I understand the Minister's point about claiming carer's benefit on the spouse's contributions, but I am glad that she raised the example of self-employed people being able to avail of jobseeker's benefit by paying class S. That contribution entitles a self-employed person to invalidity pension. This welcome change was made a couple of years ago. Could a self-employed person making class S contributions be allowed to avail of carer's benefit? Could this potential solution be considered?

For clarity at the outset, as this question is grouped with Deputy Ó Cuív's Question No. 40, am I correct in saying that both Deputy Ó Cuív and I will get two one-minute slots each for supplementary questions after the initial question?

Very good. I seek an update on negotiations between the EU and the UK in respect of Brexit.

I appreciate that the Minister is restricted in some of the things he can say. Negotiations are obviously at a sensitive stage. I do not envy the Minister his job but I certainly appreciate his dedication to finding a resolution. I will focus on the fishing industry and fisheries. I read a concerning report in The Irish Times today to the effect that France is seeking the lion's share of the €5 billion compensation fund. That will create a major concern for the Irish fishing fleet and industry. I am keen to hear an…

I am fully aware that the Minister has a keen interest in this issue as a former Minister with responsibility for the fisheries sector. He is a keen mariner and he is familiar with Cork coastal communities such as those in Kinsale, Union Hall and Castletownbere, which is the biggest fishing port. He is aware of how important access to UK waters will continue to be for these fishing communities. He is also aware of the devastating impact that not having access to UK waters would have on the industry and the communit…

I have very little time, approximately four minutes, while there is a wide range of issues I could talk about in respect of community development. I very much welcome the announcement of the massive allocation of funding for community development in the recent budget. I will, however, focus on funding for communities in particular. What I mean by this is that this significant allocation of funding must now filter down into the local communities and to the community and voluntary organisations. That is absolutely vi…

My question relates to the Irish Red Cross and its funding. In fairness to the Minister and the Department, they fund the Irish Red Cross to the tune of almost €1 million per annum. However, the local branches of the Irish Red Cross depend heavily on fees they get from attending events, concerts, race meetings and so forth. An extra cash injection is needed to keep these branches afloat in the current circumstances. Can that funding be provided?

The Minister mentioned the stability fund and the fact the Irish Red Cross received €200,000 from it, but, unfortunately, it is not enough to keep the branches afloat. The Minister hit the nail on the head in terms of the challenges faced by the branches. The best I can do is offer him the example of the Clonakilty branch of the Irish Red Cross. It is an incredible branch and covers all of west Cork, a huge area. As the Minister mentioned, it deals with events, race meetings, summer shows, concerts and festivals. N…

I thank the Minister. I assume he will liaise with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, on that.

That would be fantastic. I have had correspondence with the local branch. Despite the fact the funding goes to the Irish Red Cross nationally, that funding does not always drip down to the branch level. The case that was made to me was whether there was any way the funding mechanism could be amended in such a way that the annual allocation of almost €1 million in funding from the Department could go directly to the branches. Is that something that could be considered? I am hearing that the funding is not necessaril…

I welcome the Bill and congratulate the two Ministers on the monumental and significant budget 2021. The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, played his part as well and I thank him for attending. That said, I wish to discuss elements of the Bill and the budget that need tweaking. The Bill will legislate for the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS. A brilliant scheme, it has already been broadly welcomed by businesses. It will provide a business with up to as much as €5,000 per week. However, be it the restart sc…

I thank the Taoiseach for what he has done on this. I mentioned the issue of the Bantry flooding to him yesterday and highlighted the urgency of extending the humanitarian aid support scheme to those businesses. I understand that will happen in Bantry and also in Cork city.

Aside from that, I underline the importance of the flood relief scheme for Bantry. Every time there is a southerly wind and the tide is high, the square in Bantry floods and it is not good enough. This is the second time in two months that the town has flooded and businesses are again mopping up their premises

I am not finished yet.

I urge the Taoiseach to make contact with the Office of Public Works and remind it of the importance of a flood relief scheme for Bantry. The humanitarian aid support scheme should also be rolled out for businesses in Bantry.

Many businesses successfully availed of the scheme.

It is always sensationalism with Deputy Collins.

Will the Tánaiste or the Minister of State, Deputy English, be taking my question? I want to know where to look.

The question is slightly outdated, probably because there was a change in the rota. It is still relevant. What is the future of the restart grant plus after 31 October? I still have no clarity on whether bed and breakfasts that are not registered with Fáilte Ireland can apply for the restart grant plus. Some businesses which are not registered are not able to get certainty on that.

That leaves a further question in terms of the Fáilte Ireland element of the scheme. The Taoiseach said it would announce details shortly, but that is short notice if the deadline date remains 28 October or the end of the month. If there is a new tranche of bed and breakfasts included in the restart grant plus through Fáilte Ireland, is there merit in extending that deadline further for businesses that fit into that category? While we are on Fáilte Ireland, there are businesses which have tried to get the same clar…