I welcome Austin and his family to the House. I followed Austin’s heroics out at sea, from where he swam back in. A triathlon was mentioned by the Acting Chair. Austin was very brave. The Irishness came out through him. He was never going to give up, and he did not give in. We acknowledge that today. I hope the Cathaoirleach and the State in some way acknowledge Austin's bravery. I also welcome Deputy David Maxwell, who is with the family. Well done, Austin. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I …

It is great when to hear such great and welcome news for the people of Kerry. This will be a 130-bed unit that will serve not just Kerry but also neighbouring areas across the county border. I was recently contacted by elderly people who are recuperating following hospital visits or whatever and who do not have community hospitals in their areas. They have been going to Killarney as a result. This is great news. I am delighted that all stakeholders are being engaged with. There is an end line in sight. I ask that t…

It is.

I thank the Minister of State.

I wish to raise the urgent need to progress the primary care centre for Cahersiveen in County Kerry and indeed south Kerry. The people of the Iveragh Peninsula have waited a long time for this facility and they are anxious that no unnecessary delays will occur. This centre is essential to improving local healthcare and easing the pressures on local families on the peninsula. The new centre will bring a wide range of services together under one roof. It will provide GP care, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational ther…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. I acknowledge the incredible amount of work he and his office have done. When there were flooding issues across the whole country recently, including in the east but also in the west, he came down to my area and really looked after the people in Listowel and Killocrim, which were totally devastated. Their lives were turned upside down by the recent flooding. To the Minister of State, his Department, Martina, his secretary, and all involved, thanks a million from the pe…

I want to raise the ugly side of the GAA. On 24 May, Sunday week, the biggest game of the All-Ireland football championships this year will be on in Killarney when Kerry play Donegal. The GAA has again put championship football behind a bloody paywall. Ordinary rural people with issues in Kerry and Donegal, and indeed the whole country, are being excluded from viewing this spectacular game of football. The very people who built the GAA are being excluded from watching it, including elderly people living alone at ho…

We see Westmeath contesting the provincial final against Dublin next weekend. We saw Cork the last day as well. The second best sideline ball ever taken by a footballer was taken by Monaghan's Jack McCarron, all viewed on RTÉ, which took Monaghan to a provincial final. We see the delight in the crowds and the number of people attending these games again. Unfortunately, what does the GAA do? It hides the Kerry and Donegal game away from the very people who made the association. All the provincial finals are on TV wi…

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for his work. The Department of agriculture is probably the heaviest Department, given recent activities going on and the role the Minister is playing in it. I acknowledge the benefits the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, has delivered for farmers, supporting investment, improving efficiency and helping the sector move towards greater sustainably. Farmers value the schemes but many have contacted me with serious concerns about how the current tranch…

I thank the Minister. That was a very detailed response on the success of TAMS. My objective for the farming communities that are finding it hard is to streamline the process and make it more user friendly for farmers living on their own who are not up to speed with all the data the Minister has outlined. I welcome the success of the scheme. The Minister mentioned funding for the tranches in 2027. The closing window for that TAMS is 2027-----

That is the closing window for the CAP. I do not have much to take back to the farmers who are looking for streamlining. Could the farming community have a door to open in relation to fast-tracking their applications and could we make sure that the forms are easier to fill out in order to get the necessary funding? These are small farmers milking 30, 40 or 50 cows. We do not want to see them disappear. Due to high energy costs at the moment, we need to do a lot more in that regard and give them all the help we can …

I wish to raise a very important matter and request an update from the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy James Lawless, regarding the future of student contribution fees and the Government's stated commitment to reducing and ultimately abolishing these fees over the lifetime of this Government. In our committee meeting last week, I proposed that following on from the permanent measures taken to reduce the student fees in budget 2026 we continue to reduce the fees in…

I raise the issues surrounding the operation of the targeted agriculture modernisation scheme, TAMS, which is a farm investment grant scheme run by the Department of agriculture, and how we can make the system more accessible and workable for farmers. There is growing frustration across the sector with the current ranking and selection process. That is the main barrier. Many farmers applying for slurry storage, solar PV and other essential investments are being ruled out, even where they are trying to meet new envi…

The recent bad weather across the country has taken its toll on all our road networks. The roads on the local improvement scheme, LIS, are now mud tracks. It is with a deep sense of frustration and sadness that I once again highlight the crisis facing many families across rural Kerry under the LIS. Kerry County Council has shown time and again it has the capacity and commitment to deliver under the scheme. It is ready and able to utilise up to €5 million per annum, yet the allocation provided remains at approximate…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. As we both stated, everyone welcomes the €2.2 million for Kerry, but we have told the Department that €5 million is needed to put any strain on this to take an extra 30 or 40 roads off this LIS scheme per annum. We did not get that. The frustration I show today is because when other counties give back their allocations I do not know where that money goes. Did it go back into other roads or funding mechanisms within Kerry? I am not sure. I am not aware. The people I sp…

I thank the Minister of State and welcome her. I, too, attended the disability matters committee this morning, and the health committee, and I too was taken aback by the pain that all the individuals and advocate groups are going through. However, I recommend and testify to the work that Deputy Higgins is doing as Minister of State in her new role. I am going to speak specifically, in three minutes flat if I can, about respite for the people of Kerry. The two ladies who spoke at the committee meeting this morning, …

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the floor this morning. We are living through an energy emergency not in theory but in reality, and the State knows it. Two years ago, the Government ran Exercise Cathal, a national simulation to test how Ireland would respond to major disruption in our gas supply. That exercise was not academic; there was a clear acknowledgment that the risk is real, that the consequences would be catastrophic for Ireland and that the Government knows lives and livelihoods will b…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. We are in the depths of despair in relation to our energy and fuel costs right now. We have a planning project that is shovel-ready. It is at no cost to the Exchequer and will bring about a reduction in the price of fuel and energy costs to the people of this country. It has been going on. Basically what we are looking for here is a regular update on where it is. It has been going on for far too long in my area. It needs to be prioritised today. We need regular feedback …

I am calling on the Government to waive the student exam fees for the 2026 junior cycle and leaving certificate exams in light of the cost of living. Working families must be protected. For 2026, students are being asked to pay €109 for the junior cycle and €116 for the leaving certificate. While these amounts may seem small, they place a real burden on the working family right now, particularly at a time when the cost-of-living challenges are so significant and the family has more than one child sitting State exam…

I welcome the Minister of State. My Commencement matter calls on the Minister for Transport to make a statement on the provision of additional funding for proposed road improvement works on the national N69 route from Bolton's Cross to the Tim Kennelly roundabout in Listowel, County Kerry. I am demand again that urgent attention be given to the N69 into Listowel. This is not a minor issue. It is a key artery into Listowel and north Kerry. Thousands of people rely on this road every day for work, school, business, t…