The Minister can see from today’s debate that there is a serious issue. He called out all of the different numbers because all Deputies are receiving a huge number of queries within our own constituencies. It is the biggest issue I am addressing at the moment. While I welcome that online passport renewal is working fine, my concern is about the new applications, which take 40 working days, or about eight weeks. However, if there is any issue with paperwork or anything like that, it goes way beyond that. I am dealin…

The Minister stated it is an essential service. It worries me that the Minister cannot find the space. We had to move to the convention centre because we are an essential service and we were able to do that. The Minister is telling us here today the Passport Office cannot find office space. We have people trying to get a service who are waiting.

What the Minister is saying is we need something bigger. The Passport Office is back open part time, which is great, but it is only for appointments and only for urgent cases, that is all, unless it is a first-time one. That is unacceptable. The office needs to be opened to deal with the number of passport applications.

Deputy Andrews is sharing time with Deputy Patricia Ryan.

I thank Deputy Griffin. I note that he changed position with Deputy Dillon. The Rural Independent Group is next. There are three speakers who have a total of six and a half minutes. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has two and half minutes, Deputy O'Donoghue has two and half minutes and Deputy Danny Healy-Rae has two and a half minutes.

The clock has been stopped now. Is the Deputy okay to continue?

Deputies Joan Collins and Marian Harkin are sharing time.

I met the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, last week at a beautiful new housing development in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny. I was delighted to see a number of one-bedroom homes included in that development, particularly from the perspective of accessibility for people with disabilities but also because we need to build more one-bedroom and two-bedroom units in a context where people are living longer and may require smaller homes later in life. It is important that Housing for All should address that need as soon…

It is great to see three Ministers here tonight, which is very important. Affordable and social housing are more important now than ever. Can the Minister outline the status of the progression of social housing developments in County Carlow?

I was delighted to meet the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, in Castlecomer last week. I welcome the fact that Carlow local authority has been given the target of 464 homes. However, I have concerns. One relates to the HAP scheme to apply to go on the local authority housing list. As I said previously, Carlow's ceiling is too low. Second, the Simon Communities is saying that HAP is not the answer to our problems. I agree with that. While I welcome the AHBs and the fact that we are looking…

Last week, I brought my first Bill to the Dáil. It provides that people who apply to go on the local authority housing list only have to wait for three weeks. There are 31 local authorities and we do not know how long it is going to be. There could be information sent and then coming and going. That is my Bill for the future and it has the support of the parliamentary party. My other question relates to a huge issue. Every day I have people coming to my clinics who, through no fault of theirs, have separated. Once …

As Deputy Michael Collins, who tabled Question No. 4, is not present, we will move to the next question.

Questions Nos. 6, 33, 48 and 74, in the names of Deputies Cahill, Mairéad Farrell, Moynihan and Christopher O'Sullivan are grouped. I call Deputy Cahill, who tabled Question No. 6.

When I met the Minister of State on Tuesday in Kilkenny at Granagh Castle, I spoke about Carlow Castle. I visited the castle in Carlow town yesterday and was delighted to see works going on there. Can the Minister of State tell me about the progress of the Office of Public Works project at Carlow Castle?

I am heartened to hear the project is progressing and I am thrilled with the good news that the Minister of State will be coming to Carlow. We have many projects to show him. To give him some background, Carlow served as the administrative capital of the lordship of Ireland under King Edward III from 1361 to 1374, so it can be said with confidence that we were once the capital of this fair land. Carlow Castle had survived largely intact until an attempt to remodel it as an asylum in 1814, which demolished all but t…

That is important. A Carlow town forum group has been set up that works in conjunction with Carlow County Council. A subgroup has particularly focused on the castle and the tourism potential of it. Gerry, Bobby, Audrey and Carmel are part of that and are excellent. Members of these groups have been working for years to promote Carlow Castle because the bigger picture here is the tourism potential of it. It will be the hub and centre of a tourist attraction for Carlow. We are trying to make Carlow similar to the med…

A new Garda operational model is one of the key projects being advanced under A Policing Service for our Future, the implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. It is also a priority in the programme for Government. We all support having a small number of divisions and regions. People in rural Ireland want An Garda Síochána to respond with increased visibility and effectiveness. They want more front-line gardaí, they want to see gardaí in the community and they want to…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle.

I wish to speak about the people of Carlow who have to endure long delays in accessing ambulances because the ambulance system has changed. This is unacceptable. There was only one ambulance in the base on Sunday. It seems the new system is managed through the central national emergency operations centre, which is supposed to ensure the most urgent calls get the highest priority response, regardless of the location of ambulance vehicles or base. We have a great hospital in Kilkenny but we do not have a hospital in …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and subsequent regulations to reduce social housing and housing assistance payment scheme assessment times. This Bill proposes to amend section 20(4) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 by setting a new three-week timeframe for processing social housing assessments. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me this opportunity. It is my f…