Tomorrow morning at 9.30.

Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Teach seo inniu. I extend a very warm welcome to all our visitors here this afternoon. As the Minister of State will be well aware, speed is crucial for accurate diagnosis. Timely and accurate diagnosis are essential for effective treatment planning, improved patient outcomes and reduced risks. Accuracy is, of course, paramount but the speed of diagnosis can significantly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in our hospitals. Anyone who has v…

I thank the Minister of State for her detailed response. I fully appreciate that, as she outlined, it is a very big undertaking and a complex piece of work. We all understand and accept there will be teething problems. However, it is important that while doing so, we do not close our ears to what doctors and medics are saying to us and that, during the process, we listen to their concerns. We know that delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis, which can result in delayed or perhaps no treatment thereafter, is something th…

I am very happy to speak briefly on this debate. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her and the Minister, Deputy Foley, for their work on this area and, indeed, you, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhach, for your time as Minister of State. You were very proactive in that regard. I thank my colleague Senator Tom Clonan sincerely for not just his work on and input into this Bill but indeed his work in this entire area. His commitment, his tireless work and his love for his son Eoghan are clear for anybody to…

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, we are very happy to support both the motions as outlined in great detail by the Minister of State. We are happy that this debate is taking place. As the Minister of State did, I pay tribute to the brave women and men of An Garda Síochána who go out on a daily basis and put their lives at risk to ensure that we can enjoy a relatively safe and free society. I thank him for outlining in great detail the subject matter of the business b…

The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. I, too, welcome Senator Pat Casey's guests, namely Pat and Barry, and the school pupils. I hope they have a very enjoyable day here. One of the many difficult aspects of the current housing crisis is the availability of funds for investment in housing and, indeed, many other projects. Government finance has accelerated over recent years but it is simply not enough without the support of considerable finance from other sources. That there is almost €170 billion in …

I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. I know the area is not his own and that it is that of the Minister, Paschal Donohoe, as he alluded to. I find the response rather disappointing. While I take a point about the State savings scheme, if we have a resource of €170 billion sitting on deposit that makes very little interest for those savers, surely it is a resource the State should look at utilising. Other European countries have gone down this road, and I just named France as one, and it has proven ve…

Last week, we learned that the British Government had made a commitment of £50 million towards the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast. This follows on from a similar commitment given by the Irish Government back in 2024 to a similar figure through the shared island fund. When we combine the contributions from both Governments, plus the GAA's contribution, I think the figure is about £120 million. The estimated cost for the redevelopment of Casement Park is £260 million. That leaves a shortfall of approximate…

I will proceed, if that is okay.

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. This matter relates to defective apartment blocks and where exactly matters stand in that regard. In January 2023, the Government announced its approval of draft legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013 and affected by fire safety, structural safety and water ingress issues. It is estimated that between 50% and 80% of all apartments and duplexes constructed in Ireland during that period may be affected, whi…

I move that the House stand suspended until after the vote.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, and his guests to the House. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, for outlining the interim remediation scheme. There is an urgency attached to this because we are speaking about fire safety. On the face of it, listening to the Minister of State's response, it has been a fairly long-winded exercise to date. We are going through the pathfinder route, which makes sense from the point of view of learning lessons before we roll out the entire scheme. I have se…

I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations on an agreement between the European Union …

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for outlining very comprehensively the motion before us. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, I welcome the debate and support the motion. It is important that we have as much co-operation as we possibly can. As the Minister of State said, we are not committing to anything at this stage. Rather, we are only opening negotiations and are not tying ourselves to anything. The issue of returns highlights once again that we need as much co-operation as we can get on t…

I thank the Minister of State for taking time to be here. A very impressive, brand-spanking-new IDA advanced technology building, ATB, was completed in Monaghan in 2021 but has been lying idle waiting for an occupier since then. The new 1,400 sq. m building is in the industrial park in Knockaconny, just outside Monaghan town, and has ancillary office space over two floors. ATBs are designed to facilitate a change of function to advanced office buildings if required, and also have 100% capacity expansion, which is v…

I thank the Minister of State for that very positive contribution on this unit that has been vacant for a number of years. Ultimately, the final decision rests with those who wish or do not wish to locate, as the Minister of State said. However, I am very heartened by the response this morning. The fact there are negotiations with a company is very positive and I appreciate there is only so far the Minister of State can go and so much she can say. This is the first breakthrough we have had since 2021, so I will tak…

Yesterday, I attended the Dáil Chamber, where an apology on behalf of the State was made by the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, to the family of the late Shane O'Farrell, who lost his life tragically on 2 August 2011. He was 21 years old and a very successful young man. He was very sporting and very academic and was doing a master's degree in law. His life was cut short as a result of a traffic accident in which a motorist who had more than 30 previous convictions cleaned Shane out of it outside Carrickmacross while …

I move: That Seanad Eireann resolves that the period of operation of sections 1 to 7 and 9 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (No. 14 of 2021) be extended for a further period of 6 months, beginning on the 1st day of June, 2025 and ending on the 30th day of November, 2025.

The Minister of State is welcome back to the House this afternoon. This is a straightforward motion, one which my party is very happy to support. It is one of the positive developments that have flowed in recent years. It is great, particularly during good weather, to see so many licensed premises have this outdoor space available to them. It creates a nice vibe and buzz in a town, especially when the weather permits. The past number of weeks have been positive in that regard, and it is great to fly through towns a…

At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.