I pick up from where Deputy Dolan left off regarding the wind energy development planned for east Galway. I have mentioned here previously that we are being bombarded with plans for developments right around the constituency, including in Killimordaly, Shancloon, Cooloo, Barnaderg and lots more places. What really concerns me, apart from the negative impact they will have if they get the go-ahead, is the enormous stress this is bringing currently to the people living in those communities. From a cost perspective, i…

The Government has made repeated commitments to improve transparency and tighten controls around how Departments manage their spending or budgeting. This is essential to maintaining public trust in our ability to deliver value for money when using taxpayers' funds. We understand that the updated regulations are to be introduced to guide how funding needs to be allocated or spent. Will the Minister clarify when these updated guidelines will be issued and whether they will be publicly available?

I thank the Minister for the comprehensive response. It is fair to say that now more than ever, the public expects transparency and accountability in how public funds are spent. People want to know not just where their money is going, but how decisions are made and whether they deliver value for money. We are very fortunate to be in a position where we can invest in infrastructure, services and innovation, but with that comes a responsibility to ensure that every euro is spent wisely. Clear and consistent budgeting…

The Minister's response has been reassuring. Like many others, I feel responsible in many ways if there is any guessing or dispute around how moneys are spent. I really welcome that. I am reassured by the Minister's responses.

I wish to raise an issue with regards to the lack of funding coming from Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, for rehabilitation works on our national routes, particularly in east Galway and works such as overlays, drainage and pavement improvements. Funding over the last couple of years has been drastically reduced. Any time representations are made to the local area engineer, the cry from TII is that there is no funding available for such works. In this instance I want to reference a particularly challenging is…

What steps are the Department taking to address the growing financial anomalies, difficulties or pressures facing many schools, particularly in relation to the rising costs of heating, electricity, and day-to-day operational expenses that any school would incur? Will increased funding will be made available in those circumstances for schools that want to continue to function effectively and safely through the winter months?

I welcome this discussion. I commend the Minister of State on bringing this to the House. It is astonishing when you read that males represented 72% of premature deaths, which is most stark. In 2022, 79% of all deaths by suicide were among males and young men suffering from depression are diagnosed at half the rate of women, which is another stark figure. It is fair to say that men's health is a national issue and demands a co-ordinated, compassionate and courageous response. One of the things I have often said is …

I welcome the debate here this morning. I ask the Minister to set out the steps being taken to expand apprenticeship and skills training opportunities right across areas such as County Galway, where access to approved training centres remains limited in some instances; if consideration will be given to establishing mobile or satellite training hubs in partnership with ETBs to reduce travel and dropout rates among rural apprentices; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive response. We all need to promote and support apprenticeships and to encourage apprentices to follow through to qualification, because there is a much-needed requirement and demand, particularly to service industry. If we think about construction, that is the core heart of people we will need in the future. We need them now, but the more encouragement we can give them to follow through with their apprenticeships and training, the better it will be for this island.

I welcome that. The more remote or rural the training courses are, the easier it is, at times, to find accommodation. We almost always hear that in urban settings, accommodation is nigh impossible to secure. In instances where courses could be rolled out in more rural or satellite towns, out of the cities and bigger towns, accommodation is sometimes that bit more accessible. I am interested in the Minister of State's responses on this matter. I appreciate that she is mindful of it and that it is something we can lo…

I welcome both Ministers to the House for this worthwhile debate that we are having. Will the Minister for Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht provide an update on his Department's plans to streamline and accelerate the approval process for local improvement schemes and outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme applications, particularly in areas such as east Galway where some shovel-ready projects with local match funding are awaiting sanction? Will he make a statement on the matter?

I thank the Minister. First, I am a great advocate, as I am sure many others are, for investment in the infrastructure developments he mentioned such as walkways, greenways and cycleways. We are living in an area where the population, thankfully, is increasing. I am also mindful that people are craving those kind of recreational opportunities, particularly people who want to seek outdoor recreational exposure for childhood obesity, mindfulness or people who are struggling with mental health issues. I am sure anythi…

I can certainly attest to the fact that any moneys that Galway County Council get will be spent very wisely and very prudently. It has quite a comprehensive list of infrastructure that it wishes to develop under these schemes. One of the things I ask about passionately is that the Department continues to invest in these schemes, particularly in outdoor recreation. It is a game-changer for many communities. Certainly, in east Galway, in my neck of the woods, I would welcome any investment in that regard.

I commend and thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for all she has done in this regard. I thank her for her constant support and engagement with me in my role as the Fine Gael spokesperson on mental health. I welcome our visitors to the Public Gallery. As we mark World Mental Health Day 2025, the message could not be clearer. It is access saves lives. This year's global theme is access to services. Mental health in catastrophes and emergencies carries particular weight here and indeed in Galway because for t…

The issue that I want to shine a light on here today is in relation to wind and solar energy in east Galway. I know that it is outside of the Minister's area of responsibility. In east Galway, particularly in the Tuam-Athenry area, we are being bombarded with proposed developments for wind turbines towering 185 m high, a solar farm that is planning to take up 800 acres and a gas plant in Athenry causing untold annoyance and distress. I am trying to understand why east Galway is being unfairly targeted for a vast nu…

Will the Minister consider reviewing the assessment criteria for social protection payments, especially in cases where applicants, including part-time farmers, are not in paid employment outside of the home but are providing unpaid care within the household? Could there be more flexibility in recognising minimal or subsistence-level farming activity, given the concerns that the current rigid rules are leaving some families without the supports they badly need?

I think all of us would have specific cases. Obviously, it would not be an avalanche by any manner of means, but we have people come to our constituency offices with those circumstances where they would be engaged full time in caring and their farm would be more of a financial burden than financially rewarding. They are doing the State a great service by providing care for their loved one. The calculation, based on the number of acres and the numbers of livestock, sometimes prohibits them from gaining carer's allow…

I fully accept that cases have to be assessed and the criteria are strict. The cases that I mentioned, as I said, involve only a small number of people who have come to my constituency office who would fall into that category where they are full time. In fact, in order to come to the constituency office, they would sometimes have to get somebody to stand in and do the caring while they were absent from the house. That will tell the Minister the level of necessity there is and the requirement there would be for the …

I thank the Minister for his statement. Like others, I welcome the scheme, which is going to give greater security to people entering into retirement. It is an important and necessary ambition. Too many people, particularly those in the private sector, risk reaching retirement age with only the State pension to rely on. In principle, I think the concept is good. However, in my engagement with businesses right across east Galway, they have raised concerns. I have met many of business owners, including those running …

I thank the Minister of State for bringing this debate to the Chamber. It is a very significant and important topic that we need to be honest about. If I remember the Minister of State's remarks, she mentioned vaping was both "lethal" and "addictive". Regrettably, many users of vaping products have no concept of those two words. I think they see it as cool and trendy to be using these very colourful vapes. Vapes come in all colours and all flavours which makes them a little more attractive. It is fair to say that w…