At this late hour, I am so tired I am not sure if I can actually debate but I am glad the Minister of State is here. I am disappointed the Minister for Transport could not be here. The Office of the Ceann Comhairle should look at why Ministers cannot come into Topical Issues debates involving their Departments. While the Minister of State will do his best, it is not the same as having the line Minister present. Maybe it has something to do with the late hour. Maybe he is at home tucked in bed. I do not know. Mallow…

Ten years ago in February 2013, Ireland, along with 24 other EU colleagues, signed the Unified Patent Court Agreement. This agreement is hugely beneficial for businesses, entrepreneurs and inventors. When will we see legislation to enable a referendum to take place? When will we see an information campaign on same, because it is complex and it is quite important that we pass this?

I am raising this question on behalf of a wonderful, young and fun-loving woman who has Down's syndrome. She is just about to finish second-level education, where she had a great experience and for which she had transport and so on. She is now going on to Cork city from quite a distance away and transport is an issue. She is very vulnerable. In some cases, she has to change buses and she cannot do that. Her parents are working. The HSE has no funding to provide support and neither has the Cope Foundation. Perhaps t…

I thank the Minister for his response. I have read the transport report he mentioned. That report acknowledges inequality of access to such transport provision. The two questions focused on young people with intellectual disabilities. I acknowledge that considerable work has been done across the country for people with disabilities accessing transport. I ask the Minister to zero in on people like the fabulous young lady with Down's syndrome whom I mentioned. I am sure he will agree that she has a right to attend th…

I bring the Minister back to the issue of intellectual disability. He has not used that term yet and this is the focus here. This particular young woman has that challenge. She is very vulnerable. Physically she is fine. She loves life, loves fun and loves learning, but she cannot get from her home to her place of education safely, especially if it means changing buses or trains. Her parents want to know what will happen in September when she wants to go with her friends to this new centre. She cannot travel at the…

I came across a case recently where a gentleman had not quite made the 520 contributions. His wife is working and the household income deprives him of the non-contributory payment. He has no payment, but he is just short of 520 contributions. In the past, we had pro rata pensions for people who did not quite make the 520 contributions. Will the Minister give consideration to that again, with regard to cases such as this, where people might even get half a pension? This man might have 510 contributions but he cannot…

This is one that goes back quite a number of years. It relates to people who are in receipt of the non-contributory pension and, being very frugal and careful, save up more than they are allowed. Very often, these people are elderly. They do not realise they have gone over the limit. When they pass away, there is ruaille buaille because the estate has to give the excess money back to the Department. When was the limit last reviewed? I think it was quite a while ago. I think the limit is approximately €20,000 now. W…

I thank the Minister for that very positive response. I think the Minister said the figure was set in 2005. Am I right in saying it is €20,000 at present? Has the Minister given any consideration to raising the amount and to informing people that saving up all their pension, living on bread and tea, is not doing anyone any good? People worry about nursing home payments, the funeral and everything else and they might pass on not having looked after themselves properly while they were alive. A considerable sum of mon…

Will the Minister, maybe not now but later on, tell me how much has been clawed back in the past two or three years from people and estates? Would the Minister agree with me that it would be a good idea to remind people, on a regular basis, that if the amount in their account goes over a certain level, it will have an impact on their pension? Maybe they should be spending it and enjoying themselves, rather than, as the Minister said, living out of a tin or living on bread and tea. Older people can be quite frugal a…

I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Richard Bruton who sends his apologies. He is concerned about whether the Minister is undertaking an assessment of the take-up of the working family dividend and whether she has consulted with the Revenue Commissioners which collects income data to ensure this support is fully taken up. He is concerned that it may not be and, if it is not, that we act to ensure it is.

I thank the Minister for a good and comprehensive response. I congratulate on her what she has done in respect of this payment. It is an important payment for working parents on low incomes. Obviously, the low income is another issue and the minimum wage is helping. There is more to come in that regard. Since the promotion the Minister mentioned has started, has there been an increase in the number of people who have applied for the payment? Does her Department have an idea as to how many people who may be entitled…

The Minister has answered all of my questions. It is a good payment. Does the Minister plan to keep the awareness campaign going? It is very important. Not everyone is online or listens to mainstream media. There are old-fashioned communication methods, such as putting up posters in various centres around the country. People may see the information and apply for the payment. It is important that we use word of mouth, citizens' information and any other communication means possible.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for selecting this Topical Issue. I also thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister of State for being here. A number of weeks ago, I got an email from a family in which they state that their daughter, Orla, who has Down's syndrome, will complete her secondary school education next June. Orla is a wonderful, fun-loving girl who is looking forward to moving on with her friends to the next level of education. Due to her learning disability, however, Orla is unable to use pub…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Interestingly, he stated, "day service funding does not include transport". We have been told that by HSE south and the Cope Foundation. However, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis. That is not good enough. It should not be discretionary, but mandatory. It should be an entitlement and these young people should have the services provided. It should not be discretionary or depend on whether there is money left ove…

I have been signalling the need for a special school in east County Cork for quite a while. The Minister of State will be aware of the fabulous Carrigtwohill school campus which is being built at the moment, which will free up the building of Scoil Mhuire Naofa. I ask the Minister to consider establishing a special school in that building, which is already there, will not require any capital investment and with slight modification could provide for this much-needed special school in the area.

I acknowledge the work and passion the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, is bringing to the area of disability. However, some young people aged over 18 who have intellectual disabilities can be vulnerable and have difficulties attending training centres and places of employment. There does not seem to be any fund to assist in this regard. Can this matter be addressed?

Was I correct when I heard the Minister of State say only 250 properties have been dealt with under the repair and leasing scheme since it began?

Would the Minister of State agree that is a very small number and indicates there is something wrong with the scheme? The suggestion he made in an earlier response to allow people to rent in the private market rather than to the local authority might be the way to go. Will the Minister of State tell me how many vacant homes officers are in place? How many are in County Cork, for instance? It is a very large county - three times the size of other counties. How many such officers funded by his Department are actively…

I am amazed that Cork County Council has not yet applied for the funding. I will go back to it. Perhaps someone from the council is listening. At one stage, the chief executive told me that he would need a vacant homes officer for every town in the county. Is there an onus on the Department to be more proactive and to push local authorities into appointing these officers and to ask them to report on a monthly basis to it regarding the progress they are making in terms of the number of vacant houses they have identi…

The Tánaiste appreciates the great potential that would follow from the establishment of an Irish division of the Unified Patent Court. Such a development would lead to job creation, benefit to SMEs, boost Ireland's innovative performance and contribute up to €1.66 billion to our GDP. We need to pass legislation to allow for a referendum before this can happen. Where is this legislation? Is it intended to hold a referendum on this matter next November at the same time as the other referendums that have been promise…