Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Cabinet's decision this morning to make €13 million available to the HSE so that it might reverse its decisions in 2011 on discretionary medical cards. Some weeks ago, I was critical of the fact that people with lifelong medical conditions, acute illnesses and disabilities had had their discretionary medical cards withdrawn. I welcome the fact that approximately 15,000 people will benefit from this morning's decision. Their cards will be restored within three weeks or so. However, I am still cross that it took this long to get the issue sorted and that some good councillors lost seats as a result of the debacle.

I welcome the publication this morning of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report for Ireland for 2013. It showed that 32,000 people started businesses in Ireland in 2013 and that one in 11 of the adult population was engaged in some form of early-stage entrepreneurship. The latter represents an increase from 6.8% in 2012 to 9.2%. Ireland is ranked second across the EU 15 and ninth among the EU 28 countries. This is particularly good news in terms of employment prospects. Will the Leader arrange for a further update from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the Action Plan for Jobs, if not before the end of this session, then early in the next session, given the fact that some 8% of early-stage entrepreneurs can expect to become employers?

I will renew my call from a couple of weeks ago for an early debate with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, on serious crime, given the case raised by Senator Bacik of the six-year-old who was shot last weekend. I heard an horrific story at lunchtime about a young person who had three fingers amputated as a result of criminal activity in the Dublin area. Serious crime is horrendous in Ireland, and particularly so in Dublin. An early discussion with the Minister would be welcome.