I thank the Deputy Kerrane. We keep a constant review on all elements of TAMS. It does evolve. There are no plans at present to change eligibility criteria for the women farmers' capital investment scheme or any other element of TAMS, but TAMS 3, as were previous TAMS, has been monitored and followed through with regard to how we might change it. With regard to the point on the work that has been done today to get us to this point, the total of 700 applications shows good interest in it. No doubt we will have more …

The officials are making good progress through them. We hope to have them all cleared in early April. Good progress is being made in this regard. I acknowledge the work of the Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group, which has led the way on this. We were very happy to work on its early proposals. As things evolve and change, we keep an eye on its requests. To go back to the point, we have to protect the public good and ensure any scheme we have is not open to being used for purposes other than what it is designed …

I thank Deputy Griffin for raising a really important issue. Due to the prevalence of farm safety issues and farm workplace incidents, farmers are the most likely workers to lose their lives. Farming is the most dangerous profession in Ireland. A farmer is seven times more likely to lose their life in a workplace incident than any other one of the more than 2.5 million workers in this country who is in a different profession. That meant that we put a particular focus on this issue when we formed this Government. I …

I share with the Deputy in offering condolences to the families of those affected in that awful tragedy on Tuesday. There are other initiatives. I see my role in farm safety as not just involving the physical form of farm safety but the mental health and well-being of farmers. My Department continues to support research into farmer health and well-being. The DCU-led farm health research project is examining farmers' mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour to inform the development of educational mental he…

Absolutely. Promotion is a key part of my role. In the children's farm safety initiative in schools, in conjunction with Agri Aware, we are using the positive pester power of children. The Deputy is well aware, as I am, that when children decide they want something, they do not leave you alone until they get it. Instead of me pleading with my uncle to get on top of a very dangerous load of bales on the trip home, as I did 40 years ago, those children are now pestering their parents by saying what they are doing is …

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a critical issue for the future of farming and agriculture. Supporting generational renewal is one of our main priorities as Ministers. It is also one of the great challenges facing farming, not just in Ireland but across the EU. Worldwide, the average age of farmers is higher than everyone would like it to be. For this reason, the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, 2023 to 2027, cites generational renewal as one of its nine key objectives, recognising the need for the agricultu…

The Deputy is right in saying there is a range of agricultural reliefs. Some of these we take for granted, but if anything were ever to happen to the agricultural relief for young farmers, stamp duty relief and consanguinity duty relief, through which €274 million was provided in support in 2022, we would know very quickly how big a devastating impact that would have. I mention the 100% stock relief for young, trained farmers as well. The approach of the Government and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Ma…

It is a privilege to be a Member of this House and to listen to the contributions of Members in honour of John Bruton. It is an even greater privilege to get to contribute. I want to make three brief points. As somebody whose political career began when John had retired from his, I am struck on reflection by how many times I met with, listened to and engaged with John Bruton during my time as a public representative. At a time when others might be considering trying to get their golf handicap down or taking on othe…

I thank all Members for their work on this Bill to date, the contributions today and far beyond. I know many Members, both in this House and the Seanad, spoke passionately on this issue. I would like to begin my closing speech by acknowledging, on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, as well as on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government, the importance of progressing proposals in this area. We all want to make progress in this area, which is really important, as has been stated. The emotional imp…

We are too efficient.

I thank the Deputies for raising the important issue of Enable Ireland Sandymount School. I am responding here on behalf of the Minister for Education. Enable Ireland Sandymount School is a co-educational, special school providing a primary and second-level education to students aged from four to 18 with physical and other complex needs. The school property is not in the ownership of the Minister for Education. I can confirm to the Deputies that the Department of Education is not in receipt of a current application…

Again, I thank both Deputies for giving me the opportunity to outline the Department of Education's position. The Department has been engaging with the school, as is evident from my response, regarding the level of detailed knowledge around the challenges that exist in the emergency works scheme application received. The Department will continue to keep the school informed throughout that process. The point about the dry test is that the emergency works scheme is not for large-scale roof replacement, if that is wha…

I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue. I empathise with him and his constituents. As a Kildare South TD, I know all too well the pressures his constituents in County Wicklow face around school provision and demographic growth. We suffer the same in the adjoining county of Kildare as people in Wicklow do. The Deputy has articulated those challenges in respect of Temple Carrig School and the Greystones area very well. I issue this response on behalf of the Minister who is unfortunately not able to mak…

I will bring back the request the Deputy made to the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan. who has special responsibility for special school places, which is obviously a key part of the Deputy's ask as well. To reassure parents in the area who are following this debate, I will highlight that the collaboration and engagement that are now taking place are very important. I commend the schools and their patrons on sharing the data. As I know from my area, when there is a shortage of places, parents will …

I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this very important matter and for the opportunity to provide an update on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 on 22 June 2023, which provides for an enhanced grant scheme, and adopted the related regulations on 29 June 2023. The Act includes significant improvements to the previous scheme and allows for the extension of the sc…

Fair play to the Deputy for trying to get me on the hook for that one. Obviously there is a process, which I outlined very clearly in my opening response. The process is at a very advanced stage and once the draft report is submitted to the Department, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, guarantees that it will be looked at it without delay and a decision made thereon. The purpose of the DCB Act is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the DCB scheme as agreed by th…

The Department of agriculture, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and I are working hard to make sure farmers across the board are supported and will receive their payments in due course. In the first year as part of the new Common Agricultural Policy, we have seen €1.2 billion being paid out under that to 113,000 farmers. There was big pressure on the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, with only 30,000 places where 46,000 people applied. We facilitated those 46,000 farmers who will all be able to join. T…

I thank Deputy Smith for raising this important issue. As I stated, 46,000 farmers applied for ACRES and were all facilitated, even though initially the number of participants it could be anticipated could be taken in was just 30,000. There have been challenges in the additional complexity associated with the co-operation stream, the CP stream, and payments by ACRES CP participants are being progressed and will begin to issue in February 2024. Payments will commence on 18 December, with two thirds of all the ACRES …

On the issue raised by Deputy Conway-Walsh, I absolutely accept there is a challenge for farmers with regard to ACRES payments, particularly farmers who have worked with their advisers and undertaken the measures to be implemented this year. As I have said here already, payments will commence next week on 18 December for two thirds of all ACRES general participants. Those payments are in the final stages of being processed for this year. Due to the additional complexity associated with the co-operation project or C…

I express full confidence in the Minister and her work in building stronger, safer communities across Ireland. Victims of the attack outside Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire, who are foremost in our thoughts, deserved a united response of solidarity from all sides of this House. Our gardaí, who faced down rioters and those looting shops, deserved a united response of solidarity from all sides of this House. Gardaí and front-line emergency workers, who undertake dangerous work every day in public service, know they have a …