The Government's Cabinet committee on housing will meet in early October and the Government will shortly thereafter set the new housing targets for 2025 to 2030. As the Deputy knows, the completion of the new national planning framework is an important part of that. The national planning framework has been out to consultation. I am sure the Deputy and many others have had a chance to make a submission over the summer. We will, I believe, still meet the 40,000 figure this year, which is well above the target that we…

I too welcome the Deputy back. I have welcomed her back in private but I welcome her publicly. I am pleased to see her speedy recovery. I will ask the Minister to directly answer the question as to whether he has received the report regarding the audit. He has taken a hands-on approach to this. We have a new clinical lead in place, Mr. David Moore. That is a really important piece, that this is now being overseen by a doctor. I have met him myself and look forward to meeting him, the HSE CEO, the Minister and the a…

I am not quite sure what the tone or the implication of that is, a Cheann Comhairle; that is for you to consider. Certainly on that matter I would not have that information to hand on Questions on Policy or Legislation. I am sure a written parliamentary question would elicit the answer.

The Government's general position is to be supportive of those who wish to remain working for longer. This is reflected in the new flexible pension arrangements we have introduced since 1 January this year, which allow for a deferral of the start date of the contributory State pension. The way it would work, though, in respect of a commercial semi-state, each of which is governed by its own specific legislation, is that it would need to make a proposal to increase the age, to be considered by the Department of Publ…

I was delighted to be in Clonmel recently with Councillor Michael Murphy for the turning of the sod of the new Garda station.

I was in the library.

Excuse me, we were there for the enabling works.

I know Councillor Murphy is working very hard on the ground and might have the Deputy rattled. Let me just finish the point. We were there for the enabling works for the Garda station. We will deliver a new library next. I was in the library. I was also in the beautiful museum Clonmel has and I mean that genuinely. I think I met the superintendent that day. I certainly met many senior gardaí. I genuinely will take back the serious issue the Deputy is raising about garda numbers in Clonmel, the antisocial behaviour …

The Deputy has raised a very reasonable and very fair point about the importance of toilet facilities and wheelchair accessibility on a bus, particularly a bus bringing sick people to their cancer treatment. I engaged on this matter with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, this morning to discuss funding streams that may be available in that area. I hear from the Deputy’s comments now that she believes it should be through the HSE. I take that point. I will engage with the Ministers, Deputies Humphreys and Donnelly, to…

I thank the Deputy for raising this. I also thank him for his ongoing work over a sustained period of time on this important issue. In the first instance, my Department is liaising with the Departments of Health and Justice to prepare a number of options. The Minister for Health has confirmed today that he is also engaging with the Attorney General on the publication of the report in the Department of Health. The three coalition leaders intend to discuss the matter at our next meeting. I am certainly very happy to …

When will the election be held? I thank the Deputy for raising that important issue and reporting significant progress on the housing numbers in his constituency and the benefit of the Part 8 process because we are seeing a significant increase in housing supply and we are using public lands to help deliver housing supply. The LDA is really showing very significant potential when others want to abolish it. My understanding is the planning Bill will be back in the Seanad next week and it is absolutely this Governmen…

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and acknowledge the significant concern there was in Cork and Kerry this week. I am pleased my colleague, the Minister for Health, intervened to stop that proceeding and is now working to ensure funding is provided to augment front-line services because I acknowledge that, despite the additional budget we have put into the National Ambulance Service, there are service pressures in Cork and Kerry. I will have to ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy specifically on the…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It is an issue that is coming up quite a bit. Councillor Aoibhinn Tormey also raised this matter recently in terms of the unpredictability of the service and the Deputy has listed a number of areas in his constituency that are impacted. I will certainly talk to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, directly about the matter to see if he can engage with the NTA and come back to the Deputy directly.

I thank the Deputy. I definitely do not want give him a lame-duck excuse on this so he should let me engage directly with the Minister. I acknowledge this is an issue the Deputy has brought up time and time again. Let me in the first instance engage with the Minister on this matter to see if there is a way of advancing it once and for all. I will revert to the Deputy on that. Obviously, there will be a cost-of-living package in the budget. It used to be the tradition the budget was announced on budget day - it used…

Obviously I will respect your ruling, a Cheann Comhairle. On a more general level, I can imagine the anticipation and excitement of a young couple or anybody getting the keys of their new home and the disruption that can cause to their life, to put it mildly, if there is a delay with that. Let me inquire through the appropriate channels of the Department of housing if there is any information or assistance we can provide.

I thank Deputy Varadkar for raising the very important issue regarding Sudan. He is right. The world is not giving this issue nearly enough attention. I am deeply concerned about the appalling conflict and the humanitarian and protection crisis in Sudan. The impact and scale of the violence on civilians, with more than 12 million people forced from their homes, have been horrific. It is absolutely unconscionable that there is a denial of humanitarian access and that there is a deliberate destruction of food infrast…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The Cabinet committee on housing last met on Thursday, 11 July. The next meeting of the Cabinet committee will take place shortly. I believe it will be at the start of October. The committee works to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the implementation of Housing for All and programme for Government commitments regarding housing. The significant uplift in the supply of new homes in 2022 and 2023 has continued this year. More than 12,700 new homes were completed in …

I do not think so.

I thank colleagues for their questions. In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, I send Dundalk Football Club my best as well. In relation to the Housing Commission, I have obviously been briefed on the report by the Minister for housing. The Housing Agency is now working its way through each of the recommendations. I look forward to the report being debated in the House. We should find time to debate it. I do not believe there will be political consensus on every element of it and I am not sure there is a political groupin…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on health last met on 1 July 2024 and is due to meet again soon. In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet committees, I meet Ministers on an individual basis to focus on different issues. I meet regularly with the Minister for Health to discuss progress and challenges in the area of health, including the Sláintecare reform programme. Sláintecare is about four main things - making healthcare more affordable, mak…