2026-07-02

For months, the Government has tried to present abolishing the triple lock as a reasonable and necessary change. Yesterday, however, the Taoiseach made the implications of that decision crystal clear. He argued that Ireland must be free to participate in EU military missions without a United Nations mandate. That marks a profound shift in Irish defence and foreign policy. It weakens one of the key safeguards underpinning Ireland’s military neutrality. As the Government today rolls out the red carpet for Ursula von der Leyen amid the EU’s increasing militarisation, those safeguards matter now more than ever. Why is the Government so determined to remove one of the fundamental protections of Irish neutrality? Why should the Irish people accept that abandoning the UN safeguard is in Ireland’s national interest?

When the Deputy uses phrases like “rolls out the red carpet” for the President of the European Commission, the mask kind of slips. It is a sharp reminder that Sinn Féin has opposed every single European referendum, including the one to join the European Union. It is a Eurosceptic party; it has been since its foundation. If it were up to Sinn Féin, Ireland would not be in the European Union because it opposed joining it. It is nothing to do with the colour of the carpet, but more to do with Sinn Féin’s politically inward-looking ideology. In relation to the triple lock, this is an act of sovereignty. We do not believe that the British Prime Minister, the US President, the Chinese President or the Russian President should decide where we send the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann. As someone who has stood with our troops in Lebanon - I do not think Deputy Doherty has - I believe they should be able to continue doing their excellent peacekeeping work there but they cannot because people who are not the Deputy or me have made that decision. If other European countries came together to continue peacekeeping in Lebanon, I would like Ireland to have been involved in that conversation because I am proud of the decades of tradition of the men and women in Óglaigh na hÉireann. However, other people - not me, the Deputy or the Oireachtas - have decided that is not possible. Removing the triple lock is in the programme for Government. It should not come as a surprise to anyone on any side of the House that we intend to change this legislation because it was voted through as part of the programme for Government. The Minister will take the legislation through this House in the course of this year. It is an important reform.

Last Wednesday, the Traveller committee published a damning report on Traveller health inequality. The statistics show extreme levels of inequality due to systemic discrimination, racism and neglect by the State. The statistics speak for themselves. Suicide rates for Travellers are six times higher and infant mortality three and a half times higher, while life expectancy is over a decade shorter for Traveller women and 15 years shorter for Traveller men. These statistics are alarming, but all we have gotten is silence from the Minister for Health, the HSE and the Department. Has the Government considered this report? Was it discussed at Cabinet this week? What is the Government going to do about it? The report calls for a radical and urgent change of direction from Departments, State agencies and public services. It calls for the introduction of an ethnic identifier across every public service, as called for as far back as 2010 but not implemented. It also calls for an annual parliamentary account mechanism whereby the Minster for Health comes to the Dáil every single year and reports to us on what he or she has done on these recommendations. This cannot be allowed to sit on the shelf and gather dust like all the other reports.

I reject the idea that any report has sat on the shelf and gathered dust. I have had many engagements with the Traveller community in a whole variety of roles, most particularly in the education space. Indeed, it was my party in government that recognised Traveller as an ethnicity, which was an important moment for members of the Traveller community. The report is a valuable piece of work. It highlights stark inequalities and discrimination that still exists in this Republic. Certainly, I and the Government as a whole will give it consideration. I will also ask the Minister for Health to come back to the Deputy directly on what is quite a damning report in terms of the level of progress that still needs to be made in our country to improve outcomes for Travellers across a whole variety of areas.

The Minister for justice, as part of his long-running campaign for the Fianna Fáil leadership, is in the process of critically undermining our system of criminal justice. He has introduced a new fee structure for District Court criminal legal aid without proper engagement or consultation with the practitioners involved. The Minister is asking criminal law solicitors to run entire cases for the same amount that he would have charged for one hour of his own time as a commercial law senior counsel. The Minister now refuses to publish the underlying data being used to justify the move to a flat fee. If the evidence is as the Minister says, why will he not publish it? I would have thought he would be familiar with the concept of discovery, whereby the other side in a case can test the evidence being relied on. Solicitors are resigning en masse across the country from legal aid panels. It is awful to see. Will the Tánaiste intervene? Is Fine Gael happy to see criminal prosecutions being put at risk? Will he ensure there is a pause to allow for engagement and consultation? Will he ensure the underlying data informing the Department’s report is published?

I thank Deputy Ahern for that colourful intervention, but on an important matter. The Minister for justice has introduced an 8% increase in criminal legal aid fees payable to solicitors and barristers in both the Circuit Court and High Court from 1 July. This is now a total restoration of criminal legal aid fees cut under the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI. He has also proposed, and is trying to bring about reform with, a move to a flat-fee model. I would also point out that he has moved on the level of that fee. The figure represents the current fee paid for five appearances in the District Court, plus an 8% increase. The weighted average of appearances by a solicitor in criminal cases legally aided is five, but many cases obviously require fewer appearances to be concluded. Everyone wants to see progress on this. The Minister is pursuing a reform agenda. No one wants to see justice in any way delayed or disrupted. I am informed that no solicitor has formally resigned or withdrawn their name from the criminal legal aid panel, but I have certainly heard media commentary to the contrary. I think three solicitors wrote to the Department indicating they would be seeking to withdraw from the panel, but I hope a resolution can be found. I understand and support the reforms the Minister is trying to bring about.

Last week, I asked the Taoiseach when homeowners could expect the review of the remediation of dwellings Act, following the publication of IS 465, to be completed. His response was that it could take approximately three months to report to the committee and that the homeowners already know this. Will the Tánaiste provide a clear timeline as to when the necessary amending legislation will be published, enacted, communicated and commenced? Given that the science is now clear, the Government must ensure long-outstanding appeals for downgraded homeowners are determined without any further delay. They have been waiting over 18 months. Replies to parliamentary questions suggest that homeowners who were recommended remediation measures under the original scheme, such as outer leaf replacement, may be entitled to a review under the new IS 465. However, I have yet to receive clarification on this. Can the Tánaiste confirm that those homeowners will be entitled to a technical review?

I may have to ask the Minister to come back on some of the specifics, but I know that the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 sets out a clear process for what should happen when a new standard is made available. It requires that a review of the operation of the Act commences within three months of that standard being published. The Minister for housing now intends to commence a review of the operation of the Act in the coming weeks. I will ask him to keep in close contact with the Deputy on that. In the meantime, the scheme can continue to operate and fix homes for many homeowners who have already received a determination and a grant amount under the former scheme. I will ask the Minister to come back to the Deputy specifically on those questions. We hope the review will be under way within weeks.

Scoil Padre Pio in Churchfield, Cork, is a DEIS plus school catering for five special needs classes. They are operating in prefabs installed in 2005. The prefabs are now costing the State roughly €110,000 per year to maintain. Additionally, despite the energy grants, it is costing the school about €34,000 per year to heat those prefabs with storage heaters. The school has been stuck at stage 2 for the last three years. It has not been accepted onto the list for 2026-27. I invite the Tánaiste, along with the Minister, to visit the school. It is an absolutely fantastic school. It is a treasure. People from all over the city try to get access to the school because of the tremendous work it does with children with special needs. I ask the Tánaiste to come down on his next visit to Cork, perhaps with the Minister, to visit the school. Let us get the school moving along the line. Let us get the planning permission granted and over the line to the next stage so we can build this. When this was first announced, it was a €2 million project. We are now looking at a €7 million project and I am fearful that, if we let it go on, it will hit €10 million.

I would be happy to visit Scoil Padre Pio. If the Deputy wants to liaise with me, I will make arrangements to do that in due course in the new school year. I thank the school, based on what the Deputy has told me, for the leadership role it is playing in the provision of special education. I will certainly speak with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, about the school building project. What I would say all Members of this House, including Deputy O'Flynn, is that while we have announced a significant increase in capital funding for schools, it is not the final word on the matter. There will be a requirement for additional capital funding for school projects. There are quite a number at stage 2b. The Government has additional capital to allocate as part of our medium-term fiscal plan and we will work our way through that in the time ahead. I am happy to engage and I will ask the Minister to look specifically into the building project.

The Tánaiste might have heard that there is a bit of excitement in Louth at the moment. I do not know if anyone has missed it, but Louth is into its first All-Ireland football semi-final since 1957. This is not just one brilliant season for Louth GAA, however. Louth GAA is on the rise and, thankfully, so too is our stadium. We have a valid application under the large-scale infrastructure fund for phase 2 of our project. Phase 1 is being built and is nearly finished. We are ready and we need to keep this funding going. Where projects elsewhere are not in a position to draw down their allocation, will the Department consider reprioritising funding towards projects that are ready to proceed? There is little point in having money sitting idle when communities are ready to deliver. Our stadium is becoming a field of dreams for all of us Gaelic lovers and sports lovers in County Louth. The county board, players and supporters are all doing their part and we ask the Government to finish the job. Louth has shown we are ready to compete with the best on the pitch and I want the Government to help us build a stadium that matches that ambition and success. Who knows, if we keep winning we might come back here and ask for more money for a bigger stadium, but we will be happy with the money for our current plans.

That contribution made me smile to see the positivity, infectiousness and county pride the GAA can bring. I look forward to attending that game because, of course, what the Deputy did not say in her contribution, is that County Wicklow is in the Tailteann Cup final on the same day, just before that match. Wicklow will beat Down and then Louth and Mayo I am not getting involved in, but I wish everybody well. I take the point about the large-scale projects. Indeed, I had an opportunity quite a while ago to meet with some of the Louth county board members while I was in Louth, and I know how serious this project is. It is the county that has the outstanding need for those county grounds. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, about it before. On foot of the Deputy raising it today, I will talk to him again and ask him to come back to the Deputy directly.

Dublin is buzzing with headline gigs, from Katy Perry and Calvin Harris to CMAT and many more, as well as many sporting events. However, what we do not have is a national major event transport planning framework. We really need this. It is impacting on people's decisions on where to go. People from Skerries and Balbriggan simply will not go to Marlay Park any more because getting home is too difficult. Will the Tánasite please talk to the Minister for Transport and instruct him to require the NTA to pull together a planning framework? If necessary, it needs to be a condition of licensing that a transport plan, bringing together event organisers, venues, local authorities, An Garda Síochána and the transport operator, is co-ordinated by the NTA so that people know how they can get home.

This a great round of Questions on Policy or Legislation. We have gone from GAA pitches to concert events. The Deputy raises a very important point. It is great to see the level of activity and the concerts going on right across the country and particularly the city and county of Dublin. Deputy Boland is right; the joy can be somewhat taken out of that if there are real challenges in terms of traffic, congestion and a lack of co-ordination. I know that is an issue that can affect her own constituency of Dublin Fingal West, particularly during the summer months. As she said, the NTA is the organisation with statutory responsibility for pulling all of this together. There is significant collaboration between the NTA and all public transport operators, but I think she is right. There is an issue that needs to be resolved. On foot of the Deputy raising it, I will engage directly with the Minister for Transport and others, and we will come back to her to see what more can be done.

The primary care service operators in County Wexford are creaking at the knees. Occupational therapists, OTs, in the community health organisation, CHO, 5 south-east area are burned out and under enormous pressure due to the current workload from a long list of clients waiting for appointments and treatment. The integrated health area, IHA, in County Wexford has a total of 1,643 children on waiting lists, almost double that of any other area. There are 132 children aged five or under waiting over 12 months, while 434 five- to 17-year-olds have been on the list for over two years. Nineteen five-year-olds, along with 305 17-year-olds, have been waiting for over three years. The list goes on. There are 252 children, to be exact, waiting on primary care occupational therapy services for between four and five years in total. Will the Tánaiste investigate these unacceptable delays and seek an explanation as to why this is happening? These are children who require an immediate intervention. The longer the delay, the more they will regress. The sooner the treatment starts, the sooner they will progress.

I thank Deputy Mythen for raising this issue in relation to primary care services in County Wexford and the impact it is having on children waiting longer periods on waiting lists. I will certainly raise this issue with the Minister for Health and ask that she discuss it specifically with that CHO and the HSE to see what more can be done to make progress. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to come back to the Deputy directly.

There are serious and ongoing concerns regarding the lack of access to occupational therapy for elderly people. I am dealing with a situation where an elderly man of 90 years who worked all his life and paid his taxes cannot get access to an occupational therapy appointment despite at least eight separate medical referrals. I have followed up myself and sent an email to the HSE and the local primary care centre and also the Minister because it is simply wrong, and this man is not the only elderly person I am dealing with who cannot get access to occupational therapy, which is a very basic service. He urgently needs an assessment and it is causing him great distress and frustration that he cannot get this basic assessment despite, as I said, having worked all his life.

I thank Deputy Nolan for raising this issue in relation to access to occupational therapy for older people. I will speak to the Minister about that broader issue but also specifically the issue she has raised regarding that elderly gentleman who is seeking an assessment and has a number of medical referrals. If she wants to send me the information, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to engage with the HSE and come back to her.

I welcome the continued success of IDA Ireland in attracting foreign direct investment at a time when global competition for investment has never been more intense. Today, companies are looking for countries that can provide certainty, speed, skilled people and investment-ready sites. Offaly is well positioned to compete in this. IDA Ireland has already demonstrated its confidence in the county by acquiring a strategic site for future industrial development. However, the land alone does not attract investment. Companies need sites that are fully serviced and ready for development. Will the Tánaiste support prioritising the enabling of infrastructure needed to bring this site to market as quickly as possible? The race for investment does not begin when a company contacts IDA Ireland. It begins years earlier when the Government ensures that strategic sites are ready to compete. If we are serious about balanced regional development, counties like Offaly must be equipped to win the next generation of investment and the high-quality jobs that come with it.

I think Deputy McCormack for raising this issue. I will discuss it with the Minister, Deputy Burke, and ask that he revert to the Deputy. More broadly, the IDA is continuing to deliver very successful results in a very challenging environment and is securing more sites that, as the Deputy said, are able to be accessed because they have the enabling infrastructure to try to keep ahead of the curve. The world is getting more and more competitive. It is more vital than ever to have that joined-up approach to securing sites but also to ensure they are functional and ready to rock. That is an absolute imperative. I will speak to the Minister and he will revert to the Deputy.

I wish to ask if the Government has or is developing a policy for the development of industrial hemp production in Ireland. Industrial hemp is a remarkable plant. It is a recognised crop grown largely in France, Belgium and Germany and is governed by an EU regulatory framework to keep the active tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, content lower than 0.3%, which is important because it is part of the cannabis family. I think it is prejudiced because of that. We had farmers, processors, building industry representatives and construction academics at the agriculture committee last night. This remarkable crop has over 70 recognised uses, including hemp concrete, insulation, textiles and building blocks. It is grown quickly, with immediate carbon sequestration, and is sustainable and profitable for farmers, with an estimated profit of €250 per acre. It is a most suitable building material for Ireland with our damp climate. However, it requires a co-ordinated approach by Government to support it as an industry. Does the Government have a policy on industrial hemp production and will it encourage the Departments of Health, agriculture and enterprise to progress this, because at the moment it is licensed by the Department of Health and not by the Department of agriculture? In my constituency, a €20 million investment in a hemp production factory was turned down because we could not get the funding from the just transition programme. Part of the reason for that was the prejudice against this plant because of its association with cannabis.

I do not honestly know the answer to the question of whether we have one. I have not seen it if we do, so I presume we have not. On foot of the Deputy raising this, I will ask the relevant Ministers to take a look at it because I am conscious he is a doctor as well as a Deputy and there is a very clear differentiation between what he is trying to achieve from an economic point of view and the broader discussion in relation to cannabis and the likes. That idea of the industrial use of hemp and the good that could come of it is certainly something that should be explored. I will perhaps ask the Minister, Deputy Burke, in the first instance to come back to the Deputy.

There is a commitment in the programme for Government to enhance driver training but this has not been of much comfort to learner drivers who cannot get an appointment for a test. Numbers on the waiting lists for driving tests continue to climb and waiting times grow longer. Several weeks ago, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, pulled the plug on a proposed new driving centre in Sandyford, despite the Minister saying it was mere weeks away from opening. This would have relieved the enormous backlog affecting in Tallaght and Dún Laoghaire tests centres, which are permanently at the top when it comes to the waiting lists. There are 17,000 on the waiting list for the centre in Tallaght. That represents 10% of the State's total number in a network of 60 test centres. I have raised this on a number of occasions, including with different Governments. Could the Tánaiste give the people who rely on the Tallaght and Dún Laoghaire test centres assurances that a new test centre will be opened in south Dublin in 2026? This is something that needs to be tackled. At this stage I have raised it with a number of Governments.

I thank Deputy Crowe. I can hear his frustration. From memory, I think the waiting time for driving tests is falling, albeit from a very high place. I take the point that there can be geographic differences in relation to that too. I am not sure of the situation in relation to the Sandyford test centre but on foot of the Deputy raising it, I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, who has responsibility for the RSA and road safety to see what can be done. More broadly, we are having a conversation about the role of the RSA. I will come back to the Deputy directly and see what can be done for the people in Tallaght and Dún Laoghaire on those wait times.

I am trying my absolute best to find out what has happened to the 119 bus service from Glendalough, through Roundwood to Bray. It was meant to start last September, as the Tánaiste is aware. One month ago his office told constituents that the service was financed, sanctioned and overdue and that it would come into operation very soon and that there should be a firm date in the next week. That was a month ago. As recently as yesterday I had confirmation from the National Transport Authority, NTA, that there is no money for that service and that is why it has not begun. The Minister for Transport told me a couple of weeks ago that he hoped it would start early in 2027. It was meant to start last September. Similar bus routes in Ennis and Mullingar did start when they were meant to start. I am not sure why the 119 has not started. Is there funding for this service? If there is not, could the Tánaiste ensure that funding is provided? I think it would cost approximately €80,000 to get that really vital service up and running from this coming September until when the longer term funding comes into place.

I genuinely thank Deputy Whitmore for her work on this. I know her work to get this bus service up and running is sincere. I very much support it. This is where State agencies have to stop with the codology. Deputy Whitmore and I did not make up that this bus was coming to Wicklow. This information flowed from the NTA. She is right that certain bus routes have started and certain other ones have not. I watched back some of the NTA's contribution in response to the Deputy. Deputy Whitmore and I, as a Wicklow TD, were given assurances that this bus service was to be delivered within the timeline. I expect State agencies to keep to the commitments they give and not to go into Oireachtas committees with measly words and try to suggest that somehow the idea just dropped from the sky. It came from the NTA. I am very happy to meet the NTA with Deputy Whitmore in relation to this and to try to get this bus service up and running as quickly as possible.

If we wait around long enough in here, two opportunities can come in a day - much like the 33 bus, which I am going to again raise in regard to its reliability. I acknowledge that the Minister's priority is to make the route more reliable rather than increasing the service this year. I also recognise that recruitment challenges and traffic congestion have contributed to cancellations across the 33 fleet. However, these are not new problems, and this is not the first time I have raised these concerns. I continue to receive emails from frustrated constituents about buses that are simply not turning up on a daily basis. We need to improve the integration of our public transport network across the north county. The 33 bus timetable should be aligned with train services, and the location of Rush and Lusk train station, which is not in Rush or Lusk remains a significant barrier to people accessing public transport on the northern commuter line. A dedicated Local Link service connecting surrounding communities in Rush and Lusk to the station would greatly improve access and encourage greater use of public transport. I am hoping these issues can be resolved so that my constituents in Dublin Fingal West can have a public transport system they can rely on.

Deputy O'Donoghue is having a busy day. I thank him for raising the issue of the 33 bus again. I take the point that there is always a balance between the reliability of the service and increasing the frequency of it. I know the Minister's aim in the first instance is to improve reliability. The Deputy has put forward some suggestions as to measures that could be taken that would pass the common-sense test in terms of helping get people to and from train stations and the likes. I am very much aware that he represents a constituency with a growing and young population where investment in public transport is crucial. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to come back to the Deputy in the first instance. I hope we can focus on public transport and bus provision in the forthcoming budget because it has been a challenging year for Local Link and the likes.

The Tánaiste will be well aware that last night SNAs overwhelmingly voted to reject the proposed SNA workforce development plan. I understand Fórsa's education divisional executive committee will meet next Wednesday, 8 July. I accept what the Minister, Deputy Naughton, said about there being significant stakeholder engagement on the creation of this workforce development plan but the reality is that SNAs do not accept it. One of the core issues is the 72-hour obligation on SNAs. I suspect that this issue forms part of the reason for the rejection of the plan. My question is fairly simple. What now?

I thank Deputy Kenny. First, I respect the outcome of the ballot because it is important that processes are respected. I know Fórsa opened a consultation ballot. It is important to say that the union representing SNAs did recommend acceptance of the plan but the members rejected it. That is a statement of fact too and that is how democracy works. In terms of what happens next and what now, Fórsa has said it will consider the outcome carefully. I understand, as the Deputy outlined, that its education divisional executive committee will meet next Wednesday to consider the outcome and determine the next steps. We, as a Government, and the Department await the feedback from Fórsa's engagement with its members. We are respectful of that. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and their officials are ready and willing to constructively work and engage with Fórsa and all stakeholders to address any concerns or issues. We all want to get agreement on this. In fairness, I know the SNAs want to get agreement on it. They have waited a long time for it. This was seen as an important step forward. We need to hear what was behind the outcome of the ballot to see if we can tease through some of the issues. We look forward to hearing from Fórsa after the meeting next Wednesday.

What plans does the Government have to reform Uisce Éireann, which is totally out of control, given its continued failure to deliver on its core responsibility of providing a safe, secure and reliable water supply. Last week alone 28,000 homes and businesses across south Tipperary, from Carrick-on-Suir right up to Tipperary town, were affected by boil water notices. That is simply unacceptable in 2026. These notices, along with repeated unplanned outages, are not just an inconvenience, they force businesses to close, disrupt farming operations and place huge pressures on families and small businesses and undermine confidence in Irish Water-Uisce Éireann. People are asking how these failures can continue while Uisce Éireann executives continue to receive generous top-ups and bonuses. Where is the accountability? I think it was Einstein who said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again. Not a week goes by without Deputies from all over the country raising this issue here. We, as public representatives, have literally no access to Irish Water. It is a complete farce. Tipperary town is on a boil water notice since February and it is likely to continue until October. Absolutely no information is coming to public representatives or to the public. How long can this madness continue? Uisce Éireann has been a failure since it was set up by the then Minister, Phil Hogan, who was in the Tánaiste's Government. It must be stood down or massively reformed because it is just not fair. A soft drinks company in Clonmel has a bill of €40,000 for buying clean water and it has got no satisfaction from Irish Water.

The Deputy should conclude.

That is not acceptable.

I thank Deputy McGrath. As is often the case I agree with some of what he says and disagree with some of it also. The establishment of Uisce Éireann, to have one national body for co-ordinating and directing a very significant level of investment in water quality, water services and the water supply we need for housing, is a good thing. I genuinely believe that and I stand over that decision. However, the Deputy raised two other issues. One is the boil water notices in his constituency and the very significant impact they have had on his constituents. I will raise that with Irish Water and ask that it comes back to him directly. The second issue is the accountability of Irish Water. I am only one Member of this House - it is for the House to consider this - but it is my very clear view that Uisce Éireann should be accountable to Dáil Eireann through parliamentary questions. I do not understand why it is not. It was intended to be set up in a different way. Deputy McGrath will remember those battles. He referenced my former colleague, the then Minister, Phil Hogan, but it has not been established in that way. Therefore, I think it should be covered. I do not think it is acceptable. I do not blame the Ceann Comhairle or the Leas-Cheann Comhairle - far from it - but at the moment if a Deputy asks a question about Uisce Éireann, it is ruled out of order. If we ask a question about the HSE, the Minister answers it and refers it to the HSE. We need to do work in whatever the appropriate committee is - the Committee on Members' Interests or the Oireachtas Commission - on how we are going to bring accountability. This is an organisation with vast sums of public money. Deputy McGrath's frustration is shared by Deputies across the House.

It is not the Leas-Cheann Comhairle or the Ceann Comhairle; it is the legislation.

Absolutely. We should work it out together.

I just want to make it clear. I agree with the Tánaiste.

I defended the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's honour but we need to seriously look at this.

While I welcome the supports available to older people, there is a growing concern that the social welfare system does not address the additional costs associated with advancing age. What I am asking the Tánaiste to examine, in the context of budget 2027, is additional supports for older people, particularly those over the age of 80 and 90. I am particularly thinking about the fuel allowance. We have 189,000 people over the age of 80 and 29,000 over the age of 90 but not all have an automatic entitlement to the fuel allowance. It is those cohorts of people who are particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty. As I said, only 29,000 people are over the age of 90. Most of them are already in receipt of the fuel allowance but there is a small cohort who are not because they are above the financial threshold. It would be a great step by the Government to consider an automatic entitlement for those people over the age of 90, perhaps first, and then extending it to those over the age of 80.

As is often the way, there is a lot of logic in what the Deputy is suggesting. We have to consider these matters as part of the budgetary process. I am proud that we are in a Government that has significantly expanded the fuel allowance and made sure that more homes and more people than ever before are receiving it. We have increased the amount of the fuel allowance and took the decision to extend the fuel allowance season this year when the energy prices went in a very bad direction globally and in Ireland. The Deputy is making the point that there is a certain cohort of people of an age who still do not qualify and he would like that examined. On foot of his raising this, I will ask the Minister, Deputy Calleary, to give it consideration and come back to the Deputy directly.

I want to put the spotlight on the primary medical certificate and the very rigid rules there are with regard to eligibility. It is fine if a person has a very physical disability; they will qualify. Those who lose eyesight, for example, would not be eligible. The appeals process is also quite complex. Is there any prospect of a review of the scheme? On the backlog of appeals, is there anything to speed up the numbers who are waiting on decisions?

I thank Deputy Roche for raising this issue. I will reflect on what he says in respect of the actual process itself. Specifically on the issue of the length of time for appeals, I acknowledge the appeals board is independent but the board does run regional clinics on occasion where appropriate facilities can be sourced and where there is sufficient demand and attendance. For instance, over the past 12 months, it held these regional clinics in Cork and Galway and I think that helped somewhat with those delays. I am advised that the location of alternative regional clinics is kept under review by the board. This is very welcome. On foot of the Deputy raising the matter today, I will ask that his views are conveyed to the board as well. Those regional hearing centres could make a real difference in speeding up those times and I know it is something the board is open to as well.