I again thank the Senator. I know she has a major interest in the issue of rights of way. The existing operations of the foreshore consent regime have not encountered any difficulties regarding the interference with existing rights. The Bill is not providing for or introducing any new regulatory powers or amendments to the consenting arrangements that prevailed before doubt was cast over the definition earlier this year. This proposed amendment is, in my view, unnecessary and would require further examination for u…

The amendments provided for in the Bill are intended to amend the Foreshore Act 1933 in order to ensure that there is no doubt over the definition of foreshore and the Act can operate as it always has. This operation includes requiring a foreshore licence for the lawful undertaking of geophysical and geotechnical surveying, including the use of sonar and other modern methods of investigation. The existing consent process includes assessments under the birds and habitats directive, and the EIA directive where requir…

I thank Deputy Bacik. I congratulate her on her recent graduation. I commend her on bringing this Bill forward. It is timely and brings together many initiatives around the conversations we have been having within our Department and also with stakeholders such as SOS Dublin Bay regarding the future of the bay. I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. We all want to achieve the same objective in terms of biodiversity but also with regard to the bay as an amenity. There is an opportunity to move forward in a…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus le Seanadóir Crowe as an gceist seo. The Housing for All strategy delivers on the programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system. Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the schemes set out in the Affordable Housing Act 2021, and the funding being made available, is underpinned by local authorities' housing delivery action plans. Local authorities, including Galway City Council a…

With all due respect, the priorities around housing delivery in Galway City Council and Galway County Council are a matter for Galway City Council and Galway County Council. Our Government sets the policy agenda through Housing for All, but it is down to the local authority to strike the balance in respect of social and affordable housing delivery. That is a matter for the elected members of those councils to prioritise. Again, I stress the point that it goes back to the local authority. If the Senator feels that t…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist sin. As for checktheregister.ie , we meet and have met with the NCBI on a number of occasions, primarily to do with accessibility around polling stations and ballot papers. I was not aware of the issue the Senator raises.

Certainly, if there is an issue we need to correct, I will talk to officials in franchise to try to correct it because there has been fantastic uptake on checktheregister.ie .

The last thing we want is to exclude anyone from the ability to register to vote.

If anything, it is quite the opposite, so again, I thank the Senator for raising that with me. I thank the Senator for raising this issue also. I am aware of the demand for wastewater infrastructure in villages where there is no access to public infrastructure, including Galway, Clare and other areas around the country. The Department builds its strategic water policy and infrastructure delivery programmes around the national planning framework for 2018 to 2040 and the National Development Plan 2021-2030. Investmen…

We will come back with a timeline on that. Now that the validation and the applications are being processed, as the Senator indicated, the first quarter of 2023 would be reasonable in the context of the Minister submitting them. These projects will end up with Irish Water in order to be brought into operation. This is extremely important for tourism, local economic development and local communities. It is a key commitment of the Government to ensure that we have balanced regional development and that our rural comm…

I thank the Senator. I agree with everything he said with regard to the modal shift. Trying to move people out of private cars and onto public transport is a critically important policy from a climate perspective but also from a development and balanced regional development perspective. As the Senator may be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport, including rail. However, the operation, maintenance and renewal of the track network and stations on the …

I agree wholeheartedly with the Senator in terms of the aspiration. A step-and-stage process has to be adhered to regardless of whether it is pre or post Covid. Certainly, there has been a sea change. The reduction in fares by 20%, and 50% for young people, has encouraged and put far more people back on to our public transport network. It is critically important that we as a Government respond to that and provide the infrastructure, facilities and funding in order that Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann can meet the d…

I welcome the young people to the Gallery. It is great to have them here. I probably saw them in the Dáil earlier. I am sure they are all looking forward to Santa. The countdown is well and truly on. In line with the commitment in the programme for Government to prioritise equine welfare through a robust traceability system, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine carried out the first equine census in November 2021. The 2022 equine census was held yesterday, Wednesday, 30 November. The primary objective of …

The Senator has summed it up very well. I will pass on that information. I agree with him that the Minister has provided an excellent piece of additional information. It shows that the Department is dealing with the matter very well. It is an important area. As the Senator said, this is an important industry in Ireland, not just in my county but across the country. It is worth significant revenue to the Exchequer and is a significant employer. In that regard, the Department has been very considerate in ensuring tha…

I thank the Senator for raising this important question. I highlight that it is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to prepare the reports on emissions and removals associated with land use activities on an annual basis to the EU and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC. However, there are many projects, as the Senator said, and work that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is undertaking that will benefit the improved reporting of the land use…

My Department, under Housing for All, has set social housing targets for all local authorities. Cork County Council has a target delivery of 3,198 units over the period 2022 to 2026. The council's approved housing delivery action plan is published on its website, along with details of social housing needs for each settlement in the county. In 2022, Cork County Council has supported an approved housing body proposal from Carbery Housing Association for the development of six units, five one-bedroom bungalows and one…

I take on board all the points the Senator is making. Certainly, the research is ongoing and establishing baselines is critically important. As I said in my opening remarks, that work is very much being addressed. There are other issues I think are of value, such as looking at the value of semi-natural grasslands which, in many cases, I do not think have been given enough consideration. We have lost quite an amount of our semi-natural grasslands over the past 20 to 30 years. We are losing hedgerows at an alarming r…

I reiterate that Cork County Council is the lead authority when it comes to the provision of social housing for County Cork, including the islands. I looked at some of the Central Statistics Office data on population change on the islands. There is quite a wide fluctuation between Bear Island, which has seen a reduction in its population, Long Island, which has experienced an increase, and Sherkin Island, which has had a slight reduction. Quite an interesting dynamic is taking hold. It is important for the local au…

I reiterate that opportunities exist. Our Department will support any proposals that come in from the local authority. The west Cork islands integrated development strategy contains objectives for economic regeneration and the opportunity, in particular, to repurpose houses. There is certainly discouragement of building second or other individual homes at some points. There are also other sensitivities around ecology and Natura 2000 sites on the islands. These have to be taken into consideration. There is no doubt,…

Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas in our cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight, as was said, of vacant properties which, if brought back to use, could add to the vibrancy and provide accommodation in those areas. A suite of measures under pathway 4 to address vacancy and efficient use of existing stock includes a variety of actions to address vacancy. I welcome the opportunity to mention some of the…