Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State’s response and I welcome and appreciate the facts she mentioned with regard to the increased spend and the reduction of six months. However, the reduction of six months to 20 months is still unacceptable. I also welcome the fact that new staff are being recruited. This needs to happen.

The bottom line on this is we can all say we are delighted about the large uptake. However, even with the large uptake, we knew setting out that the target was 500,000. Even with the keen interest, we still will probably not make the 500,000. We knew the target at the outset.

I welcome the changes that have been made but there more is needed. Perhaps there needs to be a root-and-branch look at the entire scheme, the bureaucracy and the application process to help trim some more time along with the six months that has already been trimmed off to reach a more acceptable time.

We all know what happens in Ireland and all over the world. Somebody applies and get the letter that I put on the record today. They talk and other people hear there is such a wait, and it puts those people off applying at all. We need to be putting a positive spin on this.