I so move.

Míle buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo sa Seanad tráthnóna chun an t-ábhar fíorthábhachtach seo a phlé. I welcome the opportunity to discuss our post office network and how we can all support what is not just an important network for communications, business and the State, but a network that connects our communities right across the country, serving as a focal point of villages and towns in both urban and rural settings. It is with great concern that we read yesterday of the news that more than 250…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Ba mhaith liom aird a tharraingt ar chúis imní agus fearg i measc roinnt mhaith múinteoirí Gaeltachta. Aontaímid ar fad sa Teach seo go bhfuil géarghá le tacaíocht agus aitheantas dóibh siúd a bhfuil ag coimeád ár dteanga beo bríomhar. Déanann múinteoirí Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí an-chuid oibre ina leith, ach ba mhaith liom labhairt inniu mar gheall ar mhúinteoirí atá ag obair agus ag feidhmiú sna scoileanna Gaeltachta. Táim cinnte go bhfuil an Ceannaire ar an eolas …

I ask for an opportunity to have a debate in this House about the sportsperson’s tax rebate. On retirement, Irish athletes who have lived and trained in Ireland are entitled to claim tax back on 40% of their earnings from their sport. The then Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, first introduced sportsperson's tax relief in 2002 and, at the time, said the measures were being introduced as a reward for the contribution our sports stars make, as an acknowledgement for their relatively short careers and as an enco…

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter and making time for it in the schedule after last week's mishap. I thank the Minister for making time this morning. I know she is very busy as we approach the recess. I appreciate her coming to the House today to discuss an escalating crisis in early life healthcare. Our HSE public health nurses do important work. I want to acknowledge that from the beginning. A worrying trend is developing, however, in some parts of the country whereby babies, toddle…

I thank the Minister. That piece of information on the six additional whole-time equivalent nurses is new. If they are beginning in September 2025, that will significantly impact in a positive way in the Dublin areas the Minister mentioned. If she has an opportunity to pass word back to the HSE and the managers in the area, it is important that, as part of that workload in September, they would look at trying to catch up on what has been missed because babies continue to be born and continue to need their newborn c…

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhach. I understand agus níl an locht ort ná ar an Aire Stáit atá anseo inniu. I do want to say I am disappointed. I have raised this issue twice in the Seanad. It has been submitted a couple of times as a Commencement matter. It was finally chosen today. On behalf of the one-, two- and three-year-old children in Dublin 12 who have never had a developmental check, I do hope that, when the Department does take the Commencement matter, the response is considered.

I want to speak about a group of 44 talented footballers who were signed a number of months ago to play for Limerick FC under-15 and under-17 League of Ireland teams. This was obviously a moment of great pride for players and families, as were their successful campaigns in phase 1 of this season. They have qualified for phase 2, the first games of which took place last weekend. However, the club's owner very suddenly withdrew both squads from their respective leagues just before phase 2 began. The teenage players a…

Today, 15 May, is Hyperemesis gravidarum awareness day. Hyperemesis gravidarum, HG, is the medical name for extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, which affects approximately 2% of pregnancies, so 1 in 50. Unlike typical pregnancy sickness, it is highly debilitating with women often unable to work, look after their other children or leave the house or bed. It results in frequent hospitalisation and lasting physical and psychological effects. Some women choose to terminate their otherwise wanted pregnancies a…

The rest of the week.

Yesterday, I called on the Camogie Association to take the decision-making out of players' hands ahead of this weekend's Leinster finals. As things stand, it is against the rules for women to wear shorts while playing camogie matches. However, while we await the outcome of a special Congress vote on 22 May, there is a way to avoid any further distraction for players and managers regarding protests and playing gear. As per the rule book of the Camogie Association, today is the last chance for President Brian Molloy …

Maidin mhaith, a chairde. I welcome this morning's announcement by the Camogie Association that it will convene a special meeting of its ard chomhairle to discuss the issue of playing gear. This, of course, follows last weekend's strike by the Dublin and Kilkenny players, who were forced to change out of their shorts in order to play a Leinster semi-final. What has followed since last Saturday has been an awakening by many to the game of camogie, the long-standing traditions of the game and the difficulty players h…

I thank the Minister for coming in. I know he has been listening keenly. I support the motion. We have heard a lot in recent days. It was great to see Members wearing shorts to acknowledge the struggle by the camogie players. That is about listening to players. I wanted to make sure we are listening to young people in this debate. It is vital we do not forget the voice of students and young people. Youth organisations have long been campaigning for a reduction in the cost of education. The Government has committed …

It has come to my attention that an issue I raised several weeks ago, on the provision of public health nurses in Dublin 12, has continued to escalate. I have been contacted by a number of parents of children aged between two months and four years who are not being seen for developmental checks. In one instance, the mother of a four-year-old boy was in touch to say her son's final sign-off before starting school will not be provided. She received a letter from the public health nursing team in the HSE in the past t…

I want to raise the difficulties faced by nut and other allergy sufferers in Ireland. Allergies are very common in Ireland with about 29% of people suffering with an allergy, but those numbers are rising. The rates are similar to those found in other European countries. Roughly 15% of the population has complex allergy problems requiring specialist care, typically a dose of adrenaline using an EpiPen where the nut is ingested or even airborne. Parents of allergy sufferers are campaigning for additional support and …

I dtús baire, I echo the remarks of Senators Andrews and Daly on the passing of the great Mick O'Dwyer. I send my condolences the O'Dwyer family and his wider family in the Gaelic games community. Laoch ár linne a bhí ann. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Táimid an-bhuíoch den Aire Stáit as a bheith sa Teach inniu agus bhíomar buíoch den Tánaiste a bhí sa Teach níos luaithe freisin chun deis a thabhairt dúinn cúrsaí trádála a phlé. In his speech President Trump said that US pharma companies will come roaring back. The …

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Moynihan, as a bheith anseo inniu. Bhí mé ag súil leis an Aire sinsearach ach tuigim go bhfuil sí gafa le cúrsaí eile ar maidin agus táim fíorbhuíoch de as a bheith anseo agus a chuid ama a thabhairt dúinn sa Seanad. Tá plean, mar is eol ag an Aire Stáit, ag an Roinn i leith Ghaelcholáiste don scoilcheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath 2, 4, 6 agus 8. Chuirfinn fáilte roimh Ghaelcholáiste sa cheantar. Tá mac agam atá ag tógáil dhá bhus ag taisteal trasna na cathrach gach l…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am grateful that he will go back with the five questions because they are key to moving this issue forward. There is not a whole lot of detail in the statement, as we can see. The Minister of State said the first phase of the transition will involve first year intake only, so I wonder when the details of the second phase will be announced. Those children will keep going in the school and not just stop going to school after first year. They need a plan for six years.…

I thank the Minister for being here. As everybody has said, we are all on the same page, we want improvements and the plans sounds fantastic. If the Minister can provide childcare for €200 per child in the lifetime of the Government, we will all be backing it, that is for sure. I am going to cut out some of the stuff I was going to say because I am conscious we do not need repetition. I refer to staffing issues in some of these settings. As colleagues have said, there are problems with the core funding model but it…

When I first spoke in this House, I raised dual diagnosis and how I wanted to increase awareness of it and highlight it further in the coming weeks and months. Since then, I have had some conversations with healthcare workers on an ad hoc basis. A particular healthcare worker got in touch with me to say that, in her community, there was a plan and some funding in place to have a clinical nurse specialist dealing specifically in dual diagnosis. When she was ready to go for the job and had the qualifications for it, …