I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that.

I wish to pay tribute to two very inspirational young men. One is 12-year-old Pádraig O'Callaghan from Limerick and it is his birthday today. Recently he was appointed Limerick Person of the Year 2021. Every Monday he does a podcast and people should listen to this very inspirational young man because he motivates people. He talks about his disability but does not allow it to drag him down. The second inspirational young man is called James Casserly. He is travelling around Ireland on buses and trains, including Lu…

Today, the National Transport Authority, NTA, launched a report on transport infrastructure in Limerick and Shannon. The report is going out to public consultation. The northern distributor road is a key road, linking Moyross to the University of Limerick and on to the main Dublin road. This road has been debated high up and low down for three years, but it has suddenly disappeared from the report. I understand that this has happened at the intervention of the Minister. That is not acceptable. This issue was highli…

I will comment on this morning's sitting. I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Ceann Comhairle for organising it. It was a very respectful meeting. We heard the President referring to what is going on in his own country and paid our respects. I was in an emergency hub in Limerick where 22 people have arrived in recent days, and more are arriving today and tomorrow. The services that are being provided in Dublin are very organised. When people arrive in Dublin Airport, there is a one-stop shop where they get their pers…

I thank the Minister for coming to discuss this important topic today. I agree with Senator McGahon about the hype in the media, which led to some people feeling uncertain and further scaremongering. I understand the seriousness of the virus and I know of many people who died. We will have a commemoration service in Limerick this coming Sunday for people who died in Limerick during the pandemic. I pay tribute to them and to the staff in the hospital. I know the Minister is aware of the high numbers at University Ho…

Hear, hear.

I thank the Minister for coming to discuss this important issue. The issue of skills shortages was raised and I, too, would like to raise it. I know, from speaking to many in the hospitality industry, that while the support that was put in place during Covid was most welcome and kept many businesses afloat, it has had knock-on effects. I am sure the Minister is aware of that. I note that there has been a loosening up in the rules around work permits. There are many people coming into the country now, in particular …

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach very much indeed. The Minister of State is very welcome and I thank him for coming here to debate this all-important topic. We are all concerned about climate but one thing that I am very concerned about and on which I am hearing from some farmers is that they are looking for a clear pathway as to what supports and grants are available to them in respect of climate resilience. Farmers have been through a turbulent time between Covid-19, Brexit prior to that, and now with the crisis a…

I know it is not the Minister of State’s Department and I appreciate the fact that there is grant aid being provided. However, I would like to see a greater variety of grant aid. Supports need to be put in place. The Minister of State spoke of the 2030 food strategy group that has been set up. Ireland is at a crisis in terms of our grain and feed suppliers. Farmers have been encouraged to actually plant grain, which is a thing they have not done in many years, certainly in large quantities. I would like to see supp…

The census has been referred to. Question 23 on the census form relates to carers. Whether you are a paid permanent carer or a carer in the home, you are asked how many hours you contribute to caring for your loved ones. It is really important that people answer that question. Saturday, 2 April, is World Autism Awareness Day, and the theme for this year is inclusion in the workplace and challenges and opportunities in a post-pandemic world. It is a really important theme and something we should all be aware of, esp…

Now.

I thank the Minister of State for his clear explanation of the Bill from start to finish and that has helped to bring everybody together. Well done.

I wish to raise two issues and one of them is public consultation, which I have just come from, on the M20 motorway between Limerick and Cork. This is a very special day because it is the first time that we have seen the proposed routes. The public consultation will go live at 12 o'clock today. I pay tribute to the team from the Limerick City and County Council that were the lead on this and I pay tribute to the consultants who were involved in this process. The 700 landowners along the route will be consulted in t…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House discuss this all-important issue. I pay tribute to my colleagues, led by Senator Seery Kearney, for putting together the motion. I welcome all the Ukrainians who have come to our shores and the many who will come in the near future. So many people are arriving daily. As for the motion, significant stress has been put on education, and it is really important that there is continuity in that regard. I pay tribute to the ETBs and the various schools bringing people…

I also rise to call for a debate on the reform of the leaving certificate. I was education spokesperson in the previous Seanad and have a keen interest in the area. I support Senator Malcolm Byrne's call. The main reason I rise is to raise a matter relating to the Revenue Commissioners. I have been inundated with calls from people who cannot get through to Revenue. There is a helpline open. Revenue closed its offices to the public at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and its offices are still not open for in-…

I thank the Minister for coming here to discuss this all-important issue. I welcome the fact that the Department is providing €400 per ha to encourage Irish farmers to grow more cereals to offset the loss of Ukrainian and Russian grains. The aim is to increase the amount of tilled land by 25,000 ha. While I know farmers will be going out to sow the crops, my concern is whether we will have enough. So many farmers are dependent on grain to feed their animals. Pig farmers were protesting on the streets today and I th…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this important Bill. I realise its significance in protecting the consumer. Like Senator Casey, Fine Gael will support this Bill. The primary purpose of the Consumer Protection (Regulation of Retail Credit and Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2021 is to provide that any firm that offers credit under buy now, pay later arrangements, hire purchase contract plans or consumer hire agreements, and other relevant persons, will, unless already subject to Central…

I would like to be associated with the remarks of Senator Ahearn and those of other colleagues yesterday. I knew David and had the pleasure of visiting the Scottish Parliament on the many occasions when our Oireachtas teams had meetings. There is great friendship and camaraderie between us. My sympathies are with his family and colleagues as well as our Irish colleagues for what they went through on Saturday. Nobody envisaged that what started off as a fun day would turn into such a tragedy in which a young man los…

I thank the Minister for coming to the Seanad for this all-important discussion. Like many colleagues, I have been engaging with Ukrainians in my area of Limerick over the past while. Only last week, I met with a company called TRANSLIT, the CEO of which, Alex Chernenko, is from Ukraine. The company is offering free translation services and I assisted it in registering that offer of support. It has been working with many of the people who are coming here. The Polish consulate in Limerick has been very much to the f…

The Minister of State is very welcome to discuss this important issue. I will share time with my colleague, Senator Conway. Senator Ahearn sends his apologies. He has his own very strong views on the issue of overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick. From my own experience and from hearing from people in Limerick, I know that there are great concerns. Only today, I spoke to a man who has been in hospital for three weeks. He is seriously ill and has a lot of underlying health conditions. When he first went into …