Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As party spokesperson on Northern Ireland, I express my condolences to Ambassador Johnston, his staff, everybody in the UK and not just the Protestant Unionist community but everybody across all counties on the island for whom she was their queen. I would go further and second the proposal by Senator Craughwell. I believe we should write to the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste and ask that those people in the public sector who want to view the funeral and who deemed her their queen be facilitated. I ask that the private sector try to facilitate that as well. I think it is only right given the large steps taken and the leadership shown by her in the past number of years, particularly since the Good Friday Agreement was signed. At a time when we are talking about sharing this island, it is only right that this be done.

I also request that we write to the Government, particularly the Minister for Finance, regarding the help-to-buy scheme. This scheme has helped over 30,000 people buy or build their homes over the past five years. It has been a vital cog in ensuring that people had enough money along with their deposit to get a family home. It is a vital scheme for which the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage increased the grant to up to €30,000 in the past couple of years. It is very important it is retained. It will reach the end of its life at the end of this year and it is important that a provision is included in the budget to ensure families can get this extra support of €30,000 to buy homes.