I understand from senior people in medicine that there is a need to increase the number of interns and training scheme doctors nationally. Apparently, the vast majority of level 3 hospitals have interns but Cavan-Monaghan hospital, despite promises, has not been facilitated with trainees. Without trainees, this hospital will have difficulty in recruiting and retaining Irish-trained doctors on qualification as they will not have the experience of working there previously. Over the years, management and staff at all …

I welcome the fact the Minister issued a statement recently about approvals for TAMS. I note there have been delays with TAMS and I very much welcome the issue of approvals. It is important to get approvals under way as quickly as possible. I am particularly anxious those approvals would be issued where people have applied for accommodation in respect of animal welfare issues and the storage of slurry and manure. I welcome that, once again, the Minister is attaching a priority to those types of applications. It is …

I thank the Minister for the reply and the progress he is making with TAMS. I understand why he would have a closing date tomorrow in regard to tranche 2. Planners have been under extreme pressure because of the number of schemes and, unfortunately, some may be caught who have not submitted applications. I understand at the same time that the Minister wants to get to the next cohort of farmers as well, and it is important they are processed as quickly as possible. When people make plans, they are putting in place f…

I very much welcome the Minister's confirmation that he is considering the dribble bar. In my own territory - we all are more familiar with our own constituencies than elsewhere - farmers want to invest but there are big costs involved. It should be borne in mind the difficulty that will arise for those now with 150 kg N/ha and that they have to invest in particular machinery and may not be able to get grant aid. If the Minister can make progress on including the dribble bar again, it will be beneficial, both from …

I return to the same subject, by and large. The importance of TAMS is illustrated by the Minister's statement that 3,000 applications have been received under tranche 2. Again I appeal for the timeline to be met as much as is possible because when farmers plan to invest, they need to be given every possible assistance. With regard to the dribble bar, one of the other points which farmers in my territory made to me was that, apart from the cost, there might be some argument about the better result from the machinery…

Unfortunately, both public and private providers have been hit by rising costs in recent years, particularly since Mr. Putin's evil war against Ukraine was launched. I wish to raise the reference costs regarding the scheme and the investment. It is outside the remit of the Minister but there is much concern among farmers over the changes and the interpretations of rules recently introduced by Revenue. This is resulting in additional costs for farmers because, in some instances, where they hoped to get a VAT reclaim…

I sincerely hope Revenue revisits this very important matter. I am not clear on whether there are still young farmer and woman farmer cohorts within the application process. It is important that these cohorts of the overall farming community be supported. Will the Department issue detailed data on what is necessary to get a priority classification?

I have spoken to the Minister on a number of occasions about the need to introduce large-scale grant aid towards the provision of childcare centres. As the Minister will recall, some time ago there was grant aid available of up to €1.1 million to assist community organisations providing much needed childcare. Some of the childcare facilities that were developed at that time need to be upgraded. There are other areas that need new childcare facilities. I hope the Minister can have a very substantial increase in gran…

I very much welcome that. I know that there are such communities right throughout the country. There are a number of small towns in my constituency about which I spoke to the Minister that will warmly welcome substantial grant aid. In many of our smaller towns, villages and rural communities, there is a great demand for childcare places because the population is increasing. It is essential that we provide enough childcare facilities in communities in order that people will not have to go elsewhere to seek such serv…

I also want to raise the delay in payments for some participants in ACRES. As we know, it is a very important environmental scheme and helps to compensate farmers for costs incurred in carrying out additional environmental measures. Farmers in the scheme have carried out those tasks and considerable costs have been incurred. The importance of the scheme is illustrated very clearly, with 46,600 participants. The farmers understood the payments would be made at the end of November. I understand a sizeable cohort of t…

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. Will the Taoiseach update us on the Government's consideration of the despicable legislation on legacy issues that was enacted by the British Parliament? As we in this House all know, that legislation has no regard whatsoever for the victims of so many heinous crimes perpetrated by paramilitary organisations and by some members of the British state forces. The needs and concerns of victims and the families of victims have to be to the forefront in all our discussions and decisio…

As the Minister of State knows, the River Shannon rises at the Shannon Pot in the Cuilcagh Mountains in County Cavan. It is a massive national and natural resource for our country. A huge part of that waterway is now navigable, making it a massive tourist and recreational amenity for our own people and visitors to our country. As the Minister of State will know from the files in the Department, I am anxious that the stretch of this river from Lough Allen to Dowra village in County Cavan also be made navigable. Some…

I thank the Minister of State sincerely for his positive response and welcome that this project is being actively looked at again. I hope the environmental impact statement and other associated preparatory studies will be successful. Our local councillor in that area, Councillor John Paul Feeley, and I worked extremely hard to get investment at the Shannon Pot. Fortunately, through the Department of tourism and Cavan County Council, more than €6.5 million has been secured to provide and construct a major interpreti…

As I said, Councillor Feeley and I advocated very strongly for investment in the tourism project that is the broader Cuilcagh area. Many years ago, in the early nineties, I was involved in the restoration of what was then the Ballyconnell-Ballinamore canal to make it the Erne-Shannon waterway. Great credit is due to Waterways Ireland, and the Office of Public Works before it, for restoring many of our canals and ensuring we are working to maximise the potential of the River Shannon, which is a majestic 360 km stret…

Thankfully, the all-Ireland economy has developed very strongly since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998. Businesses have developed on a cross-Border basis; trade has strengthened North-South and east-west; and enterprises have developed on an all-Ireland basis as well. It is very important that in planning for further expansion of the all-Ireland economy, we are mindful of the areas both North and South which have not developed to the extent that the east coast has, and particularly the Dublin-…

-----the central Border region. This is a region that does not have major urban centres or a third level institute so it is particularly important we plan for the areas that are not as developed as the major urban areas.

The Taoiseach may recall that there was a commitment in the programme for Government in 2020 to provide additional supports for SMEs and also to scale up Microfinance Ireland so it could support greater numbers of small businesses and start-ups in accessing finance. We all know that energy costs are killing some businesses. Small enterprises in hospitality and small retail businesses are facing particular problems and challenges at present. I spoke to one business owner at the weekend and that businessperson told m…

The boards of management of St. Mary's Boys' National School and the Convent of Mercy National School in Belturbet, County Cavan, submitted a well-researched and detailed proposal to the Minister's Department seeking approval to amalgamate the schools and have a new school provided on an identified suitable site owned by the parish within the town. Both aspects of this proposal need to be approved in order that the primary school-going population of Belturbet will have a modern and appropriate co-educational facili…

I am glad the Minister has confirmed the Department is assessing the application. I do not want an amalgamation proposal to be approved for the schools to operate from the existing sites. That would defeat the purpose of the exercise. I compliment the Minister on the excellent school building programme she has had in place for the past three and a half years. My constituency, Cavan-Monaghan, is a major beneficiary, and in particular St. Bricin’s College in Belturbet through modern new buildings the Minister sanctio…

I thank the Minister. As she will know from having visited Cavan and being familiar with the area, unfortunately Belturbet has suffered terribly over decades. There were bombs there and people were killed. The town suffered immeasurably. Thankfully, we are now in a new era in areas like Cavan and Monaghan. I welcome that the population of Belturbet showed a substantial increase in the recent census. The county development plan of Cavan County Council plans for a substantial increase in the population of the town. T…