I acknowledge that there is huge work under way but I am sure the Minister of State engages with and meets hospitality business owners on his travels and they are pulling their hair out to get qualified staff. I commend Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB, which has commenced a programme of training for bar staff with local bars. It is a focused programme that provides skills. The level of vacancy is a threat to businesses. Some 30% of 1,000 responders to this robust survey say they face closure unless it is resolved. We a…

I am very proud of my local hospital, Ballina District Hospital. It has sought substantial capital investment from the HSE for some time. Will the Minister update me on where that process is at?

I thank the Minister for his reply and the obvious commitment from him to Ballina hospital. As he said, it is a 62-bed unit. We want to see that maximised. It is an important step-down facility. The staff there do a wonderful job and there are many proposals on the table. I want to see them advanced. They have been there long enough to be assessed. The Minister acknowledged during the week there is huge pressure on Mayo University Hospital at the moment. Without the district hospitals in Ballina, Belmullet and Swin…

That is absolutely so and I look forward to the Minister progressing this. I have a question later on Belmullet Community Hospital in the same vein . It is a superb hospital with a fantastic standard and history of care. With the appropriate capital investment and working with local GPs in Erris it could do an awful lot more. However, HSE management at national level does not seem to get that. Estate management at national level does not seem to get the very important network of district hospitals in Ballina, Belmu…

I am asking this question on behalf of my colleague, Deputy O'Dea. There is a commitment in the HSE's service plan to progress the establishment of a national home support office by the end of quarter 1, which is today, believe it or not. This follows on from a programme for Government commitment to introduce a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes. What progress has been made in this regard?

I thank the Minister of State for that reply. As always, the HSE is going to make sure the office is ready but let us make sure that the service is not affected. I note that Deputy Colm Burke is present. Last week, he hosted a very good information session, alongside the former Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jim Daly, with the Home Care Providers Alliance. It is essential to ensure, as we move to this new service, that there is no interruption to service on the ground and that local management and l…

The HSE needs to invest in staff and in recruiting more staff. I acknowledge the work that the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has done in this area. Last July, she launched four pilot schemes in CHOs in Galway, Cork, Dublin and Westmeath. How are they progressing and what differences have been picked up between those pilot schemes and the roll-out of the current scheme?

Tá mé ag iarraidh a fháil amach cad é plean an Rialtais le haghaidh cúrsaí póilíneachta faoin tuath. I want to discuss rural policing plans as we move out of the pandemic towards much more activity in areas that have not seen such for two years. I also want to address what seems a theme of the evening, namely, the fears in rural communities around policing at this stage.

I think this might be the tenth year of Operation Thor. Can the Minister of State give an indication of the changes made to the operational detail of Operation Thor over that period to account for new trends? Of the new gardaí, how many are being positioned in rural counties or rural areas? I acknowledge that the operation of An Garda Síochána is a matter for the Commissioner but I am concerned by the new operational model which, for instance, combines Longford, Roscommon and my native county of Mayo into one unit …

Community engagement is key and it must be more than just phrases on a ministerial brief. I acknowledge Joe Doherty, based in Ballina, who has just retired as a superintendent in the Mayo division. Community engagement was essential to his form of policing. I thank him for his service. A prior discussion focused on the community safety partnerships. I am concerned. I am a fan of the joint policing committees. They work and involve rural communities, through their local elected representatives, be they councillors o…

The recommendation of the pensions commission's report in relation to putting the cost of PRSI on private pensions is causing significant concern to people around the country, particularly those who are already in receipt of pensions and do not have the ability to make any further cuts to their wages. Where are we at with this recommendation? What plans does the Minister have to give reassurance to those people who are on a private pension and who do not have any room for further cuts?

I thank the Minister. It actually does not but I understand her timeline and her wish to try to come to a conclusion. I will express a concern. We had a debate here on the commission report some weeks ago. The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, took the debate for the Minister, who was away. The Minister of State seemed to give a presentation in that debate that suggested a certain direction with regard to the pension age, which I would be very concerned about, and that direction seemed to be set. On this issue, I …

The receivership of Roadbridge is leaving a trail of human and economic destruction across County Mayo. In the short time I have I will make a couple of requests. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment needs to establish a task force to identify what bonds and insurance are in place for the various projects in which Roadbridge is involved. The Government has responsibility for this because, as recently as July, it awarded a major tender to Roadbridge to complete the N5 from Ballaghadereen to Scramogue, …

The best support the Government can give is to get these subcontractors paid. I welcome the changes that have been made for employees but there are subcontractors tonight who are facing redundancy decisions for their employees. Semi-State companies, such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, and Government agencies, had these contracts. Bonds are in place on these projects that can be used to pay subcontractors and insurance policies are also in place. That is why I reiterate the call for an urgent taskforce fr…

Yes.

Deputy Paul Murphy is taking this question in place of Deputy Gino Kenny.

We will go back to Question No. 5.

My question is on the progress of the review of school transport, when the Minister will receive it and what will be the likely actions. I also draw the Minister's attention to a report in this morning's Irish Examiner on the potential sustainability of the school transport network because of the current fuel price hikes, which are not catered for in the contracts, in particular for private operators.

Regarding the changes the Minister made to the scheme last year, which have been beneficial for many, does she plan on making any further changes ahead of the next school year, arising from the report currently before her? I am interested to hear about her interaction with students. I welcome the work she did with students on the leaving certificate. Will she actively engage with students on school transport, as they would bring a lot of ideas to the table? Regarding transport for students with additional needs, wi…

I welcome the engagement on the fuel issue. That is very urgent. Has the Local Link organisation made a submission to the review or has the Department engaged with it? Local Link is an asset that could be very much part of school transport as well as community transport. It could be possible to exchange and co-ordinate assets that are available to school transport for broader community transport when they are not being utilised for school purposes.