Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Varadkar for raising the very important issue regarding Sudan. He is right. The world is not giving this issue nearly enough attention. I am deeply concerned about the appalling conflict and the humanitarian and protection crisis in Sudan. The impact and scale of the violence on civilians, with more than 12 million people forced from their homes, has been horrific. It is absolutely unconscionable that there is a denial of humanitarian access and that there is a deliberate destruction of food infrastructure. It has pushed more than 25 million people into crisis levels of hunger and has led to famine as well. I absolutely commit to using Ireland's voice to demand a ceasefire, humanitarian access, protection of civilians and accountability for human rights abuses. The Deputy's two proposals that we use our voice in time at the United Nations General Assembly next week and, indeed, that I request that it be discussed at the European Council, with conclusions at the next meeting, are two things I am very happy and eager to do. I thank him for that.

I thank Deputy Costello for highlighting the issue of school provision in his constituency, that is, the lack of a Gaelcholáiste in Dublin 10 and Dublin 12 and the lack of a non-denominational school in Dublin 8. I will certainly raise these matters and the broader issue he raised about education and school planning with the Minister for Education and ask her to revert to him directly.

I owe Deputy Boyd Barrett an apology on this. He raised this issue, and I should have come back to him on it. I have engaged with the Department of Transport, and I will get to the bottom of this and get back to the Deputy. I appreciate that the clock is ticking so I apologise.

Deputy Murphy raised the issue of school transport. I did pass on her comments to the Department of Education and asked that there would be contact with her. I will immediately follow up on that. For the life of me I cannot understand the ban on over-70s driving a school bus. People can drive children to a sports match, but they cannot drive them to the school when aged over 70. I have been asking this question and I have been getting a lot of interesting comments on it, none of which I accept.

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