I am sharing three minutes with Senator Brady. I welcome the Minister of State. I did not have the chance to thank him for the work he did in Lough Funshinagh in Roscommon in his previous role, so I thank him for that. It is a privilege to speak to the Minister of State today on an issue that affects every family and community in Ireland, namely, the care and support of our older citizens. As a society, we have a duty to ensure older people can live with dignity, security and independence for as long as possible. W…

I propose that we suspend until 3 p.m.

I welcome the Minister. The senior alert scheme aims to support older individuals living securely and independently within their communities by providing free, personal monitored alarms. These alarms offer reassurance and immediate assistance in emergencies, enhancing the confidence and peace of mind of the elderly population. While the senior alert scheme has been instrumental in promoting safety among older adults, the effectiveness of the personal alarms is contingent on reliable network connectivity. Following …

I thank the Minister. Even though multinetwork SIM cards are being provided, there are still legacy models in the marketplace. Maybe something needs to be done regarding communication with the people using the systems at the moment in order to help identify the ones most affected by this problem. It is great to see the engagement. I welcome all of the Minister's remarks. With regard to the networks, we need to emphasise the social responsibility that is required. Be it the Government, the Department, Pobal. or, as …

I call on the Minister for Health to support the people of Ballaghaderreen in west Roscommon because, on Tuesday of this week, we received the disappointing news that the primary care centre that was promised for Ballaghaderreen, initially mooted in 2012, was not going to happen. It only came to light on Tuesday in the regional health forum when a former colleague of mine, Councillor Sean Moylan, brought the question up, as he had done in November and in September previously, asking for progress reports on the prim…

The Minister of State is very welcome. It is great to have the opportunity to have this conversation. I will not go on about what happened during the storm. If anybody is looking for an insight or to get a snapshot of what it was like in my constituency of Roscommon-Galway, an article by the editor of the Roscommon Herald stated, "as [Storm] Éowyn swept in ... [I] prayed that the roof would remain on the house." I encourage people to look it up just to get an idea of the storm. In responding to Storm Éowyn, I would…

I welcome the Minister. A lot of what I was going to say has been said by other Senators, but An Garda Síochána adheres to the ethos of the first Commissioner, Michael Staines, in policing not by force of arms but on its moral authority as servants of the people. The preservation of this unique and special bond is built on a strong tradition of policing by consent of the communities they serve and protect. That is very important about our police force in Ireland. If I had been standing in this Chamber six months ag…

I call on this House to request the Minister for public expenditure, national development plan delivery and reform attend to provide an update on the national development plan, specifically on the court services. In my area, the courthouse in Roscommon was moved to a temporary premises in 2022 to enable work to start on the courthouse when funding became available. The temporary courthouse was furnished to house the court sittings but always with the view that it was temporary. Since then, a number of issues around…

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I am very proud to be here today. I am very proud to be, I believe, the sole representative of Roscommon in the Chamber. I want to acknowledge the Trojan work of two former Senators, namely Eugene Murphy and Aisling Dolan, in the House in the past term. I would like to acknowledge my family, my wife Nicola and my daughters Kate and Abbie, who accompanied me yesterday and turned the Seanad office upside down, with Martin's help. I did not bring them with me today to avoid a repeat of that.…