I raise a very serious health issue, namely, the lack of proper provision of home care hours for our elderly people, particularly in rural Ireland, with counties Kerry and Cork having the longest waiting lists of elderly people seeking to avail of the home care package. The number of older people in the country waiting on these hours stands at 5,556, of whom, astonishingly, 1,018 are in the Kerry and Cork areas. That is unreal. Alarming figures show that the number of over 65s has increased by 41% to 833,000 people…

I raise an issue on behalf of Councillor Teddy O'Sullivan and Jean O'Sullivan in Kenmare regarding the lack of respite services in Kerry for the most vulnerable in our society. In the programme for Government, the Government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities. St. Francis Special School in Beaufort, County Kerry, is committed to providing care and education to pupils with moderate and severe to profound intellectual disabilities. A key strength of the school is …

I welcome the Minister of State. I welcome his statements and all the Government initiatives to allow everybody who goes out on our roads to get home safely. As every Senator has outlined, the issues are, in order: speeding; distracted driving; drunk driving and drug driving; poor road conditions; a lack of pedestrian infrastructure; and inadequate vehicle safety features, especially in older vehicles that lack safety features like air bags. These are followed by reckless driving, weather conditions and enforcement…

I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House. I express my best wishes to him in his new role. I look forward to working with him and to his statement in relation to my Commencement matter. I will discuss the complete deterioration and disrepair of the N69 national road from an area called Bolton's Cross, around Listowel, to the Tim Kennelly roundabout in Listowel. As a national road, the N69 into Listowel is a lifeline and the gateway into the town from Limerick and the west. To say this is a safety iss…

I thank the Minister of State. It is unfortunate to hear the statement on the works. My community, which I represent on a national front, has been enduring this road for a long time. It is disappointing to hear that TII and Kerry County Council have not been in a position to prioritise the scheme for the N69 from Bolton's Cross to Tim Kennelly roundabout. It is an embarrassment at this stage. I do not know how to take back the information that there is no start date or finish date for the works that I proposed for …

I also welcome Deputy Cahill, Ms Tongour and Ms Dunne to the Upper House today. I will speak on a project down in Kerry that Deputy Cahill has supported. I welcome the recent granting of planning permission for the Shannon LNG 600 MW power plant on the Shannon Estuary at the 630-acre land bank at Tarbert-Ballylongford. This marks a milestone for the national energy sector and the local community. This development brings with it a range of socioeconomic benefits including the creation of hundreds of jobs during the …

I thank the Minister of State and congratulate him and his predecessor, the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, who was in that seat before him. I thank him for the work he has done with the OPW in the communities that I represent and that have been devastated by recent storms. This morning I ask the Minister of State to make a statement on the minor flood relief scheme for the Listowel and Killocrim areas. Over the past few years, Listowel has been a lightning rod for flood events. Following on from seriou…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The matter I tabled was to the effect that works commence and that the Minister of State make a statement. What the Minister of State said was encouraging but he did not indicate when the works will commence, which is what I need to take back to my community today. If the Minister of State can expedite the works and, hopefully, allay the fears that these people are living with every day, I would appreciate that. Listowel has been identified for the full flood relief sche…

I welcome the Minister of State. I congratulate him on his role. The diaspora issue is especially close to my heart. As I understand it, a diaspora is the dispersion or gathering of a particular group of people from their original homelands to various parts of the world, especially in the world we live in now. This is often down to historical, political, social or economic factors. These displaced communities maintain a connection with their ancestral roots while also adapting to their new environments. The experie…

I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him on his appointment. I know from the last Ministry he held that the elderly are in good hands. Seanad Éireann acknowledges the contribution older people have made to Irish society. They have shaped the country's economic, cultural and social fabric. Our elderly have historically been active in their local communities, contributing through volunteerism, organising social events and participating in religious community organisations. In our society older people serv…

I am sorry. Over recent times we have seen a rise also in burglaries. I am proposing that older people be reimbursed when they install home alarms, so they can live without any threat to their safety. I wish to formally propose that after all the storms, especially Storm Éowyn. We should seriously target our elderly and sick people living at home and ensure funding is immediately made available to install a generator and all associated works for our elderly in the next budget under the housing adaptation grants. Th…

I call on the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, with responsibility for the OPW, to come to the House, not for the first time, to tell us when the minor flood relief scheme works in Listowel and Kilocrim will commence. People are living in fear. These storms can hit at anytime. When I was elected to the Seanad, I said I would do my utmost and my best to represent the people of my community, which was totally devastated by a recent flood event. There has been nothing, no information and no communication back from any…

I rise to support and highlight the serious concerns of the people of the Listowel and Killacrim areas. Recently, on 23 November, what was classed as the perfect storm came to north Kerry and devastated over 70 homes and businesses. People visit Listowel during race week. Listowel Racecourse was overwhelmed by the flooding. People were left homeless a couple of weeks before Christmas. As regards the carnage that led from Storm Bert, there was a yellow warning that night. The weather warning for rain was not too sig…

I will highlight ongoing issues around the Shannon LNG project off the coast of Kerry on the Shannon Estuary. It offers several positive contributions to Ireland's energy security, economic development, job creation and community growth, especially in the north Kerry area, which I represent. The project would provide Ireland with a crucial diversified source of natural gas, reducing dependence on a single energy source and ensuring a more resilient energy supply as global energy markets fluctuate. The ability to im…

This my first time speaking in such a House. The Cathaoirleach quoted John B. Keane, the greatest playwright this country probably ever had. He said that being a Kerryman was, in his opinion, the greatest gift that God can bestow on any man. When one belongs to Kerry, one knows that one has a head start on the other fellow. Whether it is senior hurling, and I very much hope it is senior football we are playing right now, Kerry people very much have a chance of success. Indeed, the Cathaoirleach is not the only Kerr…