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 Ruth Coppinger - To discuss the loss of a mainstream teacher in a DEIS plus primary school in Dublin 17. Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss supports for children and students with dyslexia. Deputy Joe Cooney - To discuss the need to provide funding to local authorities for the refurbishment costs of tenant in situ scheme houses. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - …

Thank you. Tá an t-am caite.

I thank the Minister. We need to move on to the next Topical Issue in ainm an Teachta O’Gorman.

Leanfaimid ar aghaidh. Iarraim ar an Aire Stáit leasú an Rialtais a mholadh. I now invite the Minister of State to move the Government amendment to the motion.

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 Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss funding for family resource centre buildings. Deputies Sorca Clarke, Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Máire Devine - To discuss the proposal to close a ten-bed child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, unit in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview, Dublin. Deputy Michael Collins - To discuss the proposed autism centre in west C…

Since this relates to an individual, I am conscious that we should be mindful of their privacy and their family.

Tá leasú le cur chun cinn. I call on the Minister of State to move the Government's amendment. Tá deich nóiméad aici.

Farmers and horticulturists are being hammered by the price of fertiliser and supply uncertainty yet again. The conflict in west Asia has driven up fuel and fertiliser prices and disrupted key shipping routes. Fertiliser bills have shot up and vital deliveries are in doubt for so many. Farmers feel little has been done since the last fertiliser crisis and are getting more and more frustrated. They are very reasonably asking what long-term measures the Minister is delivering to shield farmers from supply shocks like…

It is hugely important to look beyond the immediate crisis and to set out a strategy for a more resilient supply. As the Minister said, the European Commission is about to launch its fertiliser security plan aiming at cutting dependency, boosting production and promoting alternatives. That is good and vital, but those solutions are going to take time to implement and farmers are under pressure in the short term. That will especially be the case next year. We are hearing that Russia, India and China, the main suppli…

Has the Minister looked at the possibility of moving towards green sources of energy? We do not have a supply of fertiliser manufactured here at home because we do not have the gas, but we do have wind. Has the Minister looked at the possibility of using that type of energy in the context of developing green ammonia plants here? Second, there is a great opportunity in relation to recovered nitrogen from manure, RENURE, fertilisers, which have recently been approved. Europe should be looking at the possibility of be…

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 the need for a statutory community engagement standard. Deputy Emer Currie - To discuss the need for regulation of loot boxes and chance-based microtransactions in video games in view of their similarities to gambling and the potential risks posed to minors. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the rising costs of living across ho…

Dhá nóiméad.

Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta.

Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta.

I welcome the launch of the aiready.ie website and its aims to upskill over 1 million people through free, short, accessible courses. As an introductory platform, it is very helpful and is a positive in that direction. My concern is whether aiready.ie in its current form is equipped to support workers who are facing immediate displacement and whether it connects clearly into deeper retraining pathways.

Demystifying AI and familiarising people are an important first step. It cannot stop there, however, and the current AI Ready platform is focused very much on the first steps of introduction to AI. AI, as the Minister said, is rapidly evolving, and I am concerned that AI Ready may be focusing on yesterday's AI already. Can it bring people towards deeper retraining pathways? Can it act as a gateway? I look, for example, at MTU in Cork, with a wide range of micro credentials assisting people mid-career with courses i…

AI Ready is an important first step and it needs to evolve quickly from the basic introduction into a more meaningful enabler and a gateway for other courses. I am glad that the Minister has been engaging with the various colleges, SOLAS and others about the courses they are offering and developing. Will they be available through the AIready.ie portal? Will it act as a gateway or a portal? Because some sectors will be more affected by AI than others, will there be sector-specific courses and pathways set out and si…

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: Deputies Pádraig O'Sullivan and Louis O'Hara - To discuss equitable access to rare disease medicines. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss refurbishment of school buildings across County Kerry. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the financial strain on people with dietary restrictions due to a medical diagnosis. Deputy George Lawlor - To discuss the system and mech…

The Deputy's time is up.

I need to raise with the Taoiseach the situation at Coachford College. There is a major plan for a new 1,000-student school, but it is not on the Department of education's priority list. It really needs to be. Two and a half years have been spent on getting planning permission, with the education and training board, ETB, going through issues with the council and Irish Water. There is real concern that once that is resolved, the project will still have to wait to go through tendering and so on with the Department of…