Cuirfear an Bille chuig an Seanad anois agus gabhaim míle buíochas as bhur obair inniu.

We are way over time.

Did Deputy Ó Murchú indicate that he wanted to come in?

The Deputy has 40 seconds.

I ask Members for their co-operation because we are running out of time. There is one minute per person.

I welcome the ambassador of Ukraine. Céad míle fáilte roimpi.

In the brief time I have, I acknowledge the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador and I also reiterate my condemnation of the illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Tánaiste gave a very long speech of 12 pages in which he said, "Two years on, tragically, it seems that we are no closer to peace." I say it is more than tragic; it is deplorable. We have utterly failed to use our voice to bring peace, not just in Ukraine where appalling slaughter is going on, but throughout the world. Again, I absolutely reiterate what my col…

I will stop but there was an interruption and both I and my colleague lost our train of thought as a result. It took all those deaths and all of that to make us write and take that little bit of action.

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion and for shining the spotlight on this. The first line of the motion "notes that, as of 13th February, 2024, there are 327 children listed as waiting on a scoliosis-related surgery with Children's Health Ireland (CHI), as compared to 312 in February 2017". That is despite promises, despite everything. I am not going to use my time to repeat everything that is set out. It is set out clearly. I am not sure how a person could not agree with setting up an independent ta…

I am looking for an update on the very welcome long-term carers contribution scheme, or the pension for carers. I am asking for all the details, specifically the number of applications to date, the numbers approved and rejected, and the number of applications the Minister expects under the scheme.

I started by welcoming the scheme and describing it as very positive. The figures the Minister has given are interesting. How many applications does the Minister anticipate? What analysis has been done on that? Of the 2,746 applications so far, 2,113 were from individuals. This means some applicants have registered for more than one care period. Does that mean they have done two 20-year care periods? Have some of them done that? Given that the minimum is 20 years, does that mean that those who done more than one ca…

More information would be very helpful because it is a very positive scheme. I had a woman in my office who, for the first time, is applying for a payment in her own right, having minded someone for over 20 years. She did not get any payment. The breakdown would be very important because under the criteria, someone who worked more than 16 or 18 hours per week is not entitled to the payment. Is there any flexibility around that where someone had another job for a number of hours each week, say, in a community employ…

I might have a different view on that.

Ní mór dom a rá go mbaineann an Bandia, Naomh Bríd, don tír uilig. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil athbhreithniú críochnaithe ag Údarás na Gaeltachta agus baineann mo cheist go sonrach mar go bhfuil mé ag iarraidh soiléiriú a fháil ón Aire ar an bplean a d'eascair as an obair athbhreithniúcháin a rinne an t-údarás faoi na foirgnimh atá aige agus faoin talamh. Tá gá le plean agus le maoiniú.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Tá an cheist seo á leanúint suas agam le fada an lá. Is liosta é seo de na foirgnimh agus tailte atá ag Údarás na Gaeltachta. Is maith an rud go bhfuil an talamh agus na foirgnimh aige. Breathnóidh mé ar mo chontae féin. Feicim Baile an tSagairt, Eastát Chasla, Eastát An Choill Rua, Eastát an Chnoic, Baile an tSléibh, Eastát Ros an Mhíl, Eastát An Cheathrú Rua, Eastát Tír an Fhia agus Eastát Charna. Tá neart talaimh, neart foirgneamh agus neart féidearthachtaí ann. Táim sásta go bhfui…

Tá neart féidearthachtaí anseo. Tá trí dhualgas ag Údarás na Gaeltachta. Tá dualgais air ó thaobh an phobail, ó thaobh na teanga agus ó thaobh na fostaíochta. Tá neart féidearthachtaí ó thaobh cúrsaí tithíochta. Feicim go bhfuil abairt i bhfreagra an Aire go bhfuiltear anois ag breathnú ar chúrsaí tithíochta. Is maith an rud é sin ach an bhfuil sonraí ag an Aire faoi sin? Tá ceist eile curtha isteach, Uimh. 24. Níl a fhios agam cén fáth nach bhfuil an dá cheist le chéile. Baineann an cheist sin go díreach le tithío…

An bhfuil nóiméad fágtha agam?

Ó thaobh na ceiste seo, níor dhírigh mé isteach ar cé chomh fada atá na foirgnimh folamh. Dhírigh mé isteach ar rud dearfach, is é sin na féidearthachtaí atá ann ó thaobh cúrsaí tithíochta agus gnó. Bhí díospóireacht ann inné, ina raibh an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach páirteach, faoi chúrsaí gnó áitiúla agus na féidearthachtaí atá ann. Gabh mo leithscéal; an bhfuilim thar am? Níl a fhios agam.

Ná bac. Gabh mo leithscéal. Táim measctha idir an dá theanga.

Will the Minister give a breakdown of the €1 million for the Galway 2020 legacy funding, the amount drawn down to date and a breakdown of where funds drawn down have been allocated?