It is agreed on this side of the House.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for accepting this Commencement matter on the terms and conditions of employment for childcare workers. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to reply to this Commencement matter. I appreciate that it is within his brief and I hope he will have something substantial to tell us on the matter. Many of us who work in these Houses would not be here without having childcare workers looking after our children. Schools, hospitals, local authority offices and the Garda could …

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. It is good to hear the progress that has been made. We need to emphasise that it is important for members of the public to get involved in the public consultation process. There is still an opportunity to submit proposals by 31 May. I understand from the Minister of State's response that there is to be a second opportunity to invite submissions from the Labour Court. Those two elements of the consultation are very important. In terms of the proposals tha…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the Chamber.

I welcome our visitors to the Gallery. It is great to see young people coming back in and having the opportunity to listen to the debates, in both the Dáil and the Seanad, on issues that impact on their lives. I hope they have an enjoyable day in Leinster House today. If there are any follow-up questions they would like to ask us about afterwards, I will be very happy to respond.

I apologise for the disturbance caused by my phone during that exchange.

The first issue I raise is that tomorrow Ireland will be taking the presidency of the Council of Europe for the first time in 24 years. It is an important time. Ireland was of course one of the ten founding members of the council. When we think about how the world and indeed Europe have changed over the past 24 years, we see that the commitment and values of the Council of Europe to the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law are more vital than ever. It is important to wish our Mini…

On 30 March, a conference took place down the road from here that celebrated 20 years of the school completion programme, SCP. The conference gave people the opportunity to hear about the transformative work that happened in schools and communities as a result of the programme. The Taoiseach, who established the programme as he was the Minister for Education at the time, acknowledged all of the terrific work as did the current Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley. I wish to acknowledge the SCP work that has b…

I thank the Minister of State for being here to give a response. While I certainly welcome the expansion of the DEIS programme, my question was not about that. It was specifically about the welfare office. I accept that the Minister of State said that more than 700 young people receive interventions. That just shows the number of young people and the extent of the community that need this support. The Minister of State mentioned that the recruitment process is under way to fill this job and that management at local…

Before I allow the Minister of State to reply, I want to say I completely support what the Senator is saying. The forward planning is very poor in providing adequate places. Only yesterday I heard of a child in Brittas, County Wicklow, who has to travel to Rathangan, which is in County Kildare on the Offaly border, and a child from Rathangan must travel to Straffan which is right at the other end of the county, and is over a 90 mile trip also. I completely endorse everything the Senator has said and I call on the M…

I thank the Minister of State.

We now move to the third Commencement matter of the morning, which has been tabled by Senator Craughwell. It refers to the need for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to make a statement on the consultations undertaken with industry experts and other stakeholders ahead of the publication of cybersecurity legislation. I notice that the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, is in the hot seat once again. Senator Craughwell has four minutes in which to make his case.

The Minister of State is having a very busy morning with us. He is going to complete more than a hat-trick. He is here for the final Commencement matter as well.

Before the I bring the Senator in, I would like to add my voice of welcome to the boys, girls and teachers of Glandore National School from west Cork, who are being hosted today by Deputy Christopher O’Sullivan. They have had a very long journey to come up here. I was in Glandore last summer and it is just such a beautiful part of the world. We appreciate that they have taken the time to come and join with their Deputy. I know that the particular topic we are discussing now will of be of particular interest, of cou…

That concludes the Commencement matters. I am suspending until 12 noon.

The first issue I wish to raise relates to unauthorised developments. At the moment in County Kildare, as with many other counties, we are going through the long and arduous process of the county development plan. All Members know how difficult it is to get planning for a one-off house or many other types of development. Unauthorised developments, however, are popping up to a significant extent. I am speaking in particular about my experience in south Kildare but I have no doubt the same could be true across the co…

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, given the price of fertiliser and the profitability of the company despite the lack of availability. This will put farmers under significant pressure. It is a difficult issue for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to deal with, but something has to be done.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important issue. The Minister is welcome to the House. As a member of Fianna Fáil, I can say we are proud of our role in the history of the State, especially of our involvement in the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement. I again offer my gratitude to former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, for his tireless work on that agreement. At a time of huge personal difficulty and loss for him, he put the peace and prosperity of the island first. I acknowledge the voices of women th…

The Minister of State is familiar with this matter as his mother is from beside the Curragh.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for accepting this Commencement matter on the Curragh Plains. As the Minister of State will be aware, the Curragh is a jewel in the crown of Kildare. It is something we are truly proud of as Lilywhites. It is incumbent upon us as political leaders to ensure we do everything in our power to protect the Curragh's heritage and ecological value and ensure we use it to its fullest potential. The Curragh is home to the Army, the racing industry and, of course, many sheep. Many hundreds of years …