I sincerely thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter today. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, for coming to the House to take the debate. I rise today to highlight the urgent and ongoing challenges faced by people in Ireland living with inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. I call for action to address gaps in awareness, services and financial supports. Last week marked world IBD day, a day to raise awareness and give a voice to th…

He is.

I thank the Minister of State.

I thank the Minister of State. I suppose we can agree that a lot has been done but there is more to do regarding this issue. I will finish by paying tribute to Jason who works along with me in my office. By telling his story, he has opened the doors for many others to feel not alone. People living with IBD are managing a condition that is unpredictable, exhausting and often invisible to others. They deserve a system that recognises that reality and responds to it. Jason’s story and the experience of thousands of pe…

Today, I wish to talk about organ donor awareness. As the Leas-Cheannaire is aware, this is Organ Donor Awareness Week. We are coming to the end of it. I would like to think especially about the family of all those people who have donated organs. At the moment, there are 550 people awaiting organs in Ireland. I know the opt-out clause is in now, which obviously makes it easier for families to know that their loved ones wished to donate an organ but I think it is very important that people still have that conversati…

Today I wish to discuss medical records. I know a new scheme is being introduced that will automate them. Could we invite the Minister to the House to discuss what is happening and why it is taking so long? Is it just financial, or are there other reasons? I would like to ask her to come in to discuss where it is at and how long she thinks it will take. It is a no-brainer in that at least everything will be together. It will cut out a lot of addiction. There is nothing stopping me from going to three or four doctor…

Cuirim fáilte go dtí an Seanad roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, for their constant availability to the Upper House. I thank my Fine Gael colleagues for bringing forward this excellent Private Members' motion. I am very impressed with it. Well done. I have a special grá for gardaí. When I was a very young child, the lady next door, the widow of a former garda, used to keep the new gardaí who came to town in lodgings so I grew up knowing them. They were always v…

I would not have made it. I tried to plead that, what I lacked in height, I made up for in heart but, unfortunately, my pleas fell on deaf ears. They will never know what they missed.

I would definitely fit in there. I welcome the decision to increase the maximum age at which one can join An Garda Síochána. As the Minister of State has just said, it is now 50. That is now very young whereas 35 would once have been ridiculous. A lot of people now go to college and do a master's degree or other things. They are nearly 30 by the time they get out into the real world so it is important that the age limit increased. I also welcome the decision to increase the penalty for attacks on members of An Gard…

Hopefully, we face a fantastic summer of concerts, the Ryder Cup and other events. I want to discuss the issue of ticket gouging and touting. We have all heard of people who have been caught with this and who have paid huge money and turn up only to find the tickets do not work. Even if they do it is nonsensical to have to pay above the ticket price. The Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021 was passed but to date, nobody has been fined or charged. There are obviously …

It is with deep sadness that I stand here today to pay tribute to my good friend and former colleague Councillor Joe Carroll from the Skibbereen local electoral area, who we laid to rest yesterday. Anyone who knew Joe or ever met him would have known he was a larger-than-life character. Joe played hard and worked hard. You always knew where you stood with Joe. Sometimes that was good and sometimes it was not so good, but it always came from a good place. He was full of advice, friendship and fun. It is so sad and s…

I want to talk about the SEAI warmer homes scheme, which I think we all agree is a very good one. Unfortunately, in many cases it is taking over two years from start to finish with this application, which is too long. As many people who could benefit from this scheme are vulnerable people, two years is obviously a very long time to be waiting. Over the past few months I have been contacted by many councillors who have helped people with these applications. They are concerned that the applications are taking so long…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to these important statements on disability matters. At the outset, I want to be very clear. Fianna Fáil welcomes these statements, and we welcome them because they reflect a Government that recognises that supporting disabled peopled is a central priority, not an add-on or an afterthought. Disabled people continue to face real and persistent barriers in our society, barriers in education, employment, transport, housing, healthcare and civic…

I rise today to speak about the proposed CAP reform. This is the most significant reform since the MacSharry reform. As the Deputy Leader is aware, Pillar 1 delivers an average of €260 per hectare. It is essential that this level of funding continues. A lot of farmers in good faith entered schemes such as ACRES and organics. They are just two examples of schemes that farmers have committed to. It is very important that the existing funding of Pillar 1 continues but also Pillar 2. At the moment it looks like there w…

I want to talk about the topic of loneliness. It is often conflated with being alone but it is actually a totally different feeling and thing. Recent surveys have shown Ireland to be one of the loneliest places in Europe. Twenty percent of Irish people surveyed admitted they regularly felt lonely whereas the European average was 13%. That is a big difference. I would like to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to come to the House and debate the topic. Someone can be lonely in a big crowd, so it is hard to se…

No better man. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026. Fianna Fáil welcomes this debate and supports the Bill. This legislation is narrow in scope but vital in its purpose. It addresses a serious and imminent issue arising from the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, which, following its commencement on 26 April 2023, required that every adult ward of court have their capacity reviewed within three years, that …

The free fuel allowance is a fantastic targeted allowance which now reaches 470,000 households. I acknowledge the increase in the budget so that it is now €38. This is substantial. The duration of the allowance is 28 weeks, usually from the end of September to April. Today, particularly with the increase in fuel prices and all that is going on in the world, I call on the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, to extend the period. We are nearly into April now and I would like him to extend the period, even for this year, …

Ba mhaith liom Seachtain na Gaeilge a phlé. Muna bhfuil Gaeilge líofa agat nó nach bhfuil ach cúpla focail, tá sé an-tábhachtach í a úsáid. It would be great if all Members of both Houses made some bit of an effort, even if it is "Go raibh maith agat" or whatever. It is very important. It is our national language. When we were younger, it was probably not taught in a very nice way and turned a lot of adults off but it is a language we should be very proud of, and I think most people are. I ask everyone to bain úsái…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I would like to start by wishing everybody a happy International Women's Day, both men and women, because working together we make the world go around. I wish everybody a happy International Women's Day. This week, ahead of International Women's Day, we come together to celebrate the strength, resilience and extraordinary leadership of women and girls across Ireland and around the world. It is a moment to honour the achievements of women past and present, acknowledge the progress made a…

I rise to speak about the inadequate postal service that is happening at the moment. Stamps recently went up 20 cent to €1.85, which is very expensive to post a letter. It is not beyond reason to expect a very good service for a €1.85 stamp. A lot of councillors and people from the public have contacted me. I have done a bit of research on it. One delay that I sussed out involved some people who were getting no post. When I rang the local sorting office, I was told that a postman was on holidays, which he is entitl…