I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss the issue of the proposal by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to increase toll charges on many of our national routes. There are currently ten toll roads on the national road network, eight of which are operated under a public-private partnership, PPP, model and two of which are operated directly on behalf of TII, namely, the M50 and the Dublin Port Tunnel. TII recently announced that it plans to increase toll charges on nine of these roads in line with …

I thank the Minister of State for his response. If one were to go by speculation and comment from our political leaders in recent days, it would seem that this matter is now being reconsidered. I welcome that. I do not need to tell the Minister of State how difficult times are for many families, workers and businesses. The Government has intervened in the cost of public services; that is to be welcomed and it is good to see. This is another area where Government can intervene and I would welcome it were it to do so…

I have legislation going through the House called the Criminal Justice (Public Order) (Amendment) Bill. The Bill's purpose is to introduce a stronger, mandatory, sentence for anyone convicted of assaulting an emergency worker in the course of his or her duty. It successfully passed through Second Stage here some time ago and has now proceeded to Committee Stage. We have taken the lead from other jurisdictions, namely parts of Australia, New Zealand, parts of France, England and Scotland, which have already moved to…

Firefighters from Monaghan, the Leas-Chathaoirleach's county of Cavan and elsewhere throughout the country will make their way to Leinster House today to call for reform of the fire service model and to try to rescue this essential service. Firefighters will tell you that the current model, which dates back to the early 1950s, is not fit for purpose in the modern world in which we find ourselves. They will also tell you that people are applying to join the fire service but, unfortunately, when they get in there for…

I, too, welcome our guests. I am glad to have the Minister of State with us as well. I would like to take this opportunity, which is the first I have had, to congratulate him on his new appointment. As they say, no better man for this job than his good self. I would like to talk to the Minister of State about a new IDA advance technology building that has been completed in County Monaghan. The new 1,400 sq. m building was built at the IDA Business and Technology Park just outside Monaghan town at Knockaconny. It ha…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I have no doubt he and his office will leave no stone unturned to ensure we find a suitable client for this state-of-the-art facility. Monaghan has shown, through indigenous industries, whether in engineering with Combilift or in food with Monaghan Mushrooms, that we can be world leaders in whatever field we choose. To date, unfortunately, foreign direct investment has been a stranger to our shores, so we hope that with this facility, and with the Minist…

Our guests are very welcome. The Order of Business is No. a 1, Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 - all Stages, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to conclusion after one hour and 45 minutes by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by Government; the time allocated to …

I thank all Senators who contributed. We started with Senator Doherty, who spoke about her Bill. I welcome the Smith family to the House this afternoon and thank them for their work in this area. I commend Senator Doherty on the work she has done on this very worthwhile Bill and thank Senator Mary Seery Kearney for her input. I am sure the entire House, as many Members have already stated, will fully support it. Senator Dooley raised the controversy surrounding Irish dancing and referred to the importance of people…

We will see.

I welcome that the search for the disappeared victim, Columba McVeigh, has resumed on Bragan Mountain, County Monaghan. The family of Columba McVeigh, the young teenager who was murdered and secretly buried by the IRA, have spoken of their new hope of finding the remains of their beloved Columba. To date, five searches have been conducted on Bragan Mountain since 1999 but, unfortunately, without success. The trauma and the search continues until they find Columba's body. I was deeply taken by the recent comments of…

I welcome the Minister to the House. Fianna Fáil welcomes the Bill, which is an important step forward in the reform of the judicial appointments process. Having said that, it is important to acknowledge the process to date has served us well. When enacted, the Bill will lead to the most significant reform in the way judges are chosen for appointment in more than a quarter of a century. It is vital we have a clear process for judicial appointments that people understand and have full confidence in. The Bill will al…

Yes.

We are all aware of the devastating consequences of the mica situation on homeowners in County Donegal and other affected counties and we know this will cost the taxpayer billions of euro to put right. We also know that the State will and must pursue those responsible where possible. However, the proposed concrete levy punishes many who had no part in this. All concrete manufacturers fully recognise the devastation caused to affected homeowners arising from damage to block work in their homes. However, the overwhel…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response and for accepting my request that his Department officials meet with the relevant stakeholders to address this issue. We have a window of approximately two to three weeks before the finance Bill is finalised. That is an opportunity for all to sit down and have a comprehensive discussion on this. I am here today because I have been approached by a number of businesses in the Border region with serious concerns about the way this has been reported and as to…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I very much welcome the 50% public-transport fare reduction for young people aged between 19 and 23. It is a positive development. It makes public transport more accessible for younger people who are attending colleges and universities or doing apprenticeships and training courses. It makes public transport more of an option for those people, as well as helping our emissions from a transport perspective. It is very positive. I have a number of issues with it. One issue …

I, too, would like to welcome the fact that this scheme is being extended to cover 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds. That is a very positive development. I have a question for the Minister of State in relation to that extension. Is there a timeframe for its introduction? Many people will be asking when this will come into vogue. As to students who travel to the North, I would be grateful if the Minister of State could come back to me on that issue after his deliberations with the National Transport Authority, NTA. Bualadh…

At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. I wish to discuss the issue of CCTV. We all know CCTV is an invaluable tool in deterring people from engaging in offences and public disorder. It is also a valuable tool when a crime is committed or when public disorder occurs. It enhances and enables the investigative process and can assist in the identification of perpetrators. In fact, a 2013 study by the UK College of Policing found that an estimated 16 out of every 100 crimes were prevented through the use of …

I thank the Minister of State for his response. At the outset, I wish to state that I appreciate and understand that responsibility for the particular area of CCTV falls under the remit of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. With that in mind, there is one line of the response from the Minister of State that, unfortunately, stands out like a sore thumb, namely, "I understand that the application process in respect of Monaghan town and Carrickmacross is still ongoing." With respect, the process has been ongoin…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Foley. Like other speakers, I look forward to the day when all schoolchildren will be collected and we will not be having questions about concessionary tickets. I welcome the initiative that the Minister introduced here as a first step along that journey. Unfortunately, the unprecedented take-up on this scheme has resulted in children who have school transport tickets every year not getting tickets. I know one particular family whose child is now doing the leaving certificate and has …