I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for being here today and recognise the seriousness of this legislation. Although it is quite prescriptive, it is very finite. There is a lot in it but it will make a significant difference collectively across other work the Government is doing in the area of health. It will address a lot of issues around trying to get foreign medical professionals involved in our health service. I do not need to tell the Minister of State or any other Deputy in the House about the chall…

It is very welcome that we have the opportunity to contribute in the Dáil on the summer economic statement but also to reflect on the economic circumstances in which the State finds itself. In recent weeks, many people across the country have seen the extraordinary and cynical attempt by the Opposition, and more so Sinn Féin, to undermine the public's confidence in our Government. Listening to some of the rhetoric we have had to listen to over the past fortnight, you would think this country was on the verge of ban…

The Government has been doing its level best over the course of the last two and a half years, since we came into power, to support families that are struggling and we will continue to do that. In advance of the budget, we should take stock of the situation in the world economy. We are facing unprecedented uncertainty, which has driven large increases in interest rates. The euro and the dollar are on par for the first time in 20 years, which is going to cause more difficulty as we head into the winter. We are facin…

Will the Minister provide an update on the total admissions of people under the Irish refugee protection programme since its inception? Will he give us an update as to when the next group of refugees, who will arrive from Jordan and Lebanon, is expected to travel? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

I thank the Minister for his response. It is a very uncertain time in the world, particularly in the region to which I referred. Ireland has worked with that region over a great many years. I recognise that Deputy Stanton, who is sitting behind me, worked on that portfolio in the previous Government. It is important for us to continue to support people in that region. I was recently in the Sinai region of Egypt, which is not terribly far away. It is very easy for us to forget just how lucky we are to live in a coun…

I thank the Minister for the update. Another point which needs to be made is that there was a great deal of unfortunate commentary in recent times about the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. It is dangerous to go into that type of territory. It is important also that the Government works with communities which are hosting refugees. I am from the town of Youghal and the Minister will be very familiar with the fact that a very short distance from where I live the Redbarn centre was set up and there is a very …

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for being present in the Chamber. I ask for a progress update on the ongoing house building targets for 2022. We have seen some reports in the media during the week and there seems to be a discrepancy between details provided by the Department and what will realistically be produced. I would appreciate the Minister providing an update in that regard. I am in my mid-20s and the youngest Member in Dáil Éireann, so I am acutely aware of the significant challenges facing …

The response is quite interesting as it does not provide a figure for 2022, which is what I asked for. That is a little frustrating and I wish to underline it. I am sure my constituents in Cork East and every Deputy's constituents want those figures and want certainty. I know the Minister of State shares that view. I thank her for the response and I appreciate it but I ask her to bring back to the Minister the message that I want this year's figures, which I asked for but did not get this morning. We have done Troj…

I thank the Minister for being here. This question concerns the LÉ Eithne , which is a prominent ship in our Naval Service and which serves as our flagship. The vessel was built in the constituency represented by Deputy Stanton and me. I ask the Minister for an update on its future use. I would appreciate any details that he may be able to provide.

I thank the Minister for the update. It is welcome to hear that an examination is under way, especially regarding the future use of the LÉ Eithne , including, perhaps, for tourist purposes within the State. It is, of course, of great historical significance. It was the last of our Naval Service ships that was constructed in Cobh in Cork Harbour. It would be fabulous to see it being retained somewhere in Cork. I do not want to start a tug of war between the constituencies of Cork South-Central and Cork East as to wh…

I wholeheartedly agree with the point made that if the LÉ Eithne were to be turned into a maritime museum that it should not be up to the Defence Forces to foot the bill. The co-operation of the Defence Forces would be more than welcome, but it is great to see that Cork County Council and that councillors on that local authority have expressed interest in this regard. Approaches have been made to me private, with people expressing an interest in the vessel in the context of Youghal and Cobh to see if those location…

I thank the Minister for taking the question. I would like to get a better indication of the Department's understanding of the number of applications made per county. I want to get a greater understanding of how many applications there are on the island of Ireland, North and South. Thankfully, I got that information this morning. From an international perspective, I would like to separate that information. It is important we get a full understanding of the position. My concern relates to the number of mainland UK-b…

I thank the Minister for being here and I am substituting for Deputy Niamh Smith. Will it be possible to get an outline of Government funding towards Foróige clubs that are supported by the Minister's Department, with regard to support provided for counties Cavan and Monaghan and, indeed, nationally?

I will relay that fabulous information to Deputy Niamh Smyth, who has been a keen supporter of the work undertaken in her constituency by youth organisations. Covid-19 has done a lot of damage to the growth and development of younger people. The pandemic has made it hard for people who are doing voluntary work with organisations like Foróige to get them back up and running, and operating in-person again. I wish them well with it and acknowledge the fabulous work done by that organisation in communities across the c…

I was delighted to have the Minister speak on a digital call with groups in my constituency recently. He made a point about funding being devolved through the Department to different organisations, including education and training boards. I often find that those organisations have their own agenda. Sometimes, geographical areas are left out. Unfortunately, Youghal, which is a town I am passionate about because I was born and raised there, has struggled to get grant support through the departmental grant mechanisms,…

Given the extraordinary scenes that took place in our airports over the weekend, it would have been important to have the Minister for Transport or the Minister of State at the Department present for this debate but, unfortunately, that is not the case. I wanted to put that on record, as my party's spokesperson on transport. It is looking quite certain that next year, we will experience very turbulent economic times. The Government has put in place extraordinary plans to upgrade transport infrastructure throughout …

I apologise, Acting Chairman, for being absent. I was on a call and did not notice the time going by. I welcome the Minister and congratulate her on the wonderful work she has been doing in her Department. She has been a pleasure to work with on the issue I am raising, as my colleague, Deputy Stanton, will agree. My question relates to remote working infrastructure. This is hugely important in my constituency of Cork East and in other constituencies across the country. It is important to recognise that people saw n…

They are very welcome to do so. I already acknowledged Deputy Stanton's work on this issue. I compliment the fantastic work that is being done by the Department. I refer specifically to a project in Youghal. This very exciting development, which relates to Youghal Library, is being co-funded by the Department and Cork County Council. This would not be possible if not for the funding allocated by the Department. What I really want to see is the Department working with private partners and local authorities to get th…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, for being here. At the outset, I acknowledge that we arrived at this situation for very clear reasons. There is a sharp increase in the number of people who want to renew their passports. In addition, there have been some international circumstances that have driven demand for Irish passports. It is important that solutions are brought forward in this debate. It would be an idea for the Department of Foreign Affairs to give priority to existing passport applications by t…

I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, his departmental officials and the independent contributors on the work done on this review, which has identified several serious issues within the NPWS. I hope these will be addressed by the steps taken. It is great to see and very good news that a significant capital budget, of approximately €55 million, is being allocated over three separate cycles, in addition to what has already been put in place. I am delighted to hear about some of the work, outlined in the …