I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy.

We now move to contributions from Members. Sinn Féin has 15 minutes, which is being divided between a number of speakers. First up is Deputy Joanna Byrne.

The Deputies from the Labour Party are dividing their time.

The next group is the Social Democrats, who are sharing time. The first up is Deputy Gibney.

This question relates to an issue that goes to the very heart of compassion, dignity and fairness in our society, namely the support we provide for family carers. Across Cork North-West and, indeed, every parish in Ireland there are countless people who quietly dedicate their lives to caring for a loved one, whether that is a child with additional needs, an elderly parent or a partner who requires daily support. Will the Minister provide an update on the programme for Government commitment to phasing out the means …

I welcome the Minister's response and thank him for outlining the plans to phase out the means test for carer’s allowance over the lifetime of the Government. Furthermore, I acknowledge the implementation of increased disregards for the carer’s allowance in recent months. This has assisted many carers to get an increased allowance or, indeed, to qualify for one for the very first time. The phasing out of the means test will send a powerful message that Ireland recognises the irreplaceable work of carers and that we…

I thank the Minister for his commitment today on this very important issue. Budget 2026 will be the start of the process of ending the means test for carers. I very much welcome that. I hope we can work towards that goal over the lifetime of this Government. The Minister mentioned how there would be an extreme cost to the taxpayer with increased costs to the health system if carers did not exist. The contribution of carers is not something that should be measured by a bank balance. It is measured by the hours of ca…

We have made considerable strides in improving the public transport network in rural County Cork through the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan. We have seen successful roll-out of bus services from Mallow to Fermoy, Charleville to Mallow, Mallow to Mitchelstown, Killarney to Macroom and the latest one, the 243 bus service from Newmarket to Cork. Today I am inquiring about the roll-out of the Mallow to Killarney service which will service villages like Ballydaly, Cecilstown, Ballyhass, Castlemagner, Kanturk, Bo…

Will the Tánaiste consider opening a passport printing office in Cork to assist with printing passports in a timely manner? I ask him to make a statement on the matter.

As the Tánaiste said, there are two publicly accessible passport offices, one on the South Mall in Cork and one on Mount Street in Dublin, in addition to a passport printing facility in Balbriggan. Of these three buildings, only two print the passports, with one printing facility in Dublin city centre and two printing presses in Balbriggan. There is no such facility in Cork. Given that the number of annual first-time passport applications has more than doubled, and renewal applications have nearly doubled in the pe…

I thank the Tánaiste. I compliment the passport staff. The many passport service staff I have dealt with in my role as a TD for the Cork North-West constituency have been very helpful at all times. It is great to see that a new passport office is opening in Cork in the autumn and that there will be additional staff in that office. I know this matter has been brought up locally in my county, Cork, by local representative Councillor Rory Cocking in the Midleton local electoral area, and also by my colleague here in t…

Before we move onto the next speaker, I welcome Michael Coyne and family to the Gallery. They are here at the behest of Deputy Heneghan. I hope they enjoy their afternoon in the Gallery.

The Independent and Parties Technical Group had nine minutes remaining. I propose that we use those minutes now because Deputy Connolly is here. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I stand here today to respectfully request that additional funding be allocated to the local improvement scheme, LIS, in 2025 to address the long waiting list for the scheme in every county across Ireland, particularly in my home county of Cork. There are currently thousands of applications on hand within local authorities, many dating back five years or more. I urge the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to consider this request for increased funding for the LIS. This investment will y…

The Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has completed its consideration of the following Revised Estimates for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2025: Vote 20 - Garda Síochána; Vote 21 - Prisons; Vote 22 - Courts Service; Vote 24 - Justice; and Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Sinéad Gibney - To discuss the closure of a montessori in Stepaside and general lack of childcare availability in Dublin Rathdown. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss the use of Louth County Hospital in Dundalk as a surgical hub for the north east. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the level of preparedness for a major cyberattack on the State. Deputy M…

The next Topical Issue is shared by Deputies Quinlivan and Sheehan.

I am looking for an update on the progress of the N20-M20 Cork-Limerick motorway project. I emphasise the critical importance of its swift delivery to the people of Munster and the broader Irish economy. The case for immediate action on the N20-M20 project could not be clearer. The existing route is a relic of a bygone era, and is wholly inadequate for the demands of a modern economy. Every day that passes without progress on this motorway is another day that the commuters and families who pass through Mallow, Newt…

I ask the Minister for Transport, further to Parliamentary Question No. 312 of 1 April 2025, to provide an update on the number of driving test assessors currently assigned to Cork; the number if the projected doubling of testers at the end of April was achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. It is a serious issue nationally but particularly acute in Cork.