Helen McEntee
Meath East · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are no new missions, so there is only so much we can partake in. In regard to UN requests over the past ten years, in September 2019, we had 14 Defence Forces personnel deployed to a UN mission in Mali as part of a joint operation with the German armed forces.”
“I thank the Deputy for his continued engagement on this matter. It is appreciated and I reaffirm our shared commitment to truth and justice, not least for Private Rooney, but in particular for his family.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I know he is committed to this issue; I am too. I have in recent months spent some time travelling to different barracks and Army bases and meeting with personnel. What I see all over the country is their professionalism, dedication and commitment.”
“I disagree that people are being pushed into the courts. The situation is exactly the opposite. I have said in the Chamber many times since I started taking these questions that the State Claims Agency is there and wants to mediate and work directly with people in order that cases do not go directly to the courts.”
“We are all committed to strengthening recruitment to and supporting retention in the Permanent Defence Force. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,823 personnel on 31 May, the most recent date for which we have a figure available.”
“It is the case that no mission is the same, so it is also a matter for the Defence Forces to assess and scope out the mission and then to decide whether it is a mission we can partake in. A question keeps being asked about what it is we would not be able to be a part of if we were to keep the triple lock.”
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“The most recent figures available regarding school completion rates report on students who began their post-primary education in 2017. Of those students who entered first year in 2017, 90% sat the leaving certificate examination in 2022 or 2023. A total of 97.8% sat the junior certificate - now called the junior cycle - examination in 2020. While the latest retention rate to leaving certificate stage of 90% represents a decrease of one percentage point on the retention rate for the 2016 post-primary entry cohort, Ireland has one of the lowest rates of early school leavers in comparison with our European counterparts. Looking at the timelines, children who started in 2016 completed their leaving certificate or junior certificate during Covid times when there were no exams. Naturally, that led to a somewhat higher rate.”
“If our children are not in school, we cannot give them the support and every opportunity they need. It is really important we build on the positive work that is being done. Overall, it is about getting the supports to the children who need them. We will continue to have designated schools, but we will also continue to have children in schools that are not part of a DEIS programme. We need to ensure those children receive the resources as well. I am absolutely committed to working with everyone to make sure that happens.”
“More broadly, I wish to highlight that the child poverty unit established by my former colleague and our former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, is still there in the Department of the Taoiseach. We continue to work together to look at ways in which we can support the most vulnerable. The DEIS programme is key to that. It is not just the new DEIS plan but also the DEIS plus scheme we have committed to in our programme for Government. Work is well under way in that regard. It is about ensuring we do everything possible to support those most acutely at risk, such as those suffering from intergenerational trauma and children who are not at school. As well as building on the DEIS plan that is being worked through the DEIS plus programme, I have announced a number of measures to deal with absenteeism.”
“We have several pilots under way that involve schools getting the home school liaison and school completion programmes even though they are not designated as DEIS schools. It is about expanding this out. Historically, we know there are schools that had those positions even before the DEIS programme was in place. There is one in Navan, where I recently met students. The only reason those students are still in school and doing their leaving certificate is because of those positions. I hope the new plan will create as fair a system and structure as possible and also ensure that where schools are not designated, and some of them will not be, they can still get those targeted supports directly to the students who need them.”
“I thank the Deputy and appreciate the example she outlined. I know in some situations there may be two schools next to each other where one is included in DEIS and the other is not. Siblings from the same household might even be going to both schools. Because of the way the DEIS programme is applied now, it is based on the population in the school and it is possible to have differentiations. Even though students might be coming from three DEIS schools into another school, the overall make-up of the school may not hit the DEIS criteria or fit the bands or levels. I wish to ensure - it is difficult because there will always be somebody outside of the criteria that we have to put in place - that children in non-DEIS schools still get that support. This is really important in the context of the new DEIS plan, as is the case now.”
“I know some schools could appeal based on information that they felt had not been updated or that they had provided. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion, as I said. The detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie . If we are to build on the expansion of the DEIS programme, and this is what we are doing now, I clearly said when I came into this Department that we wanted to introduce a new DEIS plan. It is in that context that any changes would potentially take place. I wish to ensure we have a programme that works for as many students as possible, is as targeted as possible and is applied in as fair a way as possible. Any changes to the application process or to the way it is applied that might allow newer schools in will have to be done as part of the new plan.”
“I am determined to close the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools even further, because it has closed due to the introduction of this scheme, and to introduce more innovative solutions to tackle disadvantage. The programme itself has changed and opened up in the years since it was first introduced in September 2006. In 2017, it was extended to an additional 79 schools. It was then extended to 332 additional schools on top of that from September 2022. The Deputy mentioned that timeline. Included in those most recent expansions of the programme were the schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. This was identified through a refined DEIS identification model. Schools could not apply but essentially had it applied to them.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Tackling educational disadvantage and, in particular, supporting students who are most at risk or in need of support to achieve their full potential is a priority for me, for the Minister of State and for this Government. The DEIS programme is a key policy of the Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided to all schools, such as the introduction of free schoolbooks and free hot school meals. My Department invests over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools in the DEIS programme and this supports approximately 260,000 students. One in four students is currently attending a DEIS school and getting those additional supports.”
“As we are negotiating and working on what that budget looks like now, I cannot give the Deputy a timeline. I can say the priority is to ensure we have places for students, we have new buildings where we need them and we are replacing accommodation that is not fit for purpose. This is certainly a project that will be a part of that conversation. It did go in at the end of last year. Obviously we want projects to move as quickly as possible, but this one is in the early stages. As I said, though, the priorities are to ensure we are providing places while also ensuring that buildings that are not fit for purpose are also replaced.”
“Looking at the budget we have, my priority is to do several things. First and foremost, it is to ensure we have the capacity for students starting school in September this year and beyond and that we are forward planning. We still have a growing school population. While we know it is levelling out, in primary school numbers, and particularly in certain areas in Dublin, these numbers are still increasing. It is the same in my county of Meath and in the surrounding areas like County Kildare. We will continue to have an increasing population in our post-primary schools and this fact must be front and centre when we are making building plans. The second priority after that is ensuring we are replacing old buildings and prefabs, especially those that are not fit for purpose and have been there for as long as the Deputy mentioned.”
“To outline the work being done in County Dublin alone now, construction projects worth €1.24 billion have happened in recent years. Some 302 projects were completed in those five years. Currently, 51 projects are under construction. There are 18 modular projects at an advanced stage of delivery and 73 different projects at various stages of detailed design included. While I absolutely appreciate this is a priority for the school given the length of time involved, we must ensure given the scale and number of projects we are able to provide resources and supports to as many schools as possible with the budget we have and that is being worked through now.”
“If anything needs to be clarified with the school, we will make sure that is the case and where work needs to be done, we will ensure this is made clear to the school. What is happening now is that the assessment is taking place, but this is something that will have to be looked at as part of the 2026-2030 overall budget. We do not have that absolute figure at the moment, so my Department is engaging with the Department of the Minister, Deputy Chambers, as is every other Department, to see what a revised NDP allocation would look like. Once those figures are understood, that will enable me, working with the Department and, in particular, the buildings unit, to look at what projects can and will take place in the years ahead.”
“Maximising existing capacity in schools to meet needs is very important. The progression of prioritised individual projects to meet the most urgent needs in the 2026 to 2030 period that cannot be met through existing capacity - while there is a huge amount of projects already under way - across schools in the local area will be considered on a rolling basis from autumn onwards after the NDP allocations are finalised. In respect of this project, we have to see what the overall allocation is for next year, and how we fit all the projects into it including the school in question. The school will be considered in that context. I do not have a timeline for the Deputy but it is being assessed. It will come in at the end of the year and we will look at it the same way as other projects in this context.”
“A recent Government decision to approve €210 million in additional funding for my Department brings our allocation for this year to €1.6 billion. As part of the NDP review process, all Departments, including my own, are currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation with respect to NDP allocations for the period 2026 to 2030. Like every Department, I want to build on the capital funding we have and try to increase it further. It is expected that there will be clarity on these allocations over the course of the summer period, and this will allow my Department to plan its capital investment programme for next year right up to 2030 in line with prioritised needs and reflecting, as appropriate, wider Government priorities.”
“I am aware that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding under the additional school accommodation scheme from the school in question. The school applied in late 2024 for the additional school accommodation and for prefabs to be replaced. This is currently being assessed under the ASA scheme. This application seeks the replacement of accommodation that is 50 years old, as the Deputy said. I appreciate that this is an absolute priority for the school. Since 2020, my Department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,375 school building projects. We are supporting investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, and it is delivering real benefits for school communities.”
“This will be a key element of supporting our programme for Government commitment to expand opportunities for students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. Specifically on the school, I acknowledge Deputies Heneghan and Ó Muirí and others who have campaigned and supported and done everything possible to make sure that this project can come to fruition. I hope I am there to be able to see it through and to make sure that commitment is followed through on. As of now, we are working on track and on time and I hope to be able to fulfil that.”
“As I said, €405 million has been invested in Irish-medium schools in the past four years alone. It means there are now 248 Gaelscoileanna and 50 Gaelcholáistí across the country. I want to see that increase. Work is currently under way in my Department to develop a new policy on Irish-medium education. This is outside of the Gaeltachtaí. A policy for the Gaeltacht was announced recently and by all accounts, it has had a positive impact. We want to build on that and put a similar structure in place. We have had a comprehensive public consultation process in this regard. A task force is due to be established under the policy to explore issues relating to the various different models of Irish-medium education provision.”
“Once a builder is appointed, it often takes a bit of time to get everything in play and up and running, but I would expect that at the latest, all going according to plan, by the end of Q1 or, if not, early Q2, works should be able to start. As I said, as of yesterday, there was nothing to suggest there is anything preventing that from happening.”
“We have set out the timeline. As of yesterday, there is nothing to suggest there are any issues with the work under way between the design team, the school and my Department, which means, I believe, that come September, we will be able to issue the tender. From speaking to some of the teachers when I visited the school a few weeks ago, I know that is the biggest concern. They have got to certain points and it has gone backwards. We need to make sure that once we get to the tender stage come September, nothing stops it progressing and once that is awarded, works can start as quickly as possible. From other projects that have progressed recently, the tender process will take a couple of months.”
“The project will build on capital expenditure of €405 million, which was invested in Irish-medium schools between 2020 and 2024. I hope this is a strong demonstration of our commitment to Gaelscoileanna and choláistí across the country.”
“The new grant of the planning, which was received in December of 2023, with a number of conditions attached, has progressed and it has meant that we are in a situation where a design team is in place. I confirm my Department's staff is engaging intensively with the design team and with the patron throughout this entire process. My officials will be in contact with the school authority as soon as the design team completes its review. As I said to Deputies Heneghan and Ó Muirí when I visited last week, the intention is very much that come September, we will be able to issue the tender, that that process will start and, hopefully, early next year, we will be able to start putting boots on the ground, turning sods and making sure this building starts to happen.”
“I am absolutely committed to supporting the development of this school, to making sure the students and teachers have the environment they need to be able to do even better and to build on the fantastic work that is already happening there. As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for Government includes a commitment to expand opportunities for students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. I believe the project to deliver the new 600-pupil building for the school supports this commitment. As I said, I recently visited the school and saw first hand the importance of this planned building project. I know there have been many challenges along the way to get even to the point at which we are now, including the requirement for a new planning application.”
“At the outset, I acknowledge the recent school visit. I was invited by the Deputy as well as Deputy Ó Muirí and others. It was important for me to visit the school. I have heard from the Deputies so often of the challenges the school faces but, in particular, how wonderful the school is. It was wonderful to meet with an príomhoide, Eimer Nic an Rí, agus all the staff there and to have an opportunity to speak to them and to see how committed they are not only to the school but to the students. Many of the teachers are from my constituency and travel up and down. I got the full experience with the rain and jumping between prefabs, which I know they have to do on a daily basis.”
“That is how quickly technology is moving. We cannot pause change because we are not sure what is coming down the tracks, but we do have to acknowledge it is a challenge. It is new, it is different. We need to make sure students are prepared for it and that they are learning and not just using technology that is not helping them. If we take a step back and look at what we are preparing young people for, it is not just the world but also working life. Companies and businesses with new ways of doing business are saying technology is part and parcel. It is going to be there, so we need to work with students in that regard. I fully accept we need to support teachers in this 100% along the way. Work is under way to make sure we have even more guidance and support. As this is rolled out, the AI advisory council will really help in that regard.”
“The significant body of work being done with the inclusion of the TUI, the ASTI and all the representative groups is to make sure we produce the best leaving certificate possible to support students in the best way. We are not introducing 100% additional assessment components. There will still be, for the vast majority, 60% of an exam, which is still stressful enough but obviously it is not 100%. Twenty-eight subjects already have additional assessment components, so we are already grappling with AI. It is here and we need to make sure we are working with it, that we are understanding it and that we do not prevent change from happening because we do not know what will happen this time next year. As to the request for a pause for a year, the technology we might have this time next year has not even been created yet.”
“Papers are being provided earlier. There are more papers than there normally would be. Everything we can do is happening and if we need more training, I am saying now and have said it to the associations that we will provide that. As to guidance, the point I was making is that in our current exams, a student can simply remember an essay and replicate it. That is not going to change. It is about understanding how we utilise the benefits of AI and teaching children how to use it. When they go in to the workforce, nobody will be telling them they cannot use it. In summary, there are the measures to date, papers have been presented for AI, more work is being done and there is the AI advisory council. We need to keep working with teachers throughout all of this to make sure everybody benefits from what will be part of our daily lives.”
“As to the Deputy’s first point, I refer to the former Minister, Ruairí Quinn, who introduced junior cycle reform in the face of challenges. That work was followed up on by another former Minister, Jan O’Sullivan. Very soon after that, in 2016, leaving certificate reform started. This is not accelerated. It takes time and will be done on a phased basis. On the supports, in the past six months alone, €20 million in additional funding has been provided specifically for science subjects, including agricultural science where we have increased that funding, and there will be more. I can commit to the Deputy that there will be more funding for our science labs to make sure they are up to scratch and that they have the supports and the resources they need. More training than ever for the leaving certificate is being provided.”
“The Deputies referred to the ASTI ballot result but I point to the fact the TUI voted in favour of the planned support measures by a margin of 73% to 22%, while the ASTI members voted to reject the package. Senior cycle redevelopment has also been strongly supported by students, the National Parents Council, the Ombudsman for Children and many others.”
“Students began to experience the changes from September 2022 when changes were made to the leaving certificate applied and vocational as well as the revised transition year programme statement, which is now in place. We are seeing record levels of transition year participation. Regarding the school year just concluded, we know that students have been able to access modules at levels one and two of the senior cycle for the first time. These are children with additional educational needs and it is very welcome that we now have this for the first time. Both teacher unions have been heavily involved in the redevelopment programme from its outset and I am grateful to them for their intensive engagement, not only in recent months but through many years.”
“I benefited from it when I studied art and music and know how positive it can be when a student is not solely focused on the 100% exam. I am sure many others here know that as well. I and many others believe pausing senior cycle redevelopment would not be in the interest of meeting that promise. That is why it was confirmed in April that the programme for redevelopment will proceed. Importantly, at that point I provided students entering fifth year in September, and their parents, with clarity and certainty. They have chosen their subjects and know what they are doing and that this change is taking place. Senior cycle redevelopment is already under way. It is important to stress that.”
“As has just been discussed, senior cycle redevelopment is about recognising and meeting the promise of education and enabling students to navigate the dynamic and ever-changing world around them by helping them to develop their talents, skills and understanding. Every child is different and has different abilities and, by bringing in these additional assessment components, we will make sure every child has the opportunity to show that. Senior cycle redevelopment will also reduce pressure on students by moving away from single exams worth 100% of the marks. It builds on a significant amount that has been done on additional assessment. There are 28 subjects in the established leaving certificate that already do this.”
“Information is being provided and more work is being done. An AI committee will be set up and teachers will be part of it. It is very important we get this right. AI is here to stay and we need to make sure we benefit from it.”
“We cannot say that no students have used AI in developing studies and things they can learn off and reproduce during an exam. Let us be honest, that can happen. What we need to do-----”
“Is the Deputy willing to stand over the current situation? It is already the case that students with more money can access grinds and better supports. What we are doing is actually making it fairer. I had a group meeting recently with people from across different divides, including a woman who works in Maynooth University and comes from a very difficult background where she was not encouraged to go to school or supported at home. She told me not to stop this reform as, for children most at risk of disadvantage, this takes away challenges such as not having supported exam time. These children might be better at practical things and would be better off getting support in classrooms. These are the people I am thinking of. In respect of AI, it is here now. It a challenge. Students are sitting exams at the moment.”
“All of what we have discussed are additional supports to protect them. To answer the Deputy’s first question, my Department has written to both associations. I noted the outcome of the ballots of both the TUI and the ASTI and have restated that leaving certificate reform will go ahead. It is absolutely essential it does. I have restated that the package of supports which is still on the table for the ASTI is balanced and fair and was brought about by that positive engagement. That package is still there. I want to ensure that students and teachers benefit from those supports, which is something we all want to see happen.”
“No, I do not. The Deputy said himself that teachers want leaving certificate reform. It is something they agree with. I point to the fact 73% of TUI members voted in favour of the measures. The ASTI and the TUI engaged very positively with my Department on this package of measures and asked for much of what is in this document. The vote was not on whether they support leaving certificate reform or otherwise; it was on whether they wanted additional supports to enact something they have already agreed to. Both the ASTI and the TUI as part of the public sector pay agreement which was negotiated and agreed in early 2024 signed up to co-operating with senior cycle redevelopment at that stage. A similar commitment is contained in the education sectoral plan, which was agreed in September 2024.”
“Harold Hislop, and is a representative stakeholder engagement group which underpins the necessary collaboration. All of these groups have been met significantly in the last while and that engagement will continue as we continue to roll this out.”
“Following the six meetings, which were part of the package of supports discussions, my Department and the unions concluded talks with the publication of the measures which were voted on recently. The unions voted on the package of measures and, subsequently, whether industrial action would take place, depending on that outcome. In parallel my officials have engaged with representatives of school management bodies, whose voices helped to inform the above discussions, as well as representatives of school leaders. My officials regularly engage with student representatives, including the ISSU, which I have also met a number of times, and with parent representatives, including the National Parents Council. I have met that body as well. There is also the senior cycle redevelopment partners’ forum, which is chaired by former chief inspector, Dr.”
“The approach taken to the redevelopment has always been about collaboration and meaningful engagement with all our stakeholders since this process commenced. Last Friday was only a few days ago, but a huge amount of engagement took place prior to any vote. From December 2024 until early April, my officials met with both unions to discuss senior cycle redevelopment. About eight meetings happened in that regard. In April, I invited the TUI and the ASTI to engage in intensive discussions with my Department to develop a package of supports which could assist schools, teachers and students during the roll-out of the new senior cycle. I had two other engagements with the unions and attended their convention and congress.”
“I will take it back to what we are discussing, and that is leaving certificate reform. It is important to stress we are living through a period of rapid change and it is essential that we equip children and young people with the skills and competencies they need to succeed and thrive in a changing world. That is a central purpose of senior cycle redevelopment, which builds on junior cycle reform which started to roll out in 2014. Senior cycle redevelopment will also spread the assessment load on students by reducing the focus on high-stakes terminal examinations. Our students are engaged in them at the moment and we wish continued success to all of them. The introduction of the first tranche of new and revised leaving certificate subjects will take place in September 2025 as previously announced.”
“We are bringing everything forward by four months to make sure this time next year we are not still in this position talking about allocating children. On SNA allocation, I will have to look at the figure in parliamentary questions the Deputy mentioned, but the figure I have is we will have 23,100-plus towards the end of this year. That includes the 1,600 extra. It is a significant increase, 30% more than we had five years ago. Adding that to the SET teachers we have, it is 44,000 extra supports in classrooms for the 79,000 teachers we have. It is a huge increase but we want to and will do more.”
“On the children the Deputy mentioned, I will not be specific but that is why this process is important. If we do not know about a child and their needs, it is hard to identity and allocate support to them. For any child known to the NCSE in Kerry or anywhere, as far as I and the NCSE are concerned, there are places available and being provided. That is being worked through at the moment. The biggest challenge is in Dublin and we are trying to work through that. The new system the Minister of State and I are putting in place will bring things forward. The NCSE has written to all schools and highlighted to parents that they should notify the NCSE by 1 October if their child will require a special education place or special education school for next year, so we can allocate those places by 31 December 2025.”
“I thank it and acknowledge that a huge number of schools are taking on extra classrooms. Our special schools are expanding and providing greater levels of support than ever before but the need is greater than ever before. There is a huge body of work happening, looking at the need and making sure we have the required spaces and that they match up. Nobody wants children travelling for hours on end every day to get to school. Where schools have been sanctioned and have not opened, they are being spoken to and engaged with regularly to make sure that happens. Every new classroom has been sanctioned since the end of April so there is no reason any school should not have opened its allocation process. We are working closely with schools. I appreciate it is not straightforward for some but it is important we get this done as early as possible.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and I have been meeting with the NCSE to make sure we are on top of the figures and understand where we are. As of yesterday, more than 92% of children have been allocated places or are in the process of that happening. Outside of Dublin, where there are still places to be allocated, there are pathways for every child. For example, in our county of Meath, there are no places to be allocated for primary or post-primary schools and, in terms of special school allocations, there are two but there are pathways for those two. We have an outline of all the counties and where there are larger numbers, there are clear pathways. The challenge we still have - I do not think anybody has denied this - is with Dublin. We have been working with the NCSE, which is engaging with all the schools.”
“Budget 2025 provided for 1,600 SNAs, the largest ever allocation in a single year, meaning there will be more than 23,100 in our schools in September, supporting our mainstream teachers as well as our special education teachers. It is the role of the NCSE to manage the allocations of SNAs across the country and to ensure that all of the additional SNAs provided for by this Government are allocated to support children with the highest level of need, so they get the highest level of support. It is important that we continue to meet this need across our education system. The programme for Government clearly commits to the recruitment of additional SNAs to provide greater support to students and schools. All SNAs and all new classes have been allocated and we want to build on that for next year.”
“The work now is focused on ensuring that these children enrol in these available places. The vast majority of schools opening new special classes have opened for admissions. A small number have not but that is being addressed. The NCSE is engaging closely with the small number of schools to ensure they offer places as quickly as possible to the children seeking them. Schools were informed last week of their SNA allocations for this coming September, including for all new special classes. Special classes generally receive two SNAs per class. That is alongside their special education teacher and it is no different this year.”
“Some 399 new special classes have been sanctioned so far for the 2025-26 school year. Of these, 287 are at primary level and 112 are at post-primary level, increasing the number of special classes by 103% since 2020. This means overall that there will be 3,700 special classes and 129 special schools in operation throughout the country. We will continue to build on that. Just under 3,300 children and young people were identified to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, under the new parents’ notification process by mid-February 2025 as needing a special educational placement for the upcoming school term. Close to 4,000 places are being made available nationwide between the new provision being provided, through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary and students finishing post-primary.”
“I welcome the support of colleagues for this legislation. I am very happy to engage between now and the Committee Stage on the various issues that have been raised. What is proposed will never erase or put a stop to the trauma that has been inflicted on so many people, as we have heard, in many different ways. When we consider what happened in our past, it is very difficult to imagine that was the world we lived in. Thankfully, however, we have, in many ways, moved on and changed. We need to make sure that we continuously acknowledge and support those who were impacted and do everything we can to make sure that young people and children and those who are vulnerable are not impacted in today's world. Again, I thank those who spoke. I look forward to engaging further with Senators on Committee Stage and on Report Stage.”
“I appreciate that there is more we need to do, be it in our engagement with Sage Advocacy or further engagement with victims and survivors, which has to happen in many different ways, or in our support for those living abroad. I acknowledge the different agencies and organisations that support survivors abroad. We need to do more to support them in their work. I am absolutely committed to doing that. I also acknowledge those who have advocated for what we are discussing today. I refer to Patrica Carey in particular, but also to all those who have engaged and worked with my Department and my predecessor, Deputy Foley, to get us to this point. I want to see these supports provided as quickly as possible. I want to ensure that we can put in place these measures, whether it be for education, health or otherwise, as quickly as possible.”
“Where funding is required, we must certainly ensure that this is to the fore and that the institutions pay much more than they have. We have touched on different aspects of the Bill. As I said, we are using the Bill to try to close a door or anything. The purpose of the Bill is to put on a more permanent footing supports that are in place, such as the €1 billion or so that has been made available through the redress scheme. We are going to build on that and provide additional supports. Housing supports amounting to approximately €70 million provided for various needs through the scheme, and approximately €20 million has been provided in respect of health. These were once-off payments, however. What we are trying to do with the Bill is provide supports on a continuous basis.”