I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement matter and I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Brien, to the Chamber. As everybody knows, community centres are important places for gatherings, sport, events, social occasions, fetes, sales of work and drama, to name but a few of the uses they have up and down the country. They range in size, depending on the size of a community. There are small community centres that are a gathering place for active retirement or old folks' groups in the morn…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. While I agree that a number of schemes provide relatively small amounts of funding for certain community centres, a large cohort of communities that are outside the remit of RAPID, CLÁR and local authorities have requirements for large community centres. There might be some crossover between community activities and sports, but there is no fund to which they can apply, and has been none in my time. Certain local authorities may be able to provide funding through their ra…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: “the Bill be read a second time this day 12 months to allow for comprehensive consideration of the implications of the Bill.” I welcome the Minister of State. I thank Senator Higgins and her colleagues for their work on this very important Bill. One only has to look back at the record of any of these Houses over a period of months to see the amount of times the issue of procurement is raised, whether in relation to the engagement…

All political parties have indicated their support for wind energy targets to reduce our carbon footprint in their party manifestos over a long number of years. In dealing with communities in my part of the world in Connemara and Galway, concerns have been expressed at various stages at the whole concept, when a project is first mooted, at the planning stage and at the construction stage. Issues have also arisen post-operation, including shadow flicker and noise. The wind energy development guidelines were put out …

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I always like to see senior Ministers attending the Seanad so I welcome his presence. I made a submission to the Review to Renew process and I wish to put some of that on the record. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the review of the national development plan, Ireland 2040. I believe the plan gives Ireland a long-term focus and direction and drives us to invest strategically and regionally. For too long we have had a developer-driven approach to planning which leads …

Beanachtaí na Féile Phádraig daoibh go léir. I also mention the excellent news of €62.5 million of investment announced under the urban regeneration development fund by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, this morning. This fund was put in place a number of years ago by the then Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and this is the second call for funding. It is certainly welcome news and a massive boost for walking and cycling facilities, with approximately €23 million being …

Bhí mé ag éisteacht ar maidin le Príomhfheidhmeannach Bhanc na hÉireann faoin gcinneadh atá déanta acu craobhacha bainc a dhúnadh trasna na tíre agus i nGaillimh ina measc - in Uachtar Ard, i mBaile Átha Ghártha agus i nDún Mór. This morning I listened to the CEO of Bank of Ireland, Francesca McDonagh, talking about bank closures and the decision by Bank of Ireland to close a number of branches across the country, including in Oughterard, Ballygar and Dunmore in Galway. I regret that this is happening but welcome t…

Yes. We have two and a half minutes each. I welcome the Minister. The last two speakers respectfully suggested that this legislation should have been brought in by the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee. However, it is a health Bill protecting the health of the nation. That is the rationale behind it. We have passed the anniversary of the first Covid case in this country and the basic armoury we have is still with us which is keeping our distance, proper co…

I welcome the Minister of State. The west of Ireland is a wonderful place to live and County Galway and city is a wonderful place to live. I would like to concentrate on Galway City and suburbs. We have huge positives in Galway City and the suburbs, including the National University of Ireland, Galway; the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, GMIT, and the exciting plans for a technology university in conjunction with Sligo and Letterkenny institutes of technology; a thriving foreign direct investment, FDI, sector;…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. My focus is on who will deliver and drive the main drainage scheme east of Galway city. The Minister of State talked about the Project Ireland 2040 delivery board. However, on specific projects, co-ordination is needed between his Department, Irish Water, and in this case, Galway City and County Councils. While they are separate local authorities, they share some of the land, for example in Ardaun, and some of the same priorities, and they work well together. Therefor…

The Minister is welcome. There are many exciting plans in Galway at the moment. I spoke about them earlier during the Commencement Matters debate. They cover both road transport projects and public transport projects, including cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. The Galway city ring road application is with An Bord Pleanála, and I hope there will be a decision on this in the coming months. I have been a strong advocate of this important project. The Moycullen bypass is due to commence soon. Improvements to the …

I concur with the need to examine and address the two issues raised by my colleague, Senator Gallagher. The development regarding Ulster Bank is worrying, and I would welcome an early opportunity for a debate with the Minister for Finance on this important issue. I am thinking of the staff of the bank. I am also thinking about its mortgage holders and other customers, whose status quo continues, which is very welcome. However, the long-term future of Ulster Bank and its branches, which are prevalent in so many rura…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I acknowledge the importance of this debate and those who have put down the motion. As a former member of a local authority, Galway County Council, I was privileged to have spent from 2004 to 2011 in that chamber and to serve as deputy mayor. I was due to be elected as Mayor of County Galway in 2011 but other things conspired against me that year when I was elected as a Deputy. I have a lot of experience and I know, as we all do, the v…

Fáiltím roimh an díospóireacht seo. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Hoey as ucht na hoibre atá déanta aici. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, an Teachta Donnelly. I am a member of the Joint Committee on Health, which heard recently from Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, on the topic of the protection and support of front-line healthcare workers. We know the enormous work that nurses and midwives do year-round but particularly in the last year, which has been a very di…

Like others, I welcome the annual roads funding that has been allocated to our local authorities. Roads funding is the bread and butter of our local authorities and what our hard-working councillors deal with daily, be it in respect of potholes, drainage, flooding, maintenance or sinking roads. It is vital for the remediation of these problems and for the community involvement scheme, which is a safety measure in respect of available lands. These are issues that all public representatives deal with, but our local c…

I am sharing time with Senator Dolan. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy English. I thank Senator Currie for her work on this motion. Balanced regional development is something Fine Gael absolutely believes in. We believe it is good for the regions, as well as being good for Dublin and the east coast of Ireland. Infrastructure is necessary for this to happen. This has traditionally meant road, rail, water and waste water. High-speed broadband is now to the …

There is a distinct chill in the air. Thankfully, it is not a political chill but an actual chill. It is promised for the week, with snow forecast for later in the week. While I welcome the increase in the fuel allowance announced by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, the €3.50 increase to €28 per week from 1 January, I acknowledge we have to look out for elderly people in particular during this cold snap. The warmer homes scheme is important for those who qualified for the provision of attic, cavity wall and external…

I second the proposal.

I second the proposal.

The Government has announced plans for changes to working practices for many in a bid to improve work-life balance and allow many workers, including public servants, the option of working from home or remotely. The benefits, including reduced time lost to commuting, additional time with family or rest time, as well as reduced costs and carbon footprints, are all evident. To make this policy a reality, two things are needed. These are working hubs and broadband connections. Ba mhaith liom tréaslú le hÚdarás na Gaelt…