I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I want to underline, without any degree of uncertainty, that the Government, just like everyone else in the House, is absolutely committed to increasing the number of Traveller and Roma children who complete primary and secondary education. The vision of the Traveller and Roma education strategy is that we want a high-quality, inclusive education system that is open and welcoming to all, irrespective of background or ability and that meaningfully engages learner…

I am very grateful to my dear friend, Deputy Burke, for raising this matter, as is the relevant Minister. Public libraries are at the heart of all our communities. The Deputy and I were in the Chamber when our former colleague, Paschal Donohoe, made that very clear appeal as part of his closing salvo to this House. Public libraries are multi-purpose social, cultural and educational spaces for the whole community to enjoy. There are 330 public libraries nationwide providing an excellent service throughout the countr…

While I agree with the Deputy it was a shame that the Mayfield library could not be considered in the most recent tranche, I do think the Department's response and the developments from a planning point of view and more widely in the local community in that part of County Cork illustrate the need and merit for the library to be considered in the next round. I have no doubt the next time a funding round becomes available, a strong submission will be made by Cork City Council. The Deputy may rest assured that I will …

I am grateful to the Deputy for raising this issue, one that I have absolute familiarity with having previously been a Minister of State in the Department with responsibility for retail during a period when we had 16.9% grocery inflation on the back of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which massively increased food and energy prices across western Europe. Global inflation will see grocery prices increase. At the time, we would have seen grocery stores reduce their prices on about 700 products in the interim but the…

To be honest, I do not necessarily accept that. Perhaps this is a communications issue. As the Deputy said, the structures are there. The CCPC enforces competition and consumer protection law, and the CSO independently collects and publishes official price data through the consumer price index. This means two bodies are doing the key things the Deputy is asking for. The CCPC is not the price monitoring or price regulating body; it just enforces the law. The CSO is the price monitoring body. The Deputy is right, equ…

I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this issue. I think Richmond Village is a brilliant name. There should be more of them, needless to say.

More pertinently and directly to the Deputy's point, on behalf of the Minister, we all know why the LDA was set up and the ambition it has. The Deputy is right that it is really ramping up. We can see that in sod turnings, on one hand, such as in Richmond Village, and in site clearings, such as at the former Central Mental Hospital, or Dundrum Central as we know it, but also, crucially, in people moving into homes, as we see in Shanganagh and Shankill. In terms of affordable purchase homes, LDA-sourced or -built af…

I will make two points quite clearly. In relation to affordable homes, that is the sort of prioritisation the LDA should be looking for. I am more than happy to bring this point forward on the Deputy’s behalf to the Minister. Perhaps there will be scope for further discussion at the next round of oral parliamentary questions. The Deputy has raised a point that is not being raised enough in relation to the collection of development levies and the ability to use those funds for community facilities. The part of Dubli…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Browne, who unfortunately is not here today. Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of the Government’s housing policy, as embodied in the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The Government is continuing to invest an unprecedented level of funding to support housing delivery, which will underpin the new starter homes programme, delivering an average of 15,000 s…

I greatly appreciate Deputy Hearne’s contribution. Delivering Homes, Building Communities is a clear priority for Government and we are committed to delivering on the targets across all pillars of the plan. The strategy delivers on the programme for Government commitment to increase housing supply and tackle homelessness with an ambitious target to deliver 15,000 starter homes annually to 2033 via local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Land Development Agency, the first home scheme, the vacant properties r…

I thank Deputy Toole for her forensic Topical Issue. I appreciate the detail and I will endeavour to respond as best I can on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Brien. Ireland’s energy security has moved from being a long-term ambition to becoming one of the most pressing challenges facing our country. I think back to the formation of the Common Agricultural Policy which was based on the basic need that Europe did not starve again. We are now in a situation where the basic need is that we cannot allow the lights to g…

I thank Deputy Toole and the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to provide a response to the overarching points the Deputy made and the wider context of domestic renewable electricity generation, the substantial progress that has been made, and the opportunities to further improve the transition to renewable energy to make sure it is not just a climate imperative but is central to our energy security and, indeed, our economic development. I fundamentally believe that we are making crucial investments in …

I have to be very careful with this reply because, needless to say, replying on behalf of our mutual dear friend, the Minister for Health, whom I spoke to subsequent to receiving the script, is a balance, because I could throw back to the Deputy many of the points she has raised and somehow that constitutes a reply. I sometimes question, when replies are being drawn up, whether people look at maps or live in the areas. I know where Clonsilla is. I also know where North Strand is. It is a long way from Balbriggan. I…

Out-of-hours GP care is provided to the population in integrated areas. The Government is committed to the continued development of our general practice service to ensure patients across the whole country have timely access to GP services. As mentioned previously, work is ongoing to increase the GP workforce and therefore improve access to both daytime and out-of-hours GP services. Significant investment has taken place in general practice both in the 2019 and 2023 GP agreements but we need to do a lot more. The in…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Education (Medical Emergencies in Schools) Bill 2026 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for consideration of all relevant matters at an inter-departmental level and the development of comprehensive proposals, noting that it may be necessary to consider settings other than schools, to obtain comprehensive legal advice, to allow for engagement with a wide range of sta…

As I outlined earlier, there is absolutely no objection to Deputy Kenny's Bill, but the Government is asking for the timed amendment of 12 months to be agreed to allow for sufficient time to develop the legislative proposals in line with the principles of the Bill. I assure Deputy Ó Murchú, and all those who contributed in the House, that the Government will proceed with this Bill as quickly as is possible. There is a very clear bit of work that is needed to be done. The safety and well-being of all children and yo…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 160 together. I thank the Deputies for raising this question. As they know, the Government is committed to deepening our ties with the Irish communities overseas and to ensuring that the welfare of the Irish abroad remains at the heart of our diaspora engagement. In line with the commitment in the programme for Government, the next diaspora strategy is at an advanced stage of drafting and will be published in late April, to coincide with the next global Irish civic forum that…

I thank the three Deputies for their supplementaries and I will try to rattle through them as quickly as possible. Regarding the emigrant support programme, as I laid out, this year the budget will be €17.5 million. That is the biggest it has ever been. Part of that is to reflect inflationary costs on certain areas but there is always increased demand and need for the services provided. Deputy McCarthy rightly cited the economic opportunities of EU-Australia trade deal, as was laid out by Deputy McCormack as well. …

Regarding the references to sport more generally, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, launched the latest iteration of the sport diplomacy strategy in Boston at the famous Fenway Park. This is a key policy provision not just for the Department of sport, but also for the Department of foreign affairs, because sport brings people together here and abroad. We often see the real economic opportunities associated with the College Football Classic and the NFL coming to Ireland, but we also see where that ties in with tourism a…

As the Minister has outlined, the Government's highest priority in the current conflict is the safety of Irish citizens in the region. This is a priority and concern shared by all here in this House. I am grateful to those Deputies and Senators who have been in contact with my office to raise individual cases. The profile of the Irish community in the region is diverse. It is a mixture of those who are ordinarily resident there, those who were in transit to other destinations and those who were on holidays, visitin…