the development of what it calls Defence Forces RPAS, or remotely piloted aircraft systems. We will be looking to progress this as quickly as possible, depending on national development plan outcomes and other funding matters.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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I raise the issue of the national average waiting time for a driver test of 14 weeks. In Dungarvan the average waiting time is 30 weeks. It is very popular with people in the east Cork area. The Tánaiste knows this is absolutely unacceptable. It has dragged on for years now. The RSA has failed to meet its targets. Is this something the Government could finally look at working towards bringing to an end?

I also reference that the people of Cork have been waiting for 20 years for something to come to an end this weekend. I wish the Cork team the best of luck against Tipperary. I am sure the Tánaiste will be cheering them on, with most of the Government.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Hear, hear.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach likes to think he takes care of the cheering for Cork but I very much look forward to attending the Cork and Tipperary game. I am looking at my Tipperary colleague, Deputy Murphy. I wish Cork and Tipperary very well at the weekend and I look forward to a very good final. I also wish Donegal and Kerry the best of luck on following weekend.

The issue Deputy O'Connor raised on driver tests is important. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, are working very hard on this. They are working with the Road Safety Authority. We need to look at how we reform the RSA. I do not say this to be critical of the RSA. It was set up to promote road safety. We all think of the late Gay Byrne, Lord rest him, and the very good work done. There is also an aspirational side that is quite separate and distinct. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, are giving consideration to all of this. Specifically on the issue in Dungarvan, I will ask the Minister of State and the Minister to raise it with the RSA and come back to Deputy O'Connor directly.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I raise the issue of the lack of gardaí in Limerick city and the perceived lack of a Garda response. In recent days, I have spoken to many community leaders who have all used the same words - "tense", "fear" and "dread" - to describe the situation. It is not fair that communities are left like this. This week alone, I was contacted by several constituents. One said a car was speeding around the area all day and there were no gardaí about. Another resident said that five motorbikes were speeding around doing wheelies since that morning and they could not get through to the Garda station. I know people in other areas will say this also but we need more gardaí in Limerick. When the new recruits come out of Templemore the Tánaiste has to ensure their deployment is not only based on population but on need. Limerick has that need. I am making several specific requests today, one of which is for more gardaí for Limerick from among those coming out of Templemore. The gardaí in Limerick do a fantastic job when they are available but they cannot be deployed or respond if they do not exist.

I ask specifically that the Tánaiste support an application that has been made for CCTV for the Garryowen area. Garryowen is a large area.

Deputy Maurice Quinlivan: I want to raise the issue of the lack of gardaí

It is caught between two areas where there are cameras so everything is being concentrated in Garryowen. I request additional gardaí for Limerick and CCTV for Garryowen.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Quinlivan for raising this issue in respect of Limerick city, which he raises regularly. I am pleased to remind us all that Limerick was one of the first areas in the country to get bodycams as part of the pilot roll-out. We also saw the first conviction as a result of bodycams in Limerick. I have no doubt that measure is supporting gardaí in the work they are doing in Limerick. Of course, we all want to see more gardaí. That is why Templemore is working at full throttle again and why we are looking at options for a second Garda college. Where gardaí are allocated is a matter for the Garda Commissioner but I will certainly pass the Deputy's views regarding Limerick city and CCTV for the Garryowen area on to the Minister for justice.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I have asked when the Government will rerun the Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up campaign on a number of occasions. This morning, I spoke to Lucy, a 20-year-old student who missed the HPV vaccine when she was at school and who wants to take it up now. She has been quoted up to €600 to get the vaccine. The cost of the initial appointment with a practice nurse, multiple shots and multiple GP visits to get those shots totals €600. She is a third level student. She does not have that level of disposable income. I spoke to the Minister for Health last night. She outlined her position on the importance of the school vaccination campaign. I appreciate that but I still do not have an answer for Lucy. Why does she have to fork out €600? Why does she have to pay for potentially life-saving shots when just six months ago the Government committed to rerunning the Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up campaign?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I sincerely thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this very important issue. We have an opportunity to effectively eliminate cervical cancers in our country. One of the ways we can achieve that goal is by increasing HPV vaccination rates for girls by age 15 to the WHO target of 90% by 2030. The Deputy is correct that there is also a need for catch-up programmes. The programme for Government contains a commitment to extend the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme to anyone under 25 who missed the initial vaccination. When I mention Laura Brennan, I always think of her and her family, whom I acknowledge today. As a first step towards fulfilling this commitment, the Minister for Health told me this morning that she has decided to introduce a schools-based HPV vaccine catch-up programme without delay. This will give an opportunity to students who have previously been offered a HPV vaccine another opportunity to receive that vaccine. It is estimated that approximately 75,000 students could benefit from this, which is not a small cohort at all. Those aged 16 and older do not require parental consent to receive the vaccine as part of the catch-up programme. The uptake of the vaccine will be closely monitored. In parallel, the Minister is exploring opportunities to identify a suitable delivery model for those aged under 25 who have left school. In the meantime, it is important to have as many children of schoolgoing age as possible vaccinated. We are fully committed to this programme. The Minister intends to start it in the way I have suggested. Some 75,000 students will benefit. The Minister will then come back on a suitable delivery model for those aged under 25.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Lucy will not benefit from that.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We have to start. Some 75,000 people will benefit from the catch-up programme.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I am sure the Tánaiste saw the Minister for justice's comments yesterday on a case being taken by the Irish Refugee Council in respect of how refugees, those seeking protection in our State, are being treated. Those comments were absolutely outrageous. They were deliberately designed to inflame tensions, to further the tropes that are out there and to pit refugees against homeless people. The most despicable thing is that this is not a once-off. We saw the gleeful tweets about deportations and the tough language last weekend and now we have this. I am fed up. The reality is that the Government is manufacturing a crisis on our streets by forcing men seeking international protection to visibly go homeless before they are accommodated even though there are spaces in the international protection centres. The reality is that this is putting those men in danger and causing great fear for communities, on which it has a real impact. Will the Tánaiste show leadership on this rather than pandering? The stakes are very high, particularly for the communities I represent in Dublin Central. It is like Fort Knox outside Leinster House right now. The barricades are up to protect us against protestors. We talk about the far right but the reality is that there are people in the Tánaiste's Government-----

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I ask Deputy Sherlock to conclude.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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-----who are feeding that poisonous anti-immigrant sentiment. That has to end. People in here need to show leadership and speak to the realities.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Sherlock, please resume your seat.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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No, this is important.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I know it is important but you had one minute and have gone well over it.

Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)
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People's lives are at stake here. What the Minister for justice said yesterday was absolutely disgraceful. I hope the Tánaiste will now reflect what the Government thinks.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I believe and certainly hope we are all united in calling out the far right. We have all had experiences in our constituencies and communities of people trying to sow division. For the Government to effectively deal with that, it must not leave a vacuum. It must put in place the policies required for a functioning rules-based migration system. Immigration is a good thing. All of us in Government believe that. I think all of us in this House, or certainly most of us, believe that as well. Immigration is a good thing and we have benefited from people coming to our country but there must also be rules. We have to have an efficient courts system and a deportation system that works. We also have to ensure the costs we apply are the same as or similar to those in other European countries. It is about a balanced migration system that works. I am always calling out the far right. The Minister for justice is working with the full support of Government and I thank him for the work he is doing to make our migration system more efficient and more effective in advance of joining the EU asylum pact next year. Yesterday, I met with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and had an opportunity to brief him on the work this country is undertaking with regard to refugees and the work we do to support displaced people at an international level.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I speak today as a proud voice for Clonmel, a town with a borough charter dating back to 1608 and a place of deep history and extraordinary community spirit. Clonmel has felt the loss of its borough council profoundly since its abolition in 2014. Decision-making drifted from the people. Civic pride diminished. The unique identity of our town, forged over centuries, was quietly eroded. Does the Tánaiste agree that the abolition of borough and town councils was a mistake? The programme for Government pledges a pathway back to town-level democracy. I ask the Tánaiste to honour that pledge. Clonmel is not just a town. It is a living borough. It is home to the great outdoors, rich in culture and strong in employment. I ask that our borough council, one of only five in the country, be restored, not for the sake of nostalgia but as an act of justice and to bring about meaningful local government, renewal and the beginning of something better. The people of Clonmel are crying out for their independence from Tipperary County Council and the power base that is Nenagh.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Was it Clonmel or Kilkenny the Deputy mentioned?

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I mentioned that there were five borough councils, one of which was Kilkenny.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Does the Leas-Cheann Comhairle have an interest in this? Is the Deputy from Clonmel? I jest. I thank Deputy Murphy. He represents his community with pride and dedication. I thank him for raising this issue on behalf of the people of Clonmel. I have been delighted to be in Clonmel with him on many occasions recently to see all the work that is going on, the benefit of URDF funding, the plans for a college of further education, the regeneration of the old barracks site and the new Garda station. As he will know, there is a commitment in the programme for Government. We have established a local democracy task force. The purpose of this is to look at how to strengthen local government. The task force will look at issues in respect of structure, funding, functions, governance, accountability, local government and, importantly, the role of councillors. It will also consider how to further strengthen the framework and powers of municipal districts, including the Clonmel borough district. It will also consider the role of a small number of town-focused bodies that could be introduced again. I am proud to be a former town commissioner for Greystones so I know the benefits these commissions and councils can bring to a community. The Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, will bring the recommendations of that task force to Cabinet in due course. I look forward to considering the matter at that time. I will keep in close contact with Deputy Murphy.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I too look forward to the publication of the national development plan in the coming weeks and to the significant investment we will see in infrastructure. The challenge, of course, relates to delivery. Our problem with certain State agencies is what I can only describe as a "Bulmers" approach to delivery - nothing added but time. Some of our delivery has been particularly poor. I would like assurance, particularly in respect of water infrastructure. I will talk about my own constituency of Wicklow-Wexford, which the Tánaiste knows very well. While Uisce Éireann has done good work with regard to the Arklow wastewater treatment plant, there have been 24 instances of water outages of 24 hours or more in Gorey town over the last 18 months. The area of Tara Hill and Ballymoney, which the Tánaiste is very familiar with, regularly experiences outages. Communities like Aughrim in County Wicklow and Ferns and Camolin in County Wexford have been waiting for more than 20 years for a wastewater treatment plant. What guarantees can we be given that, when the Government puts the investment into water and wastewater infrastructure, Uisce Éireann will actually be accountable and will deliver so we can ensure that the outages we have been experiencing will not happen at the same levels again?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Bulmers analogy is important. We should always be asking if there is any added benefit from a particular layer. If there is not, it should be got rid of. For example, the Minister, Deputy James Browne brought a proposal to Cabinet recently that there were four gates to get through social housing. That is not the case now. We got rid of the fourth, third and second gates. There is now only one gate. These are the things Government has to be pretty ruthless on. If there is a reason for something being there, grand, but if there is not, we need to move it on.

The Minister, Deputy Chambers, the Taoiseach, and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and I are having conversations around the issues the Deputy highlighted. We are going to see a significant increase in capital spending, but how do we then ensure that delivery is as swift as possible? There are two quick points I would make. Generally, on infrastructure delivery including water, the reforms that the Minister, Deputy Chambers, introduced in his Department included the establishment of the new infrastructure delivery unit. The people there are responsible not just for counting the money but also for asking where a particular project is at. Irish Water is involved in that. Second, particularly in some smaller towns and villages, including those the Deputy referenced, we have to look at allowing developers to get on with putting in place the necessary infrastructure to Irish Water's standards. If a developer is willing to build eight, ten or 12 houses and we are prepared to allow that developer to do the internal infrastructure, why not let them do the external infrastructure as well? There is openness on the part of Irish Water in this regard.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am conscious this is the last day of term. The revised national development plan is going to be published within two weeks. On many occasions, I have drawn the Tánaiste's attention to the lack of infrastructure in Galway and I do so again. This is a major obstacle to development. Galway is one of the cities to be developed in a sustainable way. On the east side of the city, there is no wastewater treatment plant and there are serious problems with the network and infrastructure. For about the tenth time, I mention that one of the two major siphons under the Corrib Estuary which carry all the sewerage and wastewater from the east side of the city out to Mutton Island is in imminent danger of collapse. I raised this matter with the previous Minister of State, Malcolm Noonan, who took a particular interest in it. It was denied that this was the subject of a report to Uisce Éireann. I have rechecked the position. A report was done for Uisce Éireann, and the words used are to the effect that one of the siphons is in imminent danger of collapse. I draw that matter and the lack of infrastructure in Galway to the Tánaiste's attention.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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We spar in this Chamber on many occasions and do not always agree on things. On a purely personal level, I wish the Deputy well. It takes guts to put your name forward for any election.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Go raibh maith agat.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Specifically on the infrastructure in Galway, the national development plan will be an opportunity to significantly increase investment. We will be considering many projects. We discussed some of the health projects for Galway earlier.

On the Corrib Estuary issue, I will bring the Deputy's comments to the attention of Senator Noonan's successor, the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. I will ask the Minister of State to liaise directly with Deputy Connolly.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I want to again raise issues relating to special education supports for schools in Wicklow. I previously raised them in the context of Topical Issues and parliamentary questions and I wrote to the Minister of State directly on two occasions. Ashford national school has two SNAs. One of them is fully allocated to one student. The schools' request for additional support was rejected and its appeal has been postponed. Marino special school in Bray had its SNA review cancelled two days before it was due to take place. They have had no information since then. The Dominican College in Wicklow was due to open an ASD classroom this September. It had accepted students on that basis and then the classroom was cancelled. St. Laurence's in Greystones had its SNA review cancelled at short notice. New Court special school is missing nearly half the SNA supports it needs. My feeling is that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is moving from one process to another that is due to begin in the next school year. However, that is leaving huge gaps for schools preparing for September. Can the Minister for Education please look into this matter and have it resolved?

I am not sure the Minister is aware that there are 120 primary schoolchildren in Wicklow town and Rathnew who do not have school places for September. I am aware of a number of students in Greystones who also do not have places.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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To the Deputy's final point, my Department is engaging with the schools in the area to make sure that every child has a place. This has to happen in every area, particularly where there is a population increase. We are actively engaged in the area. If there is a need to work more closely with the Tusla education support service for schools, and in particular for students, that will happen. My understanding is that there are places available. It is about making sure children can get access to those places.

On special education supports, we have more SNAs than we have ever had before. There are 1,600 more this year. I appreciate that the need is increasing. As a result, we need to make sure that we continue to increase SNA supports and the number of special education teachers and provide places. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and I are engaged in ongoing work in that regard.

Specifically in the context of reviews, there is an option for schools, if they are not happy with the allocations made by the NCSE recently, to apply to the review and appeal system. However, I accept the Deputy's point. We need to get to a position where allocations are made at a particular time in order to allow schools to have an opportunity, well before the summer recess, to make appeals in order that they will have the resources in place for September and will know exactly what they are getting. We also need to make sure that we have a system and a structure in place for the NCSE to be able to conduct reviews that are asked for and for schools to conduct reviews throughout the school year. This would mean that where SNAs are not needed in schools, and we know that is the case, they can be redeployed. We will have a new redeployment scheme coming into place next September. I appreciate that we need to make sure that we continue to increase the number of SNAs and special education teachers because demand is increasing.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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That concludes questions on policy or legislation. I join with the party leaders and others in extending our thanks to all of the staff here in Leinster House for the work they do for us in keeping the campus right and keeping all of us safe. I include the Garda in that. I wish everyone well in their work over the next number of weeks.