I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, for coming to the House this morning to take this Commencement matter. I am sure he will agree with me that tackling vacancy and dereliction across our cities, towns, villages and rural countryside is something of great importance. It is a passion of mine. I have worked constructively since my election to this House and my appointment to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage to engage with Departm…

I thank the Minister of State for his very positive response to this Commencement matter. I stand corrected but my understanding from what the Minister previously said in relation to this was that it would be expanded to cities. However, it was not actually stated that it would be expanded to rural one-off houses. The fact the Minister of State is confirming that this morning is hugely welcome. It will be welcomed by local authorities right across the country and by young individuals and couples who are seeking to …

Last week we had one of the most expansionary budgets in recent times, an €11 million cost-of-living budget with a combination of universal and targeted measures to help all citizens. I would like in the weeks ahead if we could have statements on social protection and have the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, before the House. We are all aware of the high-level, big-ticket items introduced, such as the €600 energy credit across three payments of €200, the increase in the threshold of the fuel allow…

I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, to the House and thank him for bringing the Bill to the Seanad. It is always welcome to have Bills initiated in the Seanad as opposed to by our colleagues in the Lower House. I thank the Minister of State for this. The Bill seeks to provide modernisation of the registering, licensing and control regime for water abstractions. The Minister of State is right to point out that a detailed body of work was carried out by the Oireachtas joint committee on this matter. …

Next Tuesday.

I welcome the item on the Order Paper regarding the solar regulations. This was discussed at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage last Thursday and I pay tribute to everyone who has had any part in bringing this forward. I thank in particular my Fine Gael colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, for all his work and determination in seeing these regulations brought into being. There are many people who have been looking for these exemptions from the requirement of pl…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank the Senators for bringing forward this Private Members' motion. I will focus on the housing elements. The motion calls for a plan to be devised and implemented to address issues related to accommodation for young people and their families, making use of vacant properties and providing social housing to those in need. As someone who sits on the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, who is a strong advocate for bringing derelict and vacant pro…

I appreciate that we have statements later but not everyone will get the opportunity to contribution and, therefore, I want to acknowledge the budget that has been announced by the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Deputy Michael McGrath. It is one of the most expansionary budgets of recent times. It is, of course, about putting money back in people's pockets but it is also about supporting all cohorts through universal measures and the most vulnerable through targeted measures. In my brief of housing, I want to ment…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for being here. Today is significant for our society and economy. We have had an €11 billion cost-of-living budget with a combination of universal and targeted measures to support and put money back into the pockets, wallets and purses of people throughout the country. It is good for families, individuals and business. I recognise and acknowledge the prudence shown by the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, over a number of years, by the Minister, Deputy Michael McGr…

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Leader for facilitating me with a chance to speak. I thank the Minister of State for her attendance in Waterford for the official sod-turning of the €5.3 million Irish Coast Guard station in Bunmahon. There are synergies there between the old elements of the Coast Guard service, particularly Rescue 117, which was based at Waterford Airport, the South Eastern Mountain Rescue and our ground crews across all of the bases in Waterford. It is very important that we provide them wi…

As public representatives, we all know that there are issues with school transportation every August and September. Indeed, one could set one's clock by it but this year the representations I have received in my offices in Waterford city and Dungarvan have been beyond anything I have experienced previously. Some of this could have been avoided. It is not just the odd case, here and there. Families from every corner of Waterford have been in contact with me, from Clonea to Rathgormack, Clashmore, Butlerstown, Kilmac…

I could keep going. I could say Villierstown, Modelligo and Colligan as well. People from all those areas have been in contact. The fundamental error that was made here was reopening applications after the announcement was made that school transport would be free, which resulted in many students who had availed of concessionary tickets for many years being unable to avail of them. These were families that were happy to pay for school transport. That said, I appreciate and totally understand that the Minister made t…

I raise the issue of the Croí Cónaithe town and village scheme. Prior to the summer recess, I joined the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, at the launch of that scheme. It is an excellent scheme which provides up to €50,000 to bring a derelict or vacant property back into productive use for first-time buyers, essentially in lieu of the help-to-buy scheme which provides a grant of up to €30,000 for new-build homes. However, it does not apply in city areas…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I know he was in the RDS earlier at the Worldskills event for apprenticeships, an area in which he is doing considerable work. I thank him for taking the time to take this Commencement matter. I also acknowledge his interest and determination to ensure that Waterford and the south east achieved their long-held ambition to have a university in the region that could act as a catalyst for growth. However, I am sure he will also agree that while that milestone on 1…

I thank the Minister for restating the Government's commitment to expanding the footprint of the campus in Waterford which is obviously key to cementing the gains that have been made in terms of provision but also future-proofing the university and its provision of education and research within the region. It is important to lay out the timelines attaching to that process. I appreciate that the Minister is facing constraints with regard to commercial sensitivities while SETU negotiates with the owner of the site. I…

I propose the suspension of the House.

I echo what Senator Blaney said. The issue of foundations has been widely discussed in committee and in both the Dáil and Seanad. To be fair to the Minister and the Minister of State, they have indicated that where evidence is identified through the NSAI, they will include that in the costings to be provided. The Government cannot be any clearer on that issue. A genuine question I have for the Sinn Féin representatives in the Chamber relates to what figure per square foot they would consider necessary for 100% redr…

I note there was no reply from the Sinn Féin Senators.

I note there has been no response from the Sinn Féin representatives and the record will show that.