I thank the Senator for raising this issue in a Commencement matter. Kildare is a county I am very familiar with as I have strong family connections there. The Department acknowledges the funding pressures on local authorities generally. I also acknowledge some of the innovative work and funding the Senator outlined. Kildare County Council continues to do exceptional work. As committed to in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, the move to 100% retention of the LPT has taken place in 2023. All equalisat…

I will conclude by referring to the Government's support for Kildare, in particular since 2020. Across all schemes and funding sources, my Department provided €151.7 million in 2020, €155.9 million in 2021 and €164.9 million in 2022 to Kildare County Council. Included in this is the unprecedented level of support provided by central government to local authorities during 2020 and 2021, rightly so, in respect of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2023, a working group was set up to carry out a comprehensive review of the loc…

I thank the Seanadóir for raising this important issue. My home town, Kilkenny, was also inundated through what can only be described as freak weather events that are happening far too consistently now. Local authorities are designated as principal response agencies and are the lead agencies for co-ordinating the local response to severe weather, including that causing flooding, as per the Government decision relating to the framework for major emergency management of 2006. The arrangements for emergency management…

The Senator has made a really valid point and it is important we take on board what he proposes. The idea of a one-stop-shop and a whole-of-government approach - a whole-of-government approach is happening - and information and communication on the supports that are available are critically important. In the longer term, if we look at the vote at the EU environment committee today and the opportunity I see in the nature restoration law and regulation and having to look at catchment management nature-based solutions…

Let me begin by thanking Deputy Ó Laoghaire for tabling this Bill for Second Stage debate, which the Government will not be opposing. As I understand it, the principle underpinning the Bill is to provide affordable, stable rents and rent certainty for tenants. I, and my Government colleagues, have worked since taking office to improve rent controls for tenants living in areas with high rental demand and facing the highest rents and sustained rent inflation. In that spirit, the Government will not be opposing the Bi…

Before I come to the scripted closing remarks, I acknowledge the issues in both Clogherhead and Carrigaline. Within the comprehensive review of the rental sector, we will work with the Deputies opposite to try to address these two areas. In terms of the rental increase that Deputy Ó Broin spoke about, it is the case that landlords can charge market rents in both areas. There is the ability for people facing large increases to bring a case to the Residential Tenancies Board and if the RTB finds in their favour, it c…

While we are on this subject and I have the floor, I pay tribute to Michael Viney who passed away this week. Michael made his home with Ethna in Thallabawn, County Mayo. He wrote for 60 years of his experiences of living in rural Ireland and of nature. It is fitting that we pay tribute to him this afternoon. I thank our team leading the discussions on behalf of the Government and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. They are doing an exceptional job. I spoke to my Swedish counterpart and the environment ministe…

The Deputy raised an important and ongoing issue that has persisted for some time and is of great concern to the local community in Whitegate. The Deputy will appreciate that the operation of the Whitegate regional public water supply is a matter for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services, planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. In turn, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, as an environmental regulator, is responsible for setting qua…

The points the Deputy raised are valid in terms of consumers having to buy bottled water, the plastic waste that creates and the fact that sometimes bottled water is not of great quality, as well as the uncertainty. I will convey the points he raised about communication with Uisce Éireann. It is not acceptable that there are no conspicuous notices and the website needs to be updated regarding boil water notices. The Deputy will appreciate that the compensation is for business customers as they are particularly put …

No.

Happy Biodiversity Week everyone. It is significant that today this House is debating the topic of biodiversity action - not loss, but action - because that is what this Government is focused on. In 2019, the Dáil declared a climate and biodiversity crisis. The 2020 programme for Government contained stronger commitments for nature than any that came before it. Since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for natural heritage, which includes the birds directive, the habitats directive, the Wildlife Act, inv…

I thank all Deputies for their contributions. I agree with Deputy Connolly that it would be great to have a full Chamber for these debates or at least more participation, but I welcome the contributions made by all. The most significant topic raised was the nature restoration regulation. I know we will have a debate next week, but it pertains to agriculture. It is far wider legislation than just agriculture. It relates to our coastal ecosystems, our rivers and our urban areas, and our protected annex 1 habitats. It…

I appreciate that.

If a Deputy puts forward a Topical Issue and has done work on it, in the interests of fairness, he or she should be informed if the relevant Minister cannot take the matter. I just wanted to state that. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. This issue arises in relation to the report produced by the Financial Services Union on employee experiences of technological surveillance in financial services, which was published in April. The Minister has noted the recommendations in the report. The report suggests tha…

Maybe the Deputy is. I cannot speak for myself. As I said earlier, Ireland's system of industrial relations is voluntary in nature and responsibility for the resolution of industrial relations issues lies ultimately with employers and workers and their respective representatives, as appropriate. Enterprises and their employees are at liberty to negotiate a form of collective agreement that can provide bespoke arrangements to enhance existing GDPR protections as necessary. The statutory regulation of technical surve…

I am happy to address this issue on behalf of my constituency colleague. Like the Deputy, I pay tribute to the incredible work our fire services undertake. The pay and conditions for all public servants, including those working in the fire services and the National Ambulance Service, are set out as part of the Building Momentum public service agreement. The Building Momentum agreement provided the agreed approach to public service pay and conditions for the period 2021 to 2022. It was further extended for 2023 foll…

I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor for raising the matter so passionately. I agree wholeheartedly with her that these are people who have found a vocation in the work they do and they love their work on a daily basis. They face huge risk in that work and it is noted. The Government has noted the contents of Retained Fire Services in Ireland - A Review of Recruitment and Retention and the Future Sustainability of Service Delivery. It contains 13 key recommendations and was published in December 2022. I have spoken to m…

I thank Deputy Gannon for tabling the issue. It is very important. Fantastic work is going on in football clubs throughout the country. The inclusion aspect is significant and I know this from the local football club in Kilkenny. Any decision, particularly with regard to the leasing of property by Dublin City Council, is entirely a matter for the local authority in the first instance. With regard to Government support for new sport facilities, the sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, as administered by the…

From what the Deputy has described, I would say the work is very important and valuable to the communities, particularly to disadvantaged new communities. This is investment well spent in the context of any Government expenditure to support fantastic clubs like this. With regard to the LSSIF, there is ongoing engagement between the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media on the next LSSIF round and looking at the learning experiences from some of the projects that were grantees in the previ…

The river basin management plan is nearing completion and has had valuable input from SWAN and other NGOs through An Fórum Uisce. There is a broad stakeholder group inputting to the plan. The next iteration of the plan will deal with issues around free flowing rivers and flood attenuation, in terms of using natural nature-based solutions to that. It is important we look at this in the whole, looking at the scale of the challenges we face with our rivers, both in terms of water quality and increased risks of floodin…