As the Taoiseach and the Government contemplate the budget, which one way or another will be the last budget before we all face the people, I ask him again to attend to the parts of the country left behind. Reflecting on the French election, which has a kernel of learning for us in Ireland, like Macron's coalition of the centre ground, since 2016, we have effectively had the traditional parties of government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, sticking together to hold out what the centre perceives as the fringes. In France, it is the far right, and here it has been Sinn Féin and the hard left. In this political Faustian pact between old foes, parts of the country and society in France and in Ireland are left behind in their anger. I hear politicians in this House decrying hate speech and the coarsening of political life, wondering, gormlessly, where all this anger is coming from, without once considering their own part in whipping it up by leaving parts of the country and society to stew in their own juices without the hope and economic progress they so desire. Our farmers were told by Fine Gael Ministers to increase the herd, to drive on and scale up. They were also told new regulations would be brought forward so that rather than preparing, we now have a whole sector of the economy exposed to one bad year. Many farm families are questioning their economic futures.

In my region, just like every other region apart from Dublin and Cork, all strategic projects are stuck in departmental reviews. When the Taoiseach came into office, I asked him to advance three things promised by this Government which he now leads.

All I asked the Government to do was to provide funding to implement the 24-7 south-east cardiac care that was promised by the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, in that infamous photo. I asked for funding to be provided to deliver the long-promised runway extension at Waterford Airport, and to address the public private partnership engineering build at SETU, which has been promised since 2009. The Taoiseach reaffirmed, as others have for years, that these are priorities for him and the Government, but none are done despite four and a half years of promises to add to so many previous promises. To my mind, these are fundamental breaches of the Government's political compact with the people. Irish people want and deserve excellent public services such as schools, hospitals, childcare, airports, public transport, roads and accommodation. We see many countries with these things and wonder why we cannot have them. These are the things that make ordinary life so much better and more liveable.

As we face another giveaway budget, will the Taoiseach make an attempt to keep his promises and make sure that more than 70% of the capital allocation in the budget is spent outside Dublin and Cork? Will the Government address the places and the people it has ignored for a generation? Waterford and the south east expect delivery in the upcoming budget. Although the efforts to date have been laudable, they have fallen far and dismally short.

I have to take a deep breath because the start of Deputy Shanahan's contribution was really out of order. It was fundamentally out of order because I do not ever think there is a justification for the hatred some Members of this House have experienced or for the intimidation and attacks they have experienced, online, off-line, at their homes and towards their families. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I defend the right of any Member of this House to not ever have to encounter that. Although it is the Deputy's right to say whatever he wants in this House, I do not ever want to hear in this House some attempt to justify the hate, bile and toxicity. The Deputy should call it out and I hope when he next stands to his feet he will condemn it. I know him to be a decent person and I do not believe he meant it, but that feeds the online anger. That is exactly what it feeds. The Deputy said we were coming in here and "gormlessly" calling it out. I hope the Deputy has never had to encounter what some of us have. I hope he never has to.

This is a Government that proudly supports Waterford. I look forward to taking that case to the people. I am looking forward to winning our seat back in Waterford too. We are a Government that is investing substantially in the south east, substantially in Waterford city and substantially in the county. A €30 million flood protection scheme has been put in place to protect businesses and residents along the city's quays. There is a new state-of-the-art fire station following an investment of €10 million. There has been investment of €30 million in the expansion for the court house. The old disused railway line between the picturesque town of Dungarvan, a beautiful place, and Waterford city is now a first-class greenway following investment of a further €25 million. There has been €37 million allocated in URDF and active travel funding for the city centre regeneration. A commitment of €170 million has been made by the Government for the North Quays enabling infrastructure. We have delivered a university for the south east, on which we continue to engage to make sure it reaches its full potential. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, will make progress in relation to advancing the Waterford Crystal site, the delivery of student accommodation and a PPP bundle as well. As the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has outlined in this House on a number of occasions, we have provided significant additional funding in supporting the move towards 24-7 cardiac services at University Hospital Waterford. There is an awful lot of good stuff happening in Waterford. I know that when I go to Waterford. I was there only a couple of weeks ago and look forward to being back there again. I am proud of the Government's commitment. The Deputy will see in the draft national planning framework, which will be published in the coming days, that we want to go out and engage with communities and local authorities right across the country. The Deputy will see an ongoing level of commitment to the regions in terms of balanced regional development as well.

Please do not misrepresent our commitment in relation to Waterford. Yes, sometimes projects take time and the Deputy and I debate where they are at but I can tell him that we are going to deliver in cardiac care, deliver in respect of the university, and we are going to continue to deliver in relation to Waterford city and county.

I offered to the Taoiseach comments that I hear all the time and, instead of addressing them, the Taoiseach offered a deflection, saying that I am trying to talk about hate speech-----

Please.

It is not about that.

Withdraw what you said.

I am reflecting to the Taoiseach what people around my constituency and in the regions are describing.

So, you will not withdraw it.

Whether he wishes to, the Taoiseach can reach back into his notes there and discuss projects-----

I do not have any notes.

-----from two and three programmes for Government ago, which he did, including the courthouse, the fire station he mentioned in Waterford, and the greenway. They are all previous to this Government. I have asked about the €44 billion of capital expenditure in this programme for Government. Where is the relative percentage for Waterford and the south east?

I have met the Taoiseach umpteen times to discuss the South-East Technological University. Does the Taoiseach know what the Government's total capital investment in the college is in terms of the built infrastructure? It is for the acquisition of 20 acres of land. No public development is happening on the college campus at present. Despite all the promises we have had, it is all private development. I have also asked the Taoiseach about the runway extension at Waterford Airport, which has been caught up in a needless review for almost a year. This discussion is happening while we are looking at the money being spent. The Taoiseach might not take my word for it. I encourage him to come to Waterford.

Go raibh maith agat.

He should absolutely come back and win the seat. He will only do so if he delivers.

I thank the Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

I exhort him to deliver in the next six months left to the Government and to win the seat back if he wishes. Go raibh maith agat.

I thank the Deputy for his political advice. I do not need any notes to debate the Deputy in relation to these matters. It is highly regrettable that I had to ask him to withdraw comments about politicians coming in here and gormlessly expressing views around hate and toxicity in Irish politics. We should all call that out. If it happened to the Deputy, I would call it out. If it happened to anyone over here, I would call it out. Most people would call it out if it happened to anybody in this House. However, the Deputy seems to be kind of trying to justify it and to give it an ould nod and a wink.

I told the Taoiseach I was reflecting what-----

The Deputy refused to stand up and condemn hatred. Instead, he stated that he had a rationale and an understanding.

I am sorry. Excuse me. Of course, I condemn hatred. I have never supported any kind of hatred against any person or any attacks against anyone in this House, not ever.

I thank the Deputy.

I am sorry.

Resume your seat Deputy, please.

Well, then-----

That was a complete misinterpretation.

Deputy, resume your seat. Through the Chair, please, Taoiseach.

When the Deputy stood back up, I asked simply if he would consider reflecting on what he said in his opening contribution. He chose not to. He tried to-----

I did reflect. I told the Taoiseach that these were comments I was hearing on the streets. The Taoiseach may take or leave them as he wishes.

I thank the Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond uninterrupted.

The people of Waterford will adjudicate on the Deputy in due course.