I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, namely the need to provide an update on the proposed building works at Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, and when those works will be progressed to the next stage. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton. I thank the Senator for his congratulations. It is great to be back in the Seanad. I was elected to the Seanad on two occasions and believe a Commencement matter is an important way to addre…

I thank the Deputy very much. I thank her also for raising this very important Topical Issue on the need for schools in the Kilternan school planning area. I am pleased to have the opportunity to describe, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, how the Department keeps the requirement for school places under review. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical in…

Again, I thank the Senator. I am sure his timely intervention today has helped to bring the project to stage 2a. I thank him for that. This is what politics is all about. We meet our communities and stakeholders on issues and bring them to the Oireachtas. I am delighted that the project has reached stage 2a. The Senator said he is not going to rest on his laurels. I look forward to his working with the school management team, the principal and the parents and to his raising this matter with the Minister and on the …

I will pass that on to the Minister as well. I thank the Deputy.

I thank Senator Curley for bringing me in and raising this on the floor of the Seanad. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton. Since 2020, more than €6 billion has been invested in schools across the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. As the Senator is aware, the Government announced in July a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 20…

Again, many thanks to the Deputy for her best wishes in my new role as a Minister of State. She has made some very important interventions regarding her area. I am familiar with that area and new schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase to ensure every child has a school place. The Department continues to liaise with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in res…

I thank Senator Curley for his passionate and informative contribution. Provision of school places, including special education places, to meet the needs of our young people is an absolute priority for the Department. It is a priority for the Senator. The Department will continue to work with and support schools to ensure there are sufficient places for all students. I will bring the Senator's very important message back to the Minister. Again, I thank him for raising this important issue in the Seanad.

I thank the Deputy for raising this very harrowing and distressing matter, which I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton. Child safeguarding in Scouting Ireland is a matter that is taken extremely seriously by the Department. As the Deputy is aware, Scouting Ireland is a voluntary organisation and a registered charity governed by an independent board of directors. It receives an annual grant from the Department of Education and Youth under youth services grants. Scouting Ir…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I am pleased to address it on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for financial services, credit unions and insurance, Deputy Troy, and to give an update on the progress being made under the new action plan for insurance reform. I am sure Senator Nelson Murray will be very aware already of the update I am giving her because she has been a passionate advocate for insurance reform since long before she came into…

As previously outlined, child safeguarding in Scouting Ireland and all funded organisations working with children and young people is a matter that is taken extremely seriously by the Department. Departmental officials are satisfied that safeguarding is a priority for Scouting Ireland and that the organisation has appropriate safeguarding structures in place. There continues to be ongoing engagement between departmental officials and Scouting Ireland and this engagement, including the continued effective implementa…

I hear the Senator's disappointment and will bring that back to the Minister of State. I thank her for raising this important issue and for her contribution today. The Government is keenly aware of the cost of insurance for consumers. Indeed, we as politicians, across all parties, are keenly aware of it because we pay insurance ourselves and our constituents have to pay it. We have to be clear with the insurance industry that we fully expect cost savings achieved through the reform agenda to be passed on to consume…

The Deputy is a prophet.

To reiterate, the Minister for Transport has no regulatory oversight of the contracted services provided by the Irish Coast Guard aviation service. The Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, is the competent regulatory authority and it is tasked, for the purpose of this lifesaving aviation service, with ensuring oversight, compliance and enforcement of all relevant national, EU and European Union Aviation Safety Agency regulations. As previously stated, currently, two contracted service providers provide the Irish Coast Gu…

We are not opposing it.

I thank all Members for the informative and constructive debate on protected disclosures legislation. I welcome and thank the whistleblowers in the Public Gallery for their great work and service. I also thank the members of the Independent Technical Group for the proposals they have put forward for this debate. Having reviewed the proposals, I would like to reiterate the issues regarding the flaws evident in some of these proposals, as was highlighted by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Ra…

Local government budgets will be challenging for many councils across Ireland this autumn. I am particularly concerned that the local authorities in both Sligo and Leitrim are awaiting payment from the Department of housing for the damage caused last January due to Storm Éowyn. I understand the figure is up to €1.5 million. The same local authorities have raised the local property tax, LPT, by 15% over the past six years and members have raised the commercial rates every year, including last year, by 5% to borrow m…

Chair, on a point of order-----

-----you cannot name a candidate for the presidential election.

I am just pointing it out.

Do not fall for it.