I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for being here for this Commencement matter, which calls on the Minister with responsibility for nature, heritage and biodiversity to carry out a breeding cormorant survey on the Moy catchment area, including Lough Conn and Lough Cullin, to assess their impact on the decline of salmon in the River Moy. This comes with the backdrop of a decrease in the number of salmon being caught on the River Moy, which is the jewel in the crown and is recognised internati…

I thank the Minister of State. He is here on behalf of the Department and the Minister and I thank him for taking the Commencement matter. However, I am none the wiser in terms of the issue I raised. The latest assessment of Ireland's breeding cormorant population indicates a broadly stable picture since the mid-1980s. However, the context in which I am raising this is the rapid and significant decline of the salmon population on the River Moy. That is clearly outlined in the Commencement matter. It has been outlin…

Something that has been discussed at length over the past weeks, both here and in the Dáil, is the cost of living and the pressures people are feeling, whether at the pumps, with home heating oil, as hauliers or for school transport. I have engaged with a number of bus operators, for example, that are in fixed-price contracts with the Department of Transport for school bus routes. These fixed prices were for a certain defined number, which is now being well overshot with the current fuel prices. It is becoming unvi…

I would like to highlight an initiative I visited on Monday at the foot of Croagh Patrick in the Croagh Patrick visitor centre. It is an immersive virtual reality experience that guides people up the mountain. I am highlighting it because it is a good example of a tourist attraction that would generally be inaccessible to many people for reasons of disability, inability or mobility. Thankfully, because of the ingenuity and the innovation from the Mayo north-east leadership programme, they have invested in this 3D t…

It is a great privilege to second this Bill. I compliment Senator Murphy on bringing it to the floor and on his work and advocacy on this proposal so far. This is an important Bill because tradespeople are the lifeblood of our economy and society. If this Bill is supported, the message that will go out to those in the trades is that they are valued and are being listened to. This is a very important element to communicate. In my home county of Mayo, we have had tool-marking initiatives, which we also have across th…

Now.

In light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, it is very disappointing to see how quickly both retailers, petrol pumps and home heating oil providers are instantly jacking up prices. It is totally unfair because it has been already outlined that a spike in crude oil prices should not result in an immediate knee-jerk reaction or an increase in the price of wholesale fuels at petrol pumps and from home heating suppliers. Just this morning, I was talking with a bus driver who said that yesterday, to fill a tank…

I join with the Cathaoirleach in welcoming our visitors from Norway to the Gallery. I thank Fianna Fáil Senators for bringing forward this important Private Member's motion during what is a seminal moment in time. We see the development of and advancements in technology, including AI, and the brilliant opportunities that provides for society, along with incredibly dark elements that need to be addressed and legislated for. This week I attended an information evening in Ted's Bar hosted by Achill Island Smartphone F…

I share my condolences on the passing of former Senator Mary White with her family and loved ones. I am monitoring with interest the proposed talks about a merger between Aurivo and Dale Farm, which is based in Northern Ireland. Aurivo is a brilliant company owned by over 10,000 farmers. They contribute a huge amount to each of the communities where they are based and where the production is based. I would welcome a discussion with the Minister for agriculture on it. Without trying to interfere in a process that wi…

I acknowledge the visitors to the House, and also the previous visitors, the ambassadors of Ukraine and Estonia. It is a day of celebration for the people of Estonia, their national day, but it is not the same for Ukraine for obvious reasons. The people of Ukraine have had to endure so much hardship since the illegal invasion by Russia four years ago today. On behalf of the Fine Gael side of the House, I send solidarity to all Ukrainian people who have lost their lives, lost loved ones and lost a future in their ho…

I wish to raise the issue of CCTV in towns and communities right across the country. I have been working with community groups and different organisations that are leading on improved safety in their neighbourhoods, on their streets and in their towns and villages. There has been a scheme for CCTV in towns but complexities to do with GDPR and the funding mechanism for CCTV means it is impossible to get the funding. I am asking that we have a dedicated CCTV scheme for towns and villages that can be funded through co…

I raise an issue relating to housing. We see across the country the housing crisis that faces the State for so many different reasons. There are many potential ways to help to unlock housing supply. Many people, in particular young couples, are priced out of the market and fall between the cracks, in that they are not able to afford to build or buy their own home and are also not eligible, because of income limits, for social housing supports. In my case, in County Mayo, the towns of Westport, Castlebar and Ballina…

This afternoon, I would like to raise the topic of road safety especially for the most vulnerable road users and the most vulnerable people in our society, namely, children. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport recently highlighted the Love 30 campaign, which proposes reducing speed limits to 30 km/h in certain neighbourhoods. The safe routes to school is a very positive model that has seen very beneficial interventions outside and close to schools to connect children, students and teachers from their reside…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, to Seanad Éireann. I thank him, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Department for bringing forward this important Bill. I am a member of the joint committee on the environment, where these matters have been discussed at length. Many of the points that have been raised by the Minister of State and in contributions by fellow Senators will be addressed by the Bill if it passes. It is a practical step to modernise and streamline licensing processes without weakening en…

Next Tuesday.

I move: That Seanad Éireann: notes that: - there had been a downward trend in fatalities on Irish roads since the introduction of the first Road Safety Strategy in 1997; - 2021 saw the lowest numbers killed on our roads since records began in 1959; - three of the last four years have seen an annual increase in road-related fatalities and serious injuries; - according to Road Safety Authority statistics, there were 185 fatalities in 2025 of which 76 were drivers (41 per cent), 41 were pedestrians (22 per cent), 30 w…

The Minister of State is welcome to the House this evening. On a day when there has been significant investment in road infrastructure right across the country, it is very welcome that a large element of it is low-cost safety measures that can make all of our towns, villages and communities safer. The motivation behind this Private Members' motion on behalf of Fine Gael Senators is the crisis we see on Irish roads at the moment. As the Minister of State will be aware, there were 185 fatalities in 2025, 76 being dri…

I thank the Ministers of State, Deputy Buttimer and Deputy Canney, for being here for such an important topic. I thank my Fine Gael colleagues and colleagues across all parties for supporting this motion. As has been outlined, we have a crisis in road safety. We have heard some brilliant and heartfelt contributions of ideas to help make our roadways, footpaths and cycle lanes safer for all road users. Today's announcement of funding and investment will go some way towards low-cost safety measures in communities whi…

I welcome the Lithuanian ambassador to the Chamber on his country's national day of celebration. It is good to see him. I wish to highlight the local community safety partnerships, LCSPs, that are being established. I am a former member of the joint policing committee of Mayo County Council, which was always an excellent forum for airing views in a constructive way on behalf of one's community. It gave a voice to communities on antisocial behaviour and various issues that fall under the remit of An Garda Síochána. …

I raise an issue that has been highlighted to me by many people in my home county of Mayo. It relates to funeral expenses and recent developments regarding columbarium walls in cemeteries and church grounds. During a recent discussion on "The Tommy Marren Show" on Midwest Radio, Eddie Clarke of the Ballindine cemetery committee spoke about how it was a more effective and affordable option for community groups and organisations. There is an increased demand for it. I wished to highlight the issue here in the House. …