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

Deputy McDonald raised the issue of poverty, and Social Justice Ireland also raised the same point. Overall, the national risk assessment deals with strategic risks facing the country from external sources, including hybrid threats, terrorism, armed conflict and war. These were identified for the period 2021 to 2022. Risks referred to include the rise of a multipolar world; the future direction of the European Union; Ireland’s relationship, after Brexit, with the United Kingdom; and armed conflict, terrorism and hybrid threats. The economic risks listed relate to economic scarring, economic risks coming out of Covid, the public finances, the financial system, labour shortages, and supply chain capacity. These are all the issues that were identified, along with environmental risks. Social risks include risks to social cohesion, which relates to poverty, and risks associated with housing and sustainable development. The risk assessment makes the point that each Department and agency will have to carry out more detailed risk assessments.

The Department of Social Protection, in particular, and the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform need to do that in respect of issues pertaining to poverty. We will be publishing information shortly on the strategic risks identified for 2022-23 and we will be engaging with the Oireachtas in that regard. We can discuss those issues in more detail, including the more global strategic risks to the country and the risks in respect of individual areas within the country, such as forced displacement and so forth.

Deputy Bacik raised the issue of Russian officials in Ireland. We do not get down to those specifics in terms of risks but we have expelled certain officials and we are advised by the National Security Committee on occasion in terms of potential risks to the country from external forces. Those issues are kept under constant review.

Deputy Brendan Smith raised the impact of the war on Ukraine on Ireland's economy and the energy crisis, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises. We are very seized of this matter. The temporary business energy support scheme will be announced shortly and we hope funding gets out to companies before the end of the year. We will keep it under review to ensure we keep jobs intact, especially in the domestic services sector and particularly in hospitality and retail, which are areas the Deputy mentioned, as well as other manufacturers and so on. We will keep an eye on that because we want to retain as many jobs as we possibly can in small and medium sized enterprises.

I will come back to Deputy O'Callaghan on his question about district heating systems, which was also raised by Deputy Ó Murchú. We are not talking about waiting months or years for action to be taken. The Minister is of a mind to come back quickly in respect of this. We cannot wait months or years.

Deputy Ó Murchú raised the issue of household poverty, which I dealt with. In terms of early interventions with families, that would be an issue for the Department of Social Protection, other social services and housing services. They need to work with local authorities, Tusla and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in respect of early intervention and support services for families who are at risk and are challenged. There is a whole range of work that must be done at national level by Departments and agencies.

On Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, I do not know why it takes 12 months to assess somebody in the circumstances he outlined, for example, in the case of a cancer patient with children. That should not take 12 months.

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