We are moving on to the next lot of questions .

We have nine speakers listed so I ask Deputies to stick to 40 or 45 seconds and that way it is hoped we will get a response for everybody.

Parents of children at Carrigaline Community Special School have contacted me in relation to the patronage of their school being an inhibitor to their children with a mild to severe intellectual disability having access to local children's disability network team, CDNT, service providers. They are being told that they are ineligible for home support and respite, for example. As the Taoiseach will be aware, a new special school has also now been designated for Carrigtwohill in east Cork. This is obviously most welco…

I am asking this question on behalf of Deputy O'Dea. I ask the Minister about the number of burglaries that were reported in Ireland in 2022; and to provide a county-by-county breakdown of the numbers.

The impact of the Covid pandemic on the figures is obvious. I support what the Minister said about the work the Garda does. In particular in County Cork the number of burglaries has decreased dramatically in recent years. That said, we saw a slight increase, albeit these are post-pandemic numbers, in Cork city. As we revert to some kind of normality post the pandemic and figures inevitably will probably increase, we need to do everything we can and use all resources in our arsenal to ensure those figures do not cli…

The figures speak for themselves. They seem to be trending back to a level where we do not want to be. A recent PhoneWatch survey found that 72% of respondents were seriously concerned about a break-in in their own home. We are not trying to underestimate the impact burglary has on how people live their lives. Inevitably people still feel vulnerable. That said, in the Cork city Garda division in the last year - these are post-pandemic figures - there was an increase of 8% over the past 12 months from 2021 to 2021 i…

I would like to get an update from the Minister concerning the ongoing PhD review and I ask him to make a statement on the matter.

I thank the Minister and it is rare inside here that many of my supplementary questions have already been answered so I appreciate the response. It was very thorough. We all know the importance of this review and going forward there will be so many PhD researchers engaged on issues relating to climate change, energy, public health policy, and so on in the next few years. It is very welcome the Minister has commenced this review and again I appreciate the response. As I said, many of the supplementary questions have…

Táim sásta leis an bhfreagra sin agus sásta bogadh ar aghaidh go ceist No. 68.

I would like to ask the Minister about the apprenticeship training programme and if he thinks it will meet the targets of the national retrofitting scheme; and if he will provide an update on the recent report on the analysis of skills for residential construction and retrofitting?

As for productivity in the construction sector I do not think there will be a shortage of demand there. I think it was in the 2021 to 2022 figures that there was a slight drop of 300 apprenticeships nationally. I suppose I have a straight question, how does the Minister account for that? Going forward into this year does he envisage that the figure will improve on that and make amends for that? Regarding retrofitting, it is very frustrating for public representatives that when we do refer people to the Sustainable …

If I may, I have one last supplementary question for the Minister. It is outside of the question I asked about retrofitting. I was recently out canvassing in a small village in Cork called Grenagh. I met an apprentice mechanic on the door and we had a good chat about how he had left a previous college course and decided he would do this apprenticeship. As he told me about the difficulties he had and getting back on to that course he portrayed to me a big difference between for example in his case a potential mechan…

This week, the Cork Business Association wrote to us all about the lack of a Garda presence and Garda resources in Cork city centre. At a recent joint policing committee meeting, Chief Superintendent Myers presented figures that showed thefts alone had increased by 78% and antisocial behaviour and drug dealing are more visible than ever on our streets. This a real concern not just for the traders, but for all the city's inhabitants. We all know Cork is a great city. Some would say it is the best city in the country…

Before I call on the next contributor, I ask that contributions are heard without interruption. The level of barracking and interruption on all sides during this debate has not added to the quality of the discussion. I call Deputy Bruton, without interruption.

I have spoken to the Taoiseach on a private basis about this issue in the past, which relates to the reimbursement process. The Government has done some good work of late by publishing the Mazars report and commencing the successor to the National Rare Disease Plan. Of course, we have invested more than €100 million in the last three years in orphan drugs. Last Thursday, I raised this issue again with the Tánaiste and gave the example of Luxturna, which has now been before the drugs group for assessment for reimbur…

I would like the Minister to provide an update on the implementation of the working time directive in the Defence Forces and make a statement on the matter.

I thank the Minister. I had the pleasure of joining him on a tour of the barracks in Cork recently. As Deputy Troy said earlier, his visits to barracks and naval bases around the country are welcome. They will give him a firm understanding of the issues facing the Defence Forces. The Minister will be aware that one of the main issues facing the Defence Forces' representative organisations is the working time directive. The Commission on the Defence Forces recommended the expeditious removal of the blanket exclusion…

I attended the launch this morning of Rare Diseases Ireland's report, Ending the Wait: Actions to reduce the waiting list for Ireland's genomic service. I met patients who suffer from various retinal diseases, most of which lead to blindness, who hope a drug called Luxturna will be approved for reimbursement, an issue that has been raised in the House repeatedly. A total of 1,277 days later, we are still waiting for this process to conclude. I have repeatedly spoken to the Tánaiste and the Minister for Health about…

I had the privilege this morning of attending a young carers' briefing hosted by Senator Tom Clonan. The reason I say I "privilege" is that we heard from young people and young carers about their direct experience and how they care for family members. It was quite moving to be there and to hear about what people go through and the sacrifices they make. I will give two recommendations that emanate from their report. Of the many recommendations, one was to support the "transition of young carers to further, higher ed…

Nearly two years ago, there was a particular crisis in Cork regarding the provision of special education places in schools. Thankfully, at that time, all stakeholders came together and the 50 or so children concerned were accommodated between two or three different schools and the establishment of a new school in Carrigaline. Two years on, unfortunately, we are facing the same prospect, from talking to special educational needs organisers, SENOs, and other stakeholders. There are approximately 45 children between G…