Can I have clarification on that point?

Tá dhá chraoltóir seirbhíse poiblí teilifíse sa Stát seo – RTÉ agus TG4. Agus cinneadh á dhéanamh maidir le cistíocht do chraolachán seirbhíse poiblí don bhliain 2024, caithfear déanamh cinnte nach dtabharfar tosaíocht don tseirbhís nach raibh in ann cloí lena buiséad seachas an tseirbhís a chloí lena buiséad, a chuir ard-seirbhís ar fáil ar bhuiséad an-teoranta agus a rinne é sin i dteanga nach labhraítear go forleathan ar fud an domhain, sé sin, an Ghaeilge. Le go bhfásfadh TG4 i gceart an bhliain seo chugainn, t…

Why do all farmers in the SCEP scheme also have to be in the Bord Bia scheme, which is quite bureaucratic? What is the logic behind this? I think it has a knock-on effect on participation in the SCEP scheme.

If the actual effect of the scheme is that a huge number of small farmers do not participate in it and therefore are not quality assured, then is it defeating itself with a surfeit of bureaucracy? Obviously, every scheme must have terms and conditions, but it is my understanding the Bord Bia bureaucracy is the one causing the problem and not the bureaucracy of the scheme itself that aims to improve the suckler cow herd and suckler cow production. Therefore, could a derogation be given for the smaller herds? Will th…

If a huge number of farmers are not participating because they are put off by the conditions of the scheme and the bureaucracy involved, and especially those farmers with small herds on poorer land who sell the cattle younger and who are not participating because of the Bord Bia condition, are we not losing and throwing the baby out with the bathwater? Could they not have a modified scheme and then allow the bigger herd owners to meet the Bord Bia condition because they are more likely to be finishing the cattle?

This question relates also to Question No. 10. I want to ask the Minister about the number of farmers with fewer than ten suckler cows in the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, scheme. What is the number of farmers in total with fewer than ten suckler cows, and the percentage of those that are in the suckler carbon efficiency programme scheme? When we consider this figure, we will see the scheme is not attractive to smaller farmers.

A total of 56% of farmers, which is more than half, have fewer than seven suckler cows. This is 44,292 farmers. As the Minister has said, 3,513 farmers applied for the scheme. This is 8%. The scheme is failing totally to improve the herds of the smaller farmers. Less than 10% of that cohort of farmers have applied. They are not doing anything because a deluxe requirement is required even though very few of those would be finishers. When a herd goes over 21 cows, there is 60% participation. We must look at the figur…

Would the Minister accept that in the same regions there is really low participation in this scheme but really high participation in, for example, the sheep welfare scheme? It is the same farmers but different schemes, one of which has more reasonable conditions for smaller operators. As I said, part of the Bord Bia scheme is that it is the last 90 days that counts. The Minister is forcing them into a scheme that is not, as it is currently constituted, relevant to most of these farmers because they do not hold them…

But it is not succeeding.

I was told previously that the North-South rail strategy was to be published this month in draft form and out for environmental assessment and public comment. A number of us sought a meeting with the Minister for Transport regarding the western rail corridor some time ago because, as the Tánaiste knows, there are significant deficits in infrastructure in the west of Ireland. We never got that meeting. Can the Tánaiste confirm that the rail strategy will be published this month and that we will have some idea of wha…

How many applications are on hand for international protection? What is the average length of time to process an application? What steps are being taken to reduce the processing time?

There is an awful lot of information there but the one thing I am still not clear on, is the Minister of State said 13,661 applications came in last year. I think was the figure he gave. He did not tell me at this moment in time exactly how many applications the Department has live or on hand. That is key because some could still be there from the previous year, and some from last year's could be dealt with so what I am looking for is: how many applications are on hand? The second issue most of us deal with when co…

I had a little bit of experience running a processing plant at one stage and one thing I learned is that one can always get a process that is better. One thing I cannot understand is that there must be a process and steps by which these files are dealt with. Presumably, with computer systems and so on, each step could be recorded and then the person could be given an accurate guess as to where the application is, how many steps are in the process, whether the application is at step 3, step 4 or whatever and when th…

Tá áthas orm deis a fháil cúpla focal a rá ar an mBille seo, an Bille Sláinte (Seirbhísí Foirceanta Toirchis) (Criosanna Rochtana Sábháilte), 2023. Is ceist casta é seo mar téann sé ar ais go buncheist; cén uair a thosaíonn an beatha daonna? Tá sé deacair sainmhíniú a dhéanamh air sin ach má chreideann tú gur duine daonna atá ionat ón am go ngintear thú, bheadh dearcadh amháin agat. Má chreideann tú nach duine daonna, bheadh dearcadh eile agat. Téann sé sin go croí ceiste atá thar a bheith casta. Is léir go bhfuil …

An cheist atá agam ná cad iad na beartais atá ag an Roinn maidir le bunú Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí agus céard iad na critéir a thógtar san áireamh len é sin a dhéanamh?

There is a lot of information there. The Minister mentioned 47 new schools. How many of those schools were either Gaelscoileanna or Gaelcholáistí? The Minister mentioned the figure of 400 in relation to the setting up of a Gaelcholáiste. Can the Minister tell me the difference in criteria between setting up a Gaelcholáiste and an aonad in a scoil Bhéarla?

The Department keeps quoting this figure of 47. What I am trying to find out is how many of those schools were Gaelscoileanna or Gaelcholáistí. That is the first point, and it is specific because some people, including me, got fooled when the figure of 47 was mentioned because they were all Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. I do not think they were, however. The second question is about whether any study has been done on the linguistic effectiveness of the aonad versus the Gaelcholáiste and whether they deliver wha…

The Minister might do that.

Is é an Cheathrú Rua an baile is láidre Gaeltachta sa tír agus tá sé suite i gceartlár Ghaeltacht dheisceart Chonamara. Ar ndóigh, is baile an-tábhachtach é ó thaobh seirbhísí a chur ar fáil do Ghaeltacht Chonamara. Le fada fada an lá, tá Áras Mhic Dara ann, aonad altranais pobail do shean daoine. Ar ndóigh, baineadh an-leas as thar na blianta. Le tamall anuas, tá leapacha folmha in Áras Mhic Dara agus is deacair a thuiscint cén fáth go bhfuil mar tá dóthain éileamh ar na leapacha ach is cosúil nach bhfuil na hailt…

Is é an chéad rud ar mhaith liom a dhéanamh ná mapa nó léarscáil a cheannach agus a chur ar fáil don té a scríobh an fhreagra seo. Níl a fhios agam an bhfuil barúil ar bith acu cé chomh fada is atá Port Omna ón gCeathrú Rua. Bheadh sé cosúil lena rá le duine i mBaile Átha Cliath go raibh ionad príomhúil á oscailt i mBaile Átha Luain ach go mbeadh sé níos éasca dul ó Bhaile Átha Cliath go Baile Átha Luain ná mar atá sé dul ón gCeathrú Rua go Port Omna. Ní thuigim cén chaoi go bhfuil na hionaid altranais phríobháidea…