It has been a wonderful weekend seeing democracy in action. It has been incredible and exhilarating and there has been such excitement. There have been ups and downs and lows and disappointment, but it has been phenomenal. I have worked with many of our candidates in Fine Gael. We are delighted to see that we have doubled the number of our councillors in the Roscommon-Galway constituency. I want to say “Congratulations” to our councillors. In the Ballinasloe municipal district, there is Councillor Peter Keaveney, w…

I thank Senator McGreehan for raising this issue. I offer my sympathies to the family of Nicole Morey in Limerick. It was a tragedy that the family and everyone else will never forget. It is shocking that we hear these stories. We spoke about this issue last year with regard to a child who was attacked, which Senator Malcolm Byrne mentioned. I appreciate the work that has been done to date. After that incident, there was a real push to get the stakeholder working group together. That brought together two different …

I also wish to join in the comments on the candidates going around knocking on doors. I have been around with a lot of our Fine Gael candidates in Roscommon and Galway, and there is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm going up hills, down dales and down boreens. It is great craic. I thank people who take the time to engage, particularly with new candidates coming to people's doors. I really appreciate that people take the time and listen. So many have been telling me that they will take the leaflets and will read th…

It is great to have the opportunity to speak on this motion. As of 2024, €5 billion has been allocated to housing. That is a commitment from Government to ensure we have a plan in place. It is true that this is the number one priority of Government. It is a number one priority to make sure we have more access to housing, including local authority and affordable housing. You need to have a plan and it has to be evidence-based. I listened to Senators Warfield and Gavan. I was in Longford last Friday and we had a pane…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to the House. She knows that this is fundamental and landmark legislation. As she stated, one third of people do not have access to a pension at the moment. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, TILDA, has stated that the population over 65 is going to double between now and close to 2050. People in Ireland are living to an average age of approximately 82. It is crucial that we, as a Government, plan ahead and support people to live active and healthy lives, and provide a…

I thank Senator McDowell. I welcome the Minister of State. I know he is looking at this matter within the Department of Transport. I appreciate his time coming in and speaking on this issue. This relates to the Galway to Athlone cycleway, which will transform our towns and local communities in the west with a world-class cycleway linking towns and completing probably the first coast-to-coast, Galway to Dublin route. There is now a cycleway bridge crossing the River Shannon. This off-road route is so popular in Athl…

I thank the Minister of State. Is he able to share the estimated timeline for completion? When is it proposed that will be the case? Are we looking at maybe 2027 or 2028? I appreciate contractors will be in situ , hopefully, in quarter 4 2024. It is key that we build on the work that has been completed to date, that we move the project forward in a smooth way and that the teams will work together. I understand that both of these projects will need to work in parallel. Under the Department of Transport, we are looki…

I thank the Cathaoirleach. The deadline for the increased cost of business, ICOB, grant is coming up on midnight next Wednesday. It is wonderful that the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, and Government have decided to extend this grant but I want to ask that all local authorities - the ones that manage the rates' payments - are ensuring that a reminder is issued. Businesses need to receive a letter. If they have not already applied, that letter should be sent out again to businesses. It does not have to be by post, it…

I welcome the Minister of State in his new role and congratulate him. It is fantastic to hear about the new future Ireland fund and the infrastructure, climate and nature fund. It is fantastic they have been welcomed internationally and here by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. It looks in particular at four areas, including demography. I believe our population is now 5.2 million and it is getting older, living active and healthy lives. The other areas are decarbonisation, digitalisation and deglobalisation. I com…

Can I come back in?

We know this new agency is going to be ground-breaking and transformative. It is about research and innovation across all disciplines. What is phenomenal is that it now places research, particularly in the arts, social sciences and humanities, on a statutory footing which previously did not exist. We are going to see that this new agency has a statutory footing for funding in those areas. My colleague mentioned multidisciplinarity across the many areas of research. Senator Clonan mentioned Impact 2030 and its goals…

I will address the funding partnerships briefly. There are some excellent partnerships in place already. For example, I mentioned previously the US-Ireland partnership. These are international level partnerships across the world. This one I am referencing is with the United States. It links with the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation as well as universities in Northern Ireland, which brings in the UK. It also brings in a lot of universities in the Republic of Ireland. It is important, go…

I wish to apologise as Senator Higgins is correct-----

I thought amendment No. 93 was in question.

As the Minister of State said, it is great to see that this new agency will open the possibility of engaging in more partnerships and funding with a number of different groups. I highlight that section 51(7)(b) provides: a reference to a body to which this section applies means [and it proceeds to list a number of bodies] or (xi) a body established by or under an enactment in which functions are vested by statute or otherwise relating to purposes connected with the promotion and undertaking of research and innovati…

This legislation is welcome. In Taighde Éireann, we are going to have a brand new agency for all research disciplines and for innovation. We have spent time debating the Bill, its strengths and the opportunities it is going to give to everyone working within the third level sector and in the area of research, including research assistants, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students. There is a wealth of talent in Ireland. The funding that will be provided will support those involved in all research disciplines and i…

Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

If I might, I will join with my colleague in offering condolences to the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, on his loss. It is always a very tragic time when it comes to family. There are a couple of issues I wish to raise. Ballygar, in County Galway, is running an event focusing on well-being and mental health. The event will feature Professor Brian Hughes, a psychologist from the University of Galway, and Teresa O'Brien. It is a great way to find out how things are going for friends and family. It is great to invite the…

With the withdrawal of Aircoach from 8 April 2024, and the X20 service in 2021, on the Dublin to Galway route, those services have been stopped. We currently only have Citylink, which goes every two hours between Dublin and Galway and services the towns between those two cities. This Commencement matter was intended for the Minister for Transport. I am frustrated. I raised this in 2021 and again last year, when I said there is definitely a need for more services. What happens? The commercial provider, Aircoach, sto…

The Minister of State knows very well that he is standing in for the Minister, Deputy Ryan. Any Minister who comes in here to reply to any Commencement matter is speaking on behalf of the Minister that they represent. It is unfortunate and I would like the clock to be reset, please. What the Minister of State has provided me with here from the NTA is supposed to be the rural Ireland Connecting Ireland mobility plan. Maybe we should have somebody from the NTA in here talking to us about the four trains that went pas…