Search the record

reform. The postmasters of Ireland want to provide additional services, such as car tax renewal, renewal of licences and of passports and public services card replacements. All of these things can be delivered in the local community but it is important they are allowed and that the services

This funding will go towards funding and subsidising existing public transport services while maintaining targeted fares including initiatives such as the free travel for all children up to the age of nine and the young adult card for those aged 19-25 as part … this funding has been secured for continued investment in our rural transport service provision in 2026, a 38% increase on last year's funding. This funding ensures continued delivery of vital transport services across rural Ireland, building on the significant increase in funding in recent years. In County

respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation contracts, including Cork bus services. As Deputy Gould is aware, the NTA recently announced that from Monday 20 July passengers using Bus Éireann’s Cork TFI city bus services will benefit from faster boarding times and a simplified … onboard ticket validators also means that passengers can simply tap their Leap card and go, reducing boarding times and keeping services moving. This improves the overall reliability and punctuality of Cork city bus services. That said, it is disappointing to hear the Deputy’s presentation this morning, which

encourage the use of public transport and cycling as more sustainable forms of commuting. What is being proposed is the introduction of a new scheme that would allow employees to choose to assign part of their salary to pay for shared mobility services. Specifically, the sacrificed pay could … transferred to a virtual card account operated by an approved third-party commercial provider. Under this proposal, the sacrificed pay would not be subject to PAYE, USC or PRSI, while employers would benefit from reductions in employer PRSI. The actual operation of the ticketing wallet would be appropriate

invested exponentially now in our health services. In respect of GP and primary care, we have now had the biggest expansion of access to free GP care in the history of the State. If we take medical cards and GP visit cards, about 2.3 million people are eligible … free GP care, including those with medical cards and GP visit cards. We have reduced the threshold for the drug payment scheme to €80 per month. We did this progressively over the past number of years. We have funded diagnostic scans now for patients. We have introduced free

want to see increased and accelerated delivery of critical underlying infrastructure, which these amendments broadly deal with, but also of public amenities and public services like transport, schools and health facilities, all of which are sorely lacking in those parts of the State where there is increased residential … sites levy and its interaction with the residential zoned land tax. That would benefit from some public airing. With respect to the Housing Finance Agency, HFA, that was on the cards and is very welcome. Here is the problem. The additional funding from the Housing Finance Agency

services experienced by women who are unable to readily demonstrate that they are ordinarily resident in the State or to furnish a personal public service number, including women who are undocumented, women who are applicants for international protection, women experiencing homelessness and women who have experienced domestic, sexual … geographical barriers. My call is to maintain data on the number of women who are availing of the services, understanding the profile of who is actually accessing the services and also understanding the barriers as set out in that survey and indeed those that we have picked

them. Denmark recently announced the phasing-out of traditional postal services. The reaction here in Ireland to that announcement underlined the importance of investing in our postal network. People do not just think of our postal service in terms of the delivery of letters. They think … have a human connection with stability at a time when we hear of services being made digital first or digital only. The post office can be an outlet to provide that connection for people. Public services should strengthen community life. This Bill is a key enabler of strengthening

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the legislation to allow public services cards to be accepted as a form of identification when engaging with financial institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54416/26