The Order of Business is No. 1, Appropriation Bill 2025 – All Stages, to be taken at 11.45 a.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed eight minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, time may be shared, the Minister to be given not less than seven minutes to reply to the debate; and Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately thereafter; and No. 2, motion regarding the earlier signature of the Appropriat…

I thank every one of the Senators this morning who wished everybody a happy Christmas and gave their thanks and gratitude to Martin and the team, to the ushers and to all who work in Leinster House and have extended across both the Dáil and the Seanad. I want to be associated with that. I thank all of the Members for their collegiality in terms of every time I step into this role as Deputy Leader, mainly every Thursday, but also as leader of the Fianna Fáil group. I thank all of the other groupings within the Seana…

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I thank the Minister of State for being here. Obviously, I am disappointed the Minister for education is not here but I was informed yesterday that the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, would be taking this Commencement matter instead. There are two parts to this story. Curragh Community College was originally built for 140 students in the middle of the Curragh camp for the families who were living there. The schools in Kildare town and Newbridge reached capacity and it was agreed in 2018 that the Curragh community…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, for her response. I am aware of the two-phase process that was committed to. If phase 1 had started at this point, I do not think we would be here discussing it because there would be an opportunity for the existing students in Curragh Community College to transfer over. Mention was made of working with the patron bodies to ensure the accommodation is appropriate for school needs. The existing accommodation is most certainly not suitable. I want this to be taken as a pr…

As we call out the horrific actions in Gaza and the West Bank in this House, so must we call out the appalling actions on Bondi Beach over the weekend, where 15 people were callously murdered on the first day of Hanukkah as they gathered to celebrate their faith. Our very deepest sympathies must go to the families and community of all of those impacted. Our thoughts and prayers go to all the members of the agencies who came to try to help and support those injured and the families of those who died. Many of us have…

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 - referral to committee, to be taken on the conclusion on the Order of Business without debate; No. 2, National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Second Stage, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to conclude at 1 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed eight minutes, the contributions of group spokespersons not t…

I thank all of the Senators who contributed this morning. Senator Crowe spoke about a concerning development in the US in relation to people who are applying for a visa to be able to travel there. There has always been a lot of travel between the US and Ireland for work, study, leisure and business. I was there last week. He is right to highlight the concern that people will now have to show their social media for the last five years when making their application. We all know the attraction of social media and the …

I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 2) Regulations 2025, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 9th December, 2025, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 79(2)(b), which, not later than 17th December, 2025, shall send a message to the Seanad in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 84, and Standi…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter. I know it does not fall under his brief but he has a keen interest in supporting proper infrastructure around the country. He has visited Newbridge, County Kildare and witnessed the congestion at the bridge. This bridge is the only entrance to Newbridge, a growing town with a population of over 30,000. There are five schools, one of which recently received permission to go to tender process next year to increase its capacity from 650 to 1,000. Anoth…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He mentioned the Department was providing funding for three strategic regional and local road improvement schemes in Kildare, including the Newbridge south orbital relief route. This bridge is part of the relief route and fits exactly into what he talked about. I acknowledge the Department made an allocation to the council in support of the preparation of a business case. That business case has been back with the Department for about eight months. I was looking for an…

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and community of Paddy Cooney. He was an esteemed public representative who served the people well. Today is international Human Rights Day. We have to think of all those all over the world who are denied their basic human rights. The theme for this year is "Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials", emphasising dignity, equality and freedom as values that shape daily life. We have to honour the vision set forth in 1948 with the…

Like my colleagues, I welcome Councillor Malone and add my voice of gratitude to LAMA and AILG for all the work they do. I speak not only as someone who was elected by councillors but also as someone who served as a town commissioner, a town councillor and a county councillor. I absolutely value the work councillors do. In 1898, my grandfather was on the very first iteration of Kildare County Council. He died when my father was seven. Some 25 years later, my father was elected in one area. Subsequently, I was elect…

Local Link has been a lifeline for people in many rural areas. There was huge investment put into it during the term of office of the previous Government. The service in my area has been a tremendous success. I refer to the 888 route, by means of which people from Athy, Monasterevin and Rathangan can travel to Allenwood. People are using the route on a regular basis. We are also rolling out another service to Suncroft. There are two points about the service that need to be made at national level. While the service …

The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on the HIQA review to inform decision-making on the design and delivery of urgent and emergency healthcare services in HSE mid-west, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to conclude at 1 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated for the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed six minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to…

I thank all of the Senators who have contributed to this morning's Order of Business. First, Senator Mary Fitzpatrick spoke about the elimination of violence against women and gave us the horrific statistic that about 35% of women in Ireland have been impacted by gender-based violence. About one in four have experienced sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. As we know, more than 100 women have been murdered over the last ten years by a current or former partner. She is correct to raise that. We are i…

The Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, is very welcome to the Seanad. If I had known it was going to be him, I would have a completely different Commencement matter. I appreciate that he is here representing the Minister for Health. It is always important that we have a Minister present. It can be frustrating from our end, and I appreciate it is frustrating for Ministers too when they have to fill in for a different Department. As per the conversation we had the last time the Minister of State was here, I still …

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that the numbers are moving in the right way. The former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, did exceptional work on this. We had many conversations about Naas hospital. It is still unacceptable that people are waiting more than 12 months. In this case there are 2%, which is 12 patients. This in itself is shocking. Our older people deserve dignity and urgency. They deserve proper access to care. I appreciate the Minister of State taking an interest in this. For me, the lived expe…

We all know community pharmacies are incredibly important in our communities, villages, towns and cities. Last week, there was a competition to find the best community pharmacy. I am absolutely delighted that Shane Ryan’s pharmacy in Rathangan, County Kildare was the national winner. That was of no surprise to me because Shane and his team are absolutely fantastic. The minute you walk in the door, you get an incredible welcome. That welcome, that service and that friendliness means so much to everybody in the area.…