The recent sickening attacks on our gardaí carrying out their duties have appalled most people in this country. They are extremely worrying and concerning. The lack of regard for the uniform that has crept in in some places is extremely disturbing. The lack of regard for the human being wearing that uniform is even more disturbing. Will the Taoiseach assure me that this problem is being given the highest priority in the Government? It is completely unacceptable. It is a very dangerous road for this country to go do…

I will raise the issue of the 9% VAT rate. It is important that the Government makes a decision on this as soon as possible. I emphasise how important it is to so many small businesses, especially in my constituency where tourism and hospitality make up a significant part of the economy. Many other services such as hairdressers also depend on this appropriate rate of VAT. I would no longer refer to it as a concession. It brings us in line with competing countries in Europe in the area of tourism and hospitality. I …

I echo Deputy Stanton's comments. The resourcing of local authorities is a crucial component in the success of Croí Cónaithe. I welcome the fund. I acknowledge the work of the Minister, the previous Minister of State in this role, Deputy Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, on his appointment and wish him the best of luck for the future. We must resource local authorities in terms of the manpower needed to roll this out, but another crucial compone…

I emphasise it is important that there would be a budget to create awareness of the scheme and the various differences between the strands of the scheme. That is something that local authorities should be able to tap into to put the scheme out there. That will help take-up. On a related vein, and something I previously raised on a number of occasions, I ask the Minister and the Ministers of State to again engage with the utility companies, for example, ESB Networks, in relation to reconnection fees. These fees are …

What of the mandate of the Dáil?

I acknowledge the efforts of the Minister of State and thank him for bringing this legislation through the House. I acknowledge also the support of all the Deputies who are in the Chamber. This is most progressive legislation and it will have very practical, positive effects for councillors. In Kerry, I experienced the case of a young councillor who should not have had to worry about the council element of her life because she was going through such an important event in the arrival of a baby, but she did. Unfortun…

I thank the Acting Chair for his discretion. I want to ask about the very important issue of farm safety. Perhaps the Minister would update the House on the Department's efforts in that regard to date in 2022.

I thank the Minister for that update. I commend the Department, the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, who has responsibility for this area, on their efforts to date. It is fitting that special responsibility be assigned to a Minister of State. Unfortunately, the 12 fatalities this year are 12 people who will not be at the Christmas dinner table with their families in a few weeks' time. My condolences go out to the families affected. The statistic that two in five workplace fatalities occur on farms…

Could the Minister explain to the House the changes to the over 70s fuel allowance scheme? One of the most positive announcements made in the budget was the lifting of the threshold. Perhaps the Minister could provide details on the scheme.

It is one of the most progressive social protection announcements I have ever seen. It is a very positive move and could not have come at a better time. As we know, people are struggling with the cost of fuel. My office has been inundated with inquiries from people looking for information on this since the budget. The Minister may recall that in advance of the budget I brought to her attention the case of a woman who worked hard all her life and had reared her family. Due to a small occupational pension, she was ab…

That is an important inclusion and that is helpful to many people. I welcome the efforts that have been made to help cope with what will effectively be an avalanche of applications, with talk of 80,000 applications. I hope the systems are up to scratch. Should there be delays it is reassuring to know that any application will be backdated to 2 January. That is important to try to give reassurance to people who may otherwise be afraid to turn on the heating or put the extra few lumps of coal on the fire. Even if the…

When will the next round of the sports capital and equipment programme open to new applicants? The most recent round was extremely beneficial to the clubs that were allocated funding. It was useful in the context of coming out of Covid and the difficulties that clubs experienced over recent years. It is a fantastic programme, which has benefited many communities all over the country in the past 20 years or so. It is highly anticipated by clubs. Is there any information available on the review of the most recent pro…

I thank the Minister for his response. The reason I put down this question is my concerns about Irish citizens who might travel to Qatar for the World Cup and may not be used to the situation there. Even though we are not qualified for the World Cup, Irish fans may travel. There are very few sporting events around the world where one would not see a fella wearing a Kerry jersey. It is only a matter of time before we see one on the television screens and I share Deputy Ó Murchú's concerns. My first concern is over t…

I appreciate the Minister has raised concerns about the broader issues at play here. My most immediate and pragmatic concern is that any Irish fans who travel, from this country or others, to the group stages or the subsequent knock-out stages in the coming weeks should, first, be well-advised before they travel about what is expected of them and the potential risks. Second, we have seen people get into trouble in countries such as Qatar through no fault of their own and support should be there. It is important the…

Answer the question.

The sue pandemic is spreading.

Yes.

You did not answer the question.

You have not answered the question. He asked you a fair question.

As the Taoiseach and Minister may know, I am a long-time advocate of action on dereliction in order to provide more homes for people. Therefore, I welcome the introduction of Croí Cónaithe, the expansion of the repair and lease scheme and the increase in the money available for it. Will the Minister provide an update to the House on the extension of Croí Cónaithe to single, one-off, rural cottages, farm buildings and other derelict buildings? Will he consider an expansion of the repair and lease scheme to cover aff…