I have one or two supplementary questions. To address the point the Minister raised, a family might be in a three-bedroom home but due to their circumstances, on a transfer, might be looking to go to a two-bedroom, or whatever the case may be. To clarify, the Minister is saying to local authorities that if somebody only qualifies for a two-bedroom home but is in situ in a three-bedroom home, the local authority can allow them to remain and, as the Minister said, subsequently acquire an asset and reallocate it to an…

I ask the Minister for an overview of how many Croí Cónaithe applications have been made and processed in Cork city and county for 2023 and 2024.

The Minister is right. I would love to see it extended and enhanced, if possible. To be fair to the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, in the few years I have been in the House listening to them fielding questions on housing, they have always said the most efficient house to bring back into circulation is the house that is already built. That is why this grant is so important. The Minister stated the report is currently with him and he will issue the recommendations in due course. Does "due course" …

Deputy Ó Cuív took my second supplementary question. It related to bridging finance and whether any directions or guidelines have been issued by the Department or the Department of Finance to credit unions or other financial institutions in respect of the provision of bridging finance. This is a no-brainer. I would like it to happen. The urban-rural divide is obvious in figures relating to Galway and Cork, as Deputy Ó Cuív highlighted. Going back to the recommendations in the report, can any further enhanced incent…

I support Deputy Stanton. There is a shared border between Cork North-Central and Cork East. My home parish of Knockraha is in Deputy Stanton's electoral area. That could become an epicentre for these, given there is a large substation in Knockraha. In surrounding areas like Leamlara and Lisgoold, in my part of the city and out to Carrignavar and Whitechurch, there will be application after application, and not just for small-scale solar farms. It will involve hundreds of hectares, potentially thousands, in the com…

Will the Tánaiste provide an update on plans to enhance the Naval Service headquarters at Haulbowline?

I thank the Tánaiste. Anybody who has visited Haulbowline in the past 12 months will have seen the massive works that have been undertaken there recently. I recall the base when I was a councillor in the Cobh municipal district, and much of it began with the People's Park, with which Deputy Stanton will be familiar. That was the beginning of many of the works that have happened over recent years. The investment is undoubted, is well deserved and has been well spent. Will the Tánaiste clarify what is happening with …

As I said, all the developments are welcome, and I know they are appreciated by the personnel based in Haulbowline. On the residential side, I understand that the refurbishment of the current block the Tánaiste mentioned will include accommodation for 75 personnel and that there will be further development in another block to allow people to stay on site. There was a sad situation a number of years ago when people resorted to staying on the ships, but that is no longer happening, which is most welcome. Will the Tán…

I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Devlin. What action is the Tánaiste taking in relation to recognition for officers in the Defence Forces who provide specialist instruction and training?

Many of the things the Tánaiste has mentioned are worth reiterating regarding the progress that is being made. He mentioned the extension of healthcare. That was a much welcomed provision. The Tánaiste has stated in the past that we need to adapt to new realities. He has described the situation globally as extremely challenging. As he has often stated in the House, we are competing in an environment of full employment. Trying to maintain or attract recruits in that environment is always going to be challenging. How…

I will ask a final supplementary question on the difficulties we have had in respect of the Women of Honour and their campaign in the last while. A mentoring programme was to be established for women by June 2024. Will the Tánaiste clarify what progress has been made on that?

I have previously raised in the House the issue of noise mitigation measures along motorways in general. It is particularly pertinent for me because I live 500 m from the Dunkettle interchange and over the years, with the increasing volume of traffic on the motorway and in the surrounding areas, noise has become a definite issue for people. This matter also relates to Harper’s Island, which is a bird and wildlife sanctuary just off the motorway in Glounthaune. The Minister will be very familiar with Glounthaune as …

To address the Minister’s questions, there is provision for replacement surfacing in the immediate areas around the Dunkettle interchange as part of its upgrade in recent years. That is still ongoing. On the Ringaskiddy project and the noise action plans that have been prepared for that, that is on the south side of the river so I do not know whether the remit of the noise action plans extend to the eastern part of the city that I am talking about. I imagine it is quite a big undertaking noise barriers are needed t…

I wish to raise the issue of home care. As the Minister of State is aware, the Cork-Kerry region has approximately 1,300 people on its home care waiting list, accounting for nearly one quarter of the national list of 6,000. I acknowledge the work the Minister of State has done in recent years and she has received additional funding in the most recent budget, but it has not trickled down to Cork and Kerry. At the most recent meeting that TDs from my area attended with the HSE, we were told that it took nine months t…

I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Michael McGrath. How is Ireland supporting the Ukraine humanitarian fund?

I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the announcement last month of that €36 million. It is very welcome. Perhaps the Minister of State will give the House an estimate on the overall contribution the State has made on that fund since its inception in 2022. One of the most reprehensible acts that has been done in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia and to Belarus. It is worth saying that many children have been deported to Belarus as well, and this is not …

I commend the Minister of State. It is one of the sadder and more tragic aspects of the conflict. It is important to highlight it. I will ask two supplementary questions if I may, one of which relates to the core homes project, through which a number of prefabricated or modular homes are being sponsored, built or constructed. Does the Minister of State have an estimate on the number we expect to deliver to Ukraine as part of the rebuilding? I know quite a few Romanian and Moldovan citizens in Cork who are extremely…

I am asking this question on behalf of Deputy Devlin. It is about Ireland's contribution to the World Bank IDA crisis facility special programme for Ukraine and Moldova.

The figure I had was $411 billion. The fact the Tánaiste said $486 billion suggests that things are going in the wrong direction as regards Ukraine's ability to finance its recovery. The gap for borrowing will be something that we will all have to deal with globally and internationally over the coming decade, as the Tánaiste said. SPUR is a crisis facility, which will focus on reconstruction, particularly critical infrastructure. As the Tánaiste knows, there have been many attacks by the Russians on power stations,…

I will follow up with two quick supplementaries on the area of gender-based violence and the supports that will be given to victims of rape and sexual abuse during the conflict. Will the Tánaiste comment on that? As I mentioned to the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, what has been done in the conflict is particularly heinous in respect of children. I did not realise it was to the extent of 20,000 children, which the Minister of State said. Will the Tánaiste give us his thoughts on that?