Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2023-10-26
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

On the matter raised by Deputy Tóibín, the Minister for Social Protection is actively working on the issue of pay-related benefit and will be bringing proposals to the Government and before the House in due course. When I say "in due course", it will be done in a reasonable timeframe. It is a matter for the Minister to announce that. I am conscious of the pressure on Tara Mines. It is a world market price issue. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, and others have met with the company and unions on a number of occasions and will continue to engage with management to give any supports we can in respect of it.
As regards the issue raised by Deputy Mythen, I do not have a specific figure before me but a capital project of that kind takes design, working through and so on. That will all proceed. The capital allocation plan has yet to be determined but the project in question will not be drawing down capital immediately. If it is a 96-bed unit, there will be design and so on. I will come back to the Deputy on that.
On the Probate Office, I hear what Deputy McAuliffe and the Ceann Comhairle are saying. I will take that up with the relevant Minister. During Covid and in the aftermath of Covid, a number of agencies took the opportunity to pull back on services that were there prior to Covid but have never re-emerged. I had that in my domain in terms of swimming pools and various things. It is not good practice. What was there before, serving the public, should have been continued post Covid. Covid should not have been used as an excuse to stop things.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2023-10-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:52:21+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-10-26