I have.

In January 2021, the Government first wrote to the religious orders asking them to contribute to the redress scheme for mother and baby institutions. A series of meetings between the Minister and the religious orders began to take place and we had an update on those negotiations this week. According to the Irish Examiner , they have been put on the back burner. We have now been hearing the same thing from the Government for more than two years, namely, the religious orders should make a significant contribution to …

Is there an update on negotiations?

I give a warm welcome to the pupils from Greystones Community National School who are in the Gallery. For the second time in two months, the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, will make a clarifying statement in the House later today. In March, he made a statement about a planning application for his family home. The Minister of State said he was entirely satisfied that the planning application was in order, but questions remain outstanding. We still do not know why the incorrect address was recorded on that …

The Tánaiste said that legitimate questions can be asked; that is all I am trying to achieve. I am not asking him about The Ditch and his opinion on it, his opinion on whether the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, has broken any laws or if he has confidence in the Minister of State. This is about public confidence in our political system, our planning system and our system of local government. That is the critical issue here. Public confidence has already been badly battered by previous controversies. All of…

Will the Tánaiste answer the question?

Will Deputy Niall Collins address the issue of the planning application and the letter from his wife's solicitor?

That is not what I am asking about.

I am asking the Tánaiste about Deputy Niall Collins.

I am not.

I am asking the Tánaiste if the Minister of State will take questions.

He is not answering.

Members of Macra na Feirme marched to the Dáil overnight. They are protesting because they are concerned about the future of rural Ireland and the future for young farmers. I was a member of Macra and I share their concerns. Young farmers are an endangered species. We know generational renewal is a massive issue but there are so many issues that need urgent action. It is not a false narrative that there is a chronic shortage of affordable housing, a chronic shortage of healthcare services and an almost complete abs…

The review of our abortion law involves some really concerning findings. It states women are experiencing delays and even obstruction when trying to access services. Services in parts of the country are described as untenable and at risk of ceasing altogether because so few GPs and hospitals are involved in service provision. It is an indictment of the public health service that more than four years since we repealed the eighth amendment, just 11 of out 19 maternity hospitals are providing abortion services. More d…

When will the Government act on the recommendations?

Our offshore islands are not exempt from the housing crisis. In fact, the pressures on housing are distinctly felt by island communities, considering the additional barriers they face. Access to services, the transport of material and even construction workers and tradespeople travelling are all additional obstacles faced by the islands. What has the Minister's engagement been with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on these issues? What are her plans to help to develop housing for island commu…

I thank the Minister for that update. It is great to hear that she is familiar with the report, Housing and Sustaining Communities on the West Cork Islands, which was produced by UCC research in conjunction with the west Cork islands group. She will, therefore, be aware that the report is unequivocal in its findings and that the lack of affordable, good quality housing is impacting on the ability of the islands to attract newcomers and to retain existing inhabitants and the next generation of islanders. It is clear…

I am glad to hear action is being taken and I hope the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage follows through with lively action as a result. The report also has several recommendations on sustaining island life in west Cork and I am sure its findings are applicable to many other island communities. They include a rural settlement scheme aimed specifically at promoting the west Cork islands as places to live full time and improved broadband connectivity, which is crucial given the recent opportunities…

The Minister will be aware of the major pressures GP out-of-hours services face across the country. SouthDoc, which is the Cork and Kerry service, is having issues with recruiting staff, especially in rural areas. That has resulted in some of the services not running. Local GPs and their staff are already overstretched and they cannot be expected to also provide out-of-hours cover. What is the Minister doing to address this issue?

I acknowledge the Minister's statement about the forum, which is great, but I wonder when it will happen. I am not feeling a sense of urgency from the Minister in relation to this matter. There needs to be a greater priority given to recruiting and retaining doctors in these services, especially in rural areas like west Cork. As the Minister said, I previously raised with him the case of the Castletownbere service, which has been completely unavailable on multiple occasions due to staff shortages. The regular GP st…