This week, Bus Éireann announced a new bus route from Portroe, in north Tipperary, to Limerick, which is very much welcomed. It is the first time Bus Éireann has operated a bus route from Portroe to Limerick. In September, Bus Éireann also announced the discontinuation of the Cork-Dublin express route, which has major implications in County Tipperary, in particular in Cahir and Cashel. My colleague, Councillor Declan Burgess, has done a good deal of work to try to ascertain the facts behind the decision that was ma…

On Wednesday morning, the people of Carrick-On-Suir woke up to the devastating news that St. Brigid's District Hospital would be closed. St. Brigid's has been in the town of Carrick-On-Suir for 200 years. It is a hospital with 18 beds which provides respite and palliative care. Earlier in the year, the hospital was repurposed to potentially be used for Covid-19 if it was needed. During the summer months, calls were made for its reopening because, luckily enough, it had not been used for Covid-19 at the time. The re…

It is very upsetting that the Central Bank sent out a letter to credit unions not to pay out their dividends. I encourage the Minister of State to support the credit unions to make dividend payments to their customers. The credit union in Clonmel had a fantastic year. It had a surplus of €3.6 million with a dividend of €1.7 million to be shared by members, equating to approximately €200 or €300 each. That money is spent locally. Credit unions only exist because of the support of their members and the community. It …

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Obviously there is a separation of power, rightly so, between himself and the Central Bank. It is important the Government supports credit unions and that they continue to support their local communities. That is the bedrock on which credit unions are founded. I thank the Minister of State for his reply.

The feelings people have towards the Department and the Minister seem to be a common thread today and I will not be any different. I compliment the Minister in particular on a personal level for the amount of work she does and the way she deals with us as representatives. She gets back to us incredibly quickly. She is the most consistent Minister in answering the phone and getting back to us as quickly as possible. For someone who is a new public representative, it is very much appreciated. As almost everyone has s…

We heard the positive and welcome news this weekend that the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is expecting a child. It is the first time in the history of the State that has happened with someone who is a sitting Cabinet Minister. I congratulate her. It reminds me that this week last year I had the fortune of having the life-changing experience of seeing a newborn being delivered. We are still in a situation, however, where partners, husbands, wives and parents, whomever the one guardian might be that someone …

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. As others have said, agriculture as a whole is important. This has always been the case and I am sure that in the next number of years this Government will prioritise agriculture. I come from a farming background and there is always a view within farming that any time the country has hit a crisis, it is always the agricultural industry that has got it through. The past ten years have been no different, with the agrifood industry getting the country back flourishing. I…

Currently, credit unions are unable to hold in-person annual general meetings, AGMs. There is no point in holding virtual AGMs because, without legislation being passed, they are unable to payout the annual loan interest rebate or dividend. The credit union in Clonmel, where I am from, has a dividend of approximately €1.7 million to distribute to members, which equates to between €200 and €300 per individual. It is always very welcome at this time of year. People spend it locally at Christmas time. It is an extra b…

I welcome the Minister. Ireland has a forestry industry that provides approximately 12,000 badly needed jobs throughout the country, particular in rural areas, including my county, Tipperary. It contributes some €2.3 billion to the economy annually and plays a major role in combating climate change. The importance of the forestry industry is underscored in the programme for Government, which outlines that trees and forests store carbon, clean the air, mitigate water movements, prevent soil erosion, provide habitats…

It is important to point out that this happened long before the Minister came into the Department. I take on board and totally accept the seriousness with which the Minister takes this. The worry is whether the Department and the officials take it with the same seriousness, but I trust the Minister's leadership on this. The Minister said there are 4,700 files for processing but only 2,000 are primary backlogs. What is the difference between those? There are 4,700 files in there. Obviously, therefore, it is a backlo…

Large parts of the economy are reopening following a difficult six weeks of lockdown but several sectors are still not permitted to open, which needs to be addressed. I refer particularly to the arts sector, theatres and venues across the country and in my county of Tipperary. I echo what Senator Cummins said yesterday. The arts sector is not about making money; it is about ensuring that engagement is maintained for artists and audiences to keep the sector alive. Dr. Tony Holohan spoke the other day about cinemas b…

It seems to be mandatory this week but they are still not accountable. There is a level of responsibility. One of the biggest things we will have to do in 2021 is the delivery of vaccines. Public representatives or anyone else need to be responsible in what they put out, especially on social media.

I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well in his portfolio. I have not had the opportunity to speak to him since he was appointed. It is fantastic news that the order for a new technological university in Munster has been signed, namely, the Munster Technological University, comprised of Tralee Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology. It is another statement of intent by this Government and the new Department which has been set up. The establishment of a third university in Munster is a rea…

I echo the statements of many Senators who have wished all of the businesses that are opening up today well. In that context, I wish all of the businesses in Tipperary well. They have had an incredibly tough number of weeks and I hope the Christmas period is a success for them. I encourage everyone to support them. There is some confusion about whether craft fairs can go ahead. Fethard Horse Country Experience in Tipperary has hosted a Christmas craft fair for the past two years. It has proved very popular and has …

I welcome the Minister to the House. After the past six weeks and the struggles businesses across the country have faced, it is ironic to go from being locked down to now discussing what they would view as the next potential crisis coming down the tracks. It has been an extraordinary year for businesses of all types. I wish the Minister and the Department well. It is welcome to see that there is confidence and support from all sides of the House for this Bill. I will focus on business in the time I have to speak. A…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy English. He has a difficult task today because he will be listening for two hours or four hours to Members putting in requests for what should be opened, what should not be opened and when they should be opened. The Minister of State has to answer those questions, knowing that there will be an official announcement tomorrow and not today. I will probably do the same, but from a cautionary standpoint, albeit while calling for things to open. I understand the caution. I underst…

I thank the Minister of State for attending. When the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, was in the Chamber, I touched on one topic in my contribution and I thought it would be important to bring it up with the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan. My colleague, Senator Carrigy, spoke extremely well about his experience of nursing homes and caring for people. It has been an extraordinarily difficult time in many sectors of society and for many groups but it is very important to highlight the situation of indivi…

I welcome the news this week of the announcement that an application has been put forward by Limerick Institute of Technology, LIT, and Athlone Institute of Technology, AIT, to become a technological university. It is really welcome news for the region - the mid-west and the midlands - and for Tipperary. We have two sections of LIT, one in Thurles and one in Clonmel. It is really important for a region such as Tipperary that we have a university in a town such as Clonmel. It brings so many advantages. I really hope…

I probably will not need five minutes and I can accommodate Senator Burke if he is happy to share time.

I will only take two or three minutes so either way. If Senator Burke is next on the list, it is fine. I welcome the Minister to the House and it is a pleasure to have him here. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him well. He has hit the ground running. He will certainly have my support and that of Senators on this side for the work being done. This legislation that has been brought forward today is very welcome and I support it. Obviously the function of the legislation is to support the local authorit…