The programme for Government sets out an ambitious target of 5,000 new gardaí, which is very welcome. As well as increasing the overall headcount of gardaí, we need to ensure there is a fair allocation across the country. Unfortunately, only a tiny fraction of previous classes that graduated from Templemore have gone to Cork city and county. This is simply not sustainable. Dublin, to be fair, has got the lion's share, and, having been in Dublin in recent weeks, one can see the increased visibility of gardaí on the …

The programme for Government specifically references starter homes. There is a very strong challenge in housing generally to deliver increased supply but the provision of starter homes to give individuals and families the prospect of owning a home is something we need to deliver on as a Government. Will the Minister of State outline his targets on this?

Yesterday, we saw the figure for house price growth of 8.1% last year. The Minister of State will understand there is a lot of concern among first-time buyers, both individuals and families, that the prospect of owning their own home is getting further and further away from them. That is something the Government needs to be acutely aware of. While I welcome the provisions in the programme for Government and the commitments to the help to buy and first home schemes and the continuation of the croí conaithe, etc., we…

The target of 15,000 a year is significant and something that the Government will do its level best to achieve. The specific measures I outlined earlier are very welcome. I want to raise one specific point about the first home scheme. It is an important vehicle for home ownership. It is a form of affordable housing, without doubt, but many new properties are falling outside the limits of the scheme. That needs to be reviewed in my constituency of Cork South Central where new three-bed semi detached houses are over …

This also relates to affordable housing. There will be full agreement across the House on the need to increase our delivery of affordable housing. I am pleased that in the city and county of Cork many developments have been brought forward by the city and county councils. My question relates to the ramping up of delivery of affordable housing. It is a critical vehicle for those seeking home ownership. We need to be very ambitious in our targets and I seek detail on that this morning.

I welcome the Government’s commitment. One particular group to whom I have committed to being a strong voice in the House is those prospective purchasers who find themselves falling between the supports. They are those individuals, couples and families who are outside the social housing income limits. Their income is over those limits so they do not qualify for social housing. Affordable housing really should be the vehicle for them to gain home ownership. Unfortunately, we find in many cases that they are not able…

The Minister of State's words of commitment are welcome. Issues relating to additional staff for local authorities are very important. There is a fundamental issue in respect of affordable housing that very often when proposals come to local authorities, the default position seems to be to fall back on social housing delivery rather than affordable housing. That mindset needs to change. We have to build the systems so that affordable housing becomes a reality. The cost to the State of affordable housing is a lot le…

I thank the Minister for being here for the debate. We have already spoken at length since the formation of this Dáil about the housing crisis. We all accept that the one thing we can all agree on is that it is a very acute crisis. Certainly, it is a crisis that has deepened in recent years and we must find solutions to it. We will agree that whatever about individual measures, housing supply is ultimately the only solution to resolve this issue. We saw the report from the Central Bank today where the increase in p…

I thank the Minister of State for being here. At the outset, I acknowledge the great work done by the passport service and the staff. By and large, they provide a very good service. I wish to raise an issue relating to how passports are processed, and in particular, the verification with An Garda Síochána. All in this House are aware that the Passport Office contacts Garda stations by telephone to verify that a passport has been stamped in the Garda station. I understand that is not done for every passport but, rat…

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the fact that the process is under review and that it is being considered in the wider context. The Minister of State mentioned that 200,000 applications are being processed per annum, which is a huge volume. I acknowledge the great work done by the staff of the passport service. We all value our Irish passport. It is our most important document in many respects. The process of verification needs to be reviewed. The Minister of State's response outlined that there are three …

I very much welcome this debate on the significant issue of community policing and community safety. It was a prominent issue for many people in my constituency before the recent general election. I wish the Minister the very best in his role. It is a difficult role and one that involves many demands. Safety, and giving people a sense of safety, is something we as a Government must prioritise. I welcome many of the initiatives in this area in the programme for Government. The target to increase the Garda force by 5…

I want to raise the shortage of GP places. We all appreciate the severe pressure the health service is under. A good robust system of primary care is critical to alleviate pressure on hospitals, particularly at emergency departments. In Cork South-Central, the area both I and the Taoiseach represent, there is a significant shortage of GP places. Many families and individuals are finding it difficult to secure a GP. That is leading to obvious difficulties. Will the Taoiseach take this matter up with the Department o…

I, too, wish the Ministers of State well in their roles. It is not an easy task, as I think we all accept. The Taoiseach is on record as saying that disability services will be the defining issue for this Government. I think it will be. We all faced a general election recently, and I would not say I was surprised by the extent to which the issue of disabilities, services and lack thereof came up but it was certainly striking. Many of the stories we heard were heartbreaking in terms of individual families and the ba…

I join my colleague in passing on my condolences to the family of Dan Wallace. As somebody entering politics in Cork, Dan was very much a prominent politician in the area, a person of great integrity and a genuine public servant with the best interests of his constituents at heart at all times. I pass on my condolences to his wife Ethel and family. I very much welcome the Taoiseach's comments on the task force today and the inclusion of the task force in the programme for Government. Cork is a wonderful city with w…

First, like other speakers, I welcome this discussion so early on in the lifetime of this Government. It signals an intent by the Government to address the issue of mental health once and for all. The Minister of State was a strong advocate in the area of mental health in the previous Government and I have no doubt will be such in this Government. Her efforts ensured that it received strong recognition in the programme for Government as well, which is vitally important. The word "Cinderella" is one I have heard use…

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. As it is my first speech in the Dáil, it is customary to thank the voters of Cork South-Central for putting me here and giving me the great honour of representing them in Dáil Éireann. I thank my family for their unstinting support and all of those who supported me throughout the campaign. It is a great honour to be here and I will do my level best to repay the trust they have placed in me. I only have a few minutes to discuss the programme for Government, which is a document of…