With the Tánaiste's co-operation, I will ask the last three speakers to ask their questions consecutively and the Tánaiste can give one response. I ask the Deputies to be as brief as possible, because we are short of time.

My question concerns the western rail corridor. Following the publication of the report by Dr. John Bradley, the Government needs to stop prevaricating and deliver on the western rail corridor as part of the national development plan. Is it in the national development plan? Does the Government recognise that it is a key piece of infrastructure for the development of the west of Ireland?

The issue I wish to raise relates to the continuing dramatic increase in the price of building material, including the price of timber, steel and insulation material. Builders are unable to stand over quotations for anything more than a few days. While it is an issue for all those involved in construction, from big road projects down to individual house construction, it is particularly difficult for older people who are building extensions for bathrooms, including the installation of walk-in showers and so on. These people are dealing with their local councils in respect of the grant. No matter how fast councils approve grants and even when they max out on them, older people are getting hit with the impact of increased prices. What action can be taken to address this issue? Have Departmental officials met with representative of the industry to discuss dealing with the issue of dramatically increasing price of construction materials?

I want to raise an issue in respect of the programme for Government, specifically the health-led approach to drug misuse outlined on page 50. Previous Governments have paid lip service to this issue. So much so, that thousands of people would still be alive had it not been for the lip service that Governments have paid to this issue. We have to take a different approach. The current approach does not work. Criminalising people for drug use simply does not work and is completely to the person and to society as a whole. The programme for Government states that a citizens' assembly should be convened to consider the matter. That is good. However, we need to go beyond that. We need to take action to save lives. We must take a different approach to drug misuse, because the current approach does not work. It costs lives. If the Government does not change its approach, it will cost more lives.

On the western rail corridor project, the national development plan is under review and the revised version should be published in July, if not a little later. Of course, as the Deputy is aware, other reports have been produced on the issue, such as the Jasper Consulting report, which came to different conclusions.

The Government is very aware of the problems being created by the increase in the cost of building materials. A lot of is down to international commodity prices not entirely under our control. However, we are engaging with the industry on it to see what we can do.

In response to Deputy Gino Kenny, the Government has invested a lot in addiction services in recent years. They have been expanded significantly, including in my own constituency. We are trying to move ahead with the plan for the supervised injecting centre at Merchant's Quay, but we have run into difficulties on that.

I am of a similar view to the Deputy on the issue of decriminalisation. I do not believe the criminalisation model works. It leaves people with convictions and makes it harder for them to get on with their lives and to engage with services in order to get the help they need. Drug dealing and drug gangs are very different from what the Deputy is referring to. We both agree on that. As Taoiseach, I set up an expert group to consider the issue. It came to a different conclusion. However, the matter is not one on which the Government has closed its mind. Perhaps the convening of a citizens’ assembly is a better way to tease it out.

I thank the Tánaiste for his co-operation. We are going to have a break of 40 minutes now. Before that, I would like to say one thing: I did not seek an apology and I did not need an apology, notwithstanding the Tánaiste’s kind words. I was simply looking for co-operation. It is important to state that for the record.