I thank the Minister for the overview. I acknowledge the support that will be available for online retail stores. However, many of these businesses serve customers locally and there is very little of an online nature to them. They deal with people one to one. It is good to have such services available and it is very important to get them up and running. The panel beater depends on his own skills but this includes his personal skills in winning over customers. It is similar with the beautician and hairdresser. It is…

Is the Minister able to identify and target specific groups for recruitment to the Garda? How will she promote the Garda to them and make it an attractive place to work? How will she encourage more applicants to apply for posts?

I thank the Minister for that overview. It is important that people be able to identify with the Garda and recognise their own communities therein. It is also important to be able to reach out to the many different communities, for example, new Irish communities. Will the Minister outline the various measures that are being taken to reach the likes of the new Irish communities? For many years, we have experienced difficulties in gardaí being able to do their business as Gaeilge. While a stream for this is available…

I want to get an outline of any engagements the Minister has had with the Central Bank and the banking sector regarding increasing the opportunities and availability of long-term, fixed-rate mortgages of ten, 15 or 20 years, and the availability and certainty that would provide for homeowners.

I will focus on the long-term fixed-rate mortgages of ten, 15 or 20 years. Has the Minister had an opportunity to discuss such mortgages with the Central Bank and the lenders? I understand he is not able to compel lenders to make different products available but I want to get an understanding of the possibilities of having such mortgages and the demand for them. With the ECB rate continuing to rise, many homeowners are under increasing pressure and are looking for solutions and a level of certainty for future repay…

I also want to focus attention of homeowners who are stuck with vulture funds. These funds charge much higher variable rates than many of the other lenders and people are heaped with expensive monthly repayments. This is a huge struggle for many homeowners. More than 100,000 homeowners have found that their mortgages have been sold on. Through no fault of their own, they found themselves part of a loan book of performing and non-performing loans. They are now stuck and unable to switch their mortgage. Has the Minis…

I wish to ask about the training engagements the Defence Forces will be conducting with the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine and the extent, nature and locations of those. Could the Tánaiste give us an outline?

I know the Tánaiste had the opportunity to meet earlier this week with the Ukrainian President to outline and reiterate our ongoing support for him and his people in that conflict. Did the Tánaiste have the opportunity to discuss at that point the various different supports we would have been putting in place such as de-mining training, the various forms of medical training and so on? Could he outline the situation regarding basic training to military personnel, including training in using weapons; whether such tra…

To return to the original question on the nature, extent and where that training may be taking place, are Defence Forces personnel deployed to Ukraine or is the training taking place in other locations? Will the Tánaiste provide an outline on that? We had heard previously about the de-mining and the hospital and casualty training. I want to establish where those various training exercises are taking place and if Irish soldiers are being deployed to Ukraine.

I ask the Tánaiste about the current recruitment and retention issues in the Defence Forces and, in particular, about career paths, promotion and progression opportunities and how they might be part of supporting retention within the Defence Forces.

The strategic framework, where it refers to recruitment and retention, has a great deal of focus on recruitment and allowances for retention but not so much on career paths. I am puzzled as to why promotion or career paths would not be considered there for retention. Earlier this year, in March, the independent review group, IRG, report highlighted a range of real cultural issues and difficulties within the Defence Forces that would have directly influenced retention of staff. It pointed towards the need for cultur…

Can the Tánaiste give an overview of the implementation of the infrastructure plan for the Defence Forces?

There is quite an extensive, expensive and huge capital programme moving there and it is well-deserved by the people working in the various Defence Forces, in recognition of the huge work they are doing. I want to focus in on the Naval Service base, the works that were being planned there and progressing on those. I ask the Tánaiste to give an outline on whether it is making timelines on that. The Tánaiste mentioned block 4 accommodation but are there plans for other refurbishments and for dredging in the basin?

The introduction of 0% VAT on the supply and installation of solar panels was a very constructive move that encouraged people to install domestic solar PV panels. Will the Minister outline the additional demand and the costs associated with that? Is the Department in a position to meet the increased demand?

The figures are very encouraging - an increase in applications of 104%. We know that in 2022, there were 16,800 applications, of which just over 10,000 were supported, generating 46.5 MW of power. With an increase of 104%, How quickly is the Department able to turn around applications? Last year, 10,000 out of 16,800 applications were approved. How many applications is the Department approving and how quickly is it able to approve them? Will it be able to meet the level of demand? Is the funding in place to allow t…

There are very significant challenges and hugely ambitious targets to meet a target of a 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions for 2030. This is a very constructive and helpful measure in that regard. As the Minister of State noted, being able to sell on the electricity produced, the €200 tax exemption and various other things are all encouraging. Is the Department planning any further improvements in the scheme in the budget? For example, there is a very successful scheme that insulates the homes of mo…

Léiríonn gach rud a bhí le cloisteáil faoi RTÉ le roinnt seachtainí anuas an láimhseáil ainnis agus míchothrom agus an chaimiléireacht fiú a bhí ar siúl in RTÉ. Tá daoine feargach mar gheall air. Braitheann an fhoireann atá thíos leis nach raibh cothrom na féinne á fháil. Tá an-díobháil déanta. Cén plean atá ag an Aire chun athchóiriú a dhéanamh agus chun muinín a atógáil in RTÉ?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Tá ról craolacháin sheirbhísí pobail lárnach ag RTÉ agus tá muinín an phobail bunúsach ansin. Glacaim leis go bhfuil foireann bhainistíochta nua le teacht i bhfeidhm agus cabhróidh na fiosrúcháin sin atá luaite ag an Aire. Maidir leis na fiosrúcháin, ar an gcéad dul síos, ní fheadar an mbeidh siad in ann torthaí a thabhairt tapa go leor agus tuairisc a thabhairt tapa go leor. Pé tréimhse ama a bheidh i gceist, beidh bearna ama ann agus líonfar an bhearna sin, is baolach, le scamall ag…

Ag an am céanna leis na fiosrúcháin faoi chúrsaí airgeadais, an mbeidh fiosrúchán ann mar gheall ar chomhionannas sa tslí ina bhfeidhmíonn an eagraíocht? An leathnófaí é sin amach go dtí Raidió na Gaeltachta, TG4 agus go leor eile? Mar shampla, tá foireann an-bheag ag Raidió na Gaeltachta ag cur clár i láthair agus tá foireann i bhfad níos mó ag RTÉ Radio 1 chun clár comhchosúil a chur ar fáil. Tá sé soiléir nach bhfuil an t-ualach céanna ar gach aon duine. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh comhionannas ann laistigh den …

The Taoiseach will be pleased to know that the N22 works on the Macroom bypass are very much progressing. The next stage of that road is due to be made available for traffic shortly. As the Taoiseach was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport at a key time in that road project, I am sure he is well familiar with the situation there. One of the issues on linking up those pieces of road is that it disconnects the access at Carrigaphooca. It is a big concern for people in Kilnamartyra, Renaniree, Ballingeary and ot…