I join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in welcoming the Kellehers to the Seanad, which is a beautiful building in its own right. I thank Senator Kelleher for raising this important matter. He has advocated for Westgate Foundation over a sustained period of time and that has to be acknowledged. I know the work it does is close to his heart. I know first-hand because I visited the Westgate Foundation centre with him. I found it to be warm and engaging and it provides a great service to its community. I thank all the people i…

I again thank the Senator for raising Westgate Foundation in Ballincollig and the work it does on behalf of the community, particularly older people. The Senator referred to housing on-site. It is very much an integrated model. I could see how committed the staff and the board, many of them voluntary, were. The HSE has confirmed it continues to work closely with the Westgate Foundation regarding its operational and financial position. Meetings have taken place between the HSE and Westgate in relation to organisatio…

I thank Deputy Maxwell. This is an important point for his constituents in Cavan-Monaghan. By way of update, 302 people were on waiting lists for home support at the end of May in Cavan-Monaghan, including 33 new applicants and 269 people already receiving support who require additional hours. Specifically on the point the Deputy raised, I met the HSE as recently as yesterday. One of the key areas I focused on was Cavan-Monaghan. The HSE gave me an assurance. The last recruitment campaign of home support workers wa…

I too welcome all the guests. As the Senator is probably well aware, section 19 is about development plans, as distinct from the-----

I think the Senator is very familiar with that and the points he has made are duly noted. I can go through what is being proposed under Part 4 of the Bill in terms of the 2024 Act and the statutory deadlines coming in for planning and An Coimisiún Pleanála. If the House would like me to do that, I will.

We very much take on board the Senator's learned views.

Sections 61 and 62 are connected and will operate together. It is important that both sections stand as part of the Bill. Section 61 is a technical, clarifying amendment to the definition of "material alteration" in section 138 of the 2024 Act to add a cross-reference to a new section 138A, as inserted by section 62 of the Bill. Section 62 inserts a new section 138A in Chapter 5 of Part 4 of the 2024 Act in relation to alterations of existing permissions allowed for the purpose of alleviating the shortage of reside…

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I propose to go through my detailed note because that will be helpful to everyone. Amendments Nos. 5 and 6 seek to amend section 62 of the Bill, which, in turn, proposes to insert a new section 138A into Chapter 5 of Part 4 of the 2024 Act in relation to alterations of existing uncommenced permissions for apartment schemes. Section 138A operates so that subject to the meetings specifically set out in the Bill, requests may be made to alter an existing permission of an a…

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to update the House on the position of the James Weir nurses home on Cork Street in Dublin 8. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. The Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate. The HSE has a significant property portfolio extending to circa 4,300 buildings across circa 2,300 locations throughout the country. The health estate is varied and complex and the HSE act…

As I said earlier, following extensive review the property known as Weir Home on Cork Street in Dublin 8 was identified by the HSE a number of years ago as surplus to its requirements and it was decided to dispose of the property. Disposal of Weir Home is being carried out in line with the statutory obligations, including the Land Development Agency Act 2021 and the relevant circulars from the Department of public expenditure. The HSE engaged with all expressions of interest from State bodies in relation to the pro…

I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for Government reaffirms Ireland's commitment to 80% of electricity demand being met in the near term and there are plans to move to net zero by 2050. The deployment of renewable electricity, including wind energy, is vital to Ireland meeting its ambitious domestic targets and international commitments. T…

Progress has been made in this regard. The Department is working towards the publication of a wind energy national planning statement as a matter of priority. The programme for Government commits to prioritising publication and review of the guidelines, which will form a national planning statement. The Department is working towards meeting this commitment to finalise a national planning statement having regard to evolving policy, public consultations and technical contexts while having appropriate regard to the im…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing.Local Government and Heritage. The operation of the public wastewater treatment systems together with operational issues locally are matters for Uisce Éireann which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Contracts and payments are matters for Uisce Éireann and I have no function. However, the Minister has made inq…

As I said earlier about specific points the Deputy raised, the operation of the public wastewater treatment systems, together with operational issues locally, are matters for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Contracts and payments are matters for Uisce Éireann and the Minister has no function in this area. However, he has made inquiries with Uisce Éireann on the Deputy's behalf and was informe…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the very important topic of dementia, an issue that touches so many people's lives, be it family, friends and neighbours. It reflects how we care for one another as a society, and how we support people to live with dignity, independence and security as they age. I look forward to a very engaging and constructive debate with Dáil colleagues. I know many are contributing. It shows how important an event this is. I welcome and acknowledge the presence in the Dáil Gallery of Jordan…

Your grandmother was a woman of taste.

I want to do justice to the debate. I want to deal with the issues that people raised. I want to give an idea of what my vision is on dementia. I have a vision and an actual view on what we need to do. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, did great work in the role but there are certain things I want to do structurally. I want people to have an idea of what I have in mind. The FTD brothers, Jordan and Cian, Helen, their dad, Glenn, and Jordan's wife, Agnes, have done something unique. Every so often someone makes …

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and highlighting the role that pubs and the hospitality sector play in Irish life and culture by providing a central hub and meeting place in towns and villages across all of rural Ireland, which she articulated very well. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris. The Government’s commitment to the sector was most recently demonstrated by the reduction in the VAT rate to 9%, recognising that the sector was highly la…

I thank Senator Lynch for raising this important matter. As I stated earlier, I am taking this debate on behalf of An Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Harris. I am fully aware of the importance of local pubs to Irish culture and the Irish economy, particularly the local and rural economy. Like all businesses, the on-trade is facing challenges from increased costs. The Government is taking steps to alleviate these challenges, particularly through work being co-ordinated through the Department of Enterprise,…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 99 together. I thank the Deputy for bringing up this important issue. I do not know if Deputy Boland is here. The Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, aims to deliver 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable housing supports by the end of 2030. To achieve this, the largest ever housing budget in the history of the State has been secured in 2026, with in excess of €9 billion in capital funding t…