I pay tribute to Councillor Ben Ward who, as the Senator said, has been an advocate for this, not just in Carlow but at a national level. I will bring the Senator's feedback and his constructive idea to the attention of the Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance. It is important that it is discussed in the context of upcoming budgetary negotiations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank healthcare workers across the country who deliver exceptional care to the population when they need it the very…

I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, on whose behalf I am closing this debate, for outlining the detail of the road transporters support scheme to the House. This scheme is vital to support our overall economy and trade. It is vital to support the businesses that will receive support under the scheme. That is essential when it comes to ensuring continuity and stability throughout the supply chain. I also thank all of the Deputies who contributed to today's discussion. It w…

I thank Deputy O'Reilly very much. The Minister, Deputy Browne, passes on his apologies that he could not be here and asked me to take this on his behalf. Tenancy sustainment, which includes the purchase of private homes where a social housing tenant is in situ , is not a stand-alone programme or scheme. However, it is a priority category of the Department of housing’s social housing second-hand acquisitions programme, which helps prevent social housing-supported households in the private rental sector from becomin…

I thank Deputy O'Reilly for raising her constituents' experience with us here today. It is really important that everybody remembers that behind the statistics we read out in here are families. They are families exactly like that. It is for this exact reason the Government is allocating funding. According to the Department of housing, last year the Department funded a total of 68 second-hand acquisitions for Fingal County Council. Of those, 61 were for tenancy sustainment, allowing for these private tenancies to co…

I thank Deputy Lawlor for raising this important issue on behalf of St. Aidan's school community in Enniscorthy, and not just on behalf of the student or the students attending school in special classes, but indeed the entire school community, including teachers, parents, special education teachers and SNAs. I hear the Deputy's frustration. His frustration was mirrored earlier by one of the Deputy's constituency colleagues who also raised this with the Tánaiste today on the floor of the House. In case the Deputy mi…

To be told that this is the correct way to be able to gain the information and then to be frustrated through the process and not get it, I can understand that this is not efficient for either the school or the NCSE. It does not set the school up for success in terms of being able to put forward a coherent and comprehensive appeal. I appreciate what the Deputy is saying in that this information should have been made available in a timely fashion to the school.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and giving us this opportunity to discuss it on the floor of the House. The NCSE allocation and review processes are essential to ensure that SNA support is provided where it is most needed. An appropriate appeal mechanism is an important part of the review process, and this has always been the case. I fully appreciate that schools need to be given whatever information needed in order to put forward a thorough appeal. If schools are not satisfied with the outcome of a SNA r…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta. I congratulate Deputy Neville and the school communities. I know that he attended one of the schools. I am sure this is a big day for both he Deputy and the school communities. I thank him for raising this issue and for his strong and consistent advocacy on behalf of families in Leixlip. I know he worked very closely with the school community on this issue. His engagement and that of the school community with the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, both on the g…

I thank the Deputy for outlining the steps he has taken and the positive and proactive engagement he has had with the Minister for Education and Youth and departmental officials and the collaborative way in which he has worked with the school community. That matters and doing that work matters. It is hard and tough work, but as the Deputy can see it gets results. It has got results in this instance. The message here is very simple. The Government has listened, engaged and delivered. A new junior infant class has no…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which provides an opportunity to outline the position of the Office of Public Works, OPW, in regard to the potential acquisition of the Martello tower at Sandymount Strand, although I would suggest that there are other State bodies, Departments and local authorities that will have an interest in this matter. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the significant historical and cultural value that this tower represents as part of Ireland’s built heritage. These early 19th ce…

I thank the Deputy. I agree. The fact that this is a registered national monument that is located in a UNESCO biosphere on, as the Deputy put it, the oasis that is Dublin Bay, this does represent a unique opportunity now that it is for sale. To reiterate, the OPW does not have plans to acquire the tower, but it is standing ready to engage constructively with relevant stakeholders, where appropriate, and remains committed to the conservation and the promotion of Ireland's built heritage and its natural heritage more…

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I can confirm the Government will not oppose the motion and will continue to keep the matter of extending the right to vote in presidential elections to citizens overseas outside the State under review. The story of emigration from our island is long and layered. For many years, the prevailing narrative rightly focused on the fact that economic challenges and social exclusion meant that, for many, emigration was seen as the only viable option. For others, pa…

When I was abroad, I had the opportunity to meet very active Irish communities in Sweden and Denmark. I am pleased Irish politicians get the opportunity to engage with so many Irish living across the world. Throughout 2025, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, led the most intensive consultation ever undertaken with the Irish abroad. The centrepiece of the process was a series of formal consultations led by Ministers in 27 cities across 17 countries, including Ireland. Just under 500 individuals attended these d…

Deputy, I also spoke about votes for citizens in Northern Ireland.

We had a back and forth about this. On a point of order-----

I would just like to raise a point of order. Am I entitled-----

The Government recognises that conversations on issues like this lead to more specific discussion and engagement, North and South, about constitutional change more broadly, as provided for under the Good Friday Agreement. That is why we are not opposing this Bill and why we want to have this debate in this Chamber. However, I do not appreciate some of the comments the Deputy has made in his remarks. These are extremely important issues and they naturally require very careful and serious consideration. We have taken…

I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this important issue and giving us all the opportunity to commend the fantastic work happening on the ground. The service is absolutely amazing. We need many more such services across the country. I thank the Senator for the role she played in working with the service before becoming a Member of this House. I, as Minister of State with responsibility for disability, alongside my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, remain fully committed to providing the necessary suppor…

I fully agree and I totally understand that it is difficult for the service to plan going forward. However, those are the constraints under which we operate. I can totally understand that it is difficult for the service to plan but those are the constraints we operate under. I pay tribute to everybody doing such incredible work. The Sligo-Leitrim autism support service consists of a universal referral system. It consists of weekly one-to-one support which is tailored to each young person and his or her individual n…

The Government and I recognise the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities and ensuring they receive the right services at the right time. The HSE has been developing a single point of access, SPoA, referral model. As Deputy Quaide has said, this will ensure that children are referred to the appropriate healthcare service, whether that is primary care, disability services or child and adolescent mental health services at an early stage. As a result, children will not be put on multiple waiti…