While I have the Minister of State here, I will thank him for his recent help regarding the special area of conservation in Gorthaganny in Caher, west Roscommon, following the recent gorse fires. I thank him and his Department in that regard. My question is on the national biomethane strategy. The Government published the national biomethane strategy in 2024. It sets out an ambitious scaling up from a few plants to 200 anaerobic digester facilities with an output of 5.7 TWh annually by 2030. The strategy is agricul…

I appreciate that this is not the Minister of State's brief. The opportunity for energy independence cannot be something we let go. I have some feedback. A leading industry body has warned that biomethane production in Ireland must be incentivised and supported ahead of cheaper imported biomethane. The current Government target for indigenous production of biomethane is 5.7 TWh each year but the Irish Bioenergy Association has highlighted that there is a need to urgently address the fundamental issue of fraudulent …

I thank the Minister for coming to the Seanad. This is an important issue and I am proud to speak about something that matters deeply to all of us, namely, ensuring that all children get a chance to learn, grow and reach their full potential. That is what our education system is all about. Ireland is working hard to build a world-class education system, not just for some children, but for all children no matter where they come from or what challenges they face. This system is built on a strong foundation, supported…

I thank the Minister for her detailed statement. I welcome Sheila O'Byrne and Catherine Coffey O'Brien to the Chamber today. I thank them for engaging with me beforehand and for their candour as they told their story. I look forward to seeing how we can meet their demands and requirements later on. I rise to express my support for the Supports for the Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024. The Bill represents more than just legislation. It is a reaffirmation of our commitment to the survivors of so…

Next Tuesday.

I second the motion.

I support what my colleague Linda Nelson Murray has said. I also acknowledge the 16.7% increase in the personal injury claims guidelines is excessive. Today I want to spotlight a particular area, however, where the insurance system currently presents an unforeseen hurdle which directly impacts a vital national priority: encouraging our talented diaspora to return home. Ireland is a nation built on its people and our diaspora is a source of immense pride and potential. We are actively reaching out to our skilled pro…

The Minister is welcome to the Chamber for his first visit this term. This is a topic that is central to Ireland's prosperity and future and our nation's competitiveness. When we talk about competitiveness, we are discussing our ability to thrive in a global marketplace, attract investment, foster innovation and create a high quality of life for our citizens. The good news is that Ireland continues to punch well above its weight. The Minister mentioned that the Institute for Management Development ranked Ireland at…

I wholeheartedly support the extension of the Act. It allows for the responsible consumption of alcohol in designated outdoor seating areas. I welcome that it allows businesses to operate with clarity and certainty. It is pro-business. It is important we protect businesses and give them that clarity. It is also essential that An Garda Síochána has clarity with regard to its powers of public order service, and we need to be seen to be supporting it. What began as a temporary solution during the pandemic has proven t…

I wish to again raise the school transport scheme. I have made a number of representations to Bus Éireann regarding the efficiency of some of the routes. We are getting to that busier time of the year when the demand for it is going to build up. Unfortunately, the responses from Bus Éireann are weak if not delayed indefinitely. They are not receptive enough to the voices of public representatives expressing the opinions of their constituents. I call for a debate on Bus Éireann's service and potentially reviewing th…

I move that we suspend for the duration of the vote.

It is fitting the Minister of State is here because her constituency is located between Senator Boyle's and mine, between Donegal and Roscommon, so we know she will not let us down. A couple of weeks ago I tabled a Commencement matter on the number of dentists accepting medical cards and the Minister's response was that we needed to look at having more public dentists on the scheme. When this issue we discussing today was raised with me and I realised that Senator Boyle had the same issue, we thought it was very im…

While I welcome the fact there will be 20 additional dentist places available, I do not believe that will meet the demand that I raised a few weeks back. Dental hygienists say that Ireland is experiencing a workforce crisis in dentistry, both in the public and private sectors. Although a call from many dentists has been heard loud and clear in the media, it is not being heard elsewhere. There is a shortage of dental hygienists. At its annual conference this year, the Irish Dental Association was inundated with requ…

I raise an issue in Roscommon with regard to the Gortaganny-Caher area, which experienced wild gorse and bog fires over the weekend. There was extensive damage. I compliment the local fire service on its response and the fire services from neighbouring counties, as well as the air support from helicopters providing water, on getting the fire under control after 36 hours. A number of landowners lost significant forestry and pension opportunities. Some farmers incurred damage of up to €100,000. On Friday last, the Ca…

The Minister of State is welcome. Senator Duffy mentioned the waiting list, which has 83,486 people on it. I will not say anything about the RSA, but its website still refers to an average waiting time of ten to 12 weeks even though we have been experiencing this issue since the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope the solution that the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, is coming up with includes additional testing centres in regions currently without them and the seconding of instructors. It is a booming business because som…

I rise today in response to a UN report yesterday that highlighted the fact that Irish teens are among the least happy in the developed world. Irish teenagers are among the least happy in high-income countries, despite leading the world in academic skills. This report also highlights that Ireland's youth suicide rate was found to be above the international average. Two debates have happened in this Chamber recently. I wish to explore the impact of social media on our younger people, especially our school-going chil…

I thank the Minister of State and acknowledge that today is “Hello, how are you?” day. Mental health is a very topical issue. I do not have as much time as I would like to discuss it. Last summer, I had the pleasure of meeting the Minister of State in Castlerea, County Roscommon for the launch of the Discovery College at the CAMHS Connect unit in Castlerea, which promotes positive mental health and well-being in young people while facilitating prevention and early intervention. The real message behind the provision…

Following on from a Commencement matter my colleague, Senator Boyle, had this morning on school safety measures, I noted the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, said in her response that there are currently no plans to reopen the safe routes to school scheme for new applicants. She also referred to the active travel measures that could be utilised by schools for safety measures. The safe routes to school scheme was designed specifically for those measures. The scheme opened and less than 25% of eligible applicants ap…

It is fitting to welcome Councillor Leah Cull to the Chamber this afternoon. She is from the biodiverse-rich area of Arigna in north Roscommon so it is topical she is here. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak during biodiversity week. It is a time to reflect on the beauty, resilience and importance of our natural world and to celebrate the local efforts to make a real difference in preserving it. In County Roscommon, we are very proud to lead by example, and across our towns and countryside individual…

I, too, compliment the Senators for tabling this Bill. Having gone through it, I fully support the Bill in principle. I grew up in a time that, when somebody was sick, one brought a bottle of Lucozade to help the person's sugar levels recover and so on. As we evolved and developed, sports drinks came on the scene. They were great, as they contained carbohydrates and electrolytes, aided recovery and prolonged performance on the sports field, specifically endurance sports. Traditionally, society pushed it to its limi…