I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response to my question. I acknowledge the great strides being made on heart care in the State. I note the developments regarding this area as well. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, this condition is rapidly on the increase. It affects almost 150,000 people in the country. We need to be aware of it. Those affected have to endure physical constraints daily, and the psychological effects of having to live with that are immeasurable. There are also financial hardshi…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire ar ais go dtí an Teach seo tráthnóna. The Minister is very welcome back to the House this afternoon. I thank him for his comprehensive outline of the background of the Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024. As he said, freedom of speech is important and is something that we must protect at all costs. I know journalists are powerful individuals but it is important that they be held to account at the same time. It is imperative that people have a right to respond. I think a balance has been str…

I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the establishment …

Fearaim fáilte mhór roimh an Aire ar ais go dtí an Teach seo inniu. The Minister is very welcome back to the House this afternoon. I compliment him again on his attendance in this House. He is a regular visitor here and it is very much appreciated. I know he has a lot on his desk at the moment but the respect he clearly shows towards this House is noted and appreciated by us all so gabhaim buíochas leis as sin. I am happy on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group here to take on board the recommendations that the Minister…

We can all agree on one thing, namely, that housing is a major issue for this country and the Government. Unfortunately, there are no silver bullets when it comes to finding a solution to the problem, but there are small steps that can help to increase the supply. One initiative introduced in this regard was the vacant property grant, which has been a great success. Up to March this year, there have been over 12,000 applications, of which over 8,500 have been approved to a value of €112.5 million. It is not just ab…

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. Like Senator Noonan, I pay tribute to our former colleague, Vincent P. Martin, who initiated this legislation in the last term. I commend him on that. I commend Senator Ryan on her contribution. I am sorry she had to go through what she went through. I can only imagine the pain and suffering she endured. Her sharing of that this afternoon is one of the most powerful contributions I have heard in the Seanad, and it is my third term here. I commend her on her bravery…

Tomorrow morning at 9.30.

Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Teach seo inniu. I extend a very warm welcome to all our visitors here this afternoon. As the Minister of State will be well aware, speed is crucial for accurate diagnosis. Timely and accurate diagnosis are essential for effective treatment planning, improved patient outcomes and reduced risks. Accuracy is, of course, paramount but the speed of diagnosis can significantly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in our hospitals. Anyone who has v…

I thank the Minister of State for her detailed response. I fully appreciate that, as she outlined, it is a very big undertaking and a complex piece of work. We all understand and accept there will be teething problems. However, it is important that while doing so, we do not close our ears to what doctors and medics are saying to us and that, during the process, we listen to their concerns. We know that delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis, which can result in delayed or perhaps no treatment thereafter, is something th…

I am very happy to speak briefly on this debate. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her and the Minister, Deputy Foley, for their work on this area and, indeed, you, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhach, for your time as Minister of State. You were very proactive in that regard. I thank my colleague Senator Tom Clonan sincerely for not just his work on and input into this Bill but indeed his work in this entire area. His commitment, his tireless work and his love for his son Eoghan are clear for anybody to…

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, we are very happy to support both the motions as outlined in great detail by the Minister of State. We are happy that this debate is taking place. As the Minister of State did, I pay tribute to the brave women and men of An Garda Síochána who go out on a daily basis and put their lives at risk to ensure that we can enjoy a relatively safe and free society. I thank him for outlining in great detail the subject matter of the business b…

The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. I, too, welcome Senator Pat Casey's guests, namely Pat and Barry, and the school pupils. I hope they have a very enjoyable day here. One of the many difficult aspects of the current housing crisis is the availability of funds for investment in housing and, indeed, many other projects. Government finance has accelerated over recent years but it is simply not enough without the support of considerable finance from other sources. That there is almost €170 billion in …

I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. I know the area is not his own and that it is that of the Minister, Paschal Donohoe, as he alluded to. I find the response rather disappointing. While I take a point about the State savings scheme, if we have a resource of €170 billion sitting on deposit that makes very little interest for those savers, surely it is a resource the State should look at utilising. Other European countries have gone down this road, and I just named France as one, and it has proven ve…

Last week, we learned that the British Government had made a commitment of £50 million towards the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast. This follows on from a similar commitment given by the Irish Government back in 2024 to a similar figure through the shared island fund. When we combine the contributions from both Governments, plus the GAA's contribution, I think the figure is about £120 million. The estimated cost for the redevelopment of Casement Park is £260 million. That leaves a shortfall of approximate…

I will proceed, if that is okay.

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. This matter relates to defective apartment blocks and where exactly matters stand in that regard. In January 2023, the Government announced its approval of draft legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013 and affected by fire safety, structural safety and water ingress issues. It is estimated that between 50% and 80% of all apartments and duplexes constructed in Ireland during that period may be affected, whi…

I move that the House stand suspended until after the vote.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, and his guests to the House. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, for outlining the interim remediation scheme. There is an urgency attached to this because we are speaking about fire safety. On the face of it, listening to the Minister of State's response, it has been a fairly long-winded exercise to date. We are going through the pathfinder route, which makes sense from the point of view of learning lessons before we roll out the entire scheme. I have se…

I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations on an agreement between the European Union …

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for outlining very comprehensively the motion before us. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, I welcome the debate and support the motion. It is important that we have as much co-operation as we possibly can. As the Minister of State said, we are not committing to anything at this stage. Rather, we are only opening negotiations and are not tying ourselves to anything. The issue of returns highlights once again that we need as much co-operation as we can get on t…