Again, I wish to assure the Senator and the House that this issue continues to receive very careful and compassionate attention at the highest level of the Government. I welcome the Taoiseach’s engagement with the nursing unions. From discussions with the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, I know she is working closely with the Taoiseach’s office, the HSE and with staff representatives to monitor the position to ensure existing supports make an impact as extended but also to consider the further long-ter…

I thank the Deputies for their contributions and for their constructive and useful feedback, which I certainly welcome. Many supported the broad thrust of the Bill and its underlying objectives. The Bill will further enhance the ability of the enterprise development agencies, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, to drive investment and employment across the country. It will also ensure the enterprise agencies have the legislative tools they will need to incentivise companies to accelerate their green and digital tra…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment pursuant to Standing Orders 103 and 188.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and providing me with the opportunity to address it on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins. The current mandatory retirement age of firefighters is 62, which was raised from 58 in 2024. It is the same for all uniformed services, including the Irish Prison Service, An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. A firefighter may retire upon attaining the minimum age of 55 years. If a firefighter wishes to serve beyond that age, the fire authority that employs them…

I agree with the sentiment and point she has raised. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for local government, whose remit it is to engage with local authorities as those acting as employers for firefighters. In other uniformed services, a request is sometimes made to, for example, the Garda Commissioner as regards gardaí who want to work for an extended period above the normal retirement age. I feel that this is something that could be looked at for the firefighters. It c…

I would like to thank Deputy O'Connell for providing a debate on this important Topical Issue. I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on behalf of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport. As the Deputy has outlined, the national broadband plan, NBP, is the Government’s initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to every household, business and farm in Ireland, ensuring all premises in the country are covered by a gigabit network no later than 2028. It is the largest infrastructural project in …

Regarding the Deputy's constituents and residents who have raised concerns with her, and anyone living in non-intervention areas or areas that are served by commercial operators - the likes of Open Eir, SIRO and Virgin Media - if they cannot get access to greater than 30 Mbps of broadband service after contacting their retail service providers, they should raise queries with the Department through its website under "Contact Us". There is a section within the national broadband plan. It is important that we escalate…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton, regarding the provision of sports facilities at the Carrigtwohill school campus in east Cork. Indeed, it is not the first time Deputy O'Connor has raised this matter in the Dáil. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, is aware of this issue and she recently met with Scoil Mhuire Naofa and local representatives on the matter. I am sure the Deputy is aware of that. As the Deputy said, the Carrigtwohill school campus proj…

I thank the Deputy. It is positive to give some good news when we are taking Topical Issues. This is important for the 2,400 pupils attending the school without access to green space. It is positive that they have identified and agreed the availability of the green areas both the 1.9 acres to the north and the attenuation area to the south that will become now an informal recreation area. To the Deputy's point, it is important that the lease agreements are agreed, that the licences are put in place and he can work …

I thank Deputy Byrne for continuing his advocacy in regard to the delivery of the Courtown Coast Guard station. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. The Courtown Coast Guard unit provides an important and valued service along a busy section of coastline, supporting maritime safety and search and rescue operations in the area. The unit is staffed by a dedicated group of volunteers who continue to deliver a coastal response and unmanned aerial system capability. Their contributio…

I agree with the sentiment of the challenges the Deputy has outlined with regard to progressing this important critical infrastructure for the community in Courtown and the volunteers who go above and beyond every day. I will take that back to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and his officials in the Department to further engage with the OPW with regard to the realisation of the existing premises. They can continue to future proof the needs of the local community. I will mention what the Deputy has referenced …

I thank all the Deputies for their very sincere and heartfelt contributions to the debate on this very important and extremely complex issue. The strength of opinion and depth of feeling held across the House on the situation in Palestine is very clear and the Government fully acknowledges the desire to take action in response to persistent Israeli breaches of human rights and international law. The Government also understands the urge to do more, to move the dial and to bring an end to the terrible suffering of th…

I thank Senator Noonan for raising this issue because it goes to the heart of how we are moving from simply managing waste to genuinely valuing materials. I will start with an important point for the House, which is that waste collection and waste treatment in Ireland are almost entirely operated by private companies under permits and licences issued by local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. This includes our material recovery facilities, MRFs. When we talk about additional investment in ad…

Again, I acknowledge Senator Noonan's questions and I understand the urgency in regard to investment in critical infrastructure. However, any proposal for direct public investment in sorting technology would need to be evidence based. It would also need to be costed and justified, given the sector involves a large number of commercially operated firms. We would have to understand that where there is clear market failure, the absence of the EPR-funded investment alone is insufficient. That is why we want many of the…

I thank all the Deputies who contributed to this debate. I reiterate that the Government's approach to employment legislation in recent years has been deliberate, balanced and firmly grounded in the lived realities of both workers and employers. Across remote and flexible working, sick leave, pay, collective bargaining and sector specific protections, we have pursued reforms that strengthen security predictability and fairness at work, while also recognising the need to maintain competitiveness and economic sustain…

I thank the Deputy for her question. There has been a significant and lasting shift in attitudes towards remote working in recent years. Central Statistics Office data show that nearly 1 million people were working from home, either usually or sometimes, in the fourth quarter of 2025 and that figure has remained broadly stable since the pandemic. The national remote work strategy and Our Rural Future highlight the role remote working can play in expanding employment opportunities outside Ireland’s largest urban cen…

The fuel crisis is exactly why flexibility matters. It is exactly why we introduced this legislation and, where remote or blended working is feasible, it can immediately reduce the cost of commuting and mean lower household expenses. It can also ease pressure on workers. We have put the legislative framework in place. It is already in use. It has been very beneficial to those who use it. At the same time, we have also introduced packages to support workers with energy costs. Remote working is part of the solution b…

The numbers speak for themselves. Close to 1 million people work remotely in either blended or hybrid models. That is the reality. The shift since the Covid-19 pandemic has been enormous. It has been supported by the Government through the national remote working strategy. We have continued to roll out the national broadband plan, which will reach more than 1.1 million people in the most rural areas. That allows them to bridge the gap between jobs for which they might have to relocate to cities and jobs they can do…

I thank the Deputy for her question. The Government understands the pressures that rising fuel and energy costs are placing on small and medium enterprises, SMEs. These are not abstract figures. These are family businesses, local employers and community anchors in every town and village across our country. That is why the Government has acted quickly, decisively and in a targeted way. In March and April, we introduced a substantial package of fuel supports to the tune of €750 million to cushion businesses against t…

I thank the Deputy. I respect the concerns that she has raised, but do not accept the suggestion that we are leaving SMEs behind. Sinn Féin's talk around spending vast and wide in regard to budget surpluses is irresponsible. We have surpluses on the back of prudent and careful management of our economy. SMEs have been the beneficiaries in regard to the resources that we have at our disposal in recent weeks. These are designed precisely at a moment when our SMEs are exposed to fuel shocks at this magnitude. That is …