I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Grealish, and his guests to the Gallery. They are all very welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Before I go to my main issue, I express my support for Senator Andrews. As a former Minister of State with responsibility for heritage, I feel that surely a compromise can be found to respect the heritage of the buildings and see them regenerated. This morning I met the Irish medical workers for Palestine. I want to back up the comments of Senator Higgins on the horror in Gaza. There are Irish doctors and nurses working on the front line in Gaza. Everything we can do to help, be it the occupied territories Bill, lo…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, agus comhghairdeas leis. The Minister of State is very welcome. It is the first time I can congratulate him on his appointment, and I wish him all the very best over his term of office. The Minister of State mentioned at the start of his opening contribution that behind each statistic is a story and a family. I want to speak about the late Barbara Gill. Barbara, as she was back on 19 April 2007, was cycling to work with a high-vis jacket on and her helmet. She came down onto Wolfe…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Heydon. This is my first opportunity to congratulate him on his appointment. We worked very well together in Government, along with the senior Minister at the time, Deputy McConalogue. We advanced a lot on what I will be speaking about, namely, the alignment of the next CAP strategic plans with nature objectives and, in particular, the nature restoration regulation and the nature restoration plan, which we have to embark on as a State and want to embark on with ambition. I welcome the…

I have two environmental issues to raise. One is the call today by Professor Peter Thorne, chair of the adaptation committee of the Climate Change Advisory Council, for a national climate damage register. We have had extensive debate here on Storm Éowyn and this call by the Climate Change Advisory Council is something we in the House should support. In its ask, the council stated: Proactive action can and must improve our preparedness for and response to rapidly emerging climate risks, to protect and support people…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus déanaim comhghairdeas léi. Ócáid thábhachtach is ea Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan. Tá sé níos tábhachtaí ná riamh de bharr go bhfuil an bonn á bhaint de chearta ban agus cailíní in an-chuid tíortha, bíodh sin i réimse an oideachais, fostaíochta nó in ábhair ghnéis. Tá ról suntasach againn i leith shábháilteacht na hÉireann mar thír ina gcuirtear rogha leathan deiseanna ar fáil do chailíní óga agus iad ag teacht in inmhe. International Women’s Day is an important event and growing in impo…

I did indeed.

I wish to be associated with the comments made by Senator Andrews. This morning, the Climate Change Advisory Council and the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council published a joint report. They pulled no punches by calling giving it the title A colossal missed opportunity. I have seen titles on other reports, but that really cuts to the chase. The report anticipates, with a wide degree of variance, that there are potential fines for Ireland of between €8 billion and €26 billion for overshooting on targets relating to trans…

I support the previous call in regard to our dry stone walls. There might be some role for the Heritage Council or ETBs on traditional skills. It is part of our vernacular heritage and we have a vernacular strategy. I support that call. I raise a matter relating to the other COP, that is, COP16. We are all familiar with the climate talks but the biodiversity talks, COP16, have resumed in Rome this week following a breakdown of talks in Cali in Colombia. I was present at those talks. It was a farcical situation unfo…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I congratulate him on his appointment to the Custom House. There is a great team over there. I wish him all the best in his tenure. I join in the sympathies with the family of Kacper Dudek, who lost his life during the terrible storm. People, communities and businesses affected by Storm Éowyn are looking to us, as policymakers, to assess how we can help them and be better prepared for future events. That is something we all want to achieve. Now that many global leaders have effectively …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I congratulate Darragh. It is the first time I have had an opportunity to publicly congratulate him. He was a fantastic Minister to serve under in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and I wish him all the best in his new role. I want to make a couple of quick points. I support the motion. The one concern the Green Party and I would have is that the 2:1 ratio split for public transport, cycling and walking that had been committed to in Our Shared Future, the previou…

The craft sector in Ireland is valuable not only to our economy but also, importantly, to our international reputation. Craft practitioners and makers all over Ireland provide an invaluable contribution to our culture. Many of them are based in rural enterprises, contributing to local rural economies. They need State support. They need support from the State body that was established to do just that. I question why Design and Crafts Council Ireland would threaten legal action against its own members for putting for…

I have several items to raise. I agree with Senator Ahearn's point on the progression of the N24 but the 2:1 split on transport spending by the former Minister Eamon Ryan has led to a transformation in rural public transport, particularly Local Link services, the reduction in public transport fares and free transport for children aged under nine. This has been transformative for rural Ireland. It has reconnected many communities. It was the right decision, notwithstanding the need to progress the project. Eamon Rya…

Yes, I wish to share time with Senator Harmon.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins. We served in the previous Administration together. I congratulate her on her appointment and wish her all the best for the term ahead. Listening back, I was particularly taken by the comments from Senator Joe O'Reilly about the response of the Government to the pressing issues of society. In looking at the appointment to Ministries of Ministers of State, I am somewhat disappointed. In 2019, the Dáil declared a biodiversity emergency as well as a climate emergency, an…

Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil leis an gCathaoirleach and again congratulations to all the Senators elected and here this afternoon. It is a proud day for all of us, our families, my wife, Jennie, and Kitty and Stephen. We took them out of school this morning for this special occasion. It is important to have them here for such an occasion. As the Cathaoirleach is aware, I spent quite an amount of time in the ministerial chair in the Seanad during the last Dáil term, bringing forward legislation a…

There is a water action plan, which I launched a number of months ago, and it is anticipated there will be more inspections as well as funding to increase the number of inspectors at local authority level. This is about retention of the nitrates derogation. It is critically important to this country and we all can agree on that here. It is also about improving our water quality and we have a significant challenge. The farmers out there might note there is Waters of LIFE, which is a really good European innovation p…

I thank the Deputy for raising this critically important issue. The supply of public water and the provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. The Minister has no function regarding Uisce Éireann's specific operations although I note the points the Deputy raised about the 2025-29 plan. The Environmental Protection Agency …

I will do so. While I appreciate plans have been drawn up in the past, going back ten or 15 years, as I said the standards are such now and into the future, as the recast takes place, that the directive will be in force by the end of 2025. Member states will have to have it transposed by 2030, as far as I understand. That will create quite onerous targets in terms of not just tertiary but fourth stage treatment, which is only right. That changes the parameters in terms of assessment and the development of a new pla…

I thank Deputy Connolly. I will read the script I have been provided and then come back in with some other responses. I wrote to Deputy Connolly last week on foot of a question on policy or legislation to the Taoiseach. The supply of public water and provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The Minister has no functio…