Yesterday we had the pleasure of welcoming the Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, to Limerick. He had a very full and busy day, with a long itinerary that started with inspecting the construction of the new Garda station that is under way at Newcastle West. We expect that development to be handed back to the State in the summer of 2026. He then went on to Limerick City, and I accompanied him on his visit to Limerick Prison and to a briefing with gardaí at Henry Street on the community access support team and…

I rise today on a joyous occasion in Limerick to congratulate the fourth-year students at Castleroy College who graduate from transition year today. The programme is all about the development of thinking, caring, articulate and self-confident young people. I congratulate the principal, Brian O'Donoghue, transition year co-ordinator, Geraldine McGrath, and all the TY students and their families on completing the year. Transition year is such an important year in the life of a young person. It is designed to act as a…

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber to discuss this serious and important issue for the people of Limerick. I have been taking about this specific matter for seven years. He is the third Minister for Justice I have raised this issue with. In fact, I had the opportunity to meet with and engage specifically on this matter with one of his predecessors. This issue first came to light in March 2018 when the beautifully designed and appointed new courthouse on Mulgrave Street, Limerick was opened. It was a very welcome…

I thank the Minister. That is a really welcome response. We look forward to welcoming him to Limerick next week and for many engagements. Perhaps we will hear more directly from Chief Superintendent Smart on this topic. If we were to have these gardaí released back to Henry Street Garda Station, it would be a much-welcomed addition to our forces in Limerick. I look forward to engaging with the Minister further on that. I commend and thank him and his Department on the support for the community access support team, …

The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is very welcome. He has five minutes.

Go raibh maith agat, a Aire Stáit. We will now go to group spokespersons. Senator Duffy is sharing time with Senators Scahill, Nelson Murray and Lynch. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome Teachta Alan Dillon's guests from Breaffy Wanderers today. You are very welcome, ladies. You have joined us as we listen to statements on driving test waiting times. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, has just made an opening address to the Chamber and now Senators are responding and making points on the issue. I will now move on to the Independent Group.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Anois Seanadóirí Collins agus Tully.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank the Minister of State for giving us his time today to discuss this important issue. First, as a Limerick person I acknowledge and thank her for the support she has given the Limerick community access support team. It is a pilot initiative that she and the then Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Deputy Browne, came to Limerick to launch last October. It went live in January and is led by Superintendent Andrew Lacey in Henry Street Garda Station. It places three gardaí into a car with mental heal…

The Minister of State is very welcome. It is great to have him here again. I am particularly delighted to get the opportunity to address through this Commencement matter an issue I am particularly passionate about. It is a matter I have been working on for a number of years, that is, the broader matter of the improved public transport and active travel facilities for the citizens of Limerick city and county. Today we are dealing specifically with a proposal I have submitted to the National Transport Authority for t…

The group is very welcome. We have a vibrant Probus group in Limerick. I hope to have them to the Oireachtas at some stage. I thank the Minister of State for his response. I appreciate its thoroughness. As I said, we are very excited in Limerick about the ambition of the overall Limerick Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy, which had great engagement from people right across the community. People are looking forward to the roll-out of the improved facilities. In fact, we can see the work being done in term…

I rise today for the first time to represent the Fianna Fáil Party as leader on the Order of Business. It is absolutely fitting that I would raise as my first issue the biggest issue for us in the mid-west, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach will be aware, which is the issue of the University Hospital Limerick, UHL, overcrowding at the accident and emergency department, and the consequent impact on all of us living in counties Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. I ask for the Minister for Health to come to the Chamber for a deb…

I move: That Seanad 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 take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2015/848 on insolvency p…

The Minister is very welcome to the Chamber. I thank him for that comprehensive overview of what is proposed. From our internal party discussions and the utterances of the Minister for Justice, the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, and indeed the Taoiseach, I note we are very focused in government on improving agility within the business community here and competitiveness in a European context. We took very seriously the recommendations from the Draghi report of last summer. Again, it is a small tec…

I propose to share time with Senator Curley.

I welcome the Minister and thank him for joining us in the Chamber and giving us his time to discuss this important topic. I thank our colleagues in Fine Gael for bringing forward this motion and giving us the space to share our concerns, ambitions and desires for this important sector that the Minister has taken charge of. I wish him well with his work. It is important not just to the lives of our young people but to the economic and social health of our country. I acknowledge the progress made under the previous …

I rise to highlight an event coming up in Limerick next week which is of tremendous community pride, which I believe should be brought to the attention of the relevant Minister, perhaps the Minister for local government, and which could be replicated throughout the country. I refer, of course, to Team Limerick Clean-up. This is a one-day clean-up that is in its tenth year. Last year, 22,000 people participated on a voluntary basis. They signed up with the organisation and were provided in advance with clean-up kits…

I welcome the Minister of State. I would like to reflect comments already made about the reassuring, calm approach that the Tánaiste has taken this morning. That has been echoed in all the Ministers' comments which I have heard on the media this morning and in President Ursula von der Leyen's comments too. The cool heads which are approaching this trade issue and potential trade war are most welcome. We have to control the controllables, which is why this Government's commitment to investment in infrastructure is m…