Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing my Commencement matter this morning. The Minister of State is around the same go as myself, age wise, and I have no doubt he remembers that we used to return to school on 1 September every single year. When you got your summer holidays, you knew you were coming back on 1 September. That was the case up to fairly recently - maybe 12 or 13 years ago. I think it makes great sense that people know when they are getting their holidays that they wi…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I acknowledge that the review was done and agreed to but again, going back to what I said, I think 1 September is ideal not only for the children and the school but also for the local economy from where the children come.

Today marks the start of National Breastfeeding Week. There is no doubt that a baby who is breastfed has a fantastic and, probably, the best start in life. I wish to acknowledge that and acknowledge the great work many mothers do in this regard. However, I also think today of the mothers who, for many reasons, do not breastfeed. Sometimes, it just does not suit them to. Many times, it just does not work out. This week, while we acknowledge the fantastic idea of breastfeeding, we must also be very conscious of the m…

I will speak today about school escorts. We can all agree that the service they provide is outstanding. Having spoken to many parents whose children use the service of a school escort, they say they could not cope without it. They are grateful for school transport being provided in the first instance, but many of these children would be unable to go to school without the school escort. There are around 22,000 children being looked after by approximately 4,000 escorts. The day’s pay for escorts does not start until …

I move: “That Seanad Éireann: recognises that: - early childhood is a time of great opportunity to shape a child’s development and build a secure foundation for their future; - for children to achieve their full potential they need opportunities for care and education; - the role of the early years’ educator is valuable, as they play an important part in supporting children's development, learning and care; agrees that: - many families across the country are paying high fees for childcare places; - demand for child…

That is correct. It will be divided into one slot of ten minutes and two slots of three minutes.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, an Teachta Foley. I am pleased to speak today on this important Fianna Fáil motion on childcare. At its heart, this motion recognises a simple truth. While some families continue to face challenges in accessing affordable, high-quality childcare, substantial progress has been made in recent years. We must continue to build on that progress. Fianna Fáil is committed to ensuring that Ireland is a good place to raise a family where every child is given an equal start in life and equal oppo…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in this evening. I acknowledge the great work done by her and the Minister, Deputy Foley. I am a great believer in parental choice. I believe that if parents want to go out to work, they should be able to. If one of them wants to stay at home, they should be in a position to do that. If one of them wants to go onto further education, they should be in a position to do that. It is a sad state of affairs if childcare is preventing them from making a choice that suits them. I w…

I wish to raise awareness of two cards that people who have a lot going on in their lives use. The first one is called a "No Wait" card and it is used by people who need access to a toilet, often very often, but always very quickly. They show this card to business so that they can get access to toilets. It is often used if there is a queue for a loo that they are allowed go ahead. It is not given lightly. It is there for a reason. It is something that is not spoken about a lot. It is a pity because it is obviously …

I dtosach báire, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Garret Ahearn mar Threoraí nua an tSeanaid agus leis an Seanadóir Cathal Byrne mar Príomh-Aoire an tSeanaid. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an t-ádh leo beirt. Sport is very topical at the moment. There is a lot going on in the GAA and also in the world of soccer. Sport brings us all together. It alleviates stress and it is fun but, unfortunately, one team wins and the other team does not. You will notice I do not say "lose" because to me, anyone who puts themselves …

I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.4) Regulations 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 2nd July, 2026, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 79(2)(b), which, not later than 15th July, 2026, shall send a message to the Seanad in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 84, and Standing Order …

I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.5) Regulations 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 2nd July, 2026, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 79(2)(b), which, not later than 15th July, 2026, shall send a message to the Seanad in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 84, and Standing Order …

I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.6) Regulations 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 2nd July, 2026, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 79(2)(b), which, not later than 15th July, 2026, shall send a message to the Seanad in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 84, and Standing Order …

I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.7) Regulations 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 2nd July, 2026, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 79(2)(b), which, not later than 15th July, 2026, shall send a message to the Seanad in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 84, and Standing Order …

I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Licensing of Outdoor Events) Regulations 2026 Regulations 2026, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 2nd July, 2026, be referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in accordance with Standing Order 79(2)(b), which, not later than 15th July, 2026, shall send a message to the Seanad in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 84, and Standing Ord…

I rise today to speak about the issue of road safety, particularly with regard to pedestrianisation. I do not notice it as much at home because the streets obviously are not as busy as they are in Dublin, but the few days I am in Dublin I walk around a lot and to see the lack of safety of people crossing the streets in Dublin is unreal. What is frightening is there are parents with young children who are not waiting, as we used say at home to my own boys, "for the man to turn green", and an example is being shown. …

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today to take this Commencement matter. Being from Cork, I think he will agree with me about the shortage of taxis, particularly in big towns and cities. I welcome the opportunity to raise the growing shortage of taxis across Ireland, a problem that is increasingly affecting public mobility, social inclusion, economic activity and accessibility in communities across the country. What was once an occasional inconvenience has become a persistent transport problem. Whether p…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The old cliché "a lot done, a lot more to do" comes to mind. Will the Minister of State give me a rough timeframe for his plans going forward? I stress again the importance of people being able to get home. A lot of people are now suffering from mental health issues and they cannot even go on a night out, or even get into town to shop, because they are afraid of being stranded, particularly at night-time. While we encourage people not to drink and drive - obviously, it i…

I want to discuss the commercial outlook for our marts around the country. Can we request that the Minister, Deputy Heydon, comes in to discuss this? Many marts are now reporting a loss in sales of up to 13%, which is huge. Anyone who is from a rural area knows the importance of the mart. It provides employment, which is obviously very important, but it is also a social outlet for many farmers. They may not meet anyone else for the rest of the week whereas they meet up there and discuss farming issues. They could a…

This week is Men's Health Week, and I acknowledge and support that here in the Seanad. Men face higher risks of premature mortality, often because they are slow to get things checked out. Men are known for not talking about health issues and certainly not going to their doctors to get things checked, so the motto for this week is, “one step at a time, progress not perfection". This aims to encourage men to make small changes rather than attempting huge, chronic changes in their lives. We need to encourage our menfo…