I acknowledge the importance of accessibility and of this Bill. Senator Clonan is raising a lot of things we in government are reviewing and looking at as well. I wanted to highlight the work at regional level that we see across the likes of Roscommon and Galway. I ask the Minister of State to address this in her response but I wish to highlight the just transition programme currently available to a number of counties in the midlands, as well as to the likes of Ballinasloe municipal district in Galway. One of its e…

The Minister of State and the Senator have acknowledged the importance of governance. Governance is crucial. I hope we will see an increase in the Exchequer funding that goes to the agency but governance is of the utmost importance. The Minister, Department and chair of Tailte Éireann will need to be able to speak to this. It is important that the relevant Minister be the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. The titles of Ministers may change but the role and remit remains…

We have spoken previously on this as well with Senator Higgins. This agency is for research and innovation. Innovation is about bringing the fruits of research out into our communities and out into society to ensure that it has an impact and that it does not sit on a dusty shelf somewhere. That is what is really crucial about this. Much of this knowledge transfer and technology transfer is across all research disciplines. It is important that we see so much multidisciplinary research that is bringing in all types o…

I welcome Professor Carey. We should have this debate as Gaeilge as well. I worked specifically on promoting funding programmes within SFI so I know a lot about the accessibility of some of these programmes, how we promote them, how we engaged researchers from a broad background and how we were one of the first agencies many years ago to do online Teams-type events and activities to ensure we could reach the maximum number of people in all ways either in person where research offices would be delivering information…

The Minister of State might speak to this point a little. The corporate plan, from my understanding of it, is an organisational structure, so the structure of Taighde Éireann is about how it will operate. That is what the corporate plan, to my understanding, is about. It is more the organisational structure because it will be an agency bringing together two entities. What is spoken about in the corporate plan is how it develops its strategy going out from that. My understanding, however, is that the corporate plan …

I welcome our new Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, in his new role with responsibility for public health in the Department of Health. As colleagues have mentioned, for many years he has advocated on health issues and fought for many people in the health area. There has been an increase in loneliness. Earlier I was looking at an article in The Irish Times - my computer has just gone on the blink now. It referred to a sociologist who spoke about a major increase in loneliness particularly after the Covid pandemi…

As the Minister of State has said, the Lough Funshinagh region in south Roscommon is an absolutely stunning limestone landscape of rolling hills. It contains the islands of Inchnamona and Inchmore. Lough Funshinagh is a turlough, which means it is a disappearing lake. However we know, fully, that it has not disappeared. In fact there has been nothing since 2016 only an increase, year after year, day after day. The SAC to the west of Lough Ree is actually at quite a high altitude, compared to Lough Ree. There are SA…

It has been noted by the Minister of State that this is very clearly outlined in the Universities Act 1997 and, of course, with all universities that is a key tenet. Regarding funding that is coming under this agency, it will fund across all disciplines and will be based on excellence. The very first line talks about the maintenance of excellence in the standard and quality of research and innovation undertaken. Taighde Éireann will be about funding excellence, both Exchequer and non-Exchequer funding. That is real…

It is important that we have attractive terms and conditions for researchers in our universities. This is clear. He is now our Taoiseach, but when Deputy Harris was the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, he and the Minister of State examined the issue of stipends for people doing PhDs and so on to make it more accessible for people to do PhDs and further and higher research. It is the nature of some of the funding that comes into universities that it is for four or five yea…

I want to highlight the excellence we see across partnerships that are already happening with our universities and colleges. Just recently, we saw €7 million come into the US-Ireland programme. This is a phenomenal programme that is bringing in researchers. That €7 million will fund ten research positions in colleges in Ireland, another ten or 11 in Northern Ireland and the equivalent in the US. It works with funding agencies. Those partnerships are in place now and I am very hopeful, and I know the Minister of Sta…

I second the motion.

I thank the Minister for being with us today. This is a very important topic. The purpose of bringing this Fine Gael Private Members' motion, in particular in relation to smartphones and social media use, is how we regulate it. I have talked to parents, school principals, schools and teachers. Schools are taking the lead themselves. Without any regulation, they are putting bans in place in primary schools and post-primary schools. They are trying to manage this but we need additional support for children, young peo…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, who is here in his brand new role in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I recognise that this is a landmark piece of legislation. We are talking here about the definitions of research and innovation, but this Bill is going to bring about the funding of all areas of research. It is an incredible landmark Bill that we are seeing come in front of us here. To me, it is very clear that this agency, which will be formed on the dissol…

As Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson for education and further and higher education, I know we spent many hours here debating this really important legislation with our current Taoiseach and former Minister, Simon Harris. The then Minister spent time with his team and the officials from the Department to engage across the board, particularly on Committee Stage, and to consider amendments that were proposed across the House. A lot of good work was done on that as well as during the debate in this House. As regards Taigh…

Whether it is to be called research Ireland or Taighde Éireann, the number one priority for this agency is the availability of funding. That is what this agency has to do. The people operating the agency and those on its board need to be fighting for funding. They need to get Exchequer funding for the agency to distribute to researchers. That has to be the number one priority of this agency and its board. I was previously a contract researcher. From my experience in that position in Galway, I understand the importa…

I raise the issue of Lough Funshinagh. Deputy O'Donnell, in his new role as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, visited County Roscommon and the communities that are heavily impacted. There is utter devastation for the families who have been impacted by the flooding. They are losing homes, land, farms and roads. Around Curraghboy, for example, a road is flooded and there is no access for local people. This is the result of climate change in County Roscommon and it is having a massi…

I welcome the Minister to his new role. It is great to see that one of the first acts he will oversee next Monday is the provision of the additional €3,000. There will be €8,000 available to hospitality and retail businesses across the country. I know we have been talking about this in Fine Gael in recent months, and I know it was discussed with the former Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, and his team. I have been in touch with businesses across Roscommon and Galway in recent months ex…

Hear, hear.

I thank the Minister. I know she is under time pressure this morning but we appreciate her being here today. I acknowledge the work of the former Minister of State, Deputy Madigan who had special responsibility for special education and inclusion. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton is taking on that role. I very much welcome this Private Members' motion tabled by Fianna Fáil on school enrolment. The Minister spoke about a number of elements in her opening statement. She mentioned investment and how 100,000 addi…

I welcome Senator Malachai O'Hara and his family. It is a very special day and I hope they enjoy it. First, I congratulate our new Taoiseach, Deputy Simon Harris. I worked closely with the Taoiseach in his former Department, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. He has really shown his commitment to technological universities across the country and actually has made towns across the country university campus towns. It is all part of Our Rural Future and this will continue…