I have two different answers. My explanatory note is better than my speaking notes. I will give the Deputy some of the data because I know that is what he wants. When the initial allocation was approved in October last year, it was impossible to estimate the full extent of the damage caused and the number of businesses impacted by the exceptional weather events in the period around 17 October. The scheme was also extended to cover areas impacted by severe flooding up to and including 5 November in counties Waterfor…

As the Deputy knows, in addition to the establishing the Red Cross compensation scheme, we instructed Microfinance Ireland to work with businesses to try to put low-cost loans of up to €25,000 in place to help them from a cashflow point of view. I know that does not necessarily cover some of the questions the Deputy asked but it is worth raising. It is important to say that this is a humanitarian assistance scheme. We have given the Red Cross as much flexibility as we can but there must be qualification criteria. T…

The Deputy and I have met businesses that have been particularly badly impacted in Midleton together. If there are other individual schemes we can learn lessons from or if people feel they have been unfairly treated, I would like to hear about them because I would like to talk to the Red Cross about that. The Red Cross has done a great job on the whole. We are very reliant on it. Some have suggested that we should be doing this in-house through some of the agencies, Enterprise Ireland, the local enterprise offices …

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am aware of the recently published report and its findings. Indeed, I had hoped to provide an opening address at the launch of the report but, unfortunately, I was not able to be there on the day. At the launch of the 2020 benchmarking report, I said that the report was a valuable baseline for many Irish companies and that still holds true today. It is vital that we have such benchmarking exercises and reports available to help businesses understand their human rights re…

We have started laying the foundations for completing a public consultation and we held the first stakeholder forum meeting in December last year. These important steps are helping to create a viable pathway forward to create a second plan, which I accept is necessary. The last plan is now out of date. While there is still a lot of good stuff in it we do need to update that plan. We need a second plan and I hope to be able to publish a second plan later this year.

I join the Taoiseach and many others in the House in paying tribute to an extraordinary man and a deeply impactful politician who, sadly, has died at the age of 76 after a long illness which he carried with extraordinary grace. Like others, I express my condolences to the Bruton family, to Finola his wife, to his son Matthew, to his daughters Juliana, Emily and Mary-Elizabeth, to his grandchildren, in particular to his brother and colleague and friend of ours here, Richard, who has maintained this extraordinary sta…

That was an example of remarkable co-operation. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to make a short contribution to this debate in the context of the challenging discussions and arguments we have in this House regarding migration. As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I think we should keep in mind just how important inward migration is for Ireland's economy. Two out of every five doctors in Ireland were not born here and 50% of nurses in Irish hospitals were not born here. We have half a million …

To explain, the Taoiseach had to leave because he is on his way to a European Council meeting. I hope the House understands that and I am happy to-----

-----fill in for him, but for that particular question, I ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to give an accurate answer.

The Deputy will have heard the Taoiseach address this question this week, as well as the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. What the Government has done this week is make a decision to bring Ireland closer into line with what other countries are doing with respect to supports for people fleeing conflict in Ukraine. More than 100,000 Ukrainians have come to Ireland in just under two years and we have enormous pressures as a result of that when it comes to ensuring we can provide appropriate accommodation. While other countr…

-----we look after Ukrainians appropriately, but just in closing-----

I will happily answer.

The Ceann Comhairle is enforcing the rules well today. Following the events of a number of weeks ago, I met Dublin City Council and many business representatives. We have agreed to provide some funding to the council to focus immediately on public realm enhancement in the north inner city, especially around O'Connell Street, and that is already under way. We will continue to support Dublin City Council in those efforts. On the Ambassador Theatre, I will raise that issue in conversation with the council officials as…

-----safety and, of course, the general vibe around the city centre, not just between now and the end of the year but into next year as well.

I am very slow to comment on an individual case that is as stressful and potentially as tragic as the one the Deputy has just outlined-----

-----but we will have an opportunity in the new year to finalise decisions on the report she mentioned. This House will have plenty of time to debate that early in the new year.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I may be wrong, but I am told that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, may have dealt with this issue by way of amendment in the Finance Bill. I will come back to the Deputy with the detail but I think the issue may have been addressed, or at least partially addressed, in the Finance Bill.

As the Deputy knows, we cannot make a funding decision of that type on the hoof on the floor of the Dáil. I will certainly raise the issue for the Deputy with the Minister concerned. Perhaps he could get back to the Deputy on the timeline around funding decisions.

I have spoken to the Taoiseach on a number of occasions about his meeting with the businesses and households in Leitrim who were hit by the devastating weather event. We are anxious to be as helpful as we can. Supports from the Department of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, are open to households. I asked Mircrofinance Ireland to send an official down to Leitrim to speak to businesses to see if we can try to make short-term money available for businesses. That has happened. We are working with Mircrofinance Ireland …

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is obviously a big concern to me. I know VMware well. It is a fantastic company with a skilled workforce who have done an amazing job for quite a long time in Cork. VMware has been acquired by a company called Broadcom. We knew that when the acquisition or merger took place, there would be an impact. The workforce also knew that. Unfortunately, it means 360 job losses. The IDA has been working closely with the company, and will continue to do so, as will my Department. …