Could the Minister provide a timeline for when the examination will be completed? What we had seen on The Ditch about what was believed to be weaponry travelling through Irish sovereign airspace would not be acceptable, I hope, to most right-thinking people regarding what is a genocidal slaughter being carried out by the IDF against the Palestinian people. We need to make sure this happens as soon as possible. The Minister mentioned provisional information and said that some of these goods, for want of a better ter…

Most people will agree that if these provisions do not exist in domestic law, we need to make sure they are there. The Minister raised searching and sampling manifests and the ability to sanction if there are breaches of international law. How quickly can this be done? What can be done? I referred to the initial nine flights that The Ditch had highlighted. One of those carriers has already rerouted its flights, which gives us some answer regarding what they are carrying. Could I get information regarding the Minist…

I ask the Minister of State about the planned cap of 32 million passengers at Dublin Airport and its impact upon regional flights within Ireland and if he can make a statement on the matter. The matter was brought up by Deputy Pearse Doherty with regard to Donegal Cancer Flights and Services and the fact that there are 430 cancer patients for whom this is the means by which they get to hospital on Monday night on RTÉ. We cannot have these people impacted by this cap. There is a wider issue with regard to this cap.

That definitely was the request that this passenger cap, whatever the wider issues are, should not impact, in particular, PSOs. We are talking tourism but we are also talking about those who have absolutely necessary medical and health reasons for travelling. I welcome that and we need to ensure it happens because the chairperson of the airline had stated that there could be an issue about the viability of the service. If that deals with that issue, that is definitely a good thing. We need to ensure that all of the…

It would be a much longer conversation if we are going to talk about the issues that exist around planning in this State and its history. There is no doubt that there is a huge number of issues with the time it takes and the fact that there cannot be any guarantees even when people can comply with planning conditions. On the residents, it is absolutely necessary and a great deal of this should de done in a better way in engaging with those people with regard to the mitigations that can be introduced. We cannot have…

Can the Minister provide an update on the progress being made in implementing the all-island strategic rail review? We welcomed the fact that there was an increase in services. In my part of the world we definitely welcome the fact that the Belfast-Dublin service was becoming hourly. We have then had a number of revisions of timetables because there has been an element of chaos. I welcome what Iarnród Éireann has said and that it will be able to deliver on that service and sort those issues out. We then have wider …

We all welcome that the rail review has been done. We know the large deficits there are. We know that at one stage we had a large level of rail infrastructure which was then lifted. There are great expanses in the State where we do not have rail. Earlier, we spoke about Donegal. If we look at the entire west all the way up to Donegal, we see the absolute lack of connectivity. It is necessary that we look at all of the projects the Minister has detailed. The problem is the State does not have a great history of deli…

We need to make sure the planning is put in place. The Minister mentioned quick wins.

The low-cost quick wins need to happen as soon as possible and we need to have a planned timeline and details.

What we need to do is fairly straightforward. We need to first determine what the plan is and what we are going to prioritise. We must then ensure we get those quick wins, and that can then be followed up. We all know the huge benefits that result when we ensure connectivity across this State. Everyone has spoken about passing loops and the issues caused. Even the issue I spoke about previously, while it does not necessarily relate to the all-island rail review, was linked with the lack of extra lines and passing l…

I appreciate the fact this motion has been brought and the opportunity people had in the industry, whether in pubs, cafés, restaurants or hairdressers. Many are from our own constituencies and many of us have been contacted by them over a considerable period in that regard. As my colleague said, Sinn Féin had a budget proposal for a €250 million PRSI rebate scheme on the basis of what we saw as the issue. Getting to the crux of the matter, first and foremost we are seeking to commission a short review to establish …

It is another year, another budget, and another finance Bill, and we have a continuity of unfairness. We have not had the levelling-out with the huge resources we have with regard to those who have and those who do not. This is the Government's final budget. We are talking about the same two-tier income tax package we have come to expect. The cost-of-living crisis is obviously not over but the Government, through an unfair income tax package, has again chosen to short-change anyone earning the average wage or below…

They would have to go through six months or more. He would be happy enough if he could do the test now but he said there was a possibility of a digicard with the New Zealand licence, and even if there was, there is the timeline anomaly with regard to it. However, there is an overall solution that needs to be implemented, such as a bilateral agreement. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his flexibility.

I would like to address a question raised by the Dundalk Democrat , namely, Louth County Council putting Uisce Éireann on notice regarding grave concerns about a number of network pumping stations and wastewater treatment issues. There were huge issues in Dundalk and north County Louth this time last year. There have been heavy rains recently causing major worry. There are questions in regard to capacity. While there are plans for wastewater, the treatment plant impacts on my estate, Bay Estate, and nearby estates.…

The Taoiseach and I have spoken many times about autism services and the issues facing families. Recently, I met the All Abilities Action Alliance in Louth about school places. There are anomalies in the number of special needs classes that are available in Louth at primary and secondary levels. I have already submitted a couple of follow-up questions on this matter, but we need clarity. In secondary schools in particular, there is no capacity to deal with the level of need. Obviously, parents are applying to all c…

I want to deal with the issue of pharma in Dundalk. Before that I do, I will raise an issue I have raised previously about Dundalk Grammar School. It set up a GAA team in the past while, which was supported by parents, students and Louth GAA. It has played in the Lennon Cup but has been given an order by the board to desist. It has caused huge consternation. I have never seen anything cause as much consternation in the area. We need to have some element of commentary. We want the board to look at these students who…

Many of us have spoken about those who do a large amount of caring work in our families and communities, including for those with disabilities. It is fair to say that we have to examine the means test. This is not the first time the Minister and I have engaged on the issue. I am coming at this from the point of view of delivering something that is sustainable. We know the large amount of work that is done by these people and we know that, if we relied on the State to provide the same care, it would cost hundreds of…

I put it to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, that we really need to see that one-stop shop. It needs to get beyond words. We know what the huge issues are when we are talking about carers or those with disabilities and their wider families. We need to make sure there is a proper framework around them. I welcome to the Public Gallery Alexandra Jedrzejewska from All Abilities Action Alliance Louth. I met with Ms Jedrzejewska, Ms Eimear McNally and Mr. Brian Crilly in the last while. We had an over and back on …

Will the Minister provide an update on the funding streams available for geothermal heating systems, including the amount drawn down to date in 2024? It will not come as a shock that I am still looking for a solution for Carlinn Hall, which has a communal heating system. I have been told there is a need to look at the support scheme for renewable heat for district heating across the board and that it is not fit for purpose at this point.

I get the idea of front-line energy and managing the system. At the moment, gas is being bought from Energia which deals with a management company which is made up of the residents. It creates a whole pile of issues. I have spoken to some third party companies about this matter. They are considering anything that could be a geothermal solution, for example, a column-type system allied with a hybrid system with a number of heat pumps, even if they are not specific to each residence. We need to make changes to the su…