I thank the Minister of State. I highlighted this today for a reason. It is great to see the Minister and Ministers of State all present. They know of the work An Garda Síochána does. I can only speak for County Carlow where we have gardaí who are doing their work and doing their best. When CCTV is requested - and it must be addressed here by the Minister and Ministers of State - all resources come through central government funding and we must be clear on that today. Carlow Garda station is short on gardaí. To mak…

I have been contacted by so many constituents due to sit theory tests that were repeatedly cancelled and rescheduled. Worse, several constituents have contacted me after having secured a test only to be left waiting at the centre in Carlow on the day without any contact from the testers. One man told me he went to the centre on receipt of an email at the end of May, but when he arrived there was no one there and the phone was unmanned. A month later, he still had no contact. This is unacceptable. Is the Road Safety…

I am concerned about local authority housing, particularly in Carlow where there is a lack of local authority builds. I want to speak about affordable housing because the Affordable Housing Bill 2021 is one of the most critical pieces of legislation. I support it and want to work with it to ensure it is there for people, particularly in Carlow and other areas where we greatly need affordable housing. My biggest concern, and I have raised this with the Taoiseach on several occasions, is the threshold to qualify to g…

The next slot is Sinn Féin and the speaker is Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne.

Thank you.

Thank you, Deputy. You can-----

Deputy-----

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The next speaker is Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne.

Sadly, we have learned that time is not on the side of women impacted by the CervicalCheck scandal but time is something we must give now to those we can give it to. Women have felt betrayed and, let us be honest, we have a storied history with tribunals. To extend this timeframe is the only thing we can do, but we must also look at what is wrong. The three-member tribunal, which was established in December 2020, has received only five of 221 claims transferred from the courts or lodged, and to have the clock run d…

We all have a role to play to make the world safer for women, for girls and for all young people in all their diversity. Gender-based violence is a global emergency. Having these statements as part of today’s Government business means we are highlighting the urgency of this matter. The Women's Aid report showed a staggering 43% increase in contacts compared to 2019. Almost 15% of women between the ages of 18 and 74 years have experienced physical and sexual violence in their lives. Nearly 31% have experienced psych…

I want to raise the issue of school transport in County Carlow. Coláiste Eoin in Hacketstown is a growing school with a large rural catchment area. It will have 280 students in the next school year. During the Covid pandemic, the principal managed to get an extra bus service for the school, which picked up students living in rural areas. He has been told that the service will be discontinued in the new school year. That is unacceptable. The service was in place and the school needs it. I ask that the service be con…

I thank the Minister of State. I believe this legislation is to be welcomed and that it forms an important part of the economic recovery plan. It is crucial that we support businesses as public health restrictions are eased. Local businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. From speaking to businesses in my own county of Carlow, I know they have gone through a massively demanding time since March of last year. Nobody could have foreseen the fallout from Covid-19 or the way in which our lives were turned upside…

I fully support this Affordable Housing Bill. It is urgently needed and we must get it through the Houses as quickly as possible. Over the years, I have had numerous representations from people who do not qualify to go on the housing list and cannot get a mortgage. The people I am dealing with now are what I would describe as the new working poor. I was working with a couple last week, one of the many couples with whom I am working. They both have good jobs and so do not qualify to go on the housing list. They are …

Can the Taoiseach find out for me when works will commence on the railings of Carlow Courthouse? I have been consistently on to the Minister and the Office of Public Works to see when they will begin but I have, as yet, received no answer. I understand the project is happening in phased stages. This is an issue that requires transparency regarding its timeframe. The repeated deferral of the start date is unacceptable. The courthouse was built nearly 200 years ago. It is right in the town centre. I have been raising…

Carlow receives €2.7 million less annually from local property tax equalisation when compared with other counties of a similar size. This has been acknowledged by the Department and has led to considerable cuts to services. Carlow County Council tells me that it cannot take on extra staff and that it is 30 staff short at the moment. It might be looking for even more staff. The Taoiseach knows that local authorities are the hubs of their communities. Their services are essential. I believe a review of local property…

I thank the Acting Chairman. I want to ask the Minister of State what initiatives he has undertaken to boost the credit union sector.

The Minister of State will be aware that I am a big fan of credit unions. In my area in Carlow they do so much good work. I must, however, ask him about the levies on the credit unions, which is a concern. Covid has been hard for people and they are trying to save an extra few euro. The credit union now has funding. It is important that the Minister of State would look at mortgages across all of the credit unions. Some credit unions are able to give out mortgages, but others are not, which is a concern. It is my un…

As the Minister of State said, it is important that we in government encourage credit unions to give out loans. The funding is there. This must be looked at. More than ever we are now seeing the housing crisis, and there are more people investing in their homes during Covid by decorating and so on. This is what it is all about and this is what we need to encourage. I ask that we would work with the credit unions a bit more on what we could do to give out more loans, and on what the criteria are, in particular the c…

How many people in counties Carlow and Wexford are receiving support under the employment wage subsidy scheme? What was the number in each county who received support under the scheme in May 2021? How many people in each county have received support under the scheme and its predecessor since March 2020? What has been the expenditure on the scheme in each county over that time? Will the Minister make a statement on that matter?