Simon Harris
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget.”
“An ageing population, increasing healthcare needs, the transition to net zero and the need for continued investment in housing, energy and infrastructure will place a significant demand on public resources.”
“There is also a legitimacy to the point the Deputy made about how it is a legitimate form of transport for some people. We see this working in other European countries. We see it in our nearest neighbours. I do not want to get the regime wrong, but I think they have registration at the point of purchase that allows people to track this.”
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“As I confirmed last night, we are finalising what we believe to be an appropriate intervention for the areas in which there is the most acute pressure and challenge. In the Sinn Féin proposal, there is no talk about the fuel allowance. That is rather interesting, given that the people who are most at risk of fuel poverty really rely on that support. There is significant international volatility. I was reading about what the Italian Government is considering doing today. It is talking about doing it for just 20 days. This is because governments right around the world, and I presume oppositions, are not able to predict where this conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf is going to bring the global economy. As I said last night - I reiterate it today - any measures that the Government takes next week need to fulfil two primary objectives.”
“It will be on Tuesday. The Deputy said Tuesday, Wednesday or whenever, but there is quite a lot of clarity from Government in relation to that. We intend to bring forward an appropriate intervention at our next Cabinet meeting, which will be on Tuesday. Work is under way in relation to that right now. As recently as the past hour or so, the Minister for energy and transport met with the Irish Road Haulage Association. It was a very good and constructive meeting. The association outlined to him some of the challenges its members, who are a critical part of our economy and our supply chains, are facing. We will work through some of those thoughts and proposals in the coming hours. The Government is absolutely clear that there is real pressure on families and businesses. People are feeling it at the pumps and in the cost of a fill of oil.”
“It is a moment that is causing real anxiety for people. I want people to know we approach this from a moment of relative strength. More people are in work than ever before. We have buoyant public and private sector investment in our country. Real incomes are continuing to rise for the first time in a while and there is a medium-term fiscal plan that will safeguard our economic future and that of our people. We know this is a difficult time. We know the pressure that families and businesses are under. We are supporting them and we will continue to support them.”
“I have already said the Government will take that decision at the next Cabinet meeting and I have already said that would be before the final vote on the Sinn Féin motion. That is what I have said. Not everything has to be partisan. Not everything has to be shouting and noise. As I heard the Sinn Féin First Minister of Northern Ireland say today, maybe a little less noise and more working together. I think that is sage advice from Sinn Féin on this occasion too. Maybe let us apply it to here and not take a partitionist approach. We will act in a fair manner. We will act in a responsible manner. We will conclude that work in the coming days. We are living in times of great uncertainty, but I am pleased to say that our economy is resilient. We do approach this moment from a position of relative strength.”
“A number of Sinn Féin TDs have said there is legislation before the House tonight. There is no law. For people watching, there is no Sinn Féin law before this House tonight. There is a motion. The motion brings forward-----”
“Before I conclude, it would be remiss of me not to recognise our Defence Forces and the diplomatic corps who are working in the region for the protection of Irish people and also for the protection of Lebanese citizens. At a time of such conflict and turmoil - we are considering the economic part of that this evening - the women and men of Óglaigh na hÉireann are truly carrying out the world's most important work, that is, the work of peace. In closing, I want to assure this House and, most importantly, the Irish people that this Government will act in a matter that is fair and responsible. We will conclude our proposals in the coming days.”
“When people adopt a simplistic approach to this issue, they are forgetting that 58,000 households benefited from home energy upgrades last year alone. The Government will act at this moment of great uncertainty. We will act, but we will act responsibly. We will work across this House. We are also clear that fairness must be at the centre of that response. Where there is evidence of unfair pricing or behaviour not in line with consumer law, it must be investigated and it must be acted upon. This Oireachtas should be willing to further strengthen laws in this area. The Government is certainly up for that. People need to have confidence that they are being treated fairly and that no one is engaging in opportunistic pricing at a time like this.”
“The only lasting answer is to reduce that dependence. That means accelerating our transition to renewable energy, improving efficiency and building a system that is more resilient and more within our own control. That is about stability, security and protecting Irish people from future shocks like the one we are experiencing today. Let me address this point clearly. Future carbon tax increases are not the cause of the current spike in energy prices. We need to be truthful about that. The evidence shows that what we are seeing now is overwhelmingly driven by global events. Stepping away from our long-term approach would not shield households from those global forces. What it would do, however, is delay the transition that ultimately gives greater control over our energy future.”
“We have increased the weekly fuel allowance, which remains in place. Last week we expanded eligibility to 50,000 more homes, who will now receive for the very first time the fuel allowance, with the payment backdated to 1 January. This means a back payment of €380 for so many, that is already in people's pockets. These are practical supports designed to ease pressure and to provide some certainty in very uncertain times. The crisis also reminds us of something deeper. Ireland and the European Union remain exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. As long as we rely on imported fossil fuels, events far away, far beyond our shores, and decisions taken far away will continue to impact in a real way on households and businesses across Europe. This is not a sustainable position, and it is not a secure position.”
“I do not believe there is anyone on any side of this House who can speak with great certainty about where the conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf region will go and indeed the true scale of the medium term economic consequences of an enduring conflict. The volatility is that acute. Since the outbreak of this conflict, I have been engaging extensively with European counterparts. What is clear from all my conversations and meetings is the need to avoid knee-jerk responses, but instead to focus on informed, sensible and proportionate measures. It is important to remind the House tonight that the Government has already taken a number of actions on energy, the benefits of which are already in place. We extended the lower 9% VAT rate on gas and electricity to the end of the decade.”
“This evening I want to confirm to this House that we are now finalising what we believe to be an appropriate intervention for the areas in which there is most acute pressure and challenge. The Government's response will be formalised and agreed at the next Cabinet meeting. Considering the level of significant international volatility, I strongly believe that any intervention should, in the first instance, be for a short period of time. This is to fulfil two objectives. First, to enable the assistance to be applied quickly. Second, to provide the Government with the time and the space to adapt our response should this fast moving and evolving situation require it.”
“While de-escalation is the priority for Ireland and for all EU member states, the Irish Government is actively preparing for a variety of economic scenarios. This Government understands the pressures that families and businesses are under. They are feeling it at the pumps, where the cost of filling a car has risen considerably in the space of just over a fortnight, and they are seeing it in the cost of a fill of oil. Successive Governments that I have had the privilege of serving in have responded to a variety of global crises, whether that was during times of pandemic or after Russia's brutal illegal invasion of Ukraine. Today, as one would expect, I have spoken further with the Taoiseach. I have also engaged with relevant Ministers and I have had further briefings with my own economic team in the Department of Finance.”
“I welcome the opportunity to address the House this evening on an issue that is weighing heavily on households, businesses and families right across the country. It is right that we are debating this issue tonight and examining solutions that can be found. That issue, of course, is the rising cost of energy and fuel prices driven, as we all know, by the global uncertainty caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf. Let me say at the outset, the priority in all our work, all our commentary and in all our interventions should be to seek an immediate de-escalation. I think that is a view shared across this House. De-escalation is important for humanitarian needs, but also because, from an economic point of view, it would lead to the greatest level of certainty.”
“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that, the Government: - remains deeply concerned about the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf; - affirms Ireland's long track-record of support for international law and the United Nations; - continues to seek de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy so that these issues can be resolved; - is acutely aware of the impact on households and businesses of the recent increases in fuel prices, and is actively monitoring the current geopolitical situation and developments in energy markets; - affirms that energy affordability is a priority, and highlights that successive Budgets have provided targeted support to help households with cost-of-living pressures; and - remains committed to decarbonising our society, increasing investment in renewable energy sources, and using revenues raised to protect those most vulnerable to fuel poverty through targeted welfare interventions; affirms that: - the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, with Department of Finance officials, is monitoring international and national developments in fuel markets, alongside the latest macro-economic impacts; - the Government is working to calibrate an appropriate response, to be brought forward in the coming days, to ease the burden on affected households; and - engagement at European Union level is continuing, including at a meeting of the European Council this week; recalls that: - Carbon Tax revenues are ring-fenced for climate action and just transition measures; - Budget 2026 provided over €1.1 billion in advancement of these goals, with €350 million of those funds allocated to targeted social protection interventions; - Budget 2026 extended the 9 per cent Value Added Tax rate for gas and electricity until the end of 2030; - Budget 2026 increased the weekly Fuel Allowance payment by €5; and - Budget 2026 broadened the Fuel Allowance eligibility, such that an additional 50,000 working families will now be eligible for this allowance; and further notes that: - Ireland operates an open market economy, which generally means businesses are permitted to set and change their own prices, however, any behaviour that breaches consumer protection or competition law falls within the remit of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and will be investigated and enforced accordingly; - the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has initiated the process of further strengthening the powers of the CCPC in both its consumer protection and competition functions; - the Government's Climate Action Plan commits to halving emissions by 2030, and reaching net zero no later than 2050; - in the long run, the best way to protect Ireland from the impact of international fossil fuel prices is to reduce our dependence on them; - Ireland is undergoing a renewables-led energy transformation, electricity generation from renewables has increased fivefold since 2005, and the milestone of over 2 gigawatts of installed solar capacity was achieved in November; - offshore wind capacity is also being prioritised, with the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien TD, announcing the acceleration of the National Designated Maritime Area Plan for offshore renewable energy, which will identify sites for additional renewable energy development, and €3.15 billion of the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund is being provided to help achieve carbon reductions, particularly environmental and nature objectives, and this includes funding to the Department of Transport to support low-carbon transportation, and €500 million to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, to support climate mitigation and renewable energy development; - home retrofitting is scaling up, with supports improving to bring more people in, especially those at risk of fuel poverty; - analysis undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute, using the Simulating Welfare, Income Tax, Childcare and Health (SWITCH) tax and benefit model, to simulate the impact of the carbon tax and the compensatory welfare package, estimates that the net impact of the combined measures is progressive and half of households are better off due to the measures part-funded by carbon tax funds, with households in the bottom four income deciles benefitting the most; and - the National Energy Affordability Taskforce has been established to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses, while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability, and the Interim Report of the Taskforce was published last November, with an Action Plan for Energy Affordability to be published in Q3 of this year.".”
“I will certainly ask the Minister if he would consider meeting her. That could be useful and important. In the past, Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin highlighted some serious issues to me and did some very good work. I found my meeting with her to be very helpful and insightful so I will certainly ask the Minister, Deputy Lawless, to consider meeting the victim too.”
“I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising this issue. I extend my full solidarity and that of everyone in this House and every right-thinking person to the victim. Far from discouraging the students who gathered in protest, I commend them on what they did. Sharing abusive images of a person is obviously abhorrent but it is also a crime. I am informed there is a Garda investigation into this and I hope the full rigours of the law will be applied. I will also ask the Minister for higher education, Deputy Lawless, to come back on the points the Deputy made about that specific student being supported.”
“I am going to check that for the Deputy today with the Minister for Transport and the Minister for public expenditure and reform because everyone is eager to bring this to a conclusion. The Deputy's point about being able to provide clarity to people is reasonable, so I will ask the Ministers to come back to the Deputy urgently on that matter and try to provide clarity for those workers. Considering St. Patrick's school has been brought up a couple of times in the House today, I will add that I have just received an update that the meeting with the Department was constructive and the board of management is now due to meet later this evening to discuss next steps, so I hope that can provide progress for St. Patrick's school in Kildare.”
“The selected modular provider has recently submitted the required documentation to the Department to enter into that contract. The documentation is being reviewed by the Department and was shared with the school this week with a view to the project proceeding as quickly as possible. It is expected that designs will be ready for local authority review in the quarter 2 of the year. However, I will certainly speak directly to the Minister, Deputy Naughton. We want this to be delivered as quickly as possible. I know how important it is to special education in the Deputy's area.”
“I thank Deputy Murphy and join him in welcoming CBS High School Clonmel. I met a very busy Deputy Murphy - he is very busy; he works hard - last night coming back into the Dáil with Capri-Suns and Hula Hoops and the likes in anticipation of the students' visit today. I hope they will get an opportunity to enjoy that hospitality. He was genuinely looking forward to having them here today. They are welcome to the Dáil and the Oireachtas. I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this important issue. I know he is in ongoing contact with parents and teachers at Scoil Aonghusa in Cashel and that he worked with the then Minister for education, Deputy McEntee, on it previously. This will deliver 14 special education classrooms of ancillary accommodation.”
“Laws do need to be complied with by landlords and existing tenancies need to be respected. We do have oversight mechanisms in relation to anybody who breaches those rules, including the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, and other mechanisms too. It deserves a substantive reply because, clearly, this has affected quite a large number of people. I will ask that the Minister, Deputy Browne, hears the information the Deputy has.”
“I thank Deputy Lawlor. I know Alan Corcoran and I will listen back to his programme and the information the Deputy has just put on the record of the House. I am sure the Minister for housing will do so as well. My starting point in this conversation is that the new rules are not meant to affect existing tenants.”
“I thank Deputy Rice. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has responsibility for the delivery of health policy and the oversight of the HSE, so I will speak to her directly on this. I take the point that newly qualified paramedics are a scarce commodity with regard to their skill set at a time when we are trying to increase the numbers we have working in our ambulance service. The Deputy is right; ambulance service issues come up in this House regularly. We will want to do all we can to retain them within the health service but I will ask the Minister to come directly back to the Deputy on the issue. I will also ask Bernard Gloster, the chief executive of the HSE, to update me on the matter and we will come back on it.”
“The regional executive officer, at the request of Bernard Gloster, the CEO of the HSE, has put a plan in place to take the pressure off the Galway sites and all services are assisting with that. The National Ambulance Service, though, is an essential service and while all staff, including Pathfinder, will play their part in supporting what is a temporary plan, there is absolutely no question of the service ending. I assure the Deputy and the House of that today. I have spoken to the CEO of the HSE on this and he has assured me of it as well. I will also ask him to come back to the Deputy on it directly.”
“I want to answer the very serious question but I want to make the point that the Deputy must win the award for the party leader most effective at naming his councillors in this Chamber, particularly in the context of a by-election. I say that from a point of admiration. I must learn further from the Deputy. Senator Seán Kyne is ours. There is a serious matter, though, that the Deputy raised and I genuinely do not want to take from that. In regard to Pathfinder, University Hospital Galway tells me it is using the period of the next two weeks to focus on de-escalating the hospital after what has been an exceptionally busy period in the past two months.”
“-----in good faith, he immediately resorts to partisan politics. That is his choice. Senator Joe O'Reilly and Deputy David Maxwell raised this matter at the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party last night, Deputy Carthy will be glad to know. I also told them the Minister will be looking into the issue. I will give them the news as well.”
“I thank Deputy Carthy. I will certainly engage with the Minister for Transport on the specific issues he has raised in relation to Cavan-Monaghan. We are increasing the amount we are providing to the Department of Transport, increasing the amount of capital funding and announcing additional road funding allocations. I need to get a better understanding of the situation in relation to Cavan and Monaghan so I will ask the Minister-----”
“I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this matter, which I will immediately raise with the Minister for Transport because we have provided significant capital uplift to the Department of Transport, quite rightly, for both road and public transport projects. I am aware there are specific issues around congestion, traffic and transport links in Galway. We are eager, as a Government, to see progress on them as well, specifically on the 424 bus route and the Dublin Road bus corridor as well. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to get clarity for the Deputy on that. He will come back to the Deputy directly.”
“We also need to work on it at European level and that is why I will engage with Eurogroup colleagues on Monday, specifically on the issue of energy affordability which is an agenda item. I thank the CCPC for the work it does. I happened to have an opportunity to meet with it at the Cabinet committee on the economy. It is our intention to give the CCPC further powers and there will be legislation forthcoming in relation to that. In the here and now, within its existing powers, it has opened an urgent investigation into reports of price gouging. I would encourage all Members of the Oireachtas to provide any information or evidence they have in relation to price gouging for that investigation.”
“I thank Deputy Clendennen for raising this issue. He is entirely right; there is a real sense of anxiety in general, including economic anxiety. What is going on in the world is frightening and deeply concerning. As I said yesterday in the finance committee and today in the Dáil and as the Taoiseach has also said, the Government keeps all of these matters in terms of interventions under review in terms of the impact of prices, and we will continue to keep this under review. We have to get a sense of the economic impact. It is a very different economic reality if this is something short versus if it is something that goes on for weeks and months. We continue to monitor it.”
“We need the Department and the school to agree a way forward. The Department needs to take a hands-on approach in resolving this. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, is doing just that. I will ask her to come back to Deputy Cronin today.”
“I thank Deputy Cronin for raising what is a very serious matter that has caused significant worry and concern and as she rightly says, huge inconvenience for parents before we even get into the educational impact, which is also real. I acknowledge she has raised this in this House before. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to come back to Kildare Oireachtas Members including the Deputy, today. I have been told there is a meeting taking place between the school and the Department today. I am also told - the Deputy knows more locally than I do - that significant works have been carried out in the school, remediating flooring, electrical issues, drainage and guttering. The Department believes this should address many of the safety issues. The point I made to Deputy Farrelly is the point I make today. We need one set of facts.”
“The Deputy will understand I do not make budget or tax commitments outside of the budget cycle, but if the whole of this issue was looked at in the round as the Deputy suggested as part of the future of Cork report, I would be willing to engage enthusiastically on any findings that might emerge from that.”
“I thank Deputy Burke for his time in Cork last Friday and for facilitating the meetings we had with the CEO of Cork City Council, the Cork Business Association and indeed, the Port of Cork and many others. I found it to be a very useful series of engagements. What is very clear is that the people of Cork through the local authority and others are about to embark with Government support on this whole look at – they do not like the word taskforce in Cork, we use it in Dublin – the future of Cork report and regeneration and rejuvenation will be a part of that. What came up at our meetings last week was the idea of the current maps not addressing all of the potential there could be.”
“I thank Deputy O’Meara for raising this issue in relation to Rathcabbin and the affect this is having on his constituents in a very practical and real way. Broadband has become such an important part of how we live and work. It is an essential part of the infrastructure and utilities we all need. I will certainly ask the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, to engage directly. This is an interesting example of State intervention at one level and commercial intervention on another. We need to make sure nobody falls between the stools. I will ask the Minister to engage with the Deputy directly on this.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and bringing it to my attention. I will certainly speak with the Minister for Health on foot of him raising this issue here today. I would make the point broadly that any dispute gets resolved by people engaging. I certainly hope we do not get into a position of seeing an industrial dispute that causes a disruption to service. I know nobody will want that, including people who do an excellent job in the service. I hope we can find through the mechanisms available an opportunity for substantive engagement. I will certainly pass on the Deputy's views to the Minister for Health.”
“I know the Minister, Deputy Naughton, is very engaged on this issue. As the Deputy will know, she visited the school on 14 January this year. I will ask that the Deputy be given an update after that meeting today.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue again. I acknowledge that he raised it last week and on many other occasions. His colleagues in Kildare have done so as well. My understanding is that the Department of education made contact with the patron and school authority. I understand arrangements are being considered, possibly while we are here. I understand a meeting is under way now to ensure the school reopens as quickly as is possible. The Department has received a number of emergency works applications from the school. There has been a back-and-forth discussion. Frankly, I do not think it is helpful to read it out. This needs to be sorted. The Department needs to sort it as well. We do not need to be penpals international here. We need people in a room working out these issues so this school can reopen as a matter of priority.”
“Yes, I do, is the truthful answer. I thank the Deputy and acknowledge her and her party's work on this issue. As she rightly acknowledged, I think there is a political consensus that this is an area that we should see progress on. I know that the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, is doing work in relation to this matter too. I hope the Government will be in a position to have proposals on this shortly. I will certainly ask the Minister to update the Deputy directly.”
“I certainly view the point made by the Deputy the other way around, in that I definitely do not think the taxpayer should be picking up the tab for industry bodies that are well able to fund these things themselves.”
“I think the Deputy would have a much bigger concern if we came in here and said that the Government and the taxpayer were going to pay for the advocacy of an industry body. It makes entirely appropriate sense that industry would meet the costs of its portion of any conference or the likes. In terms of any public servants attending, those costs will be met from within the Government Department. Contrary to the Sinn Féin view of the world, we need private investment to build private homes and apartments in this country. It cannot just be about State housing. We are spending more money than most European countries in relation to putting direct Exchequer funding into housing. I am proud that we are doing that and prioritising housing, but we also need private investment. The Housing Commission is clear in relation to this point.”
“I will arrange through my office for the Deputy to have a meeting with senior HSE capital representatives. I will obviously link in with the Minister for Health, as I know the Deputy has been. She will be supportive of his work in this regard. From our point of view as a Government, we have significant capital to spend now. The challenge here is speed and wanting to roll out things as quickly as possible. It is about getting that service needs assessment back and clarity from the HSE on what it would like to see done in the county. The Government will not be found wanting in terms of responding positively.”
“I think that is right. County Longford is a county that has so much going for it and so much potential if we can put the public services in place that are badly needed. The purpose of the Deputy's question today is health. I know his passion and commitment around third level education access as well. We are seeing the benefit of the Technological University of the Shannon in counties like Longford. I look forward to continuing to work with the Deputy and support him in this work. I have heard what he and the people of Longford have said, particularly in relation to the need for clarity on the next steps to delivering improved primary care facilities in the county, especially in Ballymahon, Granard, Edgeworthstown and the communities and areas they serve.”
“On foot of the Deputy raising this question in the Dáil today, I will perhaps arrange for him to have a meeting with the Department of Health and the HSE capital team in this regard. We have capital funds available. We have a variety of ways in which we can roll out and deliver primary care centres, but we need that service needs assessment to be concluded as a matter of urgency.”
“The HSE advised a preferred developer for Edgeworthstown primary care centre last year that it would not be progressing with the project and that it was reviewing the most appropriate options to proceed with the development and conducting an overall health service needs assessment for the county as a whole. It is looking at the needs in Granard and Ballymahon as well. The Department of Health and the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, are currently waiting to hear back from the HSE in terms of its service needs assessment for the county. We are very eager to get that as a Government. We want to be in a position to progress the roll-out of primary care centres, so I urge that the work be completed as quickly as possible.”
“While good services are provided there, including GP services, ophthalmology, counselling, community intervention, social work, immunisation, health promotion, some diabetic retinal screening, pulmonary services and addiction services, it is clear there is a need for a significant expansion in the primary care network. The HSE has advised that a satellite speech and language therapy service is now being offered to children two days a week from Ballymahon medical centre. It is in a room being rented from the HSE. I know that it is not yet in a primary care centre, but it is a new service that I think is making a difference to children in the area. My note here tells me that, as the Deputy told the House, there have been some issues.”
“I hope the decisions we have taken over the past number of days, particularly on developer-led approaches to water infrastructure, will speed up the delivery of housing in rural and regional Ireland, including County Longford. I take the point that as we increase our housing supply and population, we will need to see an increase in our health and social services as well. Therefore, the issue of the delivery of primary care centres in County Longford is an important one that the Deputy has been pursuing for some time. We have seen significant progress on primary care centres across the country. We now have 180 opened and a further seven under construction. It is the truth that as of today Longford is served by just one primary care centre, which is Flancare primary care centre in Ballyminion, just outside Longford town.”
“I thank Deputy Carrigy for this question. I will first say how delighted I am to hear of the significant investment plan at St. Joseph's. I thank the Deputy and our colleague and friend, Councillor Peggy Nolan, for her tireless advocacy in relation to that. I remember meeting her about this on a number of occasions. Along with the Deputy, she was rightly a strong advocate for it. That is good news for St. Joseph's and good news for Longford. I look forward to the investment plans announced by the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, progressing and to the benefits they will bring to people in St. Joseph's. It is a wonderful place that needs capital investment. I take seriously the point about Longford being an area where we want to see more housing supply.”
“The Deputy has made a number of comments on the record of the House. Let us have the transcript of that and I will certainly seek guidance from the Oireachtas as to what parts of the question, if any, the Government should provide any information on to be helpful to the House.”
“I am happy to suggest that we get a transcript of what the Deputy has asked and perhaps the Ceann Comhairle's office could adjudicate on any appropriate areas where the Government could assist the Deputy in providing information. If that is appropriate, I am happy to do that.”
“This is where I perhaps need the guidance of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle or the Oireachtas. In my time in this House, I have never known that we would discuss the employment circumstances of any individual civil servant on the floor of Dáil Éireann. Frankly, without getting into the individual, I do not have any such information available to me today. It is a starting point anyway, but on whether it would be appropriate to discuss any individual person, I always thought that the rules of the House are that you should not be naming people. I am quite confused as to where to go in relation to this. To be helpful to the Deputy, I suggest that we get the transcript of what the Deputy has asked. Truthfully, I do not have information available to me in my files today or in my recall.”