Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I ask him to picture, if he can, rats and mice in classrooms, water dripping down the windows, and young children sitting in their coats trying to stay warm in a 60-year-old building. This is not a scene from centuries ago. It is happening today in Marymount National School in Ballsgrove in Drogheda, a busy, thriving school doing its very best to serve a growing community, including more than its fair share of students with special educational needs. The building dates back to 196…

I thank the Minister of State for outlining what, I am afraid, we already knew, which is the very long and varied history of this particular school dating back to 2013, which I did not even mention. This has been 12 years in the pipeline. I note the Minister of State's response and the commitment from the Department on providing schools but there is no mention of this particular school. What they want to know is the timeline for this school. Diggers were supposed to have been on-site last summer but that did not ha…

I begin with a note of gratitude for my colleague, the Minister, Deputy James Browne and the Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, who provided essential emergency funding in my hometown of Drogheda over the weekend. A freak incident caused a large section of our Christmas lights to collapse, bringing down masonry and seriously damaging a car. It was nothing short of a miracle that no one was seriously injured or worse. There has, however, been significant disruption at one of the busiest times of the year, but o…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I raise the concerning removal of funding for the Red Door Project's probation service work in Drogheda. The decision risks dismantling a proven model of restorative justice and community rehabilitation. Since 2018, the Red Door Project has been a core partner in the drugs court initiative, working directly with some of the highest risk and most vulnerable individuals in the community. Over the last seven years, the project's staff have built strong, trusted relationships with par…

I am very disheartened and disappointed by that response. I had real faith that it might be looked at again. This is a unique situation. The Red Door Project works on the ground. The implementation board put in these recommendations and it is disheartening to see it almost being taken away now. I am not taking away from the good work of the Ana Liffey Drug Project, but its people are not on the ground. It is true that it was put in as a temporary measure in Drogheda but it has proven itself by its results and the w…

I join others in sending my deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of the late former TD, Donal Carey. May his gentle soul rest in peace. We all know community facilities are the heart of every town and village. As our population continues to grow, with 325 new homes completed in County Louth alone in the third quarter, the demand for recreational spaces is increasing. However, the cost of building and maintaining these facilities has become almost impossibly expensive. Local clubs and organisations are d…

I was delighted and honoured to be present today for such a historic occasion and to hear the address by President Zelenskyy at the joint sitting of the Houses. The Cathaoirleach's speech was remarkable and I thank him for it. As I was sitting there, I was thinking that I am very new to politics, but President Zelenskyy is also relatively new to politics. It is not his first visit to Ireland. His first visit took place eight years ago. It was to my hometown of Drogheda. On 4 November 2017, the President was then an…

Dáil Éireann has passed the Finance Bill 2025 on 26 November 2025, which is sent herewith to Seanad Éireann for its recommendation. Dáil Éireann has passed the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2025 on 26 November 2025, to which the agreement of Seanad Éireann is desired.

Before we begin, I welcome the students from St. Mary's National School. They are guests of Senator Cathal Byrne. It is lovely to see them. I hope they enjoy the rest of the day. There has been a long-standing tradition that any schools visiting the Seanad or Leinster House have no homework for the rest of the week. I am not sure whether that can stand or how the teachers will fare with it.

I hope the students enjoy the rest of their stay. I thank them for coming in. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. She will have ten minutes, group spokespersons will have six minutes and all other Senators will have four minutes.

Before I call on the next speaker, I welcome more guests to the Visitors Gallery, two of whom I feel should be in our Distinguished Visitors Gallery. Please welcome Dr. Fiona Nic Fhionnlaoich from Shankill, County Dublin, granddaughter of former Senator, Peadar Toner Mac Fhionnlaoich, known as An Cú Uladh, the Ulster Hound. He was a Senator in the second and third Seanaid. I hope you can feel the presence of your grandfather in the great Chamber. I also welcome Julie O'Shea from Ardmore, County Waterford, guest of …

I apologise for my error in having passed over the next spokesperson, an Seanadóir Nicole Ryan.

Before I conclude business today, I welcome the guests of Deputy Brian Brennan to the Seanad. They are just catching the very tail end of a very busy morning's work. I hope they enjoy their stay here.

I raise the urgent situation at Marymount National School in Drogheda in County Louth. It was built in 1969, more than half a century ago, and is now not fit for purpose. The building is in a really shocking state. A teacher sent me photographs yesterday. The classrooms are so cold and damp that condensation runs down the windows, gathering on sills and the floors. Children are actually getting wet at their desks and wearing coats indoors just to learn. The school is also terribly overcrowded. It has a higher incid…

Now.

Now.

I echo the words of the Minister. This is warmly welcomed, and I am delighted to see it go through with unanimous cross-party agreement. I spoke at length last week, so I will not repeat myself except to say this will make a huge difference to independent and all screen producers and filmmakers across the country. I look forward to seeing the fruit of its labour and to seeing the Bill progress even further.

Before I begin, I express my deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of the two men who lost their lives in yet another day of tragedy, this time on my local roads at Gormanston, County Meath. I am also thinking of the two women who were very seriously injured, both valued members of our local Indian community, and of the emergency services who responded. It is again a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile life can be. As mentioned by many of my colleagues, today marks the International Day for t…

I move: "That Second Stage be taken now".

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome the Bill and appreciate the opportunity to speak in my role as Seanad spokesperson for arts, culture and media. I begin by reflecting on what this Bill represents because too often technical amendments are treated as dry procedural matters, but this one carries significant weight. It speaks to the kind of country that we want to be, the value we place on our creative industries and our belief in the power of Irish storytelling. In the past few years, we have seen a renai…