It has been over a year since the stand-off over the lands at Castletown. We have had different Ministers involved and various approaches and numerous diplomatic initiatives have been taken. Unfortunately, none has worked to date. It is almost like the more things change, the more things remain the same. Going down the road of blaming people and attributing fault will not resolve this issue. It is deeply frustrating when we are told we allegedly have a willing purchaser and a willing seller who is happy to sell the lands at market rate and yet nothing has happened. Members can appreciate and understand the community are losing faith in that process. By all means, let the talks continue but any objective person would have to say that initiative taken in respect of this matter has failed to deliver. We need to think outside the box and we cannot put all our eggs in one basket. Can we put a timeframe on these talks? It is like asking how long is a piece of string. What is happening is just not good enough, but it should not be the only show in town.

At the outset of this dispute, I suggested that a compulsory purchase order, CPO, should be seriously considered to acquire the lands. I am not the only person who said that; others said it too. This is not revolutionary thinking. Local authorities and the Office of Public Works are risk averse when it comes to CPOs but employing a CPO is the long-term solution. We would have been one year down the road of acquiring those lands if we had commenced that process at the time when the problem first emerged. It is never too late. There are other options, such as a long-term lease, but the permanent, long-term, sustainable solution is for the lands to be acquired. Until that happens, I do not believe we will have a tangible, meaningful result. I wish the talks well, but they are not achieving anything at present. The strength and resilience of the people on the front line is only getting stronger.

Naas Serpents Basketball Club recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Minister for sport, Deputy Catherine Martin, was in attendance. It was fantastic to recognise the contribution the club has made to mental wellness, physical well-being and community camaraderie. In 1982, Joe Clancy pioneered schools basketball. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength. The club has undergone exponential growth, particularly in the context of underage basketball locally. There are many clubs playing at all levels. I thank many people, but especially Kill resident, Gerry Wren, who passed away earlier this year. Gerry, his wife, Barbara, and their family made a huge contribution locally, right through from the underage system. I also thank the club chair, Sharon Langan, Colm Kenny, Suzanne Whelan and many more past and present. They make an incredible contribution and epitomise community volunteerism. Such a contribution is very much appreciated. We must always recognise and celebrate it.

I formally second Senator Carrigy's amendment to the Order of Business.

Yesterday, we spoke about the lack of teachers. The Cathaoirleach mentioned that this is not just an issue for Mayo, it is also a problem throughout the country. I support the many calls to support teachers at this particular time. There have been calls for a Dublin allowance by my party's education spokesman, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, which I support. We must ensure that there is support from the Government for teachers regarding the cost of living, housing, etc. This is something we need to look at.

Today, I want to talk about special needs assistants, SNAs. In recent weeks and months, I have been contacted by many SNAs in the Kildare south area and in my hometown of Athy, who currently have a campaign for SNAs who have experienced trauma through injury when minding those very special children on a day in and day out basis. They are at pains to point out they are not blaming the children in any way but have felt let down by the Department and the Government. In this regard, I refer to what they are left with after the injuries they sustain in minding those children day in and day out.

The campaign is looking for three calls which have been put out as part of the forthcoming election. SNAs are looking for financial assistance to cover medical bills. When you sit down and talk to them, those medical bills can be small or very large and they are having difficulty obtaining financial support from the Department on that. They are also looking for assault leave. The trauma experienced by many of these SNAs when the injuries occur takes a long time to get over and they find it very hard to go back into classrooms, etc. This is something they are looking for. The third call by SNAs is to establish a comprehensive support system for those who have experienced the trauma and physical injuries right throughout the State. It is something we should all include in our manifestos. It is a call for the wonderful work that our SNAs do day in and day out but unfortunately, they are on the front line and are experiencing that trauma through injury, etc. As I have said, it is something we will all get on the doors and it is a campaign I support. We can all add our voice to this.

I will finish by speaking on the Croí Cónaithe grants. This is not the first time I have raised this matter.

I have welcomed the scheme a number of times in this House but I continue to have problems with staged payments and the drawdown of the grants. Something needs to be done about that. I have at least five cases in Kildare South at the moment where people just cannot complete the work. They cannot get the €50,000 grant. They do not have the €50,000 to pay the builders, and the builders are continuing, as is their right, to demand the money upfront. The applicants have gone to credit unions with letters from the local authority and the credit unions say they cannot sustain them either. We have looked for staged payments, and I know colleagues on the far side of the House have done so as well. The Government needs to look at this. It is a great grant but it is just falling down on the drawdown. I would welcome the Leader's input on that.