I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I join the Deputy in thanking Councillor Singh for her advocacy and proactivity on the matter. The Deputy is right: antisocial behaviour on our public transport system needs to be addressed. It has been tolerated for far too long. While the Minister for Transport has no responsibility for policy and funding, as that is a matter for the NTA, the programme for Government has a strong commitment to the creation of …

I again reassure Deputy Ó Muirí that security and the visibility of policing on the public transport system and in city centres is critical. He is correct that there needs to be a commitment from the operators on the northside piece. I reassure him that the Minister for Transport, the Department, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I, as well as the Government, are acutely aware of how important it is for transport staff and the travelling public to feel safe. We are strongly committed to providing all citize…

I thank Senators for the opportunity to address them on the issue of the national driver testing service. As they are aware, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, has statutory responsibility for the national driver testing service under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006. The service has a target average waiting time of ten weeks from when someone applies to sit a test to when that test should take place. As we all know quite well, however, in recent years that target has not been met, with current waiting times far in …

I thank Members for their contributions. There is nothing that divides us in this debate, including the need for action and proactivity. I reiterate that the Minister and Ministers of State in the Department, in particular Deputy Canney, recognise everything Senators have said today. I smile when I hear people talk abut managing headlines. The only headline I want refers to a reduction in waiting times. We want the people about whom all of the Senators spoke to be able to get a test. We are committed to that. If I …

I thank the Senator for her contribution and for her ongoing advocacy for people with disabilities, including in her previous role of champion and advocate. Senator Rabbitte, who was the Minister of State in the Department, had done a lot of great work as well and the Department is reviewing this. In some way my answer to the Senator will be inadequate because she is right that the overarching approach needs to be revisited. We have a different view and understanding of disability. She is also correct in highlighti…

I apologise to Senator Murphy O'Mahony for not having the physical reply for her. There was a breakdown in the transfer of the reply, so I apologise for that. I am wholly supportive of what the Senator wants to achieve. She is right: it is about being creative and looking at how we can do things differently. I cannot speak for them, but I know from talking to Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and Minister, Deputy O’Brien, that we are very supportive of what we are all trying to achieve. The former Minister of State…

I thank Senator Boyle for raising the matter. He has painted a wonderful picture of being in Fahan and I have been there in the beautiful Inishowen Peninsula. The Senator is right; it is a picturesque, beautiful spot. The point he makes regarding the low-cost accident scheme is an important one we need to embrace and I thank him for raising the matter. As the Senator knows quite well, the improvement works scheme when it comes to local grants and regional roads is part of the Government 2025 regional roads programm…

I thank the Senator again for raising the matter. He is right. It is a piece of road where there is a lot of traffic going to Derry and on the weekends it is very busy. I reiterate and join him in his final comment by saying it is the duty of us all to uphold road safety and make sure the roads are safe. I assure him the Government is fully committed to the protection and renewal of the road network. I will bring Senator Boyle's contribution back to the Department and I ask him to consider talking to Donegal County…

The Senator has it. The gremlins have been overcome.

What about Donegal?

Gan amhras, nílimid sásta maidir le tréimhse fanachta na dtástálacha tiomána. Tá an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Canney, ag obair leis an Aire chun tréimhse fanachta na dtástálacha a laghdú. I recognise that my response to the debate will probably be no different from what was said by any of the Members who have spoken. We are all frustrated by the delay. As Deputy Timmins said, the diagnosis is well documented, but this debate is important because I hope it will lead to ongoing change. I commend the Minister of State, …

I thank Senator Ryan for her ongoing advocacy. I know she wrote to and communicated with the NTA last month regarding Annacotty Business Park I commend her on that. I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport. It gives me an opportunity to provide Senator Ryan and the House with an update on sustainable mobility options in Limerick. The Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area transport strategy has been developed by the NTA to deliver an accessible, integrated transport network that enables the sustai…

I welcome the group to the Gallery. I share Senator Ryan's positivity regarding BusConnects and public transport in Limerick. As a country, we are redesigning our bus network and Limerick is at the forefront of that in terms of the provision of more public transport. As I said, there has been a 70% increase in bus services in Limerick city and suburbs, shorter waits, more direct routes, simpler network and scheduling, additional services at weekends and a new 24-hour bus route between UHL, the city centre and the U…

I thank Senator Costello for raising this very important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. I thank the Senator for highlighting the case of a young boy from Tallaght. She is right that it is a race against time. I am conscious that my reply probably will not give her the answer that she needs and that the young boy deserves. I hope we can all work together to ensure we can progress the matter she has spoken about. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is, as the Se…

I thank the Senator and agree that it is urgent. She is right that we all need to work together, including the European Commission, the authorities here and the company in question. As a former Chairman of the health committee and someone who was involved in the passage of the 2013 Act, I assure the Senator that I genuinely appreciate the importance of ensuring that patients with DMD have access to the latest drugs. We are, as a country, very much open to that avenue of new drugs being made available. I assure the …

I am taking this matter this morning on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I thank Senator Stephenson for raising it as it gives me an opportunity to update the House on the ongoing work to improve women’s health outcomes and experiences. The Senator is correct that women deserve to be heard, respected and believed. The Minister for Health has previously said, and I will repeat it, that we cannot be satisfied with anything less than a health service that provides true equality of care and treatment an…

I again thank the Senator. I will bring her concerns and questions back to the Minister. The Government and the Minister share her commitment to providing women in Ireland with a healthcare system that is agile and responsive to the needs of the women of Ireland today. With regard to the women's healthcare questions the Senator has posed, I do not have the answers, as she will appreciate, but I will take them back to the Minister and ask the Department to engage with her. Women are 51% of our population. It is abou…

I thank the Senator. She is right that the delays are too long. It is a serious matter and I thank her for raising it, and for highlighting the pressure on young people and their families. She is correct in that regard. I am smiling at the notion that the driving test is a rite of passage. It is. I would have loved to have taken the Senator for a driving lesson. One can imagine the fun we would have had. It is a serous matter. As the Senator knows, under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority…

The Senator is right again. It is about being creative and ensuring that the very important and serious matter of this long-term and long-standing issue in service provision, which the Government understands and recognises, is addressed. We must ensure we have a reliable, high-quality driving testing service. We understand that these unacceptable waiting times have profound implications for those waiting for a driving test. It is important that the Government commit to doing two things. The first is tackling the is…

Go for solar or wind.