Yes. Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. I am glad to hear that the Minister will keep it under review but we need to hear more than that because for filling stations along the Border, as I said, by 9 October the differential will be 15 cent per litre. They cannot remain open. They cannot sell fuel at that difference in price. It is not only stations along the Border that are affected. If one looks at the figures for the average number of kilometres driven each year by car owners, one will see that the national average …

I seek an update on the Minister’s work on finalising the new scheme that is set to replace the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme. We know the senior officials group has had a number of meetings. I believe the Minister submitted a note to that group in mid-January this year. When can we expect the green light? What is the update on what is happening?

While I do not have recent answers in front of me, it seems the Minister’s remarks here today are quite similar except that there has been a fourth meeting. I accept that the Department of the Taoiseach is meeting, that the Minister’s Department is meeting, and that the Minister sent a note outlining a proposal for a new scheme. Can he give us any information on that? He says it is a needs-based grant-aided scheme to replace what is already there. That is good news and we want to hear that because what was there wa…

Deputy Connolly raised a question about the appeals board. In the appeals, is it taking on board the new philosophy that the Minister spoke about in relation to the alternative gateway? The Minister said he is not taking the lead on this. Does the note from his Department indicate that funding will be in place for this alternative gateway when we look at the criteria that will be in place, to ensure it will be there for people who suffer from very different kinds of disability? Too many people have been waiting a l…

I cannot vote for the Minister, Deputy Harris, as Taoiseach, because four years of this Government and 13 years of Fine Gael in government have not delivered for the north west. Earlier, the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, whom I wish well in his retirement from office, spoke of global mega-trends influencing outcomes. In my view, the only way to counter those trends in the context of balanced regional development is to have systemic and substantial policy-driven change across all Departments. The Government has not do…

I wish the Taoiseach well in his new role. I recognise his genuine collaboration and work on the incorporation of St. Angela's into the Atlantic Technological University. I appreciate all of that. However, this morning I laid bare the failure of this Government and those which preceded it to deliver for the north west. Unfortunately, that was only the start of it. My time is short, and I can only cover a few areas. In its country report on Ireland for 2023, the European Commission stated that internal regional disp…

In the first opportunity I have, on a personal level I want to wish Leo Varadkar well as he moves on and to recognise his contribution during Covid-19, his defence of Maurice McCabe and his statesmanlike and extremely competent handling of Brexit. However, we are now in a new political space and Leo Varadkar himself has opened that door. I am calling for a general election for the first time in this administration. I voted for the Tánaiste and for Leo Varadkar because the people spoke four years ago and I believe i…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion, which takes an overarching view on the absolute need to provide greater supports to people with disabilities and carers. It is also very interesting and timely to see that today, IBEC issued a detailed report entitled Better Care Better Business. Many of the recommendations in the IBEC report are very similar to those in the Sinn Féin proposal. I note the Government has not opposed the motion. I wonder why that is the case. I might come to that later, but there se…

The Deputy can speak to the Minister of State privately.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne - To discuss the need to recognise foetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a disability in Ireland. Deputy Joe Flaherty - To discuss the decision by National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics to direct that the drug vutrisiran, Amvuttra, should not be considered for reimbursement by the HSE. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the need f…

I am asking about progress towards residential care accommodation for young adults with special needs in south Leitrim. The Minister of State has been hands on and while she attended a public meeting with all stakeholders and public representatives about 21 months ago, progress has been slow, especially when it comes to residential accommodation and parents are very concerned. I want to hear what the progress is.

Did the Minister of State just say that there was a planning decision from Leitrim County Council on a residential house? I thought that was on a respite house.

That planning decision was due on 3 February this year. Parents are now contacting me. This is the last day of February and they are asking what is the hold-up. This is 21 months later and people are really concerned. The decision was due on 3 February. People are asking me to ask the Minister of State what is the hold-up. What is causing this delay? I will speak more on residential accommodation in my next intervention. Many parents are really concerned about the long term for their children who are now adults wit…

I am pleased to hear that and that the funding is ring-fenced. It is important to note that when the Minister of State attended that meeting, the parents and friends had already fundraised €300,000. That was already in the bank. I have looked at the minutes of 11 different meetings in October and December 2022 and in May, June, September, November and December 2023. On discussions of residential properties, all it says is that it is advised that investigating residential properties is for follow-up. That is all it …

The apology is noted.

When I spoke on the family referendum in the Dáil a few weeks ago, I agreed that we need to widen the definition of the family in the Constitution to include, for example, one-parent families, non-married families, grandmothers and grandchildren and so forth. Like many others who spoke in the Dáil that day, who were mostly women I might add, while supporting the aspirations of the amendment, I had considerable difficulty with the term "durable relationships". Relationships are complex and unique. One person's idea …

I await the Tánaiste's answers. Why did the Government not trust this House to give some legal framework or guidelines to those who wish to assert their family status by means of a durable relationship?

My concern is that legal ambiguity around durable relationships, which will be families if the referendum passes, will only arise where there are disputes, between members of a family or between Revenue and a family. Given that we have no legal framework, the only way to resolve those disputes will be to go to court, and perhaps one court after another, up to the Supreme Court. The Tánaiste mentioned a lot of legislation. I can only comment on one. He talked about the family reunification Act of 2015. The most rece…

That is the problem. It is unclear and uncertain and families really do deserve better.

The frameworks?