I thank the Deputy for bringing forward the motion. I watched much of the committee proceedings on this matter. I was interested in it. The Deputy and I share a constituency adjacent to where much of this work happens and many of the people who live in our constituency are involved in production or work in the industry. It is a matter of great importance to the Deputy and me. For that reason, I took an interest in the committee hearings on the matter, insofar as I could without being a member of the committee. I wa…

On Deputy Nash's point, the Department has met with Irish Equity, Screen Guilds Ireland, Screen Producers Ireland, Screen Ireland and Animation Ireland on several occasions. The Department has reviewed the credit regularly under the tax expenditure guidelines. It was reviewed in 2018 and 2022. In 2015 it was restructured from an investor led credit to a corporation tax credit, following a review. The point was raised about open calls. A new register has been developed for crews so they can register their availabili…

I thank Senator Wall for raising this matter. This is not my area of responsibility; I am here on behalf of another Minister. However, I would be very interested in going to see the services provided. It is extraordinary what the commitment of that community group and the drive of individuals in community support can bring to a particular matter. Sharon Malloy is to be commended, as are all those involved, on the work they are doing and the intervention that is being made. I know that Willow takes a broader approac…

I can assure the Senator that I will do that. I understand that in order to have real impact, the support of families is central to the approach that has to be taken. Community-based drug and alcohol services are a key part of the national drugs strategy in assessing the extent and nature of the drug problem and really getting at the issues behind that problem, which are often extremely complex, as the Senator, who is a member of the board of Willow Community Counselling Services, knows better than I do. The comple…

I will speak on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I thank all Deputies for their contributions. I appreciate that I am not in the Department of Transport but I am a member of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, which has discussed the importance of this matter. Therefore, while I do not come to this issue from a transport perspective, I am well aware of its importance. I note that the Government is not opposing the motion. I am also aware, having watched th…

I thank the Deputy. I have a policy on never commenting on somebody, whether they look pregnant or not. Even if they are close to giving birth, I still never comment and leave it as a matter for themselves. Of course, one can never tell the state of another person's pregnancy. I am not trying to be facetious in any way. The Deputy has raised an interesting analysis of the licence application and the Act. I am not in a position to make any sort of legal determination or adjudication on the issue but she has taken an…

It is under condition No. 10. In the most recent season, NPWS officials monitored some or all elements of 30 of the meetings held to ensure compliance with the agreed conditions. Veterinary staff from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also carry out inspections during the coursing season to monitor compliance with the rules governing animal welfare relating to greyhounds and hares. The ICC submits various reports to the NPWS as required by the conditions of the licences, including control steward r…

As the Deputy says, it is an unusual angle, but it remains eminently fair. It is a condition that is set out by another party. As the Deputy stated, she went through the records and not only could she not find evidence of whether hares were identified as male or female, she also - I do not mean this to be funny - could not find evidence of whether the pregnancy status or otherwise of female hares was established. Therefore, there are two subsets of analysis that have not been completed. If it is a condition, one wo…

Pregnancy tests.

Ultrasounds.

I thank Deputy Buckley for raising the issue of providing safe drinking water in east Cork. I ask him to forgive the fact that it is me taking it rather than a line Minister. If the latter were the case, the Deputy might receive a more direct response. I appreciate the Deputy’s concerns for the communities to which he referred. As he is more than well aware, this is a very serious issue. Otherwise, he would not be raising it repeatedly in the House. The operation of Whitegate regional public water supply is a matte…

I did not intend to read out the email address or phone number because I suspected people were already well aware of them, they would be of little assistance in circumstances where a seven-year boil notice was in effect, and that it probably was not the most efficient way of communicating. If it is an on-off thing, I suggest that an app on mobile phones that everybody is plugged into is a much more effective way of providing information, in a proactive way, to actually assist people who need to know whether a boil …

What age was the child?

Not necessarily, a Cheann Comhairle. Emergency surgical services are an issue everywhere. I understand this involves a 17-year-old child. I have a response for the Deputies around the provision of emergency surgical services. However, I will say I have an 18-month-old child who required emergency orthopaedic surgery. We turned up at Crumlin hospital, which is a paediatric centre of excellence, on at Saturday night at 11 p.m. The registrar and surgeons do not come in until 7 a.m. the following morning. I am not sayi…

Yes, I know. I was not saying there was.

The question of timing is very important, particularly the time patients arrive at a hospital. They can end up with a very long wait until 7 or 7.30 the following morning when the surgical teams come back in. Therefore, if they turn up at 11 p.m., and I have personally experienced this they can either stay until 7 a.m., or they can go home and come back. In my case, I was in Crumlin, the services were not available. Whether people are in the north west or in Crumlin, they will have the same experience from a paedia…

Very.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on behalf of his constituents. In recent years, general practice has had to do more as demand for services, life expectancy and the population have increased. The Government has taken a number of measures to improve the recruitment and retention of GPs, and to increase the number of GPs practising in the State. The 2019 GP agreement provides for an additional €211 million in expenditure for general practice, an approximately 40% increase on the funding provided prior to th…

I mention the locum services and the Deputy highlighted the difficulty in getting insurance. I invite him to bring that to me directly as Minister of State with responsibility for insurance. If there is a systemic issue, I will raise it. I will discuss it with Insurance Ireland and try to find a route for it. It seems that getting locums often involves asking people who have retired to help. We are living longer lives and working longer lives. People may wish to do locum or flexible working and it should be easier …

You should read the finance Bill.