The Deputy will be well aware that the airport noise competence authority in this case is Fingal County Council. It is very much aware of these issues and, indeed, so is the Irish Aviation Authority. Work is ongoing to address the matter. Ultimately, this is a matter of enforcement, and the appropriate statutory bodies have the power to deal with these issues.

My understanding is that the change that will come into effect on 12 December is that the patients who are acutely ill will no longer be brought to Navan by ambulance. Instead, they will be taken to the nearest appropriate hospital, depending on their condition. That is different from the full ambulance bypass protocol that had been proposed. The Minister has engaged on this, and it is only in certain narrow circumstances. I suggest that the Deputy engages with the Minister and the HSE on that important operational…

We have now provided a dedicated stream of funding for new medicines to be progressed through the system and, ultimately, to be made available to the patients who are impacted. That has been broadly welcomed by the industry. That is ring-fenced funding that has been secured. As the Deputy said, the NCPE does its job competently. I am aware of the committee report to which he referred, and a Private Members’ Bill that was tabled by Deputy Pádraig Ó Sullivan. I will ask the Minister for Health and come back directly …

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The general scheme of the Bill has been published by the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. There will be a process of engagement, including, of course, with the relevant Oireachtas committee during the pre-legislative scrutiny phase. I anticipate that all the stakeholders that the Deputy referenced will be given an opportunity by the committee to make their views known, to come before the committee and to make submissions. It will then be a matter for the members of th…

We want to see those 74 voids brought back into play. I will take that issue up with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien. He has made a lot of progress through the local authorities by providing the extra funding over the past couple of years. The number of voids has, therefore, reduced. There will always be some element of voids, but funding should not be the constraint, not at this time. I will, therefore, raise that issue with the Minister and I will come back to the D…

That is a fair point.

I will start with Deputy Murphy's question. It would break one's heart to hear about baby Jacob. If I understand the Deputy correctly, the support package has been sanctioned but is not being implemented. It could well be the case that the HSE is finding it difficult to get the staff through an agency or directly-employed HSE staff. However, we will follow up on that case. A note has been taken on it. If the Deputy provides Jacob's date of birth, address and contact details, I assure her we will follow up on the ca…

Would the Deputy pay all the claims?

I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Regulation of Providers of Building Works and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 (Appointment of Registration Body) Order 2022, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 18th November, 2022, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 95(5), which, not later than 14th December, 2022, shall send a message to the Dáil in the manner prescribed in…

I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Sustainable Energy Act 2002 (section 8(2)) (Conferral of Additional Functions — Energy Efficiency) Order 2022, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 27th September, 2022, be referred to the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action, in accordance with Standing Order 95(5), which, not later than 14th December, 2022, shall send a message to the Dáil in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 101, and Sta…

I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 20 — Garda Síochána (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €78,971,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022, for the salaries and expenses of the Garda Síochána, including pensions, etc.; for the payment of certain witnesses’ expenses, and for payment of certain grants. Vote 21 — Prisons (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €1…

I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimate for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022: Vote 32 — Enterprise, Trade and Employment ( Supplementary Estimate ).

I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2022, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 10th November, 2022, be referred to the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, in accordance with Standing Order 95(5), which, not later than 29th November, 2022, shall send a message to the Dáil in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 101, and Standing O…

I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 27 — International Co-operation (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €30,000,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022, for certain Official Development Assistance, including certain grants, and for contributions to certain International Organisations involved in Development Assistance and for salaries and expenses in connection therewith. Vote 28 — Fo…

I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022: Vote 5 — Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 12 — Superannuation and Retired Allowances ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 13 — Office of Public Works ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 14 — State Laboratory ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 17 — Public Appointments Service ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 20 — Garda Sí…

I thank Deputy O'Donoghue for his question. He may be interested to know that the salary scale of Secretaries General and equivalent grades is a matter of public record and is disclosed in replies to parliamentary questions. Also, circulars detailing the salaries applicable to each civil servant grade, including the Secretary General grade, are published and are publicly available on the circulars page of the Gov.ie website. The most recent circular listing out the salary scales of civil servants, Circular 19/2022,…

The specific question raised by the Deputy relates to the salaries paid to Secretaries General across Government Departments. In my initial reply, I outlined that the salary scales and grades of every Secretary General are a matter of public record and are published in a whole range of ways, including through parliamentary questions that are answered here on the record. Information is also provided by way of the appropriation accounts. The specific issue that has been raised by some of the Deputy's colleagues relat…

I reiterate that the salary associated with each grade of Secretary General is a matter of public record and is published. Information is published in the relevant appropriation accounts. As the Deputy is aware, those accounts are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and come before the Committee of Public Accounts for further scrutiny when the reports become available. The specific issue, which I am aware has been raised by members of the Committee of Public Accounts, and which the Deputy is touching on …

I thank the Deputy for the question. Budget 2023 contained significant responsive measures to support households, public and community services and businesses, with spending measures of €4.5 billion. As part of this budget, a winter cost-of-living package for households, costing €2.2 billion, was announced by the Government. It included the following: a double payment of weekly social welfare scheme payments in October; a fuel allowance lump sum of €400; a once-off payment of €500 to those in receipt of the carer's…

I thank the Deputy. Just today, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Heather Humphreys, and I announced the details of the four lump-sum payments to be made this week, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. These payments are: the fuel allowance lump sum; the disability grant lump sum; the living-alone allowance lump sum; and the payment to low-income working families in the form of the working-family payment. Throughout next year, starting on 1 January, we will see the implementation of a range of other budgetar…