I echo Deputy Buckley's point that the committee worked very hard and in a collegiate fashion. Much of that is down to the Cathaoirleach, Senator Carrigy, who deserves great praise. We were very much supported by AsIAm in that work. We had an initial private session with Adam Harris at which we said all the things we were afraid to say in public session. We got to road test them and to discuss how we were going to talk sensitively and properly about this subject. It was great. When it came to the public sessions, w…

Táimid ar ais arís bliain amháin eile le haghaidh ráitis ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Ar thaobh amháin, caithfidh mé a admháil go bhfuil frustrachas orm a bheith páirteach sa set-piece seo bliain i ndiaidh bliana ina seasaimid anseo agus muid ag moladh shuaitheantas cultúrtha ár dteanga dhúchais chun go bhfaighfimid tic sa bhosca sula rachaimid ar aghaidh arís eile chun tromlach ár ngnó a dhéanamh, anseo i dTeach Laighean agus ar fud na tíre, trí mheán an Bhéarla. Ar an lámh eile, tá sé ceart agus cóir go n-aithnímid …

The Minister spoke to this in the general but I will ask him a specific question. The chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council, Marie Donnelly, confirms we are in danger of missing our 2025 targets with all of the attendant consequences, including a lost to the Exchequer of some €8 billion as outlined by the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, last week. We are seeing good reductions and good progress in some sectors. Energy is a prime example and we are doing well in agriculture as well. H…

For a long time, we have traded on the fact that we are physically very remote, and that insulates us from the kind of cross-border aggression we have seen in eastern Europe. However, cyberwarfare does not know boundaries in the same way. I would like to see that we are adequately supporting and resourcing the National Cyber Security Centre. I know it is difficult for the Taoiseach to elaborate on the work it does, and that is right and proper. I would also like to mention the resourcing of the Data Protection Comm…

I understand this is the Cabinet committee that discusses our approach to matters at the UN. In September this year, we will have the UN Summit of the Future. At the committee meeting of 4 December, the zero draft text for that UN summit had not yet been finalised. There is a significant opportunity here if we pay attention to this process and get our spake in early. I know the ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies has talked about the possibility of having an executive vice president for future generations in the…

As others have done, I have no doubt, I acknowledge the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador and the distinguished guests gathered for what is a very sad occasion as we mark the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Two years ago, just on the eve of the war, we all watched Russia's troops amassing on the border with a sense of foreboding and, I think, a sense of disbelief that we were going to again see a land war on continental Europe. I doubt many of us would ha…

Táim ar ais ag Sinn Féin anois. Iarraim ar na Teachtaí, Funchion, Ward, Carthy agus Cullinane deireadh a chur leis an díospóireacht anois.

The debate having now concluded, the first matter with which I have to deal is the Government amendment in the name of the Minister for Health.

As a division has been demanded, in accordance with Standing Order 80(2), the division is deferred until the weekly division time tomorrow evening. I thank all who participated in the debate.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 37 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the urgent need to progress new school building works at Lismullen National School, County Meath. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss the N22 Killarney bypass. Deputy Paul McAuliffe - To discuss the removal of the 11 bus service in Dublin 11. Deputy Pauline Tully - To discuss permitting schools to form a cluster for the pur…

The Minister will have another opportunity.

With impeccable timing, Deputy Aindrias Moynihan's question is next up.

As the Minister will be aware, all politics is local. This could not be more local. My kitchen table yesterday morning was a disaster. Everything was going well. I had made the sandwiches and then someone spotted a little bit of mould on the crust.

I could have cut it off if I had copped it first, but that was it. They were in the bin then. I had to get up to Centra and buy chicken rolls. That was €7 lost on the day, so I am self-motivated. My question was about the schools that missed out on the April 2023 deadline. Like Deputy Ó Laoghaire, I want to see this in all schools. I have always been of the opinion, and it has long been Green Party policy, that when the State has them, we should feed them. It has a huge impact in areas of disadvantage. It is right …

These questions are grouped. It is Question No. 96 that I am putting which has quite a different emphasis from Question No. 61 in the name of Deputy Paul Murphy. In my question, I am asking whether, in the expansion to the free travel scheme which is to come to pass in July next, it would be possible to include bike-share schemes, either regular bikes or e-bike schemes, within that. I will understand if the Minister's answer goes in a different direction and perhaps we will tease out the individual issues afterward…

Deputy Paul Murphy's question had quite a different thrust from my own. Mine was focusing on, as I said, bike-share schemes and e-bike schemes. I agree with the Minister's position on the other question. That change in terms of eligibility, which will come into force in July, is really welcome and is responding to some of the recommendations from the joint Oireachtas committee. People within Epilepsy Ireland, in particular, are very grateful for that change. I will explain why I think this could be important and a …

It is €3.

It is a subscription per day after that in most cases.

This is a welcome opportunity to debate these issues in the context of what was a very happy day for all of us looking north, with the return of the assembly, the restoration of the Executive and the decision of the DUP to re-enter power-sharing. It is fitting to congratulate Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly on their appointments as First Minister and deputy First Minister, respectively. It is something we all enjoyed viewing. It was a good day for Irish politics and politics across these islands. The Gree…

I very much welcome the provisions of the Bill. My children at home, three lads, are at a point where we are trying to give them a little more independence and let them go to the shop by themselves to pick up sweets or whatever it is. We are trying to drum into them road safety and how they should be safe on the roads. While I was thinking about the Bill, I realised the language I am using with them about that is wrong because I am not actually concerned about their road use. Their road use is very unlikely to be p…