I thank the Minister for his response to the debate. Has any research been done on the possible loss to farmers as a result of these changes? Has that been quantified in any way? There is also an issue in that many farmers are uneasy that constantly selecting for easy calving will lead to cows with poor calving ability due to the smaller pelvic area. That is another concern that the Minister might address. With respect to the SCEP, when the changes come about and the animals move off the farm and are replaced, what…

I thank the office of the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, for being here to debate it with me. It is eight weeks yesterday since the awful devastation occurred in my town, Midleton, where shops and homes were badly damaged. Floods, the like of which were never seen before in the region, caused devastation. This evening in particular I want to focus on the roads and bridges that were destroyed. Some of them are still not open. I am sure the Minister…

I understand that the Minister of State is only standing in for the Minister and that he did not write this reply. He probably has nothing to do with it and he is only reading out the script, as I have done myself on many occasions when I was in that position. It is disappointing that there is not an indication on how much has been requested by the council. Perhaps the Minister of State can go back and ask for that information from the Department of Transport. Has a request been made and for how much? He might let …

I ask the Minister to outline Government policy regarding the dredging of rivers and waterways and the upkeep of riverbanks in light of the recent flooding, especially in Midleton and Castlemartyr in east Cork. What State agency, if any, is responsible for this and is there any plan to establish a national waterways agency to look after this kind of thing?

I thank the Minister for being here. I appreciate it. We all recall the terrible events of Storm Babet in Midleton on 18 October. Businesses, houses and roads were destroyed and millions of euro worth of damage was done. An issue that has come up is the damage to crèches. At least two I know of have closed. One may not open at all; the other will not open until April or May. Well over 100 children are involved and now have no place to go. Parents have been on to me and my colleague, Deputy O’Connor, really distraug…

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive and very positive response. It would be a great Christmas present for these parents if they were to have a childcare or after-school place for their baby or child before Christmas. That would be great. As the Minister has acknowledged, this situation is urgent. It is a number of weeks since the flooding happened and the childcare facilities were destroyed. I acknowledge the endeavours being made by other childcare providers in the area to identify premises and expand their…

Seven weeks ago, Storm Babet hit east Cork. The following day, the Taoiseach, the Ministers, Deputies Coveney and Ryan, the Tánaiste and other Ministers came down to offer support but now we need a lot of money. At least €50 million is needed to fix the roads, many of which are still not open and are impassible. There has been a lot of support for businesses and homes, and we are very thankful for that, but the roads need work. Will the Taoiseach talk to the Departments of transport and housing regarding urgent fun…

There was a meeting in Midleton tonight. People there want the flood relief scheme fast-tracked. They are saying it is taking too long. They also want interim measures to be put in place in Midleton and Castlemartyr.

The concern is that if this happens again, the town could be finished. It is that serious. The interim measures are urgent but the completion of the scheme is vital and needs to be accelerated. People are saying that it might be years before it is completed. There were proposals in respect of Castlemartyr, which relates to my other question. Those proposals were never implemented. Will the Minister of State check on those and see what can be done? This is serious and urgent. Lives and livelihoods are at stake.

Just over a year ago, on 11 November 2022, the Supreme Court stated the Constitution precluded the Government from ratifying the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, between the EU and Canada. It also ruled that it could be ratified if certain changes were made to the Arbitration Act 2010. What are the plans to make those changes? Is there a timescale for same?

I ask the Minister to outline, as part of proposals for a floating offshore wind and green hydrogen policy for Ireland, his Department's plans, if any, to announce suitable designated maritime area plans for the south and west coasts to plan and attract necessary industry investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I thank the Minister for his response. I am aware of the south coast offshore renewable energy DMAP proposal published last July. There was a public consultation and a lot of work has gone into it. I commend the Minister on it. Can the Minister outline the timeline for the next DMAPs? When does he envisage that the finalised decisions will be made and published, and his Department sufficiently resourced to deliver on any such timeline?

I agree with what the Minister has said with regard to the importance of having certainty to attract investment, and plans as well. Would the Minister agree with me that without our west coast DMAP, for instance, next year, Shannon Foynes Port Company and others are unlikely to secure funding and planning towards port infrastructure in time for the offshore wind industry local content and climate targets? Can the Minister give me any indication as to when he expects to publish the finalised DMAPs for the south coas…

I thank the office of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue today. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, for being here. It has been four weeks now since Storm Babet hit east Cork and Midleton. We have all seen the devastation that was caused, and we have all seen the pictures from the town. We are extraordinarily lucky that nobody died. Some people were washed away during that storm. Many people had their livelihoods and homes destroyed. It will take a long time to pick up the pi…

I thank the Minister of State and the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy O'Donovan, for this response. There is some new and very interesting information in there. The harbour at Ballinacurra near Midleton was navigated by tall ships up until not that long ago, but now it is all silted up. The local people on the ground tell me dredging of the river is important and would make a big difference. The engineers, as the Minister of State said, do not really agree with all that, but I will take th…

Given the recent devastating flooding in east Cork and other parts of the country, would the Taoiseach agree with me that it is important to expedite climate change issues right now? In that regard, what is the Government's policy regarding the construction of anaerobic digesters which remove methane from farm waste and make it available as renewable fuel to be added to the gas grid in certain locations?

When will the legislation to enable ratification of or the holding of a referendum on the Unified Patent Court be published? Has a date for the referendum been agreed?

My question highlights the need for adequate and appropriate personal assistant, PA, support for a college graduate who worked through college and now wishes to get a job but is finding it very difficult to get adequate and appropriate, including age-appropriate, personal assistant support. What does the Minister of State have to say about the personal assistants support and service? Does she agree it is vital for people with disabilities?

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I commend her and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on their work in this area. Is the Minister of State aware of what the unmet need is for personal assistance, PA, services in the country? Has any work been done on that by any agency, her Department or anyone else? We know how many hours are being provided, and I am delighted to see an increase, but what is the unmet need out there? The Irish Wheelchair Association says that work needs to be done on this, perhaps with …

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I know her heart is in the right place. Perhaps she will send me on the figures she says she does not have in front of her regarding the unmet need and the research behind that to find out what the unmet need is. I welcome the fact that a PA review group is working on this in the Department. When does the Minister of State expect this review group to report to her? Is it going to be this year or next year? I ask her to outline the make-up of the group and who is invol…