Cuirim fáilte roimh Bhaill Pharlaimint na hEorpa. I welcome the MEPs. I have a question to all the MEPs on the multi-annual financial framework and the dedicated funding. I welcome the engagement we had on the nature restoration regulation and, in particular, the bravery shown by Irish MEPs in getting that regulation across the line. We now need to go the distance and move to fully fund nature restoration in Ireland. We will be developing a plan that will be brought forward in September in Ireland. We need support …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank colleagues across the House for their very warm comments on this important Bill. I thank in particular my comrade, Senator Harmon, for bringing this Bill forward as part of our Cross-Party Group slot. I welcome the senior Minister's decision not to oppose the Bill and thank colleagues across the House for their support. I commend Sophie Cole, her husband Shane O'Brien and her family on what is a positive day after so many difficult and challenging days. To be able to turn …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome the Bill. Section 10 amends section 82D of the Environmental Protection Agency Act. It is stated that the agency, when considering applications in emergency circumstances, shall do so in a manner consistent with the objectives of section 15(1) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 to the extent that it considers it practicable, taking account of the emergency nature of the applications. Like my colleague, I believe there is an issue around exceptional…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by 12 countries whose scientists had been active on the ground in Antarctica during the international geophysical year of 1957-58. It entered into force in 1961 and has since been signed by many other nations. The current total stands at 58. Some important provisions of the treaty are as follows: Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only; freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and co-operation …

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. As I understand it, the Government is not ruling out, but is still giving active consideration to, acceding to the core treaty itself. I am conscious that signing up to international agreements puts a requirement on the State to have the resources in place to honour such agreements and to resource staffing to meet the requirements of meetings and so on. However, this is important for Ireland. As I said in my opening statement, it is critically important …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta McConalogue.

I have two issues I want to raise. We have had a lot of discussion on modern methods of construction. We have potential in Ireland to grow a crop here that could be used in many applications through paper and packaging, construction and building materials, agriculture, gardening, bioplastics and composites, health and nutrition and environmental and industry applications, and that is industrial hemp. There does not appear to be any interest in the Department of agriculture or in government more generally about this…

Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le mo chara as an tairiscint seo. I thank my colleague Senator Cosgrove for bringing forward this motion as part of our Cross-Party Group motion. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, and her colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for their very positive response. Our youngest daughter is 11 years old. I do not think this range of services for young mothers was available at that time. We have come a long way. We have to recognise that, and …

Yes. Like others, I want to commend the emergency services and local authorities in Kilkenny County Council, as well as other local authorities, on their response in support of communities during Storm Chandra. Prior to the Kilkenny scheme, I had family members who were caught in the flooding cycle there. Local knowledge was hugely important then. Bernadette Kiely, an artist who is based in Thomastown, spoke about that local knowledge when the floods were coming in there. We certainly knew when the floods were comi…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.

The Minister of State is very welcome. I want to make a few points, starting with inland fisheries. The issue around water quality has been mentioned. In his opening statement, he mentioned the Blackwater fish kill. All around the country, river trusts are being established. Some now connect to the water action plan, for which community catchment fora will be established. This will provide us with a mechanism and basis under which we can work collaboratively to restore our rivers, as the previous speaker said. The …

Yes.

Senators should be informed.

While we are grateful for the Minister of State being with us this morning, out of courtesy, the Department should inform the Senator if the line Minister is not going to take the question.

Communities across the south and east coasts have been left devastated with the fallout from Storm Chandra. Tá an talamh sáite tar éis seachtainí de bháisteach. We are most grateful to emergency services, local authorities and communities who have rallied to help the vulnerable. For the first time I can recall, I heard a non-Green Party Cabinet Minister use the words "climate crisis" in relation to a weather event. It was welcome, because we all know the first part of addressing a problem is admitting there is one.…

Before I ask the Minister of State to respond, I had some oversight on this in my previous role. Certainly my understanding at the time, giving direction to the NPWS, was on the ban on use of lead over wetlands. It was quite specific and there was to be stakeholder engagement as far as I am aware.

Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir.

Last week saw the publication of the periodic Article 17 report on the status of habitats and species in Ireland. It is done in six-year cycles of reporting. Since the 2019 report, unfortunately, things have deteriorated quite dramatically in terms of our habitats. There is some better news for many species but what is critical from the Government's perspective is that the funding that was been put into the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, over the last five-year cycle needs to continue. There are signifi…

Hear, hear.

Some weeks ago, I attended the Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board apprenticeship awards ceremony in Kilkenny. It was a proud day for those young men and women and their families. The ceremony added greatly to the significance of their collective achievements. I do not need to tell the Minister of State how much we need these young apprentices in our economy right now, an economy that is running at full tilt. I saw in a previous role, particularly in the heritage sector, young apprentices in thatching,…