I refer to engagement with Eir. I understand when a property is in the amber area, Eir will not engage. It is saying it is being prevented from engaging because it will not get the same remuneration as the contractor doing the national broadband roll-out. That is the reason Eir will not connect properties in the amber area. As we are behind to a large extent in real terms, can we not fast-track the properties on the borderline areas?

This question relates to the same issue I have just raised. Can the Minister provide information where Eir is prepared to engage on properties along the borderline areas? We certainly have not come across it in the Cork area. Every time we get on to Eir about such a connection, we are told "No". Does the Minister have other information in that regard?

This is not the remit of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. I thank Deputy Rabbitte for all the work she has done on the housing area. It is unfortunate, on the second last day before we finish up, that the Minister of State is asked to deal with this housing issue. It is an extremely important issue. There are a large number of people getting caught in the middle-income groups. They cannot get bank loans and they cannot get a local authority house. We have raised a criterion on qualifying for a local authorit…

The figures the Minister of State produced are interesting. There is a 57% refusal rate. This is 57% throughout the entire country. We must remember this is an average. I understand that the refusal rates of certain local authorities are as high as 70%. This is the concern I have. If the average is 57%, it means some local authorities are proactive in assisting people. I ask that the Department look at the local authorities where the percentage is much higher than the average of 57%. I still think 57% is a very hig…

I appreciate that the Minister of State is dealing with this matter. I am sure she is familiar with this very important issue in her area. We have many people who are working very hard to meet the criteria and ensure they do not have to rent for the rest of their lives.

Will consideration be given to merging the employment permit and visa application processes?

I thank the Minister of State for the work he has done in this area and for improving the service dramatically. We had a huge problem with junior doctors coming in. It has been agreed that 1,000 permits will be issued as general employment permits for those who want to come in as home care workers. How will that be fast-tracked? There is a huge shortage of home care workers. We need to make sure we have the appropriate criteria and training for those who come in. The second part to that question is as follows. If y…

Regarding the amalgamation of both application processes, the Minister of State is saying it will take six months. Going back to the original question, which is about the amalgamation of the permit application and the visa application, does the Minister of State believe we can have one system in place? I know this will take some time between the Departments to work out. Farmers are another group that have a huge shortage of available workforce. What are the criteria for issuing permits for people who want to come i…

I thank the Minister for the announcement yesterday identifying the sites for the new elective hospitals in Cork and Galway. Is it possible to put in place a new mechanism to fast-track the process for the design, the application for planning and the building of new elective hospitals? This project, from the time the HSE lodged the documentation with the Department of Health, has already taken over 12 months for a decision to be made. I know it has to go through a process but from now on can that process be fast-tr…

I very much welcome the decision. The Cork site is the right one. The fact that it is over 100 acres means that even if it is started with a small step, there can be expansion in the next ten, 15 or 20 years. I therefore very much welcome the decision by the Minister and the Cabinet. However, the issues are how long it will take to get a design done, then go through the planning process and then go out for tender to get the builders in. It is important we try to speed this process up. It should be remembered that t…

I welcome that, but there is also a need at a very early stage for the HSE to engage with the local community. Sometimes the way we do planning is such that incorrect information gets out. I ask that this be taken on board because I do not want any delay on this. It is important that we work with the local community in Glanmire as well. There has been a huge increase in population in the area and it is important there is that engagement. However, we must fast-track this project for the benefit not only of all peopl…

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations produced a report which suggests that in Denmark from the date that a drug is approved by the European Medicines Agency, it will be available to people in the country within 176 days. The average time for this to happen in Ireland is 541 days. Orphan drug approval in Denmark takes 249 days whereas in Ireland it takes 870 days. The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE, is doing a good job in assessing the medication, but it appears that we …

There is a huge delay in the availability of drugs.

I ask the Minister of State whether he will provide an update on the new rural housing guidelines. When it is expected these guidelines will be put out to public consultation and will he make a statement on the matter?

The process of the consultation and getting in submissions is extremely important because this is a very important issue. County and city development plans have gone through the process and it is important we have these guidelines in place within a very short timeframe. When does the Minister of State expect the Department will be able to issue the guidelines to each of the individual local authorities? Are we talking about a three-month or six-month period? It is important that is clarified.

I understand we have to have public consultations and to allow for sufficient time. We are now coming into the Christmas period. If we publish the guidelines in the next two weeks, what kind of period will we allow for the public consultation and for submissions to be made? How long will it take after that for the Department to finalise matters? It is important that the public consultation takes place on how we proceed with the provision of housing in rural areas. I raise an issue regarding people who have derelict…

This question is to ask the Minister if he will provide an update on the National Access Plan 2022-2028, the progress made to date since the plan was implemented and if he will make a statement on this matter.

Regarding socially disadvantaged areas, looking at the work done in the past ten to 15 years, have we identified why we have made very little progress in many of these areas? Do we need to focus at an earlier stage, and I am even talking about primary-school level, on starting people off on the process of long-term ambition in education? Are we doing enough in this regard to encourage people to move from first level to second level and then, hopefully, on to third level? When the Minister was in Cork last week, he …

This matter relates to the appointment of a consultant ophthalmology surgeon at South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital and the need for funding to be set aside to allow that appointment to proceed. This is extremely important. We have built a new outpatient ophthalmology unit in South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital. We have built two brand-new theatres that are fully equipped and ready to be open in mid-January. The problem is we were to transfer all the ophthalmology services from Cork University Hospital to South Infirma…

I am just concerned about the use of the words "being examined". That is not going to sort my problem out. There is a new unit that has been physically built and is fully equipped, ready to roll, and there will be no use of that facility for at least three months now. We intended to open it in the middle of December. It will now not be opened because this post has not been sanctioned. My understanding is that this has been sitting on someone's desk for a long period of time now. I am asking the Minister for Health …