When it comes to support for agriculture and the challenges of just transition and moving to alternative fuels, the just transition is in place and is supported from an EU perspective until at least 2027. It has been acknowledged that certain sectors in our economy need support to be balanced - in other words, that we need to support them over the next number of years. This is what a just transition means and it is supported at EU level. We need to be cognisant that certain regions need this support even more.

We would welcome alternative fuels for tractors. Everybody would like to see that.

I acknowledge Senator Higgins's points. It is a great intention and it is something I will welcome. However, I would ask the Minister for more investment in research and technology so that we get to a space where we are investing in research and development centres that will allow us to have the technology in place to offer alternatives. Currently, in different sectors, in terms of income and transport, we do not have that and we need to support those sectors.

As the Minister already pointed out, two banks have exited the Irish economy. We have two banks here. How will it be possible to deliver all our goals and objectives on housing without a functioning banking sector? Some €50 million of the EU recovery fund has been delivered for schools in Ireland. There has been over €3 million in Roscommon and Galway alone to support DEIS schools that are delivering equality of opportunity. That is what has been done with that fund. Retrofitting is happening in each local authorit…

Very clearly. Excellence as always. I congratulate Strokestown. As mentioned by Senator Eugene Murphy in August this year, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, and her team, visited Strokestown Park and House, where the amazing National Famine Museum and a visitor centre are under construction and due to open next year. The €100,000 allocation on top of that is part of a plan to develop a town centre first approach, which is about tackling and encouraging revitalisation and regenerati…

And Galway.

The Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach has completed its consideration of the motion to recommend Mr. Ger Deering for appointment by the President to be the Ombudsman and Information Commissioner.

I very much welcome the start of this new agency, along with the speakers here. It is fantastic to see the transparency that it will bring. It is a very welcome development under the Minister of State's Department.

Well said. We look forward to seeing that happen and to the establishment of a world-class agency.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

When is it proposed to sit again?

Today we got notice that Ballinasloe is going to be on the Galway–Athlone cycleway. This is absolutely phenomenal. Members might remember that, at the start of this year, we were asking everyone to support submissions calling for Ballinasloe to be on the route. Its inclusion will really transform the town. The route that has been selected is red route No. 5. We received notice from the cycleway project team this morning. I would like to thank all the groups who made submissions. It just shows the difference that ma…

I welcome the Tánaiste to the Seanad. I have spoken to retail businesses in counties Roscommon and Galway. They have welcomed the supports over the past year and eight months, particularly the restart grant. It is good to hear about the commercial rates waiver for local authorities until March 2022. Everywhere we see people looking to shop local. There has been an investment of more than €9 million in Roscommon town. A team has been cleaning the brand-new civic square in recent weeks getting ready for Christmas. We…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to speak on the Finance Bill. There are some very welcome changes to the Bill from the budget of this year. The increase to the USC is a measure that is particularly welcome. We are always trying to look at the issue of remote working from rural perspectives, with a view to encouraging people to live and work in more of our towns and villages across the country. The income tax deduction amounting to 30% of the cost of vouched expenses for electricity, heating and broadba…

I wish to speak about the Connecting Ireland campaign. It is the plan of the National Transport Authority, NTA, for the next five years, from 2022 to 2026. It aims to invest in new and improved public transport services for our rural areas to connect the towns and villages all across Ireland. Why do we need to see that? We need everyone's voice right now to look at what those proposed routes are and to support the routes they want to see in their areas. We need our public transport and Transport for Ireland buses t…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Foley, to the Seanad. I thank her for visiting St. Teresa's Special School in Ballinasloe, which is one of two special schools in the area to confirm a new site. The additional accommodation had been expected in September, but I hope it will be there in January to support the children from that school who are now trying to manage in classrooms in other locations. I would like to see that accelerated. This debate is about Covid-19 and the new measures coming from the Department of Educ…

I thank the Minister. It was great to have her there.

The Innovation in Politics Awards 2021 take place tonight in Brussels. Politicians from across Europe will be recognised for their creative and courageous political projects that our improve our lives as citizens. The awards are based on the European values of social balance, democracy and human rights. A jury of over 1,000 European citizens have evaluated 413 projects. There are 90 finalists and there will be nine winners. We have an Irish contender in the See Her Elected project, which is a finalist in the democr…

Hear, hear.