There has been much discussion on the Coillte and Gresham House deal. Many of the issues have been aired already, but I will focus on the policy around it, namely, the policy to favour the State sector over the private sector. In terms of licences achieved, in 2022, Coillte achieved 110% of licences whereas private felling achieved only 80% for private afforestation. In other words, farm afforestation only achieved 60%. In fact, from 2020 to 2022, even by the Department’s own target figures, only 67% of licences we…

My colleague referenced the word "crisis". Every time we have a debate on healthcare, the word "crisis" crops up. Normally a crisis is seen as something that is short term and refers to some impending or looming danger. The word should not be used to describe a situation that has been in evidence for a number of years. What we are suffering in dentistry is not, in fact, a crisis but a failure to address known and increasing deficits and problems. When it comes to dental care in Ireland, we have two streams - simila…

I am glad to participate in the debate. I took careful note of the opening statement of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the stretching targets that he highlighted in the climate action plan. I have some questions about certain sectors. I will go through some of them and the Minister of State might reply to me in writing. I will first consider the transport sector and the adoption of electric cars. We are now starting to see the pinch points in respect of electric car consumption. Range anxiety is building beca…

We are at an inflection point for this Government. Given that the Tánaiste is about to rotate away from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, I ask him for his reflections on the programme for Government commitments to deliver on insurance reform. What changes have been made? What does the Tánaiste feel has and has not worked? What should the next Minister perhaps try? Despite all the noble words, premiums continue to float upwards and insurance continues to strangle the social, cultural and commercia…

We need the occupiers' liability legislation enacted as soon as possible. As the Tánaiste well knows, the costs are not coming down in the commercial insurance sector as well as had been hoped. That remains a significant problem. We are not seeing the arrival of new competition in the sector. In that respect, there is talk of buying groups being formed, whereby industry sectors come together and seek to get a discount and start underwriting. Unless they have combined insurance premiums of more than €1 million, howe…

I brought the issue of hospital and cardiac care in Waterford to the Dáil a number of times and I am glad to report the second cath lab is more or less completed. There is a commissioning phase to be completed over the next eight to ten weeks. The efforts of University Hospital Waterford should be recognised. It is now the stand-out hospital in the country in having the lowest trolley count and most significant impact on its long-term waiting lists, which are down by over 20% this year. However, the hospital is sti…

Last week we had the visit of President von der Leyen. She gave an inspirational speech in which she highlighted the importance of Ireland's voice in Europe. She said that when Ireland speaks Europe listens. Last week the CEO of Ryanair came before the transport committee and outlined that if implemented the open skies European policy would deliver an emissions dividend of 20% to the European aviation sector and would achieve a 90% reduction in flight delays. To do this what is required is a cohesive and integrated…

I am happy to contribute to this motion from the Labour Party on decriminalisation and drugs policy. We have been speaking about a drugs crisis and drug abuse in our society for many decades. It is funny that we use the word "crisis", which suggests that something is short-term in nature, when the problem has been going on for decades as well we know. It is having a terribly destructive and detrimental effect on all parts of our society. It is largely thought that it is confined to poorer communities that are disad…

The Taoiseach knows I am someone who has engaged with the Minister and Department with responsibility for children on trying to secure accommodation in Waterford and the south east for Ukrainian refugees. My question relates to abuses occurring in our immigration system. Recently I wrote to the Minister for Justice regarding the status of people leaving other European jurisdictions on travel documents and arriving at Dublin Airport with no travel documents looking for refugee status. The Minister responded that in …

It is half time for this Government. I once asked the Taoiseach, perhaps unkindly, whether he is a Cork Taoiseach or a Taoiseach who happens to be from Cork. That remains an open question. Under his tenure, I have watched Cork flourish, finally putting to bed the sad days of Ford and Dunlop. I know this was an era from which the Taoiseach's political philosophy was hewn and from which he draws. As a son of Cork, he has undoubtedly delivered for the city. This delivery reminds me of Michael Noonan's stalwart ability…

I certainly acknowledge that delivery is on the way. I thank the Taoiseach for that. I point out, however, that the south east still cannot see whether it is getting a fair share of capital funding. In fact, Deputies essentially vote on a black box when it comes to the €10 billion capital allocation. It is a message for the Government that people throughout the country need to see this fairness and transparency, especially those regions that have not enjoyed the same recovery as Dublin, the south west, mid-west and…

At the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment this morning, we met representatives from the SME community and listened to the tsunami of difficulties facing small and medium-sized businesses in this country. They range from energy bills to delays in accessing energy grants and rebates, on top of rising rates, insurance problems and town planning issues, which are crippling many businesses coming up to Christmas. The representatives have asked for two things. First is the inclusion of ISME on the board …

ISME is not.

As the Minister of State knows, I come from a region of the country that has three of the foremost scientific gateways, those being, the South Eastern Applied Materials Research Centre, SEAM, the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre, PMBRC, and the Walton Institute. I thank the Minister, Deputy Harris - we are trying to get research funding for a new CT X-ray and I believe we are making good progress. When responding, will the Minister of State address a couple of points for me, please? Regard…

As the Minister outlined and heard from other speakers, we have significant problems within the retained fire service nationally. I will give some statistics for the Waterford fire stations. We have 32 full-time and 16 retained firefighters in the fire service in Waterford city. This crew of 48 handles approximately 450 calls per year. Outside the city, Kilmacthomas has six retained firefighters who handle between 120 and 150 calls per year. In Dunmore East, four retained firefighters deal with 80 calls each year a…

I thank my colleague, Deputy Naughten, and Cáit Nic Amhlaoibh, who have done a significant amount of work on this issue. Without doubt, long Covid is here to stay. It is a medical syndrome; there is no doubt about that. As the Minister of State observed, it is very difficult to see where the treatment regimes are going but we have to build a comprehensive service and put it in place to look after people who have been affected. Just as important is the need to prevent people contracting Covid and mitigate the effect…

I understand a decision on funding for the Waterford North Quays development is being considered by the Cabinet today. Will the Taoiseach confirm its status? I understood the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, would be taking Leaders' Questions today and I wanted to ask about student accommodation. My question is about what is being proposed for the future, given that students have, to a large degree, been left at the back of the queue in terms of our accommodation crisis. …

It is very good news that the Taoiseach has confirmed funding for the North Quays development. I extend sincere thanks to all my Oireachtas colleagues in the south east, in particular the Deputies from Waterford and Senator Cummins, and, most especially, to the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and their offices. They have engaged with me constantly on this matter. It is a good day for the south east to see this project developing, and I thank the Taoiseach for th…

I thank the Minister of State for engaging with us in his new brief. To be fair, the former Minister of State, Deputy Troy, also engaged on this. Deputy O'Reilly and I are members of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the subject came up in the pre-legislative scrutiny work of the committee. Insurance reform has been a long-running saga in Ireland, to say the least. As I said to the Minister of State and Tánaiste in the committee, I seem to remember a Fine Gael Minister in Wexford who came …

I accept the Minister of State's bona fides with regard to the difficulties he envisages and the reasons he has put forward as to why he feels that a periodic review will be difficult. We differ on that, but I accept that is his position. With regard to the commitment he has given within the amendment to engage with stakeholders, is there something that could be written within that to ensure that the Minister of the day and the Department will engage with umbrella groups or representative groups of stakeholders? I …