John Paul O'Shea

Deputy Conway-Walsh has a supplementary question.

A supplementary from Deputy Neville.

Deputy Doherty, the Tánaiste, without interruption please.

The Tánaiste, without interruption please.

We are out of time.

Deputy, please address the Chair.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Sean Fleming - The transfer of patients from Erkina House in Rathdowney, County Laois and the future of this facility. Deputy Rory Hearne - To discuss changes to bus networks in Dublin north west. Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss pu…

To clarify, the Deputy can defer it until the next day.

Will we defer it until tomorrow morning? Yes. We will put it to the Ceann Comhairle's office for the Deputy.

Okay.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, and I thank all Deputies. That concludes the Topical Issue Debate for today.

10. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he plans to increase the funding allocation for the local improvement scheme for County Cork in 2026 given the large number of unfunded applications, particularly in rural parts of Cork North-West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67265/25]

I thank the Minister. It is great to see that so much progress has been made on the local improvement scheme since it was re-established in 2017. The 5,000 improved roads in many rural parts of the country are very important to many of our constituents. I welcome the fact that the Minister has doubled the funding this year to €30 million, representing one of the largest increases for the scheme in…

I thank the Minister. It is good to see that Cork County Council is getting a lot of praise here this morning for its participation in the scheme and for ensuring many roads will be done this season. A total allocation of €2.33 million for 2025 is very welcome. I am sure many roads in my area, Cork North-West, and right across the county will be done. It is great that many roads on the islands off…

I want to raise the issue of home support with the Taoiseach today. Home support, often known as home help, is one of the most essential person-centred supports provided by our health and social care system. It is a service that allows older people and those with additional needs to continue living safely, comfortably and independently in their own homes and communities. For many families across C…

I thank the Taoiseach. I agree with him that the resources are there; the problem is in recruitment and ensuring we get enough staff in place to continue. Our population is ageing and needs are increasing. The State must respond proactively, not reactively. The principle here is simple. People should be supported to live at home for as long as possible. The State must ensure the supports required …

109. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when outstanding farm payment issues under the ACRES scheme will be resolved; the steps being taken to ensure timely payments in future cycles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65229/25]

I thank the Minister for his continuing engagement on this matter. As he knows, a lot of farmers in Cork North-West are involved in ACRES. I know the Minister inherited a lot these issues when he moved into his new role but he has made great strides to ensure that we are now up at over 90% in terms of payments for many of the schemes from 2023 and 2024. ACRES is not just a scheme but a partnershi…

I very much concur with the Minister on the importance of having permanent solutions in place rather than temporary measures. That is very important. A few prepayments were made previously but getting permanent payments is what it is all about. Timely ACRES payments are not a luxury but a necessity. They uphold trust, recognise the efforts of farmers and allow the scheme to achieve its full enviro…

82. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to expand or improve dental facilities in Cork North-West, including the delivery of a new or upgraded facilities to meet growing demand in towns such as Macroom, Kanturk, Mallow and Millstreet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64083/25]

Are there plans to expand or improve dental facilities, including clinics, in north-west Cork? Are there plans for new or upgraded facilities to meet the growing demands of towns like Macroom, Charleville, Kanturk, Mallow and Millstreet?

I thank the Minister for that update on dental services, particularly in north-west Cork, north Cork and mid-Cork. Certainly, there seems to be gaps in some areas where the DTSS is not available to many medical card holders. That is a serious issue we must try to alleviate. The number of contractors involved in the scheme has increased, but only slightly. As the Minister said, it is still not enou…

I thank the Minister for her response. I want to focus on the HSE dental services that are available to children and to adults with significant special care needs. The service provided over the last number of years has been challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been a number of challenges in terms of providing orthodontics, particularly in ensuring there are enough staff to support clini…

Question No. 6 is in the name of Deputy Gibney.

We are on question No. 6, which relates to the new AI office.