I thank Deputy Durkan for raising these pertinent points, which are hugely important to the constituents he represents in Kildare North. He and I agree that growing the numbers of visitors to Castletown House and estate is in everyone’s interest. It is a fantastic facility. We want more people to enjoy it and learn about it. The move to active travel for visitors will result in more people taking public transport. That will bring them into the heart of Celbridge village and provide an opportunity for local business…

I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important issue on national secondary routes and, in particular, the Mallow relief road. As he outlined, I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who is unable to be here. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding with regard to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the…

Again, I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important point. I completely understand the need and desire to see progress in this area. Unfortunately, if we are to continue the analogy with Athy, we were a long time waiting as it is a slow process that is exceedingly frustrating for everybody who is impacted. Public representatives have to stick with it and continue to highlight the issues to get projects through each of the phases that can cause delays along the line. In line with the NDP and Government policy,…

I thank the Senator Horkan for raising this important issue. I too know people close to me who have suffered from shingles. It can have a debilitating impact. As is outlined in the response I have, which I will deliver on behalf of the Minister for Health, who is unable to make it today, it can have serious implications, particularly for older people. Varicella is a common, highly infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. This virus is associated with two distinct clinical syndromes: varicella, commo…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I can imagine how frustrating this process has been for the people of Clogh and Moneenroe, as well as for the Deputy, as a public representative for the area. Obviously, the Minister is unable to be here and I am offering this response in his place. The supply of public water and the provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance, as the Deputy outlined. However, officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government …

I thank the Senator. As already stated, I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Health. Unfortunately, the funding details Senator Horkan requested have not been provided. However, I am led to believe that funding is not the key consideration here. We obviously have a national immunisation programme that is well funded. If the strong opinion NIAC comes to at the end of its review comes to that point, I do not expect that funding to be a key element of that decision-making process. There are other elements, as…

I accept Deputy McGuinness's bona fides on this issue and I am a firm believer in the parliamentary process. Notwithstanding that the response I am delivering today is similar to one he received previously, the squeaky wheel does get the oil. If the Deputy, as a Member of this House, continues to raise a matter here, that does have an impact. It is heard by Ministers, officials and the semi-State bodies on which we depend. I will bring back his points to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I will ask him to put pressure …

I thank Senator Kyne for raising this important issue. It is important to put the first-hand story of his constituent's experience on the record of House. What he outlined is not good enough. I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Health, who, unfortunately, cannot be here. The Minister and his officials have visited the University Hospital Galway campus on a number of occasions over the past year. The Minister recognises the need for additional capital investment in the facilities at University Ho…

I again thank the Senator for raising this. The response I was given by the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, does not have clear timelines in it. It does have a process. In fairness, it can be hard to predict specific timelines in each stage of the process. That has potential for delays. I will outline further in the supplementary reply I have that the proposals are significant in scale and complexity for a busy and congested hospital. When complete they will provide state-of-the-art facilities at Galw…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, no more so for those who are in need of dialysis in County Clare. I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who unfortunately cannot be here, for what continues to be a very important issue for the people of Clare and the mid-west. First, I would like to reassure the Senator that the Government remains fully committed to improving patient services and ensuring patient-centred care across the country. That commitment…

That was the information in the reply given to me. Unfortunately, the response does not contain clear timelines. With any matters such as these, there is the potential, through statutory processes, for delays. It can be hard to earmark exact timelines but I reiterate that the Government remains fully committed to improving health services. We have demonstrated that commitment with strong investment in the mid-west and, indeed, throughout the entire country. As I noted in my opening remarks, UL Hospitals Group has m…

I thank the Senator for raising what is a really important issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minster, who is unable to be here. As the Senator will be aware, Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, is the State body with responsibility for the protection, management, conservation, promotion, marketing and development of the inland fisheries resource. Officials in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications have liaised with IFI on the matters the Senator has raised relating to the River Suir. I am ha…

I thank Senator Ahearn again for raising this really important issue. I regret IFI was not in a position, from the time that elapsed since the Senator tabled this important topic, to provide that requested information on the number of calls. However, we will follow up on that and get back to the Senator. Also, I have a detailed breakdown of the number of prosecutions, penalty notices and seizures that were made on the River Suir over the ten-year period and expenditure across regions. We have that in tabular form a…

I thank Senator Davitt for raising this issue. I understand the question relates to the standard fund threshold regime and how it applies to different types of pensions and, in particular, the defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes. As Senator Davitt is aware, Ireland operates an exempt tax system for the taxation of pension funds. This means the contributions to pensions are exempted from income tax, subject to age, related percentage and income limitations. Pension fund gains are exempted from i…

I thank Senator Davitt for the opportunity to speak to the House on the issue. Unfortunately, the Minister was unable to be here. As I outlined, the SFT limit applies to all types of pensions in both the private and public sectors. However, it is the case that the valuation methodology for applying SFT varies between defined contribution and defined benefit schemes, as I have already outlined, due to differences between the schemes. An examination of SFT is under way and will consider, inter alia , the valuation me…

I thank Senator Chambers for raising what is an important issue and I offer this response on behalf of the Minister for tourism, Deputy Martin, who is unable to be here today. I will, first, attest to the many fine qualities of Mayo as a tourism destination. Having holidayed there myself with my family on a number of occasions, I always found it a brilliant place to holiday in. The importance of the tourism sector, not only to Mayo but to the Irish economy and to communities in every corner of Ireland, is well unde…

The importance of the tourism sector to the Irish economy and communities across Ireland is understood well by Government. The role of the Minister, her Department and Fáilte Ireland is to support the tourism industry and work for the sustainable development of Ireland as a high-quality and competitive tourism destination. Fáilte Ireland provides a range of practical business supports to help tourism businesses better manage and market their products and services. The Minister and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade…

I will respond to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. Let us not do a disservice to farmers, who are doing a great deal in respect of nature restoration. What farmer does the Deputy know who does not want to see better biodiversity, improved water quality and lower emissions in his or her area? Farmers are working towards all of that as well as producing top-quality food. There is no need for scaremongering around the nature restoration law. What was voted on today has changed dramatically since the original draft. Farmers’ co…

Enough scaremongering, Deputy.

I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this very important issue. I remind the House that the rationale behind the establishment of this new element of TAMS was to further develop gender equality throughout the agriculture sphere, to encourage more capital investment on farms and, in many instances, to recognise the role that many females already play on farms throughout the country, in the day-to-day work and in managerial decision-making positions. For historical reasons, and because their names are not on the system…