This question concerns changes in the carer's allowance, which I welcome. What happens in the case of someone who provides care for a period of seven or eight years and who is then disqualified from many other schemes? This person took time off work to be a full-time carer for both parents, who have now died. He looked after them for eight years and now finds he does not qualify for a whole range of social welfare schemes. Unfortunately, he is now not able to work and is not entitled to any benefit.

I thank the Minister. I very much welcome the changes because anyone who is providing care to his or her elderly parents is saving the State a huge amount of money in real terms. This is about cases where caring stops after a parent has passed away and carers are coming back into the system. I ask the Minister to examine this so that people can come back into the system and not be penalised. They are penalised in respect of pensions, disability benefits and a range of other social welfare benefits. If one spouse is…

Once a person finishes providing care, he or she should not be penalised further. I thank the Minister.

This week there was announcement in Cork by a company that it intends to carry out a €350 million development in the docklands area. Part of that development comprises a 130-bed rehabilitation hospital. We have been looking for an elective hospital in Cork for a number of years and we still have not identified a site for that hospital. This year, we have 200 fewer beds available in the Cork and Kerry region for hospital care as a result of the number of beds being reduced due to Covid-19. Is the Health Service Exec…

I thank the Minister for bringing forward the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021, which I very much welcome. Given the comments made here earlier on the crisis, it is important to understand that yes there is a crisis in housing and we have faced difficulties over the past number of years, but there have been good news stories too. The reason we have such an increased demand for housing is because more than 400,000 new jobs were created between 2012 and 2019. We als…

I thank the Minister for dealing with this issue. We are coming from a situation where the Health Protection Surveillance Centre was yesterday notified of 3,666 confirmed cases of Covid-19. That gives a seven-day average of over 4,400 cases per day. We have had over 630 patients in hospital with over 130 of those in ICU. This is the challenge we face. Since Covid was first identified in Ireland we have had over 5,600 deaths so it is a huge challenge for all of us and we all have a part to play. I want to thank all …

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for dealing with this matter. I was advised over six weeks ago that there were 28 children on a waiting list for vital medical devices such as wheelchairs and, in one particular case, a device required to assist a young person in regard to speech development. My understanding was that there were a total of 28 children on that waiting list as of the start of October 2021. In October, I tabled a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health. As a result, funding was m…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I am aware that equipment has been ordered for ten children, leaving 18 for whom equipment has not been ordered. My understanding, from the Taoiseach's reply to my question, is that there is adequate funding for this provision within the HSE. I am concerned that if the funding is not directed to the Cork-Kerry region before 31 December, we will move into the 2022 budget and the money will have to go back to the Department of Finance. The money is there and there are 18 c…

I thank the Minister of State.

The Minister spoke of the review he announced on 28 September. Has a timeframe been set for it? It is always a concern when a review is announced. Everyone welcomes the review, but when will the review be completed? Has the Department set a timeframe for its completion and the delivery of a report?

I thank the Minister for dealing with this matter. On the figures for 2020 and 2021, I am interested that we had 5,269 applications to join the Army in 2020, out of which 3,323 applicants did not complete the process. Up to the end of June this year, there were 2,752 applications, with 1,031 applicants withdrawing. There are also figures for the Naval Service. Has any analysis been done on why people have withdrawn? Has that been identified? Will it be part of the process in the review being carried out by the Depa…

One of the big issues we need to deal with is the development of infrastructure, particularly around our villages and small towns. One of my concerns relating to the Cork area is that Cork County Council is being asked to dezone land in certain areas. Irish Water is now dictating the future development of the county in that it is not going to develop sewage treatment facilities in certain towns and villages. How do we fast-track the tackling of this issue? Can Irish Water engage with private enterprise on developin…

I join my colleague, Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan, in raising this matter. It is so serious that the Inland Fisheries Board objected to planning permission for the school and took the matter all the way to An Bord Pleanála. As a result, there is now a condition that means the school cannot increase its numbers. I understand that the new county development plan will allow for only ten additional houses to be built in the area over the next five years. A large number of people want to live and rear a family in the area …

There is a large number of towns and villages across Cork county but I understand that only six have been prioritised in total. That is a very small number for the county overall. Maybe it is time that the Department started considering public–private partnerships in respect of the development of necessary infrastructure because we cannot afford to wait. The populations of Cork county and city are growing dramatically. Nine of the world's top ten pharmaceutical companies are based in Cork. The employment number is …

In the area of disability, the programme for Government commits to improving change services through better implementation and collaboration to ensure the most effective interventions are provided for each individual to guarantee the best outcomes. However, in the Cork-Kerry region, children are facing waiting times of up to 12 months for equipment, such as wheelchairs and other medical equipment, while in other parts of the country there are no waiting times. For example, the HSE has confirmed to me that in area 5…

What progress has been made on the processing of visa applications, including family reunification applications, for Afghan nationals, arising from the fall of the democratically elected Government in Afghanistan? Will the Minister outline the progress that has been made to date?

Can the Minister of State outline how long it is taking to process applications from the time they come into the Department? In addition, I have written to the Minister about people who are part of the judicial process in Afghanistan and who are very vulnerable because of certain decisions they made when the democratically elected Government was in place. Can priority be given to that group of people, who are now at serious risk?

Finally, is the Minister of State satisfied that, once the applications are processed, we have adequate support measures in place for the people coming here? He might not be able to give me an answer here and now, but I would like to get details of the process and the level of supports in place.

I thank the Minister of State for her presentation today and for dealing with and highlighting this issue by having this debate during breast cancer awareness month. The BreastCheck screening programme plays an important part in improving outcomes for breast cancer under the national cancer control programme. It is important that we acknowledge the dedication, commitment and hard work of all those involved in this programme but also the work of the doctors, nurses and administrative staff within our hospital system…

I thank the Minister and all the Deputies for their contributions to this debate. It is important to discuss the various challenges that exist. While 92.4% of people over 18 years of age have been fully vaccinated, unfortunately, in this case vaccination does not give immunity. Earlier, my colleague outlined how one can be fully vaccinated but still be a carrier of and contract Covid-19. That is the challenge we have with Covid-19. We are not far from going into a third year of dealing with this issue. It started i…