In budget 2026, recognition was given, as the Minister just outlined, to the massive contribution that family carers make in Irish society. Progress has been made, albeit not as quickly as some may have liked. Nonetheless, I know that more needs to be done. I have listened to the Minister intently this morning and over recent months. I welcome the fact that the Minister has reiterated here once again that his ambition is still to end the means test for carers in the lifetime of the Government. Will the Minister out…

I know it might not be popular to say it with some people inside here, but the €600 million VAT exemption given to hospitality might have been better devoted to this area in the budget. To finish, I want to highlight a particular concern I have about people providing full-time care to more than one person in their homes. Will the Minister please outline how we are going to help these people in particular, as I believe they are a cohort under the most pressure? Will the Minister update us on plans to introduce a pay…

I have tabled parliamentary questions in the past, and I have always said that in terms of dealing with day-to-day stuff from TDs, the Department of Social Protection is probably one of the most efficient Departments and I want to put this on the record. Nonetheless, I have asked this parliamentary question on a number of occasions, as have a number of other Deputies in the past while. The Minister's answer is similar to previous responses about the 20 additional appeals officers put in place. Are they 20 permanent…

I welcome the Minister's statement about the domiciliary allowance in reply to the previous question. Specifically, could he address the supplementary welfare appeals in his answer if he has a moment? In relation to processing times, I am not trying to be unfair or harsh, but I look at the response that the chief appeals officer continues to monitor the number of appeals on hand and that appeal processing times take extra effort to ensure decisions are consistent and timely and I just wonder what the definition of …

The number of deaths in Cork Prison has doubled since last year. The Inspector of Prisons has said overcrowding has played a significant part in this. His annual report published a few weeks ago highlighted the low morale among officers and the insufficient access to a GP in Cork Prison among other issues. As the Taoiseach is aware, Cork Prison is frequently overcrowded. Last August, there were a total of 403 prisoners onsite. He knows as well as I do that this facility was only built for 296 prisoners. The latest …

Budget 2026 allocated €117 billion nationwide. Approximately €19 billion or €20 billion of that was in capital investment. I raise with the Minister the issue of Carrignavar wastewater treatment plant. It is something that has been highlighted and identified as in need of urgent investment from Irish Water and Cork County Council. Nonetheless, it has been waiting years to be reached in their own list of priorities. I understand Irish Water received a significant uplift in the past couple of weeks and it is due to r…

I express my condemnation of the appalling attack that took place at the IPAS centre in Drogheda last week. Such acts of violence are unacceptable and have no place in any society. My thoughts are with all of those affected. This is such an important and sensitive issue. I fully recognise the need for a robust international protection system for people fleeing war-torn regions. The global instability we have witnessed in recent years has underscored just how essential this is. At the same time, we must ensure our i…

I did not hear what the Minister of State said at the outset. Initially, there were nine special educational needs, SEN, teachers and 18 SNAs. The Minister of State said there was an additional SEN teacher. How many SNAs?

Are they recent additions?

The Minister of State said that the Department is in contact with the school on an ongoing basis. Has the review that was instigated upon the arrival of officials from the NCSE and the Department concluded in the school? Is there any prospect of additional resources or has it been deemed that the resources provided heretofore are sufficient? As the Minister of State said, St. Gabriel’s deals in many cases, if not most, with students with severe intellectual disabilities and complex needs. Many also have autism. It …

I genuinely acknowledge the Minister of State’s involvement in this. I rang him on Thursday night, when this story was about to break, and he got straight on to the school the following morning. That was appreciated by the parents and the school management. I seek clarification on one or two more points. The Minister of State said the NCSE is due to follow up this week. I realise he is not going to disclose on the floor of the Dáil what the result of the SNA review will be, but I reiterate the requirement that prob…

I raised an issue with the Taoiseach three weeks ago regarding the elective hospital in Cork. To be fair, the Taoiseach gave a good response and said it was a political decision that was made on the timing of the hospital, not a HSE decision. As I told the Taoiseach, the hospital was initially meant to take patients in 2027, but it is now looking like 2030 because the project will go from being a one-phase project to a multi-phase project. To be fair, the Taoiseach was quite forceful a number of weeks ago when he g…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, for coming in. It is rare enough to come in here for a Topical Issue and get the line Minister, so I do appreciate it. This is a long story. It goes back to 2020 initially. I think in January 2020 we were delighted when the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, unveiled plans for a massive development, or so we thought, of a centre of excellence in Glanmire in co-operation with the FAI. It was sold as a project which we were very excited about, to be honest, particular…

I thank the Minister of State for the response. The one thing I can glean from this response, and that is encouraging, is that the Minister of State has stated the FAI told him at its next board meeting it will bring forward details on the project. That is welcome progress because this is something that the community of Glanmire and all the public representatives involved, including local authority members, have pushed for some time. This project dates back six or seven years since its inception. My fundamental fru…

I raise the issue of newborn screening for SMA. During the week, I was contacted by SMA Ireland regarding the continued delay in expanding the heel prick test. The national rare disease strategy recently published by the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, provides a welcome and comprehensive framework to enhance diagnosis, treatment and support for people living with rare diseases with the stated aim of enabling better health outcomes. As the Tánaiste will know, one in 17 people in Ireland lives with a rare disease…

I agree with what Deputy Timmins has said. I will fire a shot across the bows of the Opposition because no one has bothered to turn up tonight. When people are watching this on TV at home Opposition Deputies are the first people to point the finger when the benches are a bit light on this side of the House. Their absence is either an endorsement of the budget or they could not be bothered to turn up. I welcome the increase in the capitation grant. This will see an additional €50 per pupil allocated to primary and s…

We are moving to health now. I think the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, has covered education and transport this evening and I am not sure what else. Fair play to him. I want to talk about the LauraLynn Foundation. I recently met the chief executive and head of communications in advance of the budget. To give the Minister of State a bit of background, the LauraLynn Foundation was established after the loss of two sisters, Laura and Lynn McKenna, to illnesses in 1999 and 2001. This tragedy inspired their pare…

I thank the Minister of State for acknowledging the great work the hospice does. I should have led by saying I remember that a few years ago, I heavily lobbied the then Minister for public expenditure - I think it was Michael McGrath at the time - about Marymount hospice, which does phenomenal work in Cork. It is now fully funded in the area of staff. An arrangement was done with section 38 and section 39 workers. It is now fully funded as an adult hospice. Going forward, the care delivered by the LauraLynn foundat…

I start by supporting Deputy Kenny's call for clarity for that project in Mallow. To be fair, the funding announcement was made. I do not think the funding is in jeopardy at all. I do not want this to turn into a negative story because the funding is still there. My understanding is that extra information was requested and it has now been submitted. It is now just a matter of sign-off. We would appreciate an update from the Minister of State. To be fair, Councillors Pat Hayes and Gearóid Murphy have been in contact…

I raise the elective hospitals and surgical hubs that are being delivered across the country, with particular reference to the Cork situation. Initially, in response to parliamentary questions, we were told it was envisaged that patients would be seen by 2027, all going well. The language used in parliamentary questions of late is frustrating and now suggests patients might not be seen until 2030 in the elective hospitals around the country, including that in Cork. It is a commitment in the programme for Government…