We will not delay them too long. I thank the Cathaoirleach's team for facilitating this. I thank Senator Stephenson, the Civil Engagement Group and Senators O'Loughlin and Rabbitte for their work on this since last October. I hope it shows that the Seanad is not all about big speeches and grandiose speeches. I thank everybody for liaising with my adviser, Craig Dwyer; with officials in my Department; and, most importantly, with groups in this area to try to get a response as quickly as possible to Senator Stephenso…

I will be back.

I reiterate my thanks to Senators Stephenson, Rabbitte and O'Loughlin, the Civil Engagement Group and all the Senators who spoke that night because it really brought this issue home to me. We have outlined the details of the protocol. The payments will be administered by community welfare officers in my Department, who are available online as well. I emphasise that people do not have to make physical contact with them. It can be done online. We have gone through the levels of payment and the additional costs. To to…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teach as an deis seo chun labhairt faoi Ár dTodhchaí Thuaithe and the consultation process that is coming to an end in relation to the development of Our Rural Future, the new national development policy. I will provide the House with an update on what we have delivered under the policy over the past five years but I also want to hear, as we finalise the consultation process on the new Our Rural Future, ideas and thoughts. I thank all who have already submitted to the process. It is importa…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí go léir tráthnóna inniu. Cé nach bhfuilimid ar aon intinn ar gach rud, is léir nach bhfuil ach dea-rún ag gach duine anseo i leith thodhchaí níos dóchasaí a chruthú do cheantair agus do mhuintir thuaithe na hÉireann. Is ceart - agus tá sé soiléir - go bhfuil bród ag gach duine as a gceantair thuaithe, as ár n-oidhreacht thuaithe agus go háirithe as ár bpobal tuaithe. Is cuid lárnach iad dár ndúchas mar thír, agus tá ár bhforbairt náisiúnta amuigh anseo fite fuaite lenár bhforbairt …

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, or in the Order of the Dáil of 24th March, 2026, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those set down to the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Health Minister for Education and Youth Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Minister for Enterpris…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those set down to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister for Fina…

We very much acknowledge the pressures that people, small businesses and many communities are under at the moment. Families are working hard and doing everything right but continue to experience huge uncertainty and challenge. We hear that and have acted, not just with the package this week and the other package a number of weeks ago, but also in the budget. Some 470,000 people now receive the fuel allowance. For the first time, working families receive the fuel allowance. We have increased that payment by four wee…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Is fiú a thabhairt faoi deara go dtiteann freagracht as cúrsaí tithíochta ar bhonn ginearálta ar an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta agus nach bhfuil ach ról tánaisteach ag mo Roinn féin i mbeartas tithíochta. É sin ráite, tá soláthar tithíochta dóibh siúd atá ina gcónaí agus ag obair sa Ghaeltacht thar a bheith tábhachtach dom. Go deimhin, tá tithíocht riachtanach chun an teanga, seirbhísí, fostaíocht, fiontraíocht agus deiseanna eile sa Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. …

Aontaím leis an Teachta. Tá an obair sin ar siúl. Bhí cruinniú agam le príomhfheidhmeannach an údaráis. Tá liosta déanta agus tá muid ag déanamh oibre ar an liosta sin faoi shuíomhanna cosúil leis sin. Níl sé chomh éasca sin, áfach. I roinnt de na suíomhanna sin, tá cúrsaí séarachais agus uisce réasúnta láidir, ach níl aon seirbhísí i suíomhanna eile. Maidir le ceadúnais pleanála sa Ghaeltacht, i mbliana, bhí 53 teach nua ceadaithe as 62 iarratas i nGaeltacht na Gaillimhe. I nGaeltacht Mhaigh Eo, sa bhliain seo, bh…

Tá muid go léir le chéile air seo. Is é sin an fáth nach ndeachaigh muid i gcoinne an rúin mar tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil guth láidir sa Dáil seo faoi thithíocht sa Ghaeltacht. Tá muid ag oibriú uirthi. Tá a lán freagraí ann, agus tá sé sin tábhachtach. Bhí cruinnithe agam leis na príomhfheidhmeannaigh sna húdaráis áitiúla. Chuir mé brú orthu agus chuir mé an scéal seo os a gcomhair leis na sonraí sin a fháil. Déanfaidh mé obair eile maidir leis na sonraí atá leagtha amach ag an Teachta Ó Snodaigh faoi na scoilean…

I thank Deputy McGuinness for raising this question. We are very aware of rising energy costs, which are being driven by the global uncertainty caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. These are affecting everybody in society, including communities and civil society organisations. This week, the Government agreed on a €250 million package to alleviate the impact of the rise in energy costs caused by this conflict. These measures, which include measures administered my other Department, the Department of S…

There was consensus on the vote and Sinn Féin was the only party to oppose the reduction in excise duty. Every other party in the House supported it. A total of 467,204 people will get fuel allowance and there is an extension of four weeks. That is an investment of €71 million. The majority of the recipients of the fuel allowance payment live in rural counties. That is €152. My understanding, which I will clarify for the Deputy, is that it will be paid weekly. We want to get it to people as quickly as possible. Tha…

In relation to the LEADER companies, I assure the Deputy that they have substantial administration budgets. We are working with them closely to make sure they invest it. As I said, we continue to monitor the position and we will continue to do that. We can do that because we have a strong economy. We can do that because we have made decisions that are sensible and evidence-based over many years. The €250 million investment is one of the biggest in Europe when we look at what is happening in the UK where they have i…

The Deputy is a super sub today. Under my Department’s rural development investment programme, a range of schemes provide capital funding with a focus on the economic and social development of our rural areas. The schemes do not, however, include a specific focus on the provision of hotel accommodation. A limited number of projects have been supported by the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, and the town and village renewal scheme, which have seen short-stay accommodation facilities included, as part o…

We want to try to promote enterprises and improve and promote the attractiveness of rural areas so we have developed the specific outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme. This is one of the schemes for enhancing the attractiveness of trails and of visitor attractions that in turn make a rural area more attractive or more feasible for hotel investment. Since 2020, we have invested €110 million in over 1,300 outdoor recreation projects across the country. Through LEADER, we invested over €52 million across the count…

I agree with the Deputy. In our engagements with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment we are looking at how we can maximise it. Deputy McGuinness referred to making an area more attractive as tourism accommodation comes back on stream. I do not see the Department getting involved in investing in commercial hotel projects. I would not like to create an expectation that there will be that kind of investment. Many hotels have reinvested the proceeds they received under the various international protect…

I thank the Deputy for her question and her ongoing interest in this area. In line with commitments in Our Rural Future, my Department supports a wide range of strategic capital investment schemes, ringfenced under the rural development investment programme, to transform rural towns and villages, making them thriving places to live, work, raise families and build enterprises. These schemes include the rural regeneration and development fund, LEADER, and the town and village renewal scheme. The scheme was introduced…

I agree with the Deputy. While the primary focus of the rural development scheme is going to remain on rural areas we have funded projects in Fingal and in south Dublin under the outdoor recreation scheme. Under the town and village scheme in Fingal, we were able to fund the development of new walking and cycling facilities and associated streetscape enhancement measures. In Balrothery, Donabate, Rush and Ballyboughal we approved over €218,000 for village centre seating enhanced public lighting and the creation of …

The more the Deputy can engage under town centre first principles, the stronger the case, and we will work with her. The Minister of State, as a Deputy in a city constituency with similar villages, is strong on this. Working collectively, we will work with the Deputy, Fingal County Council and our colleagues. If it can be done under the town centre first principles, something we align funding to in a lot of rural areas, the more it can be done with community ownership. I welcome the initiatives undertaken in Castle…