Dublin's MetroLink is now postponed for another decade. This is a huge blow to the people of this city which, as the Taoiseach knows, is gridlocked with traffic. The postponement makes a mockery of the carbon reduction commitments given by the Taoiseach at COP26. This was big talk for the international audience while back at home key public transport schemes get kicked down the road. The truth is the Government cannot deliver infrastructure projects on time and on budget. It certainly has plenty of form in this regard; I could cite the national children's hospital, broadband and many other projects. Why has this happened? After waiting almost 20 years, why will Dubliners have to wait another decade for the metro to be delivered?

The Deputy is not correct. MetroLink has not been postponed for another decade. In fact, the national development plan, - it is €165 billion and 2:1 in favour of public transport - illustrates our commitment to public transport under three key priority areas. These are BusConnects in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, in addition to light rail in those cities, DART+ in Dublin and MetroLink. The focus right now is on getting all three projects to Government for approval under the public spending code and, at a project level, getting their planning application documentation ready for submission to An Bord Pleanála in early 2022.

These projects are coming before the Government very quickly so I do not know where the Deputy got the notion that MetroLink is postponed for ten years. She should not have said that. The projects will require the co-operation of everybody in this House, and on the local authorities, to ensure we get these projects through. There will be planning processes and public consultations and the Deputy will want those to be adhered to.

Unions representing the community and voluntary sector have lodged a 3% pay claim and are seeking improved terms. As I am sure the Taoiseach appreciates, these workers are the glue that holds our community together. Section 39 organisations, and home help and home care workers, represented by SIPTU, Fórsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, have all launched a campaign, Value Care and Recognize Work, looking for a fair future for them. Their work is very precarious. Many of them are usually on fixed term contracts and we all rely on them for the vital services they provide. They have not had a pay increase since 2009 but there is no collective bargaining mechanism, as the Taoiseach knows, to help these incredibly important workers to resolve the problems they are facing. They have written to the Taoiseach seeking a meeting. Will he commit to meeting them to discuss this? Of all the groups of workers they deserve a hearing from him.

A considerable process has been underway regarding this issue long before this Government was formed. In 2018, the former Minister for Health requested that the HSE engage with Section 39 organisations to establish the facts on what cuts were applied during the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, period. The HSE conducted a data-gathering exercise on an agreed list of 50 pilot organisations. I will not go through it all, but an agreement was reached by the parties in October 2018 on a process of pay restoration for staff employed by the 50 pilot agencies. Pay restoration commenced in April 2019 with an annual pay increase of up to €1,000 and an outstanding balance was paid in 2020 and 2021. A further Workplace Relations Commission engagement followed in December 2020 relating to a final phase involving 250 organisations identified as part of the earlier agreement.

A payment arrangement consisting of three phases was agreed, with the first two payments to be made in 2021 and the third and final payment due to be made in 2023. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is due to meet a delegation from ICTU by the end of November to discuss these issues.

Will you meet them?