I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultima…

As I mentioned at the outset, the allocations for 2024 are expected to be announced in the near future. The Senator is right that we have been very fortunate to have a record tax take in recent years, both in terms of income tax and corporate tax. However, the investment being put into infrastructure, society and preparation for the future is very clear, as is the ability to put money away because, given times of famine were referenced by the Senator, when we had a rainy day fund before, we needed it very quickly w…

Before I give the Deputy the straight reply on behalf of the Minister for Education, both the Deputy and I are in neighbouring constituencies. We do not represent areas that are too different from each other. I am in my 15th year as an elected representative and every year, school places have become an issue and this will continue. Despite seeing ten new schools opening in my constituency during those 15 years, there is still pressure on places. When I see 1,500 new homes built in my local electoral area, on which …

I absolutely agree with the Deputy. That is why the Department of Education has made it quite clear that I relay that the critical step is receiving the data, processing it and then going back to the schools with the data. There are two months where you are dealing with quite a number of duplications. Half of the people in my area apply to far more than one, two, three or four schools for their child. That is an impact, and we have to accept that. However, I am told, as per the reply, that this process will be conc…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. At the discretion of the Chair, I thank her for the warm welcome to Carlow last Friday. It was wonderful to be there. As a segue, I met former Deputy Charlie O'Connor yesterday and I told him that the Deputy had assumed the mantle of Jennifer "Carlowman" O'Connor. He was happy to see that his moniker lives on. The national emergency medicine programme, EMP, model of care recognises the need to support the development of injury units. These units provide care locally in cas…

The services provided at injury units provide a safe and convenient delivery of the right care in the right place at the right time and make an immediate positive impact on patients' experience. I once had my ear stitched back on at the side of the pitch in Oak Park. I would have definitely much preferred to have gone to an injury unit. However, that was not today or yesterday. The HSE is reviewing the recommendations and developing an implementation plan for further development of services at injury units. The imp…

I thank Deputy Buckley very much for sharing that story in the Chamber. In our constituencies we come across families who face these challenges and it is absolutely heartbreaking for the entire family, entire community but, first and foremost, for the patient at the centre of it. I know the Deputy will continue to make the case for that individual, as he has been doing as a local representative. Regarding waiting times for orthopaedic surgery patients in Cork East, this feeds into the overall national change that s…

The Deputy raises an interesting point. I think all of us have had a case or cases across our desk, or even had family exposure to such cases, involving cancer or orthopaedic care or treatment. It is always so much tougher when it is a treatment for a young person or child. Every day people leave the State to go for treatment. Many of them leave the State with the support of the Government to receive treatment. The much-maligned Government jet and the Air Corps spend much time bringing people for emergency treatmen…

I thank the Deputy for this topical question, which I will take on behalf of the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, who has responsibility for forestry. I appreciate this opportunity to also give an overview of the forestry licensing process. While I am not in a position to comment on individual applications for which the licensing process is ongoing, my understanding is that the licence in question was submitted in autumn last year. The application has been published on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the…

I reiterate that the Government takes very seriously the need to make sure that all trees planted are contributing to the shared national vision for trees and forests, while delivering public good for the benefit of all people across the country. I wish to assure the Deputy that there is a robust and comprehensive assessment and public consultation process in place to ensure that all relevant information is taken into account before permission to plant a forest is granted. I fully agree with Deputy Dillon on the ne…

I thank Senator Moynihan for raising this vitally important issue. I am through the gap of needing baby formula in our household, but it was not long ago that I absolutely empathised with those parents who are seeing the prices rise and rise. The Senator has raised some key issues that require a direct response, and I will get to that. Before I do, I will talk more generally about grocery prices in the State over the past calendar year. This would have been a particularly big issue around June and July when it domi…

We can definitely dig in a bit more on the general use of supermarket vouchers. I could easily have given her the response that just went into the merits of breastfeeding over formula, but apart from the fact that my wife would kill me-----

-----I do not think that is any use to the discussion we are having. I do not think it realises the lived experience, for want of a better phrase, for many people. I think the issue of low-cost, generic formula may be teased out in parallel to this. The Government is obviously not going to get into the business of producing baby formula. However, the Senator is right that more than €30 million in grant aid support was given to companies that produce baby formula, among other products. These are great companies that…

I am grateful that Senator Cummins raised this matter. I appreciate his constant support and championing of businesses across the city and county of Waterford. It is understandable that many of those businesses are concerned about rising costs at the moment. At present, small businesses are facing several challenges due to rising energy costs, inflation and a tight labour market, which the Senator mentioned. I also want to make clear that we in the Government are aware that while many of these costs are out of cont…

Dialogue has already started with local authorities on the increased cost of business scheme. The Department of housing and local government has been working with the Department since the budget was agreed to make sure the scheme is fit for purpose. I fundamentally agree with the Senator that a massive communications campaign is needed beyond the political narrative. We will ensure that information is provided, tying in local authorities and local enterprise offices. The report will, I hope, be published in the nex…

The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Senator Seery Kearney, can share her notes with me if she likes. I thank Senator Malcolm Byrne, not only for raising this issue this morning but also for doing so consistently throughout his time in the Upper House. The Senator is dead right. This is a really important issue for Irish businesses and inventors and so many people in Ireland and beyond who will benefit from all these new creations and inventions and the business and commerce that will flow from them. I can confirm that the…

I think we were both involved in canvassing for the fiscal stability treaty in 2012 when we were fresh-faced councillors. I remember the research from that referendum. The two biggest issues of concern that came up in respect of the fiscal compact treaty were abortion and conscription into an EU army. Those were of absolutely no relevance to the question being put to the people but that is what happens when you allow disinformation and misinformation to fill the gap of silence. We cannot let that happen. Following …

Those are the statistics.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021 [Seanad] be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, so as to allow sufficient time for the development of Government legislative proposals before the end of 2024, in line with the principles of this Bill, following publication of a research study which has been commissioned and submitted to the Department of …

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising what is an extremely topical issue. It gives me an opportunity to provide an update and some clarity on what has been done and is being done, and, more importantly, what will be done. Fundamentally, we recognise that small businesses are facing a number of acute challenges, particularly those businesses in the hospitality sector and others to some extent in the retail sector, largely due to rising energy costs, inflation and the fact that we have a very tight labour mark…