Next Monday at 10.30 a.m. in the Dáil Chamber.

I thank the Minister of State for travelling up to the Chamber today, but I regret no one is here from the Department of Health to address this Commencement matter. University Hospital Galway, UHG, is a model 4 hospital providing 24-7 acute surgery, acute medicine and critical care services for Galway and the region. I acknowledge the front-line staff and management who have been operating under difficult conditions because of the impact of Covid-19 for nearly a year now. The staff in the hospital, and especially t…

I thank the Minister of State for the response on behalf of the Department of Health. While there was a good deal of information in it, the salient point is that no date has yet been set for the planning application for the main building. Despite Saolta University Health Care Group telling the then Minister, Deputy Harris, in September 2018 that the application would be lodged before the following Christmas, there is as yet no date for the main application for the building. Temporary works are being carried out whi…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I welcome the publication of the report and I acknowledge the work and effort that went into its production. As others have said, it is important that the recommendations and summaries are discussed with survivors and that their views on the next steps forward are taken into account and are followed through. There are many very worthy recommendations in the report but if we have to go further, and if we need to go further, engagement with survivors needs to be looked at. It …

The House will sit again at 11 a.m. on Monday, 1 February 2021 in the Dáil Chamber.

I welcome the publication of the Appropriation Bill. It is the signal for the end of the legislative term and the fiscal year. It covers the spend on all Departments and State agencies for the next year from the offices of the President and the Taoiseach to our newest Department, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I also acknowledge the Department of Community and Rural Development, where I had the privilege to serve with the former Minister, Deputy Ring, and the Depar…

Now.

I thank the Minister of State for his generous offer to discuss the issues relating to Galway, which I will certainly take him up on. I also concur with Senator Casey's point that many people think councillors have already received pay increases because they have been announced a number of times. A number of councillors have told me that people have said to them that councillors have received X amount over the recent period when they have not. It is time to make a decision on this very important issue. Councillors'…

Has the Senator tabled an amendment to that effect?

Has the Senator tabled an amendment?

Does the Senator have an amendment tabled?

I move: "That, pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Appropriation Bill 2020 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him.”

I had the privilege to serve in the Department of Rural and Community Development with the then Minister, Michael Ring, when the rural regeneration and development fund was put in place. At the same time, the then Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, put in place the urban regeneration and development fund to fund strategic projects. I am sure we all agree that this funding has been effective and been welcomed universally because it filled a gap and allowed many worthwhile proj…

The temporary wage subsidy scheme, TWSS, was introduced by the previous Government as a badly-needed and welcome measure to support businesses and workers during the pandemic. It proved to be a lifeline for many businesses across the country and kept workforces together in order to be prepared to ramp up work and production once the crisis passed. Many businesses adapted their work practices and changed marketing strategies to survive. Some businesses in the craft and retail sector increased their presence online i…

I welcome the Minister to the House. I welcome the total budget of some €25.1 billion for social protection for the year ahead, which in itself is an increase of some €4 billion compared with what was announced on budget day. This increase is mainly for the pandemic unemployment payment and jobseeker's supports. This is a clear example of the Government reacting to changing circumstances, and most importantly, being able to react. We are able to react because of the work that previous Governments have done since 20…

Senator Chambers has covered many of the points I wanted to mention. My party has supported increases in carbon tax since the previous Government and increasing it was in our manifesto, as it was for most parties in this Chamber. As Senator Chambers pointed out, carbon tax is not about collecting money for the purpose of penalising anybody. It is about changing attitudes. Any money collected is used to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. For example, there is nothing as inefficient as burning coal, turf or briquettes …

Next Wednesday.

I welcome the Minister and thank her for attending in person. It is very important that senior Ministers attend debates here in the Seanad. It is also important for my constituents. On 7 October 2015, a delegation from Scoil Mhuire, Maigh Cuilinn, travelled to Leinster House to meet the then Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O'Sullivan, to deliver a petition. The former Deputy, Derek Nolan, and I met the delegation. There were 4,500 signatures from parents and children in the Moycullen area on this petition. T…

I thank the Minister for the update. I acknowledge the work of her Department's officials and the board of management over many years. As I said, there is frustration in the community regarding the pace of this project. I acknowledge the funding that was allocated to the design team in May of this year, the new temporary structures provided in September and the further progress that has been made, including the stakeholder meeting scheduled for Friday, 18 December. However, there is concern that 16 classrooms will …

The Judicial Council Act 2019 allowed for the nomination of a date for the establishment of the personal injuries guidelines committee which would then prepare guidelines on the level of damages awarded for claims within the State and, for comparative reasons, outside of the State to allow for the promotion of consistency in awards and in terms of the principles for the assessment of awards of damages for personal injuries. We know the cost of insurance has been crippling business for some time. I welcome yesterday…