Colm Brophy
Dublin South-West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“The Minister has outlined very clearly our intention in relation to this matter. We have always been very clear that the ARP would be a temporary provision. It was introduced in 2022 as a response to a crisis, always with the view that it would be phased out. That remains the case.”
“It is important to look at the ARP in the context of what is happening here. We are reducing the payment back to the original rate in order to fulfil the original intention. We thank the people for the generosity they showed in opening their homes to Ukrainians who came to live with us here in Ireland.”
“It is important, as the Minister has mentioned, to recognise and thank all of the people who participated in the scheme, and to recognise the work of the Irish Red Cross and the many people who have made the scheme a success. We recognise that there are difficulties with schemes, and that is why this one has been under constant review.”
“What we want to work towards is a solution which recognises that contribution and which examines how, in the longer term, we can work with the Ukrainian people in our country and with the Government of Ukraine in order to ensure that a pathway exists for them to either continue to live here or, if they so choose, to return home.”
“lreland ratified the convention on International Women's Day, 8 March 2019. Zero Tolerance: Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence 2022-2026 is structured around the four pillars of the convention, namely, prevention, protection, prosecution and policy co-ordination.”
“Some of the treaty provisions relate to the justice sphere and, therefore, Title V of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. In light of Ireland’s position under Protocol 21, the court determined that two decisions were necessary, one to cover areas coming within scope of Protocol 21 where an opt-in is required and another t…”
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“I convey the apologies of my colleague, the Minister, Jim O'Callaghan, who regrets that he cannot be here because he unfortunately has another commitment at this time. He has asked me to reply to Senator Nelson Murray and to thank her for raising this important issue, which I know is very important to her. The Senator has been one of the strongest advocates on this matter. I appreciate her giving me the opportunity to provide some clarity on some of the areas of the personal injury guidelines that have been drawn up for implementation. I know the Senator is very familiar with all of this but I will just say at the outset that it is not a matter for the Minister for Justice to approve the adoption of the guidelines.”
“While the licensing of firearms holders is not carried out by the Department of Justice, the Minister recognises and acknowledges the dedication and responsibility of firearm owners and also their contribution to conservation in rural communities. The Minister and the Department are committed to engaging with relevant stakeholders on any potential policy or legislative changes in these areas. I will take the opportunity on behalf of the Senator, as I have no doubt she will also do, to raise the points she has made about the lack of a table, which was a very good colloquial way of putting it, and put them directly to the Minister. I can clearly see that is necessary. I again thank Senator Lynch for her contribution. I will pass her remarks directly to the Minister.”
“This meant that it was not possible for any further meetings to take place, as the Senator mentioned in her contribution, and, in effect, put the FCP into abeyance. Notwithstanding these difficulties, it remains the intention of the Minister that any proposed changes to policy will be subject to prior consultation with firearms stakeholders. In addition, if there are any changes to EU legislation, which we are obliged to implement, all stakeholders will be informed as a matter of course.”
“This was to ensure that stakeholder organisations and their members could engage fully in this consultation process. As part of the process, the then Minister of State and departmental officials met with a number of firearms organisations. Prior to all of this, a non-statutory forum called the firearms consultative panel, FCP, was established. The panel comprised various firearms interest groups, such as the National Association of Regional Game Councils, the Irish Country Sports Association, the National Association of Sporting Rifle and Pistol Clubs, and the IFA. The panel last met in 2019, when it is understood a breakdown in relations between some of the major firearms interest groups occurred.”
“Around 20 firearms dealers attended each forum, at which updates on forthcoming legislation were presented, followed by a discussion and a question and answer session on all issues relevant to the dealers and their clients, who are the firearms holders. All three meetings were deemed to be very beneficial and informative for both the participants and the organisers. Reform of the firearms licensing system has been under consideration by the Department of Justice for a number of years and extensive consultation has been undertaken on this issue. In 2022, a non-statutory advisory body - the firearms expert committee - was established to provide guidance on matters related to firearms licensing in the State. Following the delivery of the committee's report in March 2023, a consultation was launched online that May.”
“The Minister would like to thank the Senator for raising this important matter. As she mentioned in her contribution, the responsibility for firearms policy and legislation rests with the Department of Justice. As issues arise or changes in EU legislation occur, the Minister and departmental officials engage with individual firearms representative organisations and other stakeholders as appropriate. The Department of Justice also works closely with the firearms policy unit of An Garda Síochána, which is responsible for licensing firearms holders. By way of example, three regional firearms forums took place in February. They were held jointly by the Department and the firearms policy unit of An Garda Síochána.”
“Building on such progress, the long-term vision for the future of the rail network is provided for by the all-island strategic rail review, which recommends electrification of inter-city routes, increasing track capacity and the new and reinstated routes I mentioned. Among the review’s 32 strategic recommendations is the reinstatement, as I said, of the western rail corridor between Claremorris and Athenry. This project has the potential to support both passenger and rail freight services and to advance regional connectivity objectives. I thank the Senator for his contribution. I will convey his views to the Minister.”
“I have no doubt the Senator will do that as he has made the case very well today. I will report that back to the Minister. We have made good progress on several projects across the rail network in recent years, including in the west. These include upgrades at Ceannt Station in Galway city, which are under way and scheduled to be completed next year. In addition, a new platform and passing loop at Oranmore station was granted planning permission last February and construction is expected to commence by the end of this year. These projects will increase the capacity and efficiency of the rail network.”
“This would also reconnect Tuam to the railway and enable direct passenger services between Galway and Mayo. It should be noted that individual programmes and projects referred to in the final review report will be advanced, subject to funding and relevant approvals, as required under the infrastructure guidelines in Ireland. Assisted by the European Investment Bank advisory services, the Department of Transport in Ireland, the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland and agencies North and South are working to progress the report’s recommendations in the years ahead. This is to help optimise the sequencing and implementation of the proposed investments. Progress in following up on the rail review will be reported on as appropriate through the North-South Ministerial Council.”
“In order to meet these targets, the review sets out 32 strategic recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland on a phased basis. The recommendations seek to transform the quality of the rail system to the benefit of passengers and wider society through additional track capacity, electrification, increased speeds, higher service frequencies and new and reinstated routes. Included in these recommendations is the reinstatement of the western rail corridor between Claremorris and Athenry. The reinstatement of this line has the potential to support both passenger and rail freight services, allowing a direct route for freight services from Ballina and Westport to ports on the south coast which avoid the more congested part of the rail network around Dublin.”
“I thank the Senator. I am replying to him on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for international road transport, logistics, rail and ports, Deputy Canney. The Senator has done a lot of work on this issue, which he has raised on a number of occasions. As I have no doubt he is aware, the final report of the all-island strategic rail review, which was undertaken by the Department of Transport in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, was published last year. The review will inform the development of rail on the island of Ireland in the coming decades, up to 2050, in line with the net carbon zero targets for both jurisdictions.”
“Again, I reassure the Senator that the appropriate standards and timeframes for opening up are in place. I fully take on board the Senator’s comments and will also pass on to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, her remarks on the experience so many people have when they are looking at what they believe to be incomplete reinstatements after roadworks.”
“Local authorities inspected over 17,000 licences during 2024, with licenceholders following up on remedial works where necessary. These are the appropriate standards and timeframes which are set out in the guidelines and with which licenceholders and the utility companies must comply in respect of opening, backfilling and permanently reinstating road openings. I trust what I have said addresses the Senator's queries, although I know from our mutual experience that there are many local residents who would say that it does not reflect their day-to-day experience.”
“Uisce Éireann will also address issues in respect of the outstanding permanent reinstatement in respect of water services. In addition, a licenceholder is required to guarantee the reinstatement for a specific period of either 24 months or 36 months. During that period any defects must be rectified by the licenceholder. Inspections are a key element of the licensing process to support quality and compliance. A licenceholder is required to certify their completed work and the authority may inspect it. In 2024, licenceholders submitted over 45,000 notifications of completion of work, including certifying that the reinstatement was completed in accordance with the guidelines. If any remedial works are required during the guaranteed period, they will be carried out by the licenceholder.”
“In response to the points raised by the Senator, following the completion of works, a licenceholder is required to ensure that the road opening is reinstated to a proper standard. The licenceholder must also submit what is known as a T5 notification to the relevant local authority within 90 days of the completion of the licensed works. Separately, the Framework for future delivery of water services, which was published in June 2022, sets out the agreed process towards moving all public water services from the control of local authorities to Uisce Éireann and how this will be managed over the period from June 2022 to December 2026. As part of this, Uisce Éireann and local authorities are working to enable the transition to a fully licensed approach for road works operation.”
“General or minor routine works of lower impact are governed by what is known as a T3 licence. The duration of site works of this nature is typically limited to about five days over a period of 60 days. Larger works are governed by what is known as a T2 licence. These works can take up to 30 days over a period of 180 days. Impactful works such as the construction of new infrastructure require advance notification and may have licence validity periods of up to one year. Periods for road works may be extended in particular circumstances. In emergency situations road works which are governed by what is known as a T4 licence are allowed to commence but the licenceholder must inform the licensing authority by 12 noon on the day following the commencement of works. This licence validity is for only 48 hours.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the topic to which it relates on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I also very much welcome the opportunity to do so because the Senator and I live in the same constituency. I know exactly the condition of the roads mentioned and very much agree with the points made her. Road opening licences are issued by local authorities to licenceholders and, in a very limited number of cases, are issued by Transport Infrastructure Ireland. These licences are governed by the guidelines for managing openings in public roads, which were published by the Department in 2017. The guidelines set out the licensing process which must be followed by all applicants for the opening, backfilling and reinstatement of public roads.”
“I know that involves an ongoing determination on our part to ensure we maximise our relationships with our European and international partners and our NGOs to ensure we can get the best benefit from spending our money. We commit to increasing our support for our own programme and working towards that 0.7% target.”
“I thank the Deputy. He makes the valid point that while what has happened with USAID is the most impactful, we have also seen impacts in the range of countries that have reduced their aid budgets, including the UK. At the heart of what we do has always been the process of reaching the furthest behind first. We target our ODA on that basis. The Government is committed to that approach and I reaffirm that it remains at the heart of our approach. There have been annual increases to our ODA. We are working towards a target of achieving 0.7% of gross national income. That commitment remaining at the heart of where we are and our approach to our development aid programme is welcome and important.”
“As the Deputy rightly mentioned, many people give tirelessly of their time, lives and careers to work in this space that includes some great agencies, including Concern and GOAL, etc. To see those jobs being lost and wiped out is devastating. I hope that collectively, on a European and international level, through UN involvement, and in working to see what we can do within our own Government commitments, we can, in whatever way possible, work with the agencies to have an impact on what is happening. As I said, I do not think any country would ever be able to compensate for the devastating impact of what has happened to USAID.”
“It does not receive enough attention on a global basis because of what else is happening but it goes right to the heart of those people who will pay the price. They are the poorest children and people in the poorest countries across the world. The Irish Government is conscious of that. We are going to work with our NGOs and the UN partnerships we have. We are not in a position, and very few countries in the world are in a position, to make up the damage that has been done by the cuts to USAID. However, I know the commitment is there, having worked in the Department and seen that commitment in the staff and people within the Department, on the Irish Aid side, and in the incredible work being done by our NGOs.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I have a reply to read on behalf of the Minister but the Deputy knows what the Minister would say. I want to talk as someone who held the job. There is only one disagreement I have with what the Deputy has said. He said that hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk. I think it is millions. I have seen these issues at first hand. I have travelled across Africa. Irish Aid and our NGOs do an incredible job. The scale, breadth and depth of what USAID was doing on the ground was one of the largest operations in the world, if not the largest. It was unmatched. The absolute devastation of USAID, and the impact it will have on the countries the Deputy so eloquently mentioned in his contribution, cannot be overestimated. It is one of the harshest cuts that the US Administration has introduced.”
“The Department and the NCSE are looking to the 2026-2027 school year and will continue to monitor the need for additional special school provision based on demand. If the Deputy has any particular query about the specific school or children, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, will be more than happy to follow up directly with him as he is not here today.”
“I restate that in excess of 28,000 children are now being supported in special schools and classes. The number of special classes has increased by 100% since 2020. It is the statutory responsibility of the NCSE to work with schools to provide sufficient special education provision each year. As I outlined, budget 2025 provides funding for 400 new special classes - up to 300 additional special school places. The NCSE has announced the location of 399 of these in April, which is much earlier so as to give information at an earlier period in the year. This has provided much-needed clarity to parents as a result. Any schools not sanctioned this year will remain as potential options for future years when demand requires classes to be established.”
“This not only provides parents more options when deciding which schools to apply to but ensures provision continues to grow in a diverse number of schools across regions. As in other years, however, where schools have no available accommodation, especially at post-primary level, and there is known demand in a local area, the Department will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places. I know that both the Minister and the Minister of State, in keeping with the commitment in the new programme for Government, will be working to secure further funding in the upcoming budget to provide further special class and special school places in 2026 in County Tipperary and throughout the country.”
“When assessing the needs in the local area, the NCSE identifies schools in the neighbouring vicinity with available special class vacancies or capacity and assesses their capability with consideration to demographic and statistical data. At a local level in County Tipperary and nationwide, the NCSE examined which schools had capacity to expand and focused on medium and larger primary schools with available accommodation and no existing special class to open a new special class for the 2025-2026 school year. This consideration will continue to factor in planning for the 2026-2027 school year. This will ensure classes can open quickly as existing accommodation can be reconfigured in a more streamlined and efficient manner. It also ensures new provision is established in as many schools as possible.”
“For the coming school year, there will therefore be a total of 155 special classes across County Tipperary supporting more than 900 children. The location of these classes has been decided based on known local demand, and schools that have capacity to expand have been approached in the first instance to accommodate the classes. The NCSE actively encourages expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and the efforts taken by boards of management in expressing their interest are to be commended. However, it is not always possible to open a special class in every school that expresses an interest.”
“As the Deputy is aware, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, visited a number of schools in Tipperary in recent weeks, so he knows first-hand the wonderful work being done in schools in the county as well as the need to bolster provision. Of the 400 new special classes places provided for in budget 2025, 399 of these classes have been sanctioned for the 2025-2026 school year. These new classes have been confirmed earlier than previous years. A total of 17 of these are in County Tipperary, which will provide just over 100 new special class places. These will be added to the 3,335 classes already in operation in the country, of which 138 are in Tipperary. The NCSE is engaging with another school to open two more classes, which will bring the number of new classes to 401.”
“At the outset, I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for this Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and that the necessary supports are provided to our schools to allow children with special educational needs to flourish and prosper. There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school and special class places to support children with complex needs. To meet this need, 16 new special schools have been established in recent years and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. As the Deputy is aware, five of these special schools have been established for the 2025-2026 school year in counties Cork, Dublin and Monaghan and in Nenagh in County Tipperary.”
“Again, I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I reassure him that I will convey that concern back to the Minister to ensure that continued engagement takes place. I have no doubt that the Deputy will continue to raise it and engage on it himself too.”
“With regard to the school referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that the Department of Education and Youth received an application under the ASA scheme for temporary accommodation for the upcoming school year. The assessment of the school's ASA application is complete. I can confirm that departmental officials have engaged with the school in recent days and have approved temporary accommodation to facilitate the intake of a second junior infant class at the school. This engagement will continue over the coming weeks with a view to delivering permanent accommodation solutions to the school and its community.”
“Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in the coming months, investments by the Department are adding in excess of 610,000 sq. m of new and modernised capacity to the school estate. This is a record level of investment in schools. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country. The programme for Government recognises the importance of strong capital investment in the school building programme and supporting this with enhanced allocations through the national development plan process.”
“Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through the utilisation of existing unused capacity within a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools, or the provision of a new school or schools. The expansion of existing schools is typically delivered by means of the Department's additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme. It is open to all school authorities to make an application for additional accommodation through the ASA which is available at www.gov.ie. Since 2020, the Department has invested more than €5.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of more than 1,350 school building projects.”
“Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department's projections of school place requirements. While the Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: duplication of applications, school of choice, single sex schools and external draw. Notwithstanding the aforementioned issues, in some areas demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.”
“I thank the Deputy for the question and for giving me the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth and to outline how the Department is working to ensure that there is appropriate school accommodation in place to meet the school place needs of all children. I stress that enabling students to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for the Government. To plan for school place needs, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a geographical information system, GIS, to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources including child benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose.”
“The role of the interdepartmental steering group that I mentioned earlier, which has been monitoring implementation since the commencement of the Act, will also be critical. The Minister will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that the required review of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act captures the lived experience of people with capacity difficulties and ultimately ensures that people in Ireland are supported in retaining their autonomy and dignity in circumstances where they lose the capacity to make certain decisions and require appropriate, accessible, safe, and rights-based support.”
“I reiterate that the Minister’s aim is to ensure the most effective operation of the assisted decision-making (capacity) legislation and to ensure that its principles are upheld and that its objectives of promoting and enshrining the rights of those with capacity difficulties to retain as much autonomy as possible are realised. We must always make sure that our laws are working for the people they are intended to serve. For this reason, the Act itself has a built-in review of its operation after a five-year period following commencement, recognising that with any significant change some issues will need to be addressed with the benefit of a period of operation and hindsight. Critical to the forthcoming review will be the experiences of stakeholders and, in particular, of service users.”
“Both the Department and the DSS have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders to understand the experiences of the Act and to identify and address any difficulties that may be arising. In the main, experiences have been extremely positive, but action has been taken to address barriers to accessing services and supports. This has included engagement with the legal profession in respect of their role in the EPA application process and the establishment of a dedicated EPA helpdesk to ensure individuals who require additional assistance in completing an online EPA application are supported in doing so. Individuals who are unable to utilise the online portal, for a variety of reasons, are facilitated in making an EPA application manually. Officials in the Department will continue to monitor and review the operational issues as they arise.”
“Issues arising are examined and addressed, as appropriate, and co-ordinated by an interdepartmental steering group chaired by the Department. The Minister has been paying close attention to the operation of the Act and is pleased to see that the available data shows significant and increasing numbers of people engaging positively with the new system. To date, the Decision Support Service has registered almost 4,000 decision support arrangements, including more than 2,300 enduring powers of attorney, indicating a robust uptake. Ensuring the accessibility and efficiency for decision supports is vital. While some aspects of the Act relate to court processes, within the Minister’s direct remit is the availability and quality of DSS services.”
“A review of the Act not later than five years after its commencement is required under the legislation itself, and the programme for Government also commits to a review. In assessing the operation of the Act, it is important to bear in mind that the Act represents ambitious and systemic reform of a system that predates the Irish State. We need to distinguish teething pains and the adjustment of sectors and professions to significant change from the areas where the Act itself must be improved. Legislative review can only be approached with the insights of a sufficient period of operation. Where improvements to the Act may be necessary, they will be made. In that regard, the operation of the Act is continuously monitored to ensure its effective operation.”
“I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 was commenced in 2023, and it represents a landmark legal reform in this country. The Act replaced the 1871 Victorian-era wards of court system with a rights-based model for tiered decision support arrangements. It is a key component of our compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, and has positioned Ireland as a leader on capacity law internationally. The 2015 Act was developed in close consultation with a wide range of stakeholders and was welcomed by disability groups, advocacy groups and safeguarding groups alike.”
“A public consultation seeking feedback from the public on several key areas, including how to respond to public concerns about the increasing use of drones, how to position Ireland as a potential front runner in this emerging sector and the responsible development of the drone sector, was held in 2024. The policy framework seeks to strike a balance, as the Deputy stated, between those concerns. I will take her comments back to the Minister as I know she will. As someone who represents a constituency that is similar to hers, some of her concerns have been raised with me on an ongoing basis, particularly in relation to noise impact of continuous drone operation in residential areas. I very much hear what the Deputy is saying.”
“Aviation is obviously a highly regulated area, but I agree with the Deputy that the rapid pace of drone innovation and its commercialisation have created a challenge. The Government is aware of the impact of that and of the growing drone sector, particularly in the context of the increasing volume of operations. The programme for Government includes a commitment to finalise and implement a policy framework to guide high levels of strategic planning and the development of the drone sector in Ireland through supporting its growth and innovation but also ensuring other aspects, including safe and secure operations and managing environmental concerns.”
“The U-space regulation - Regulation (EU) 2021/664) - emerged to support commercial operations with drones, especially those entailing greater complexity and automation, to provide for the safe integration of a number of drone flights in a volume of airspace. Essentially, U-space is an area of airspace where drone operations may only occur with the support of U-space services. At a minimum, these must include network identification, traffic management, flight authorisation and geo-awareness. U-space full services are not envisaged to happen until 2030. The establishment of U-space in high-density drone use areas may mitigate some concerns related to privacy and security.”
“It also includes a section on privacy rights, which draws the attention of drone operators to the need to prepare a data protection impact assessment where required, in accordance with the EU general data protection regulation. In addition to complying with EU drone regulations, drone operators must also comply with national laws, including environmental, planning and, as mentioned, privacy laws. In addition to the two EU drone regulations to which I referred, there is also a European regulatory framework, comprising Regulations (EU) 2021/664, 2021/665 and 2021/666, which allows for the safe development of the drone services market, including drone delivery and the integration of drones into airspace.”
“To obtain operational authorisation, an operator must provide a comprehensive safety portfolio which includes assessing and addressing both ground and air risks with appropriate mitigations. These might include, for example, co-ordination with air traffic control and fitting the drone with a parachute and flight termination system. At national level, SI 24/2023, Irish Aviation Authority (Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)) Order 2023, which replaced an earlier drones order, came into force on 2 February 2023. It states the investigative and enforcement powers of the IAA and provides for arrangements between An Garda Síochána and the IAA in relation to enforcement of EU drone regulations.”
“Under the EU regulatory regime, drone operations are classified into three broad categories - open, specific and certified - with different regulatory considerations applied across each category. Commercial drone operations may fall into any one of these categories depending on the risk associated with the operation. Low-risk commercial drone operations, such as aerial photography, may fall in the open category where regulation and oversight of operations are lighter. Other commercial drone operations, including drone delivery operations, are more closely regulated. These types of commercial drone operations may fall into the medium-risk specific category, which may require specific authorisation by the IAA. This type of authorisation is recognised in all EU member states.”
“Regulation 2019/945 sets the common EU-wide technical requirements for drones, which are the features and capabilities that drones must have in order to be flown safely. This regulation also seeks to foster investment and innovation in this sector through a harmonised framework across the European Union. The aim of the EU drone regulations is to achieve the same level of safety for drone operations as manned aviation. The Irish Aviation Authority, the civil aviation regulator, oversees the implementation of the EU drone regulations and standards. The drone regulations are operation centric and focus on the risk of drone operations, so regulation is lighter on low-risk operations and more demanding on higher risk operations.”
“I thank Deputy Currie for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. From the aviation safety perspective, the regulation of the recreational and commercial use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems as they are technically known, is provided for under European Union regulations that are directly applicable to Ireland. Two drone-specific EU regulations ensure that drone operations across Europe are safe and secure. In that context, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 set out the common rules for the regulation of drones and drone operators, including training, licensing and registration. Regulation 2019/947 sets out the operational rules that apply to professional drone operators and those flying drones for leisure.”
“As the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has stated, the Government recognises the importance of parental choice and we are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued, actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. I thank everyone for their contributions to today's debate and I ask the House to support the Government's countermotion.”