I thank the Deputy for this important question. An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to act commercially. An Post has statutory responsibility for the State’s postal service and the post office network. In addition, Irish post offices are typically independent businesses run by postmasters. Decisions relating to the network, including those relating to the size, distribution and future thereof, are operational matters for the board and management of the company. The Government is committed to a sustain…

The €10 million per annum is there to provide stabilisation and support and to underpin that key social, economic and community infrastructure in towns and villages across the country. In the absence of that Government decision and the commitment in the programme for Government to provide that support to post offices, we would have a greater difficulty. The State has stepped in to help stabilise that. The Deputy is correct that they provide a vital service in our communities. Through the pandemic we saw the essence…

I thank both Deputies. The €10 million per year will make a difference to those who perhaps were thinking of exiting as independent postmasters. Providing that stabilisation will enhance the network. In certain areas, there was consolidation. In other villages, there was an exit of a post office. We have to try to maintain the network, and the €10 million will do that, as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure of the country. On Deputy Stanton’s point, decisions relating to the network of post an…

This is a stunt.

I appreciate the Deputy raising this important issue. In the first instance, it is important this Government fulfils its commitments to communities under the national development plan, and that means making tangible progress on a number of roads projects, including the N4 upgrade for the people of Westmeath and Longford. The profile of spending varies through the year but it is important we do not have an underspend when it comes to the roads budget. That is why this is getting careful examination within the Depart…

I thank Senator Ardagh for bringing this important issue to the House. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. As a Government, we are fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service. Lung cancer screening is receiving increasing attention and the international evidence in this area continues to build. An updated European Council recommendation on cancer screening was published in December 2022 and it recommen…

I thank Senator Ardagh. I reiterate that the national screening advisory committee will consider the updated European Council recommendation on cancer screening and advise the Minister for Health and his Department on this evidence. We are committed to the further expansion of screening in Ireland in accordance with internationally accepted criteria and best practice. I assure the Senator that Ireland will be actively engaged with the significant ongoing collaborative work at a European level to take forward the up…

I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address the House on this important matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I acknowledge the important service Bantry General Hospital provides to a large and unique geographical area, from the peninsulas in the south west to Clonakilty and Timoleague in the east. Bantry General Hospital has received a substantial allocation of €23.7 million in 2023, an increase of 19.6% since 2019. I am pleased to advise that investment in the endoscopy unit…

I appreciate Senator Lombard raising this important issue. This Government is fully committed to investing in Ireland's healthcare infrastructure and services in line with the ambition and direction mapped out by Sláintecare. We are pleased to confirm that the construction works are progressing on the endoscopy unit at Bantry General Hospital and there is a planned date for its completion. The upgraded endoscopy suite at Bantry General Hospital, which is expected to complete construction in June 2024, is an importa…

I thank Deputy Smith for raising this important issue. We recently sanctioned 75 driving tester posts which will increase the number from approximately 100 last year. Thirty testers were recruited at the end of last year, so more than 200 driving testers will be in employment this year. There should therefore be an improvement in waiting times toward the tail end of this year. There is a recruitment process. The testers should be in place from the autumn onwards, which should improve the waiting time situation in C…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of the Agreement Establishing the EU-LAC International Foundation, signed at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on 25th October, 2016, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 30th March, 2023.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. It gives me the opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to the status of the application for additional school accommodation made by Balla Secondary School, County Mayo. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley. Balla Secondary School is a mixed school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Tuam. In the 2022-23 school year, it had a total enrolment of 422 pupils. The Department’s planning and bui…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue regarding the school's application and I appreciate his remarks. As I have said, my officials in the Department are working to assess the accommodation needs of the school under my Department’s capital scheme and will be in touch with the school authorities directly as soon as possible. This assessment will consider the current and projected enrolment at the school and will focus on providing any required additional capacity to meet the needs for mainstream accomm…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. One of the commitments in the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 is to put forward a proposal for legally binding EU nature restoration targets. The proposed regulation on nature restoration aims to fulfil this commitment. This significant EU legislation will have an impact on all areas of society, and not just farming. It will intro…

Certainly with my previous hat on, I was familiar with and was in Lixnaw with the Minister, Deputy Foley. It is a great hurling club that benefited from the sports capital programme. I will set out the facts on this, as much has been said publicly that sometimes polarises communities. It is clear that any measures will be introduced with landowners in mind and in consultation with them. That will be considered in the context of an overall national restoration plan. It is important to flag again that such measures w…

As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts, 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TIl, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national …

I appreciate what the Deputy has said. Each year that funding for new roads projects occurs, the allocations that are required to ensure there is continued progress can vary. Some years it requires a multiple of what I have outlined earlier and when construction occurs it is at a much greater scale. To move through the different gateways and to make progress in the decision-making process, the amount can vary from year to year, which does not give a reflection of the overall progress. As I have said, technical advi…

I thank Senator Martin for raising this issue which I am taking behalf Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The Department of Health has informed me that Friedreich's ataxia is a rare disease affecting fewer than 200 people in Ireland. The condition involves progressive neuromuscular degeneration leading patients to have difficulty with things such as walking, speech and co-ordination. Unfortunately, the progression of the disease can shorten patients' life expectancy and severely impact on their quality o…

I thank the Senator for his statement and feedback and, in particular, the feedback from many of the people he engaged with who are seeking progress relating to this orphan drug, which has made progress in the United States. I will reflect that feedback to the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. As well as dedicated funding for new medicines, the Minister plans to develop a revised national rare disease plan. Initial work for the new plan has begun. This plan will be a key step in progressing an improved …

The Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and I have listened with interest to the contributions from Deputies on the Private Members' Bill put forward by Sinn Féin. I will try to respond to some of the issues raised. I also want to acknowledge the presence of the ambassador. As Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill highlighted in her opening remarks that the Government understands the motivation behind the Bill. I acknowledge many of the contributions made during the debate. As might have been expected,…