I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive response. I fully agree with her about the ills of smoking and we can add vapes to that. We are all trying to do what we can to limit, where possible, the use of these products. That said, I still feel strongly that small outlets, small convenience stores and small off-licences in many of our rural towns and villages are disproportionately affected by this legislation, which came in three years ago. Although I believe it went through both Houses, the fee amount wa…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Teach seo ar maidin. I thank the Minister of State for taking time out of his busy schedule to be here. We can all agree that our roads have taken a severe battering from incessant rain over the past number of months. Roads are badly damaged everywhere, from country, local and national roads to our streets and motorways. In addition to funding from local authorities' coffers, a sum of €718 million in State road grants has been allocated to local authorities for the improve…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I fully appreciate that this is not his area of responsibility and that he is taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister of Transport. Coming from rural Ireland where we have no train network and a limited bus service, the only show in town to get from A to B for many families is the local and regional roads. The condition of the local roads in Monaghan and Cavan has reached a critical stage. School transport is being affected because some…

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: Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union vis-à-vis the United Kingdom …

I too welcome the visitors to the Gallery. I hope they enjoy their day in Leinster House. I welcome the Minister back to the House on this very important motion, which I am very happy to support on behalf of the Fianna Fáil grouping. It is vitally important we have the maximum co-operation with our nearest neighbour, the UK, in our fight against crime. Fortunately, relationships between our Government and the UK Government seem to be on a much better footing than when the Brexit vote took place, which is a positive…

At 2.30 p.m. next Tuesday.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach seo inniu. I thank the Minister of State for taking time out of his schedule to be here. Monaghan and Cavan county councils, that of the Minister of State and many other local authorities around the country are undergoing a process referred to as the register of electors’ data cleansing project. In layperson's language, that means trying to tidy up the register. It is a huge volume of work. As I am sure Senator Tully has done, I have spoken to colleagues in local au…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I pay tribute to the staff of the local authorities for the huge volume of work they are doing on this. As I have said, thousands of letters have gone out. Monaghan County Council has sent out 2,000 letters to people three times looking for them to engage. I encourage these people to engage because if they do not do so by 31 May, they could be removed from the register. There is a reluctance among people in some parts to pass on their PPS number as they …

The Minister is welcome back to the House. We in Fianna Fáil very much welcome this important debate. We are acutely aware of the significant capacity pressures across the prison system and the challenges they create for staff, those in custody and the general public. Providing adequate prison capacity is essential for public safety, rehabilitation and the effective functioning of our justice system. That is why I am delighted to hear that the Minister is prioritising investment in the prison estate, with €495 mill…

For a change, says you.

I thank the Cathaoirleach. Recent data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine shows that in 2025 we imported 40,000 tonnes of beef, which is the equivalent of about 118,000 steers, based on average weight. It is a strange statistic really, when we consider that we export seven times more beef than we import. Our largest customer for our beef is the UK. It is ironic that the majority of the 40,000 tonnes of beef we imported last year came from the UK. Farmers are asking what I would claim is a legit…

I welcome the Minister and his officials back to the House to discuss this very important legislation which the Minister is proposing to introduce. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, I welcome this debate and support this Bill. As we know, it is not always possible to get criminal convictions against criminals who are destroying our communities. However, we can bring them before the civil courts and seize the assets they have secured through criminal activity. These proceeds of crime should be taken from them and inve…

Next Tuesday.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta O’Donnell, chuig an Teach seo inniu. The Minister of State is very welcome to the House this afternoon, and I thank him for taking time out to be here. As the Minister of State is well aware, floods have brought havoc to many parts of our country. Unfortunately, these are no longer rare or isolated events and with climate change being what it is, they are going to increase with the passage of time. In an instance like that, when floods are potentially going to affect ho…

I thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive response. I fully accept that he is taking this on behalf of the Minister. I welcome that he is bringing complete clarity to the situation so that if someone feels their home is going to be flooded, the first call they should make is to the local authority. It is the local authority that decides – I am assuming based on the gravity of the situation - what the next step in that process will be. I welcome the clarity the Minister of State has brought. It is importan…

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is appealing for blood donations as stocks are at a very low level. It normally aims to have a seven-day supply at all times. However, most blood groups are significantly below that level with the group O positive at its lowest level this year. Donating blood is one of the most important things any of us can do. I appeal to everyone who can to please consider donating blood today. A number of clinics are being held in County Monaghan this month. There are clinics in the Iontas ce…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The Minister of State is very welcome. For many years, communities across the country have come together to fundraise and install defibrillators, or automated external defibrillators, AEDs, as they are commonly known, for local community centres, sports facilities, schools, workplaces and public places. In some areas, individuals and businesses have sponsored the price of a defibrillator. We are greatly indebted to them all, as I am sure the Minister of State will agree. CFR Irela…

I appreciate the Minister of State is taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and this is not her line of responsibility. I think the response is deeply worrying in that it states the Minister is not aware of any disruption. That highlights exactly what our problem is here. I have had community groups on to me, volunteers who are deeply worried. They are checking these things in their own time and telling me they have no batteries and cannot get any. Apparently they are coming from the Unite…

I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 23rd February, 2026.

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House, along with his officials. I thank him for outlining the detail of the ARP scheme, the continuation of it and the phasing out of it completely over the next year or so. As a country and as a people, we can be very proud of our response to the Ukrainian community when they fled here during the illegal invasion of their country by Russia. It was an emergency situation that required an emergency response. The Irish people and the Government can be very proud of how the…