Ireland has been a place of safe refuge, as the Minister said, for nearly 40,000 Ukrainians out of the total number from that war-torn country who have come to our shore seeking safety. That is across, as the Minister also said, almost 20,000 active claims for the accommodation recognition payment. While I acknowledge the scheme has worked well in many respects, there are a few issues over the length of time it has been in place. I welcome the news that the Minister plans to extend the scheme for another year into …

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: - young carers and children are young people under the age of 18 whose lives are affected in some significant way by the care needs of another family or household member due to their illness, disability, mental health difficulties or problems with drugs or alcohol misuse, and who provide care, or help to provide care, to that person; - young adult carers are recognised as a separate and distinct group aged 18 to 24, who provide care, assistance or support to another family mem…

I am sure that the Minister of State knows of many great communities in Cork. One of the great communities I am aware of is in Kildare, that being, the community of Ballyteague, Allenwood, Kilmeage, Robertstown and Milltown. It is a great community that comes together. Unfortunately, it is now more than three months since the Allenwood daycare centre closed its doors in Ballyteague GFC. This closure has had an immense impact on the older people who attend the centre. According to their family members, they are regr…

I appreciate the Minister of State's reply. He mentioned that there are a couple of months. Unfortunately, as we all know, a couple of months is a long time for older people. It is an especially long time when someone is asking their caregiver in the morning if they can go back to where they know best, and the caregiver cannot say they can. A person's whole system could be upset by that fact. On the reply the Minister of State has given me, public representatives in County Kildare have received that over the last n…

I welcome the Minister and wish him well. As Labour Party spokesperson on social protection, I look forward to working with him over the lifetime of this Dáil. My question is very similar to the previous one. In addition, I ask for the number of applications received for the payment since the O'Meara case and whether the Minister will consider supplementary payments to qualified applicants in advance of the passing of legislation.

I thank the Minister for acknowledging the work that Deputy Alan Kelly did in relation to this. I also thank the O'Meara family for the work they did to ensure that those who are entitled to a payment can have one. It was a long road for them. They stood steadfast and got a result for many people. As mentioned, this issue may affect over 150,000 couples. The Minister informed us that 331 applications are on file. It is my understanding, from dealing with constituents through my office, that the Department is asking…

There is an expectation out there, as the Minister indicated. Those who have applied are waiting on the results of the O'Meara case. I am dealing with a number of people whose partners passed away before January 2024. The Minister mentioned not building up expectations. Is the Department considering making a payment to those people? Will the Minister give a commitment today that he will consider a payment for them? In my question, I asked that he consider issuing a supplementary payment. Given we are only talking a…

How many appeals officers are working in the social welfare appeals office and how many have been working there over the past three years, and will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

I thank the Minister. I welcome that there are 20 additional appeals officers but, unfortunately, as far as I am concerned, appeals times are still growing. I am dealing with a large number of carer's appeals that have been in train for 12 or 14 months and invalidity pension appeals that have been live for more than six months. The problem is that it is very difficult to explain to a person who is under stress and who needs a payment that he or she will have to go through this system. We get letters stating that th…

I welcome the independence of the appeals office. It is a great system whereby we get a second opinion, and it is something I have used during my time as a public representative. I have always found the appeals officers to be very helpful. With regard to the new appeals procedures, does the Minister have any indication of what the timelines for appeals will be or what he is working towards? That somebody is waiting for an appeal in respect of carer's allowance for over a year is simply not good enough in this moder…

I wish the three Ministers well in their new portfolios. In our Private Members’ business of a week ago, I described what is happening with housing as an emergency. Indeed, the Housing Commission report calls for a radical reset of housing policy in Ireland. While every possible solution should be investigated, my party and I are of the opinion that the solutions should and must be led by the Government by way of identifying ways of cutting delivery times, dealing with the slow turnaround of social homes, which I m…

I raise the very serious matter impacting first responders in all our communities. Recently, a number ambulance officers were informed, many of them, indeed, trained paramedics, that they could no longer park their ambulances, their vehicles, at their own homes. Instead, they will have to park them at ambulance bases and primary care centres. This is having a knock-on impact on first responder response times, particularly in relation to cardiac arrests and other emergency medical situations. We are asking for an ur…

Unfortunately, it is impacting a lot of families.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and apologise. I ask the Tánaiste for an update on the proposed closure of the fire station at the Curragh Camp and also provide an update on the provision of living quarters for enlisted members in the Curragh.

The Curragh Camp is the jewel in the crown of the Defence Forces, as I and many Members of this House and the Upper House have said many times. The first thing anyone who drives through the Curragh Camp will notice is dereliction and the closed premises on the main street. The news that the fire station is to close has been greeted with disbelief by people who live in the Curragh because it seems to sound the death knell for the Curragh Camp. I ask the Tánaiste to outline his plans, as the incoming Minister for Def…

I welcome that the Tánaiste will visit the Curragh Camp. That is very important. I will take him up on his request that I accompany him on that visit because it will be important that we meet local representatives who are getting this on the ground from those who live in the Curragh and who have previously, as the Tánaiste said, served on the Curragh. The State needs to use the Curragh Camp and the Curragh itself more. I ask the Tánaiste to look at other Government agencies. The Curragh Camp is right next to the M7…

I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his new role and wish him the very best. I also congratulate the Minister on her new role. As Labour Party spokesperson on children and disabilities, I look forward to working with her constructively during this term. I thank her for her engagement to date. Obviously, the waiting lists referred to in this debate are something we have to tackle, and that Government especially has to tackle because behind every one of those numbers on the waiting list is a family and somebo…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. I wish the Minister of State well in his new role. There has been a great deal of talk about the totally unacceptable statistic of 174 of our citizens dying on the roads, about young drivers and about allowing drivers to learn the rules of the road. In the time available, I want to bring the Minister of State's attention something going on in my hometown of Athy this week. It is a road safety week being run by Richard Daly, the principal of Athy College, and by Ba…

What actions will the Minister take to ensure parents can have access to State-provided early years education facilities where there is currently a lack of such facilities? I also ask what actions she will take to reduce the cost of childcare.

I thank the Minister. Early Childhood Ireland outlined in January that statistics from Pobal state that 6,663 children under the age of one are on a crèche waiting list where there are only 223 places available. It also goes on to say that 12,208 children aged between one and two are on a waiting list where there are only 675 places available. The Minister mentioned that in the programme from Government, the Government has committed to building or purchasing State-owned childcare facilities and to creating addition…