While all of this is very welcome, it is essential that funding and infrastructure be distributed fairly across the State and never concentrated in a small number of locations. County Louth provides a strong example of the potential that exists regionally when investment and opportunities are made available. The film "Skintown", produced by Keeper Pictures with the support of Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen, was filmed in Dundalk in 2025, further cementing the area's role as an emerging regional hub for …

I have been following the statements this afternoon. Many colleagues have given a good idea of the shape and size of haulier firms throughout the country. We have 4,779 hauliers across the island of Ireland and 70% of them have no more than three trucks, yet they contribute €3.7 billion per annum to the economy. Unusually, these are not multinationals. These are small firms that operate in local communities. Indeed, they spend locally, they employ locally and they do good for the local economy. Many of my colleague…

I would like to ask the Minister about community groups, essential youth services that provide vital services in the community, particularly those in County Louth. Has provision been made to combat the cost of auto-enrolment and the increase in the minimum wage? Have they been factored into their budgets and will there be additional budgets for them in 2026?

I obviously am going to welcome any increases in budget and she is right when she says there are pockets across the country where the demand is far in excess of the places that are available. In County Louth we have 114 childcare services but only 31 of those offer places for children under the age of two. That equates to less than 30%. While maternity leave has been extended, for a family that needs one or both parents to go back to work unpaid maternity leave is of no benefit as they have bills to pay and they ne…

Do I have another minute?

I will be. I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. He is very kind. I thank the Minister very much for all of the advances she is making. However, back in 1990, Mary Robinson stood up and said that the hand that rocked the cradle had rocked the system. If we do not address this issue and find childcare places for the young babies and toddlers of this generation of young women, the only thing they will be doing in the future is rocking the cradle. There will be no system for them to rock.

First and foremost, I want to address the issues we witnessed in Drogheda last week. It appears two thugs kicked in the front door, set light to the stairs and this resulted in 28 people being homeless. It resulted in eight people having to go to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital to seek treatment. Thankfully, none of those injuries were serious. However, let us put ourselves in the shoes of those people for those hours and the subsequent hours afterwards. These were people who were going about their ordinary Halloween …

Thank you, Deputy.

You are over time.

Use your time quickly and beneficially.

I thank the Minister for the support he has offered to farmers since taking up the role. I have spent many a day and many an hour discussing the issues facing farmers and I thank him for the support, especially for the farmers of County Louth. In his opening statement, the Minister addressed the issues and challenges facing tillage farmers in particular. These include downward pricing, the cost of land and the increasing costs they have to face in order to produce as much as they do year in and year out. We have se…

I wish to discuss the rule that excludes widows and widowers from receiving illness benefit solely because they are in receipt of a widower's pension, notwithstanding the fact that they have returned to work and are paying all of their PRSI contributions. The Minister of State will be aware that illness benefit is a contribution-based process. If somebody has returned to work and has made their PRSI payments, and then through unfortunate circumstances has to leave work because of an illness, I do not see any reason…

I thank the Minister of State. In fact, I welcome the widening of the eligibility in regard to who does and does not qualify for a widow's pension. That, in itself, was an anomaly that was highlighted through a campaign in the press due to that widower. Let us reflect for a moment on the fact that, as the Minister of State said, if somebody is in receipt of a reduced widow's pension, they may also be entitled to a reduced illness benefit so that the combined sum reaches the maximum rate of illness benefit they woul…

There is no denying the benefits of sport for our mental and physical health. Our boys and girls across Louth, as Deputy McGreehan has said, have benefited from a vast amount of sports capital grants. However, there are two blips in that horizon at present. One is that Louth does not have a county GAA stadium. Deputy McGreehan has rightly pointed out that we are all 100% behind the missing funding that is needed to complete the stadium. It is a place where we can bring communities, young boys and young girls, toget…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Grace Boland - To discuss the national fare structure for train fares announced by the NTA. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss the distribution of the shingles vaccine for the over-66 population. Deputy Mark Wall - To discuss the lack of available childcare places in Kilcullen, County Kildare. Deputy Ruth Coppinger - To discuss the 3011 school bus rout…

I wish to discuss the NCSE’s new guideline review. In the last three days, my office has been inundated with emails and the telephone lines have been choked by calls from concerned parents, principals and SNAs. The guidelines have actually sowed confusion among the school community and among parents. As a parent myself, I consider it a huge privilege to be able to give my son the best education and to meet his needs how and where possible so when I get concerns from other parents, SNAs, teachers and principals on t…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I hope it reassures principals, teachers, SNAs and, in particular, parents, because this has been an issue, as the Minister of State said, which has worried hundreds if not thousands of people across the country. I am particularly thankful that the NCSE will be contacting schools in the coming days to clarify the position because, while I appreciate the reply, I am not sure how many people are tuned into Oireachtas TV. Despite our best efforts to reply to everybody, lite…

Domestic violence continues to impact thousands of lives in our communities. The need for support services has never been greater. The Minister recently said that Ireland has a very big problem when it comes to domestic violence. Cases have risen dramatically. In my constituency of Louth, we have seen a 52% increase over five years and nearly 27% of an increase between 2023 and 2024. I welcome the Minister’s announcement of the €3.2 million funding call to expand domestic, gender-based and sexual violence supports …

It is no secret that the tourism industry is one of our most valuable indigenous sectors. Over the decades, it has reached every corner of Ireland, providing jobs and opening our communities to the world, not just other parts of Ireland. It is no secret, however, that over the last number of years the sector has been struggling and has had challenges. It has faced these challenges remarkably well considering what we have been through - Brexit, Covid and the cost of living. However, these challenges persist. The bar…

I thank the Minister for those updates. I look forward to welcoming those extra visits to County Louth now that the cap will be lifted. When it comes to County Louth, I will never shy away from broadcasting and promoting the county. Indeed, as people arrive in Dublin Airport and head to the north east, I have a vision of seeing Drogheda as the welcoming mat for County Louth. Without a shadow of a doubt it is the biggest town in Ireland, followed closely by Dundalk. With its coastal beauty, heritage and historical v…