I thank Senator Collins for raising this. A lot of my answer is specifically in relation to the development of the Limerick-Foynes line. I will try to get more detail about the possibility of it being turned into a passenger-commuter line. I have a piece on Adare as well and a projected timeline that might help the Senator and the people she represents. On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Senator for the opportunity to discuss this. The Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy sets out…

I get the Senator's concern. I would take positives, if I was looking at it from the Senator's point of view. The Senator is trying to deliver permanent passenger connectivity with Adare. It will have a permanent station. I am assuming - I cannot guarantee this and we will have to get it checked - that it will not only be used for the week-long event, which is the Ryder Cup, but that there may be a window either side of that event to allow passengers to travel. That is a great template to say that we have establish…

I appreciate time being allocated to statements on National Biodiversity Week. I sincerely thank its organisers, the Irish Environmental Network, for putting on so many incredible events the length and breadth of the country. It really puts biodiversity at the forefront and gives it a platform, which is something we do not do often enough. Considering the crisis we are in, we need to do more of it. I commend the Irish Environmental Network on doing that, supported by my Department. I urge everybody, right across Ir…

The Deputy is comparing today to the Famine.

Unbelievable.

Mass starvation is being pioneered by whom? What is the Deputy saying?

I thank Deputy O'Hara and am aware of the representations that have been made by him and other Oireachtas Members from that area about these three particular bogs. The EU directive on the conservation of habitats, flora and fauna, commonly known as the habitats directive, requires all member states to select sites for the protection of habitats and species considered threatened in EU territory. Annex I of the habitats directive lists active raised bogs as priority habitats in danger of disappearing from the EU. Und…

I reiterate that, as Minister of State, I am legally prohibited from granting consent for these activities for the reasons I outlined. These are special areas of conservation. They were designated so for a reason. Any cutting and removal of turf or any drainage or removal of top soil from this site would completely compromise its integrity and affect the species there and the habitat. I cannot comment on any court injunctions or proceedings, as the Deputy will understand, but I will say - and I have already relayed…

By law, I am not permitted to allow cutting on the bog in question. It has been designated. A process was undergone. The Deputy can question how that process was conducted, but this is now a designated SAC, By law, I have to make sure that the integrity of the site and the habitat remains intact. As a result, I am not allowed to permit cutting there. A total of €8.9 million was paid out in respect of the three bogs referred to by the Deputy. In total, €97 million has been paid out under the cessation of turf cuttin…

I am taking all four.

I thank the Deputy. The letter from the constituent clearly describes a man who is absolutely dedicated to his profession, well respected in his community and has for decades provided healthcare for the people of that community. The Deputy has explained well how restrictions, especially in terms of indemnity being provided from private insurers but also the HSE policy he referenced, can impact his wanting to provide further healthcare for the community. I have been asked by the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to…

I picked out the same sentence the Deputy highlighted there, that the HSE can grant an extension on a case-by-case basis where considered necessary and appropriate. I guess the first part is where it is considered necessary. Does that come back to demand and vacancy in an area or lack of or challenges with GP cover? Certainly if it comes down to cognitive ability, of course surely that can be done on a case-by-case basis. It would seem like a simple thing to undertake. There is a saying down in west Cork that 80 is…

I thank Deputy Murphy from the bottom of my heart for raising this issue. It is such an important one to raise in Dáil Éireann. The behaviour and the actions of some of the people driving these sulkies is deplorable. It is disgusting. We have all seen the videos. We have seen the sad footage of horses losing their lives in the cruellest of ways. We can imagine the pain those animals go through. That is the worst we have seen but excessive use of the whip is always common. A lot of these animals appear undernourishe…

Deputy Murphy has highlighted some very important aspects of this. The law is old and it probably has not been reviewed in a while. The legislative programme is jam packed and very busy but his suggestion of an interdepartmental group, certainly with the Departments of agriculture, Transport and justice in particular, to review the legislation would be very important. Clearly, and I can say this not being in any of those Departments but as a TD, that it does not seem fit for purpose, especially if only the organise…

I thank both Deputies for raising this issue, and I share their concerns with regards to antimicrobial medicinal products being used and the impact that would have. Deputy Newsome Drennan highlighted well the potential health impacts in that regard. As Minister of State with responsibility for nature, I know the level of deforestation in Brazil. The production of beef is the biggest cause of deforestation in Brazil. That is something that does not sit well with me. That is just to add my personal view. On 12 May, t…

I come from a farming background and I know all about it. The Deputies mentioned the paperwork, the bureaucracy and the headaches those give. Farmers just want to farm. They want to get on with doing what they are good at instead of filling out forms, but it means they reach incredibly high standards and that is why our produce is famous worldwide. I commend the investigative work of the IFA and the Irish Farmers Journal because there is no doubt it was one of the highlighting factors that really brought this to at…

I do not expect that will happen. That is just my own feeling on it. I agree with the Deputies we need to keep our standards high. If there is any hint of a possibility that people's health will be impacted, as outlined by Deputy Newsome Drennan, then that is something we cannot stand for. Getting back to my original point about the deforestation rates, it just does not sit well with me and that is something I am proud of here in Ireland in terms of our produce.

I thank Deputy Ward for raising this. I will try to answer to best of my ability on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley. It was a pre-election commitment by both our parties but massive inroads have been made into reducing the cost of childcare. I remember hearing debates in here where it was frequently described as a second mortgage. We have significantly reduced the cost of childcare in most instances. Clearly the Deputy is describing anomalies and outliers there but certainly the feedback we received was this i…

I was going to repeat the point about engagement with the city and county childcare committees to show facilities the merits of being in the scheme, but obviously the people the Deputy is talking about are, first of all, educators. This is 100% why they are in this area. They have a passion for it and they want to educate young kids. Second, they are also businesspeople. Obviously, they have gone through this, have gone up and down and in and out and decided - probably a very tough decision to make - that this was …

I welcome the crew from Waterford who are guests of Senator Clifford-Lee. It is not every day we talk about biodiversity and animals, so they have picked a good day to come in. I welcome Ted and Mary, all the way from Cork. Every time I am in this Chamber, their daughter is in here so either she loves giving me a hard time or she is one of the hardest-working Senators in the Seanad. The second one is probably true - maybe both. Senator Joe Conway gave a fantastic impression of a collared dove. It is not every day I…