I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this important matter of EV charging points in Laois. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the EV charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles. A significant challenge to EV uptake by consumers i…

I thank Deputy Stanley for his advocacy and for raising this matter on the floor of the Dáil. It is not the first time he has raised it and it is an important issue for those who have EVs. They do need more security and predictability in regard to charging networks and facilities. There are three ongoing schemes, LDV1, LDV2 and LDV3, being administered by the Department of Transport and these will ensure Ireland meets its EU targets for a publicly accessible EV charging network. For LDV1, a total of 131 high-powere…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, to update the House on the current position regarding Cloontagh National School in County Longford. Cloontagh National School is a two-teacher school based in Killashee parish. The school is under the patronage of Bishop Paul Connell and a Catholic ethos is upheld. School enrolment has decreased from 23 in 2021 to 2022, to 14 in 2025 to 2026, reflecting the national…

I thank the Deputy again for raising important points regarding a school in her constituency. I will ensure I take those points back to the Minister for education, Deputy Naughton. I emphasise again that the Department is fully committed to ensuring there is appropriate accommodation available for all school pupils and will, in the wider context, continue to engage with Cloontagh National School and ensure the building project for the school is subject to the required diligence under the Government's infrastructure…

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, to outline to the House the current position regarding the school projects for Dunboyne junior and senior national schools, Station Road, Dunboyne, County Meath. These school building projects will deliver a new 24-classroom primary school, with additional classrooms for children with special educational needs for the senior school, and the construction of an eight-class…

I again thank Deputy O’Rourke for bringing this important matter to the floor of the Dáil. I certainly agree with him regarding the time dependency relating to this project. I will take the points he has raised back to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, in the context of her consideration of the needs of Dunboyne junior and senior national schools and ask that they be considered as part of the ongoing Department-led prioritisation process. The consultation with the school patron and the school authority will continue. …

I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. The irony here is that Sinn Féin voted against yesterday’s cut in excise duty, which will make the cost of fuel at the pumps cheaper and reduce the cost of energy and fuel for households and families. The Deputy is about blaming the Government for its lack of action, when we actually took action. Sinn Féin was the only Opposition party to vote against the cut. It looks like Sinn Féin is making it up as it goes along every single day. Even the Private Members' Bil…

Sinn Féin voted against the cut.

People will see.

I thank the Deputy for raising the points she has. On this side of the House, we do not agree with them. The carbon tax has been one of the most progressive taxes we have introduced. It has contributed-----

-----more than €4.7 billion to the Exchequer.

It has allocated more than €170 million-----

------to the ACRES scheme. That is a programme that has a direct impact on rural communities across the country. It is the Sinn Féin model to spend fast, wide and worry later. How would we replace the revenue streams that support these vital programmes-----

-----not just ACRES but also the fuel allowance and the expansion of the fuel allowance? It supports the fuel allowance. How would we generate the revenue that supports 470,000 households and indeed the likes of the home retrofitting programme? It has made a substantial difference. That is why we have expanded it for four weeks. It is targeted to those who are most impacted. We have also put in measures to reduce the cost and we have been very upfront that we cannot cover all sectors and households-----

-----but the €250 million package announced on Wednesday will be of enormous benefit by any yardstick. If we look at what Sinn Féin is doing up the North, it is introducing a measly €30 that will not be introduced until 1 July. Its hypocrisy in telling us down here when it stands still in the North when it has a Minister for the economy and finance doing absolutely zero, shines in the face of its lack of responsibility or urgency in regards to these needs. We have put the measures in place and legislated for them, …

I thank Deputy Smith for introducing this Bill. It is understood that this Bill seeks to amend the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 to create a statutory entitlement to leave with pay from employment in order to enable an employee to avail of cervical, breast or colon cancer screening programmes provided by the national screening service or any other screening programme recommended to employees by his or her medical practitioner. Improving participation in the HSE’s national screening service is something we a…

I acknowledge the contributions from those present. I reiterate the Government appreciates the intention behind this Private Member's Bill and the contributions that have been made. We are all in agreement that increasing the participation rates within the national screening service is something we recognise as vital to our public health priorities. Early detection saves lives and the commitment of the Bill is to supporting better health outcomes and ensuring people live a lot longer and that is very clear. However…

I thank the Senator for his amendment. I appreciate his intent and explanation in making sure the Bill works for sole trader employers. I know he was talking to some of our officials earlier. I assure the Senator that this amendment is unnecessary. The Bill itself already fully implements all the recommendations of the interdepartmental working group's report. That includes recommendation No. 4, which proposes a modified test for sole trader employers. Indeed, the test applied is that the sole trader must have ceas…

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government's new updated national digital and AI strategy was published last week. It sets out the Government's ambition and vision to 2030 to ensure Ireland remains a digital leader in an increasingly competitive global environment. It aims to secure Ireland as a global hub for applied AI innovation, strengthening our profile as a location for investment. It will ensure our economy reaps the benefit of digital and AI for growth and competitiveness, enhance our public servic…

I do not agree with the Deputy's assessment on where we are in regard to ensuring that we meet our climate commitments, which are enshrined in law. They are very much part of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. They set binding carbon budgets and sectoral ceilings. That means no sector is left off the hook, and that includes AI and digital infrastructure. Neither of these can expand without regard to emissions footprints. The Department has developed a threefold policy response to this. The planning …