I thank the Senator for appreciating that this is not my specific area of responsibility. I will, of course, convey her remarks to the Minister as she has outlined them.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it gives me an opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the major school building project for Ursuline College, Sligo. The project has been devolved to the school board of management for delivery, with the assistance of the joint managerial body. The brief for the project is to provide an extension and refurbishment which will deliver a 750-pupil post-primary school building. The board of management has appointed a design team to design the acc…

I will of course relay the Senator's comments to the Minister. I went to a community school in its first year of being a community school, having previously been an Ursuline convent, so I have the benefit of having been educated by four wonderful Ursuline nuns, as part of a greater teaching team, during my time in school. I know that their contribution to education is absolutely outstanding. I will convey these concerns to the Department, on behalf of the Senator.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter. As she is aware, there is a commitment in the Programme for Government: Securing Ireland's Future to "Deliver a scheme that recognises the category of farmers known as the 'Forgotten Farmers'." Since the time the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was first approached in 2015 with regard to the group commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, the group was defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had established their holdings prior to 20…

I will again, obviously, convey the Senator's views to the Minister on whose behalf I am replying. In the closing statement the Minister emphasises the process is under way at the moment and assessment and processing is under way. The Department, therefore, has no plans to extend the deadline.

I thank the Senator. I am obviously taking this opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister. Over the past two decades Ireland has made significant progress in moving away from disposal as our primary treatment option for waste. Ireland’s national waste action plan for a circular economy provides a roadmap to transition to a circular economy in the decade ahead. One of the key objectives in this action plan includes making producers environmentally accountable for the products they place on the market. Ireland u…

I will absolutely raise this matter with the Minister on the Senator's behalf. I know he has raised it directly with the Minister. The point he made is very valid. This is an unfairness to our local, small, indigenous businesses trying to survive and operate in a market where they are compliant and others have an advantage. It is important that it is looked at as a priority, as the Senator said. I will raise those concerns directly with the Minister.

Tairgim: Go scriosfar na focail go léir i ndiaidh "Go" agus go gcuirfear an méid seo a leanas ina n-ionad: "mbeartaíonn Dáil Éireann go measfar an Bille um an Aonú Leasú is Daichead ar an mBunreacht (An Aois Vótála a Laghdú go Sé Bliana Déag), 2025 a bheith léite an Dara hUair 12 mhí ó inniu, le tuilleadh breithniú ar an mBille a cheadú.". I move: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Reduction of Voting Age to Sixte…

I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter today on behalf of the relevant Minister, Deputy O’Donovan. An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially and, as such, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions in relation to the size, distribution and future of the network, are matters for the board and the management of the company and not ones in which the Minister and Minister of State in the relevant Department, namely, Deputies O’Donovan and McConalogue, ha…

As I indicated earlier to the Deputy, and I will repeat again, decisions in relation to post offices and operational matters are a matter for An Post and not a matter in which the Minister has any statutory function. The Deputy will appreciate the Minister cannot intervene in such matters which we, as the Oireachtas, have given An Post the statutory responsibility to manage. An Post has an independent board. It has a clear mandate. I trust, therefore, that the Deputy understands that it would be inappropriate for m…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, was launched in 2018 as one of the flagship elements of Project Ireland 2040. URDF is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. It provides up to 75% funding for applicant-led projects to support a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, i…

I will state part of my original answer again, in that the URDF support for the Cork city library project demonstrates this Government's understanding and the critical important part of it in the regeneration of the Grand Parade quarter. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will continue to engage with Cork City Council on delivery in that context. The Department looks forward to the receipt of the preliminary business case and we will review it in a timely manner once it has been received.

I thank the Deputy very much for raising this matter. I join him in expressing my sympathies. This project is included in the Department of Education and Youth’s construction programme, which will be delivered under the national development plan as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework. The Divine Mercy Junior National School and the Divine Mercy Senior National School are co-educational, Catholic schools under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin. This joint school building project will deliver a new ext…

I thank the Deputy. I know this is something he has been very much involved in and is very passionate on. I appreciate his remarks. I reiterate that since 2020, the Department of Education and Youth has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, over 200 SEN repurposing projects have been delivered, maximising the use of existing accommodation while creating opportunities for inclus…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter in respect of wandering and malnourished horses in urban areas of Limerick. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is responsible for all policy and legislation in relation to the Control of Horses Act 1996. Operation of the Act comes under the remit of the local authorities though. Any reports of welfare issues received by the Department, including breaches of the animal welfare legislation, are acted upon and investigated. Appropriate enforcement action, wher…

I will start by acknowledging and thanking the Deputy for the amount of work he has done and his dedication on this particular topic. I agree the issues merit the attention and the Minister, Deputy Heydon, is fully committed to building on the work already being undertaken to tackle the issue. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has lead responsibility within Government for animal welfare and takes its role seriously. It is committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied …

Along with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, I will start by addressing the terrible arson attack that took place in Drogheda over the weekend. Our thoughts are with the families impacted by this. It was an attack on an IPAS centre but it was actually an attack on their home. It is truly awful to see something like that happen to someone's home. My thoughts are also with the victim of the alleged sexual assault in Saggart recently. I also want to commend An Garda Síochána members who so bravely defended the peace i…

The Deputy should listen to what the Tánaiste said afterwards, which is never quoted.

It was a very interesting debate and I acknowledge the range of views expressed across the House. When I was making notes for my closing remarks, I wrote that I would like to thank all of the Deputies who contributed to this important discussion. I said at the start that I hoped we would have a discussion that was balanced, fair and done in the right way. Most of the contributions were. We need to call a spade a spade. Some of the contributions veered towards an area which I find very worrying. They were contributi…

I express my full support for the Tánaiste, who is the leader of my party, Fine Gael. He entered politics to do nothing but good, to deliver and to help those he sees around him. He is motivated for all the right reasons to be involved in politics. Unfortunately, far too many politicians on the Opposition benches today entered politics to posture, shout out and exploit situations. They have been exposed completely for what they really are: a group of people who will profess great care for and understanding of an is…