I welcome the moves in this Bill to regulate private providers and to set minimum standards for services. However, this Bill is far from what it could have been. The current and previous programme for Government promised a statutory home care scheme but after five years, the Government has only got as far as a register of private providers. There is nothing in this Bill about access and affordability of different levels of care. It is a system designed around private provision. The ambition of the Government should…

The safe distribution and operation of fuels such as natural gas and LPG is of significant importance. Tens of thousands of households across the State rely on natural gas and LPG as their main source of heating and it is important that the networks which they use on a daily basis are up to standard and appropriately regulated for safety. I welcome the intention and progression of this technical update but, as my party colleagues have outlined, there are serious flaws in this legislation, and it does come ten years…

I welcome the farmers who are in the Gallery this evening. Nobody is buying it. For years the Government sat on the fence about whether it would support or oppose the Mercosur trade deal when it came to a vote. Not until the day before a vote was due, when thousands of farmers were organising to take to the streets and when it knew the deal was going to pass anyway, did it finally come out and say it was against this deal. In the time it was dithering, it failed to build a blocking minority with other EU member sta…

The proposed Mercosur trade agreement is a bad deal for Irish farmers and consumers. I held a public meeting in Athenry earlier this week and there is serious concern about this deal and the impact it would have on our beef industry and family farms. The Government should be doing everything in its power to stop this deal but it is not. For weeks, the Tánaiste and his colleagues have dodged answering the simple question of whether they will vote against this deal. The Taoiseach is in Brussels today. He was unable t…

I have been contacted by constituents who work in the ambulance service locally who asked me to request a rapid response vehicle at Tuam ambulance base. These workers are telling me they are under pressure. They are dealing with a very high volume of calls and they need more cover. The crews in Tuam cover a vast area across north and east Galway and south Mayo. The introduction of a second ambulance on a 24-7 basis in Tuam last year demonstrates the high volume of calls in the area and the need for this vehicle. Th…

I welcome the commitment to consider this as part of the service planning process for 2026. I sincerely hope it is implemented. I also want to express my gratitude to the staff of the NAS but if we want to demonstrate our gratitude, we need to consider the level of pressure these crews are under and do everything we can to alleviate that and ensure a better service and better outcomes for patients, which is what it is all about. I urge the Minister of State and the National Ambulance Service to engage with staff in…

As the Minister well knows, blister packs are a medical necessity for many vulnerable people. They ensure that people can independently administer their own medications, reduce the risk of dose errors and avoid unnecessary hospitalisations. The cruel decision to withdraw the reimbursement of blister packs has caused deep anxiety, with many people receiving letters outlining that they will have to start paying to maintain this essential service. Many constituents have been in touch with me to outline their concerns,…

What is the process for the awarding of historical IRA medals to families of volunteers? I raise the case of Patrick Morrissey from Athenry, County Galway, with the Minister. I will come back to that in my later contribution.

The individual in question is Patrick Morrissey of Athenry. Patrick joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1907. He later joined the Irish Volunteers in Athenry in 1914. Athenry was one of the main focal points of the 1916 Rising outside of Dublin. Patrick played a key role locally in that. He was subsequently imprisoned in Kilmainham and then in Wales. He was active once again during the War of Independence as part of the Derrydonnell brigade of the IRA. One of his relatives, Michael Morrissey, has conducted e…

While I appreciate the Minister's response, I find it frustrating because I know Michael Morrissey has submitted a number of applications. The evidence is clear that Patrick was a member of the Irish Volunteers and the IRA. It is very frustrating for the family. These medals are cherished possessions for the families who have them. It is really important to them that the efforts of their family member are properly recognised. Patrick Morrissey passed away in 1962. He had no direct next of kin. Michael Morrissey has…

Regarding wastewater infrastructure in Craughwell and Clarinbridge in County Galway, funding was announced three years ago for the provision of wastewater infrastructure in those villages. This was very important for the delivery of housing and I raised this before with the Minister at the infrastructure committee. Since then, that project has been at a standstill. In recent weeks, Government TDs welcomed an increase of several million euro in the allocation of funding for this project. However, the only reason thi…

I want to ask the Minister if public access can be facilitated at the Dominican Priory in Athenry and also if consideration can be given to extending the opening season of Athenry Castle. It is closed now until March and it is a missed opportunity for the town.

As I am sure the Minister of State knows, Athenry is a heritage town. Within the town, we have a lot of really iconic landmarks and attractions, including the castle and the priory, which are under the remit of the OPW, but also the likes of the heritage centre and the town walls. There is incredible history in the town, and I think it is fair to say that there is a lot of frustration locally that we are being undersold in terms of our status as a heritage town and our tourism potential. We definitely have not reac…

I want to acknowledge the work of the OPW locally as well. The Minister of State mentioned the number of visitors visiting the sites. I had a parliamentary question recently and the response told me that in the region of 15,000 people visit Athenry Castle every year. That paints an overall picture for the number of visitors coming to the town but the same number of people would visit Galway city or Connemara on one weekend. We can do a lot better in Athenry in terms of the number of people visiting. I take the Mini…

In my constituency, we have a huge number of energy developments at various stages of planning and development, between wind energy, solar farms, gas plants, etc. These are causing a lot of concern. I have raised this previously. It is important for me to say at the outset that my constituents are not against renewable energy. They fully understand the importance of energy security but they want it to be done right. Today I am glad to get the opportunity to focus on solar energy developments, including battery ener…

Belleville in Monivea and Abbeyknockmoy. In Grange and Gregmore, the Ballymoneen solar project, also led by PCRE, is currently under construction. I am from the local area. The construction has caused enormous disruption locally between damage to roads, road closures, noise and consistent breaches of planning conditions. Local residents have been informed in recent days that the developer now intends to expand the development and it has a number of new sites identified locally. People have serious concerns around s…

The Minister of State said the scoping exercise for the guidelines and the land use review are under way. Can we get clarity on the timelines for the finalisation of those exercises? That was missing from the response. These applications are coming thick and fast across the State. We know these companies have their sights set on expanding their operations where it is profitable for them to do so and where they can get access to land. That is why it is important that the can is not continually kicked down the road. …

Ireland's energy bills are among the highest in Europe. Households across the State see their bills continue to rise and have to balance paying their bills, keeping a roof over their heads and putting food on the table. Sometimes this balancing act is simply not possible. I meet people across my constituency forced to make the most difficult of decisions. Families are forced to choose which essentials they must do without to stay on top of bills. We are seeing record levels of energy arrears. There are now over 300…

Dunguaire Castle is an iconic cultural and heritage landmark in Kinvara on the Wild Atlantic Way. However, it remains closed off to the public and stuck in limbo. The castle was a real asset and a significant benefit to the community. Its continued closure is a real missed opportunity for the village of Kinvara and the region as a whole. The castle is on the edge of the village, within walking distance from it. Its closure is most definitely impacting on footfall in Kinvara. Throughout the summer months, and even t…

I cannot emphasise enough that this castle is an iconic cultural and heritage landmark and it cannot be left closed any longer. The Government has to recognise the importance of this site to the local community in terms of heritage, tourism and employment. When the Minister of State talks about grant schemes in the region of €50,000, €100,000 or €200,000, those are going to come nowhere near meeting the cost of what is required. The Minister of State's response is not based in reality. She said there was no voted f…