I welcomed the Taoiseach's visit last night to Dublin’s north inner city where he met with some of the community and listened to what they had to say. I hope he understands that this was just the first chapter in the consultation that needs to happen between the Government and the people there. He says that those who spoke at the meeting were inspirational and he is right. They are. In fairness, the least the Taoiseach could have done was to visit them. We know that the problems faced by the inner city are not accidental and the Taoiseach must know that too. A lack of opportunity, decent services, homes and decent work are all a direct result of decades of neglect and bad government, including by the Taoiseach’s own Government over the last five years. The Taoiseach has listened and now he must act. The needs are clear. Local people must be front and centre in drafting the terms of reference for the task force and they must be part of it. Teachta McDonald and others are working with the community to bring forward an integrated plan for the regeneration of the north inner city.

It is also important to recognise that the problems there are not unique. There are countless other communities in the State and across the island that face the same issues of social deprivation, economic disadvantage and the lack of opportunity. If the Taoiseach is to deliver for these citizens and to deliver on the rhetoric of last night, his starting point must be the reality that the Government is not geared to eradicating social and economic disadvantage. Fine Gael is not geared towards ending inequality and poverty. It is their policies and the policies of Fianna Fáil which have created a deeply unequal society.

In west Belfast.

The North Wall Community Association's chairperson, Gerry Fay, has said that three decades of neglect have created social apartheid for people in his community. He spoke of a litany of broken promises over the last 30 years. Results count. Ní sheasann mála folamh. I want the Taoiseach to commit today to a long-term, resourced and integrated strategy to address poverty, drug addiction, educational opportunity, decent work and homes for the inspirational people of Dublin’s north inner city. I then want him to take that model into every disadvantaged community in the State from Tallaght to Finglas and Ballyfermot, from Muirhevnamore to Cox’s Demesne and from Knocknaheeny to Moyross. That is the challenge the Taoiseach faces today.

It is and I am sorry that Deputy Adams has taken a political line on this. I reject his assertion that the party I lead is not geared to deal with social disadvantage. I also reject the assertion he makes that the Government is not geared to deal with it. I was very pleased to see all of the public representatives who were there last night who chose to listen to the people and the community leaders in the north inner city. I found the meeting very constructive and positive from all of the work that is going on there. The point was made that people certainly have a feeling of a divide between those who make decisions and those who have to live in the community of the north inner city.

We heard the stories of isolation, fear and the need for visibility on the streets of members of An Garda Síochána and the facilities it required. We heard the stories of what needed to happen about drugs and drug treatment, the provision of injection rooms and the carrying of drugs by couriers from place to place. We heard all of those stories from real people. I intend to meet the public representatives on Monday to hear their priorities. In response to Deputy Gerry Adams, I am not going to make a political football out of this issue. I am not because the issues that need to be addressed in the north inner city are replicated in other places around the country. The decision makers here – the Government – using a strong and growing economy, need to invest in areas that were neglected. What did they say last night? They said it was the small things - the broken panes of glass, the unpainted signs, the unkempt footpaths, the inability of children to cross the street safely - that impacted on ordinary people's lives.

The cuts were the result of the Government's decisions.

Education services are 17 years without a room. There is no place to store the archival collection there.

Was the Taoiseach surprised?

These are things that impact on the lives of people living in the inner city.

One speaker, please.

These are things that need investment in education services in terms of apprenticeships and the provision of training when construction starts at either end of Sheriff Street. These are the things about which the principal of the school who chaired the meeting so well last night spoke.

What about the three thousand-----

I have no intention of going down the route taken by Deputy Gery Adams of blaming politics and individual politicians.

Of course, the Taoiseach cannot do so; they are all his friends.

A combination is needed in terms of a response. It is a task force to deal with the north inner city as a model to be used in any other part of the country. The point made was that a scheme in south-west Cork was not the same as the scheme needed in the north inner city. I believe that and intend to follow through on the commitments made and the challenge I undertook as Head of Government to deal with the many problems, some of them small, some of them great, in the north inner city.

The Taoiseach takes exception to what I said but then goes on to say there is "certainly a feeling of a divide" between the people living in the area and those who take decisions. There is a feeling? It is the reality. Poverty is not an accident. Inequality is not an accident. It took brutal murders committed by criminal gangs to get the Taoiseach to acknowledge the inequalities faced by the community that he visited last night. One must name the problem and then deliver solutions. Sinn Féin will actively support the Government in doing so.

I know the inner city well. I was there 30 years ago standing with the community against the drug barons. Some of the community activists the Taoiseach met last night were then arguing for the same measures for which they are now arguing. They have been let down time and again, but they have remained resilient, sound and inspirational. Countless citizens would have been lost or have had no hope were it not for their efforts. The majority of these citizens have never let themselves, their families or Ireland down, but the political system has let them down.

The Deputy's time is up.

The Taoiseach has an opportunity to correct this. I hope he will not fail to do so.

I thank the Deputy for his offer of support from the Sinn Féin Party. I was glad to see its deputy leader there last night and know that she was present at the turning of the sod for the new primary centre in Summerhill last weekend. It is the first investment in the locality for many years.

For how many years did we have to wait for it?

We want to see much more of it. It is an area where the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has pointed to the extent of neglect and non-investment for many years. Many of the problems about which I heard last night were small by their nature, but they were important. They are the ones people want to see being dealt with in the first instance and I intend to follow through on them as non-party, non-individual political issues. This is about the people living in these communities. It is about investment by Government agencies and Departments to give people there a better quality of life. They want to be able to walk the streets without fear. They want their children to have an opportunity to go to school. They want to see opportunities for young people to avail of training apprenticeships and find jobs. They want to be able to take that road towards finding a better opportunity-----

The Taoiseach's time is up.

-----and not be faced with the influence of power and misery that comes with drugs. In so far as we can, we will assist the Garda and the other agencies working with all parties. We will attempt to deal with the issue in the best way possible.