Like others I welcome the Minister of State and his officials to the House for more statements on broadband, which is something that has been a common feature of this Oireachtas and the previous one. There is little doubt the pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for high-speed broadband. The vision for it was set more than ten years ago. It has stood the test of time in that rolling out high-speed broadband to areas that would not normally be covered by the commercial sector is a policy position that has …

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As she knows, aviation and tourism throughout the State have been devastated due to the Covid pandemic. Shannon Airport is no different to any other airport in the world, in that it has suffered very considerable losses in passenger numbers and a reduction in activity. I recognise the support the Government has provided to date, which is well respected and well regarded at the airport and in the wider region. I am very pleased to see that the supports the Government put…

The Minister of State correctly identified the considerable support the State has provided to Shannon and to other airports, which is welcome. What we now need to look at is to move beyond the care and maintenance of the airport sector. It is hoped that, all going well, 2022 will be the beginning of the end of the Covid pandemic and in parallel with that we will have a reawakening of the tourism and aviation sectors. I want to work with the Minister of State and others, as I have done in the past, to try to ensure …

At the earliest opportunity, perhaps in the new year, I would welcome a debate in this House on the generation of electricity from wind, recognising that many of the areas suitable for the capture of wind energy on shore have now been used up and that planning attempts continue to seek to put wind turbines in areas that are not suitable. Frankly, many communities believe there is an overconcentration of wind turbines in their areas. The latest wind energy guidelines have not yet been published and that is unfortuna…

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him, his Department and the joint committee for the tremendous work they have done in bringing this really complex legislation before the House. Notwithstanding that many of the contributions are about the potential for development at sea, we must understand that the purpose of this Bill is the preservation and protection of our seas. This State has been somewhat lethargic in reaching this point in terms of setting out a very clear plan, and the Minister has identified …

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, for being present in the House for this discussion. I welcome the Government decision in recent days to significantly enhance and increase the grant scheme to people who are affected by mica in Donegal, Mayo and Sligo. It is the right decision to try to put people back in good stead, but the reality is that the issue of defective blocks is not confined to Donegal, Mayo and Sligo. It is an established fact that pyrite is present in concrete blocks in the county from whic…

I thank the Minister of State. The devil is in the detail. Some of the response states that an assurance will be given on receipt by the Department on clarifications sought. From talking to engineers who were involved in submissions from both Clare and Mayo, my understanding is that the submission was in line with the standards set out and the information provided that allowed Mayo and Donegal to enter the scheme. The engineering people who I am talking to are at a loss to understand what further clarification is r…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. There was a considerable amount of shock across County Clare when the announcement came last week that the Coast Guard at Doolin was to be stood down, effectively, or as is referred to in the business as "off the board". That has upset many people, particularly those whose loved ones have required the services of the Doolin Coast Guard. It is one of the best known coastguards not just in County Clare but right across the country because it has had such a high profile in…

I thank the Minister of State. That is as good a response as Senator Conway, Senator Garvey, who is in the Chair and whom I know is committed to addressing this issue, and I could have got. On the Minister of State's commitment regarding the appointment of an independent arbitrator, since it is not just a question of the issues at the station and since it involves the wider issue in the context of the Coast Guard, I ask her to consider appointing as mediator Mr. Kieran Mulvey, who has shown a phenomenal capacity to…

I raise the issue of the standing down of the Doolin Coast Guard unit yesterday by the national Coast Guard. To say that it caused shock throughout County Clare and the mid-west would be an understatement. In fact, it caused very considerable shock throughout the country because there is little doubt that the Doolin Coast Guard is probably one of the best known units in the country. It is known nationally and internationally. Its volunteers have put to sea in the most hazardous conditions and carried out search, re…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for being present. I have listened with interest to Senator Boyhan’s contribution. I am minded to support, in general terms, what he is advocating. I, too, have had contact with numerous people who work in the sector and have read with considerable interest the reports of recent weeks. The problem has been arising not only in recent weeks but also for a considerable period beforehand. I have witnessed antisocial behaviour myself on occasion when using public transport…

I welcome the Minister to the House for the debate on this important issue. He rightly concentrated his remarks on energy security on the electricity market. There is not an issue with oil and gas, other than the price of them at the moment, which is clearly as a result of what has happened during the pandemic. A lot of supply lines across a range of commodities are impacted by that. The recent media reports that we were facing a potential series of blackouts was a considerable shock to many. I do not want to be al…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this legislation. At the outset, I want to be associated with the remarks on and recognition of the appointment of Pádraig Ó Céidigh as chairman of Shannon Group. I recognise he is a man of immense skills and wisdom and somebody who has a vast amount of experience in the aviation sector. In addition, he is a west of Ireland man and he understands the importance of regional balance. Together with the experience he has, I believe it signals the dawn of a bright …

I thank the Acting Chairperson for his direction and respectful smile when it was time for me to conclude.

Hear, hear.

Along with others I join in expressing sympathy to Senator Hoey on the passing of her father. I want to raise two issues. The first is the spiralling cost of oil and gas fuel for aviation, transport and home heating. It is having a significant impact on economic activity and it will certainly lead to fuel poverty. This is happening at a time when we have, rightly, adopted carbon pricing. The budget will require an increase in the cost of carbon, which will have an impact on fuel. What is important is that the Gover…

I join with others in complimenting the Minister, as I have done on a number of occasions, for his tenacity and his ability to chart out a course that needed to be taken. He has been dogged in his approach. He has had electoral success and failure along the way, but it never thwarted his vision or his ambition to achieve it. When he started out on that relatively lonely journey, he and others in his party were considered to be “tree huggers”, and other comments were passed that were less complimentary, perhaps, but…

I will wrap up. There will be difficulties. It will be the job of all of us to work with stakeholders. There is difficulty within the farming sector, make no bones about that. The people I talk to are up for the challenge and they are prepared to do the business, but they will need significant financial support. I know the Minister will be there to ensure and to support the just transition that will be required within the farming sector, and to support those who are serious about the preservation and protection of …

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I am conscious that this is the last week of business before the recess and the Order of Business matters are fairly much taken up by now. I ask the Leader if she might organise a debate at the earliest opportunity when we return after the recess with the Minister for Health on the area of dental services for persons with medical cards. It has come to my attention for a considerable period of time that for whatever reason a lower number of dentists are now accepting patients with medical …

I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, for being in the House. I wish to address the failure of the Government to address the pay restoration issue for employees in health and social care sector who are employed by community and voluntary organisations. What has transpired during the past two years represents a blatant disregard for fairness and equality of treatment. To illustrate my point I will use an example of Clarecare, a professional social enterprise with charitable status providing a range of services to i…