I thank the Minister for that update. I was aware that courtroom 1 had opened. As the Minister noted, Drogheda Courthouse is a modern building that opened in 2017 as part of a €9 million investment designed to serve the growing and busy county of Louth. Yet, in the space of 12 months, we have seen repeated problems, most recently with courtroom 1 as a result of burst pipes in the roof. However, that is not the only issue. Anyone going into Drogheda Courthouse today or tomorrow will still see buckets around the plac…

In County Louth, we have the good fortune of also having Dundalk Courthouse, which is an amazing facility that is potentially underused at times. Many of my former colleagues tell me the courthouses at a regional level across the country are in dire need of repair. Will the Minister outline the programme of repair and maintenance at a national level and how quickly those works can be facilitated?

Will the Minister underline the actions being taken to prevent wildfires and encourage preventative measures by landowners as we enter the summer months?

We are always asking responsible landowners to act as custodians of the land and to act responsibly by following the regulations as set out by the Minister in regard to burning and taking those preventative steps. However, at the same time they are also exposed to the risks created by the actions of others with limited protection or recourse. In places like the Cooley Mountains we can see how quickly fires can take hold. There have been incidents where multiple gorse fires have broken out in a matter of hours. They…

I thank the Minister. The irony is not lost on me that the rain is bucketing down outside yet we are talking about fire notices but it is an important conversation to have. We have to be summer ready, as he rightly said. This is about protecting our farmers, our communities and our landscape. It is about ensuring those who act responsibly are not left to carry the consequences of those who do not. In Louth, even a small number of fires can have a disproportionate impact. We have a landscape that is very close to ou…

I raise this matter on behalf of retained firefighters of County Louth and all the regions of Ireland, particularly those who are approaching mandatory retirement at the age of 62 and who are not in a financial position to retire. Retained firefighters make up around two thirds of Ireland’s fire services and are particularly critical in rural areas like County Louth and regional communities. For many retained firefighters, this is not an abstract policy issue. It is a very real and immediate financial one. These ar…

I thank the Minister of State for his answer, but it does not go to the heart of the issue, which is that these retained firefighters have to retire at 62. I am going to repeat much of what I said in my four minutes. These people have bills to pay and families to support. They are fighting fit and able to work. They want to work, and there is dignity in the fact that they want to work. They want to be of service to their communities, so the very fact that we have over 300 retained firefighters who are going to have…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputies Dessie Ellis and Paul McAuliffe - To discuss the new school building for Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin, Bóthar Ghlas Naíon, Finglas East, Dublin 11. Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss supports for children and students with dyslexia. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the planned new Courtown Coast Guard building. Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss the recruitmen…

I want to raise the ongoing and deeply frustrating situation facing retired CIÉ pensioners in County Louth and across the country, many of whom have not received any pension increase since 2008. These are men and women who have worked for decades in public transport and who often kept the wheels turning in both good times and bad. Last May, after 17 years, CIÉ and the trade unions finally reached agreement on proposals that would allow for a long-overdue pension increase of up to 5%. Employees voted on these propos…

I am encouraged by the Tánaiste's words and by the fact that the Ministers are taking this very seriously. Time passes very quickly and the older you get, it passes even quicker. For a lot of these pensioners, what they are looking for is very modest but it will make a great difference in their daily lives. Time, for them, is really of the essence. I take the Tánaiste's point about communication. Fundamentally, that is the point here. They were promised that they would see it at Christmas but that probably was unre…

I welcome the Our Rural Future policy consultation process. It is a further step to re-addressing and rebalancing the regional balance, which is so vital for all of us in this country. It is essential if we are to provide better services and better infrastructure for not just our rural areas but also for our rural villages and towns. I have listened to comments from the Opposition over the last ten or 15 minutes. They have spoken about how we have failed rural Ireland and let it down, yet Deputy O'Meara pointed to …

I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy.

I thank the Deputy and call the Minister of State.

Thank you, Deputy.

In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.

I thank the Deputy. I call Deputy Ellis. Apologies; I call the Minister of State.

I ask the Deputy to let the Minister of State respond.

I thank the Minister for her clear and constructive decision-making over the past number of days. I also acknowledge the staff and all those who have been working around the clock to ensure Irish citizens feel safe in unsafe circumstances and have been reassured the State is there to support them. As we gather here today against the backdrop of a conflict that has inflicted profound suffering across the Middle East, the escalating civilian loss, the displacement of families and the destabilisation of an already fra…