I do not have the details, but I recall that in recent days the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, has issued further funding to the mná tí who have lost out because of the loss of Irish colleges again this summer. Difficult choices must be made regarding the allocation of resources, but I will check. My understanding is that further funding has been provided, but I will pass on the concerns raised by the Deputy, see if any community or other organisation has b…

I am informed that an issue has arisen this week where payments have not issued in respect of 17-year-olds. Payments in respect of 40% of the 60,000 children in this age group have been impacted, but all other payments to the children and families concerned have been issued. I understand the Department has received calls and representations on this matter and it is working to have these payments restored and reissued in the next two weeks. The child benefit cases involved will also be put back into payment to Septe…

Consultation is key in this regard and that can take place in different forms. We had an interesting and good meeting in our social dialogue process with the representatives of the farming sector last month. Many different views were expressed. Much attention was focused on the issue of climate, because it is going to be critical. I refer to climate adaptation as well as to reducing emissions. Equally, as I said earlier, this involves providing payments and increasing incomes as we reduce emissions. Therefore, cons…

I would very much welcome it if the Deputy could provide me with details in this regard and I will certainly pass them on to the relevant Minister. As he said, I am sure this is an issue right around the country. If a specific problem is emerging in Louth, however, I will be happy to pass the information on to the relevant Minister to ensure it is addressed and targeted.

Following up on what I said earlier about young people getting involved in farming, the same applies to some of our heritage skills. A generation of people, many of whom I know, have these skills and an incredible variety of abilities and knowledge concerning a range of methods of stone wall building. We risk losing those skills and abilities if we do not value and protect our heritage and pass on those skills to a new generation. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, is doing a great deal of …

It is an issue right around the country. Earlier this year, as well as during the Covid pandemic, the Government agreed incredible planned increases in staff within our hospitals and healthcare systems. Many of those have been delivered but we are still waiting on other positions to be filled. It is proving difficult. There are skills shortages in our country, which are not helped by the restrictions on travel that Covid has brought. This is not because of a lack of budget or a lack of will. What is happening in Ne…

Again, this is an issue right around the country as the hours of many day care and other disability services have been constrained. The availability of respite services has been constrained. Additional funding of €5 million has been provided to develop new respite centres. Despite Covid and the recent attacks on the ICT health system infrastructure, all community health services, including disability services, are now back operating as normal. Regarding the Cope Foundation in Macroom, if the Deputy could forward me…

That is absolutely the intention. The focus on bringing down insurance costs is not just a recent one and did not just come about on the back of that recent legislation. It has been consistently applied across a range of areas. The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, held a series of meetings with the main insurers in the Irish market in April to discuss the guidelines and the need for insurers to respond by reducing premiums and expanding their product offering. I understand most insurers committed to decreased pre…

Like Deputy Andrews, I am very familiar with Ranelagh Gaels and its incredible story. It is a relatively new club and there has been growth and engagement with the local community across a range of groups, including the Ranelagh Rockets and other teams that are now coming up. It will not be too long before Ranelagh Gaels is starring in county championships and winning games. The development of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie has been phenomenal, particularly on the southside of Dublin. It is no surprise to any…

I do not know what sort of arrangement would be involved and I do not think the land could be transferred to Dublin City Council-----

-----but I will certainly encourage the Minister of Defence to make it available to the club.

I believe the Low Pay Commission is well placed to advise the Government on this matter and I look forward to receiving its report and implementing it.

On Deputy Paul Murphy's question, there are three options for the extension of MetroLink on the south side. One is to go south-west to Terenure and Rathfarnham and potentially on to Tallaght; one is going up the green line, which will not be a viable option for a variety of different reasons; and one is going south-east to University College Dublin, UCD, Stillorgan and Sandyford, which would be able to address capacity issues on the green line. Whichever is the best option on transport and economic, social and comm…

I thank Deputy McAuliffe for raising this matter and for giving me this opportunity to set out how the Government has allocated over €24 million to targeted measures to support this sector since the start of the pandemic. The Government is acutely aware of the very difficult situation facing the taxi and small public service vehicle, SPSV, industry as a result of the impact of the pandemic. I recognise that low passenger demand has meant that many SPSV operators have been simply unable to work and have relied on th…

I agree with the Deputy. Our taxi drivers provide a really important service right across the country in various circumstances. In my city, Dublin, they are part of our public transport system. They are an essential service for many people who perhaps cannot drive. They often provide a more economic way to travel. The problem we have had in the past year is that the business has disappeared. Tourism business and airport business have not been there. Social, nightlife and corporate business - everything has gone. It…

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I signal in advance that I intend to accept amendments Nos. 1 and 92. I do so because, as I said in earlier debates on Second Stage in the Dáil, I believe the Bill already provides that we want to encourage the use of sinks of greenhouse gases and carbon, and this was our clear intention. The amendments strengthen this and give clarity on it. As Senator Paul Daly said, the amendments complement each other and they are not contradictory. I ask for time to respond because…

I appreciate that this is a critical issue in our transition and I am conscious that the setting of this definition is difficult. In resolving this, I keep going back to the point that the core of the legislation is referring back to being consistent with both the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, which was agreed in 1992, and the Paris Agreement, which was agreed in 2015. It is being consistent with those that is the strongest possible connection we could make in legislative terms. I am…

To answer the question from Deputy Gavan, I am sorry, from Senator Gavan-----

I keep making that mistake. The Senator does not mind. The point he made is on my mind, but I think we are best served by going back to the core aspect in this regard. The strength of this Bill, and I have said this consistently, is that it is consonant with the Paris climate agreement and the original UN framework. I believe that is the best context, arena and process in which we can deliver climate justice and where it is best defined. It has been very difficult to find an alternative wording. I mean no disrespec…

I presume amendments No. 8 and 9 are moot because of the acceptance of No. 7 but I accept what Senator Higgins says on these wordings. My understanding is that, in legislative terms, that wording gives real strength. It is not an easy out. One has to recognise that there will be circumstances where it is impractical to do something but this is not weak in legislative terms and it recognises reality across the Bill in different sections where, in certain circumstances, things are not practically possible. I cannot a…