I appear before the House today to discuss the motion seeking approval for Ireland to exercise the option, in accordance with Article 29.4.7°.i of Bunreacht na hÉireann, to participate in enhanced co-operation on the establishment of a loan for Ukraine. It is almost four years since Russia's unprovoked, unlawful and unjustifiable attack on Ukraine began and the situation in Ukraine remains grave. Russia's illegal war of aggression has claimed almost 15,000 civilian lives and over 100,000 military casualties. It has…

I thank everybody for their contributions to today's discussion on this motion, which seeks the Seanad's approval for Ireland to exercise the option in accordance with Article 29.4.7 of Bunreacht na hÉireann to participate in enhanced co-operation on the establishment of a loan for Ukraine. I have noted the reactions and comments and hope to respond to some of the key themes raised across the time remaining. I acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion in the House on this proposed loan. The one point I take…

The purpose of the Credit Review Bill is to establish a new statutory body, the credit review service, in place of the existing Credit Review Office. Credit Review is a body under the aegis of the Department of Finance and was established by the Minister for Finance in 2010 under section 210 of the National Asset Management Agency Act 2009 with the objective of facilitating access to bank credit for viable businesses. It provides a valuable service to SMEs and farm businesses that are having difficulty obtaining ba…

I thank Senators for contributing to the debate this evening. I thank Senator Casey for sharing his personal experience in terms of the challenges businesses face, particularly during that difficult economic period for the country. I am delighted to see that his well-established and well-performing hotel in Glendalough, which I have visited many times, continues to thrive.

I did not get it the last time I was there, but he was not a Senator at the time, so he did not require the vote. In all seriousness, this is somebody who is creating jobs in a rural location. That is really what this Bill is about. It is about protecting jobs and businesses. It is not an insignificant amount of money that the office has ensured stayed in the economy. It is €86.35 million that perhaps would not have been in the economy were it not for the establishment of this office. That means keeping businesses …

The recourse is through the office of the financial ombudsman. The office of the financial ombudsman is always there when anybody feels any financial institution or pension institution is not acting in an appropriate manner. In the most recent budget, that office received a substantial increase in funding from the State to ensure it could hire more people so that cases could be dealt with in a much more efficient way. Senator Murphy talked about the number of cases where the Credit Review Office had recommended app…

I thank the Deputy for raising this extremely important topic. She is right in part of what she said. The Department of Finance, the Tánaiste and I acknowledge that the disabled driver's and disabled passenger's scheme, as the Deputy outlined, is not fit for purpose. That has been confirmed on multiple occasions. While acknowledging that it is not fit for purpose, it is important to recognise that the scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on the use of adapted cars. It also provides an exemption from motor tax an…

When the Government took office this year, we committed to a step change in the delivery of supports and services for people with a disability and their families. That is a priority for the whole of Government. Budget 2026 is the first step in the delivery of this ambition, providing €3.83 billion to specialist disability services next year. That is an unprecedented increase of €618 million a year, or 20%. That reinforces and demonstrates our commitment to disability services. I will take back what the Deputy said …

I thank my friend and colleague. I will read the standard script because the previous question I answered was for my own Department. This one is in relation to the Department of education, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me, on her behalf, an opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the school building project for Bunclody Community College, Bunclody, County Wexford. The project referred to by the Deputy is…

I thank Deputy Byrne for raising this project forcefully and working with Councillor Barbara-Anne Murphy in advocating on behalf of the school, the teachers and the students who go to this school. As I said, the NDP allocation, which was announced last year, was €7.55 billion over 2026 to 2030. The Deputy made a very strong case that this school is part of that allocation process. All I can say is that I will bring the Deputy's message, that he brought very forcefully to the floor of the Dáil, to the Minister for e…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to update the House on the current position regarding the school building project for Coláiste Daibhéid, Cork. The project referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department's pipeline for a project under the additional school accommodation scheme. The project will provide one multimedia room, one textiles room, one graphics room, one construction room, one technology prep area, one science laboratory, and prep area and one projec…

The Deputy is dead right. My colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is fully supportive of the upgrade to this school. Last year, in the updated national development plan, €7.55 billion was committed in respect of educational investment. This will ensure the completion of the 300 or so school building projects already under construction, which will deliver over 22,300 new and modernised school places across primary and post-primary, the expansion of special education provision and the provision of a reco…

I welcome, on behalf of the Minister for Finance, the opportunity to discuss the Private Members' motion tabled by Sinn Féin regarding the cost of motoring. The Government proposes to put forward a countermotion. While it is acknowledged that the cost of motoring may be a challenge for many, the Opposition's motion fails to take into account the progress made by this and previous Governments in the areas it has highlighted. We would be in a much worse position if it were not for this progress, something convenientl…

That is not what I said.

I thank Senator Kyne for raising this issue on behalf of his constituent's family. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Primary care therapy services such a speech and language therapy play a central role in the provision of early and cost-effective interventions. However, the HSE has advised that primary care therapy services such as speech and language therapy are experiencing increased pressure due to an increase in referrals, alongside…

I appreciate the Senator's frustration. He raised a specific query in relation to his own area in Connemara. To be fair to the Department, it acknowledges that this is a problem. It has adopted a national plan as to how to target this problem in relation to the systematic programme it will roll out across the three disciplines: occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. If the scheme is improved nationally, it will have an impact across all regions. I will take back what the Senator has ra…

The Minister again thanks Deputies O'Rourke, Clarke and Ó Laoghaire for bringing forward this Bill and for giving the House an opportunity to debate an issue that affects many families in the country. The Deputies' concern for affordability in education is both genuine and shared across this Chamber. We may differ on the mechanisms, but not on the principle. Every child deserves to go to school without cost being a barrier and no parent should feel financial pressure simply because they want to give their child the…

I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, who, unfortunately, cannot be present. He asked me to pass on his apologies to the House. On his behalf, I welcome the opportunity to respond on this matter and thank Deputy Ward for his question. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the long association between the Naval Service and Dún Laoghaire. There is a long-standing tradition of Naval Service ships using harbours and piers on the east coast for shelter and shore leave. The Report of the Comm…

As previously outlined, the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces called for the development of an east coast base for the Naval Service. While IPVs can currently operate from Haulbowline, it is a strategic goal of the Defence Forces to develop a forward-operating base on the east coast. I agree with Deputy Ward on the need for the Government to start implementing some of the recommendations outlined by the commission. In the short term, the Department has engaged with the county council to agree terms for…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I understand the Ministers, Deputies O'Callaghan and Browne, met with Mayor Moran today to discuss this matter. The fact that meeting took place indicates how serious the matter is being taken by all who attended it. I commend Mayor Moran on coming to meet directly with the two Ministers. I am hopeful a solution can be found in the short term to the funding issues that arise to keep the CCTV scheme running. In fairness to both Ministers, they are anxious to see …