Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(6)) Regulations 2022 (back from Committee) (without debate)

- Motion reNineteenth Report of the Committee of Selection (without debate)

- Motion reMinisterial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate)

- Statements on Creeslough, County Donegal (not to exceed 1 hr 40 minutes)

- Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2022 (Second Stage)* Private Members' Business shall be the Motion reHome Care, selected by Sinn Féin. * Please note: if not previously concluded, proceedings shall be interrupted on Second Stage of this Bill one hour and 27 minutes after the conclusion of the Statements on Creeslough, County Donegal, or at 6.12 p.m., whichever is the later Wednesday’s business shall be: - Motion reLeave to Introduce Supplementary Estimates [Votes 27, 28, 30 and 35] (without debate)

- Finance Bill 2022 – Motions for Financial Resolutions (to be moved together and decided without debate by one question)

- Motion for Financial Resolution re Key Employee Engagement Programme (without debate)

- Statements on Water Policy (not to exceed 3 hours 30 minutes)

- Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2022 (Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded)**

- Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 (Second Stage)**

- Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 (Report and Final Stages) (to be taken no earlier than 6.35 p.m. and to conclude within 45 minutes)

- National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) (Amendment) Bill 2022 (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 30 minutes)

- Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022 (Report and Final Stages) (to conclude within 45 minutes) Private Members' Business shall be the Motion reLong Covid Health Services, selected by the Regional Group. **Please note: if not previously concluded, proceedings on the Second Stage of either of these Bills shall be interrupted either one hour after the conclusion of the Statements on Water Services or at 6.35 p.m., whichever is the later Thursday’s business shall be: - Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2022 (Second Stage, resumed, if not previously concluded)

- Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 (Second Stage) Thursday evening business shall be the Motion reReport entitled “Ensuring independent living and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities".

Proposed Arrangements for this week's business:

In relation to Tuesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 46(1) shall not be taken;

(ii) Government business shall commence at the time when Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach would normally be taken; and

(iii) private members’ business shall be taken either at 6.12 p.m., or one hour and 27 minutes after the conclusion of the Statements on Creeslough, County Donegal, whichever is the later, with consequential effect on the time for the commencement of Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, topical issues, and the adjournment of the Dáil: Provided that in the event proceedings on the Second Stage of the Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2022 conclude before 6.12 p.m., private members’ business shall be taken on the conclusion of those proceedings;

2. the Motion reProposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(6)) Regulations 2022 shall be taken without debate;

3. the Motion reNineteenth Report of the Committee of Selection shall be taken without debate;

4. the Motion reMinisterial Rota for Parliamentary Questions shall be taken without debate;

5. the Statements on Creeslough, County Donegal, shall not exceed 100 minutes, with arrangements in accordance with those agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for that time, and members may share time; and

6. the proceedings on Second Stage of the Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted either at 6.12 p.m., or one hour and 27 minutes after the conclusion of the Statements on Creeslough, Co, Donegal, whichever is the later. In relation to Wednesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the following extent:

(i) Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 46(1) shall not be taken;

(ii) the sitting shall be suspended pursuant to Standing Order 25(1) at the time when Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach would normally be taken, with consequential effect on the time for commencement of Government business; and

(iii) the weekly division time may be taken earlier than 8.45 p.m. and shall, in any event, be taken on the conclusion of proceedings on the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022;

2. the Motion reLeave to Introduce Supplementary Estimates [Votes 27, 28, 30 and 35] shall be taken without debate;

3. the Motions for Financial Resolutions for the Finance Bill 2022 shall be moved together and decided without debate by one question which shall be put from the Chair;

4. the Motion for a Financial Resolution rethe Key Employee Engagement Programme shall be taken without debate;

5. the Statements on Water Policy shall not exceed 210 minutes, with arrangements in accordance with those agreed by Order of the Dáil of 30th July, 2020, for 200 minutes, following which a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, and members may share time;

6. the proceedings on Second Stage of any Government Bill shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted either at 6.35 p.m., or one hour after the conclusion of the Statements on Water Policy, whichever is the later;

7. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022 shall be taken no earlier than 6.35 p.m. and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 45 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage;

8. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) (Amendment) Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 30 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media; and

9. the proceedings on Report and Final Stages of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 45 minutes by one question which shall be put from the Chair, and which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. In relation to Thursday’s business and meetings of Select Committees on 15th November, 2022, to consider Bills, it is proposed that: 1. the ordinary routine of business as contained in Schedule 3 to Standing Orders shall be modified to the extent that topical issues shall be taken either at 6 p.m., or on the conclusion of Government business, whichever is the earlier, with consequential effect of the commencement time for the Motion reReport entitled "Ensuring Independent Living and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" and on the adjournment of the Dáil; and

2. pursuant to Standing Order 94(3), the Dáil shall waive its instruction that not more than two Select Committees shall meet to consider a Bill on any given day in the case of the proposed meetings on 15th November, 2022, of the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, the Select Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Select Committee on Justice to consider, respectively, the Finance Bill 2022, the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022 and the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Crimes) Bill 2022.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Is the Order of Business agreed?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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It is not agreed.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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It is not agreed.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister made reference to delivery in respect of the Taoiseach's contribution to COP27. We have to accept that we face a huge challenge to achieve a just transition and our 2030 carbon emissions targets are in real jeopardy. The story of Ireland so far has been one of targets set and targets missed. We now need urgency, common sense and action. We need action in respect of investment in our ports and planning system if we are to achieve the wind capacity the Minister talked about. Our retrofitting scheme is not fit for purpose and needs to be addressed urgently. As a matter of urgency, I ask that we have statements and a debate in the House on COP27 and all of the issues of delivery that need to be addressed in that regard.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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Tomorrow, the Second Stage debate on the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill is being debated, yet amendments have to be submitted by tomorrow morning before the Second Stage debate. We believe that contradicts Standing Order 182. On that basis, the Second Stage debate is a nonsense if amendments have to be submitted before the Second Stage debate. It is an extremely important Bill which the Labour Party wants to support, but it is problematic in parts. In order for it to pass successfully through the Oireachtas things have to be done right, but we are not doing that. I ask that the Office of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Office of the Ceann Comhairle assist us in doing legislation properly. Asking people to submit amendments before a Second Stage debate is not doing legislation properly.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Fears are growing with regard to job losses in the tech sector. Last week at Twitter, workers were locked out and people were sacked by email. We saw the real face of capitalism, proving that a tech billionaire with ambitions to colonise Mars-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are discussing the Order of Business.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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-----can be every bit as ruthless as a good old-fashioned exploiter like William Martin Murphy was back in the day. With jobs being lost at Stripe and job losses at Meta on the way, can we arrange for the Minister to come to the House and make a statement and answer questions from Deputies on the situation regarding jobs in the tech sector?

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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My colleague, Deputy Carol Nolan, outlined the chronic situation with the National Ambulance Service. On behalf of my group, I want to raise the need for an urgent debate and urgent action regarding the HSE and its inability to serve the people and carry out its job.

Front-line staff are doing a sterling job but there are not enough of them and we are being told we will have to accept delays of 24 hours in accident and emergency departments. Cork University Hospital, CUH, which the Minister will know, had the highest numbers yesterday after University Hospital Limerick, which serves half of County Tipperary. All of the accident and emergency departments are under chronic pressure. We are six or seven weeks away from the Christmas holiday period. We will go off on our holidays at Christmas and come back to an unholy mess in January, as happens every year. Something is seriously amiss. The Minister is obviously incapable of managing it-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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This is the Order of Business.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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We need a serious debate on this matter and, more important, we need action. We are continuously asking for this situation to be rectified and it gets worse by the day.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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It is important that we have a debate in the House on COP27 but we must not focus only on the issue of mitigation, where the focus is at present, but also the issue of adaptation. In my constituency, families face being washed out of their homes due to the threat of flooding. I raised this with the Taoiseach recently and called for the establishment of a task force in which departmental bodies and Government agencies would come together to address the legislative weaknesses outlined by Roscommon County Council in correspondence with the Government. These are blocking adaptation measures taking place in communities-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are discussing the Order of Business.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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-----throughout this country. We need to have a thorough debate on this in the House.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputies McDonald and Naughten raised climate action issues with regard to COP27 and so on. It makes sense to have a debate when the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, report back to the House having attended COP27. We can have an informed debate when we know the outcomes of COP27. We do not yet know what those outcomes are. I know everyone in the House will wish our delegation well in seeking to ensure there are tangible outcomes. That is my view on bringing that idea to the Business Committee.

The matter raised by Deputy Ó Ríordáin with regard to the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill sounds unusual. The origin of the issue is the scheduling of Committee Stage by the committee. Perhaps there can be some discretion or leeway shown. That is a matter for the Ceann Comhairle and his office to consider. In my experience, it would be unusual to require that Committee Stage amendments be tabled before the commencement of the Second Stage debate, unless it was an urgent matter.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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If the offices of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle or Ceann Comhairle could assist in that regard, it would be greatly appreciated.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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With regard to Deputy Barry's point on tech jobs, it is a matter of concern when anyone loses his or job, but especially when it is in the manner in which it was done in Twitter's case. There will be an opportunity for a full debate on that issue and the wider issue. IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland have briefed the Ministers in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the matter. I look forward to a discussion in the House on that issue and the wider economic performance which remains very strong in Ireland.

Deputy Mattie McGrath wants a debate on the HSE and the situation in our hospitals. Every week, we have one debate, if not more, on health but the matter can be raised with the Business Committee. We do not propose to change the Order of Business.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The issue raised with regard to amendments is unacceptable and we will check it out. The Minister has outlined his position on the other matters.

Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to? Agreed.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Government is breaking records for all the wrong reasons in our health service. For the first time in our history, we have had a summer trolley crisis, with record wait times. We have seen people aged 75 and over waiting for six or nine days on a trolley. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, said just this afternoon that more than 100,000 patients have waited on trolleys so far this year.

It is clear we need more hospital beds, yet one in four beds that are funded have still not been delivered. Over 1,000 patients in hospital cannot get access to home care and so their discharge is delayed. What we have is chaotic. We need investment in our hospitals but also in home and community care. Other than simply having a winter plan, what meaningful action is the Government proposing to meet this crisis head on?

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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A well-resourced winter plan is meaningful action but we need to continue to increase the permanent capacity of the healthcare system and build up resilience in the system. It is the case that we are faced with an unprecedented number of presentations. In our children's hospitals, according to reports in the news yesterday, there has been, I think, a 50% increase in presentations relative to 2019, which is extraordinary. In our acute adult hospitals we are seeing more older people and people who are more frail and sicker presenting. This underlines the need for us to continue to increase capacity. We have added over 900 new acute hospital beds, 73 sub-acute beds and over 340 acute beds since coming into Government. We have increased staffing in the public health service by 15,000 people in the past two and a half years and we have brought about a reduction of 40% in the number of people waiting for home care. The problem we have is human resources and the availability of people-----

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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We had a trolley crisis in the summer.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----but I accept the point that we have to build up permanent capacity further.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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In the middle of a housing disaster, with a whole generation locked out of affordable home ownership, building is simply not taking place at the scale or speed necessary. Yesterday in Limerick, I saw a promised housing site that has lain idle for decades, despite being in public ownership. It is now in the control of the Land Development Agency which, apparently, has are no plans even to commence the planning process until 2028. That is an extraordinary delay. The Government must overhaul the planning and public construction system. As we look at the shambles at An Bord Pleanála, is the Government planning a radical overview of the board? A few moments ago, the Minister said the Government would have a planning Bill before this House in the coming weeks. Will that Bill include the necessary reforms to An Bord Pleanála? These reforms were recommended in a 2016 report commissioned by Deputy Kelly when he was Minister. It provided a series of vital recommendations that, had they been implemented then, would have prevented the shambolic system we are now seeing in An Bord Pleanála.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To answer the Deputy's specific question, there is legislation on the way in relation to An Bord Pleanála. It is urgent legislation. Separate from that, we have the outcome of the work being led by the Attorney General and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, on the planning system generally. That will also come in the form of a new consolidated planning Bill, which I expect will be brought to the House in the coming weeks. Capacity is the issue. It is about delivery. The problems we have faced have been in planning, labour shortages, construction material inflation and bottlenecks in the system. The Deputy is right that we need to do everything we possibly can to remove these and build more homes, which our people need.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Will the Bill be with us before Christmas?

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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One of the key asks of developing countries at COP27 is the development of a loss and damage fund to compensate them for the damage we, the developed countries, have done to them in the past number of decades. This is an issue not only of climate justice but of basic fairness. However, the concept of loss and damage has been around since 1991 and there has been no progress on it. I ask that the Government take a leadership role at COP27 when it comes to loss and damages and that we establish a fund ourselves. We should take our lead from Denmark, which has recently done this, and allocate additional funds for that fund so we are not renaming or relabelling existing funds to which we have already committed. Additional funds should be provided to assist developing countries with compensation.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We will give consideration to the point the Deputy has made. Last year at COP26, the Taoiseach announced that Ireland will more than double its funding for developing countries to tackle climate change by 2025. It will increase from €93 million to €225 million over the next four years.

We have made a start on that in the context of budget 2023, which we announced in the House in late September. Following the outcome of COP27, we will consider the specific issue the Deputy raised.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Ireland has the worst healthcare in the entire European Union for transgender people. That is according to Transgender Europe, which is a network of more than 200 trans rights organisations funded by the EU. Waiting times here are longer than in any of the other 26 EU countries. The time it takes from requesting to see a specialist to getting to see one is between two and a half and ten years. In most other EU states, the wait is less than one year. Trans and Intersex Pride is organising a trans day of remembrance on Saturday, 19 November, when a protest will take place outside Leinster House. Will the Minister accept the organisation's point of view that the delays in trans healthcare are totally unacceptable and the situation must change quickly?

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I am more than happy to agree with the Deputy and patient advocates that the current waiting lists in this country are not acceptable. They are not acceptable for trans people and in many other areas of healthcare provision. I met recently with some of the healthcare providers. There are various proposals being looked at to increase capacity and, critically, as the Deputy rightly advocates for, to make sure people have timely access to the best possible care.

Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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In the budget, the Government announced an investment of €23.4 billion in Ireland's health and social care services. However, it has come to light that on 25 October, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, recorded the highest number of patients on trolleys in 2022, when 669 people, including 28 children, were without a bed.

I raise with the Minister the issue of hospital overcrowding this winter, specifically in County Louth. Although the winter plan for 2022 to 2023 makes significant promises on additional capacity and improved pathways of care, community emergency departments have become warehouses for admitting patients who are waiting to be moved to a hospital ward. By keeping patients in emergency departments, the capacity of those departments to function as they should is completely invalidated. Our acute bed capacity is 2.8 per 1,000 of population, whereas the OECD average is 4.3. If nothing is done about this, along with the 40,000-plus waiting time breaches, it is the complete opposite of what was promised in the national service plan. I want the Minister for Health and the Government to confirm they will listen to the practical solutions and measures put forward by the emergency department task force and will implement solutions immediately to prevent this entirely predictable situation.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Go raibh maith agat, Deputy. We are over time.

Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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I would appreciate if the Minister would reply.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. I was in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, last week and met with the senior clinical team, including the emergency department nursing and consultant staff. I fully agree the resources that are needed have not been in place for a long time. The Deputy will be aware I have sanctioned a doubling of the number of emergency medicine consultants in Drogheda. We have launched phase 2 of the safe staffing framework, which will increase the number of emergency nursing and healthcare assistant roles. We are also talking to the hospital about additional capacity and, arguably more importantly, providing more step-down facilities in order that patients, when they are ready to be discharged, can be taken to a suitable clinical setting, meaning there will be more capacity in the hospital and for emergency medicine.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I raise the urgent case of a 14-year-old child in Tipperary with severe additional needs and the absolute neglect he and his family are receiving at the hands of the HSE. Despite having severe needs, being an acute priority and requiring, at a minimum, weekly respite, the child has received just three hours of respite since last May and just one overnight stay. It is appalling. The children's disability network team, CDNT, and disability services are failing him. Respite services are practically non-existent and his need for shared residential care is being completely ignored, with the HSE saying that is the last resort. This family has reached a place of last resort. I salute the child's mum and dad. They are in crisis and they cannot be ignored any further. I have had an eight-page letter from the child's mother, which I have just handed to the Minister. I ask him, please, to act. It is an appalling situation.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy. The Minister to reply.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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If there is any humanity at all, the situation should not be allowed to continue like this. It is appalling.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for passing on the case. I will ask the HSE for a detailed note on it. A significant additional number of healthcare professionals need to be hired in disability services. Sanction is in place for several hundred posts that are currently unfilled. The HSE has found it harder to fill the children's healthcare roles in disability services and mental health services than the adult roles. I am engaged directly with the HSE on this matter. It is looking at different service provision models. Ultimately, the solution to this is to hire into the roles that have already been sanctioned and make sure this child and all the other children waiting for care get it quickly.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I again raise the issue of the large numbers of people waiting for beds at Sligo University Hospital, SUH. Since January of this year, SUH has had the third highest number of people waiting for beds. The headline for figures for Cork are worse, but bed capacity in Cork is more than twice that of Limerick so in real terms, in terms of capacity, SUH is second only to Limerick. Time and again I have been told the winter plan will deal with the problem. However, seven of the proposed actions in the winter plan for SUH entail recruitment of more staff. That will not happen in time. It is winter already. The INMO has proposed a four-pronged approach, including the use of private hospitals for non-urgent elective care. Will the Minister use private hospitals right now? If he will not do it nationally, will he at least do it for the five worst-hit hospitals, two of which are in the north west, in Sligo and Letterkenny? The Minister mentioned step-down facilities. I remind him that 16 private voluntary care homes have closed this year already.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Significant investment is going into Sligo University Hospital and the budget has increased by about €30 million up to €160 million in the past few years. There has been quite an additional increase in staffing as well. There are new beds. Deputy Harkin will be aware that I pushed very hard for four new ICU beds to be opened up. The HSE is now moving to staff them directly. In direct response to Deputy Harkin's question on whether we will use private capacity to get people the care they need, we will do so and we are doing so. Significant funding is in place through the National Treatment Purchase Fund and the waiting list action plan to use that. We want to use public facilities wherever possible, but given the number of people waiting, we are using all of the available private healthcare facilities for now. Ultimately, we are in the middle of the biggest expansion in capacity in the public service since the foundation of the HSE to make sure the public service can handle all of the demand from the country.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We are over time. There are eight minutes and 30 seconds left and more than ten speakers remain so I ask for the co-operation of Members.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I will be quick. It is a focus of this Government to improve public transport and encourage people to use it. For that to happen, we need a public transport system and a bus service that is fit for purpose. The Kinsale to Cork city bus service, the 226 service, is not fit for purpose. There are capacity issues. Students who want to access third level education in Cork city are being left on the side of the road. In the terrible weather we have seen recently, that is a horrible situation. There is also an issue with the move of the bus stop in Cork city to a location that has no bus shelter. I do not expect the Minister to be able to solve this problem. This is in the hands of the National Transport Authority, NTA. I ask the Minister to facilitate and arrange a meeting so that the NTA will meet with me, with Senator Tim Lombard, who has also been working on this issue, and with the community in Kinsale so that we can solve this problem. That is all I ask.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. I would be happy to do that. In my experience, when the frequency of a service is improved, such as the 220 service between Cork city and Carrigaline, the use increases dramatically. When the service is provided, if the need is there a significant uptake occurs. I will be happy to work with Deputy O'Sullivan in regard to the 226 service between Cork city and Kinsale.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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The announcement of redundancies in the tech sector is a cause for concern. I refer, for example, to the announcement on Thursday that half of Twitter’s Irish staff were being summarily dismissed via email. It has rightly been highlighted that a hard-fought right of workers - the requirement for an employer to notify the Government of such actions - has not been adhered to.

I am aware, as the Minister mentioned, that the Tánaiste is to meet with Enterprise Ireland, EI, and the Industrial Development Authority, IDA, in relation to the matter shortly.

What is the point of having law on the Statue Book if it is not being adhered to? Can the Minister commit to ensuring that employment law is adhered to, that workers are afforded the dignity of a proper notice of termination and that provisions of Irish law that permit prosecutions and fines to be imposed on such a company be seriously looked at to ensure that such rogue behaviour that I believe has taken place will not be tolerated?

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Engagement has taken place between the Tánaiste and the Ministers of State with EI and the IDA in relation to this issue. The provisions of the Protection of Employment Act 1977 are very clear when it comes to collective redundancies, such as the requirement for the 30-day consultation period with the workers and their representatives and also the need to notify the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the proposals at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect.

The Workplace Relations Commission is the body in Ireland that has the statutory powers in respect of the enforcement of employment law and I have no doubt that it will not be found wanting in fulfilling its responsibilities in that regard.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Last week, “RTÉ Investigates” aired a heart-breaking programme on organ retention for the second time this year. I spoke to a number of families who took part in that programme. One such parent, Paula, from Cavan, lost her son, Tadhg. Some 17 months after she buried her son, she received a cold call from the HSE to say that the child’s organs were still being retained against and without her knowledge. It is devastating.

I spoke to other parents as well. She asked me to ask the Minister directly whether he can give me and those families a clear, straight answer on when we will see the human tissues Bill. It was promised 15 years ago and we still have not seen. Enough is enough and I am sure the Minister has to agree with that. I know this is something that was a scandal in the Minister’s own constituency in Cork as well and he has met parents. When will this Bill once and for all be published and passed through this House?

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I also express my sympathies to the families involved, who have experienced a heart-breaking tragedy. I want to be very clear about this. This extremely distressing situation should not have happened. To answer the Deputy’s question on the human tissue Bill directly, there is very extensive work going on now between the Office of the Attorney General, my Department and the Department of Justice to bring this into the House as quickly as possible for all of the reasons we understand.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, is open for applications and there is a great number of farmers keen to take part. Budget 2023 provided for up to 30,000 farmers to take part initially. The applications have been open since mid-October and will run until later in November. It is a very tight timeframe. Farmers are engaging planners and advisers to put together the application, but there is a scramble to make that date at the end of November. If advisers and planners want to go on-site and see the ground to put together the most informed plan, there is pressure with the number of applications, the weather, the late evenings and so on. Farmers are asking whether there is an opportunity to extend that tight deadline so that they can make the most informed plan and be engaged in that agri-climate scheme at the first possible opportunity.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The ACRES scheme is one that the Deputy has promoted strongly and will be of significant benefit to farmers in his constituency. Indeed, it has been warmly welcomed and embraced by farmers across the country. It is a logistically tight timeframe in relation to making applications. It is necessarily so because of the timeframe involved in getting approval for it from the European Commission and also having the application submitted in time for the end of this year so we can have as many farmers as possible in this scheme for full payment next year. I am aware of the challenge for advisers, in particular, in relation to the 21 November deadline and I have been monitoring it closely. There may be some scope there for a slight extension of that, which I am looking at at the moment, and I will revert to the Deputy on that and bring clarity to that matter in the next couple of days.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I want to raise the Mayo College of Further Education and Training, which delivers more than 40 courses with outstanding support services and runs across three campuses in Ballina, Castlebar and Westport. The Castlebar campus is also home to the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board headquarters and accommodates up to 700 students.

It is well below an acceptable standard, however, for an inclusive and vibrant learning environment. It has submitted an application to SOLAS under further education capital funding. I support that application. A new further education and training campus in Castlebar would provide mutual beneficial opportunities for Mayo College of Further Education and Training and the Atlantic Technological University at Castlebar, in line with current strategies, including SOLAS strategies. When can we expect progress on the new capital investment programme for the further education and training, FET, sector?

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I expect there will be an outcome in the coming weeks. I am aware of the application by Mayo College of Further Education and Training to the FET College of the Future major projects fund. There are two parts to the assessment process for such applications. The first part has now been completed by the SOLAS-led evaluation team and its report has been submitted to the Department of the Minister, Deputy Harris, for consideration. It is expected that the evaluation report, with recommendations, will be submitted to the Minister, Deputy Harris, in the coming weeks, following which the education and training boards that submitted applications under the process will be advised of the outcomes of the first stage of the two-stage evaluation process.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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There are five contributors left and we are out of time. I will allow 30 seconds for each contributor and we will take the five questions together, with the co-operation of the Minister.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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Ba mhaith liom ceist maidir le béilí scoile te a ardú leis an Aire. Bhí scoileanna agus eagraíochtaí scoile, chomh maith le comhlacht amháin, i dteagmháil liom ag rá go bhfuil brú orthu an tseirbhís seo a chur ar fáil mar gheall ar an ráta boilscithe agus go bhfuil ardú tagtha ar phraghas an bhia. An bhfuil an Rialtas ag breathnú air seo agus an mbeidh athbhreithniú ann mar gheall air? I raise with the Minister the issue of hot school meals. Several schools and school organisations, as well as a company, have contacted me to outline their concerns that they will not be able to provide the service adequately as a result of the rise in the price of food. Is the Government considering that issue?

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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My question relates to the fair and transparent distribution of moneys State-wide. I point out that the south east has 9% of the population. Where can we see €900 million within the Government's capital tracker? We cannot see it. The dashboard is useless in terms of showing where money is being spent. In the lifetime of this Dáil, the university sector in Cork has received €300 million but we in the south east have received nothing. I ask the Minister to commit to a new reporting standard and a new dashboard in terms of capital allocations so that people can see where funding is going in the State.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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The childcare law reporting project provides valuable insight and transparency through anonymous reporting on what happens in public family law cases, such as those relating to children in care. The legislation that set it up allows for similar anonymous reporting in respect of private family law cases. We need the same reporting in respect of private family law cases, involving issues such as custody, access and maintenance. The same legislation can be used to facilitate that. Can the Government establish an agency now to provide that transparency to the family courts?

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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Some of the Covid testing centres are due to close on 22 November. That will leave the entire midlands area without a dedicated testing service. I have been contacted by staff in Mullingar and by members of the National Ambulance Service, NAS, who are deeply concerned by this move and, in particular, the additional responsibility it will place on the NAS. Concerns relating to the NAS have been raised already today in the Chamber. I ask the Minister, Deputy McGrath, to take those concerns on board, particularly in light of the pressures under which emergency departments and general practitioners are currently operating.

Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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The State has announced the sale of 8% of the majority stake in AIB in one go. The track record of AIB with its customers can, at least, be questioned. When AIB closed its Schull branch many years ago, the people of Schull and the Mizen Peninsula were promised a mobile bank but AIB is now using every excuse to avoid showing its face in the town. A few months ago, AIB decided to make a huge number of its branches, including those in Castletownbere, Dunmanway and Kinsale, cashless. I am looking for a straight "Yes" or "No" answer. As one of the two Ministers with responsibility for finance, and in light of the State owning 71% of AIB, was the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, aware that AIB planned to making its branches cashless before it announced that decision?

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will do my best to go through the questions quickly.

Deputy Mairéad Farrell raised an issue relating to the hot school meals programme. I will ask the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, to revert to her because it falls under that Department as well as the Department of Education in terms of the rates that are paid to contractors to make sure that vital service can continue.

Deputy Shanahan has raised on several occasions the issue he addressed today. I hear what he has to say in respect of the online projects tracker. It is not designed to capture all of the investment but, rather, only that relating to projects above a certain threshold. He will be familiar with the report that is produced on a regional assembly basis, including for the southern region. In Cork, Cork County Council commissioned a piece of work to look at the totality of funding streams from national government to see if it could come to a conclusion as to how it was faring. Perhaps that is something the Deputy and I can discuss offline. I am open to new reporting channels so that we get a better handle on the proper spread and distribution of resources, which is a Government objective. If it is not being delivered, that is something we would like to address.

I will ask the relevant Ministers to revert to Deputy Costello regarding the reporting of private family law cases.

Deputy Clarke raised an issue relating to the NAS and the change to the regime in respect of Covid testing. I understand from the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, that there is a move to a system which is clinically led, based on an assessment of the need of the area.

Deputy Michael Collins raised the issue of AIB and the changes that were announced and subsequently reversed. I am not the line Minister and so did not have any involvement in that regard. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, has already accounted before the committee as to the level of knowledge within his Department at official level and exactly when he was informed of those changes.