The first thing I should have said is that I appreciate the Minister of State being here as a Minister of State in the Department of Health to take this question and provide an answer. However we present this, it is a significant change in what was to be the provision of a facility that had intended at its outset and up to 2025 to provide for 200 beds. I recognise fully the point she made that these are day procedures but I understand from the documentation that had been provided previously that there were to be 75…

I recently raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the higher rate of suspected suicide among members of the Travelling community compared to the general population - there is a suspected rate difference of between seven and ten for members of the Travelling community. In recent weeks, the Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community held a number of meetings to engage on the issue of Traveller health with various witnesses. It would appear that despite increased health provision, technology and treatme…

Tugaim faoi deara ar maidin go bhfuil go leor de na ceisteanna ar an téama céanna, ar nós an chinn a bhí ag mo chomhghleacaí ar mo thaobh clé anseo maidir le cúrsaí infreastruchtúir agus an luas ar breá linn a fheiceáil le cur chun cinn i gcúrsaí infreastruchtúir agus infreastruchtúr a thógáil níos tapúla. Roimh an Nollaig, d'fhoilsigh an tAire an tuairisc nua. Before Christmas the Minister printed the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan. I saw it described as one of the most comprehensive and ambiti…

I welcome the Minister's confirmation that we are not removing political approval for these projects. There was some concern about the elimination of ministerial approval at stage 2 of the project timeline but the Minister has clarified that ministerial approval will still be required at stages 1 and 3. This is very welcome. There was a sense that we were moving on and leaving decisions to unelected officials rather than Ministers. One of the reasons I have focused on this action plan is because of its reference to…

I thank the Minister. I would like clarity. The emphasis and focus in action 30 is on transport and water. Will the Minister confirm that it is not limited to these and that we are looking at using this action in other areas? The Minister mentioned energy at the outset. Further clarification on my next point would also be welcome. How do projects in the planning process stand in terms of this new action? Will they benefit from it? I hope we will get a positive planning decision, although it cannot be guaranteed, on…

I very much welcome the formal announcing of the national therapy service in education involving the placement of occupational therapists and speech therapists in special schools. I particularly welcome its introduction in two schools in Galway, Ábalta Special School and St. Joseph's Special School in Newcastle. I also welcome the announcement of 301 new classes for children with additional needs in the mainstream setting. However, the lists that we get do not define the category of class and I am concerned that we…

Tá a fhios agam gur chuir an tAire freagra chugam maidir leis seo píosa ó shín, ach tá sé an-tábhachtach na hiarrachtaí a chur chun cinn agus labhairt fúthu chomh minic agus is féidir mar gheall ar an ngéarchéim tithíochta atá sa Ghaeltacht.

Glacaim gur ról tánaisteach atá ag an údarás ach mar a dúirt an tAire, tá ról suntasach aige i saol na Gaeltachta. Tá sé ag déanamh oibre maithe le blianta fada. Glacaim leis chomh maith nach bhfuil sé éasca d’eagraíocht nach bhfuil aon chleachtadh ná taithí aici ar chúrsaí tithíochta tús a chur leis an dualgas sin, go háirithe gan an fhoireann. Glacaim leis go bhfuil sé ráite ag an Aire anois go bhfuil duine fostaithe ag an údarás chun oibriú sa réimse seo, agus gabhaim buíochas as sin. Ceapaim go bhfuil an duine …

Tugann sé muinín do mhuintir na Gaeltachta a chloisteáil go bhfuil an méid sin déanta againn go dtí seo. Glacaim leis gur tús é ach is maith an rud é go bhfuil an tAire ag labhairt leis na daoine tábhachtacha sin, lena n-áirítear Údarás na Gaeltachta, an Roinn tithíochta agus na húdaráis áitiúla, chun béim a chur ar an tábhacht a bhaineann le cúrsaí tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht. Tá mé dóchasach anois, tar éis an mhéid atá ráite ag an Aire, go mbeidh dul chun cinn againn air seo i mbliana, chomh maith le foilsiú na dtre…

I will confine my comments today to the issue of road safety around schools and enabling children to access schools in a safer manner. I welcome, as part of that, the implementation of phase 2 of the national speed limit review, which proposes to reduce the speed limit in urban areas to a default of 30 km/h. It is not so clear, however, what is expected of local authorities in relation to schools on national routes, and we should give them greater clarity. The Minister of State will be very familiar with some of th…

The Taoiseach mentioned housing at the outset. One of the commitments in the programme for Government regarding housing was to repurpose the local authority affordable housing purchase scheme to become part of the starter home programme in order to enhance uptake. I am not sure we will have any difficulty with uptake; the difficulty is with supply. We are conscious that we are trying to generate supply across the entire sector. Last year, Galway City Council managed to complete nine affordable houses and Galway Cou…

Yesterday, I met with a delegation of former employees of CIÉ. They are members of a pension scheme who have not had an increase since 2008. That is 18 years, and we are all conscious of how the cost of living has increased during that period. Furthermore, to compound issues for members, many were paying a class of PRSI that allowed them no access to a contributory pension. They have been campaigning for a long time to have this issue resolved and last May, an agreement was reached between the trade unions and CIÉ …

I share the sentiment of many Members as to how depressing the situation the world finds itself in at the moment is. Having endured the depth of international conflict and war that was witnessed during the 20th century, we find that leaders of major international powers could make decisions that could bring us back to a point of significant tension again. This could undo the great work that was done by many of the institutions formed following the Second World War which have set about trying to maintain internation…

I noted yesterday a substantial announcement on wastewater investment for Limerick. I compliment Limerick, the local authorities there and the Minister in the Department for developing that work. Like Limerick, Galway is a city the national planning framework plans for growth over the coming decade or decade and a half, in terms of counterbalancing the development of the country between the east coast and the west coast. Galway needs a similar commitment on wastewater investment to what was given to Limerick yester…

One of the actions in the recently published housing plan is that the Department will be publishing quarterly and annual performance tables for new-build output versus targets per local authority, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability. I understand that will commence next June in relation to social housing. We should also provide similar tables in relation to affordable housing. The local authorities should also be assessed on their output of affordable housing. What actions will the Government take with…

Mo cheist ná chun a fhiafraí den Aire Oideachais agus Óige maidir le tionscadal na scoileanna beaga. Cad iad na pleananna atá sa Roinn chun cur le líon na scoileanna atá sa scéim faoi láthair agus chun stádas buan a thabhairt don tionscadal? This question relates to the small schools project. The Minister will be aware that her predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Foley, started a pilot project for clustering small schools in support of the schools and easing the administrative burden on the principals of those school…

The Minister of State has noted many of the positive elements of this scheme and how the schools, in the evaluation undertaken by the Department, reflected positively on it. As he said, there were two such clusters in County Galway, one in Gort agus ceann i gceantar Iorras Aithneach i gConamara. Bhí trí scoil sa scéim sin: Scoil na hAirde Móire, Scoil Mhuighnis agus Scoil an Aird Thiar. Other communities that have seen the benefit of the clustering project have contacted me pointing out that there are a number of s…

One of the most positive attributes of this scheme, with which I have some experience, is that it enabled principals who also have responsibility for teaching a class or multiple classes to do two important things. The first was to cluster their release days, so that when the principal is on a release day for administrative duties in the school, the same substitute teacher is there every day. This provided great consistency and continuity for the school and pupils. The person covering the release days did so in eve…

In a response to a previous question, the Minister outlined very well the supports available to students and families to assist in meeting the cost of accommodation and how he has increased those supports and made them available to a greater number of students. I wish to ask the Minister about the supply of student accommodation and the position of the Department regarding the publication of a new strategy for the provision of student accommodation.

It is very welcome that we would have a strategy over the coming weeks. We need it. The third level sector needs it. It is anxious to hear what will be included in it. The Minister gave some indication about how the strategy will use other policy areas or other departures in Government policy recently to make sure we can stimulate and incentivise the development and provision of student accommodation. There are a number of options in terms of incentivising people to rent out spare capacity in their homes, incentivi…