I welcome the opportunity to address the Seanad on the Bill. As Minister of State with special responsibility for insurance, I am bringing forward this Bill to transpose Articles 10a and 25a of the motor insurance directive, as inserted by the sixth motor insurance directive. The Bill has required significant technical input and involvement from a range of stakeholders. The Department of Finance has been intensively working on it for some time. Underscoring the domestic complexity of some of the issues the directiv…

There is no clock.

I will conclude this paragraph, although there is still a bit to go.

Is that agreeable to the House? It is important to put all of this information on the record.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators for their indulgence. This payment approval process currently necessitates approval of payments by MIBI’s head of finance and risk or a member of the accounts team. In addition, further approval requirements exist at the level of chief risk officer and chief executive officer for payments of a value greater than €20,000. It is proposed this well-established approach will be carried over to the new compensation framework to be created under this Bill. In order to enhance the le…

As I said at the outset, this is extremely technical legislation. I thank the Senators who contributed to this debate and outlined their support for the Bill. I look forward to engaging further with them on Committee and Report Stages as the Bill completes its journey through both Houses. The Motor Insurance Insolvency Compensation Bill represents an important enhancement of protection for motor insurance policyholders by transposing the EU's sixth motor directive. Ultimately, it represents a positive development f…

I sincerely thank Senator Crowe for raising this matter and for the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne. The Department of Education and its support services continue to support all schools and teachers to deliver the full breadth and balance of the curriculum. Physical education is a core part of the curriculum at primary level, which seeks to satisfy the physical needs of the child through a consistent and comprehensive experience of movement and play that challenges the child to…

I thank the Senator. I reassure him and the House that all qualified primary school teachers are fully qualified to teach the full spectrum of the primary curriculum, including physical education. Primary teachers undertake elements of physical education as part of their teacher training. Teachers refresh their training on an ongoing basis and use Croke Park days to enhance that.

I thank Senator Kyne for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Seanad on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley, the current position in relation to the major building project for Scoil Mhuire in Moycullen, County Galway, which counts Senator Kyne among its most illustrious past pupils. The major building project for Scoil Mhuire in Moycullen is included in the Department of Education's construction programme, which is being delivered under the national development plan. This pr…

It would be remiss of me not to mention that the Department has invested over €5 billion in schools throughout the country since 2020, involving the completion of over 950 school building projects. Construction is under way on approximately 350 other projects, including 37 new school buildings. These 350 projects currently in construction involve a total State investment of over €1.5 billion. The Department announced earlier this year that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, would be authorised…

I sincerely thank Senator Dooley and Senator Conway, who used the Chair's prerogative to also advocate for this important project. As the Senator may be aware, the Minster for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport including rail. However, the operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and stations on the network, including the former station at Crusheen, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. TII does not have any responsibility for the heavy rai…

As I outlined, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, assures the Senator the potential reopening of Crusheen train station to enhance the service on the Ennis to Galway line was considered as part of the all-island strategic rail review. While the review did not recommend the reopening of the station, it made the following recommendations for County Clare: the provision of more direct services between Ireland's west and south coasts, for example, between Galway, Limerick and Cork; increasing line speeds to at le…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 29th March, 2023, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer, following those set down to the Minister for Transport shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister for Education…

I am not taking this Topical Issue. I am taking Nos. 2 and 4. Sorry.

It is a different Minister. Sorry.

I am just not taking it. Sorry, I am here for Topical Issue No. 2, which is a different one.

I was not given a script, sorry. I was not told I would be taking it. We might contact the Whip's office and get clarity for the Deputy.

On my own part, I cannot apologise enough to the Deputy. I was not aware I was to take this debate. No script was sent to me by the Department of Housing. I would happily have taken it had the Department asked me. There was a breakdown in communications somewhere, so it is a massive apology to the Deputy. If anyone else comes to take the other two Topical Issues, I am more than happy to try to rectify it. I appreciate how serious the issue is to the Deputy.

I thank all the Deputies who have spoken today from such a vast array of positions on this vital topic. The Apple case has been a high-profile, long-running case. I am glad that we had the opportunity to discuss it at some length in the House and it was pertinent that we did so. We have heard today from Deputies addressing the history of the case, the reasons behind taking the case, the changed approach to corporate taxation since the timeframe the case relates to and, of course, what comes next now that the judgme…

I have prepared copies of my statement for everyone. I will be very brief. In short, I sincerely thank all Deputies, in particular those on the finance committee on which both Deputy Farrell and I used to be members together, who contributed so constructively to the swift passage of this Bill, which will go a long way towards making life a little bit easier for motorists given the new sense of security provided by the Bill. I extend my sincere gratitude to the House. I am very happy to move the Bill on at this Stag…