I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and providing me with the opportunity to address the matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The policy of providing grant support for domestic wastewater treatment systems, or septic tank grants, arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas, in particular, and in areas of the greatest environmental priority to protect human health and the environment. The purpose of the grants is to pro…

I thank Deputy Flaherty for his comments and will relay them to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. Grant support is available for households where there are identified water pollution risks. However, it should be noted that, under the Water Services Act, the owner of a system is responsible for its maintenance and for keeping it in good repair. The local authorities have a key role in the administration of the grants in their areas, and they work with the EPA to implement the national inspection plan. The Minister, Depu…

Last night's "RTÉ Investigates", which I also watched, showed really horrifying footage of welfare abuses on a farm premises adjacent to the sole horse slaughter plant in Ireland, as well as potential breaches of traceability rules in Ireland and member states across the EU. The behaviour seen last night is utterly unacceptable. It is disgusting and entirely inconsistent with the framework of EU and national laws that are there to protect the welfare of animals. I am certain the vast majority of decent people who c…

The footage shown last night was appalling and the actions of the individuals shown are abhorrent and completely unacceptable. Deputy Coveney raised some interesting questions. I am reluctant to go too far in light of potential prosecutions and the Department's determination to bring the full force of the law to bear. However, I have no doubt that horse butchers in European countries where horsemeat is consumed will certainly be thinking twice about purchasing where they cannot be sure about traceability. This is s…

As I am not in the Department of agriculture, I am not in a position to answer that but I will make sure that question gets put to the Minister for agriculture as a matter of urgency.

I thank the Deputy for bringing forward the Bill. The Government will not oppose it. I look forward to engaging with Deputies today but, in general, the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, look forward to engaging with Deputy Smith on this. We have all been appalled at the phenomenon of sharing videos of accidents and their aftermath. Some truly shocking material has been made available depicting death and serious injuries, with no evident regard to the victims or their families. Wha…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Connolly. Ag eascairt as cinneadh an údaráis i mí na Nollag 2023, choimisiúnaigh an t-údarás taighde ón Dr. Séin Ó Muineacháin maidir le soláthar agus éileamh ar thithíocht sa Ghaeltacht. Foilsíodh torthaí an taighde sin le gairid. Léiríonn an taighde go bhfuil 106,000 duine sa Ghaeltacht ach go bhfuil an daonra sin ag fás ag leibhéal níos moille ná an tír ar fad, go bhfuil sciar den daonra sa Ghaeltacht faoi aois 18 ag dul i laghad, agus go bhfuil na grúpaí os cionn 55 ag dul i méi…

Tá an obair seo á déanamh ag Údarás na Gaeltachta faoi láthair agus tá sé ráite ag an údarás liom go bhfuil pleananna curtha i bhfeidhm maidir le haiseolas na ngeallsealbhóirí a bhailiú agus tá obair theicniúil ar siúl. Tá sé i gceist nuashonrú ar an gcur chuige molta a thabhairt don Roinn agus domsa i mí an Mheithimh seo chugainn. Is ceist an-tábhachtach é seo don Ghaeltacht agus bhí mise i dteagmháil le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta ag an gcruinniú a bhí agam leis freisin maidir leis an mBille faoin údarás atá ag teacht …

Táim ag súil le tuairisc agus níos mó eolais ó Údarás na Gaeltachta an mhí seo chugainn. Táim ag rá go poiblí agus go príobháideach leo go gceapaim féin go bhfuil ról lárnach aige toisc go bhfuil cúrsaí tithíochta lárnach do chúrsaí teanga. Is é sin an díriú atá aige uaim, mar Aire Stáit, agus beidh mise ag dul ag obair leis an údarás nuair a bheidh an obair seo déanta aige. Caithfidh mé rá, ó bheith ag caint le hoifigigh an údaráis, go bhfuil pleananna eile curtha faoina mbráid. Bhí mé ag caint leo maidir leis na …

Chas oifigigh ó mo Roinn le hionadaithe ón ngrúpa Bánú ar an 8 Bealtaine 2024. Ba é seo an dara chruinniú leis an ngrúpa. Rinneadh plé ar an gceithre bunéileamh a d'ardaigh an grúpa sa gcéad chruinniú a bhí ag ionadaithe na Roinne leo, is iad sin go dtabharfaí cumhacht d'Údarás na Gaeltachta dul ag plé le soláthar tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht; go dtabharfaí cead do mo Roinn féin tacaíocht a chur ar fáil do chainteoirí Gaeilge tithe a thógáil sa Ghaeltacht; go dtabharfaí tús áite do chainteoirí Gaeilge teach a fháil ar …

Maidir leis na treoirlínte, tá an ceart ag an Teachta. Tá an jab sin le déanamh agus tá sé á dhéanamh ag an Roinn tithíochta. Tá idirchaidreamh agus comhrá ag tarlú idir an dá Roinn agus idir na hoifigigh maidir leis na treoirlínte a chur chun críche, a fhoilsiú agus a chur i bhfeidhm chomh tapa agus is féidir. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil brú leis sin. Caithfidh na treoirlínte sin a bheith i gceart agus a bheith réidh. Tá mé cinnte – tá mé ag rá leis an Dáil – go bhfuil an-obair á déanamh ag an Roinn tithíochta maidi…

Caithfidh mé a rá arís go bhfuil oifigigh ón dá Roinn i mbun idirchaidrimh. Maidir leis an ábhar seo, tá siad ag iarraidh an obair sin a chur chun críche chomh luath agus is féidir. Tá me ag rá anseo go bhfuil an obair seo práinneach agus go gcaithfidh muid déileáil léi. Tá géarchéim thithíochta sa tír seo. Tá an-obair á déanamh ag an Rialtas maidir leis an ngéarchéim sin ar fud na tíre ach admhaím agus aithním go bhfuil tréithe faoi leith sa Ghaeltacht maidir le cúrsaí teanga. Is é mo thoil ná go bhfoilseofar na t…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 15, 25, 31, 46 and 53 together. The sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreational facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment. It is the policy of the Department after every round of the sports capital programme that we undertake a review and make recommendations as to changes. The criteria for any next round will be considered once we have gone through this round. More …

A wide range of very important issues were raised. The purchase of land is a key issue. Let us be straight - we all have a role to play at every level of government. Local authorities have a role to play in this. Councillors of all parties should be really focusing on this issue when zoning land. There are no restrictions on zoning land for sports facilities and making certain things conditional when housing is provided. That is really important. Acknowledging there is a problem, we all, as I said, have a role to p…

In terms of checking whether funding is delivering the intended benefits, the Department does check. There is a rigorous process and we take a very hardline view on it. I do not get involved. I let our officials make sure the applications are done properly. The benefits of the funding are clear to see. I am visiting clubs around the country at the moment, seeing all the projects and sports facilities that have come through the sports capital programme, together with local fundraising and voluntary effort. That is i…

I thank Senator McGahon for raising this issue. I recognise the importance of sport and physical activity for everybody. We need to ensure everybody has the opportunity to participate in sport. Encouraging greater participation in sport is an important element of the national sports policy and a key aim for the Government. People with a disability have an absolute right to enjoy and reap the rewards of a physically active lifestyle and they should have equal opportunities to be active or to be involved in sport in …

We will certainly consider that. One of the challenges with dormant accounts funding is that the money in those accounts is running low. There are fewer and fewer such accounts, so the money allocated from them is decreasing. We try to top that up from the general pot of money every year and to ensure that people with disabilities are not disadvantaged, which is something I am very keen on. That is a problem that will start arising with dormant accounts funding over the coming years. It is as well that people reali…

Gabhaim buíochas as an dea-ghuí a thug an Leas-Cheann Comhairle agus an Teachta dom ar maidin. Ag a chruinniú den Mháirt, an 5 Márta 2024, ghlac an Rialtas cinneadh go ndréachtófaí, mar thosaíocht, an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (leasú) agus forálacha ilghnéitheacha, 2024. Tá i gceist ag mo Roinn anois leanúint ar aghaidh le dréachtú an Bhille mar thosaíocht i gcomhar le hOifig na nDréachtóirí Parlaiminte don Rialtas. Foilsíodh ceannteidil leasaithe an Bhille ar shuíomh na Roinne ar an 16 Aibreán 2024. Is é príom…

Déarfainn ar dtús nach bhfuil mé ag iarraidh moill a chur ar an reachtaíocht seo. Tá mé ag iarraidh go léifear an reachtaíocht sa Dáil agus sa Seanad agus go n-éireoidh leis an mBille seo a chur ina Acht roimh an samhradh. Is é sin an aidhm atá agam. Tá na ceannteidil díreach foilsithe.

Is é samhradh na bliana seo agus is é sin an aidhm atá agam ach níl mé ach seachtain sa Roinn. Tá na ceannteidil foilsithe. Tá a fhios agam cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé seo. Tá roinnt rudaí ar mhaith liom leasú a dhéanamh orthu maidir le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta ach, ag an am céanna, níl mé ag iarraidh moill a chur ar an mBille agus ar an bpróiseas reachtaíochta. Tá daoine ag teacht chugam anois ag rá go bhfuil plean nó leasú acu agus ba mhaith liom machnamh a dhéanamh ar na leasuithe sin. Ag an am céanna, níl mé ag…