For women to be able to access Cariban via their GPs would be so much more affordable, practical and accessible than going through consultants. I am glad the Minister is taking steps in this direction. It is so important that this is followed through on and this type of access is created. I understand that a number of different drugs offer the same benefits and that the market authorisation holders for those have not sought to get approval. I acknowledge that an initiative was taken with Cariban. Is the HPRA going …

Many pharmacists and members of the public seeking to fulfil prescriptions are finding time and again that the various different drugs are not available. There are supply issues which are causing a need for a switchover from one product to another, if it is possible for people to get these products at all. While there are always similar issues, the situation seems to be much more intense now. What kind of measures are being put in place to ensure that prescribed drugs are available to people?

There is nothing unusual about different supply issues, but it is so much more intense now in respect of the breadth, number and range of drugs under pressure, for various different reasons, being so much wider now than what it would have been in other years. Many pharmacists tell us they have seen different issues over the years. Regarding the steps that would need to be taken, there is not one quick fix because there are many causes. Could we put in place a serious shortages protocol such as there is in the UK? H…

I must take the Minister up on the point that it does not seem to be affecting us worse than other places. Given all the different causes we are hearing about, whether Covid or the war or various others, we would expect that to be impacting across the board. Brexit was expected to impact access to medication in the UK, yet there are medications available in the UK market that are not available here in the Republic. People would quite readily cross the Border to get access to them or fill a prescription. That is a b…

-----people end up having to go for GP appointments to get a prescription as a result. We need to look across the board and at all options.

It is approximately ten days since the cyberattack on Munster Technological University, MTU. Thankfully, students have been able to return to lectures and laboratories this week but, unfortunately, data from the cyberattack have been published on the dark web. I ask the Minister to outline the extent of the attack, including whether people's personal details have been compromised. Local people have been asking about the data. MTU has some 13,000 students and over 1,000 staff. People have outlined concerns about the…

Tá sé os cionn seachtaine anois ó tharla an t-ionsaí seo ar scéim ríomhaireachta Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta na Mumhan, MTU. Tá an-bhuairt ar go leor daoine idir dhaltaí, iar-dhaltaí, thuismitheoirí agus an fhoireann go bhfuil a gcuid eolais phearsanta á chraobhscaoileadh ar an Idirlíon agus nach bhfuil sé slán. Caithfear a chinntiú go bhfuil gach iarracht á déanamh chun dul i ngleic lena leithéid d’ionsaí. Cad iad na céimeanna atá tógtha anois chun an t-eolas seo a láimhseáil agus chun a chinntiú nach dtarlóidh sé i …

As the terrible war drags on in Ukraine, the suffering continues for so many Ukrainians. They are being pushed out of their country and many of them are coming in our direction. What plans has the Department in place to be able to accommodate people? Is the Department proposing to continue with the rest centre model or what is the plan? There is also the issue with people being moved out of hotels. What will be the situation with people who are already here? I would appreciate it if the Minister could provide an ou…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an eolas ansin. There is quite a bit of information on it. Trying to predict how many spaces will be needed or how many people will be on the move fleeing the conflict is difficult, but the Minister undoubtedly has a good estimate of how many people are already in Ireland in, for example, hotel accommodation that would otherwise be being used for tourism. As such, he should have a good idea of what will happen with them in the weeks and months ahead as we approach the tourism season…

I will stay focused on the people fleeing from the terrible war in Ukraine. Is it intended that the rest centres will follow a similar model? Will there be more rest centres? What does the Minister envisage being required in the event of more people fleeing? People in, for example, hotels would like to know where they stand. There needs to be communication with them. There also needs to be communication locally where other accommodation is being put in place. If there is no communication, there can often be an info…

I want to raise with the Minister the closure of Munster Technological University, MTU, campuses in Cork due to the attack on IT systems. Have personal data - bank details and so on - been impacted? When will normal college activities resume? Students are losing out in the meantime on lab time, for example, and there is a backlog building. There are 13,000 students and 1,200 staff there. In addition, there are tens of thousands of former students and former staff. For example, former students may have had to get tr…

Very briefly, I ask the Tánaiste about the priorities being set out for the start of the year ahead especially towards the implementation of the various recommendations and the report for the Commission on the Defence Forces.

I very much agree with the Tánaiste that the implementation plan needs to be credible. This is important. It was due to be published in January, as I understand it. Is there a plan for when this will be published or do we know how near it is to being published? Regarding engagement and involvement with the different representative organisations concerning advancing this endeavour, has the Tánaiste met with them? Turning to the exemptions under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, how these would be implemente…

I thank the Tánaiste for outlining his intention to implement that directive. The commission believes it is important in that it would improve retention, well-being and productivity in the Defence Forces. There are derogations in this regard, but these should only be there in exceptional or extraordinary situations. There is concern that many of these exemptions would be too wide-ranging. It is important therefore that any derogations, if they are needed, would be intended for narrow and exceptional situations so t…

I raise with the Taoiseach what appears to be an increase in the number of people who have died this winter and last winter compared to previous years. In its analysis, the Irish Examiner indicated that there is an increase of up to 20%. From my conversations with people in the medical professions, undertakers, priests and others, I know that they concur that there is an increase in the number of people dying. Has the Taoiseach's attention been drawn to this? Has analysis been conducted on what might be causing it …

I welcome that there is a commitment in the programme for Government to hold a citizens' assembly on drugs. I am conscious that the other citizens' assemblies are unfinished at this stage. I am thinking of the one on biodiversity. Would the Taoiseach envisage that it would have to be finished up before he would advance the other ones or can they run in parallel? I would hope that they could, and that there would not be any delay, because the Government already had the Dublin mayor and biodiversity ones running in p…

Using properties that are vacant and making them available for housing is a constructive idea. I welcome the Croí Cónaithe scheme and the approach it is taking. There are vacant properties in towns and villages across the country. In Macroom, there are vacant properties in the Dunnes Stores apartments, which have been unoccupied since they were built in 2004. Locals are frustrated that these apartments are not available for people to live in. Every effort should be made to make them available. There is a good level…

First, I thank the Minister of State for the various details on the scheme. I acknowledge it is a constructive and positive scheme and is only on the go for a number of months at this point. There is good interest. People have been inquiring about it in my office. There are many inquiries locally on it. On the figure of 84 for Cork county, can the Minister of State give a breakdown of how many are approved at this point? The figures the Minister of State has given are for applications. When people are applying on t…

For various reasons, a large number of PAYE workers end up with overpayments of tax, whether this is because they change jobs, credits that they may not have claimed, emergency tax or a range of different reasons. This year more than ever, people are under phenomenal pressure to pay bills. Various supports are in place, but there is still huge pressure on people in paying for food, energy and so on. What measures are being taken to ensure that their earned money is in their pockets and not with Revenue?

I thank the Minister. Those figures are quite helpful. Phenomenal sums are available for many people. I understand that in previous years, several hundred thousand people have got back anywhere up to €1,000 each. Will the Minister indicate how many people the figures apply to for the two years in question? He gave the euro value, which is helpful, but he might also indicate how many people it applies to. People are under severe pressure to pay ordinary, everyday bills and having that money back in their pocket woul…