Garret Ahearn
Administrative Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; No.”
“I am very conscious that No. 10 is to be taken at 11.30 a.m. and it is now 11.30 a.m. I will be brief. I will make a note of any contributions relating to debates for when we come back in September. There were a lot of calls for debates.”
“We have been here for a number of years and she is correct; a lot of it has come through in July. Technically, it is for the Leader to set out the timeline of debates but I understand the frustration when it comes late or when there is little scope for debate. The motions, in fairness, were referred to committee for debate.”
“9, whichever is later, and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 75 minutes by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government, the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister at th…”
“5, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 4) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 4 without debate; No. 6, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.”
“We will have a busy time coming back in September with an expected by-election to this House, which will create more work for them. To all colleagues across the House, on a personal level, I thank them for the last number of weeks since I took over as Leader of the Seanad. It has been a busy number of weeks for all of us.”
The complete record
Every one of 712 lines we hold for Garret Ahearn, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 15.
“Senator Mark Duffy spoke about wind two farms proposed for Mayo and outlined his objection to them. He made a very good case about the proposal going against the county development plan. Councillors are there to put forward county development plans. They know areas better than anyone else and are elected to represent the people of an area. Gerry Coyle and Jarlath Munnelly are experienced councillors who know what is good for their area. If they, along with Senator Duffy, are raising concerns, those concerns should be taken on board. There is normally a consultation period in place. Senator Duffy is very supportive of renewable energy and wind farms in general, but obviously only in the right place. A Commencement matter with the Minister could be helpful.”
“A lot of investment has been made in childcare, which is welcome. More needs to be done, in particular for new estates built with a childcare facility in the plans that is sometimes not completed for whatever reason, such as developers or costs. Young families moving into those estates assume there will be a childcare facility, but then find it does not exist. From my perspective, I have two young boys and know the importance of childcare and childcare facilities, in particular, but not always, for the women of the house in terms of going back to work. Childcare is a real worry for some people in terms of being able to go back to work. It is a financial worry for families, but also for individuals because people want to go back to work, have normality and get back to normal life after a number of months or a year.”
“I am more than happy to do that. I will talk to the Minister's office to see if that is possible. She outlined her views and research on the greyhound industry. There are obviously differing views on all sides. It is an industry that is a livelihood for an awful lot of people across the country. People love animals, including dogs. There are always issues in every industry and I am more than happy to debate the industry, a debate which has happened in this Chamber and in the Lower House. We will try to see if we can facilitate that as soon as possible. Senator Alison Comyn spoke about childcare. She outlined the major changes to childcare which are significant in terms of reduced costs and fee caps. That is all well and good, but if services do not have spaces what is the use?”
“All I was suggesting was that they have a background and expertise very similar to his but they have opposing views. Perhaps he is sensitive to the criticism, but that is all I said. Senator Joanne Collins asked for an amendment, which I am happy to accept, regarding voting rights for 16- and 17-year-olds. It is something that should be debated and considered. We also need to encourage people to get out and vote. It is not just about getting more 16- and 17-year-olds involved in politics, which should be done from an educational perspective; we also need to encourage them to see why it is so important to vote. It is to be hoped such a debate would also encourage 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds to vote. I am more than happy to facilitate that amendment. Senator Patricia Stephenson asked for a debate on the greyhound industry.”
“He outlined what a lot of people are thinking if they are being honest with themselves, namely, that there is outrage about particular types of violence and people, yet other violence that has happened in this country has not attracted the same sort of emotional reaction and it is very obvious why. I agree with him. He spoke very passionately. He also mentioned the debate on the Order of Business yesterday and my response to it in regard to him being a former Army officer. I would remind him that I did not raise the issue. He raised the issue that he was a former Army officer and because of that expertise he should be listened to. I said simply that there were other former Defence Forces members in this Chamber, such as Senator Craughwell, and in the other Chamber, such as Deputy Callaghan, and they have very different views to him.”
“If people are coming over for an event it is something we should support. Senator Michael Kennelly spoke about driving tests in north Kerry, the demand for which has increased dramatically. A lot of people are waiting. That has a huge impact on people who need to take a driving test for a job or, more commonly, if they are travelling to college. There is significant demand and people have been left waiting for a long time. I will contact the Minister's office for a debate on that. This is an issue not only in Kerry but in other counties across the country where there is huge demand for tests and people have to travel much further than their home town to get a test in an emergency. Senator Tom Clonan spoke about the violence in Belfast last night and condemned everything that happened, as I do.”
“I thank the 15 contributors. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin spoke about the success of the Bloom festival, which has been a success ever since it started over a decade ago. It has increased in size and it is a good opportunity to have a debate on horticulture, something we have not had in the Chamber for quite some time. I will contact the Minister's office to see if that is possible. She also spoke about the Palestinian dancers who need visas. It is an obvious thing that we should be able to accommodate. The Minister should be able to facilitate that in some way. Not only is it the right thing to do, it should be done on the grounds of compassion and support. We as a Government have always tried to support the Palestinian people and give them some sort of normal life. There are lot of people from Palestine in Ireland.”
“and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 10 p.m. by putting one question from the Chair which shall, in relation to the amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m. and to adjourn at 3 p.m. if not previously concluded; No. 2, statements on rural planning, to be taken at 3 p.m. and to conclude at 4.30 p.m. if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026 – Second Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m. with the time allocated to the debate not to exceed two hours; and No. 4, Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026 – Committee Stage (Resumed), to be taken at 7 p.m.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (Designation of Carlow County Council) (Parts of Administrative Areas) Order 2026, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 12th March, 2026.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann – - expresses its deep sadness on the death of Ernie Caffrey; - conveys its sincere condolences to his family; and - expresses its gratitude for his notable contribution, as a member of Seanad Éireann, to Irish public life and for his dedicated service to the people of Ireland.”
“As he knows, there are many beautiful spots in Clare in terms of walkways, cycleways and mountains that have not been properly promoted. In Tipperary, St. Declan's Way has been promoted but more can be done. We will ask the Minister to come in and have a debate, not just on tourism, but on active tourism and how we can promote it further. That concludes all contributions.”
“It is a huge game tonight, and it was a massive game at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. It was a great atmosphere from what I could see on TV, made all the better with a last-minute goal by Amber Barrett to put us into this position. We have a wonderful opportunity here. If the girls can win in France, it will be a fantastic achievement, or if Poland can do us a favour against Holland tonight. Carla Ward's team have been a huge inspiration and we wish them all the best; we are all behind them. It will be such a success if they get to the World Cup again. I was actually in hospital for three weeks when they were in the World Cup in 2022. I watched the games there; it kept me going. I have very fond memories of the 2022 World Cup. Senator Martin Conway spoke about active tourism and its lack of promotion across the country.”
“We also have people in the Dáil who are former Army members, and, again, they have very different views to Senator Clonan. Senator Victor Boyhan spoke on the draft set of guidelines for apartments that have been published and are open for consultation until 7 July. The Senator welcomed that. It is very good news, and we thank Senator Boyhan for the work he did on this issue. Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn spoke about the women’s soccer team, who have been an incredible inspiration during this campaign. They have an opportunity tonight against France to go to the World Cup. As the Senator said, it is the first time a team has had the opportunity to go to the World Cup and fully qualify through the first process without having to go to a play-off. Going to a play-off is something the men would be lucky to do.”
“Senator Tom Clonan also spoke about the triple lock mechanism. He mentioned how he was a former Army officer. We respect that, but it does not mean that we have to agree with his every view just because he is a former Army officer. We have other people in this building who were in the Army and who have the totally opposite view, so how do we agree with two people who previously worked in the Army who have opposite views? When Senator Clonan talks about people who have differing views, there are loads of people who are either in the Army or are former Army members who have the opposite view to him. I respect his view, and we will have ample opportunity to discuss it going forward, but there are differing views on this issue.”
“I grew up on a farm. Farming has a mortality rate that is seven times higher than in other professions. Mental health is also a big thing for older farmers. Health issues are very obvious when you have people who are either living alone or working into their 70s or 80s. They have stress. One of the really good things the Government introduced a number of years ago was the discussion groups farmers have now. The initiative was concerned with improving work on farms, but it also had a real impact in terms of loneliness among farmers because they had these discussion groups to meet and talk and help one another in relation to the work they were doing. From the discussion groups my own family members are in, I know it is a very useful initiative set up by the Department of agriculture.”
“Senator Cosgrove has asked for a debate and that debate will happen. The schedule up to the recess is not done up yet, but the debate will occur either before the recess or when we come back in September. Senator Sarah O’Reilly spoke about the EU migration pact, Northern Ireland and the impact of the pact. The pact went through the Dáil and Seanad. It went to the President, who convened the Council of State on it. They had hours of discussion on the legislation and the President signed it. The pact has been debated heavily in both Houses and then signed into law by the President, but we can have a debate with the Minister for justice at any point. If the Senator wants to do that, then I am more than happy to ask for that to happen. Senator Robbie Gallagher spoke of farmers’ health, which is something I know well in terms of my own family.”
“When you are in government, one of the frustrations is that decisions are sometimes made quite late. You cannot understand, for the life of you, why the decision cannot be made a month or two earlier so that the children and their parents have the comfort of knowing they will get a good meal. We all know the benefit of young children having a good meal. Senator Nessa Cosgrove spoke about the triple lock mechanism, as did Senator Tom Clonan. The triple lock legislation was before the Cabinet today and will be in the Dáil and Seanad over the next number of weeks and months. We will have ample opportunity to discuss it. I am sure that, when those discussions happen, we will have the same sort of talk about a change to neutrality, which it is not, but people have the freedom to say what they want in both Houses.”
“The Senator is right that the Minister, Deputy James Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, have done a lot of work on it, so it is a good opportunity for them to come in here and speak about it. Senator Linda Nelson Murray spoke about the summer holiday hunger pilot scheme, which has been a very positive scheme. The Senator did a lot of work herself not only on the hot school meals initiative but on this issue as well to prioritise it. She makes a very good point. If we are seeing that 42,000 children across Ireland need to be fed during the summer, then they obviously need to be fed during the Easter and Christmas as well. If this pilot programme is being continued, then that means it has been a success this year and there is no reason we cannot expand and continue it.”
“These things are done by Irish citizens as well, not just foreigners. We need to recognise too that there are a lot of good people, as the Senator herself would recognise, who come into and contribute to this country. An attack is an attack from a person who is evil and wrong; it is not because of their nationality. I always think we need to bear that in mind. Senator Davitt spoke about the councillors task force. I do not think we have had a debate in this House since this term started in relation to councillors, their powers, the work they do and the feeling that their powers are being diminished. I will speak with the Minister about having a debate when that task force has completed its work.”
“There will be an investigation. There is a protest happening tonight. I hope that will be done peacefully. We have seen protests go out of hand here and I hope that will not happen in Belfast. As I said previously when the Senator mentioned another case, an investigation will happen. We should let the PSNI do its work. It was an awful atrocity. That video is going viral. An awful lot of people are seeing it, and it is awful. The people who came in and risked their own lives to defend that person need to be commended, but it is certainly not our place - I am not saying the Senator is doing this - for us here to have a judgment yet on what happened. The Senator spoke about other examples. The examples she used are of people who were murdered or injured by people who came into this country and are not Irish citizens.”
“Senator O'Donovan spoke of Emma O'Shea and what she has had to deal with in terms of seeing her brother, and her parents, Ted and Kathleen, and what they have to deal with. This is incredibly frustrating. As a parent myself, I can only imagine the pain they are going through. Cost should not be a barrier with this and decisions should be made quicker. I will certainly contact the office of the Minister for Health to try to push as much as possible the concerns and requests from Senators here. Senator Keogan spoke about the attack in Belfast. As the Senator said, we are not clear what happened. I do not know who the victim is. I know what has been said on social media and I know what is happening but certainly this is not the place to talk about it. It is not the place to make decisions in relation to the findings of it.”
“I totally agree with the Senator that it is time we have a debate with the Minister on that because it is incredibly frustrating when your water is out, you do not know why it is out, you do not know how long it will be out for and you are not even aware there is a boil-water notice. Back in the day, with local authorities, there used be a letter sent out and it used be on the radio but that does not seem to happen any more. Senators O'Donovan, Costello and Clonan spoke in relation to Friedreich's ataxia and a drug that is being called upon to help young boys with a very debilitating disease. You could not help but be emotionally affected by some of the contributions from people talking about their own life.”
“-----hosting the Euro 2028 or the women's champions league final. It is not as simplistic as just having a boycott on this and there being no repercussions other than the six points and maybe a small fine to deal with. That is not the way to look at it and it is not a true reflection of what could happen. All that being said, I hope decisions will be made by the end of the week on this. It might not be to Senator Andrews's satisfaction, but certainly it will be done in terms of the safety of people more than anything else. Senator Curley spoke on communication with Irish Water. I have had a problem with this all week in my own area in terms of communication regarding water supply and the difficulty it poses for us, as public representatives, and for councillors in particular.”
“In the greater scheme of things, this has been debated quite a lot. There has been a lot of debate, in this House and the other House, on it. It is important that we make decisions at the end of that debate. We do have an important match tonight. In relation to the FAI, I said it the week previously and I will say it again. This is a decision for the FAI in conjunction with FIFA and UEFA. It is not for Government to get involved. In fact, if Government gets involved, there are rules in place within FIFA and UEFA. It is not just a simple fine or a points deduction. It has happened for other countries where countries have got involved and there have been further repercussions on them in terms of-----”
“There was a 5.5-hour debate on the Bill on Committee Stage. We will have another three-hour debate on it tonight. There are only 34 amendments and about a third of them have been ruled out of order. Some of them might be paired. Three hours is a significant amount of time to talk about it, in our view. That will be happening tonight so I will not be accepting the amendment.”
“Although the previous Government significantly increased the supports available, it is time to review that again. I will ask the Minister for a debate on this issue for Senator Scahill. Senator Andrews mentioned that the Arbitration (Amendment) Bill is being taken tonight. The four hours that were put down initially are just an indicative timeframe. It is not scheduled for exactly four hours. It depends on a number of factors, including how many amendments come in. Fewer amendments came in than we expected.”
“It is probably important that I do not speak on that, but I understand where he is coming from on it. In terms of applying for contracts and Horse Sport Ireland being omitted from the process, that is something for the Department of agriculture to decide on. The Senator could put down a Commencement matter on it. It is a delicate issue to deal with on this floor, but the Senator has been vocal on this a number of times, and I understand that his concerns are genuine. Senator Scahill spoke about wastewater treatment systems. A lot of inspections are happening right across the country. A lot of inspections in rural areas are recording fails. The numbers in County Roscommon are very high with 85% last year and 50% this year. It is hard for families at a time of significant costs of living to be able to fork out for a new septic tank.”
“At no point should this end up with someone having sepsis and being brought to Beaumont Hospital while clinging to life and still waiting for the kidney stones to be removed. It seems totally unacceptable - "frustrating" is too light a word - that a simple procedure has not been followed through on. All of the complications that come with that can be so distressing for people. I note that she said that none of the Ministers from the Department of Health came to one of her Commencement matters. I will raise that with the senior Minister. I also know that the Senator has called for a debate on the issue of procedures, in particular, and I will ask the Minister's office if that is possible. Senator Flaherty raised Horse Sport Ireland, the resignations of senior figures and the problems within that sector.”
“There is an investigation happening within the Department of enterprise and let us see what happens. The Senator outlined that information was given out that was not correct, so let us see where the investigation goes and what decisions are made. I have been in contact with a number of MPs from Ukraine who are concerned about it. I have highlighted, as much as I can, what we know. Once the Minister, Deputy Burke, finalises the investigation, decisions can hopefully be made based on that. Senator Tully spoke about Cavan hospital and gave us another good example of issues with decisions, or lack of decisions, and lack of care for people in need. This seems like a very simple thing where kidney stones need to be removed.”
“This has affected the organisers and has had a massive impact on the community that can benefit from such big events that happen within the region. I will talk to the Minister's office to see what can be done in terms of getting involved and the supports that are available for the organisers of this event because it is not their fault that this has happened. It is Tickets.ie that has gone into liquidation. The organisers should not have to suffer the consequences of it. Senator McCarthy mentioned the alumina factory in County Limerick, which has been spoken about quite a bit recently. As the Senator said, and it is something that I am aware of, he is the chair of the Ireland-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group. The Senator and I have visited Kyiv on behalf of this Parliament to show our unwavering support for Ukraine.”
“I thank the 21 Senators who made contributions. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin spoke first, on the green light for palliative care for the midlands hospice, which is very welcome news. She outlined the process and how difficult it was. That people came together, including her, to make it happen is very positive for the midlands area. The Senator also spoke about Jennie's law and the announcement this morning of Cabinet approval. The Bill was drafted by the Senator and others. As she said, there was a void in legislation pointed out by Jason Poole, but it is welcome that Cabinet approval has been announced today. Senator Boyle spoke about the distressing news of the liquidation of Tickets.ie, the effect that has on the thousands of people who were going to go to the Rory Gallagher International Festival and the €283,000 shortfall because of it.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (Designation of Carlow County Council) Order 2026, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; and No. 2, Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 5 p.m. and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 8 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair that shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government.”
“The more actions and more of a lead we can take from being members of the European Union is always positive, but it can be incredibly frustrating that some countries seemingly will not agree to the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. I hope they can in the end because I do not know how many people have to be killed and how much destruction of schools and hospitals has to happen by Israel for people to take leadership. I commend this motion by Senator O'Loughlin and support it fully.”
“An awful lot of work was done by the Minister of State, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste on soft diplomacy within Europe to try to convince other countries to agree with our view. That has been relatively successful over the past months. However, this is important. It is a statement. It has an impact. As we take over the EU Presidency in July, it shows the leadership this country can have, albeit we are a small country. The influence we can have is in highlighting what is blindingly obvious; Israel is acting unilaterally against every international law. It was even happening yesterday in the bombing of south Lebanon. That this is happening is just incredibly depressing for most people who are watching the news. Obviously, the more we can do the better.”
“Although there are differing views on that Bill, we will have the opportunity to discuss those in this House, hopefully, in the near future. This motion is essentially about doing something that can have a real impact. A lot of the things we, and other countries, have done have been viewed as almost symbolic, which they are not. They are important, but if we want to do something that has a real impact on Israel, the EU-Israel Association Agreement can have a massive economic impact on the country. This motion is very simple. It asks that we suspend it. I foresee that it will be very hard for anyone to be against that in this House, considering the view of the Irish people.”
“At the same time, we have countries that seem to be too scared or too closely aligned to Israel that they cannot speak up and say what is blindingly obvious to everyone else. What is encouraging is that the citizens of those countries are speaking up and, I hope, putting pressure on their governments. Although we have different views in this House on actions that are taken by the Government on behalf of Ireland, most reasoned people would acknowledge we have gone much further than most other countries, whether that is by recognising our ambassador from Palestine to Ireland, recognising the State of Palestine - if you support a two-state solution, surely you recognise the State of Palestine - by joining the South African case in the ICJ and having a commitment to bring forward the occupied territories Bill.”
“I also commend this motion put forward by Fianna Fáil Senators and Senator O’Loughlin. The suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is something we have been calling for as a country and as a Government for a long time. It was really only Ireland and Spain who were the lone voices at the start. Thankfully, we have a number of countries now that are open to it. I think there are 17 or 18 countries open to it, but it is incredibly frustrating after seeing what has been going on for almost three years. The atrocities that have been happening include violations of international law, cruelty of the worst kind to innocent people and 70,000 people dying, including 30,000 children of whom 3,000 were under the age of one. They were never even able to walk and were murdered by bombs landing on schools and hospitals.”
“This is not a House where we do it. It is very disappointing. As has been said, people watching here today would be very worried about comments that were made. I find it extremely worrying that when people stand up here to highlight it, there is smiling on the other side. That is very disappointing. I ask people to reflect on that. We have a responsibility as public representatives to reflect on that. We can have our views but we should not smile at the concerns that people on this side are outlining. I thank the MEPs for the work they are doing. It is a tough job - as someone said before as an MEP. It is tough on families. We recognise that. We thank them for being here today.”
“We spent 30 hours at the foreign affairs committee meeting hundreds of representatives and formulated a position, but it was not based on the Attorney General's advice. We all agree that such advice is a critical part of making a decision on policy and whether it is implementable. These sessions work really well when MEPs are here, but they only have credibility if all MEPs are here. It is important to recognise and thank them for that. We all have different views and perspectives but the MEPs are all here. It is important that I make the point on behalf of Senators - not every MEP may be aware of this - we conduct ourselves differently in this House. There are other parliaments in Europe and in the other House in this building where people conduct themselves differently and use opportunities to mislead people and to scaremonger.”
“A lot of the discussion has been about the EU Presidency. There is a huge opportunity for Ireland to prioritise issues for Ireland, whether it is CAP negotiations, fisheries or defence and security. We can play a leadership role in the continued support for Ukraine. There was a positive result in the Hungarian elections. We can continue to play a leadership role on the EU-Israel Association Agreement. I smiled when Mr. Flanagan was talking about people who talk about the CAP but do not read the documentation. Mr. Mullooly talked about the occupied territories Bill. He clearly has not read it because it is stated about five times in the Bill that we had not availed of the recommendation from the Attorney General. It says so many times in the report - if he reads it - that the recommendation is really important in delivering a decision.”
“On behalf of all Senators, I thank the MEPs for being here today. This was a really good initiative that was set up in the previous Seanad. It is very constructive. It is a great opportunity for us to understand what they are doing and it is a great opportunity for the MEPs to outline their priorities and what they are highlighting at a European level. There has always been a little bit of a disconnect. When someone gets elected to Europe, people often say they do not see them for four or five years. That is just the feeling on the ground. They do not know what is happening and they are a little bit disconnected from European politics. As many of the MEPs said, there are so many benefits from membership of the European Union. That is why a discussion like today's is so important in outlining those benefits.”
“I propose, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders or the Order of Business for today, that No. 2 will conclude at 5 p.m., if not previously concluded, and No. 3 will be taken immediately thereafter.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann, noting that on 21st April, 2026, the Government nominated Mr. Lee Komito and Mr. Ross Frenett for appointment by the President to be ordinary members of An Coimisiún Toghcháin , recommends that, pursuant to section 9(9) of the Electoral Reform Act 2022, Mr. Lee Komito and Mr. Ross Frenett be appointed by the President to be ordinary members of An Coimisiún Toghcháin .”
“It could also be tabled as a Commencement matter. Senator Brady spoke about mental health and young people. It is a good week to talk about it. We are in recess next week. More than 60,000 kids around the country will sit the State exams. It is an incredibly stressful time for them and their parents. We can all have good exams and bad exams but life still goes on and we can still succeed. However, for a child who is 16, 17 or 18, it can be incredibly stressful. People need to be mindful of that. These are just exams at the end of the day. It does not have to be a situation where someone gets depressed and does something unthinkable. We will not be here next week but I wish everyone well in their State exams next week. They can look forward to the summer after their exams.”
“I know the Senator is talking about inflation for apartments but apartments are homes too. They may not be in rural areas in Tipperary or Cavan but they are still homes. There are a lot of supports, whether it is the first-time buyer’s grant, the first home scheme or others. I will see if we can have a debate on that. Senator Lynch spoke about hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO. One of the biggest problems in agriculture is that people are being asked to move from green diesel but there is no alternative. Here is a possible alternative. There are simple things we could to with VAT, but certainly with capital investment. As the Senator said, and as I and other colleagues know, Councillor John Reilly has been raising this for a long time to try to prioritise HVO. We will see if the Minister is available to discuss that.”
“That Department was set up ten years ago to invest in rural Ireland, to encourage people to live in rural Ireland and to make changes in order to create jobs in rural Ireland. However, we need amenities and a quality of life. People do not just go to somewhere because there is a good job. They go because there are good schools, good facilities and good road infrastructure. It is all about the quality of life. We can have a good discussion about that. Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised the issue of building homes. This touches on the point made by Senator O'Donovan. As someone from rural Ireland, I know exactly what the Senator means about the challenges with connections, whether for the ESB or wastewater. People spend a lot of money before they have a block in the ground. We have seen an increase in the numbers this year.”
“It is capital funding that is needed for the tenant in situ scheme to buy a property. If there are homes to be bought, the council should be doing that. Senator O'Donovan spoke about infrastructure development. This aligns with what Senator Clifford-Lee said about the third space. When we talk about towns, whether Bandon or Clonakilty, we want more homes, and to get more homes, we need infrastructure, whether it is wastewater, water or roads. We need to create an environment on top of that for families and young people. It is a good opportunity for local authorities to assess a town and ask how it can develop this into a wider, long-term plan for where we want to see Bandon in ten or 15 years and what funding is needed for that. I will talk to the Minister with responsibility for rural affairs.”
“I hear what the Senator is saying. We will have an opportunity to discuss it further, and I suspect that many amendments will be tabled. With regard to Sligo County Council, those figures can be very frustrating, and they are very different in other councils. It seems that, across the country, there is a different priority in the different schemes that are available, whether it is the tenant in situ scheme or the CPO of properties. It is very different across the country, which can be frustrating. It is important to highlight that Sligo should be using more money. It needs to ramp up the tenant in situ scheme, which can be beneficial to people living in homes. A lot of money is spent on private landlords but that is also housing genuine people who need housing.”
“When it is promised, that funding needs to be given to the local authorities as quickly as possible. We are quite good at giving it to businesses as quickly as possible to get up and running but there is no good in that if the roads are not being improved following storms, and if the councils have to use their own funding on the promise of getting funding, but not knowing when they are going to get it. That is not sustainable. It has happened in Roscommon and other counties. It is incredibly frustrating. We will raise the issue of emergency funding with the Minister for Transport. Senator Cosgrove spoke on the issue of services and the occupied territories Bill. We will have a debate on that. The Senator spoke about Spain banning services, as did Senator Black. It is a bit more technical than that, as we know.”