The Minister, Deputy Heydon, is very welcome.

I thank the Minister for coming in. I welcome that the Department of agriculture has published a draft general scheme of a Bill to amend the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Ireland is the puppy farm capital of Europe and this is obviously nothing to be proud of. Nearly six years since policy change in this area was first considered by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, this is the first meaningful legislative contribution that has been made.

The Bill is intended to introduce long-awaited measures regarding breeding practices, sales regulations and enforcement powers. That is very welcome. The most significant oversight though is the complete absence of a cap on the number of breeding females permitted within a dog breeding establishment. Without such a cap Ireland risks continuing its long-standing international reputation for industrial-scale puppy farms. Once again, we appear to be legislating in a way that accommodates and legitimises industrial-scale breeding operations rather than phasing them out and clamping down on them. There is no place in a modern animal welfare framework for puppy farms and any meaningful amendment of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act should begin the work of dismantling this model rather than entrenching it. We currently have multiple licensed dog breeding establishments authorised to keep hundreds of breeding females. These figures do not even include the pups or stud dogs. These breeding females do not have lives worth living. There is also very little transparency regarding the lives and treatment of stud dogs.

We are increasingly aware of the serious welfare and behavioural issues experienced by pups bred in these environments. Welfare cannot meaningfully be regulated at these scales, regardless of how robust the legislative language is on paper. Without a significantly low cap on breeding females, these reforms risking being entirely ineffective. I would be grateful if the Minister would clarify this issue and state whether the Government intends to put in a meaningful cap on the number of breeding females and therefore the scale of breeding establishments. I would also be very grateful if the Minister would clarify whether the public consultation responses or the dog control stakeholder group suggested including a cap and if so, why these recommendations were ignored.

I mentioned we are the puppy farm capital of Europe. Most puppies are sold through a website called dogs.ie . DoneDeal and Gumtree stopped selling them, as did most online sales platforms. Some 25,770 dogs and puppies were advertised on dogs.ie last year and every puppy farmer in Ireland trades on that site. The site facilitates puppy farms and it may be legal but I believe it should not be because it facilitates the puppy farms. If you use dogs.ie to buy a dog you can be 99.9% you are buying a puppy farm dog. It is something we need to address within legislation because clearly the facilitation by dogs.ie of puppy farms is not acceptable and we have to do something about it. We must ensure there is a cap and that any legislation that is put in place is effective, enforced and ensures animal welfare and dog welfare is prioritised.

I thank Senator Andrews for raising this point. It is something I am deeply passionate about. Reform of the legislation governing dog welfare is a key priority for me and for the Government.

In order to bring a coherent approach to dog control, policy and legislative responsibility under both the Control of Dogs Act 1986 and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 transferred to my Department last year as part of our programme for Government commitments. In both cases, local authorities retain responsibility for operational and enforcement matters.

I am pleased to confirm the dog breeding establishments (amendment) Bill 2026 is being actively progressed. The Bill has 17 heads and addresses three broad areas, namely, welfare and breeding standards, sales and record keeping and administration and enforcement. I brought the heads of Bill to Cabinet and received approval to go ahead and draft the full legislation. On welfare and breeding standards, the Bill will place enhanced duties on operators covering the socialisation and habituation of dogs.

It will introduce a four-litter lifetime limit and a one-litter-per-year cap, set minimum and maximum breeding age limits, prohibit the mating of bitches that have had two prior Caesarean sections and introduce a ban on in-breeding, which people might presume already exists in legislation but does not. We will also outlaw that awful practice. In response to the Senator’s earlier point, this is about ensuring the legislation is robust. I also have to work to make sure any current or future legislation is properly enforced. A mandatory minimum staffing ratio of one full-time equivalent staff member per 20 breeding females will also be placed on a statutory footing, with a two-year transition period to allow operators to adjust in a timely and responsible manner.

The Bill will ban third-party sales from dog breeding establishments. This goes to the point the Senator made about people buying dogs online. I have heard anecdotal stories of people with their much-loved family pet and when you ask them how they acquired it and where they got it, they will say they met somebody in a public car park somewhere and they paid for that puppy. However, they had no sense of where that puppy had been bred, what the conditions were like, what the mother of that dog was, whether she was put straight back into pup and the likes. Under the new legislation, it will be unlawful for operators to sell dogs under eight weeks of age or to sell them from any premises other than where they were born and reared. Prior to any sale, prospective buyers must be shown the pup’s biological mother on site.

This is a really practical and a seismic change because there are a lot of people out there who passionately believe in this legislation, love their family dog but do not know where their puppy came from and probably do not want to know. If we make the process that they have to go and see where it is, that will make a very significant change in people who have happily turned a blind eye just to get that much-loved family pet. We need to reflect on that and we need to reflect on the role charities and others can play. There is a significant role here that many other well-structured organisations can offer dogs and much-loved family pets for future operation as well. Those who carry out dog breeding properly and well will have nothing to fear from this legislation because it puts them on a firm footing, puts a proper structure in place and takes away the veil that has hung over the whole process to date.

On administration and enforcement, authorised officers will be granted new powers to seize and detain dogs where it is reasonably suspected that an offence has been committed. Penalties for the most serious offences will be significantly increased, with fines of up €250,000 and-or five years imprisonment, bringing sanctions under the 2010 Act in line with those available under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

I have not included a hard legislative cap on the total number of breeding females at a dog breeding establishment in the present draft heads of Bill, which is what we are currently dealing with. Legal advice indicates that there are difficulties with such an approach. There are also practical issues that would have to be explored further. An establishment can in principle increase in size and staffing to accommodate more animals without necessarily affecting welfare outcomes. My Department will engage with the Office of the Attorney General to explore the question of a cap further during the formal drafting stage and it has not been ruled out. This is draft legislation that will go through all Stages in the Dáil and Seanad. There is a long process for this to go through.

This legislation is very important and welcome. However, without a cap it will undo everything positive. It will legitimise and entrench puppy farms. It will be really disappointing if there is not a cap on that. What legal reasons are given for not including a cap? Is there a timeframe in which legislation will be drafted and brought before the Oireachtas because it can go on for quite a while? Did the public consultation responses or the dog control stakeholder groups suggest including a cap? If they did, why was it ignored? What were the legal reasons for ignoring it if they suggested putting a cap in place? A cap is critical to this.

The Minister mentioned 20 breeding female dogs on a site. That is just not right. Animal welfare cannot be done properly with 20 breeding females on one site. It is open to criminality and corruption as it currently stands and we need to clamp down. Has the Minister considered addressing the issues with websites such as dogs.ie , which are facilitating puppy farms and facilitating the deplorable conditions dogs are being kept in day in and day out?

Obviously, I am in the hands of the Oireachtas on the timing of the legislation. There will be pre-legislative scrutiny through the agriculture committee where members will be able to have their say. The Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food, Deputy Aindrias Moynihan, is working with me to have that fast-tracked and take place before the summer recess with legislation to be introduced early in the autumn. I am determined to deliver on this very quickly.

The Bill addresses concerns about excessive numbers through many means. The Senator referenced the cap. When talking about the 20 dogs, that is the staffing ratio that will come into place; it does not exist at the minute. There is no staffing ratio for the number of staff per breeding animals. The mandatory staffing ratio will be 1:20. That creates an indirect but real constraint on establishment size. The Senator is talking about capping and, as I said, there is a whole legislative process to go through here. What is the size of the premises? Are we talking about a garage or a warehouse? What is the appropriate number of dogs in each of them? The cap is quite a crude instrument in itself. There are many constraints in this proposed legislation that do not exist at the minute.

What was the legal element?

The strengthened improvement notice regime will explicitly empower authorised officers to require a reduction in the number of dogs on premises where welfare concerns arise. Local authorities also retain the ability to set conditions on the number of breeding females as part of the registration process and this avenue remains open to them, particularly in respect of new applications. It is about putting best practice into place.

While non-statutory guidelines for dog breeding establishments were published in 2018, these set out advisory best practices but were not legally binding. That has been the big challenge here. Several of the amendments proposed by the Bill will now give legislative force to recommendations contained in those guidelines, which is a significant step forward. I look forward to bringing in this legislation soon and I have no doubt we will have many opportunities throughout all Stages of that legislation to discuss it here in the Seanad, in the Dáil and in the committee.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, for joining us.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House which gives me a chance to discuss this issue. I am delighted that this Commencement matter has finally been accepted at the fourth time of asking. I am raising an issue relating to STEM funding. I raised this issue following growing concerns across County Laois and the midlands regarding the future of the STEM education programme and in particular the funding of the STEM engagement officer role.

A few weeks ago, we were all celebrating the incredible success of the Rosenallis National School robotics team which represented Ireland at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Missouri. These were pupils from a small rural school in County Laois competing on the world stage and making their community enormously proud. While we celebrate their achievement, the very supports that helped make that possible are now facing an uncertain future.

In recent months, I have been contacted by schools, teachers and parents who are deeply concerned about what will happen if funding for the STEM engagement officer role is not continued. One letter in particular from The Swan National School, which is a three-teacher rural school with just 29 pupils, really struck me. They described how difficult it was to fully capture the impact the programme had on their school community. They spoke about the skills gained by the pupils, the enthusiasm for learning, the confidence built through teamwork and problem-solving and the excitement visible on children's faces as they experienced both success and setbacks together. This is what education should be about. I know this is an area the Minister of State is passionate about as well.

What also stood out to me was the school's observation that while team sports receive significant funding and support, they do not appeal to every child. Programmes like VEX Robotics provide another avenue for children to experience teamwork, achievement and belonging. Laois does not have any university campus providing ongoing STEM outreach and support. Schools in County Laois rely heavily on initiatives under different funding models to ensure children have access to opportunities that children elsewhere may take for granted.

During the recent national conference on education, children from schools across Laois identified VEX Robotics as one of the reasons they enjoy coming to school. Let that sit for a minute. At a time when we are hearing about attendance challenges and student well-being, children themselves are telling us that these programmes make school more enjoyable and meaningful. Surely we should be listening to that. Investment in STEM education is not simply an investment in schools; it is an investment in the future workforce, future employment and future economic development of Laois and the midlands region. Under the Just Transition Fund, four midlands counties, namely, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford, received €100,000 worth of equipment to roll out STEM engagement programmes. Nearly 5,500 students have benefited from STEM activities and equipment across four midland counties, with County Laois making up for one third of that number. This funding has now ended. I am asking the Minister of State to provide clarity on the future of the STEM engagement officer role and the STEM projects that were funded under this initiative; outline what discussions are taking place regarding replacing the fund; and, most importantly, ensure that the opportunities currently available to those children across Laois and the midlands are not lost. We should be building on the success of these projects and not allowing them to disappear.

I thank the Senator very much. I welcome the opportunity to address Seanad Éireann.

The promotion of STEM and digital learning within our education system is a key priority in the Department. This is reflected in multiple strategy documents, such as the STEM Education Policy statement, Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and Ireland’s Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033: Every Learner from Birth to Young Adulthood.

STEM stretches across all aspects of today's world and the innovation that emerges from these fields underpins much of the economic development leading to the establishment of creative, enterprising and rewarding careers. Our education system plays a key role in encouraging and equipping learners with the knowledge, skills and basics to effect these changes. The goal is to ensure all learners, whether they are male, female or from whatever gender background, have access to high-quality STEM learning that prepares them for success in the modern world. It supports children's capacity to understand and engage fully with the world around them and enables them to benefit from learning about and working with traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies.

I commend the work being done by the STEM project co-ordinators in the midlands regional positions that were funded under the EU just transition programme. I listened carefully to the comments the Senator made in relation to The Swan National School and others. I know the engagement is there and has been transformative. I understand the points she made in relation to teambuilding for all students. The positions were funded under the EU Just Transition Fund and the Department of Education and Youth has no role in it. The Senator will appreciate that the Department receives many requests in relation to support funding for initiatives, projects, resources, books, etc. Given the range of funding already provided, the Department is not in a position to replace this funding. However, I will undertake to go back and engage with this to see if there is a way. The Department will not be able to do so; it was funded under the just transition fund. We will engage and possibly come back to the Senator with some clarity on it.

Under the STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026, the Department continues to provide support for STEM, including the STEM-related curriculum reform; ongoing provision of STEM professional development; guidelines for STEM partnerships between schools and businesses and industry; partnership with Research Ireland to support education and public engagement projects in STEM; and ongoing support of informal STEM education projects, such as the Young Scientist Technology Exhibition, Science Blast and iWish. These initiatives inspire thousands of learners each year and help to promote creative problem-solving and teamwork in a fun and engaging way. I take the point that the Senator made in relation to teamwork. There are many facets of teamwork, not just in sport but right across the system. I take that point very seriously. The Department has been in correspondence with the local authorities concerned and has outlined how there may be other possibilities of funding elsewhere. The STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026 makes it clear that STEM learning is not limited to schools. It happens in a variety of spaces such as homes, museums, coding workshops and workplaces. Inclusivity is also a core principle underpinning the Department's education strategy and the policy statement highlights the importance of broad, accessible learning experiences across all settings.

I will come back to the Senator with some final comments.

I thank the Minister of State. He has made the case for the benefits of the STEM education programme even more clear from his remarks. The benefits it has for students are absolutely fantastic. I have to say, however, there would be an awful lot of students, teachers and parents absolutely devastated across the midlands if this funding were not due to be replaced with something else. I am asking - pleading, really - that the Minister of State goes back to the drawing board on this one and tries to see whether there is a different avenue. We do not have the facilities other big counties have. We are a very rural county, and the midlands gets neglected in a lot of areas. This is an area in which we are thriving. This school went to the world robotics competition in Missouri and won an award. We have to try to protect this. It is a very small amount of money if we look into the figures for the STEM engagement officer role for Laois County Council; I am asking, please. We are having a civic reception for this fantastic robotics team in Laois County Council tonight. The Minister of State is welcome to come along to see these amazing students. I ask him to try to find a solution.

I wish them the very best of good luck. It is a huge achievement on the robotics competition in Missouri as well. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the civic reception this evening but the Senator might convey my congratulations to all concerned, particularly the students.

Inclusive education is all about ensuring that everybody's strengths are being harnessed within the education system and encouraging students across all levels. Education is the great enabler, both at primary and post-primary school, to give people confidence into adulthood and into life. Many comments are made in relation to our education system. Our education system is world class and has been very successful; it is a great enabler. This is a hugely inclusive piece as well. I will reflect on it. It falls under the just transition fund, but we will go back to see if there is any other source to which we could direct it. I wish the Senator's school and, indeed, everybody else who is involved in it the very best.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan. This is a very important issue for people who require dialysis in County Clare. It is one that I have raised in the House on a number of occasions. People who need dialysis two, three or four times a week in west Clare and north Clare have to travel to Limerick. If you live in Kilrush, it is the bones of an hour to go into Ennis and then it is at least another half an hour into Limerick, depending on the time of day and the traffic. That is an hour and a half into Limerick and an hour and a half home in the evening three to four times a week. For a long time it has been proposed that there would be a satellite dialysis clinic based in Ennis. It was promised a number of years ago and it was supposed to open in 2023. It was also supposed to open in 2024 and then in 2025. Now we are told it will open by December 2026. Am I convinced? No, simply because the timelines have been broken time and again. My understanding is that there is space in a unit for this facility. I understand companies are prepared to tender for a contract to do the work, which I think is outsourced. I also know that there are dozens of patients who need it, who require dialysis multiple times a week.

A policy decision has been made by the HSE to open a satellite clinic in Ennis, there are patients who require it and there is space to provide it. For the life of me I cannot understand the reason for the delay, which is causing huge concern and stress and impacting on the quality of life of people who are vulnerable and need support. Sometimes it is unavoidable when these things happen, but in this case it is avoidable and it should not be tolerated. I know of a couple of cases where community hospitals have been in a position to take dialysis patients because of the geographical challenges and difficulties. My question is simple. Will the Minister of State affirm a date here this morning as to when the satellite dialysis unit will be up and running in Ennis so that vulnerable patients and dialysis users in County Clare can benefit from it and avoid and eliminate unnecessary and very pressurised and life-impacting travel?

I thank Senator Conway very much for the opportunity to address the House today on an issue I know is of real and ongoing importance to the people of County Clare and the wider mid-west. I am taking this Commencement on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

At the outset, I reassure the Senator that the Government is fully committed to improving patient services and delivering patient-centred care that truly meets the needs of patients and their families. That commitment is reflected in the significant level of new resources that have been invested in the HSE in recent years.

Investment in the hospitals in the mid-west has increased from €370 million in 2019 to €763 million in 2025. That includes Ennis Hospital and University Hospital Limerick, UHL. This investment is already making a real difference for a large number of patients accessing care, and it will support the hospitals in the region to continue expanding and improving the services they provide. In terms of the haemodialysis services in the region, the HSE has advised that patients from County Clare are currently treated either in UHL or in the hospital's satellite centre in the Dock Road in Limerick city. Haemodialysis is a life-sustaining treatment. However, we cannot underestimate the toll it takes, for dialysis patients and their loved ones, travelling to treatment several times a week, often for hours on end. It is extremely demanding.

The national renal office has highlighted a significant growth in demand for haemodialysis services in the mid-west, with a 66% increase in demand between 2010 and 2020. More recently in 2025, 150 of the 414 patients who attended dialysis in UHL were residents of County Clare. Work is under way to progress the development of a haemodialysis unit in Ennis, which I understand will provide 120 treatment slots per week. The HSE has advised that this unit is expected to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2026. This is a very welcome development for the people of County Clare using those services. It will also help to ease pressures on the renal department at University Hospital Limerick as well as the satellite unit on the Dock Road in Limerick. It also reflects the direction set out in the national strategy for renal services and is in keeping with the Sláintecare goal of delivering more care closer to people's homes.

I assure the Senator that the Minister for Health fully recognises the importance of expanding haemodialysis options in the mid-west. This additional capacity will make a meaningful difference for patients and their families across the entire region. The Minister, and the entire Government, continue to engage closely with the HSE to ensure it is supported in delivering high-quality healthcare services for the people of the mid-west. I accept the challenges and issues Senator Conway raises. It is hugely important that we understand the challenges for people who are undergoing dialysis and the long distances they have to travel several times a week. It is not just on a once-off basis. They are travelling long distances to Limerick. The HSE and the Government are fully committed to the unit in Ennis. I will take the Senator's concern back to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I also assure the Deputy that the HSE and the Government will continue to monitor this to ensure there is a speedy delivery of the unit, which would free up the services within Limerick but also give greater access to services for the people of County Clare closer to their homes.

I acknowledge the sincerity of the Minister of State's reply. Yet another timeline has been set down. I will hold the Department and the Minister to account on it. We are allowed to table Commencement matters every six months. I sincerely hope that, next December, I am not tabling a similar motion and that we will have the unit up and running.

I acknowledge what the Minister of State has said, that there has been enormous progress in healthcare in the mid-west, an area in which there was underinvestment for decades. That is welcome. When services are not needed in Limerick and when they can be provided in places like Ennis, to everyone's benefit, everything should be done to make sure that happens because it reduces pressure on a hospital that is already way over capacity. I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I am sure the 150-odd people availing of dialysis several times a week will take some solace from the reference to the fourth quarter. I hope it is October as opposed to December.

I thank the Senator. As he will know quite well, I am very familiar with County Clare. We have had the benefit of holidaying in County Clare for many years. What a beautiful part of the world.

I also know the distance from west Clare and north Clare to Limerick and to Ennis, so I know the distance people are travelling. I come from a rural area myself so I know the imposition on families and patients and the challenges for long-term commuting several times a week. I accept Senator Conway's point. There was a reference in my opening remarks to the fourth quarter of 2026. I will engage further with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on it and with the HSE to ensure that happens and that the date that has been given will be achieved. We take it very seriously as it is hugely important. The closer the treatment to people's homes, the better outcomes we have for people in the long term.

I look forward to welcoming the Minister of State back to Ennistymon again in July.

I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, about this in person. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the House today to discuss what may, at first glance, seem an unconventional proposal, but I urge him to hear me out. It is one I believe warrants serious consideration.

In recent days when I have mentioned the possibility of a maritime or naval facility in Drogheda, some people have pointed to the tidal nature of the River Boyne, navigational constraints and the challenges associated with accommodating larger vessels. They are legitimate considerations and should not be dismissed. However, there is increasing discussion about the future development of Bremore as a deepwater port and the gradual movement of larger scale commercial maritime activity from Drogheda. If that is indeed the direction of travel, then perhaps now is the ideal time to ask a different question. What strategic national role might Drogheda Port play in the decades ahead?

Ireland's maritime security environment has changed significantly in recent years. The use of drones and the protection of critical infrastructure, undersea communications cables, energy connections and key shipping routes have become matters of national importance. Across Europe there is growing recognition of the need to strengthen maritime surveillance and security capabilities. In that context, Drogheda offers a number of advantages worth serious examination. Located right at the heart of the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor, it provides immediate access to the Irish Sea and sits between the two largest cities on the island. It is connected by road, rail and air transport infrastructure in a way few coastal locations can match. Drogheda, as we know, is one of the fastest growing urban centres in the State and is experiencing one of the highest rates of housing delivery in the country. Significant Government investment announced by our colleague, the Minister, Deputy James Browne, in the past few days is now being directed towards the infrastructure needed to support that growth, including the phased delivery of the port access northern cross route, which will ultimately provide a direct strategic link between Drogheda Port and the M1 motorway. The development of an eastern maritime security hub would therefore not simply be a defence investment; it would represent a major economic opportunity for Drogheda and the wider north east, supporting high-quality employment, attracting investment and encouraging the development of maritime technology and innovation.

I am not asking the Minister of State to announce a massive naval base for Drogheda to replace Haulbowline. I am asking whether we have properly considered the strategic potential of Drogheda at a time when Ireland is rethinking maritime security. The future of maritime security will not be defined solely by the size of vessels tied up alongside a quay wall. It will increasingly depend on surveillance technology, unmanned aerial systems, maritime drones, intelligence gathering, the monitoring of critical infrastructure and rapid response capability. Drogheda's location makes it uniquely suited to many of those functions. Its proximity to Dublin Airport, which is just 20 minutes away, major transport networks, being moments from the M1, and some of the busiest shipping routes in the Irish Sea could make it an ideal location for an eastern maritime security hub serving a range of State agencies. A multimillion euro green energy project is planned for the former Premier Periclase site right by the port.

The tidal issue is real, although it is not necessarily a barrier. Maritime facilities across the world operate successfully in tidal environments through modern engineering solutions and carefully designed infrastructure. The question is not whether challenges exist; it is whether the strategic advantages justify examining this opportunity.

Drogheda has been a maritime town for centuries, and proudly so. This emerging city continues to grow. As the State continues to invest in the infrastructure needed to support that growth, we should be ambitious enough to ask not only what Drogheda can become but what role Drogheda can play in supporting Ireland's national security, economic resilience and maritime future. I would welcome the Minister of State's views on whether a feasibility assessment of Drogheda's potential as an eastern maritime security and surveillance hub has been or will be undertaken.

I compliment Senator Comyn on the passion and commitment she showed to Drogheda and its environs. She was clearly not reading from a script but speaking from the heart. She gave a strong defence of the strengths of Drogheda and how the town can play a pivotal part in Ireland's security in the future. Well done on that. It is great to see the Senator show such passion and commitment to her community.

I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, who unfortunately cannot be here. She has asked me to convey her apologies to the Senator and the House. I thank the Senator for raising the issue.

The Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces calls for the development of an east coast base for the Naval Service. Reflecting this, the programme for Government has also recognised the need for an east coast base. Such a base would support the operations of the Naval Service and also raise the profile of the service along the eastern seaboard, with a potential beneficial impact on recruitment. In addition, the Minister for Defence recently published Ireland's first national maritime security strategy. The strategy focuses on risks and threats to Ireland's national security and defence through a new whole-of-government approach. It has an accompanying action plan to ensure delivery of this new whole-of-government approach to protecting the security of our maritime domain.

As part of this action plan, options will be explored to expand the State's existing naval infrastructure, including exploring the potential for a forward operating base on the east coast. The action plan sets out a timeline of 2030 for a decision relating to the east coast forward operational base concept. Work will commence on developing options in the near future. In particular, the issue of the east coast base has been discussed in the context of the inshore patrol vessels, IPVs, LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait . These IPVs were acquired with a particular focus on east coast operations. They are well-suited to key missions like the protection of critical infrastructure, with the LÉ Aoibhinn becoming operational in 2024. The Tánaiste then gave approval to leasing the berth in Dún Laoghaire to support east coast operations in the short term, for a period of up to five years.

With this in mind, the Department has recently signed a licence with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the owner of the harbour in Dún Laoghaire, regarding exclusive use of the berth by the Naval Service. Relevant works on the site will commence shortly to support Naval Service operations. The operations of this temporary facility will provide an opportunity to develop proof of concept for any future east coast base and will help identify precise requirements for such a base.

Additionally, a Naval Service regeneration plan is due to be submitted shortly for the consideration of the Minister for Defence. The regeneration plan has been devised on foot of detailed workshops held between senior military officers, led by the Chief of Staff, and senior officials in the Department of Defence. The issue of additional naval bases, on the east coast or elsewhere, will be considered in the context of that awaited plan and recommendations arising from same. I note that as a measure of the Government's commitment to investing in the Naval Service, to date infrastructure projects to a value of over €20 million have been completed for the Naval Service, with a further €17 million worth of projects at either procurement, design or construction.

We all have to acknowledge that the threat to Ireland's security is real, and we must, at all costs, secure our coast and keep our citizens safe. I am encouraged and thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I am encouraged that my proposal was not dismissed outright. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I are working hard on this to see if it is a possibility. We understand Dún Laoghaire is currently being used. It is a temporary measure. We believe that Drogheda Port, with all of its infrastructure and access, has less density and does not have busy ferries coming and going at all times. I am also encouraged the see the Naval Service is recruiting and taking security and a new naval base very seriously. I will continue to advocate for Drogheda Port to be considered as a maritime hub and security base. I thank the Minister of State for giving what I will take as a positive and encouraging response.

I ask the Senator to keep up the excellent work. Her passion and commitment to her community come across in spades. I understand a wise person once said that if you have pride in your community, you have pride in your nation and your world. It is a great attribute to have. Well done.

The Senator has made her point and has engaged with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee. We have serious commitment to the east coast in the programme for Government. In the immediate term and short term, we are looking at what we can do with the leases signed for Dún Laoghaire. As regards long-term planning, a huge amount of investment and study is taking place on the Defence Forces and our security, and how we will see that into the future. It is a real concern for the Government and there is real engagement on the issue at Government level.

The Senator made her points about Drogheda well and I encourage her to keep up the good work on it. I will relay the points she has made to the Department. I know the Minister of State and Minister have been engaging with her and I will ensure they engage further.