On Clifden specifically, is the HSE going to repurpose the hospital as a primary care centre?

As the Taoiseach knows, housing is the big issue. While I welcome all the steps taken in relation to An Bord Pleanála, I note that only 11% of appeals were decided within the 18-week statutory objective. Is there anything further we can do collectively, that the Government can do or that anybody can do, to hurry up the board? It is holding up projects around the country for years.

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 178(1).

We often hear there is a shortage of gardaí. It seems the recruitment process takes an inordinate amount of time, and I will give an example. People first have to apply, then there is an aptitude test, that is followed by a scenario test, followed by an interview online, followed by a fitness test, which is followed by two interviews with members of An Garda Síochána. All of that can take over a year. Is there anything that can be done to telescope that so we can recruit? It is not fair to have people in suspense f…

My question is on the progress made in discussions with the British Government in relation to implementing the recommendations of the Independent Reporting Commission regarding the appointment of an independent person to explore what a process of engagement and group transition might look like. As the Minister knows, progress on this is important.

My concern is very simple. As they say in Irish, an rud a théann i bhfad, téann sé i bhfuaire. What goes on for a long time goes cold. We have an opportunity, if the opportunity is taken now. I appreciate that the delay is probably not on this side of the Irish Sea. The lack of an Executive was a challenge. I hope that when I ask this question the next time - if I get lucky on the oral answers again - that there will be significant progress. I would like to know whether there has been engagement with the Northern I…

I believe the Minister would agree with me that on the make-up of the commission, there was an interest in the Government in an appointment, but there was also an appointment with the Executive from the British Government and so on, as well as a competent chair. They are all excellent people. Would the Minister agree they are the kind of people who come from different traditions but, having come to an agreed position, deserve to be taken very seriously by all sides? Would she also agree that this is like the person…

Tá áthas orm deis a bheith agam an t-ábhar seo a thógáil anseo sa Dáil. There are 3,000 people living on our offshore islands. It is a very small, but valuable population. There are basic GP services on most of the islands with reasonably large populations, but for all other medical services, islanders must go to the mainland. This imposes all sorts of challenges. For example, if an islander has to be at an early appointment in the likes of Galway or Letterkenny, it often means leaving the night before and staying …

I thank the Minister of State for reading out the reply. It is the exact same as the reply I received to a parliamentary question on 6 March 2024. If the Department of Health thinks I am going away, I am not. The reality is the Minister of State addressed the issue at the very end. The script did not address the realities of the issue. I was amused that the officials mentioned the fact that social welfare recipients of a certain type receive an islander allowance. I persuaded the Minister for social welfare of the …

Caithfidh mé a rá i ndiaidh dom seo a leagadh amach, ní leor seacht nóiméad leis an méid atá le rá agamsa a rá. Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall. Bille ollmhór é seo agus Bille an-tábhachtach atá ann. There are 141 sections and 95 pages in this Bill. I only have seven minutes to outline my thoughts and that is not sufficient. I am not totally convinced at the merit of a highly regulated private system over the possibilities of a public system. For the next 30 years, people are going to be putting a lot of money into priva…

The Independent Reporting Commission, IRC, is the statutory body established under the Fresh Start agreement of 2015 to report on measures aimed at ending paramilitarism. The reports of the commission provide a comprehensive insight into the work being done to tackle this problem. One of the recommendations of the fifth report, the most recent report, was that the two Governments should consider appointing an independent person to engage and report in detail on the possible establishment of a formal process of comp…

Will this be a matter for discussion at those meetings? Is there a chance this could be pressed home and the suggestion of the IRC adopted and implemented? It would make a big difference and lead to significant progress.

My question relates to the cost of providing Army security at Portlaoise Prison. This relates to the fact that when the Army was originally deployed to the prison, there was a large number of prisoners. I am interested in finding out the number of prisoners who are specifically secured by the Army presence and whether the need for that presence is under review. As the Tánaiste knows, things have changed dramatically at the prison.

I met the Tánaiste in December 2020, at which time there were 29 prisoners in the E block in Portlaoise Prison. There are now fewer than ten. By midsummer, the figure could be half that again. Does the Tánaiste not agree that is a radically different situation from the situation that caused the Army to be deployed to the prison in the first place? I welcome what he had to say about reviews but is it not time we dealt with this issue and stopped wasting €1.9 million on a small number of prisoners who could easily be…

As I said, when I met the Tánaiste there were 29 prisoners on the E block. I predicted at that time that if no new prisoners came in, the numbers would drop to approximately ten by the end of 2023. That happened. To my knowledge, there are no prisoners in the E wing on remand, so there is nobody awaiting trial. There is nobody, to my knowledge, in the E wing who was out on bail. It would therefore appear that the threat level is reduced. Some prisoners there are near the end of their sentences, with one prisoner du…

I ask the Tánaiste for an overview on the implementation of the defence White Paper and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The Tánaiste probably answered the first supplementary I had, which was whether the White Paper has been overtaken by events, in particular, the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, and if it has, whether there will be a new White Paper or whether we will just work on the commission. Also, will the consultative forum on international security policy require formal change of direction in the form of a White Paper or revised White Paper?

In 2015, the then Government took the view that there was scope during the currency of the White Paper to further develop supports to existing personnel and veterans and this was to include training of serving personnel in order that they would have civilian qualifications once they left the Army and would be able to transfer into civil society and be able to get employment. What progress has been made with training for personnel to ensure that when they exit, they are not only trained but have recognised qualifica…

The Tánaiste knows my concern about the treatment of republican prisoners in Maghaberry Prison and it is a long-term concern. I bring to his attention the case of a Dermot Burke, who is in prison in Maghaberry at present. He was arrested in January and has been held in solitary confinement since. During that period he has been scanned 18 times by an X-ray body scanner and he has had no visits from family. They keep saying that something is being secreted within his body. Can urgent representations be made by the Go…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for choosing this matter and the Minister of State for coming in to deal with it. Under Connecting Ireland, two bus services were set up in Connemara. One goes from An Cheathrú Rua up through Screebe, Maam Cross, Cornamona, Clonbur, Ballinrobe to Claremorris. The other goes from An Cheathrú Rua to Screebe, but it then turns west and goes to Carna, An Caiseal, Roundstone, Ballyconeely and Clifden. These services have been welcomed, and each serves the communities in the areas mentioned. I…