This morning I raise the issue of vaping, especially the growth in vaping we have seen among young people in recent years. The proportion of young people in Ireland using vapes and other tobacco products has increased significantly, rising from under 20% in 2015 to 30% in less than ten years, according to research from the Irish National Cancer Registry. Many of us have sort of believed vaping to be more or less safe, but as Paul Kavanagh, chair of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland clinical advisory group …

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, to the Chamber and wish him continued success in his transport portfolio and as a Minister of State attending Cabinet. As Members will be aware, catering facilities on trains were stopped during Covid. They returned on a limited number of services, specifically Dublin to Cork. Irish Rail had committed to a full restoration of catering services by the end of 2024, but obviously that did not happen. Last month, Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority, NTA, state…

I thank Minister of State, Deputy Canney, for his detailed response. I find it a little bit disingenuous that the Dublin to Belfast and Dublin to Cork lines have been sorted out but we are nearly forgotten about in the west. As a leading Minister of State in the west, I know it is a high priority for him, but to say it is an operational issue, I do not know. The trains are packed and, in fairness, there has been significant funding put in to bring down the cost of fares, and that is very welcome. We need to complet…

Similar to Senator Fitzpatrick and Senator Nelson Murray, I raise the insurance issue again. It is vitally important to the hospitality sector, which I represent, and sectors across society. I reference general insurance and personal injury awards. As Members will be aware and as was outlined, the Cabinet is scheduled to consider recommendations from the Judiciary to increase personal injuries guidelines by 17% in the coming weeks. This increase needs to be considered carefully. I cannot agree with it, given the cu…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, to the House. He is a former member of the Seanad and I wish him continued success as Minister for Finance. I am standing in this afternoon for Senator Pat Casey who is attending the Council of Europe. Having been a councillor for 11 years before becoming a Member of this House, I am very aware of the importance of the local property tax, both as a source of funding for local authorities and as a concern for homeowners, particularly in challenging times. As the Minister and M…

A slip of the tongue is no fault of the mind.

Next Tuesday.

I thank the Acting Chair. Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects about one in ten students, manifesting in a spectrum from mild to severe. As the Minister of State and Senators will be aware, it is legally recognised as a disability under both Irish and EU law. That recognition ensures the right to various accommodations in both education settings and the workplace. In many countries, students with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions are granted additional time to support them during their formal Sta…

I thank the Minister of State. I am aware of the review, but given the mountain of research that has already been conducted on this topic, I believe they have all the evidence they need to make the right decision and finally correct this. I urge the Minister and the Department to engage with the State Examinations Commission as a matter of priority.

I raise the issue of illegal drug use, specifically cocaine. All Members will be aware that usage of this drug has soared in recent years, as has been reflected in every piece of data we see. The HSE's drugs and alcohol helpline produced its latest annual report last month, for the year 2023, in which the helpline received almost 6,000 calls. These were the largest figures since the service began 28 years ago. The report highlighted the dramatic rise in cocaine use, stating that in 2009, cocaine was mentioned in on…

I propose Senator Pat Casey.

I move: That Seanad Éireann: - recognises the clarity in the Programme for Government that sets out the importance of SMEs to our economy; - accepts that given the heightened level of international uncertainty, there is a need to focus on matters within our control which can make the domestic Irish economy more competitive and resilient to economic shocks; - acknowledges the need to strive to reduce costs, administrative burdens and bureaucracy for businesses; - endorses the focus at EU level of the new Commission …

Fianna Fáil believes Irish SMEs are fundamentally important to the Irish economy, currently and for future economic success. That is my view also. As Members will be aware, I have spoken often about how SMEs are the backbone of the Irish economy. Some 99.8% of businesses in Ireland are classified as SMEs and 68% of employees work for SMEs. Our SMEs are the lifeblood of cities, towns and villages across the country. Of course, foreign direct investment is essential also, particularly given our status as a small trad…

I ask the Acting Chairperson to suspend the House.

We will allow the lady a bit more than that now.

I thank the Senators for their support this evening, more or less across the board. All Senators were very supportive and I appreciate that. As we are all aware, Private Members' time is precious and supporting small businesses and sending a strong message to the Government is vital. It shows. Most of us brought the human side to it to with our backgrounds, so that is vitally important. Will the Minister of State provide a progress report in a number of months on the small business unit and on the forum? That is a …

I want to raise the challenges facing the pub industry across the country. Last month, figures from the CSO showed that bar sales dropped 10% in the 12 months from March 2024 to March of this year, the largest annual decrease in volume sales of any sector. In the past 20 years, 2,000 pubs across the country have closed their doors. Outside of Dublin, the number of pubs has fallen by 25% in the same period. This represents not only the closure of SMEs and the loss of local jobs but also the closure of community hubs…

Today I want to highlight the work of the RNLI following the publication of the data for 2024. Across the 46 stations on the island of Ireland, lifeboat crews launched 881 times last year and volunteer crews brought 1,007 people to safety. Some 234 of the launches were carried out in the hours of darkness. In my county, Galway, the crews' work was especially important as the RNLI rescue figures for 2024 show the charity lifeboats in Clifden, Galway city and the Aran Islands had a total of 104 rescue launches, comin…

I welcome Minister of State, Deputy Troy, to the Chamber and I thank his officials for their hard work in getting this Bill through. It is a welcome development and it is great that there is support across the House.

I wish to raise the issue of the passenger cap in Dublin Airport. As Members are aware, the Government has outlined its commitment in the programme for Government to lifting the cap as soon as possible. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has described the situation as urgent. That is welcome. It is essential it be done as quickly as possible. There has been a slow start to the year in terms of tourism. We all recognise how important that sector is to our economy and to the thousands of SMEs right across the coun…