I welcome the students from Scoil Mhuire National School in Newtown Forbes, who have a keen interest in further education. Will the Department help to address an anomaly whereby recently approved applications under the undocumented scheme are precluded from Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants, and will the Minister make a statement on the matter, please?

I thank the Minister for his reply. I am reminded of the supermarket offer, "Buy one, get one free," as he is covering both of his Departments. It is timely for me and some of the other Deputies present. I welcome the Minister's update. It is the most promising update I have received to this point. This is a major issue. Many families that came here are, strictly speaking, undocumented. Their children went through national and secondary schools. I am aware of a family in my constituency where the eldest child, on s…

I appreciate that, if the student were naturalised, it would remedy the situation, but that is an expensive route for a family that is only after exiting undocumented status to take. Even when we try to do things right, there are sometimes unintended consequences. This is one of those situations. I welcome that the Minister will engage with both of his Departments on trying to find a solution. Many people in this situation are in limbo and are facing financial uncertainty, so they will also welcome today's news. I …

I am a most unlikely sub. Will the Minister provide an update on the work of the National Skills Council, including its proposed 2023 work plan, and make a statement on the matter?

The OECD report will be timely and will inform what is a dynamic sector for us. The council brings education and training providers together with representatives from business to respond effectively to skill needs. Every Deputy will agree that the council is a forum that has effected significant change. This is an evolving scene, with the training needs of multiple industries changing daily. The National Skills Council has played a key role in overseeing this and assisting numerous industries. It also plays a key r…

I thank the Minister. I welcome the second half of the group of sixth year pupils from the Newtown Forbes national school, Scoil Mhuire. I am conscious that the last meeting of the council took place in October. At that time, there was a discussion on potential policy directions for priority under the theme of strengthening the governance to build a joined-up skills ecosystem. The discussion centred on three key points, namely, promoting a whole-of-government and strategic approach to skills policy, supporting effe…

I welcome this opportunity to discuss the state of the sheep sector. I had hoped the Minister could have used today's slot to announce additional supports for the sector. Notwithstanding that, I welcome his commitment that his Department is continuing to investigate what additional supports can be made available to support the sector. I stress, though, to the Minister and the Department that we cannot delay any longer in providing additional supports as this sector is genuinely struggling. I appreciate there may ha…

As this is my first time speaking to the Minister of State in her new role, I congratulate her and wish her the best of luck. I welcome this Bill, which is the first significant legislation for the credit union sector in 12 years. It follows through on a commitment in the programme for Government to prioritise credit unions. I am reasonably happy that the Bill, in its current format, reflects much of the significant dialogue that is taking place between the credit union movement, the Minister of State, her predeces…

I welcome the Bill and commend the Minister of State on his work on it to date. It is a key plank in the programme for Government. For the public looking on, one key point that jumps out is that the Bill embeds a key principle from the commission's report. This is that preventing crime and harm and making our communities safe does not rest with An Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice alone. It must be most effectively achieved through a whole-of-government response with Departments and agencies such as heal…

I welcome the Bill, which is long overdue. It underpins an organisation that has been at the heart of community events in Ireland since 1951. We are incredibly proud of the Civil Defence family in County Longford, where Emma Reid is the Civil Defence officer. Throughout the Covid pandemic, we saw the value and dedication of Civil Defence volunteers. We are incredibly lucky to have 25 top-drawer volunteers in Longford. It would be remiss of me if I did not use this occasion to acknowledge the Herculean efforts of Ma…

At the outset I acknowledge the Minister's work and commitment to the health service. I know he is passionate about what he is trying to do and achieve. Sometimes it might feel as though he is almost a punch bag for everything that goes wrong with the delivery of the service. In that regard I have some sympathy for him. However, the reality is that when things go wrong or even if there is a perception that things are awry there is an all consuming fear and suspicion that the State has failed society at large. As th…

In recent parliamentary questions I highlighted a situation where recently approved recipients of stamp 4 status under the regularisation of the long-term undocumented persons scheme are being precluded from Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, on the basis that many are unable to prove that they have been in the country lawfully for three of the five preceding years. It is an anomaly in what is otherwise a laudable scheme. I hope the Taoiseach can look at addressing this issue as it is casting a shadow over wh…

No one needs to be convinced of the merits of trees. Experts tell us that, if we plant 18,000 ha per year between now and 2050, we will be carbon neutral without taking any other action. That is not an improbability. Back in 1994, we were planting 24,000 ha per year. Of that, 18,000 ha were in the private sector. Farmers and other members of the public were more than happy and enthusiastic to plant trees, and they did so for all the right reasons. Subsequently, we descended into a licensing quagmire. I appreciate t…

I rarely take issue with my colleague, Deputy Matthews, but I emphasise that the Government parties are as one on the climate action plan. I appreciate there are many Green Party fingerprints on the plan but we in this three-party Government are passionate about it and have enthusiastically supported it. I commend Deputy Matthews on acknowledging that there is a will and desire in rural Ireland to meet our climate action targets. There is a groundswell of enthusiasm among farmers for the challenge that lies ahead. …

I welcome the planning legislation and long-overdue overhaul of An Bord Pleanála. The Bill will ensure the recruitment arrangements for the appointment of members of An Bord Pleanála are updated, streamlined and more appropriate to the complex environment in which they now operate. It is planned to introduce amendments to the Bill to enable expedited planning for the construction of social and affordable homes on local authority-owned lands. Crucially, these emergency powers, when enacted, will apply to lands owned…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his forbearance at the outset. I appreciate that we are here at an unusually late hour after a long day in a long week, but it behoves me to share my concerns with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, about the funding of our nursing homes. Whether we agree with it or not, we are dependent on a network of privately owned nursing homes. My office - and probably the Minister of State's constituency office more than any other - is besieged with calls from families desperate to get love…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I would certainly like to think that the nursing home operators and providers acknowledge the supports they have received to date. I believe the nub of the issue is money. We must acknowledge that the numerous costs being absorbed by private nursing homes are not applicable to public facilities. These include, for example: capital costs; commercial rates; insurance; and education and training. I agree that the fair deal scheme has been a lifeline for families. The Minis…

On the back of very strong FDI news in County Longford recently with jobs investment from Technimark and an ambitious new planning application for expansion at the Abbott Ireland plant, the Minister of State on a recent visit saw at first hand the excellent work under way in a number of Enterprise Ireland companies. Will the Minister of State update the House on year-to-date job creation progress from both Enterprise Ireland- and IDA Ireland-supported businesses in County Longford?

I thank the Minister of State for that extensive response. It was great to have him in Longford recently. He saw first-hand the excellent work that is under way at Lir Analytical, where Michael Savage and the team are leading in the area of biosecurity in animal feed production and healthcare. The one deficiency that was pointed out related to a site for an advanced factory and also for Enterprise Ireland-supported and LEO-supported businesses. This is critically important. The Minister of State's colleague alluded…

I thank the Minister of State and welcome his commitment to work with Longford County Council. We have an excellent case study in Longford in a triangle on the Ballinalee Road between Abbott Ireland, Avery Dennison and Technimark. We have in the region of 2,500 jobs in IDA Ireland-assisted and -supported companies. That is a real template for how regional development and job creation can be a success. I am delighted to hear that the Minister of State will put his strength and knowledge behind efforts by Longford Co…