I am asking about the actions undertaken to improve transport in rural areas, in particular in north Louth and mid-Louth.

As the Minister of State is aware, Louth is the smallest county. Sometimes, one would imagine that it would be easier to get around the county by bus but when one tries to reduce one's reliance on private transport, it feels sometimes like crossing a continent. We all know that rural connectivity is a real programme for Government commitment. We need to be able to travel between our towns and villages and from our rural communities where people live, work and access all services. The bus service in Louth is not fit…

It is positive that the Minister of State is looking at this. We need a robust plan for Louth to allow us to travel across and enjoy our county by bus. It is a fabulous place and the integration of additional routes would be a fantastic investment in the people and roads of County Louth.

That shows the interest.

Farmers and fishers in County Louth and across the country are being squeezed by rising fuel, fertiliser and fodder costs. These are essential costs, as the Tánaiste knows. A fishing boat cannot go to sea without fuel. A farmer cannot simply skip the buying of winter feed. Rural families depend on their cars, so they feel pressure at work and at home. How is the Government going to continue to support rural communities, farmers and fishers?

The Tánaiste might have heard that there is a bit of excitement in Louth at the moment. I do not know if anyone has missed it, but Louth is into its first All-Ireland football semi-final since 1957. This is not just one brilliant season for Louth GAA, however. Louth GAA is on the rise and, thankfully, so too is our stadium. We have a valid application under the large-scale infrastructure fund for phase 2 of our project. Phase 1 is being built and is nearly finished. We are ready and we need to keep this funding goi…

It is great to have the Minister in the House this morning. I very much welcome the opportunity to have a discussion of a practical nature that will solve this issue and have really positive impacts on patients, staff and the wider health service across the north east. The minor injury unit in Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, is one of the best services in the country. It serves the people of Louth well and we are immensely proud of it and grateful for it. I have spent many a Saturday there when my sons have been in…

It is very rare one gets a really positive response like that in the House. This is great news for everyone in the entire north east. As I said, the minor injury clinic in Dundalk is an incredible resource for all families and people who live in the area. This is really positive news which shows that the work of the staff in Louth County Hospital in Dundalk has been seen to be successful. The HSE and the Minister are going to invest in that success in order to make sure that the clinic can maintain and expand its e…

Does Deputy Gibney wish to press the amendment?

Amendments Nos. 2 to 10, inclusive, are related and will be discussed together.

The Deputy must indicate.

Through the Chair.

I ask that the Cabinet consider expanding eligibility for the septic tank grant scheme so that every household with a defective system can access support regardless of geography. If we do not take that step, we are asking people to protect water quality without giving them the means to do so. There are close to 500,000 septic tanks in use across the State. The recent grant of €12,000 is welcome but the scheme remains far too narrowly focused. Most of the time, people fall outside the criteria. In practice, househol…

There is a significant opportunity to place research, innovation, higher education and collaboration at the centre of any future conversations we have with regard to any UK-Ireland summits. The UK’s return to Horizon Europe is an important and welcome development. Restoring those research links will benefit both our islands. It should also encourage us to think more ambitiously about what additional bilateral initiatives could achieve. I propose that between now and the next UK-Ireland summit we consider the establ…

I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill. I commend the Minister of State on bringing forward such important legislation and congratulate her on all the work she does in her brief. I wish her continued success in this area. As we all know, artificial intelligence is transforming how we live, work, learn and access services. It offers enormous opportunities in healthcare, education, scientific research, agriculture, and business innovation and productivity. Howev…

I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on rare diseases. An estimated 300,000 people in Ireland are living with rare diseases. For their families, the challenges are absolutely immense. Too many face long waits for diagnosis, fragmented care and difficulties accessing treatments that could significantly improve or extend their lives. While each rare disease may affect a small number of people, collectively, rare diseases affect one in 17 people in this country. This is not a niche issue; it is a national issu…

I very much welcome the publication of the revised national digital and AI strategy. It recognises that AI and digital technologies are transforming how we do business and compete in the global economy. Will the Taoiseach outline how the strategy will support our SMEs in County Louth and across the country to adopt AI and digital technologies in a practical way? Skillnet is at the forefront of this process. It works directly with businesses and workers to help develop the skills needed for improved productivity and…

I appreciate the Taoiseach's Department's ongoing work on disability. One aspect that is often overlooked is funding to support local authorities to have disability access officers and funding to back up their work by making accessibility a default and improving the quality of life for many people, including their access to towns and villages. I would like to see dedicated funding for those people.

Before I move to the next item, I want to warmly welcome Emma Harte, Aidan Harte, Susan O'Reilly, Lynn Carr and Joanne Lynch to the House.

We have a problem. I am deeply concerned that our health service is falling behind when it comes to access to advanced cancer treatments, modern medicine and orphan drugs. Science innovation, as the Taoiseach knows, is moving at an extraordinary pace. New oncology medicines are helping people to live longer and survive cancer. In the context of diseases that once involved devastating outcomes, people now retain a far better quality of life after treatment. However, in Ireland, access depends far too often on whethe…