Deputy Cummins helpfully asked the question I was due to raise on school funding and I re-emphasise that point.

Given the news breaking on the plane crash in India, which I believe involves 169 Indian nationals, 45 Britons, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, will the Tánaiste as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade do everything in his power to provide consular assistance to any Irish citizens and families that may be impacted and provide humanitarian aid from within the Department? There is a great degree of expertise in Ireland - not that we have a responsibility here but we should assist where we can. I appreciate this is still at a very early stage.

I thank the Deputy. He is right. I have been in the Chamber since the news emerged. I join the Deputy and everybody in extending the sympathies of the House and country to all those affected, to the people of India and to those likely to be affected in our nearest neighbour, the United Kingdom. My Department is actively monitoring the situation in real time. We stand ready to assist any citizen, though I am not aware of any citizen in relation to this. More broadly, from a humanitarian point of view, we are always eager to assist. The situation is very much evolving.