I accept that. The Department is very committed to this. It has carried out a survey and the reports are very clear that this project must go ahead. There were delays over 15 years. The frustration in relation to a project like this is sometimes about it taking so much time. The point is, though, that we need to have sight of the exact legal situation because to progress the project to the tender documents and planning stages, we would have to be 100% certain. I would appreciate if I could get the document the Depu…

I thank the Deputy very much for the question. He mentioned a number of schools, and I definitely will go back over them. The Deputy's question, though, was on the numbers of schools in County Cork at stage 2A. The Department has a strong track record of delivering the school building programme, with over €6.9 billion invested in the last six years. This has delivered approximately 1,400 completed school building projects and over 4,000 smaller improvement projects. Over €796 million in capital funding has been inv…

The only way we can give a commitment is by allocating sufficient funding within the Department. There has been a huge amount of continued investment in the school estate. There are literally billions of euro being spent across the country.

To be fair now, the question I was asked to respond to was in relation to investment in County Cork. There has been considerable investment right across the education system, and the Department of education has full sight of it. I acknowledge the frustration of schools that urgently need to progress to the next stage, but there has been serious engagement over recent weeks and months on how we are going to prioritise and make sure our investment in 2027 addresses the most critical points, such as the condition of b…

I thank Deputy Sherlock very much for raising this matter. As she rightly said, a reception class has been in operation in St. Joseph's Co-Educational Primary School, East Wall, since 2002. This class operates as a preparatory infant year for four-year-olds. The reception class was one of a small number that operated prior to the establishment of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme, to provide pre-junior infants education in certain communities. With the wide expansion of the ECCE scheme, this is n…

There has been a huge amount of investment at Department of education level in terms of disadvantage, including in DEIS and so on. We are not blind to the fact that there are massive challenges in some communities with disadvantage. We are applying the resources to make sure we give every child the best possible chance in disadvantaged areas and across the education system. In parallel, the early childcare scheme has been hugely funded. The funding that has gone into it in the past quarter of a century to bring it …

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. The Teaching Council is the independent regulatory body of the teaching profession in Ireland. It was established under the Teaching Council Act 2001, as amended. The council's role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. This is carried out through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly qualified teaching profession whose members meet and uphold high standards of professional competence and conduct. As …

We have to ensure the Teaching Council is an independent regulatory body and that it carries out its independent registration function. Neither I nor any Department has a role in that because it has to be very much independent. By being so independent, its authority and status is upheld. The Department has advised me the average processing time for registration of qualifications gained outside the Republic of Ireland is seven weeks from receipt of completed applications. Directive 2005/36/EC says it must be done wi…

I thank the Senator very much. I welcome the opportunity to address Seanad Éireann. The promotion of STEM and digital learning within our education system is a key priority in the Department. This is reflected in multiple strategy documents, such as the STEM Education Policy statement, Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and Ireland’s Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033: Every Learner from Birth to Young Adulthood. STEM stretches across all aspects of today's world and the innovation that em…

I wish them the very best of good luck. It is a huge achievement on the robotics competition in Missouri as well. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the civic reception this evening but the Senator might convey my congratulations to all concerned, particularly the students. Inclusive education is all about ensuring that everybody's strengths are being harnessed within the education system and encouraging students across all levels. Education is the great enabler, both at primary and post-primary school, to…

I thank Senator Conway very much for the opportunity to address the House today on an issue I know is of real and ongoing importance to the people of County Clare and the wider mid-west. I am taking this Commencement on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. At the outset, I reassure the Senator that the Government is fully committed to improving patient services and delivering patient-centred care that truly meets the needs of patients and their families. That commitment is reflected in the si…

I thank the Senator. As he will know quite well, I am very familiar with County Clare. We have had the benefit of holidaying in County Clare for many years. What a beautiful part of the world. I also know the distance from west Clare and north Clare to Limerick and to Ennis, so I know the distance people are travelling. I come from a rural area myself so I know the imposition on families and patients and the challenges for long-term commuting several times a week. I accept Senator Conway's point. There was a refere…

I compliment Senator Comyn on the passion and commitment she showed to Drogheda and its environs. She was clearly not reading from a script but speaking from the heart. She gave a strong defence of the strengths of Drogheda and how the town can play a pivotal part in Ireland's security in the future. Well done on that. It is great to see the Senator show such passion and commitment to her community. I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, who unfortunately cannot be here. She has asked me t…

I ask the Senator to keep up the excellent work. Her passion and commitment to her community come across in spades. I understand a wise person once said that if you have pride in your community, you have pride in your nation and your world. It is a great attribute to have. Well done. The Senator has made her point and has engaged with the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee. We have serious commitment to the east coast in the programme for Government. In the immediate term and short te…

I thank all the Deputies from across the House who have contributed to this important discussion. The contributions from across the House have been thoughtful, constructive and, above all, grounded in the lived experience of the families and people affected by rare diseases. Many Members have spoken with real insight and compassion about the challenges faced, the long wait for diagnosis, the difficulty navigating services, the strain placed on families and the understandable frustration when access to medicine and …

I appreciate the importance of this issue but I do not want to mislead the House. There is movement on it. We are pushing it with seriousness at our end. There is a lot of complexity involved but we are working seriously on the issue. I cannot give the Deputy dates but I can guarantee that everything that can be done on the Government's part is being done. We all know families and individuals affected by this. We are bound to ensure we remove any obstacles on our side. That is being done in a very serious way.

An Post is a commercial semi-State company with a mandate to act commercially. As such, day-to-day operational matters such as decisions in relation to the size, distribution and future of the network are matters for the board and the management of the company. They are not matters in respect of which either the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, or the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, have a statutory function. The Ministers are well aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in An Post operations have …

The point the Deputy makes is one that is being made about urban and rural Ireland by people across the country. An Post has been a very trusted brand over many years. As with everything, life evolves. There is a big challenge for An Post in the context of how the traditional mail delivery service has moved on in terms of the amount of mail being posted, but there has also been a huge uptick in parcel deliveries. It is very important that An Post is properly structured, not just in urban areas but also right across…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am answering the issue on behalf of the Minister, James Browne, who sends his apologies as he cannot be here. As the Deputy knows, Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services and planning. Neither I nor the Minister have operational functions in respect of the matter. However, we have made inquiries with Uisce Éireann and have been informed that it is committed to solving and replacing the necessary section of the Maynooth-Leixl…

I hear loud and clear the frustration in the Deputy's voice in relation to this issue. The points he made are very relevant. Water is a basic requirement for everyday living. The Deputy referred to children, adults and the elderly. Water is a fundamental aspect of everyday living. The Deputy also spoke about businesses and the frustration people have when the water is cut off. The challenge we have is when there is a commitment given that it will be back by 9 a.m. but does not come back until 2 p.m. the following d…