I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the bus service in Cork city. Deputy Ryan O'Meara - To discuss the establishment of an SATU in the HSE Mid West region. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the need for the development of Bunclody Community College, County Wexford. Deputy John Clendennen - To discuss the cumulative regulatory burden and rising cost of doing busi…

Seanad Éireann has passed the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2026, without amendment. Seanad Éireann has passed the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, without amendment.

Sin é, a Theachta. Tá an t'am caite.

I need to raise with the Taoiseach the straw incorporation measures and the delays from the Department of agriculture in approvals. There is fine weather. Tillage farmers are focusing in on the harvest. There have been no approvals issued by the Department of agriculture for the straw incorporation measure at this point. Farmers have nominated lands that they plan to harvest in the days and weeks ahead. The chopping will be done as part of the harvest. Tillage farmers have seen one difficult year after another and …

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy John Connolly - To discuss the development of an injury unit clinic in Galway. Deputy Joe Neville - To discuss the national semiconductor plan. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss the provision of a new school building at Scoil Chrónáin. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss the increasing processing times for residence permit renewals. Deputy Rory Hearn…

There is a supplementary question from Deputy Malcolm Byrne.

Question No. 7 in the name of Deputy Ó Cearúil is being taken by Deputy Malcolm Byrne.

I raise the very serious accommodation difficulties that Coachford National School is experiencing. The school has done everything asked of it. The board, principal, staff and parents have all worked together to accommodate significant growth in pupil numbers, but they are now at a point where there is simply nowhere left to go. The numbers tell the story. The school had approximately 109 students in 2020, and it is expected that there will be 171 pupils in September. That is an increase of more than 57% in just se…

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the fact that the permanent building project is progressing. There is quite a bit of work to do on that. The difficulty remains in the here and now. The fundamental question is where these children will be accommodated while everybody is waiting for that building to be put in place. The school has already stretched every available space in the existing building and nobody could reasonably say the board has not done everything possible to make things work. Enrolment in the sc…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Martin Daly - To discuss plastic and reconstructive surgery services in Roscommon University Hospital. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss longer opening hours of the X-ray department at weekends in the minor injury clinic in Louth County Hospital. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss actions to reduce the risk to children who require MRI scans under anaesthe…

Let us keep the momentum going. An Teachta Martin Daly is next. His matter relates to plastic and reconstructive surgery services at Roscommon University Hospital.

Family reunification for people recruited here for critical skills is an issue I have raised here previously and it still has not been addressed adequately. I am constantly getting people into my office raising their situation with me where they are waiting for their spouse and children 18 months and more. It is very difficult on families. What immediate action can be taken to reduce those delays?

First, I acknowledge the headway that is being made on it. On the idea that most are within target, for many that is not their lived reality. To put it in context, these are the people who are caring for our elderly in our nursing homes, caring for us in our hospitals, maybe doing the NCT on our cars and maybe even cultivating our food on our farms, and they are not able to have their family around them. Many of them, Indians and Filipinos, who have been in contact with me on it are telling me of experiences of 18 …

It is right and proper that there would be proper checks and verification and a thorough examination of all of the different applications. The experience that I am hearing from my constituents is that it takes approximately 18 months or more. I understand that there is a target of 12 months. Even that target seems lengthy, and it is difficult for families. Is it the case that it is slow because there are not enough people to deal with the backlog? Is there a need for additional staffing to clear a short-term backlo…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Sorca Clarke - To discuss access to neurology services in the Midlands Regional Hospital, Mullingar. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss delays in reimbursement under the cross-border healthcare directive. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan - To discuss the need to advance bus services for people living west of Cork city. Deputy Joe Neville - To discuss the natio…

I need to raise with the Minister of State the need to improve bus services on the western side of County Cork, from Cork city, up the Lee valley towards Ballyvourney, the upper Blackwater valley over as far as Millstreet and along the Bandon Valley too. Students need to be able to get to college on time. People need to be able to get to work on time and to use public transport to do that, and to be able to get back home again in a timely way as well. These are growing communities west of Cork city. Large numbers o…

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the various works under way. I readily acknowledge that there is headway being made in different places. In this regard I have referred to bus shelters, including for the No. 40 route. Time and again, I have raised here the need to advance the 233 bus service. It is a vital service that goes up and down the Lee valley, serving the area from Macroom to Cork. However, it does not serve those settlements alone as it also services a huge number of people in growing communitie…

Seanad Éireann has passed the Health (Amendment)(Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 without amendment.

Leanfaimid ar aghaidh leis an gcéad ábhar eile, an tairiscint maidir le freagracht an Stáit maidir le coinneáil priacail i leith bunsraithe i dtithe le coincréid lochtach.

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Joe Cooney - To discuss industrial development and employment opportunities in the mid-west region. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss provision of a permanent two-classroom SEN facility and PE hall for Balscadden National School. Deputies Sorca Clarke and Martin Kenny - To discuss the Peterhead Ten. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the status of the …