I thank the Minister of State for her detailed answer. I acknowledge the progress that has been made and our position in second place, but as she said herself, we need to avoid complacency. The Central Bank reported last year that €160 million worth of fraudulent payments were made in Ireland in 2024 alone. That is a 24.5% increase on the previous year, while the volume of fraud increases by 40%. That message is replicated by what I hear from gardaí all across the country as well. In my own county of Roscommon, a c…

The Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, was in the House yesterday talking about the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026. The discussion suggested that removing the cap for our national airport would have a detrimental effect on a lot of our regional airports. The Minister made a very good point that it would increase capacity in our areas and the numbers are showing that already, and hopefully will continue to do so. While the Minister was in the Chamber, a press release came out that €2.3 mi…

I wish to discuss accessibility in our towns and villages. On 29 May 2026 we had Make Way Day, which was the day when historically our local authorities go out with a number of organisations led by Disability Ireland to highlight the lack of accessibility around many of our towns and villages. I have raised this issue a number of times before but I do not believe it is being looked after properly. The NTA is predominantly responsible for funding this within the local authorities. We look at such issues as tactile p…

Yes, the Senator did start it, but we may as well all get the promotions done. It is a great opportunity to promote.

When people are finished in Rush they might come and see the wonderful offerings we have in Roscommon. I wish the very best of luck to all the voluntary committees that have put extensive work into that.

I move: "That Committee Stage be taken now".

I want to speak on the amendment relating to a report on regional development. Supporting this Bill should not in any way be interpreted as going against balanced regional development or supporting our regional airports. Like a lot of rural representatives in this House, I have regularly spoken about Shannon, Cork, Knock, Donegal and Kerry airports and how important their role is in bringing people, business and industry to our country. They support tourism, indigenous enterprise, inward investment and employment t…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I commend Senator Mullen on this Bill on online age verification. It comes at a very good time. I know the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, has this as a key priority for the Presidency of the European Council. My colleague, Deputy Kiera Keogh, has done an awful lot of work in this particular area, along with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport. All of that work must be complimented. All of the previous speakers have spoken abou…

We often talk about engaging with kids and meeting kids where they are but, unfortunately, these media companies and these vultures that deal in this particular area are also trying to meet kids where they are and they are adapting every day. As a member of the AI committee, I am very enthused by the opportunity that artificial intelligence is going to bring to us across health and so many sectors like enterprise and research. The opportunities it presents are immense but there is also the dark side to all of this.…

Last Friday morning, I was in Scramoge outside Strokestown at the opening of a new car park at the church. Scramoge Tidy Towns fundraised and applied for the car park and got support from the community support fund of the local Sliabh Bawn wind farm. Quite often, we miss out on those community support funds and the value of them. What the funding was able to deliver in Scramoge is testament to such funds and I acknowledge former councillor Joe Murphy and all this team there. After that, I went up to Arigna for the …

Scramoge.

I agree wholeheartedly. As someone who has been out with communities cleaning up our streets and parks, the volume of these single-use vapes that builds up all over the place is amazing. The Bill has an enforcement side. Every day, Senators come in to this Chamber to talk about one thing or another, and the lack of enforcement. The Minister and Ministers of State empower the HSE in this area and are giving them powers to impose significant fines on businesses found in contravention. Rather than including an amendme…

Now.

Now.

I move: “That Seanad Éireann: welcomes the: - measures from Government on energy affordability, including the: - lowering and retention of the lower VAT rate on electricity and gas bills; - Household Benefits Package for all households of persons 70 years of age or older; - reduction in excise duties on petrol, diesel and marked diesel; - increase in the rate and duration of the National Fuel Allowance Scheme; - expansion of the National Fuel Allowance Scheme to 50,000 more households; - progress of the Security of…

Yes.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, to the House this afternoon. It is unfortunate that none of the Opposition are in attendance today.

It is worth pointing out. I am pleased to bring forward the motion because it deals with something that affects every household, farm, business and community in Ireland. Electricity is no longer simply another utility. It is a service that allows people to heat their homes, refrigerate food, milk cows, operate businesses, work remotely, communicate with loved ones and, increasingly, charge vehicles and power heat pumps. When electricity fails today, life almost comes to a standstill. Before I go any further, I ackn…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He has given us something to think about. He has given us direction as to how we might be able to proceed from here. I welcome that. I acknowledge all of the Senators who made a contribution today. Senators P.J. Murphy called for an adult conversation on the future of our energy generation in the country and welcomed the €18.9 billion investment in the infrastructure. I recognise and can relate to Senator O'Loughlin's stories about being in north-west Kildare and the …

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking this matter. I want to begin by recognising the significant progress that has been made with the housing adaptation grant scheme. The publication of the 2024 review led to real, meaningful reform, and I welcome the fact that many of the recommendations have been implemented from that review. The increase of more than 30% in the grant limits, the increase in the income thresholds, the reduction in the local authority contribution from 20% to 15% and the change…