My question is in relation to the Blackpool flood relief scheme. It has been going on for 13 years, going into 14 years. The OPW sent the report in to the Minister of State's Department nine or ten months ago. I do not understand why we still do not have a decision on this matter. Why is it taking so long? On the previous occasion, the Department sat on the report. By the time it came to a decision, the environmental report was out of date, so it had to go back to drawing board. When will this project proceed?

It is here for 12 months.

The report is in for over 12 months. Why is there not a decision taken on it to proceed?

It is 12 months that we are waiting for the response from the report. The environmental impact study will again be out of date unless a decision is made on this matter.

The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has highlighted that over-65s already account for more than 60% of inpatient bed days and that this group will grow from one in seven of the population to one in five by 2040. The national immunisation advisory committee has recommended respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, vaccination for those aged 75 and over and also for high-risk groups. The programme for Government committed to expanding RSV vaccination. I ask the Tánaiste to outline the steps the Government will …

I know an announcement was made on this matter this morning. When will applications for the next round of the community centre investment fund open? Will it be for new builds or refurbishments? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter? I know he made an announcement on the matter this morning, but the issue is about new builds. Will the Minister give some clarification on that particular issue?

I thank the Minister and accept that the announcement this morning was very welcome. I come from a parish where 11 acres were purchased 50 years ago, and we now have 45 acres of sports and community facilities involving the GAA, the rugby club, soccer facilities, a playground and a walkway. That has been developed over the past 50 years as a result of community efforts and with the help of sports capital grants. Likewise, in the area where I served as chair of a community centre in Blackpool, more than 40 organisat…

In relation to new builds, a big challenge is sufficient land being set aside where a large amount of housing is being built. The planning authorities are falling down on this. I have seen this in the Glanmire area, for instance, where over 25,000 people live and a proper community centre has not been developed. Sarsfields GAA club has provided really good community support. Without it, there would not be a community facility in real terms. We need to do more forward planning on this issue. Likewise with Blarney, t…

I thank the Minister of State for making himself available to deal with this matter. March, this month, is endometriosis awareness month. I am raising this issue to highlight a drug to which I will refer in this matter, namely, Ryeqo. It is available in over 27 countries across Europe. While it is available to purchase in Ireland, it is not available under the general medical services, GMS, scheme. In October 2025, the Minister for Health launched a national framework for the management of endometriosis in Ireland.…

I thank the Minister of State. My information is that it was in February 2022 that the NCPE concluded that there was insufficient evidence of cost-effectiveness for the drug to be approved for reimbursement by the Health Service Executive. Obviously, there is a new application in. The Department of Health has taken decisions previously where the NCPE turned down a particular drug because of its cost-effectiveness, but it is about far more than just cost-effectiveness. There is also the issue of patient care. Someti…

I thank the Minister of State.

The living city initiative in Cork is confined to a very small number of areas, Shandon, St. Luke's, South Parish, and there is now a need for the regeneration of the city centre area. I am looking to know if serious consideration will be given to extending the boundaries of the living city initiative in order to progress and encourage the development of properties which are currently vacant. There is a huge change over the past number of years in the sense of the development of new offices outside of the city cent…

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 was President Putin's war of choice. The current attack on Iran by Israel and the United States is a war of choice by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump - their war, their choice. The build-up to both wars was very similar. Russian forces massing on the border of Ukraine and American forces massing in the Middle East. President Putin, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have much in common. All three are land grabbers and all three worship at the alta…

I ask the Minister for Transport what progress will be made towards the much-needed northern distributor road and Cork city northern transport project in 2026, given that only €400,000 was provided in funding under national road funding allocation in 2026, and whether this will be prioritised given that there is a huge growth in population in Cork. This is a difficult issue. We have the biggest taxpayer in the country situated in Hollyhill, Cork. Apple computers employs over 6,000 people. It started off 45 years ag…

I am concerned that the Minister of State is saying 36 months. That is three years. We have the biggest taxpayer in the country in this part of the city. We are saying sorry that they are waiting 45 years, but they will now have to wait between five and eight years more before we do anything for them. It is not good enough to wait three years. We fast-tracked the Adare bypass because we have a lot of people flying in for four weeks, and after those four weeks they will all be gone. Apple is there 45 years. The peop…

You did it for Adare for the sake of four weeks. Everything was done.

I thank the Minister of State.

In the south-west area, which includes Cork and Kerry, there is no consultant dermatologist employed. This issue came to a head recently when a consultant wrote to parents advising that appointments could not be given because no consultant paediatric dermatologist is employed in the Cork-Kerry region. I understand funding was granted for eight additional posts in Dublin, bringing the total number of posts there to more than ten. The number of patients referred to dermatology consultants in the south-west region was…

I fully understand that this matter was probably only given to the Minister of State late last night. I will give her the figures as regards the turnaround in dermatology services for the entire country. One of the things she will see in those figures is the efficiency in the south-west region in dealing with dermatology cases. As I said, the volume is over 17,000 referred, while 10,000 were new and 12,000 were returning patients. With 7.4 consultants, a real effort is being made by the entire team, not just the co…

The Public Health (Single-Use Vapes) Bill 2025 is currently going through the Oireachtas. It is also proposed to publish the public health tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products amendment Bill 2026, which will ensure nicotine inhaling products sold do not have eye-catching imagery, and other limitations on the sale of those products. When is it proposed to publish this Bill? It would be helpful if both Bills could go through the Oireachtas at the same time so that the necessary restrictions are put in plac…