I welcome the Minister of State. I call on the Minister to urgently commission a national review of the fire brigade service areas boundaries to ensure the response times and provision of services align with the most recent census figures and, more importantly, with the real need of our people on the ground. I ask for an independent national review of this as well. This is not just a call for policy. It is a call for protection and preparedness on behalf of the lives that depend on a timely emergency response. Rece…

To reiterate, the fire service we and all Senators in this House have is a service we are very proud of. That does not mean, however, we should not look for more and better. I can only speak of my own home area, but in rural areas like Castlerea, where residents have limited mobility and live in isolated locations, delayed emergency services can have life-threatening consequences. Based on the figures in the NOAC local authority performance indicators in recent years, the national average cost per capita of the fir…

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber once again. I compliment Senator Ruane on this legislation. My reading of the legislation is it is intended to improve the fairness of the parole system. While I acknowledge the genuine intent behind it, the right move today is to revisit it in six months when there has been more time to consider it. The current system provides for withholding information from parole applicants in exceptional circumstances under section 14 of the 2019 Act. If there is a case for reform, it is t…

I rise to represent the hospitality sector, specifically in the west of Ireland, members of which approached me recently about the increased cost of business and the reduction in margins. It is lucky that in the past ten days, the weather has brought increased footfall and has had people out using facilities regularly. As we are all aware, however, the climate in Ireland is not predictable. It could be July or August when it is a much quieter time. The hospitality sector is a big employer in and supporter of our ru…

I acknowledge a man from Ballintober in County Roscommon. I extend my sincere congratulations to Dr. John Bosco Conama, who was elected to the fellowship of Trinity College Dublin last week. John is a professor in the Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin. His commitment to deaf equality and advocacy issues, alongside his commitment to academia, lecturing, publishing and research is outstanding. He is at the highest levels, not only on national, but on international levels. He is currently the director fo…

I propose to share my time with Senator Kyne.

I thank the Cathaoirleach. The Minister is very welcome. I welcome the motion and the focus it brings to higher education. The area I would like to highlight is the commitment in the programme for Government to investing in and growing our apprenticeships, particularly in construction, retrofitting and healthcare. I mentioned last week the tertiary access route to general nursing, which is starting in the Galway and Roscommon ETB in Castlerea, County Roscommon. There need to be more programmes like that giving acce…

I rise this morning to talk about a good news story this week in Roscommon, which is the launch of a tertiary route to general nursing in Castlerea. The Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board and the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, have launched a new tertiary access route to general nursing. The programme is delivered through the further education and training centre in Castlerea, offering QQI level 5 awards in nursing studies. It is the first of its kind in Roscommon, providing a free and flexi…

I welcome the Minister to the House. The Protection of Retail Workers Bill 2025 is a timely and necessary step in acknowledging the challenges retail workers face and offering them real enforcement protection. I therefore commend the Senators on bringing forward the Bill. Retail workers are the visible face of commerce in every community, from corner shops to petrol stations, local supermarkets and family run stores. However, in rural Ireland these workers are often the same people who run the business. The role is…

It is not that long since you were a Fianna Fáil TD yourself.

Let us pass this Bill and not use it as an opportunity.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today. I will not go over what my colleagues have mentioned but I would like to acknowledge the family resource centres in Roscommon, Foróige, Youth Work Ireland and the 101 youth diversion schemes going on around the country. I ask that we continue to support them and look to expand the range of their offering. Senator Flynn mentioned Ballyfermot and Donegal and how the influx of people turning to crime and criminal activity has increased there, but it knows no borders, …

I rise today to seek an update on the provision for funding for the replacement of older water infrastructure in rural Ireland. I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber once again. I also acknowledge the Uisce Éireann staff on the ground across the country who are doing an exceptional job in often difficult circumstances and with very limited resources. From my experience of alerting the local teams to leaks and outages across my home county of Roscommon, I have always found them extremely helpful and support…

I thank the Minister of State. I will read out a communication I got from a hospitality business in Cloonfad on 18 April, Good Friday. The title of the communication was "Absolutely Fed Up". It said that the business was left with no option but to remain closed that afternoon due to yet another water outage in Cloonfad on one of the busiest weekends of the year, the Easter bank holiday Saturday. This, the business said, was beyond frustrating. It said it was angry and disappointed with Irish Water, that this was no…

I, too, wish to be associated with the remembrance of Pope Francis. I had the pleasure of attending mass in the cathedral in Ballaghaderreen last Saturday delivered by Bishop Kevin Doran and Vicar General Fr. John McManus in recognising and celebrating the Pope’s life. I also wish to be associated with the good wishes towards Martin Groves on his retirement. I take this opportunity to raise an issue that came up in the local media in Roscommon during the Easter break, that is, a pilot scheme delivering Safe Pass co…

I will not go back over a lot of what my colleagues have said. One of the big things I encountered on Roscommon County Council before Storm Éowyn was the guidelines required for clear corridors in forestry for power and telephone masts and the proximity to roads and the enforcement and monitoring of those guidelines. That is one thing I wish to raise with the Minister of State. A few of my colleagues mentioned the issue of roadside trees. Local authorities need to be resourced to treat roadside trees or to remove t…

Keep going.

I welcome the Minister of State. I thank him for the wonderful day we recently spent in Roscommon, turning on the temporary pumping system in Lough Funshinagh to help manage the flood risk pending the completion of the permanent scheme. On that day he praised the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and my colleagues, former Ministers of State responsible for the OPW, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell and Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, for identifying the interim solution, along with the team in Roscommon County Council, led by the senior exe…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber today to answer questions on behalf of the Government. First and foremost, I congratulate him on his appointment. I also congratulate him on Galway’s win over New York at the weekend. Thankfully, he is here today and not in two weeks’ time, when Roscommon and Galway will be playing in the semi-final, or he might not be as accommodating to me. I also acknowledge the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, with this Commencement matter, as well as for meeting with me recently…

I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. I appreciate this is not his Department. I welcome the fact the HSE has sanctioned the filling of the 34.7 positions and I look forward to those being filled. The year 2027 is still two years away. I will therefore work with the Minister and see whether anything can be fast-tracked with regard to delivering the services in our rural counties. I thank the Minister of State for coming today.