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?

I did not realise either, so it is fine. The most welcome part of the Minister of State's few words was at the end where he said that if additional moneys become available, he might be able to supplement the budget, and he might need to do that. I have been talking to local engineers in Cork. The price of tar or chip has more or less doubled since 2019. Due to the significant inflationary increase in doing the projects, since 2019 fewer kilometres are being resurfaced or repaired than before, despite the fact that …

I will be brief because I have four supplementaries. First, will the Minister of State clarify that Cork County Council has drawn its full allocation from the previous year? I believe it has. Second, the Minister of State mentioned the double allocation, and obviously that additional funding is welcome, but Cork County Council requested more than €5 million last year and received just €1.7 million. Such a massive shortfall leads to the expansion of the waiting list, not the cutting of it. Third, Deputy O'Rourke tou…

I think it was about the full allowance being drawn down.

To be fair, I did not expect Question No. 98 to be reached. Nationally, €30 million was allocated for greenfield sites for new community centres in the last round of the community centre investment fund. I am aware of four projects in Cork, two of which were mentioned by Deputy Gould earlier. I am advocating for a significant upward review of that €30 million in light of the significant requests coming in from Cork alone. I hope this will happen.