-----I often get called McMonagle or McGonagle but it is probably the first time that Dylan has been named McConalogue. I wish him the very best. We are very proud of him in Donegal. It is a wonderful achievement. I congratulate him and look forward to recognising his achievements at an appropriate time. I also wish him well as he heads to Japan. I know from previous engagements the importance that all Seanadóirí place on the post office network nationally. That is reflected here again today by providing this oppor…

I thank all who contributed to the debate, namely, Senators Comyn, Conway, Ní Chuilinn, Scahill, Andrews, Cathal Byrne, Flaherty and Ahearn. As with the last day, I will take away the very strong support in the Seanad for the continued support of our post office network and the recognition from the Seanad of the strong commitment of the Government in the most recent budget in which we increased funding from €10 million per year to €15 million going forward. There was also strong recognition from all Senators of the…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Government investment in sport is essential to increasing participation levels in all sports, across all sectors of society. The allocation for the sports programme in budget 2026 is over €290 million, an increase of just under €60 million or 26%, compared to last year's allocation. When the national sports policy was published in 2018, it set a commitment to double investment in sport to more than €220 million by 2027, so I am pleased that we have well exceeded that comm…

I thank the Deputy for his advocacy in wanting to see this important project moved forward. There will come a point, because these will not be kept open forever. We need to make sure these projects get a move on. The Department has been tolerant to those awarded, but our objective at the moment is to try to make sure they are all moving. If they do not move, we will intervene and look to see how other projects will be able to move instead. I have given the House an update around the current status with regard to th…

I welcome the chance to speak on this motion today because this has been the single biggest issue affecting Donegal over my time in politics. It has been traumatic for every single family who has been affected by defective concrete blocks. It has been my objective throughout my time in politics and in Cabinet in the previous Dáil to work to ensure we get a scheme that would help people rebuild their homes and rebuild their lives. We have seen significant progress in the past two years since the new scheme was intro…

I welcome the opportunity to speak here in the Dáil today to recommend the budget from the point of view of its impact on our sporting sector as well as our postal policy and post office network. The Government remains committed to supporting our sporting ecosystem in order that more people can participate in, and benefit from, sport and fulfil their potential, from grassroots right up to high-performance. In this regard, Government has invested well over €1 billion in sports infrastructure and development across t…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an t-eolas is deánaí a thabhairt don Teach faoi na pleananna forbartha atá againn don spórt agus táim ag súil le tuairimí na Dála a chloisteáil. I am glad to be here for these statements on investments in sport, a sector which is vital to our society both at local and national levels, and on the major sports events that Ireland hosts. The community sport facilities fund, CSFF, is the primary means of providing Government funding to sport and community organisations at local, regional and…

I thank everyone for the many contributions this evening. A significant number of Deputies came to the Chamber, and while we had almost two and a half hours of time, many people only had two minutes each. That shows the massive interest, recognition and respect there is for the role that sport plays in everyone's life and communities. It also shows the respect that everyone has for those who contribute to that at local community level. It is very timely that we are having this debate a week before the budget. It al…

I thank the Acting Chair and all the Senators for their contributions and their support for the role of sport in Irish society. I also thank them for providing the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, and me with the opportunity to address the Seanad. I acknowledge the presence in the Visitors Gallery of Mary O’Connor from the Federation of Irish Sport and thank her for the work her organisation does representing many of our national governing bodies. I want to touch on five key topics: funding, governance, safeguarding, fa…

It is a great joy to be here today as for the fourth time ever in our country's history we have an Irish holder of the yellow jersey. It will be hard to hold onto in the Tour de France, but it is wonderful to see. That is an event which we have seen in Ireland in the past. We are always open and willing to engage in relation to any opportunities that might arise in that regard. I thank the Senators for the opportunity to be here. I am always available to engage with them on an individual basis on queries and priori…

Donegal abú.

I thank the Members for the invitation to speak on such an important topic. I welcome the postmasters’ representatives to the Visitors Gallery. As we know, the post office and postal network play an integral role in the economic life of our country and in facilitating delivery from SMEs and other businesses to consumers. However, I also recognise that post offices have an important social role, providing invaluable support for some of the most vulnerable in our society through the provision of social welfare paymen…

I thank all the Senators for their contributions. The very large turnout of Senators, the fact so many are still present in the Chamber and the number who came in to contribute to this debate very much reflects the esteem in which the post office network is held, not just in the political system but in the minds of local communities. I also thank the Irish Postmasters' Union representatives for being here and for always strongly putting forward and advocating on behalf of the network and the role it can play. I ass…

I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for raising this matter. I am glad to take it on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who, as the Deputy knows, has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding relating to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, the operation and management of individual roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authoritie…

I will relay to Transport Infrastructure Ireland that the Deputy has raised this matter in the Dáil. As I said, this has been strongly considered locally through Kerry County Council. It engaged consultants to review safety and capacity issues on the N22 and its approaches and to introduce improved active travel facilities at the N22-Park Road junction. Coming out of that proposal and consideration by Kerry County Council and those assessments, it made the decision that this was the best approach to address the iss…

I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this matter. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Health. I have the details and response on the guidelines and policy around incontinence pads. I will give the Deputy these as part of my response but I assure him that I will be following this case up further, on the back of his contribution, with the Department of Health and the HSE. The guidelines and policy are focused on the fact that the approach has to be person centred. It has to take into account the needs of the ind…

Certainly, I will. Obviously, the parents have been through several challenges and the child has had a very difficult and challenging start to life. It is really important from the point of view of the State that the health service we provide be appropriate to the child's needs. It is important that incontinence pads be appropriate to and sufficient in number for the child to meet all his needs. I will certainly engage with the Minister for Health and her Department on this case and ask that it be fully considered …

The images we see from Gaza and the horrifying humanitarian situation are truly appalling. The trajectory of displacement and disenfranchisement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is unfathomable. More than 56,000 people have been killed in Gaza. These are the ones whose deaths have been verified. Many more bodies lie beneath the rubble. Behind each number is an individual, a loved one, and a person who had ambitions, dreams, hopes and talents. I am also acutely aware of the situation in the West Bank. It is…

I thank the Deputy. In February of last year the Government agreed to a range of funding allocations of more than €800 million to affirm its commitment to work with the Northern Ireland Executive and with the UK Government to make cross-Border investments that will make the island of Ireland a better place for all of us who call it home to live. This is evidence of course of our commitment to Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement and of North-South co-operation. It is the largest ever package of Government funding …

We are all united in this House on the importance of this project going forward. That is very much represented by the Government's financial commitment to the project as well. When the redevelopment of Casement Park was first mooted in 2013, a budget of £77.5 million was envisaged to complete the project, made up of £62.5 million from the Northern Irish Executive and UK Government at that time and £15 million from the GAA. Of course, as the Deputy said, costs have increased significantly and the overall cost projec…