Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In response to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, funding has been provided for home help. The service has been dramatically expanded and increased by millions of hours by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. There has been an issue in terms of recruitment of staff. If the Deputy has specific instances where staff are available to care for people, I ask that he forward them to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I am sure the Minister of State will take those up with the Deputy. Like the Deputy, we want to get to the bottom of it. The issue genuinely has been one of recruitment.

Deputy Cathal Crowe raised the issue of the guidelines. I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. They have been a long time in gestation and they have not come to fruition. There is a need to finish that, one way or the other, although I would have to repeat that renewable energy will be important, and wind will be particularly important in Ireland. Onshore and, increasingly, offshore wind will be a key ingredient in terms of our ability to deal with energy shortages.

To respond to Deputy Paul Murphy, I have already condemned in a previous answer the appalling murder of Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was fatally shot while reporting on a raid by the Israeli Defense Forces in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. We have issued a statement condemning the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. Media freedom and the safety of journalists is paramount and must be protected. There must be a full, thorough and independent investigation. Ireland expresses its deepest condolences to Shireen's family. In any forum we are a participant in, we will call for such independent investigations.

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