I thank Deputy Cathal Crowe for his question and for giving me the opportunity to discuss this matter. I assure the Deputy that I will continue to support Shannon Group in its engagement with the relevant local authorities to secure the future of the sites currently within Shannon Heritage. I advise the Deputy that Shannon Group continues to work with the relevant local authorities, including Clare County Council, to reach agreement on the transfer of Shannon Heritage sites and its business. My Department is engagi…

I reassure the Deputy that these sites are of critical importance and that work is ongoing. Because of the complexity of the matter and the need for due diligence, we do need the Ministers for Transport, Public Expenditure and Reform and Housing, Local Government and Heritage to sign off on this. Once the due diligence exercises are completed, the final business transfer agreements can be signed and all the necessary consents by the Ministers can proceed. This is an extremely important transfer and everything is be…

I thank Deputy Leddin for his query in respect of King John's Castle and Limerick City and County Council. Work and engagement is happening in relation to that site. The OPW work is important in the context of ascertaining the costs involved. We want to ensure that these sites are maintained and preserved. Funding issues are part of the conversations happening at the moment to ensure a smooth transfer. I assure Deputies that my Department is liaising with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport a…

I thank the Deputies concerned for tabling this motion on the national driver licence service, NDLS. The Government will not be opposing the motion. At the outset I would like to clarify that the NDLS front offices across the nation are open to the public. The only change since the new contract came into effect in June 2021 is that there is no longer an option to attend at an office without a prior appointment. Appointments can be may online or by telephone. A public services card, PSC, is not required to book an a…

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this issue. As he knows, the Department of Transport is responsible for the Irish Coast Guard building programme, essentially aimed at ensuring Coast Guard units along the coast are fit for purpose. The programme is managed through the Office of Public Works from planning and design to build and ongoing maintenance, with legal assistance as necessary from the Chief State Solicitor's Office. The programme is funded from the Department of Transport Vote. Medium-sized build projects o…

It has been prioritised as a coastguard station, and one of the stations that is in most need of new facilities. It is on the building programme priority list. The Irish Coast Guard and the OPW are fully committed to providing a unit with a fully functioning coastguard station in that area. The OPW has already commenced the preliminary investigative works in respect of the six possible sites that have been identified for the new coastguard station. As I said, I am happy to come back to the House and update the Sena…

The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, on whose behalf I am taking this matter, thanks Senator Clifford-Lee for raising this issue, which gives me an opportunity to update the Seanad on this important matter. The Legal Aid Board’s provision of legal advice and representation under the civil legal aid scheme plays an important part in assisting individuals to resolve their disputes. It is recognised, however, that demands on the civil legal aid scheme have grown and that to provide maximum benefit to those for wh…

I will pass on the Senator's views and comments to the Minister. She is committed to undertaking a review of the civil legal aid scheme and the Department is currently working to finalise the mode and the terms of reference for the review. Dependent on the finalisation of the approach and confirmation of membership, it is envisaged that the review group will commence its work in the coming weeks. Significant consultation will be required to ensure that those in most need and whose needs are insufficient can continu…

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to talk about this issue in the House today. I am responding to it on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who has responsibility for public transport and roads. Transport investment in Limerick in the coming years will be guided by the forthcoming Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy. I am sure the Senator is aware that the strategy is being developed by the National Transport Authority, NTA, in collaboration with Limerick C…

Transport investment in Limerick and all other cities will be guided by their respective metropolitan area transport strategies. This is evidence-based transport planning, is in line with international best practice and will allow our cities to grow in a sustainable and compact manner. The implementation of the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy will facilitate the sustainable development of the Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area and the delivery of associated transport investment. The NTA will s…

I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which is of concern to him and his colleagues. I am taking it on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The employment permit system is managed through the use of lists that designate highly skilled and ineligible occupations. These lists are subject to regular review in order to ensure they remain relevant to the needs of the economy. On 27 October, the Minister of State, Deputy English, announced the most recent changes …

I will raise those issues with the Tánaiste. On the action plan, it will speed up processing times. The Department expects to see improvements in the backlog by the end of quarter 1 and that it will be substantially reduced by the end of quarter 2 of this year. It is monitoring new permit demand on a daily basis and will react quickly by further increasing capacity if predicted demand levels are exceeded. The Department updates the employment permit processing timelines on its website on a weekly basis and regularl…

I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. Following a Government decision on 1 February, the Minister for Education announced details regarding arrangements for the 2022 State junior cycle and leaving certificate examinations. These details were finalised following extensive engagement with the advisory group on planning for the State examinations. The advisory group includes representatives of students, parents, teacher unions, school management…

We all know junior cycle students, directly or indirectly, who are about to sit their State examinations and have been affected by this. They have travelled a difficult journey in recent years. The Senator alluded to this but I know representatives of the Department of Education and the State Examinations Commission have met with members of the public health team to discuss matters around the State examinations. That engagement is continuing. NPHET is meeting today and should any changes be made to public health gu…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter today. The National Driver Licence Service, NDLS, which processes applications for and issues driving licences and learner permits, is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and the service is provided under contract. NDLS offices across the country closed to the public at the end of March 2020 to ensure the safety of the service's staff and of the public using the service during the Covid-19 pandemic. Services resumed on a phased basis on 8 June 2…

As I said, Ennis is increasing capacity to deal with the pressures on the service by having an appointment service in place which ensures better management of demand and capacity. The new staff member in Ennis will start on 28 February, which will increase capacity by 25%. There are two booths available, but the service is currently operating with 1.5. I have been assured by RSA that the staffing changes will improve the backlog. Those who have booked an appointment should please cancel if they are not going to att…

I thank everyone who spoke for their contributions on this very important subject. Providing for the defence of the state is a fundamental role of any government. Each country addresses its needs in the context of its geopolitical position, prevailing security environment and the level of funding available. As part of the defence planning process, the White Paper on Defence in 2015 and the White Paper update of 2019 were based on security environment assessments carried out by the interdepartmental working groups. …

I thank Senator Dooley for giving me the opportunity to discuss this issue. I assure the Senator that the Government appreciates and acknowledges the strategic importance of Shannon Heritage and of the heritage sites in the mid-west region, which is a significant tourism offering, not only for the region but for the country. I am keenly aware of the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on Shannon Heritage, given its heavy dependence on international tourists visiting the heritage sites. Early in the Covid-19 cr…

I thank Senator Dooley and reiterate that the Government recognises the importance of these heritage sites. I acknowledge that this is a time of great uncertainty for many of the employees of Shannon Heritage but I understand that Shannon Group is continuing to engage with the staff on this matter and that in the context of any future change to the ownership and operation of the businesses, it will be mindful of the need to secure the long-term viability of the business and the interests of Shannon Heritage employe…

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