I, too, congratulate Senator Kyne on his new role. I raise the issue of CE schemes. As we know, they serve an important function in our communities. There is normally a sponsor behind these CE schemes which tends to be a local community organisation. The funding of those employed by CE schemes comes entirely through the Department of Social Protection. Funding for wages, PRSI and everything else comes entirely through the Department of Social Protection. In a sense, all that side of it is looked after by the Depart…

What is the Deputy Leader's brand of fake tan?

I thank my colleague, Senator Fitzpatrick, for sharing her time and the Minister of State for attending the House. I applaud him, the Minister, Darragh O’Brien, and the departmental officials for this comprehensive consolidating legislation. We always ask why we need something like this. The main challenge our country is facing domestically is the building of homes. Insofar as possible, our planning system should facilitate their building. Therefore, it is critical for home building, business and industry that the …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter which is on the question of coastal erosion. The Minister of State, like I do, comes from a coastal area. We are very familiar with the importance of our coasts and indeed our beautiful beaches. I know the Acting Chair will also be very familiar with this in his home patch. We are very fortunate as an island nation to have such beautiful coasts, in fact we have about 5,800 km of coastline right around our shores.…

I thank the Minister of State and I welcome the establishment of the interdepartmental working group but it is critical that this is followed through with action. I want to see a situation whereby we see beaches like those at Courtown Harbour replenished. Obviously, there are many homes and other critical pieces of infrastructure around our coast that are at real risk. Establishing that database of infrastructure that needs to be protected is important. This is a multi-annual strategy that we are going to be dealin…

I have just come from a presentation by the National College of Ireland, NCI, which the Leader may be aware does tremendous work in Dublin's inner city and at national level through a wide range of programmes, particularly in promoting access to higher education. Since its move to the north east inner city, the NCI has done tremendous work around building an educational community in that part of Dublin. There is a need to expand. Unlike a lot of other higher education institutions the National College of Ireland's …

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh Gníomhach agus fáiltím roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank him for taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Martin. Since the Government introduced the basic income for artists scheme in 2022, 2,000 artists have been able to avail of the sum of €325 per week. All the reviews, including one the Minister published recently, show that it has allowed those artists to spend more time concentrating on their work and developing it. It has also meant the money has been …

I thank the Minister of State. I was at part of that conference on the status of the artist and the Minister does articulate her views and her commitment to this very well. I totally appreciate and think it is right that our decisions on the extension of the scheme are going to be evidence-based. My worry is that we will move into 2025 pretty quickly. Not all Departments move particularly quickly in renewing and developing schemes and acting on the reports and the evidence. However, it is important to give a clear …

I too welcome the students. I also join in the expressions of congratulations to Deputies Michael McGrath and Jack Chambers. I also add my voice of sympathy to that voice of a generation, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, who so many of us were familiar with from the radio as he travelled around the country commentating on GAA and other sporting events. I want to raise the question of fees for criminal barristers. I cannot understand why the Minister for Justice has not entered into a process to reverse a number of the cut…

I am rather surprised at Senator Gavan. I assume he will also be calling on his leader and others within Sinn Féin to refuse to attend the $1,000 plate dinners they have been having in the United States and that there will be no Sinn Féin representatives attending any US function. The hypocrisy of Sinn Féin on some of these issues really is outstanding. In a more positive vein, I certainly support my colleague, Senator Ardagh, in the Bill she is bringing forward today. Like Senator Clonan, I would also like to wish…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank him for taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. When the Minister of State and I served on the Oireachtas tourism committee, of which he was a very active member prior to his elevation, he will have been quite familiar with the issue I wish to raise, namely, our ongoing wait for the short-term letting legislation. Let me be very clear at the outset: I strongly support that legislation. We need to have a registration system involving Fáilte Ir…

I thank the Minister of State. At least there is agreement between the Departments of tourism and housing over what has to happen. We all want to increase the number of long-term rentals available. The concern is that if measures are introduced, the impact on short-term rentals will not mean that they come into the long-term rental market but instead that we simply lose them from the tourism market. The Minister of State and I have talked about this before. It is all very nice staying in a coastal cottage in July a…

I echo the concerns and views expressed by my friend and colleague, Senator Cassells. The Oireachtas media committee will shortly publish a report on the future of media. I hope we will be able to facilitate a debate in the Houses on the findings of that report and, more generally, on the media in Ireland. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been praising Irish athletes, the role of Athletics Ireland in promoting and supporting young athletes and the extraordinary success of our athletes at the European Athletics…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Tánaiste for taking this Bill. It is welcome in this House that we are having far more debates on defence and security. There is a clear commitment on the part of the Government to address some of the issues concerning recruitment. More can always be done. I also welcome the indication given by the Tánaiste that there will be other legislation coming before the House to deal with some other matters, so I will confine my matters specifically to the provisions within thi…

Is Senator Clonan proposing that as an amendment?

The Minister of State does not have to.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach and I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for further and higher education. The Minister of State is aware that after a long process to determine how higher education funding should be carried out, the Government committed to addressing that deficit through the publication of a document called Funding the Future. That deficit was identified to the sum of €307 million. At the time when this document was published,…

I appreciate that the Minister of State is only giving us the answer that is provided by the Department but the reality is that the additional pay costs that resulted from public sector pay agreements are not being matched by the funding being made available. The Minister of State mentioned that in the last two budgets there has, quite rightly, been an additional €105.7 million provided in core funding but the core pay costs have increased in our universities and higher education by more than €90 million so really …

I am sure the Acting Leader will join with me in further noting the wonderful success of our athletes in Rome last night. On this occasion, it was the women's 4 x 400 m relay team comprising Phil Healy, Rhasidat Adeleke, Sophie Becker and Sharlene Mawdsley. It re-emphasises how investment in sport pays off. I already paid tribute to our other medal winners earlier this week and looked for a discussion in this House on sport and how we can further enhance athletics. I am sure the Acting Leader will be aware that las…

Like others, I congratulate all those who stood and have been elected and wish all the best to our colleagues in this House. I am conscious that in the naming, Senator Blaney's name was omitted from the list of Senators. As we know, he was part of the strong unified Fianna Fáil team that ran in the Midlands-North-West constituency over the last few days. I will focus on races of a different kind. I am sure the Leader and everyone in the House will join with me in congratulating Athletics Ireland and the wonderful p…