I thank Senator Ward and I thank the Minister of State for his time this morning and for taking all four Commencement matters. It is appreciated.

It is good to see the Acting Leader in the role today. I would like to further analyse and discuss budget 2025. I am particularly pleased there is a significant commitment to investing in wastewater and in upgrading wastewater systems throughout the country. This is one of the big problems in planning and building houses, particularly in rural parts of the country. We are putting through a planning Bill that will deal significantly with the judicial review delays which, in County Clare alone, have held up 290 house…

I echo the Cathaoirleach’s welcome to Jagoda, who is in the Public Gallery and has been doing fantastic work in my office. She is gaining very valuable experience as part of her transition year. I also welcome Ellen, who is with a great mentor in Ms Long. The budget announced yesterday was certainly a very interesting and positive offering. Many elements of it are welcome. A particularly welcome measure is the extension by €300 of the credit for the blind and visually impaired. That has not happened in many years. …

I second that.

I thank the Minister of State for giving up his time to come to the Seanad. We hope he has achieved what he set out to achieve during the budget negotiations. All will be revealed this afternoon.

The Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is most welcome to Seanad Éireann on what is a very busy day for her and all other Ministers. We appreciate her time.

I thank the Minister of State. We in Seanad Éireann all wish those residents the best and hope the issue will be resolved in a timely manner.

I thank the Minister of State for attending and for yet again providing her prepared contributions in an accessible format. That is much appreciated. I wish her Department the best of luck with the budget this afternoon. I hope it will achieve its asks.

The Minister of State is welcome to the House on his first budget in his important position in the Department of Finance. I commend him because he clearly influenced the budget significantly. There is an awful lot to take from this budget that is positive. I remember standing up in this House in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 when we were increasing taxes and cutting social welfare payments. There was no room to do anything in those budgets yet they were incredibly important because during that difficult period we worke…

Some day.

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is very welcome to the House. I am delighted she is taking this Commencement matter because I know her commitment to health issues and the work she has done over recent years, particularly since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people. This is a very important issue. This month is cardiovascular month. It is a month when people are reminded to mind their cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, too many people in this country die and suffe…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. That is a comprehensive reply and I note the fact that work is being done. The Estimates process is coming to its conclusion now so, hopefully, we will see some resources identified for this. I would like to see the strategy launched, if possible, in the lifetime of this Government but certainly committed to by the various parties in their manifestos. Hopefully, it will be something committed to in the programme for Government with whoever makes up the combination that will run …

I thank Senator Garvey for that question and I absolutely share the concern she has expressed in a very important question. I call the Minister of State to speak now again, please.

I, too, thank Senator Ahearn for raising this extremely important issue, on which I hope we will see progress. I thank the Minister of State for taking all the Commencement matters. We know she is busy, so her time is appreciated.

I support Shane Hamilton and Ellie Woods, who are running a campaign with the Department of Education that Irish Sign Language should be part of the leaving certificate curriculum. We have Polish, Chinese and Ukrainian, for example. We have many languages, but we do not have our own Irish Sign Language as a subject for the leaving certificate. I think they are absolutely right. We need to recognise our Irish Sign Language and we need to have it as part of the leaving certificate. I am looking for a debate at some s…

I support my colleague, Senator O’Reilly, whose points were on the money. I agree about the importance of what is being achieved with this Bill. It is long overdue, so I commend the Minister of State on bringing it this far. We essentially have a gambling regulator in place now. I would not be overly prescriptive in the legislation and would instead try to allow the regulator to find her feet and identify and procure best practice. Following feedback from the regulator, a future Oireachtas can introduce further ame…

I thank the Minister of State. Does Senator Crowe wish to ask a supplementary question?

Does the Minister of State wish to add anything?

I thank the Minister of State and Senator Kyne. Hopefully the school will not be waiting too long for this project to advance. Our final matter is from Senator Dooley who raises another very important issue.

I thank Senator Dooley. This is a very important issue. Momentum is growing in County Clare. Following a Fine Gael event in Athlone, I travelled by train to Galway city. I then travelled from Galway city on the 6.30 p.m. train to Ennis and there was no seat available on it. That is how successful this line is. A natural progression is to open more stations on the line. The one that is essentially shovel-ready is Crusheen. It is a timely Commencement matter and I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.