I thank the Deputy Leader for the opportunity to raise Portumna Forest Park, which has been raised previously in the Seanad. There are two elements. When Storm Éowyn landed some months back, it did untold destruction. I compliment the work Coillte did to ensure our paths and trails were open all summer. Although they were open, there is still an awful lot of debris from fallen trees. Those fallen trees need addressing. We need them to be properly taken away and harvested. I have no doubt a lot of other trees on the…

I thank the Minister of State for being here and giving us the opportunity to speak on yesterday's budget. I welcome and support it. A lot of good work has been done within it, starting with the carers. While I am absolutely not taking away from what Senator Ruane said, I think the Government had good intentions. A positive signal that we are going in the right direction is the increase in the income disregard from €625 to €1,000 for a single person and from €1,250 to €2,000 for a couple. That is really welcome. I …

I welcome the comments of the Deputy Leader and her update on the Global Sumud Flotilla. I also welcome that the Tánaiste is engaging with our ambassador and providing consular assistance. I, too, want to stand in solidarity with our colleague, Senator Chris Andrews, and the others who have been detained. I am aware there is a lady from Galway involved. We are all touched and aware of the situation. It is important to also recognise what is happening in Gaza and call it what it is - a complete and utter genocide. W…

It is a national route. It is TII.

Minister, just before you respond, Senator Ruane would like to make a contribution.

Before I put the question, I welcome Catríona Rogers from the Institute of Guidance Counsellors to the Gallery. She is a tireless advocate for students' well-being. I welcome Deputy John Paul O'Shea and his guests to the Gallery. I know Senator Ní Chuilinn has left. She had transition year students who were here for the entire debate between my colleagues. They are all very welcome.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the introduction of Ireland's new auto-enrolment retirement savings scheme, a landmark reform that Fianna Fáil in government has helped to deliver and a reform I believe represents a fundamental and long-overdue transformation in how we as a society approach retirement. This is more than a policy announcement; this is about making good on our commitment to protecting workers, promoting fairness and planning responsibly for the future. Fianna Fáil has always believed that prospe…

At 10.30 tomorrow morning.

I, too, wish to be associated with the best wishes to Martin Hughes. Yesterday at a meeting of the health committee, my esteemed colleague Deputy Martin Daly brought up the issue of Portiuncula hospital. Bernard Gloster brought complete clarity on the months of speculation as to whether the recommendations of the Walker report were implemented fully or partially, or not implemented. The CEO confirmed that they were not implemented. It is on that basis that I raise the issue of safe, high-quality services in Portiun…

I, too, want to be associated with the remarks to the Maltese ambassador. Today, I am asking for statements on autism to be held. I ask for this due to misinformation in the past number of weeks. It is not wrong to want to understand autism. Research is good, curiosity is good, and we should always try to learn more about the human brain. However, where it goes wrong is when people pretend they have found a solution to autism, as if the problem is the person. That is not science. That is fear dressed up as fact and…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I welcome the opportunity to have a few moments to speak on this very important issue. I will be very focused on housing, wastewater and disability. In my remarks on housing I will focus on Galway County Council, which has only 66 acres of land zoned for housing. At Monday’s meeting of the local authority, the director of services informed the councillors that 70% of the 66 acres cannot be built on because it does not have infrastructure and if the council did build on …

I will fully support the Mental Health Bill 2024 as it proceeds through the Seanad. This legislation represents a significant and long-awaited step forward for mental health in Ireland. In addition to acknowledging the content of the Bill itself, I acknowledge the leadership and dedication of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, under whose guidance this work has progressed with care, compassion and clarity of purpose. Since she published this Bill back in July 2024, she and her Department have been engaging in se…

I wish to share my time with Senator Comyn.

I thank the Minister of State for taking time to be here this afternoon for this conversation. It is very welcome to have a very open conversation about it. I acknowledge the good work of the Minister of State and that of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, in the area of immigration. It is also important for me to acknowledge the work that the former Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, undertook while this area was under the aegis of his Department. I welcome the transfer of it from the Department of equality, as I w…

This morning I raise a particular issue for probably the third time. It relates to compulsory purchase orders, which are a very serious issue for any community but in particular for the farming community. I raise an issue that is ongoing for ten years. It is ten years since the first liaison officer was appointed by Galway County Council to inspect a person's land on 10 September 2014. In that period, there have been numerous communications. The road has been developed and completed but a number of landowners along…

I thank the Chair and welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for being here. Several weeks ago, I said I would like to have the Minister with responsibility for sport to come to the House for statements. The whole purpose of my request was that over the past five years, more than €500 million has been handed out to clubs up and down the length and breadth of the country. This has been fantastic and transformative, as we all will acknowledge. I want to know from the Minister of State and his Departm…

Now.

Now.

I raise the issue of Portiuncula hospital and the moving of high-risk pregnancy and antenatal care from Portiuncula to University Hospital Galway or to the Midlands hospital in Portlaoise. While I understand that we must put the care and protection of the mum and the baby and the risk elimination front and centre at all times, it is important that I also raise that we were in this situation in 2018. A report in 2018 identified an awful lot of the same issues then as were raised yesterday by the Saolta group. I have…

The Minister is very welcome to the House. If he delivers the track to Sligo, I would like him to be the one who puts the shovel in the ground for the ring road in Galway.