The hope is to extend it.

Rural Ireland.

Keep painting that picture, Paul. It is rubbish.

I assure the Deputy that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine takes animal welfare extremely seriously.

There are a number of cases, some of them historical, relating to that particular matter. They are before the courts at the minute, which restricts what we can say. The scenes we saw on the "RTÉ Investigates" programme were unacceptable. We have acted swiftly. Actions were in place prior to that because concerns had been raised. Work is ongoing to ensure that the highest standards will be applicable in this case and all other cases.

I am going to start by thanking Senator Seery Kearney for raising what is a really important issue. I will respond on behalf of our colleague, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, who unfortunately cannot be here today. Last December, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, announced the opening of the interim remediation scheme, as the Senator outlined, for fire safety defects in eligible apartments and duplexes. The scheme provides for the funding of emergency fire safety de…

I will bring the very important points the Senator raised back to the Ministers. I do note that the wording of her motion referred to an interim OMC regulator. Maybe that was perceived as non-statutory. I take the very serious points the Senator raised on board. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has also been advancing the steps to put the remediation scheme on a statutory footing as a matter of priority. The full remedial works, which will include all necessary fire safety measures, as well …

I thank the Senator for raising this important and topical point, considering recent cases in the media. I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, who unfortunately cannot be present today. I convey his apologies to the House. First, I unreservedly state my unequivocal condemnation of assaults. I add my voice to those who have commended the courage and dignity of victims who speak out, particularly in relation to recent cases. Such assault and behaviour has no place in modern society or in…

I feel the gravity of the points raised by Senator Clonan. I read exactly the response I received from the Tánaiste in the first response. In regard to the very specific point the Senator raised about the serving member who, under the regulation, is being asked to go in, and how that could be misconstrued as a character reference, by a skilled legal team, that is a valid point that I will bring back to the Tánaiste. It states here that the current provisions in these regulations are being kept under review. I will …

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this today. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, who cannot be with us today. The basic income for the arts is a once-in-a-generation policy intervention which has the potential to transform the lives of artists. The scheme is part of a suite of measures that the Minister, Deputy Martin, has introduced to support professional arts practice in Ireland. I am particularly proud of the fact that former Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, said when he …

The Senator raises very valid points which I will bring back to the Minister, Deputy Martin. While the Minister is optimistic that the basic income payment is having a positive impact on those receiving it, she is very cognisant of the data which is emerging about the difficult conditions in which artists find themselves more generally. Therefore, she held the status of the artist conference in May, which the Senator attended, that focused on income and working conditions in the arts in Ireland. A year on, the BIA …

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. A fundamental aim of the Government’s national sports policy is to increase the levels of participation in sport and physical activity across the population, with a specific focus on less represented groups, including women and girls. A great deal of good progress is being made, not just in increasing participation by women and girls, but also in the important areas of leadership and management roles in sport. A number of new policies have been introduced by the…

I hear the Senator's points and will bring them back to the Minister, Deputy Martin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne. From the response I have from them, their argument would be that every euro going into a sports organisation or club, whether large scale or sports capital, is being done. To avail of any grant, clubs have to confirm they are providing equal access. The approach is, rather than having a scheme to encourage clubs to make available the extra dressing room for female participation, is to make s…

I thank the Senator for his question on the important matter of good transport connectivity in the Border area. I am delivering this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport who unfortunately could not be here today. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding relating to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national developmen…

The Minister for Transport has allocated national road funding for 2024 in a manner that seeks to achieve the following key outcomes: protection and renewal of the existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction; progressing major projects that are pre-construction but well advanced in the development pipeline; and prioritising any remaining funds for major projects that provide for local bypasses and compact growth in Ireland’s towns and villages. It is important to note that in …

I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves: (I) Ireland's participation in the following: (i) two Permanent Structured Cooperation Projects in accordance with the Programme for Government commitment: (a) Network of Logistic Hubs in Europe and Support to Operations, and (b) Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection and the associated Category B European Defence Agency support to the project, and (ii) two European Defence Agency projects pursuant to section 2 of the Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 20…

I move: That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Orders in draft: (i) Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Jersey) Order 2024, and (ii) Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Sultanate of Oman) Order 2024, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 19th June, 2024, be referred to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, in accordance with Standing Order 95(1)( a ), which, not later than 10th July, 2024, shall send a message to the Dáil in the man…

I am here.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss our energy system and the pressures Irish households have faced because of high energy costs. I thank colleagues from across the House for their contributions. The pressures placed on households and businesses by high energy costs remain of deep concern to the Government. Providing supports to alleviate this pressure has been a priority for the Government and extensive work has and will continue to be undertaken across the Government to address these challenges. The most signifi…

That is right.