This amendment comes on foot of consultation with key stakeholders and is included with a view to ensuring that conditional surrender is fully reciprocal between the State and other states across Europe. The amendment provides that conditional surrender operates when the State makes such a request of another state, just as it already does where it is requested of the State under section 19.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It is recognised that the curriculum at primary and post-primary is intended to be for all learners from all backgrounds, regardless of gender, socioeconomic background, race or creed. It aims to foster inclusivity where equality and diversity are promoted. Our education system, especially our schools, throughout the country supports, encourages and reflects diversity among our students, including with regard to language. The diverse nature of our society means that many …

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter of what annual savings are made from periodic reviews of medical cards for over-70s versus the cost of carrying out those reviews in light of the increased income and means test thresholds. I have experienced the same situation in my office. Often, even those who have them removed get them back on review or appeal. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on this matter. Eligibility for a medical card is primarily based on a financial assessment conducted b…

This Government can be very proud of the support it has shown to Ukraine and to Ukrainians who have come here. We offer some of the best supports of any country in the European Union. Our supports in the educational system have, quite frankly, been extraordinary. Few other countries in Europe can show the level of integration and supports that have been provided to Ukrainian children in Ireland. I have visited several other European countries to see and hear about the supports they have provided. The Government is …

I again thank Senator Cummins for raising this important issue. He is correct in saying that the actual cost was not provided by the HSE. As I have said, eligibility for the medical card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970, as amended. In this regard, the HSE is required to ensure applications for a new medical cards and renewals of existing medical cards are issued in accordance with the Act. However, insofar as it can, the HSE seeks to …

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising the important matter of Owenabue Educate Together National School. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter because it provides the Minister with an opportunity to clarify the position in respect of the Department's plans for the school. Owenabue Educate Together National School is a co-educational, multidenominational school under the patronage of Educate Together. It is located in the tow…

I again thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address some of the issues regarding this school. I hear his concerns and I certainly will bring them to the Minister's attention. As chair of the board of management of an Educate Together school with five different landlords, I understand the challenges involved for principals and boards in dealing with these types of situations. The Department's view is that, at the moment, the matter is with Educate Together. The Department is waiting for further information from …

On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank Deputy Burke for raising this matter, which is of importance to many women right across the country. The HSE provides an extensive range of medical aids and appliances to individuals living with a wide variety of medical conditions. Those aids and appliances support individuals to continue living within their communities and to enjoy a greater quality of life than would otherwise be the case. Community funded schemes are the collective name for the provision of these pr…

On behalf of the Minister for Health, I again thank Deputy Burke for raising this very important matter. Aids and appliances provided by the HSE under the community funding scheme support individuals to continue living within their communities. They are prescribed on the basis of an identified clinical need and are provided in line with established criteria. The purpose of the service improvement programme established by the HSE has the aim of improving the quality of services provided, improving access and elimina…

I will ask the Minister for Health to clarify that.

I thank Deputy Gannon for raising the important issue of the proposed closure of the Phibsborough post office in Dublin 7. I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers. An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially and, as such, day-to-day operational matters, including the decisions related to the size, distribution and future of the network are matters for the board and management of the company and are not ones in …

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter on the status of Irish Government funding for the N2 and A5 Dublin to Derry route and also the important issue of TEN-T. As he will be aware, the Government’s commitment to the A5 upgrade was discussed at Cabinet yesterday and an allocation of €600 million was confirmed for this project. This financial commitment towards the costs of the A5 road upgrade project will sit in parallel with the progression of planning and design work on the related N2 Clontibret and…

I certainly agree with the Deputy regarding the importance of our post offices and the fact they go way above and beyond the individual services provided in those local communities. As I indicated, decisions relating to post offices are operational matters for An Post, but the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, will continue to engage with the company on the proposed conversion of post offices and those concerns that have been raised by the Deputy and other Deputies. At the meeting, An Post gave an undertaking to …

Again, I thank the Senator for raising the very important matter of the delivery of funding for the A2 and N5 Dublin to Derry route. He welcomed the Cabinet decision to allocate €600 million for this very important project. This funding is now confirmed. He has been fighting this cause for some time and has been lobbying intensively to get this funding across the line. The funding that has been announced is very important. The improved connections between Dublin, Derry and the wider north-west region through this i…

I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue regarding the need for the Minister for culture to outline what actions are being taken to address the acute urgent need for artists' workspaces across the State. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, who sends her apologies. She is aware of the pressures that artists and creatives face in finding suitable workspaces, especially in Dublin, and the difficulties with the provision of artistic venues there. Last June, she a…

I hope that I have provided an overview for the Senator of the work being carried out the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. I do not have specific answers to the more detailed questions but I will certainly raise them with the Minister. There has been sustained investment in arts and culture in recent years and in budget 2024 a total of €367.406 million was provided for arts and culture elements of the Department's budget, an increase of €10.424 million from €356.982 million in 2023.…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 9, line 32, to delete “or”.

I move amendment No. 2: In page 9, line 33, after “authority,”, to insert the following: “or (e) appointed to be a judge,”.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 25, line 10, to delete “any person arising because” and substitute “the State or a relevant authority arising from a claim that”. These are mostly technical amendments and I think they speak for themselves.

I move amendment No. 4: In page 25, line 18, to delete “against” and substitute “against the State or”.