I support amendment No. 34, which Senator Collins has just set out. It makes a lot of sense. It is a very practical suggestion. It introduces some sort of monitoring and engagement, which is important. It is also important that this engagement be on the record because we have heard many excuses. The amendment refers to an explanation as to why a developer has not yet commenced and requires a viability assessment. Let us keep it simple. These developers put in these applications at great expense to themselves. They …

I welcome the Minister of State and his officials, who are well known to us at this stage following the previous planning Bill. It is worth putting in context for those tuning in that we are dealing with the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025. We are now amending a 2024 Bill that still has not been translated into Irish. There have been queries to the legal services because if there were to be a legal challenge to the Act, which the Minister has not yet given full effect to, the courts have determined t…

I have three items I want to discuss. First is in respect of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee’s announcement on the commission yesterday. The second item is the new planning guidelines as espoused by the Government, and the third item is the new security allowances and the related circular to be issued today by the Department of housing and local government. I will go back to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, first. I warmly welcome the announcement that she will establish, with the Government, a co…

The Minister of State is welcome back to the House. He is no stranger to housing and the Department of housing and local government. My Commencement matter relates to Ardrew in Athy, County Kildare. I am also going to mention a number of other projects related to County Kildare. The Minister of State may or may not be aware that the construction of over 70 social housing units in a community building project scheme for Ardrew has been halted by the Department of housing, which is the Department charged with the pro…

That reply is exceptionally disappointing and simply not good enough. The Minister of State is not in a position to tell me when the Ardrew housing scheme in Athy, County Kildare, will be advanced. It really is appalling. The housing scheme has planning permission, yet the project has sat on his table in his Department. As Kildare County Council has confirmed, the Department has been aware of all the developments I listed. If I was one of the nearly 5,000 people on Kildare County Council's housing list, I would be …

When?

I ask the Leader to ascertain from the Government, or from the Minister or the Ministers of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, when we will have a new housing plan. We were promised when the Government came to power that we would either have a new housing plan to replace the existing one or a simple update of the current Housing for All plan. It is important. We are shortly to enter our summer recess. The Government has been in place for months and we still do not have a national pla…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House for statements on the national drugs strategy. The Minister of State will have ten minutes to speak. Group spokespersons will have ten minutes, all other Senators will have four minutes, and the Minister of State will be called on to reply to the debate no later than 7.22 p.m. Statements will have to conclude by 7.30 p.m., in line with the Order of Business as agreed today.

I thank the Minister of State for the overview of the strategy. The next Senators to speak are Senators Costello and Fitzpatrick and they are sharing time. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank all of the Senators who contributed to the debate. I invite the Minister of State to respond.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to talk to us about the national drugs strategy. When is it proposed to sit again?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

As a vote has been called in Dáil Éireann, I ask Senator Duffy to propose we suspend for the duration.

It is agreed.

Thank you, Minister of State, for your time. We appreciate your coming to the House. We always value Ministers coming in.

You are an honorary Senator at this point.

As there is a vote ongoing in the other House, we will have to wait for the next Minister of State to arrive . He is on his way, I understand. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, to the Seanad. I know he is an exceptionally busy man and there was a vote in the Dáil so we understand he was delayed. We appreciate him coming to the House.

I welcome all our guests to the Gallery. I would particularly like to welcome John French and his guests. John works in the Houses and is held in high esteem among us here. I also welcome the men’s shed from Navan and our guests from Carolina, USA. They are all very welcome. This is the section where we deal with Commencement matters, which is individual Senators who flag particular issues of concern to them. They bring them to the Chamber here, the relevant Minister comes and responds and there is that bit of enga…

The Minister of State has one minute to respond.

I thank the Minister of State for his time and for coming to the House this afternoon. I take this opportunity to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, and his colleagues, friends and visitors from Carnmore and Claregalway to the House. They are very welcome and I hope they enjoy their stay here today.