As we are here to make pre-European Council statements, I acknowledge the outstanding contribution from President Ursula von der Leyen in the House last week. She spoke about Ireland's pivotal role in Europe and how history has helped shape a nation of innovators and creators. It is a nation very much at the heart of the European experience and journey. As one of the most influential and motivational European leaders of our time, her comments resonated with the entire nation. They were timely and extremely well rec…

I congratulate the Minister on a very progressive budget. It epitomises her view and approach to politics and society generally. The Minister has done Herculean work in the Department over the past two plus years and that is reflected in this budget. However, there are a couple of issues I will pick up on. One of them is the exclusion of the recipients of the disablement benefit payment from the €500 disability support grant, which has been paid. Many of these people are probably among the most vulnerable in societ…

I commend my colleague Senator O'Loughlin on her work on earlier iterations of this Bill in 2016 and in 2020. It is a sad reality of modern Ireland that hate crime is a real and lasting problem. Ireland has become one of the most diverse and inclusive societies in recent decades. Irish people of different races and religions, Irish Travellers, LGBTQ people and persons with disabilities have all become much more visible and engaged in our communities throughout Ireland. This diversity is now a core strength and one …

I thought I was doing a neighbourly deed there.

I commend the Minister and her officials on the Bill. As I have said, we are a much better society for the changes we have seen. We have seen a radical change in Ireland over the past 20 to 30 years. This is very evident in our schools, communities and sports clubs. In County Longford and in Longford town, we have companies with diverse workforces. There can be anything up to 17 nationalities working on the factory floor. All of these people live in the town, contribute to the town and make it a much more vibrant p…

It has to be said that any and all investment in infrastructure and services is very welcome but undoubtedly one of the most vexatious issues we are faced with in rural Ireland at present is the provision of water services. At times, Irish Water has almost a pariah status in rural Ireland. Like many of the speakers, I will localise my concerns. A common theme across many of them is the delay in connections, especially for one-off rural houses where, on average, people are lucky if they get their connection within 1…

I commend the Minister of State on his work on this. The Government has moved swiftly. It is an excellent and measured response. It is indicative of a fast-paced and reactive Department. Again, I commend him on his work. I welcome the legislation. We have seen it first-hand at the enterprise committee and it will facilitate the creation of a €1.2 billion Ukraine credit guarantee scheme as part of a suite of additional measures to aid businesses through what is a particularly volatile and disruptive time for many of…

The Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, is very familiar with Longford and has seen the success and benefits of foreign direct investment, FDI, in the town. Indeed, he has commented on it previously. In a half-mile triangle in the town we now have three companies employing 2,300 people. That is certain to grow with Abbott Diagnostics, Avery Dennison Medical and Technimark Ireland all focused on growth plans. Mindful of the importance of foreign direct investment, FDI, for provincial Ireland, I ask the Minister of S…

I thank the Minister of State for that update. Technimark Ireland is nearing completion of a new wing at its factory in Longford town and will shortly be adding 100 staff to its workforce. In the coming days, we are expecting Abbott Diagnostics to lodge a planning application for a major expansion at its plant in Longford town which, doubtless, will lead to additional employment there also. Throughout the period of the crash we saw the importance of FDI for provincial Ireland. The towns that prospered or survived b…

I am familiar with the IDA plans for 19 advanced building facilities around the country. By way of an update, the Carlow facility is almost ready, while the one in Cavan is expected to be ready in 2023. The IDA has recently purchased lands in Kerry, while the facilities at Galway, Dundalk, Monaghan and Sligo have all been built. Planning permission was recently granted for a facility in Athlone and the plans for Mullingar are advancing. As the Minister of State said, there is a commitment to deliver plants in Longf…

I commend the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, on their work in Europe. I want to especially welcome confirmation on the Commission’s agreement on energy regulation to address high gas prices and security of supply. It is unquestionable that the biggest issue facing businesses, small and large, in the country at the moment is rising energy costs as we face into the winter. Obviously, the introduction of the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, in budget 2023 has been welcome. However, …

No, we will persevere.

We are okay. The rain is afraid of Deputy McGrath. There would be some puddle if the rain fell on him. The Minister of State and everybody in the House are well aware that the midlands has paid a massive price with the escalation of decarbonisation and the forced closure of two peat-generated power plants and the Bord na Móna peat harvesting operation. It would be a terrible and further slight on the people of Longford if the former power station in Lanesborough was not considered as one of the locations for these …

I welcome the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, which transposes elements of the EU work-life balance directive and provides new rights to parents and carers in order to help support a better work-life balance. I pay tribute to the Minister regarding his role and for leading so strongly in respect of this matter. He has had two momentous years, plus a couple of months, in the House. He is responsible for much landmark legislation and, as a member of the Government, I am proud to stand behind him …

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan and the Minister for sharing time. I commend the Minister on Housing for All. It is probably one of the most ambitious plans we have seen in the history of the State. It is a huge plan, in terms of volume and aspiration but more importantly, in terms of the money and real commitment the Government has put behind it. The Minister has energised the plan and the great thing about Housing for All is that it is not set in stone. It is very much an evolving plan and we have seen that at several …

We sought a progressive and decisive budget and one that was mindful of the once-in-a-lifetime challenges facing the country in the form of the energy and cost-of-living crises. The Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Michael McGrath, have certainly responded and I thank them both, as well as their staff. Doubtless they spent many long hours over recent months to come up with budget 2023. It is important we also acknowledge that a budget is just a snapshot in time and no one budget will every resolve all the issues in …

I welcome the Bill, which provides for the separation of Irish Water from Ervia and the establishment of a stand-alone national authority for water services. It is important to acknowledge, too, that the Bill offers a significant milestone in that it gives effect to the programme for Government commitment to retain Irish Water in public ownership as a national, stand-alone regulatory utility. The separation of Irish Water from the Ervia Group is in the best strategic interest of water services and gas network busin…

I thank the Minister of State for giving me some time. I commend the Minister, Deputy Foley, on her initiative and empathy this evening. Throughout her tenure, no other Minister has been more in tune with the challenges facing our families nationwide. Sinn Féin does not have a monopoly on change. The Minister earlier this year unveiled one of the most expansive reviews ever and a rethinking of the DEIS model as we seek to tackle disadvantage in our education. She did not need to be prompted to remove school transpo…

The Minister of State will be aware of an open letter sent from the people of Longford to the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner, Mr. Drew Harris, urgently seeking additional gardaí for Longford town to tackle a spate of antisocial and violent crime. It is well known that as many as 14 different feuds, involving seven families, are smearing Longford's reputation and propelling us in the media as an area rife with antisocial and violent behaviour. Longford has been selected as one of the three national …

I thank the Minister of State for his solidarity with the people of Longford. He set out clearly the specifics of the Garda operation under way in Longford and the fact there have been almost 7,000 incidents related to an operation launched in 2019. The reality is that businesses and retailers are facing into what will arguably be one of the most uncertain times in their trading lives with soaring energy costs and a cost-of-living crisis. The traders and businesses of Longford town face the additional challenge of …