As the Deputy is aware, I monitor the figures closely. We have changed eligibility criteria and the pool of eligible people twice in the past 12 months. That has allowed us to stay static in the last 12 months, which has been an achievement in itself. There is a constant flow in. The number of starters on CE schemes last month, 594, was high when compared to previous months. In previous months, the number was around the 500 mark. There were 800 in September last year. Obviously, people are also leaving. We are in a…

The number of vacancies is largely stable, although that is, of course, not good enough. We want to push the number down further. With regard to changes to policy and eligibility, we are open to looking at a lot of them and have made quite a few over the past 12 months, as I have said. On the 12-month rule, I am reluctant to go there because the scheme is designed for a cohort of people who generally find it difficult to get employment and our general marker for that is 12 months' unemployment. I am not ruling it o…

The Department of Social Protection has an important role in supporting the most vulnerable in society. It is important to note that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, is currently running a public campaign informing people of their rights if they are struggling with utility payments. It also notifies people that providers are obliged to work with them on a payment plan. From the Department of Social Protection's perspective, the supplementary welfare allowance scheme provides, where necessary, additi…

I should also reference the €600 energy credit, which benefited bill and prepay meter users alike. Persistent difficulty with indebtedness can be helped through budgetary advice from the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS. While this engagement is not a precondition for any assistance, the service provides impartial advice and expertise to help people manage money and take control of debt. It may be useful to mention that, under the supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, scheme, a supplement may be awarded to as…

I will answer the last question first. I recall there were significant efforts made by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in relation to prepay meters. You should not be without the payment if you are on a prepay meter. We can talk about specific circumstances later but there was a separate fund set up in that Department for that. I acknowledge the Deputy's point about universal measures. Additional needs payments are obviously very targeted, as is the heating supplement. I take his point…

Throughout the term of this Government, we have sought to make sure the interests of carers and the people they care for remain a focus of our priorities. During the pandemic and the cost-of-living pressures, and notwithstanding the significant demands on the Exchequer, the Government has worked to ensure those on caring payments and the people they care for have been supported. The approach we have taken to date has been targeted and has involved increases to payment rates in conjunction with earnings disregard in…

Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, the Government's five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, was published in 2019. It is a whole-of-government strategy led by my Department and implemented collaboratively with the sector by means of the cross-sectoral group on local and community development. The strategy is important in seeking to strengthen the community development, local development and community and voluntary sectors generally. It reaffirms the Government's commitment t…

When we refer to community and voluntary organisations, we are referring to a variety of groups that get some, if not all, of their funding from different Departments. That is what makes it difficult from our point of view. No one Department can offer any kind of overarching guarantee. We have been working to improve conditions for the programmes over which we have direct control. As the Deputy probably knows, the recast community services programme has seen increases to the wage contribution we make. We are implem…

I will mention two things that might be useful in this space. For a couple of years, we have funded an all-Ireland standards body on community development work. That body is grappling with the issue I mentioned, namely, different understandings of community work. Community development is a very particular kind of work and that body is trying to get a little consistency across the board in that regard. I will mention another important document. Last year, the Cabinet - and the Government in its entirety - approved a…

My officials have regular engagement with the Department of Health regarding the national drugs strategy. My Department is represented on the strategic implementation group 4, SIG 4, reducing harm and supporting recovery. This group comprises sectoral, agency and departmental officials. The strategy is relevant to my Department's work in the community and voluntary sectors as it is vital in ensuring the collective input of the statutory, community and voluntary sectors to provide a co-ordinated response to drug and…

I am aware that some drugs task forces, which do not sit fully in our Department, have vacancies in the community seats. It is vitally important that the community perspective is represented on the drugs task forces. The community side is particularly important because community engagement can play a huge preventative role in stopping people from falling in the wrong direction. It also plays a big role in recovery and offering people pathways out of the situation they are in. We have supported a couple of projects …

I encourage community representative involvement in the task forces. I mentioned this earlier but I think it is relevant to what the Deputy is describing now too. The values and principles document is for every level of government too. It is agreed at a national level but it is relevant here too. That is an agreed document for engagement between the statutory, community and voluntary sector. It could be put on the table in the situations the Deputy describes. Our role at a national level is often about joining the …

I thank Deputy Colm Burke. I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The State spends substantial sums on medicines yearly with the goal of keeping people in Ireland healthy. This expense has grown to more €2.5 billion per year. Considering the financial consequences of funding medicines, it is important we have the best possible system to decide which medicines to fund. The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 legislates for the system we use now. For a …

I do not have an exact publication date but the Minister will publish the Mazars report imminently. The Government is committed to providing access to as many medicines as possible in as timely a fashion as possible from the resources available to it. The Minister and his Department have given careful consideration to the recommendations of the report and will work on the recommendations for the benefit of Irish patients.

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising the matter of the provision of Gallium scans in Cork. Gallium scans are a type of nuclear medicine and are used to find cancer, inflammation and infection in the body. Cancer services in Ireland are provided in line with the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026, which is overseen by the Department of Health and the HSE. Effective prevention, early diagnosis, access to quality treatment, survivorship, patient involvement and safe, high-quality patient-centred care are key aims of …

I thank the Deputy. I have no additional information in my closing statement but I take his point in regard to the delays. That is certainly something I can feed back, as well as the specific question in regard to an application for one of the scanners. I will follow up on that.

At the outset, I appreciate that the Deputy has been in contact with me about this. She asked a similar question earlier today. I will endeavour to find additional information rather than giving her the same answer she received today. Ireland has faced enormous challenges in the past year with the arrival of so many people seeking refuge here. The State and the people of Ireland have responded remarkably and with characteristic Irish resolve in the face of this unprecedented crisis. The State has successfully provi…

I look forward to reading the needs analysis when it has been completed. It could be of great use to us. I have travelled around the country a lot in the past 12 months to look at the various community responses to what has been going on. Healthcare comes up pretty much everywhere in terms of a pressing need. There have been additional resources provided to the local development company in terms of funding for community workers on the Ukraine side of things under SICAP. Some €106,000 this year has been given to Ros…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: “Dáil Éireann resolves that the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 be deemed to be read a second time this day 18 months, to allow for time to further examine the introduction of 'disadvantaged socio-economic status' as an additional ground in the Equality Acts in the context of the Review of Equality Acts currently under way in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.". I thank the spon…

I will start by briefly laying out the additional responsibilities I have taken on as Minister of State with responsibility for integration. These are to finalise, publish and oversee a new national action plan against racism; develop a new national migrant integration strategy; oversee the asylum, migration and integration fund; oversee the international protection integration fund; and assist in the area of community engagement. My role in the Department of Social Protection is also relevant. I oversee the commun…