As I have mentioned in relation to this - and I appreciate the Deputy has too - this will be examined in terms of the UK prior to commencement and it can be done by ministerial action. It is our intention to look at this after the enactment of the Bill.

It is section 11 and it will be resolved by the designation of Britain, which can be done prior, as I said, to the commencement by the Minister.

A huge amount of work has gone into this Bill for the purpose of examining the range of issues Deputies are mentioning to ensure from the Government's point of view we are bringing forward the strongest set of legislative proposals we can, taking account of the advice we have received. The Bill is designed to succeed in trying to address all the issues Members across the House want to see us address in terms of international protection, how we regulate it and how manage it. I am very confident this Bill can do that…

We are legislating to put in place what the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I believe is a complete overhaul of our system and what we need going forward. As other contributors have said, this is not just for the now, but for the future. That is very important. On a number of occasions, I have addressed comments on the fact that we have a strong ongoing relationship with the UK at a political and official level, and at a relationship level between An Garda Síochána and the policing authorities in the UK. All of t…

I thank all Deputies for their contributions. I sit and listen and sometimes wonder if there is type of parallel world here. The purpose of the Bill brought forward by the Minister and me is to reform the IPAS system in order that we will have a firm, fair and effective system. I listened to Deputies one minute welcome that and the, particularly in the case of Sinn Féin, which is a bit ludicrous, stated for purely anti-EU ideological reasons that they could not agree to it. I remind Sinn Féin that we are part of th…

I thank Deputies Devine and Carthy for raising this issue. I also extend my appreciation to all the other speakers who contributed to the debate this evening. It was interesting to listen to so many points on which there was broad agreement in this House. It is not that usual to hear that. As mentioned, online safety is a priority for the Government and the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, and I have it at the heart of what we believe is important in what we are doing. It will also be a priority during our EU Pres…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, which I know is dear to her heart. She has raised it on a number of occasions. As she is aware, the provision of library services, including buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act. Limerick City and County Council initially applied for funding of €5 million from the former Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government's libraries capital programme, which ran f…

I acknowledge what I know is the Senator's tremendous contribution to Limerick and to the redevelopment project within it. It is a city we both know. Her work as a public representative in the area is vitally important and is fully acknowledged. It is also important to acknowledge, as she mentioned, the funding that has gone in from the Office of Public Works for the regeneration work that is taking place right across the board within Limerick. Obviously, there are additional areas I am sure the Senator will explor…

l thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, who is fully committed to providing the necessary supports for people with disabilities throughout the country, including those in Galway. I advise the Deputy that the Toghermore House site at Tuam, which is owned and operated by the HSE, is under review. In 2024, a HSE feasibility study was conducted. Following on from this work, a more in-depth health planning study was devised to provide great…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this. I know it is an important issue for the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, and indeed for the whole Government. I know she is keen to ensure that all opportunities for the Toghermore campus are explored and that full service delivery capacity can be realised, to the benefit of local and surrounding communities. I reiterate the commitment of this Government to delivering real and tangible solutions to enhance services and better support the needs of adults and children with…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and giving me an opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister. The forthcoming expansion of the family resource centre programme is the latest in a number of very positive developments for the programme over the past few years. There is a programme for a Government commitment to work to increase funding and expand the capacity and network of family resource centres. Budget 2026 honours the commitment, with funding secured for a further ten family resource cen…

The Senator made the point very elegantly about the benefits it would bring to a community. I reaffirm on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, her absolute commitment in terms of providing supports in this area. An announcement is coming soon in relation to the new centres, which was part of the independent process of evaluation of all applicants. I wish all of the people the best of luck in that announcement process.

I thank Senator Rabbitte on behalf of myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, for raising this issue. I know it is an issue the Senator is committed to and she has made a clear and strong advocacy there. The Minister of State is fully committed to providing the necessary supports for people with disabilities throughout the country, including those in Galway. She wishes to advise the Deputy that the Toghermore House site in Tuam, which is owned and operated by the HSE, is under review. The Senator was aski…

I will convey directly to the Minister and the Minister of State - I know the Senator will because she engaged with the Minister on this - that invitation to go and see at first hand. As the Senator said, she is a Minister who likes to engage on this. The HSE is reviewing the site. That is subject to that study being completed. The study will include considerations for the equine therapy centre, as the Senator mentioned. That is a very important thing that they do. I will convey the Senator's remarks to the Ministe…

The programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a national migration and integration strategy detailing how the Government intends to meet the demands and opportunities facing Irish society in the coming years. The Department is currently working with other Departments to develop this strategy. As part of this strategic approach, I am reviewing the area of student permissions, including with regard to English language students. All education providers are subject to unannounced inspections, online mon…

In relation to students coming to the country to study, whether in the university sector or English language sector, it is my view and that of the Government that we want to have a high-quality, professional system for education. We want to see the best academic institutions providing a top-quality service, whether in English language or other areas of education. The purpose of coming to Ireland to engage in study should be that. It should not be for work or any other purpose. The majority of students who come here…

The situation, as I outlined already, is straightforward. People come here to study. They want to study. In facilitating them studying, we also have to look at whether there should be, as there currently is, an option for them to avail of work. It enables them to participate in their studies. How that is managed is important. I would not be in favour of a process where people were effectively working on the side. It has to be the opposite. I want to see structures in place that ensure that, when students come to th…

I thank the Deputy. The humanitarian admissions programme prioritises at-risk individuals, human rights defenders, women's rights activists, LGBTQ+ individuals, judiciary and journalists for admission to Ireland as programme refugees. This is managed within the remit of the Irish refugee protection programme in the Department. Over 700 people from Afghanistan have been admitted to Ireland under this programme since its inception in 2021. Under the terms of the scheme the number of admissions available under the 202…

I fully understand and accept what the Deputy is saying about the situations people find themselves in. There is no question that I, and the people on the coalface of operating this scheme, really understand the implications of somebody being accepted or not accepted into the programme. However, as I outlined to the Deputy, the programme is a very specific programme in how it actually handles people. Someone who comes in under the programme is provided with a very comprehensive wraparound range of services, which i…

As the Deputy knows, we had an original programme in relation to Afghanistan. We have moved to this particular model for the reasons I outlined to the Deputy in my earlier contributions. I think it is important, having moved to this model and having moved to an assessment system which enables what we believe to be the fairest and most accurate assessment of who can come and who can qualify for it, that we continue with the model for the moment. I take on board what the Deputy is saying about the impact this has on …