The Vision Zero project aims to eliminate road deaths by 2050. We are coming into the time of year when, unfortunately, there are a lot more road crashes and fatalities. Mary Ward's name was etched into history back in 1869 when her death in Ireland was recorded as the first road fatality in the world. The explanation in the record was "road death". Since then, we have had a long litany of such deaths. We need a debate in this House, not just about highlighting visibility and small measures but looking also at the …

I highlight the great work of our fire services nationally, both the full-time and the part-time services that support our communities all over the country. At the same time, I highlight the recent National Oversight and Audit Commission, NOAC, report. NOAC evaluates all of the local authorities and looks at their spending. I highlight the disparity across the country in what is being spent on fire services and in the service that is provided. Based on the 2024 figures, the average cost per capita is €74.85. Howeve…

Now.

I welcome the Minister of State. I compliment my colleagues Senators Boyle and O'Donovan for leading on the motion. I will not, like Senator Paul Daly, say that I am on a coastline or anything like that. I am a County Roscommon man but I understand the impact of certain sectors on rural communities, and I do not believe it is too late to be making changes. Looking back, we can always think of a time when it might have been a better decision but the next best time is right now, and that is what this motion is leadin…

The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber. I wish her the very best of luck in her new role. I congratulate her on that. She has always been a great supporter of this Chamber and someone who has always shown up. We hope we can rely on her to do the same in the future. I hope she does not forget her Roscommon roots if there are ever any favours I need called in as well. Inclusion does not begin in the workplace; it begins in early childhood. If we are to be serious about building an inclusive society then…

I thank the Minister of State. In relation to the AIM programme, 69% of participants saw an improvement in peer interaction and more than 95% of providers reported a positive impact on inclusion. That is what we want to see. I did, however, highlight that in some cases parents of children with additional needs are paying more and receiving less. That is an anomaly that we cannot stand over and one that we need to address. In my first call, I asked that the review include AIM's flexibility, so that the Minister woul…

This morning I raised the issue of access and inclusion in child care as a Commencement matter with the Minister for children, Deputy Foley. Unfortunately, the Minister was not able to attend. However, following that, the Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, Councillor Liam Callaghan, was in touch with me. He raised the issue of the Boyle community childcare committee. The latest census, in 2022, highlighted the fact that 175 children living in the Boyle urban area were under the age of four. Out of 63 childc…

I was going to sing, but I was beaten to it. I wish to be associated with the well-wishes to Senator Wilson. I also support the call for a debate in this House on the national cancer strategy. We were at a good discussion this morning, and with the current strategy coming to an end next year, it is timely we have an opportunity to debate it in this House. I am hearing more and more stories of UK-branded vapes being sold in Ireland. A lot of them are being sold across the counter and a lot on street corners. While i…

Sing.

I call for a debate in this House on Garda numbers nationwide. Last week, 194 probationary gardaí were distributed across 19 divisions throughout the country. One of the divisions, which happens to be my home division of Roscommon, Longford and Mayo, received no allocation. I have spoken to a number of locals and people who have previously been on the community policing forum. There is a lack of uniformed gardaí for which there is a real demand in our area. Recent surveys, including one by PhoneWatch on Central Sta…

I will also speak in support of the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025, a Bill that increases the amount Screen Ireland can invest, loan or guarantee to support films, TV and digital productions. It is a straightforward amendment but an important one. It will allow the sector to grow, create more jobs and to support more Irish stories on screen. The screen industry is often judged in terms of glamorous shining lights, red carpets and ceremonies but the real impact we all feel in Ireland is with the ordinary peo…

I am sharing time with Senator Joe O’Reilly.

The first line of this motion acknowledges Irish people emigrated to places throughout the world in times of famine and, more recently, in times of economic difficulty. We must always acknowledge that those people proved their worth. They got involved in the communities they moved to and respected the rules of the countries they moved to. We must acknowledge that also. Here in Ireland, migration plays a crucial role in the economy. Thousands of people come here to work. One in five has come to study and support our…

I raise an issue that is affecting a lot of schoolgoing kids in Roscommon, especially in the Athlone municipal district. This relates to kids trying to get to school on a daily basis in Roscommon town and the unpredictability and unreliability of the school bus service. This has been raised with me by a number of the councillors in Roscommon's Athlone municipal district, namely, Councillors Domnick Connolly and Valerie Duffy. They are highlighting the bus that services areas like Mote Park, Four Roads, Rahara, Curr…

Tomorrow, Friday, 14 November, is World Diabetes Day. World Diabetes Day reminds us that diabetes is growing in Ireland. It is a national challenge requiring urgent and co-ordinated policy action. Today, more than 300,000 people, or one in 17 of our population, live with diabetes, with between 12,000 and 14,000 new cases every year. Type 2 diabetes is projected to rise by 60% in the next ten to 15 years. Diabetes already accounts for between 10% and 12% of the HSE budget and 60% of the costs relating to preventable…

The Minister is welcome to the Chamber. This Bill is significant. It will enable the ESB to deliver the largest single expansion and reinforcement of our national electricity network in decades. It will allow the ESB to borrow and invest at competitive rates, strengthening both our grid and our energy security. As a councillor, on 25 November 2024, I had a motion before Roscommon County Council calling for investment in our electricity infrastructure. I am delighted to hear that the Minister is delivering this and …

The Minister of State is very welcome. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this topic. I will highlight a programme that has been running in Roscommon for a number of years. When I formerly sat on the local community development committee, LCDC, I remember supporting it with funding in the past. It is called the Fit Farmers programme. It was created and delivered by a lady, Laura Tully, a Roscommon native who saw at first hand the strain farming life can take on the body and mind. Anyone who grew up on a farm wil…

The Minister is welcome. I, too, commend Senator Curley and the other Senators on bringing forward the motion. It was before the education and youth committee. I would like to acknowledge all of the members of the committee present. Extra time for students with dyslexia and dyscalculia in State examinations is an issue that affects families and schools in every county in Ireland. It is long past time that it was addressed properly. Over the years, we have seen remarkable advocacy from Dyslexia Ireland, teachers and…

I welcome the Minister of State. I wish to speak about something simple but powerful, namely communication and the role it plays in tackling loneliness and isolation among our older people. The telephone support allowance was introduced in 2018 to help people living alone with the cost of staying connected through a phone or home alert system. It is paid at a rate of €2.50 per week. In seven years, that has never once been increased. To put this in context, a landline can cost anywhere from €30 to €40 a month and t…

I thank the Minister of State very much. I fully welcome all of the additional supports that were put in place following the budget. I am looking forward to 2026. As part of the programme for Government, there was a review put in to review the fuel allowance, the household benefits package and the living alone allowance, and they were all welcome. However, I would not be doing my job if I did not try to fight for every penny to support this demographic and for every opportunity to give them that extra bit of financ…