Like Deputy Moynihan I very much welcome the measures in the shared island initiative. It has gained support from all political traditions on this island. The Taoiseach may remember that when he launched the initiative I raised with him the need to have an enterprise initiative within the shared island programme. Subsequently, local authorities on both sides of the Border were enabled to put in joint submissions in regard to the development of work space enterprise centres, innovation centres and research centres. …

As we all know, throughout the country the Irish Wheelchair Association provides very valuable and important supports to their service users. These are essential supports for persons with disabilities. For more than a year, there have been limited in-person day services at the Irish Wheelchair Association centre in Cavan town. This has affected 40 service users and their families. I have spoken to these people regularly and they are most disappointed, absolutely annoyed, and understandably very frustrated that adeq…

Like all other speakers, I welcome Jim and Lucia and their daughters to the Distinguished Visitors' Gallery this evening. I am glad the Minister made the apology on behalf of the State. It was overdue. His words were clear about the terrible injustice that was done to the O'Farrell family on the tragic loss of life of their son, who was killed by a person who should not have been at large at that time in 2011. The Minister and other speakers outlined the litany of criminality the particular individual who took Shan…

I very much welcome the emphasis placed on the development of the further education sector since the previous Government took office in June 2020. I spoke to the Minister's predecessors on many occasions about the opportunities that exist to develop the further education sector on an all-island basis, and particularly that there be a substantial capital programme. One of the projects of particular interest to me is the proposed development of a state-of-the-art campus in Cavan to provide additional permanent accomm…

I very warmly welcome the Minister's confirmation that progress is being made with this very important project for our constituency, as the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy David Maxwell, will know. I hope the Minister will be in a position to visit Cavan Institute at an early date, and to visit Monaghan Institute. Cavan Institute has been a very successful institute since its establishment. I was very much involved with the Cavan Institute in its early days. I was the first chair of the board of management of the c…

I thank the Minister. It is very important that we record the importance of the further education sector. It was originally established to respond to the needs of the local community and the local economy. It has been an extremely important gateway for students and pathway to higher education. It has given so many people who traditionally would not have had the opportunity the opportunity to get an education beyond post-primary. It has been extremely important in ensuring that more people who may have come from hom…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this important subject matter this morning. In November 2021, the then Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, gave the initial project approval for the provision of additional permanent accommodation at Breifne College in Cavan town. This major building project, which will enhance considerably the level of permanent accommodation at the school, is much needed due to increased enrolments at Breifne College in recent years. The level of enrolment…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He is absolutely correct it is an incredible and exciting project for the school community in Breifne College. I commend the acting principal, Breege Reilly, and all her staff on their commitment and hard work in the best interests of their students. That has been a strong tradition over the years in the school. The staff and school community have worked hard to achieve the best possible integration of all students, and that work has been very successful. The school has …

An issue I raised in the past was the reconfiguration of Garda divisions a number of years ago under the Commissioner, Mr. Drew Harris. I believe that the structures that were made and put in place were wrong. Traditionally, since the foundation of the State, Cavan-Monaghan was one Garda division. Now we are in with County Louth. You have a Garda division stretching from outside Dublin to the far end of west Cavan, which is quite near Sligo, Bundoran and Donegal. It has a very long land border with a neighbouring j…

I welcome the approval of more special classes for the coming school year. I recognise the commitment of the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to build further on the progress made to date. We still need more investment in special education. One particular aspect of the approval of special classes that I wish to see reviewed is class size. The present threshold for pupil enrolment for such classes at primary level is six. …

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. NESC is doing comprehensive studies in very important areas. I want to again mention an issue that I flagged with the Taoiseach's predecessor, and with the Taoiseach when he held the office previously. Will NESC carry out an assessment of the all-Ireland economy, particularly in the context of cross-Border trade, where there has been development and growth to the benefit of all of our country? Representing two of the southern Ulster counties, I see at first hand the value and im…

I again raise the issue of the need for the British Government to repeal and replace the legacy legislation. This deplorable legislation gives murderers and terrorists the opportunity to absolve themselves of the most heinous of crimes regardless of whether they worked for British state forces or for paramilitary organisations. We need to see progress in replacing that legislation. We are days away from the 51st anniversary of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, an awful day when 34 people were killed on our island. We h…

I understand that at the end of February there were in excess of 7,500 personnel enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force. This is just over 4,000 short of the ambition outlined in the programme for Government. We need to increase enlistment by 50%, which is a substantial target to achieve. Would the Tánaiste have any indication at this stage when he would hope to at least get the enlistment above the 8,000 figure because it is important that we get back to a critical enlistment across all aspects of the Permanent D…

It is good to know there is stabilisation. Hopefully, stabilisation and an increase in enlistment would give more momentum to recruitment and obviously to the important retention aspect as well. The programme for Government has a welcome commitment to build on improvements in the recruitment process, including a nationwide programme for transition year and third level students and better representation of women at all levels of the Defence Forces. Are there particular measures being implemented this year to impleme…

I thank the Tánaiste for his further response. I genuinely believe that if we had a stronger Reserve Defence Forces, it would be a great conduit for enlistment in the Permanent Defence Force. I represented two Border constituencies during many bad years on this island. I saw the importance of the Reserve Defence Forces along the Border working in the communities that I have the privilege of representing and living in. Over the years the Reserve Defence Forces recruited many young people who may have been vulnerable…

I ask this question on behalf of Deputy O'Meara. As the Tánaiste will know, Uachtarán na hÉireann today paid tribute to members of the Civil Defence. Ireland's Civil Defence has been in existence for 75 years. I am sure we all compliment them on the great work they do in our local communities. I welcome the Tánaiste's announcement during the week regarding instructor allowances for officers in the Defence Forces. The announcement of instructor payments for officer members who are heavily relied on to plan, supervis…

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. I will ask just one further supplementary question, given that other Members are waiting to ask questions also. The Tánaiste will be aware of another issue of interest to Defence Forces' organisations, which is the finding of the defence sector arbitration board on 18 November. It upheld a ruling that the terms and conditions the director of military prosecutions should be amended to remove the prohibition on that officeholder holding membership of a representative association. I…

The geoblocking of RTÉ and TG4 programmes in Northern Ireland where many television and mobile app viewers cannot access RTÉ coverage of Irish sporting events must be stopped. The unavailability of RTÉ programming, including the broadcasting of GAA and other sporting fixtures, is the cause of much annoyance and frustration for many people throughout Northern Ireland. Last Saturday evening and Sunday, I had calls from people North of the Border who could not get coverage of the division two National Football League …

I agree with colleagues who have spoken about the need to prepare for the next storm or the next major weather event. For a number of years I have been highlighting the dangers posed by falling trees every year. My west Cavan area, along with Deputy Eamon Scanlon's area in south Leitrim, have for many years annually suffered due to trees falling and interfering with and damaging ESB transmission lines. We need a robust approach to proper maintenance of forests, be they in public ownership or of private landowners. …

As the Taoiseach knows there are huge cost pressures on small- and medium-sized businesses. Irish retailers support more than 370,000 jobs in every part of our country. Many retailers I have spoken to are concerned about the medium- and long-term viability of their businesses. Our retailers provide a great service to their customers and to our local communities. The landscape of the Irish high street as we knew it has changed dramatically, and unfortunately for the worse. Walk down a principal street in any town to…