I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his very extensive contribution. I had two speeches written for today.

One was politically correct and the other said things straight and might upset a few people. I will take the Minister of State's lead and give an honest appraisal of where I see things on this issue. First and foremost I want to put on the record of the House, as the Minister of State has, that the horticulture industry in Ireland is an essential component of our food industry. It supports 6,600 direct jobs and 11,000 indirect ones. According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine it is worth €477 mi…

There will be statements on the budget later but as I am not due to speak until tomorrow, I wish to touch on a measure in the budget which was announced a short time ago, that is, the extension of the help to buy scheme. This has been pivotal in assisting 28,500 individuals and families to build or purchase their first home. It has been an essential measure to assist them in getting their deposit together. Under the Central Bank rules, that is 10% of the price. People my age seeking to get on the property ladder fo…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this Commencement matter. The Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Peter Burke, was unable to attend due to prior commitments in his schedule but I appreciate the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, taking this Commencement matter. What I am proposing is a sensible, proactive and reasonable measure which would increase the supply of smaller homes to enable individuals and couples to right-size into them. Th…

I acknowledge that densities of below 35 per hectare are permitted in smaller towns and villages and I welcome that circular the Department issued. The point I am making in this Commencement matter is that 35 per hectare is not conducive to attractive housing units for older persons. I am talking about the likes of a group scheme of 15 bungalows with shared garden areas and community spaces that are managed by a management body. I know from speaking to constituents that these are the type of developments that older…

I want to raise the issue of school transportation and ask that an urgent debate is scheduled with the Minister in order to address what I see as a fundamental lack of common sense and satisfactory responses from Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education. I am raising this issue on the Order of Business today because a Commencement matter debate may be ruled out of order. I will submit parliamentary questions on this matter. To illustrate this point, I know of a…

Do we all get extra time?

Nobody will lecture me on what is important in this Chamber.

I welcome the publication of the revised national development plan yesterday, in particular the record State investment earmarked for the transport sector, both roads and public transportation. A sum of €5.8 billion has been set aside for the development of new roads, including the N24 route between Waterford and Limerick, and €11.6 billion for new public transport measures. The N24 is, as I have said previously, a critical infrastructure project linking the mid-west to the south east and is probably even more impo…

In recent weeks, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has had significant dialogue with Irish Water and officials from the Department on infrastructure deficits in water and wastewater, particularly in small towns and villages. A total of €97.5 million was approved by the Government and the regulator to allow Irish Water to set up a specific fund for the small towns and villages growth programme to focus on areas throughout the country that would not ordinarily be a priority for …

I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss and listen to statements on what I believe will be one of the most important policy documents the Government will deliver in its term. Improving the number of housing options available to the people of this country and supporting them to set down roots and have a place to call their own have been among my main priorities since entering politics in 2009. I am delighted to be in the privileged position of being a member of a Government party and of the Oireachtas Joint C…

I welcome the Minister of State. I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' Bill. Like other Members, I wish to compliment my colleague, Senator Ward, on bringing forward the Bill for consideration. I should say at the outset that I have no vested interest in this discussion. I am not anti-gambling. I play the lotto. I also place the odd bet on football or horse racing at the bookmakers. Some of what I say in the next few minutes may be perceived as being supportive of the national lot…

I would like to join my colleagues in congratulating my colleague from the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Senator Moynihan, on her marriage last week and I also congratulate my colleague, Senator Ward, on his engagement. I welcome the initial details of the Government's new redundancy initiative, which was announced at lunchtime today and is seeking to ensure workers do not lose out financially as a result of being laid off during the pandemic. At the same time it is seeking to prevent busines…

I spoke yesterday on Second Stage. I join others in complimenting my Waterford colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on ensuring this legislation passed all Stages before the summer recess. It is fantastic that such positive legislation will have an impact on so many families right across the State, in both rural and urban Ireland. This is not just about farm families but also business owners and the passing on of businesses to the next generation. As I said yesterday, when we look to a jobs-led recovery…

I welcome the Minister to the House. It is true that this measure was not in the original Bill. I sat on Waterford City and County Council for 11 years and always took that role exceptionally seriously, as does every councillor in the country. It is also true that I have reservations about this section 183 change. However, it is also true, as Senator Fitzpatrick referenced, that much has changed since the original Bill was passed, not least the housing crisis getting worse but also the fact, though Senator Warfield…

I did not interrupt anyone on that side of the House so I would appreciate being allowed to speak without interruption. I appreciate where the Minister is coming from with this measure. It is important we do not present it in a way that is a wholesale stripping of the powers of local councillors. The factual position is that in certain local authorities housing is not being built on lands zoned for housing as a result of decisions by certain councillors from a certain party. As a Government and as legislators, we m…

Chairman-----

That is not what I said.

On a point of order, I have been misrepresented by the Senator. I ask her to withdraw her statement that I said such a thing. You will not see that in the transcript of what I said.

I ask her to withdraw the comment. It is very unfair.