I thank the Minister for his response. I appreciate the detail in it and his obvious commitment to this. Nonetheless, it is incredibly disappointing that very little progress seems to have been made on this. Initially, there was meant to be a new centre in 2023, then in 2024. Being brutally honest, we are at the start of the month of March now, so from reading that, it is highly unlikely we will have progress for September 2025. I would be obliged if the Minister could provide any further clarity as to where we act…

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Minister to the House. We are speaking today on an issue that affects every family and every community. The Government has made significant strides in improving healthcare for women in Ireland but many women still struggle to access the care that they need when they need it. I know from experience in my area of Cork North-West that too many women, particularly in rural areas, face barriers when accessing essential services. There are several areas where we can im…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and congratulate him on his appointment. I am delighted that we are having this very important discussion. I fully support the motion. Like many of my colleagues, I also strongly believe that community-based living and healthcare are the way forward to allow older people to live for longer in their communities. As has been noted, we have an ageing population and people are living longer. We must look at new solutions, such as making private retirement villages with on-…

I raise an issue in my home town of Macroom in County Cork. I seek an update on the status of a new building for the Youthreach Further Education and Training Centre in the town. I ask the House to invite the Minister for further and higher education to the Chamber to discuss this. I have raised this as a Commencement matter but I understand a high volume of matters have been submitted and this has not been selected. I will raise it again but I mention it today because of the urgency of the situation. For more than…

I congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on her appointment. It is well deserved and I look forward to working with her in the term ahead. I also welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I wish to fully support this motion seeking to open negotiations for an EU-UK agreement on a youth experience scheme. While Brexit has done untold damage to the future of young people across the UK, this proposed scheme is a crucial opportunity to strengthen the ties between young people in Europe and the UK, creating new pathways for cu…

I start by congratulating the Cathaoirleach on his election to his position. I also congratulate my party colleague Senator Seán Kyne on his election as Leader of the Seanad. It is an honour for me to be here as an elected Senator. I have been involved in politics for many years now at a party level and a local level. Contesting the Seanad election and meeting the wonderful councillors we have all around the country was quite the experience. I am really delighted to be here. I thank all those who supported me, part…