In terms of the Senator's practical suggestions regarding the Nigerian ambassador, I will most certainly as the new Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy McEntee, and the Taoiseach to follow up on both Senator's suggestions.

I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this important project. This is the only Gaelscoil in County Sligo. These are projects that should absolutely be supported, nourished and given every bit of support, both financial and leadership-wise, to ensure they get done. I appreciate and feel for the principal, who is obviously the person who has championed this for many years. I am lucky because in County Monaghan where we have four Gaelscoileanna, but they are not without their challenges in terms of getting them across …

It says in the response that it will be.

I cannot be certain, but we can certainly ask the Minister to clarify that.

I have just made a note to ask the Minister if we can get clarity on the 80 schools involved and if the school in question is included. I am sure there will be lots of competition to be in the 80, but this is the only Gaelscoil in the area. Of course, we know the demand for and the pressures to provide accommodation for children with additional needs. This is an inclusive school. Encompassing that in its plans puts its application head and shoulders above those from other schools in the context of the fact that it …

I also congratulate the Senator. I am sorry that I was not in a position to attend on Tuesday. This is an issue I am not very familiar with. The Senator has certainly presented a very strong case today. We all have issues to raise but the Senator has also provided solutions. We think of that girl on O'Connell Street, who knew what had happened to her and knew her symptoms, but, because of policy, the pharmacist was afraid to administer the EpiPen. It is awful. I will be taking this matter on behalf of the Minister …

As I said, I will certainly reflect the Senator's thoughts and views to the Minister for Health. I will support her in any way I can. It is a common-sense approach to policy to protect the most vulnerable. As the Senator said, we have just four allergists for a population of our size. Unfortunately, this is on the increase. We know many people who are intolerant of various food products and ingredients, which can have fatal consequences, as the Senator outlined. I appreciate that the Senator is starting a campaign.…

I thank the Senator for raising this really important question. He raises a much broader issue in terms of the number of dentists we have working in Ireland. Unfortunately, I have been at the end of those calls to the constituency office too. There are so many parents out there super keen to get their kids looked at by the primary care services dentist and we do not have the numbers we need at the moment. I will give the Senator the answer from the Department so he is fully informed. I hope it can be shared with hi…

I thank the Senator and accept his proposal. We need the numbers, we need the practitioners and we have to diversify and look more broadly at how we can recruit and ensure that even when we recruit dentists from other countries we maintain a practice that is of the same standard as that of the pathways in education here. I will reflect the Senator's thoughts, views and suggestions to the Minister for Health following this debate.

I thank the Deputy for his question and the discussion we are going to have on a much-loved and treasured architectural building in his own county of Galway. In 2020, the Shannon Airport Group informed Government that it was necessary to consider a comprehensive readjustment to its structure in order to ensure the long-term future of the Shannon Heritage business. A number of challenges had presented themselves, including a lack of capital investment and the essential expertise required to maintain the heritage sit…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. As noted by the Government in its decision of January 2021, the Shannon Airport Group operated Shannon Heritage on a commercial basis, in line with its commercial mandate, meaning that sites were only likely to open on a seasonal basis and where a commercial business case existed. Dunguaire Castle was operated by Clare County Council on a goodwill basis for the summer 2023 season. The group has advised that, given its commercial mandate, it was not feasible to re…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. It gives me the opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to school places in Scoil Mhuire Allenwood, County Kildare. The Deputy is aware that Scoil Mhuire Allenwood is a coeducational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. The school had an enrolment in September 2025 of 263 pupils. This represents an increase of 7% in the past five years. I can confirm that Scoil Mhuire Allenwood recen…

I am slightly concerned about the difference between the information the Deputy has and the information the Department has, because the figures do not lie. Enrolments are either increasing or decreasing year on year. I do not for one minute question the Deputy's bona fides regarding the information he has brought to the Dáil today, so I ask him to liaise directly. I will reflect what he said today to the Minister for education because the facts are the facts in terms of enrolments. If the facts show that there is a…

I am familiar with the family resource centres the Deputy spoke about in my constituency. They are a valuable gem in any community. They take a holistic approach. They think of every demographic in a family and are a huge resource to have in an area. The building blocks extension grant scheme was launched in late 2024, and successful applicants are working with the Department in delivering their projects. An application for funding under the scheme was received from Deansrath Family Centre and subsequently that app…

In my limited knowledge on the funding streams that are available to the centres I know in my constituency, the model is that there is a maximum of what the Department can fund towards it. Any of the projects I am aware of they have had to source other funds. In the Border region, we have had the opportunity to source PEACE and local authority funding. There has always been a jigsaw approach to it to have that overall figure that the Deputy referenced. Was it €4 million?

I appreciate the request for a pathway to be put in place whereby other agencies can contribute to the overall cost. The Deputy can be sure I will reflect that to the Minister. I thank him again for raising this important issue. It is a priority for the Minister and the Government. The programme for Government commits for the first time to providing capital investment to build and purchase State-owned early learning and childcare facilities to create additional capacity in areas where unmet needs exist. State owner…

I will, of course.

I thank Deputy Lahart for raising this important issue and will certainly reflect his observations to the Minister for Transport. The Deputy will be aware that neither the Minister for Transport nor his Department are involved in the day-to-day operation of the small public service vehicle, SPSV, sector. The National Transport Authority, NTA, the independent transport regulator, has responsibility for setting taxi fares under the provisions of the consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. On 3 November 2025,…

As I said, I will certainly bring the Deputy's views to the Minister. As Deputy Lahart quite rightly said, the Minister issued a letter on 19 November to the NTA and we await its response. He also met this morning with the advisory committee on SPSVs, whose role is to provide advice to the Minister and the NTA in relation to issues relevant to SPSVs and their drivers, where the matter was discussed. I have no doubt that meeting will have given the Minister cause for concern and perhaps fuller engagement on the issu…

I thank the Deputies. I am delighted, as Deputies Kenny and O'Reilly are, that when we live in a Border county like Monaghan and Cavan, we can cross over the jurisdiction. That invisible crossing happens many times. A person could be living 1 mile up the road and be in a different jurisdiction. Deputy Kenny was quite right when he said carers are never going to be living a million miles away from the person they are caring for. I would imagine it could be easily managed. I take the point. I understand the Minister,…