Long Covid is very serious. It is a condition that the Government takes very seriously. We acknowledge how debilitating it can be for individuals in various circumstances. The truth is that we are learning more and more about it with each passing day. As I have outlined, in certain cases the special leave with pay applies for employees who suffer from long Covid. The particular context for that is where they had been in the work premises in the 14-day period prior to contracting Covid-19 so there is a demonstrable …

I thank the Deputy very much for her question. I am glad to have this opportunity to provide the House with further details on the upcoming review of the Freedom of Information Act. My Department will shortly publish a roadmap document that will set out in detail the process for the review and give detailed information on how interested stakeholders can get involved. My firm belief is that we should be seeking to promote a collaborative approach not only to the review process but also to "doing transparency" more b…

We will be consulting closely with the Office of the Information Commissioner on an ongoing basis as the review progresses, given the central role that office plays. As the Deputy knows, I announced the review back in June, before any of the recent controversies arose. I want to be clear to the House that the intention of the review, from my perspective, is to strengthen and improve the FOI system; it is certainly not about narrowing the scope of FOI or anything like that. I was of the view, having settled into off…

I certainly would like to get to a point where the need for FOI requests would be reduced and where more information would be more readily available, particularly in the context of personal requests. It can be quite a cumbersome process to get people the information that they need. I will be bringing a memorandum to Cabinet - I expect to do so as early as next week - setting out the process and seeking formal Government approval. We want to do this properly. It will take some time to complete the process and it wil…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 33, 48 and 74 together. I thank the Deputies for submitting these questions. The revised NDP is currently being finalised and it will set out annual expenditure ceilings for the initial five years for each departmental Vote group, including capital ceilings for 2022. This document is due to be published in the coming weeks, following final Governmental approval. Subject to Government approval, it is my intention that the revised NDP will be published before the budget. As part of…

The additional €1.1 billion in capital for 2022 outlined in the summer economic statement will be allocated as part of the capital ceilings that will be published in the review of the NDP. The detail of exactly what the Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Health, Transport and so on for next year and for every year out to 2025 will be confirmed when the review is published and the ceilings are set out. I thank Deputies Cahill and O'Sullivan for raising a number of specific projects they are passi…

I thank all the Deputies for raising a host of projects with me directly on the floor of the House. Many of those projects have been brought to my attention over the course of the review of the NDP and colleagues have been in touch with the relevant line Ministers as well, as have I in respect of a number of the projects. I will do so again, particularly in regard to any that have been raised for the first time this morning. I might make a few broad points. The content of the NDP is not exhaustive. It is not a list…

Finally, on the issues of value for money and the pressures that are arising in respect of construction inflation and so forth, I and the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, are both engaging with the Office of Government Procurement on the issues that are arising there in the context of the public works contract. We want to see tenders successfully completed and awarded and jobs delivered.

I thank the Deputy for tabling this question. I was pleased to announce recently that Indecon International Consultants have been commissioned to support the Department in the review of the effectiveness and transparency of how national lottery funding for good causes is distributed. The national lottery plays a vital role in generating funding for a wide range of clubs, charities and community groups throughout the country each year. Close to 30 cent of every €1 spent on national lottery games is transferred to th…

I will arrange for a more detailed reply to be issued to the Deputy. However, I will give a sense of my thinking in asking for this review to be conducted. My view is that, at present, it can be difficult to track the good causes expenditure that has occurred and at times it can be difficult for clubs and organisations to navigate the funding options available and to identify if they are eligible for funding. Some Departments do not publish details of which organisations have been awarded funding, while others may …

I strongly agree with the Deputy's sentiments on this issue. As part of the review, a steering group will be set up, led by my Department, comprising representatives from a number of Departments that have national lottery-related expenditure subheads. Public consultation will be conducted as part of this process, which is likely to involve a targeted group of relevant stakeholders. That will be finalised in the coming weeks. The legislation sets out the areas that can benefit from funding under the national lottery…

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government acknowledges the contribution of our front-line healthcare workers and all workers across the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic. The value of the contribution made by our front-line workers across the economy cannot be overstated. Their hard work and sacrifice have been crucial to getting the country through this pandemic and the Government is committed to recognising those efforts. Working together has been a key element of the Government’s approach to the pan…

Our healthcare workers have been extraordinary over the past 18 months and that extraordinary effort warrants special recognition from the Government. Whatever we do in the coming weeks must be done in a fair and inclusive way. The Deputy has placed the emphasis on healthcare workers, which is justifiable. However, there are many others across the public service who did great work over this time, including those in the Prison Service, Garda, Defence Forces, the Department of Social Protection and the Revenue Commis…

As the Deputy knows, the Labour Court recommendation provides that the parties to the issue must make every effort to achieve clarity as regards potential arrangements to address the claim within the earliest opportunity and in any event during the autumn. The Government intends to deal with this issue in consultation with the representatives of the workers. We recognise the heroic efforts of our front-line healthcare staff, who deserve great praise and to be recognised. I am making the point that there is a wide r…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 54 and 76 together. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Following on from my exchange with Deputy Michael Collins, I wish to reiterate the position of the Government. The Government is committed to addressing this issue in the coming weeks and we do not want to allow it to drag on. We have a clear recommendation from the Labour Court, which we intend to abide by, and we will deal with this in the coming weeks. There are a range of factors that we need to take into account…

Deputy Lahart makes an excellent point. There is a need for us to recognise the extraordinary efforts of so many people, particularly front-line healthcare staff. Nobody has an issue with them being singled out for praise which is richly deserved. If we get this wrong it could be divisive in society. Deputy Lahart touched on carers and the extra burden that fell on them over the course of the pandemic because day services were shut down in the interest of protecting public health. There is a wide range of issues th…

It is important to make the point there is no uniformity in how the Covid pandemic impacted on businesses across different sectors in the private sector economy. It was wide and varied. Some businesses closed while others thrived. Many others are struggling and others are staying afloat because of Government supports. I do not agree with the approach that the Government should seek to compel or force the private sector to do certain things to recognise the efforts of workers over the pandemic period, but the Govern…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. There is a deep appreciation within the Government of how serious this issue is and the life-changing nature of this issue for the families who are affected by mica in Donegal, Mayo and a number of other counties where the issue has now emerged. That is why the Government has put in place a process to try to bring about a resolution to this matter. I have listened to the heartfelt stories from the families who have impacted upon. I can only imagine what they are going thro…

I wish to reiterate that we are attaching the appropriate level of importance to this. We recognise the devastating consequences of living with mica, which too many families are experiencing at this time. This working group is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Once we have a completed working group report, my officials and I will stand ready to engage intensively to bring about a Government statement and decision, with the support of the Cabinet, on the ne…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of Sláintecare and the Government's commitment to the reform of our public health service. I reassure the Deputy, the House and the Irish people that the Government remains absolutely committed to fundamental reform of our health service. We are committed to the implementation of Sláintecare, which was not a one-year or a two-year plan; it was a ten-year plan. In making the decision last year to invest a record amount of funding into our health service, the Government made a…