I thank the Senator. We will continue to engage with the CCMA. I undertake to work with my officials to engage with the CCMA. The CCMA review identified a requirement for 57 additional posts. Funding has been provided for 21 of those. As part of the Estimates process, I will be looking to increase that. I take the Senator's point that there are 31 local authorities in total. We will continue to develop. Local authority resourcing is key to the implementation of this programme. Inspections and enforcement are import…

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a significant issue for the people of Limerick and the mid-west and for all of us who represent them in the Oireachtas. I welcome the opportunity to address the issues in the HIQA report. As the Deputy is aware, in February, HIQA inspected University Hospital Limerick against the national standards for safer and better healthcare. The inspection assessed compliance with 11 national standards. The inspection team visited several clinical areas throughout the hospital, including…

The Deputy can be in no doubt the Government considers dealing with the issues at UHL a top priority. The Minister will go to Limerick on Friday and visit Croom hospital and UHL, specifically because the priority is being directed very much towards the latter. Improvements have taken place. The medical assessment units are now open seven days a week and an additional six beds will go in. Furthermore, a report commissioned by the hospital group itself yesterday referred to 300 beds, and the more beds there are, the …

I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, today. I join Deputy Gannon in condemning the despicable attack on Oleksandr Hrekov. The group was on a tour from Kyiv and had come over to do ten nights of Brian Friel's Translations . It was a very positive endeavour. Oleksandr has returned to Ukraine. I send our best wishes to him. It is something that is not reflective of what Irish society is about. I wish Oleksandr a speedy recovery, as does the Minister…

I join with my colleagues in welcoming the Kennedy family. I represent the city of Limerick. John F. Kennedy visited Limerick in 1963 at what was then the old racecourse. The racecourse has moved but the structures are still there. At the time, the mayor was female, which was very unusual. Both of my parents were there. My dad has passed away but my mother is still alive and remembers it with fond affection. There is a great bond between the Kennedys and Ireland. I hope they get an opportunity to visit the sites. I…

Deputy Gannon can read the rest of the reply. The points he makes are very consistent. I await further comments from him. I will respond to the points relating to local government in my next contribution.

The notes say 589 but we will take it that 620 students were enrolled in the school for the 2022-23 school year. The Department’s planning and building unit recently received an application from St. Aidan’s Comprehensive School seeking funding for a new PE hall and social space for students. This is in addition to funding that was approved under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme in 2020 for the provision of an engineering room, an engineering preparation room, a construction preparation and store are…

I will feed back the points Deputy Gannon raises on policing to the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. I will make a couple of points on local government. All local authorities are responsible for the management of their areas. They are independent in terms of the area they look after. The reserved powers of councillors are hugely important as well. On the issue of dereliction, Deputy Gannon will appreciate there are Croí Cónaithe grants for individual properties but, more particularly, there is funding from the…

I again thank Senator Joe O'Reilly for allowing me to outline the Department of Education's position to the House. As the Senator will be aware, St. Aidan's Comprehensive School is currently advancing an additional school accommodation project which is delivering additional specialist classroom and ancillary accommodation. This project is currently at design stage, stage 2(b). As I stated, under Project Ireland 2040 there will be capital investment of €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025. The current priority …

I want to thank both Deputies Sherlock and Duncan Smith for raising this matter, which I will take on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I want to outline the position on this matter, which deals with the current increases that are formally due. Under section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development P…

I thank Deputies Sherlock and Duncan Smith for raising these matters on behalf of the An Post pensioners. They will appreciate that there is a process. NewERA is part of that process, and the issue is currently with NewERA. However, I do take their point that this process should be concluded as quickly as possible. I undertake to go back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to make that point. I suggest that the Deputies would follow up directly with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, themselves as Members of the Hous…

I was trying to be helpful to colleagues. I appreciate there is frustration on the part of the pensioners. However, there is a process there. The point that Deputy Duncan Smith raises about section 46 is a matter that I am not hugely familiar with. However, it is a matter I will take back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, as well.

We are instructing all the local authorities to carry out vacancy surveys. We have put dedicated teams into each local authority around vacancy. Those teams are conducting surveys street by street of all vacancies in core areas so we will come up with a detailed register for each local authority to complement the work of the CSO in that area. This body of work is under way. We hope to have real details on that later in the year. It is very important to us.

I am delighted to be invited to speak about local government and planning in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for that area. I was delighted to accept the invitation. As a former Member of the House, I am aware that Members have a huge interest in local government affairs and are fierce advocates for strong local government. As Minister of State, that advocacy and support are appreciated. Since my appointment in late December, I have been to the House on several occasions on individual policy matter…

It has been a very informed debate. I wish to respond to the points raised. I propose to give a general overview and then go through the specific points. I thank Members for their incisive and progressive contributions. Some of my points will touch on items raised. In April, Ireland welcomed a monitoring mission from the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which Senator Keogan referenced. The congress delegation was here to carry out an adherence review. The charter commits signatory par…

One of the key features of the Croí Cónaithe scheme is that it is relatively straightforward. It provides for €50,000 for a unit built prior to 2008 that has been vacant for two years or more. The figure is €70,000 if it is derelict. It is very straightforward. With regard to the over-the-shop scheme, if a retail unit or office is downstairs and the upstairs has been vacant for more than two years, it can qualify for €50,000. It would not get the amount for a derelict site because the building is not derelict. For …

We are in the process of finalising the legislation. I am looking to have it prior to the summer recess as quickly as possible. I cannot be more honest than that. That is my intention.

Senator Gavan also spoke about social and affordable housing. I want to see more of that. He made reference to Castleconnell in Limerick. The local authority is looking at an affordable cost-rental scheme of upwards of 20 units in Castleconnell. I do not know the number of tenants in situ as that is private information. I want to see Part V applied in new estates, with 10% social housing provided. Senator Gavan's point is well made. Overall in Limerick we are looking at affordable purchase schemes going ahead in Ca…

Fundamentally, the directly elected mayors will be underpinned by the legislation. Like everything in life, there probably will be elements in respect of which people will have questions but I am determined that we get legislation that is fit for purpose. It will be then up to the Government to decide when the election will be held. It will be held. Senator Hoey referred to local authorities being able to digitally record meetings and provide access to them. A pilot scheme is currently being rolled out in the Depar…

-----the margin was very narrow. Our margin was very positive in the other direction. I am conscious that, whatever we bring forward, we are in a new phase and need to ensure we bring people with us. There will be a review after three years of the role. That was built into the general-----