I thank the Senator. Before I begin to give the reply on behalf of the Minister, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the Senator's work in this area and in particular the research she worked on so tirelessly over the last 12 months which has contributed hugely to the reforms and changes to the system of school meals that the Minister has introduced. I have no doubt that he would echo that if he was here today. It has been one of the most important things undertaken by any Member of either Chamber in terms of inf…

The Senator is aware that I know she has a real passionate interest in this area. I hear what she is saying. Unfortunately, as any Minister or Minister of State standing here today would say to her, as much as the Senator, the media and everybody would like the budget given out in advance, it will obviously be coming up and the announcements will be made within that. I will relay her concerns and the issues she has raised directly with the Minister, as I have no doubt she will take the opportunity on an ongoing bas…

I thank Senator Tully for raising this matter relating to supports for jobseeker’s allowance customers who become ill or are hospitalised. It is a condition of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme that a person must be capable of work, available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work. Where a person cannot meet these scheme conditions due to illness or because they are in hospital, they may be entitled to support under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which …

I will convey the Senator's concerns directly to the Minister. I have no doubt she will engage with the Minister as well. It is important to put on record and to assure the Senator that the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is always kept under review to ensure it continues to support those most in need of assistance. Any person who considers that they have an entitlement under the supplementary welfare allowance is encouraged to make contact with their local community welfare service.

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on Irish naturalisation and citizenship. Ireland has been transformed by migration over recent decades. People from every corner of the world have chosen to live, work, study and raise families here. They have contributed enormously to our economy, our public services, our communities and our culture, and they will continue to do so in the years ahead. Migration has strengthened Ireland and enriched our society in countless ways. It is important for me to say clearly t…

I have closing remarks to hand but I am going to speak back to what people have said. The first thing I want to make absolutely clear from my perspective as a Minister of State, from the Government's perspective and that of the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, is that we believe in fairness. Absolutely, at the heart of the decisions we try to take day to day on any aspect concerning migration, fairness and how it will impact are always at the forefront of our consideration. What we have looked at in this area with…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am replying to her today on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance. The deemed disposal rule was introduced in 2006 as an anti-avoidance measure. It applies to investment undertaking tax, life assurance exit tax and equivalent taxes in the self-assessed space applying to investment through certain kinds of funds and life assurance policies. Exchange-traded funds or ETFs are among a range of investments to which the rule applies. It was introduced because a patt…

I know from everything she has done in political life that Deputy Currie is definitely a person who looks for solutions. She looks at issues and asks how we can find a solution. The focus of the Tánaiste on the new investment account is very clear and has been outlined. However, he and the Government are well aware of the frustration many investors feel with the deemed disposal rule, as Deputy Currie has highlighted. The introduction of the account does not mean that the broader tax regime for retail investment I m…

I thank Deputy Byrne, on behalf of the Minister for Transport, for the opportunity to address this issue in the House today. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and addressing our climate action challenge, and this Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland. In relation to the Deputy’s query on enhancing capacity on the network, in particularly in relation to improvements to capacity to the south of Wickl…

I will, of course, relate the Deputy's concerns to the Minister. I take on board what he is saying. Investment in transport is key to what the Government is doing. We want to realise our commitment in that regard. The Deputy is primarily talking about the service south of Wicklow town but, as he knows, there is a very substantial commitment to investment in terms of DART+, including delivery of new battery and electric units and new rolling stock. For many reasons, people want to move out of their cars and onto tra…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Labour Party's Private Members' Bill on electricity regulation. The Deputy mentioned it in his remarks, but I congratulate him on his first Bill in the House. Unfortunately, having given those congratulations, the Government proposes, as has been indicated, to reject the motion as we are satisfied that the CRU does not require additional powers conveyed upon it to support the furtherance of national climate objectives and that the existing statutory framework is sufficient. …

I thank the Deputies from across the House for their contributions during this debate. The Government remains fully committed to delivering on the twin objectives of decarbonisation and digitalisation in a sustainable and affordable manner. The sufficiency of the powers available to CRU through the electricity regulation Acts to achieve those objectives is demonstrated through the large energy user policy, which imposes a requirement on them of 80% of their annual demand being met by renewables generated within the…

I am going to say #metrosouthwest as well. I think we both agree on that, 100%.

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. His dentist obviously did a very good job because he was well able to communicate. I am very much aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza. My Department continues to work closely with our colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure we have a co-ordinated national response to this situation. The Irish Government has been at the absolute forefront, particularly among European governments, in supporting Gaza. The genocide that is tak…

Unfortunately, I have to begin by saying what the Senator has heard me say quite a few times. I cannot directly address an individual case. It is unfair to a person who is an applicant. It is unfair to ever engage in that type of scenario. We have to have a rules-based system. I know that can sometimes cause people to ask why and why we are doing that, but there has to be an understanding that there is fairness, clarity and a process in place. It is so that if people can go through that process to qualify that they…

The Minister has outlined very clearly our intention in relation to this matter. We have always been very clear that the ARP would be a temporary provision. It was introduced in 2022 as a response to a crisis, always with the view that it would be phased out. That remains the case. The planned closure date for the scheme is March of next year. As the Minister indicated, we have engaged in a number of processes with a view to looking at the longer term situation for Ukrainian people who are in our country, who have …

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to accept the following measure: Council Decision (EU) 2023/1076 of 1 June 2023 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violenc…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for facilitating the motion this evening, and the Deputies for their input. I wish to take the opportunity to express my appreciation at the unwavering commitment shown by this House to the fight against domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I take on board all the comments made by Deputies throughout the debate. The Government is taking unprecedented action across Departments and agencies and with the support of civil society to tackle the scourge of …

I am here on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. I know the Senator has engaged directly with him on this issue. He is very aware of her concerns in this area. Unfortunately he cannot be here today. The Government is committed to the principle that wherever they live in Ireland, people should feel safe. Building safe and secure communities across the country by investing in An Garda Síochána is a top priority for this Government. The Government wants every part of the country to be a safe space for peop…

I thank the Senator very much. I totally agree with her. The key point she made was that not all young people are involved in antisocial behaviour. It is a minority of people who are involved in it. It is very much a matter of making sure that the resources are there from An Garda Síochána, the support services and the various stakeholders in the community to ensure that when this group, which is a small group, is committing the type of antisocial behaviour that can destroy a community a response is in place. The S…