I can see that the Senator is disappointed with the response. It is not exactly the response he wanted. The RSA has made good progress over the past year, and it does continue to work hard to manage the backlog in the national driving testing service. It is a priority of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, that the average wait times return to the ten-week target as set out in the service level agreement as soon as possible. I recognise the challenges that excessive waiting times are imposing on peo…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 23 together. The Government's better public services strategy commits to delivering inclusive, high-quality and integrated public services that meet people's needs and improve the delivery of services. The Digital Public Services Plan 2030 advances this ambition by embedding a life events methodology whereby services are designed around moments in people's lives, for example, the birth of a child and supporting the bereaved, rather than administrative structures. With regard t…

We all have issues, and the Deputy has rightly articulated the issue relating to his area being included. If we look at it from a positive point of view, I understand that NBI is ahead of schedule. However, there are a few areas in respect of which we may need to contact NBI. We talk about public infrastructure. This is public infrastructure that is ahead of what was planned for. Enabling access to public services is very important to the Government as we work together to accelerate transformational change in how w…

It is an interesting question. The Deputy has seen that the Government can consult with banks, but we have a very limited role in that regard. I would like to think that banks would consult with each other. Consider the position of towns where there clearly is no need for two bank branches and both are closed. Instead of talking to each other and saying "Look, we will close our branch in this town and you close yours in the next town", they close both branches. Bank of Ireland could keep its branch in one place and…

I thank Deputy O'Donoghue for raising this important issue and for offering the Minister the opportunity to respond. As the Deputy outlined, when families are stronger, they works very well. I have full confidence in and great time for the family resource centres. When I started out in politics many years ago, they were known as family life centres. I remember as a councillor, before I became a Senator in 2002, issues came to my attention in my office that maybe I did not have the skills to deal with. It was wonder…

The Minister and I thank the Deputy for engaging in this important issue. He outlined how important the family resource centre is for Balbriggan and north County Dublin. It is quite obvious that more is probably needed. The Minister is very pleased with the range of recent developments across the family resource centre programme. Core funding increases and expansion over 2025 and 2026 have been very welcome for the programme, its members and the communities served by the centres. The Minister fully supports the fam…

I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter today. As An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions on the size, distribution and future of the network, are matters for the board and the management of the company and not ones in which either the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, or the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, has a statutory function. The Ministers are very aware of the impact that decisions relating to cha…

I have listened with interest to the points the Deputy raised. Decisions on post offices, as we have indicated, are operational matters for An Post and are not a matter over which the Minister has statutory function. The Deputy outlined clearly that the Minister and the Government have a shareholding. He has asked them to use that leverage to make his views known. As I said, however, he cannot intervene. An Post has an independent board with a clear mandate but both the board and management are doing all they can t…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to clarify the position regarding the basis for the assessment of rateable property for commercial rates purposes and the role of Tailte Éireann in that regard. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency that provides a property registration system, property valuation service and national mapping and surveying infra…

It was King George IV who introduced the valuations in Ireland 200 years ago. There has been a lot of change on the island of Ireland. Maybe we need to look at the rateable valuation of all property a bit more closely. A valuation for commercial rates purposes is arrived at by estimating the net annual valuation, NAV, of a property, at a specified valuation date during the revaluation of a local authority area. The term "net annual value" has a legal definition and is set out in section 48 of the Act: The rent for …

To clarify the position, regarding the basis for assessment of property for commercial rates, I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister, Deputy James Browne, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. While it is not my area, there are areas on which I agree with the Deputy. A lot has been done in updating but perhaps a lot more needs to be done because we are online now with Amazon, etc. The main street needs every support it can get. I was a retailer once. I had two or three retail bu…

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to update the Chamber on what is being done to address vacancy and dereliction. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. The Deputy rightly said we want less bureaucracy and more assistance. Working to end dereliction and vacancy is a key priority of the Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The plan will ensure the activities and resources used to address vacancy …

I again thank Deputy Aird for the passion he has shown on this very important issue.

The Deputy rightly raised the issues and the range of measures being taken by the Government to address vacancy and dereliction, which are a huge success. Vacancy levels are declining. An historical level of funding has been made available and this significant investment, through schemes such as the urban regeneration development fund and the vacant property refurbishment grant, is having a serious impact, bringing vacant and derelict properties back to use and revitalising towns and villages across the country. Th…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an tuarascáil ghrinnscrúdaithe réamhreachtach ar scéim ghinearálta athbhreithnithe an Bhille craolacháin (leasú) a phlé tráthnóna. Ar an gcéad dul síos, tugaim aitheantas don méid oibre atá déanta ag an gcoiste agus an tuarascáil seo á hullmhú. Ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt freisin don rannpháirtíocht fhairsing agus chuiditheach a bhí ag an gcoiste le páirtithe leasmhara. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the pre-legislative scrutiny report of the revised general scheme of the…

I thank Deputy Byrne for her contribution this evening. It reflects the level of scrutiny already undertaken of the provisions of the broadcasting (amendment) Bill. In my opening statement, I did not have the opportunity to discuss some of the areas raised by the committee in the pre-legislative scrutiny report, so I will turn to those first. The committee made 12 recommendations relating to the audience councils of RTÉ and TG4. The audience councils play an important role in representing the views of the people of…

I thank the Senators for their contributions and views. From our discussions today, it is clear we are keenly aware that like all our friends and partners, Ireland finds itself in an increasingly contested, dynamic and volatile international security environment. In Ireland, we have long championed dialogue and diplomacy as the way to solve disputes and conflicts. Our own history assures us that this is the pathway to a lasting solution in the Middle East, one that can permanently end the violence, address underlyi…

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators for the opportunity to attend and to discuss developments in the area of public procurement. The Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation operates at the centre of government to drive the delivery of improved public services, higher living standards, and sustainable infrastructure for the people of Ireland. As Minister of State responsible for public procurement, digitalisation and eGovernment, I work closely with the Minister,…

I thank the Senators for their contributions, which underline the very strong interest in public procurement across this House. This kind of engagement is not only welcome, but also essential if we are to deliver on the ambition of a more strategic and innovative, sustainable and transparent public procurement system that supports SMEs and delivers better public services and the best possible value for money for the taxpayer. For that reason, consultation and collaboration are central to the approach the Department…

I am responding on behalf of my ministerial colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who are unavailable due to their ministerial duties this evening. Providing consular assistance to Irish citizens who find themselves in difficulty abroad, including in cases of arrest or detention, is a cornerstone of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its embassies and consulates around the world. Each year the Department provides support to a significant number of Irish citizens arrested…