Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. I want to raise a number of issues, the first of which is the national retrofitting scheme that was announced by the Government last February. It would be welcome to have an opportunity to have this conversation with the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, when we get a chance. As it stands there are only five designated one-stop shops that have made it through the registration process to facilitate the deep retrofit of homes. Before the new scheme was launched back in February, there were around 20 companies one could go to for that service in the old scheme that was operational last year.It is my understanding that some of those companies are still in the process of registering with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, but it is taking a lot longer than they would have anticipated, and I am sure longer than the public would have anticipated. On the SEAI website, the one-stop shop grants information section has five companies or operators listed. At the bottom of that page it states that it is getting a lot of calls and emails, which is understandable, and that people can expect to wait. It makes it tricky to deliver on the targets we have set if people cannot even access the service. It would be welcome to get an update on why it is taking so long to re-register companies that were already providing the service and that were very much up to speed on what the new scheme was going to do, and why it is taking so long to get them back up as registered companies to do the one-stop shop service. I am sure that the five companies listed are finding it difficult to cope with the demand that is there.

I acknowledge and congratulate the author Sally Rooney, who comes from my county of Mayo and who has been named in Timemagazine's list of 100 most influential people. She is a fantastic role model. We are extremely proud of her in Mayo. I congratulate her and her family on her fantastic achievements. As somebody who is really only starting out in her career, I have no doubt she will go on to do even more great things.

I wish to raise the issue, as many colleagues have done over the past months, of the passport service. It is still experiencing huge delays. It would appear the adult passport service is no problem. If one is renewing a passport as an adult, the service is absolutely super. A person can have his or her passport back in a day or two, which is phenomenal. However, trying to get a child's passport for the first time is an absolute nightmare. All of us, as public representatives, are dealing with a huge number of queries and representations on the issue. Many families have been saving for the past year, have booked the family holiday, and are waiting on their child's passports. Families cannot go on their holidays and are losing that money. It is not a luxury to get a passport. The passport service is not doing people a favour by giving them passports. As a citizen of this State, a person is entitled to that really important document. There really is no excuse for it taking three to four months to deliver a child's passport. Perhaps we could try to encourage the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Passport Office. Is there a shortfall in staff or resources, or whatever? We get an increase in demand every year at this time of year because of the summer holidays. It is anticipated and foreseen. Let us make plans to increase the support in the Passport Offices to deliver the passports. This would take that strain off parents and, hopefully, people can get their holidays in.