I will cut to the chase. I understand there were negotiations between the unions and the Minister of State's Department, proposals were put together at official level and those proposals were then sent over to the Department of public expenditure, as all such changes inevitably must be. When were those proposals sent to the Department of public expenditure and what response came back, either in the form of a further information request, a refusal or agreement? As I said, I understand the negotiations concluded and …

A written reply I received on the issue of the gratuities seemed to give me a lot more information than is available here today. I cannot understand how these processes go on as long as they do. There has been a failure by successive Governments to reform the system in order to ensure there are quicker decisions. In fact, if anything, things have been getting slower and slower over my period in the House. That is a matter of concern. The answers always seem to be inevitable but the processes seem to be a lot longer…

The question relates to domiciliary care allowance and the increasing number of rejections under domiciliary care allowance based on the number of claims. The Minister of State might outline whether he is concerned that the number of rejections is increasing at a time when we know, because of an increase in the rate of autism, that the number of children that should qualify for domiciliary care allowance is unfortunately going up.

Obviously I do not have any figures for 2023, but as the Minister of State said, the number of claims registered in 2022 was 10,524. The number of claims rejected in that year was 3,948. I rounded the figures and that is just short of 40%. That seems to me to be a very high level of refusal. I am bit surprised to hear the Minister of State say that claims that were changed on review are still registered as being rejected. I would have thought that the record would have been correct. Similarly, I would have thought …

If the Department is not getting the information it requires the first time, and many of the people who are applying for the allowance have their own challenges in life, are not super literate and do not read law, I would think that quite a bit could be done to make the application form more useful in terms of what is required from the professional and what is required from the parent. In many cases, when a parent comes to a politician, you advise them to write a diary of what their life is like and then get profes…

If the Minister for housing had been here, I would have asked a different question but since it is the Minister for Health, I will ask what is a very relevant question for many people. I recognise that a lot more people have GP cards now than was the case previously. I also recognise that with the abolition of hospital charges, the increase in the GP card threshold and the lowering of the drug refund threshold, the Minister has narrowed the financial difference for those who do not have a card. However, there is a …

These questions to the Minister relates to whether he is going to progress the redevelopment of the railway line from Athenry to Claremorris immediately. Ancillary to that is to ask the Minister for an update as to when he intends to publish the strategic review.

That is welcome news. As the Minister knows, work was done by Iarnród Éireann in clearing the line near Tubbercurry, on the section from Claremorris to Collooney. It would be good to get the line cleared. I fully agree with the Minister on that. At the same time, could engineering surveys be carried out in order to discover exactly what work will need to be done to replace, for example, farm gates, etc., and to draw up an engineering plan in order that we get an idea of the real cost of this project and how frequen…

It is a good thing that I provided money for clearing that railway line when I did, back in the day, under CLÁR funding. I was always conscious of the fact that we needed to preserve rights of way that the State owned, whether dry canals, railway lines or any other infrastructure owned by the State. It should be kept free of encroachment by anybody. The draft report of the strategic rail review stated that the railway line did not exist from Charlestown to Collooney. The Minister is aware, from pictures he has seen…

Flood and storm events are, unfortunately, becoming quite common. In each of these events, damage is caused. A significant number of commercial properties and dwellings in Galway city, Oranmore and Clarinbridge were damaged by the recent Storm Debi. I am aware that schemes are available to help these people. However, a number of smaller businesses have losses that far exceed the existing limit of support to get themselves back into business. Due to previous flood events, these businesses were not able to get flood …

I will not delay the Minister. I will give her a chance to give me a very comprehensive answer. In the past ten years, what progress has been made on the whole issue of piers on islands? They are the equivalent of roads on the mainland and are the only way of getting from one place to another.

Very briefly, can the Minister tell me exactly when we are going to get the contract signed for Inis Oírr? A detailed study was done with huge delay, and presumably quite considerable costs, by the National Maritime College of Ireland in Cork regarding Inis Meáin. Will the Minister give an update on the outcome of that study and where we are in progressing piers in Inis Meáin. The Minister mentioned Machaire Rabhartaigh. Will she give an update on the position of that? Finally, I notice Roonagh pier is not mentione…

Nuair a bhí an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Chambers, mar Aire Stáit don Ghaeltacht, rinne sé go leor oibre ar réiteach agus ar phlean le haghaidh reachtaíocht a thabhairt isteach le haghaidh na toghcháin do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta a thabhairt ar ais. D'fhoilsigh sé cinn an Bhille, pléadh iad ag Coiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge agus cuireadh tuarascáil ar fáil mí Iúil seo caite. Bhí dóchas ann ag an am go mbeadh reachtaíocht ar fáil agus é achtaithe sa dá Theach le go mbeadh sé ina dl…

I offer my condolences to everybody who has died in this horrendous war. In particular, I offer condolences to the families of Kim Damti and Emily Hand. It is important, as has been said, that we do not forget our peacekeepers in the Middle East, who are doing a hugely difficult and important job at great risk, as well as aid workers and diplomats, and all the other people trying to move forward in a peaceful way. The problem with this issue is that the history of the past 100 years has been a botched history of wr…

Bítear ag maíomh go minic maidir le tacaíocht an Rialtais agus tacaíocht an Stáit don Ghaeilge ach duine ar bith a dhéanann iarracht gnó a dhéanamh leis an Stát trí Ghaeilge, bíonn fadhbanna ollmhóire acu, go mór mór má tá siad ag iarraidh rud a dhéanamh ar líne. Tháinig sé chun solais inniu, mar shampla, nach féidir le múinteoirí clárú leis an gComhairle Mhúinteoireachta trí Ghaeilge i láthair na huaire nó le dhá bhliain anuas. Mar sainchuid den Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge, 2010-2030, bhí soláthar ann go mbea…

I am sorry. I do not expect people to understand me in Irish but I do think they could do the courtesy they do in the European Parliament, and wear the earphones. What I asked was-----

---- if it is the Taoiseach's intention to set up a Cabinet sub-committee on the Irish language as was promised in the 20-year strategy for the Irish language. That would not be a matter for the Minister, it would be a matter for the Taoiseach.

Tuigim go mbeidh an tAire Stáit ag úsáid an chórais aistriúcháin chomhuainigh agus go mbeidh sé ag freagairt i mBéarla. Tá sé sin sásúil domsa. Ní thuigim riamh an fhadhb atá againn leis an gcóras seo sa tír seo. Úsáideann chuile dhuine é nuair a théann muid go dtí an Bhruiséil agus oibríonn sé thar cionn. Tá scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge thar a bheith tábhachtach do leathnú na Gaeilge i measc daoine óga ar fud na tíre. Tagann scoláirí ó chuile chearn den tír go dtí an Ghaeltacht sa samhradh chun an Ghaeilge a f…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an bhfreagra sin. Ar an gcéad dul síos, b'fhéidir go bhféadfadh sé soiléiriú a thabhairt dom. Deir sé go bhfuil an Roinn tar éis próiseáil a dhéanamh ar 76% de na héilimh. Ansin, tá tagairt faoi dhó déanta aige go bhfuil 15% de na héilimh atá faighte ag an Roinn á bpróiseáil nó go bhfuil súil aici go mbeidh siad á bpróiseáil go luath. Nuair a bhaintear 76% ó 100%, is é sin 24%. B'fhéidir go mbeadh an tAire Stáit in ann a shoiléiriú dom cé as a dtagann an figiúr 15%. Nó b'fhéid…

What I said in Irish was that 76% had applied. By my calculation from the old mathematics I learned at school, that leaves 24% which are still to be processed, but twice the statement states to the contrary. I have a suspicion in this regard because I tabled a written question on the matter. Basically, I am seeking confirmation that 76% of applications have been processed but that 15% of those that have been processed have not yet been paid out.