I welcome the Minister and his official. I also welcome his statement and the discussion on the nitrates derogation. Coming from Kerry, which is the home of the Kerry Group, and having been raised on a dairy farm, I was very pleased to welcome the news that the European Commission agreed to propose a three-year extension of Ireland's nitrates derogation. This is a significant hard-won development. It reflects a deep understanding in Brussels of the unique nature of Ireland's pasture-based livestock system, one that…

I want to say a few words on the passing of Gerard Lynch, our former Kerry county councillor and town councillor, former TD and former Senator from Listowel, my home town. Gerard Lynch served in the Dáil from 1969 to 1977 and later in the Seanad from 1977 to 1981. Across those years, Gerard gave steady, committed service to the people of North Kerry and indeed to the country as a whole. Gerard Lynch was known - as the Leas-Chathaoirleach nicely put it - for his decency, fairness and genuine commitment to public ser…

I want to recognise greatness on the Order of Business and acknowledge several outstanding achievements by individuals and communities from my county, Kerry. These achievements reflect the very best of our young people, athletes and sporting tradition. I want to congratulate 15-year-old Aoibheann Daly, whose remarkable success at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition brought immense pride to her school, family and Kerry as a whole. Her work on a brain cancer diagnosis tool demonstrates the talent, cu…

I pay tribute to them.

I raise a very serious matter of urgent concern regarding Scoil Réalta na Maidine in Listowel. Some of the pupils are here with me today This school is at the heart of our community and central to it is the Brian McMahon Hall, a facility that hosts PE classes, dramas and plays and countless activities but is now in a state of serious disrepair. Built in the 1960s, the hall's roof is failing. There is no internal membrane, no felt beneath the slates and mould and dampness have spread throughout the roof and into adj…

I rise to address a serious issue that goes to the heart of public safety and the effective functioning of our emergency services, namely, the misuse and abuse of our emergency ambulance services. This serious matter was raised only last week by Fine Gael Councillor Angie Baily in Tralee at a meeting of Kerry County Council. She reflected the deep and growing concern at local and, given what was reported on Newstalk earlier, national level. It is an issue that demands immediate attention. People are stepping out of…

Well done, Senator Brady.

I thank the Minister of State for attending the Seanad this morning. Today I am calling for greater investment in rural transport, in particular our Local Link and demand-responsive transport services. These services are a lifeline for people across rural Ireland - for the older person needing to reach their GP visits, the student getting to college and the worker who depends on a reliable bus to get to their job. They connect people to opportunity, community and essential services. Local Link is one of the greates…

I thank the Minister of State. That is wonderful news. As he said, Local Link has been a success story. In Ballyferriter, west Kerry, it has brought communities back together. The service the people are receiving there is unbelievable and they are grateful for it. However, I am highlighting areas that are not receiving an adequate service. I am delighted that the Minister of State will take on board my points, especially those on the Abbeydorney area. Is there a public awareness campaign for people living on isolat…

I welcome the Minister back to the Seanad. There is a kind of festive feeling to this Bill. All is going well. I am pleased to contribute to this debate and to welcome the National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025. As Fine Gael spokesperson on the committee for higher and further education, I commend the Minister on bringing this legislation to the House. The Bill is concise in its drafting but very significant in its impact. As has been stated, the Bill makes a focused change to the National Training Fund Act 2…

I welcome the nitrates derogation extension to our farmers and farming community. I sincerely thank the Minister, Deputy Heydon, for the work he has done to deliver this for the farming community. As Senator Daly and the previous speaker just said, we do need to call the Minister in to debate the future votes for this. Three years' time is not enough to start to accept this derogation. Really, as the only country in the EU to have this, we should be honoured. I commend the work that has been done. On a separate per…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. He is no stranger to it. I think he said he served two terms in this House. I congratulate him on his recent elevation to Minister of State and wish him all the best in his new portfolio. I look forward to working with him in the next couple of months and, hopefully, years. Home-based childcare providers across the country are deeply concerned about the new childminding regulations. Many have contacted me in recent months expressing real anxiety about the future of the…

I thank the Minister of State. I must get a copy of that answer from him, as I do not have it, but I welcome his verbal response. He mentioned positive feedback from the steering group. Obviously, not everyone will be happy with regulations that have to be put in place over the next three years. The cost side of things is still a real worry. For small, home-based providers, what seem like small expenses can add up quickly. The Minister of State mentioned that the Minister hoped to go back to the steering groups and…

First, I object to Senator Andrews's statement on dog welfare, insulting dog breeders and the people involved in the greyhound industry in this country. It is the most regulated industry in Ireland. The greyhound owners and everyone involved in the industry love their pets more than anything else.

This was debated last week and Senator Andrews still comes in this afternoon and hurls a lot of stuff at the greyhound industry. I want that to be put to bed. Today we are on about rural activity and I wish to speak about investment in rural transport, in particular Local Link and demand-responsive transport services in Kerry. These services are lifelines for people across rural Ireland, including rural Kerry, where I come from, including the older person needing to reach his or her GP, the student getting to colle…

I speak in strong support of this motion. My fellow Fine Gael Senators Boyle and O'Donovan have been at the forefront since becoming Senators in protecting the livelihoods of fishing communities in counties Donegal and Cork. That has to be respected. This motion speaks directly to the livelihoods of all our coastal communities and the fishing villages that have sustained Ireland for generations. I acknowledge the appointment of Deputy Dooley as Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine. As …

It is a good start to the morning to see there will be a by-election. The blessings have started.

I rise today to address the growing concerns of home-based childcare providers, in light of new childminding regulations. Over recent months, many childminders have contacted me to express anxiety about the future of their work, work that is essential to families across the country. Let us be clear. Childminders are not opposed to regulations. They support safeguarding standards and accountability, but they are worried that the new system feels too close to a centre-based childcare model being applied to a family h…

I welcome the Minister of State. I speak in support of this motion which rightly acknowledges both the historical and contemporary realities of migration in Ireland. Migration is not a new phenomenon for us. For generations, Irish men and women have left these shores in search of opportunity, safety and dignity. They helped to build cities form Birmingham to New York to Brisbane and beyond and their legacy and culture lives on in the communities they shaped. It is this very history that must guide us on our approac…

I thank the Cathaoirleach. Indeed, I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad this afternoon. Today I am speaking, once again, to highlight the urgent and worsening situation at Foildarrig Bridge in Duagh, which is situated in north Kerry. It is a critical piece of infrastructure that has been forced to close again this week following heavy rainfalls which caused movement in the remedial works that were granted by the Department of Transport, thankfully, over a year and a half ago. The engineers have assessed th…