I agree with Deputy Wall on the domiciliary care allowance. We agreed at the committee yesterday to block off a bit of time to discuss that and prepare a report for the Minister. I take this opportunity to recognise the extraordinary contribution made by family carers across the country. Every day, carers provide love, support and care to family members who depend on them. They allow people to remain at home and part of their communities to live life with dignity. I am asking whether the Minister will increase supp…

I thank the Minister. The contribution carers make cannot be measured simply in financial terms but we should recognise the work of family carers also represents an enormous contribution to the State and to our public services. I also acknowledge the progress the Government has made in supporting carers. In particular I welcome the very significant increase in the income disregards for carer's allowance introduced last year. That was an important step in recognising the people should not be forced to choose between…

I recently met Family Carers Ireland at its regional meeting in Cork. I know that Members right across this House have met many family carers and associations associated with caring in recent weeks. We should recognise that caring in itself is a hugely valuable contribution to society. I commend the Minister and the Government on the progress they made last year but I do not want us to stop here. Let us use budget 2027 to take another significant step forward by increasing the income disregards again and let us set…

I rise to support the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026. As the Chair of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, I had the opportunity to see at first hand the detailed work that went into the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. The committee considered the general scheme of the Bill on three separate occasions. We heard from officials in the relevant Departments and, importantly, we also heard from a wide range of stakeholders and experts, i…

I am raising this issue tonight because I continue to hear from people across County Cork who are waiting far too long simply to be seen by an orthopaedic consultant at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, SIVUH. The scale of this problem is extremely concerning. The most recent figures provided to me showed that 7,444 patients are waiting for an outpatient orthopaedic appointment at SIVUH. Let us pause for a moment to consider what that figure actually means. Almost 7,500 people are waiting for an assessm…

I thank the Minister of State for his response and for his engagement on this issue. I very much welcome the commitments made, particularly in relation to the additional theatre capacity, which will be available form this Friday and the opening of the Cork surgical hub in a number of weeks. I want to emphasise that for patients waiting for orthopaedic care in Cork, action is what is required now. We have almost 7,500 people waiting for an outpatient orthopaedic appointment. These are simply not numbers on a spreads…

I raise the ongoing dispute between the Department of Social Protection and the Branch Managers' Association, which represents the social welfare branch offices that continue to provide vital social services in communities across the country. In April 2018, former Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy issued recommendations which were accepted as a full and final settlement of the issues between both parties. Those recommendations specifically provided for the ongoing consultation, regular engagement and a forum for di…

With the permission of the House the next question, which is in the name of Deputy Barry Ward, will be taken by Deputy Kyne.

The next available question is Question No. 18 in the name of Deputy Michael Murphy.

There are no more Members in the Chamber to put their questions. I might put my Question No. 46 if Deputy Murphy will take the Chair. The Deputy is agreeable.

What measures are being taken to address the crisis of high energy costs for householders and small businesses, particularly in rural areas? Will further targeted supports be considered in the upcoming budget?

I concur with the Minister on the uptake of the grants, particularly the windows and doors grant. There has been a significant uptake in that grant. Certainly, through our own constituency offices, we can see there is great interest in it. I commend the Minister, his Department and all the team on making that available. Having the smaller grants available is hugely important for people who can afford them and can do retrofits in pieces and patches. That opportunity allows people to invest in their own homes as best…

The Minister mentioned in previous contributions this morning the national energy affordability task force. Having that come out in quarter 3 of this year will be very important, particularly the four points addressed as part of that. These are the price of energy, sustainability in demand, enhancement of flexibility and addressing energy poverty for the consumer and customer protections. That is hugely important because we have a lot of people who are currently in arrears. How we can target those energy poverty me…

Will the Minister give an update on the publication of Our Rural Future 2026–2030 and make a statement on the matter? As he knows, rural Ireland is at the heart of our country. It is where people live, work, raise families, run businesses and contribute enormously to our economy and society. Rural communities also face unique challenges, from access to housing and healthcare to transport, connectivity and sustaining local services. I am very hopeful that the new strategy will focus on balanced regional development,…

I welcome the Minister's commitment to the publication of the Our Rural Future strategy for the period 2026 to 2030. It is vital that we continue to deliver for rural Ireland through sustained investment and practical schemes that make a real difference in people's lives. We have seen the positive impact of investment in rural regeneration, town and village renewal, rural transport, broadband and community development projects right across the country. However, there is still more work to do. Rural communities want…

I thank the Minister, the Minister of State and the Department for the significant level of grant funding that has been delivered to Cork North-West in recent years for projects and community initiatives. I know that both the Minister and the Minister of State have been to Cork North-West in recent months, celebrating those projects, so I thank them. Across our towns and villages, we have seen the real benefits of investment through schemes such as the town and village renewal scheme, the CLÁR scheme, the outdoor r…

With the permission of the House we will revert to Question No. 120 in the name of Deputy Claire Kerrane. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank the Minister. We will now go back to Question No. 137 in the name of Deputy Barry Heneghan.

I am seeking clarity on the commencement date for the newly approved Local Link bus service, the 515, connecting Mallow to Killarney, which serves the villages of Ballyclogh, Castlemagner, Kanturk, Boherbue and Knocknagree in my own constituency of Cork North-West. This route is not just a line on a map; it is a vital lifeline for rural communities. People in these areas have faced limited public transport options, impacting access to education, employment, healthcare and social activities. The approval of this ser…

Today marks an important and timely step forward in Dáil Éireann with the introduction of the Valuation (Amendment) Bill 2026. This legislation is about fairness, clarity and, most importantly, protecting small childcare providers throughout the country. Many, including in County Cork, have recently been hit with unexpected and deeply concerning commercial rate bills. At a time when childcare services are under real pressure, the last thing providers need is an additional financial burden that could threaten their …