I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this issue. I welcome the families from County Monaghan who have travelled here today. I did not know they were coming, but I spoke to one of the representatives last night. Special education is a key priority for this Government. It has been underpinned by over a quarter of the entire education budget. For 2025, €2.9 billion will be spent on special education, an increase of €113 million. This will allow for, among other things, the opening of 400 new special classes in mainstre…

I am well aware of the figures but there is a process here. Even the Deputy will accept that. I have been engaging regularly with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, the NCSE and the local ETB, which I feel will also play an important role in this process. I can tell the Deputy about all of the fine buildings and investment that has gone into Monaghan in terms of education, including the new schools there. Only recently the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, turned the sod on a new Gaelscoil in Castleblayney…

I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to providing a school in Monaghan but we have a process. I cannot click my fingers and produce a school. There is a process and I am engaging with the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, on that process.

There is a process.

As the Deputy rightly says, the Planning and Development Bill will be voted upon in the Dáil tonight. This is after 170 hours of debate. The Bill is hugely significant and has been under work for years. It is vital in terms of streamlining our planning process. I think everybody will accept that. As the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has said, and I agree with him, the Bill will be the cornerstone of Irish planning for the coming decades. It represents the most comprehensive review of planning since the current …

I want to be very clear. This amendment is to ensure that if there is a massive energy crisis, we would have storage facilities for LNG if required. I am talking about a massive energy crisis. It has nothing to do with fracking. This Government is opposed to fracking. My former colleague Tony McLoughlin brought forward a Bill to ban fracking. This is planning for all eventualities. The planning Bill will help the realisation of offshore and green energy to progress. The big focus is on renewable energy, particularl…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I can be accused of many things but speaking out of both sides of my mouth is not normally what I do. I have been engaging with carers since I became Minister for Social Protection in 2020. I must say again that family carers play a hugely important role and I have been committed to supporting them in that role. I have worked hard in recent years in enhancing the supports we have provided to them. I am well aware of the stories to which the Deputy refers. I meet carers re…

I am increasing the domiciliary care allowance to €360 per month and, most importantly, I am expanding the carer's allowance means test to €625 per week for a single person and €1,250 per week for a couple. These changes will mean that I have effectively doubled the income limits for carer's allowance over the lifetime of this Government, enabling thousands more carers to qualify for a payment. I hear our carers and recognise them. It is by working with them that I have been able to ensure that our carers have acce…

I do not know if the Deputy reads all the papers but carers welcomed the changes I made in the budget.

The changes I made in the budget mean more will get it. I meet them and have talked directly to them. I fully-----

I see first-hand the challenges that carers face.

There is a mother in the Gallery and I know the challenges she faces because she told me. It is not easy.

We have made considerable changes but we are on a journey. We have to do more. I accept that but we cannot do everything on the one day. We have made substantial changes to the carer's support grant. It has been increased. The carer's allowance is now a qualifying payment for the fuel allowance. Domiciliary care allowance has been increased; I have increased it by €50 during my term as Minister. I have provided the pension for carers. I talk to carers all the time. I am their voice in government and I have made the…

It is not talk. You are wrong.

I know the Deputy does. It is a good county. I welcome any people who come to it. We could do with more tourists.

I know the Deputy is very familiar with Monaghan because he was lucky enough to get his wife there. She is a great woman from a great family.

There is a lot of interest in my county but there is nobody who knows more about Monaghan than I do - that is it as far as I am concerned. I was born and reared there and have lived there all my life. We will move on. I believe it was after a HIQA inspection that St. Brigid's Hospital was closed but it is now being-----

-----repurposed and will be reopened with 28 people working there.

I will move on to the question the Deputy asked. I know the important role family carers play and am fully committed to supporting them in that role. I meet them regularly in my Department, including at the annual carers forum. I have heard first-hand over many years of the wonderful work they do under extremely difficult circumstances; probably the most difficult is where mothers have children with disabilities. It is not easy and we all acknowledge the work they do. At the end of August, there were 97,407 recipie…

I believe St. Brigid's will open as a community healthcare network. There will be 28 people working there so there will be a lot of services-----