Malcolm Noonan
Agricultural Panel · Green Party · Ireland
“Before I invite Senator Stephenson back in, I welcome members of the Young Entrepreneurs Club to the Gallery. They are guests of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Cuirim fáilte romhaibh go léir.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I again commend Senator Black, who has been campaigning on this issue for a very long time. It is disappointing that we are here this evening without services included despite the very detailed recommendations of the Oireachtas joint committee, the views of many legal experts and the clear legal opinion of the…”
“I am surprised that the Government is presenting us with a Bill that excludes services. The Government used to tell us that it was for legal reasons.”
“In fairness, it has become even clearer from the remarks made by the Government in recent days that fear of the Trump Administration is driving the decision, with illogical arguments that the Trump Administration might just tolerate a Bill that bans goods but if were to bring forward a Bill that covered goods and services, it would someho…”
“I join with my colleagues in our outright condemnation of this approach by the Government in relation to this legislation. The Government is going to be the lead negotiator on behalf of the European Union at both the climate Conference of the Parties, COP, and the biodiversity COP later this year.”
“The rural housing policy was launched last week. We have had the closure of the public consultation on the nature restoration plan. Lo and behold, the long-awaited phase 2 of the land-use review was published two days after both of those policies. This document has huge implications for land use in Ireland.”
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“Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin all the very best. She is embarking on the process of bringing the stakeholders together to help bring about Ireland’s next nature restoration plan, which has to be delivered by September next year. It will happen during Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union. From my previous work, the alignment of the CAP strategic plan needs to happen in alignment with the water action plan, the climate action plan, the national biodiversity action plan and the land use, land use change and forestry, LULUCF, targets. All of this will provide opportunities for rural Ireland and young people in rural economies, and address issues of succession in Irish farms as well.”
“These are the interventions we have to make to try to keep, reconnect and restore our habitats and protect species across the country. We can only do this with the support of farmers. We can only do much of the work we do around semi-natural grasslands with grazing animals on our land. This notion that we can rewild or let a lot of nature go back without management is simply not feasible. We need to work with landowners. The vast majority of our land in the country is privately owned. We need to ensure that the nature restoration plan is in alignment with the CAP strategic plan, in particular the ACRES element of it. ACRES was designed as a results-based scheme, which was modelled on the Burren LIFE programme. It is a simple scheme. Others have spoken about the need to simplify these schemes and simplify the payments. I wish Dr.”
“Schemes like the farming for nature ambassadors, the hare’s corner and farm plan schemes have all worked in a complementary way, along with the CAP strategic plan and ACRES, over the past number of years. We are starting to see greater alignment in how these schemes operate and how we can potentially restore nature or look at what nature restoration might look like at scale. On the negative side, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, has been working to head-start species like curlews and lapwings, which involves taking eggs off nests, incubating them and putting them back out in the wild; reintroducing species; using predator-proof fencing; and 24-hour predator patrols. There are huge issues with problematic species such as deer. Thankfully, there is a plan in place, but it needs to be implemented at scale. We need to do this.”
“We have in place and have, over the past number of years, thankfully developed good schemes, one of which is the Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership, EIP, working with farmers to improve our water quality and ensure we retain the nitrates derogation. These are hugely important. The Breeding Waders EIP, led by Owen Murphy and his team, and the LIFE programmes, such as LIFE on Machair, Wild Atlantic Nature and Corncrake LIFE, have all been hugely transformational schemes, offering additional income to marginal farmers but also to other landowners. They are proving hugely successful. When they are announced, there is always a huge attendance at the first open days because farmers are interested.”
“I welcome the Minister, Deputy Heydon. This is my first opportunity to congratulate him on his appointment. We worked very well together in Government, along with the senior Minister at the time, Deputy McConalogue. We advanced a lot on what I will be speaking about, namely, the alignment of the next CAP strategic plans with nature objectives and, in particular, the nature restoration regulation and the nature restoration plan, which we have to embark on as a State and want to embark on with ambition. I welcome the objectives in the programme for Government related to CAP. Among them is the objective that Government will "work ... to ensure that rewetted and restored lands remain eligible for CAP payments and ensuring dedicated funding streams and voluntary actions". I will speak to some of those.”
“Certainty, funding and the right path forward will help us achieve our objectives. I welcome this report. It is important the Government continues on the trajectory we started in the last Government.”
“The water action plan gives us a way forward to meet the objectives of the water framework directive. All of us in this House are united on the need for the retention of the nitrates derogation. The loss of the derogation would be devastating to rural Ireland and rural economies. The only solution to it is to ensure the water action plan is implemented in full. The Government needs to sign off on the climate and nature fund. The measures and details of the fund still have not been brought forward. This will give certainty to farmers. We have a farming for water European Innovation Partnership which farmers are signing up to, including derogation farmers, many of whom are doing great work in catchments and are working collaboratively with other organisations such as LAWPRO. It is really important that certainty is given to farmers.”
“It is something we should be united in calling for. The second issue is an Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, report on early insights into nitrogen levels of 2024. There are some very good indications of reductions in nitrogen going into 20 watercourses that were surveyed. Dr. Eimear Cotter speaks very positively of the progress that has been made but, obviously, there are parts of the country, such as my area of the south east, where nitrogen is still a pervasive problem. As far as I am concerned, the only game in town is the water action plan which I launched last year in Kilkenny. I do not think we need another Cabinet committee to oversee this but it is important that the committee, if it is going to convene, does so with urgency. I do not think it is the answer, however.”
“I have two environmental issues to raise. One is the call today by Professor Peter Thorne, chair of the adaptation committee of the Climate Change Advisory Council, for a national climate damage register. We have had extensive debate here on Storm Éowyn and this call by the Climate Change Advisory Council is something we in the House should support. In its ask, the council stated: Proactive action can and must improve our preparedness for and response to rapidly emerging climate risks, to protect and support people, and future proof our communities. This must be underpinned by robust climate data and services. This is a really important ask. Peter Thorne spoke of procrastination. I was a member of the previous Government and the charge of not following up on this extends out to that Government.”
“We need to go further than merely developing a plan of making free period products accessible in more locations. We need to expand the eligibility of State-funded IVF as promised, building on the success of the initial roll-out by the previous Government. We need to fully implement the recommendations contained in Ms Marie O’Shea’s statutory review of the termination of pregnancy Act. I pay tribute to the women in developing countries who are fighting for reproductive rights against a tide of far-right activism. I pay tribute to those women’s grassroots movements. Cuts in development aid from the UK and US will seriously undermine this and be potentially devastating to the lives of women and girls in terms of their reproductive rights. It is a whole-of-government issue and important to raise today.”
“I acknowledge the significant progress made during the previous Dáil and, in particular, the work done in the Seanad by colleagues, including my former colleague, Pauline O’Reilly, on issues such as the free contraception scheme, specialist clinics, menopause care, endometriosis centres, publicly funded fertility treatments and HRT, which we all appeal be progressed. There were also the safe access zones in terms of termination of pregnancy. As for further improvements, the promised national maternity hospital must be progressed and delivered as a Government priority. The promise to provide a comprehensive women’s health programme in general practice advice on contraception, STIs, menopause, fertility and so on must be followed through.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus déanaim comhghairdeas léi. Ócáid thábhachtach is ea Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan. Tá sé níos tábhachtaí ná riamh de bharr go bhfuil an bonn á bhaint de chearta ban agus cailíní in an-chuid tíortha, bíodh sin i réimse an oideachais, fostaíochta nó in ábhair ghnéis. Tá ról suntasach againn i leith shábháilteacht na hÉireann mar thír ina gcuirtear rogha leathan deiseanna ar fáil do chailíní óga agus iad ag teacht in inmhe. International Women’s Day is an important event and growing in importance as the education, employment and reproductive rights of women and girls in many countries continue to be undermined. We have a strong role as legislators to ensure Ireland is a safe country full of opportunity for young girls growing up.”
“If it is okay, I will make one further point, which was discussed in the debate. I refer to the calls in this House and from around the country for generators for communities. Councillor Pádraig McEvoy from Kildare County Council contacted me about the community in Clane, which wants to buy battery storage. That is an important issue. For the same outlay as we could have on running generators, we could have battery storage in all of our communities. We should pursue that. Communities in Midleton, County Cork, and in Leitrim are also doing this. This report is a wake-up call to us all. I urge the Government to act on the findings of the report.”
“First, we could buy the allowances and buy our way out it. Ireland has set aside a potential loss of revenue from carbon credits of €500 million that we are entitled to sell, Second, we could just knuckle down and start to hit those targets. It is very important that collectively here in this House, although the particular responsibility lies with the Government, we ensure there is a capital spend of 10% over the next five years, which could help us to achieve that. It is not just that, as the report also outlines co-benefits to the country in terms of energy security, the economy, and making our homes warmer. That will help all of us. We can also look at the cost of the storms. We had a very good debate here on Storm Éowyn last week. We are likely to be further hit by an increase in such weather events.”
“We made significant progress, but it concerns me that the commitments that were made and a lot of the heavy lifting that was done by the previous Government might be dropped this time. This report might focus minds on what needs to be done and about the trajectory of the work that needs to continue over the next five to ten years. If we do not act, the consequences could be devastating. There are significant challenges for Ireland in many sectors due to effort-sharing regulations and the land use, land use change, and forestry, LULUCF, as we are not on track in regard to these areas; neither are we on track with the energy efficiency directive. We are going to fall well short of the targets in all of these areas. 2030 is coming towards us like a fast train in a very short period. The report gives Ireland two options.”
“I wish to be associated with the comments made by Senator Andrews. This morning, the Climate Change Advisory Council and the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council published a joint report. They pulled no punches by calling giving it the title A colossal missed opportunity. I have seen titles on other reports, but that really cuts to the chase. The report anticipates, with a wide degree of variance, that there are potential fines for Ireland of between €8 billion and €26 billion for overshooting on targets relating to transport, buildings, small industry, waste and agriculture. We are likely to fall well short. In the previous programme for Government there was a lot of questioning of the reason we fought so hard to get to 7%, but we did so to meet basic requirements under international law for the Irish Government.”
“Again, I hope that the spending and the trajectory in public transport, cycling and walking the Minister has talked about continues, because it has led to very positive outcomes in our towns and cities. Perhaps I will bring this to a Minister at a later date, but we need to look at the integration of rural public transport services with the Local Link services in our towns and cities. It is a piece of work I was involved in with Kilkenny Leader Partnership and the Ring a Link demand-responsive transport service we had running very successfully for the past 20 years. There are proposals regarding that which I think could be really innovative and transformative in making the connection between the Local Link services and how they fit in with the roll-out of the broader town bus services.”
“It has been blocked politically for various reasons, when it was more convenient to plough a road through the historic urban core of the city. Now, calls are growing louder as the city expands. Thanks to the funding the Minister put in under Housing for All, the city is expanding and there is a lot more housing on the periphery of the city. To keep the city vibrant and to keep its heart and core alive, the only option is to take those trucks and HGVs out of the older parts of the city. I raise the commitment from Kilkenny County Council that it continues to progress the project, because a lot of the delays have been of its own making, but I would welcome the Minister's commitment to support whatever trajectory that heads on. It is vitally important the Kilkenny city ring road completes that loop around the city.”
“The commitment that was made by the three parties in the previous Government that led to a massive boon in the uptake of public transport, the reduction of fares and those under nine being able to use it for free has been hugely significant. That is what people are looking for. People in my own area feel that the extra Local Link routes committed to under Connecting Ireland have been transformative. They have brought rural communities together. People are getting to hospital appointments, education and training. It has made an immense difference. In my own home city of Kilkenny, we have a road project that we want progressed, namely, the completion of the ring road in Kilkenny city. It has been a project I have been campaigning on for more than 20 years.”
“There was no decrease in the local regional roads programme from previous years, and the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, kept that on a positive trajectory over his time in office. Yet, this motion acknowledges that direction of travel, including the mode of travel put forward by the Green Party. I hope the Minister stays with that commitment. He has spoken about a transformational change and shift in public transport over his tenure, and I hope he will keep that, because what people want are safer routes to school, cleaner and more vibrant towns and cities and the ability to feel safe in urban and rural areas.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I congratulate Darragh. It is the first time I have had an opportunity to publicly congratulate him. He was a fantastic Minister to serve under in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and I wish him all the best in his new role. I want to make a couple of quick points. I support the motion. The one concern the Green Party and I would have is that the 2:1 ratio split for public transport, cycling and walking that had been committed to in Our Shared Future, the previous programme for Government, does not seem to be overt in this programme for Government. While the Government reiterates its commitment to public transport, I would be concerned, particularly when one of the Minister's ministerial colleagues is saying people want tar when we talk about the local and regional roads programme.”
“We are also grateful to emergency services, local authorities, ESB crews and colleagues who joined from across Europe. Let us take all of these good outcomes to help shape a funded national resilience plan that will give us confidence in uncertain times.”
“I believe Óglaigh na hÉireann should be included in future adaptation plans as having a key role under its mandated remit of aid to the civil authority. If the State is going to invest in equipment, vehicles, helicopters and other fleet, we must ensure it has dual-purpose capability. Such equipment could be deployed rapidly in cases of flooding, fires, snow events or other natural disasters. This must be about collaboratively building and embedding a culture of natural resilience into the system. Nílimid ann fós. Go deimhin, tá bealach fada le dul againn, but we have much to be grateful for and hopeful about. We have something that many other countries do not have. We still have strong community bonds. which have helped so many vulnerable people.”
“Local power generation and battery storage should be planned for to mitigate against a risk of prolonged power outages. How will the insurance industry respond to the increasing frequency and ferocity of weather-related events? Storm Éowyn has exposed a vulnerability in terms of our preparedness for what will be a volatile future. In many ways that future is here, and we should have learned from the shortcomings and from the communities and local people to ramp up investment in risk reduction, resilience and future-proofing infrastructure to protect lives and livelihoods. In the context of the debate on the future of our Defence Forces, I welcome plans to increase investment in both equipment, capabilities and personnel wages and conditions.”
“However, there are nature-based solutions that can work on a catchment level, but we need to begin acting urgently. Calls for a derogation in the hedge cutting season are equally unhelpful in the debate. Road safety is already catered for under the Wildlife Act, and there needs to be a funded plan for pruning and reduction of roadside trees. Trees provide valuable ecosystem services in our countryside. Storm Éowyn destroyed tens of thousands of acres of both private and State forestry and there is a perfect storm of a crisis in the sector now. While thoughts immediately turn to supports for growers and I welcome the establishment of the windblow task force, there is a glut of approximately two years of lumber lying flattened like matchsticks. It needs to be harvested and taken to sawmills for processing.”
“It is important that local experience and knowledge are part of any review and that is something I think we all agree on, not just from Storm Éowyn, but from other weather events. In all of these cases there has been an inconsistent level of preparedness and sometimes poor collaboration and sharing of resources. These all contributed to negative outcomes for communities. We must work with nature. We have an opportunity through the upcoming national nature restoration plan and the resources of the climate and nature fund to restore free-flowing rivers, to increase riparian planting and to use nature-based solutions to help alleviate flooding events in urban and rural areas. We heard calls to address flooding through dredging. That is not really the right approach, and in any event would be constrained by the EU habitats regulations.”
“This includes specific guidance on climate adaptation. Each local authority CAP is required to include a climate change risk assessment for the administrative area of the local authority. A technical annex provides guidance on how to undertake a climate change risk assessment. This has been developed on the basis of the existing local authority adaptation strategy guidelines along with adaptation to climate change guidelines on vulnerability impacts and risk assessment. The framework is also clear about collaboration with other local authorities, and it states that local authorities should collaborate with other relevant public bodies, such as the climate action regional offices, CAROs, the EPA, Met Éireann, the SEAI, Government and other agencies in co-ordinating climate adaptation efforts at regional and national levels.”
“Regional plans look to the cross-boundary nature of extreme weather events, whether flooding, prolonged drought, fire or wind. Nationally, the Irish Government has an important role to play at EU level in working with other member states to embed resilience across the Continent, share services where feasible and learn from all of these events. Taking into account the national adaptation framework and the development of local authority climate action plans under the NAF, all 31 local authorities prepare local adaptation strategies. Local authority CAP guidelines have been developed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in collaboration with key players in the local government and climate sectors. These are overseen by the project advisory group, which sets out how local authority CAPs should be prepared.”
“The EPA anticipates that, in a scenario of just over 1°C warming, Ireland will see an increased incidence of heavy rainfall events, with overall significant reductions in average annual levels of spring and summer rainfall and rising sea levels. Some modelling puts us on a trajectory towards 2.5°C. Heat stress accounts for the highest number of fatalities in Europe by far. The past decade has broken all records, breaching the 1.5°C average increase in temperature that we are told is our only chance of avoiding chaos. Ireland's adaptation framework must now be reviewed in light of Storm Éowyn. The plan assigns three levels of responsibility towards adaptation to the effects of a warming planet. Local plans should afford priority to local knowledge and experience.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I congratulate him on his appointment to the Custom House. There is a great team over there. I wish him all the best in his tenure. I join in the sympathies with the family of Kacper Dudek, who lost his life during the terrible storm. People, communities and businesses affected by Storm Éowyn are looking to us, as policymakers, to assess how we can help them and be better prepared for future events. That is something we all want to achieve. Now that many global leaders have effectively given up the ghost as regards meeting binding climate targets and have turned their attention to magicking up solutions such as carbon capture and storage, we must move swiftly on to adaptation and try to embed resilience community by community, home by home and town by town.”
“There is not much hope there among delegates that there will be any outcomes, particularly on financial mechanisms and ways to fund it. I would welcome a meaningful debate in this Chamber on an all-island basis, looking at biodiversity and where the opportunities lie for Ireland. There is a lot we can be positive about. We showed a lot of leadership in developing our national biodiversity action plan and supporting and leading on the nature restoration law in Europe. However, as we have heard from previous speakers, all those elements around nature and climate are being rowed back on as well as ODA. It is something on which Ireland can continue to show leadership. I hope we can have a meaningful debate about biodiversity in Ireland and look at it on an all-island basis.”
“The Rome talks have resumed, against a backdrop of increasing biodiversity loss, degradation of habitats and a collapse in many species through deforestation and resource exploitation. As has been raised before around ODA and the climate crisis, these are all inter-related. There is the cutting of aid programmes, which also support biodiversity, agro-ecology and indigenous peoples. These people see nature not as nice to have, like we do, but essential to their survival. We are at war with nature and it is time we called a truce. COP16 is the mechanism by which we can make and keep pledges to halt biodiversity loss and restore nature on land and in our rivers and seas. There is a small Irish delegation there, I understand, but no Minister is attending. I think there is very poor attendance by ministers generally.”
“I support the previous call in regard to our dry stone walls. There might be some role for the Heritage Council or ETBs on traditional skills. It is part of our vernacular heritage and we have a vernacular strategy. I support that call. I raise a matter relating to the other COP, that is, COP16. We are all familiar with the climate talks but the biodiversity talks, COP16, have resumed in Rome this week following a breakdown of talks in Cali in Colombia. I was present at those talks. It was a farcical situation unfortunately, where many from small and developing states or countries had to return home because they did not have the money to stay in the hotels. It is something the Irish Government tried to help with at the time. However, it left it in disarray. We have a real challenge.”
“As I have said, there are significant concerns among practitioners and makers, many of whom have contributed a great deal to Ireland's economy and culture. DCCI should have an open and transparent process. If it seeks feedback on participation in an international craft fair and if valid concerns are raised as part of such a process, those concerns should be taken on board and used to provide lessons for the future. It should not be left hanging over the participants who took part.”
“There is deep concern and deep fear as to the future of their sector. They have asked me to propose that we request that DCCI withdraw that legal action. The craftspeople are seeking an apology from DCCI and also ask that the Minister might intervene in some kind of mediation process. Practitioners raised valid and constructive concerns having participated in Collect 2024. This feedback process was sought by DCCI. That is the critical thing here. Not to take on board those concerns and not to help to improve future events DCCI might lead out on, particularly international trade fairs, would be to devalue the sector itself and the practitioners who rely on this for their living. I ask that the Minister, Deputy Burke, intervene to try to resolve this impasse. Perhaps he could also look at a review of DCCI in light of what has happened here.”
“The craft sector in Ireland is valuable not only to our economy but also, importantly, to our international reputation. Craft practitioners and makers all over Ireland provide an invaluable contribution to our culture. Many of them are based in rural enterprises, contributing to local rural economies. They need State support. They need support from the State body that was established to do just that. I question why Design and Crafts Council Ireland would threaten legal action against its own members for putting forward constructive criticism in a feedback process sought by DCCI itself. This followed participation in an international craft exposition, Collect 2024. There is deep concern among practitioners. Many of them are based in my own county of Kilkenny but they are also all over Ireland.”
“I do not doubt the intent of the Government to look at the broader range and try to ensure we cover a much more diverse range of challenges, and the point made by Senator Craughwell regarding the Minister for Defence is also vital. What concerns me about expanding the number of Ministries and Ministers of State is the delegated function piece and the responsibilities. That needs to happen as soon as possible so the Ministers of State can get to work on the ground and on their legislative programme, and have actual powers to operate in their areas of competence.”
“It took quite a long time for the delegated functions to come to me, as Minister of State, and you feel that you have no responsibility until that delegated function arrives on your desk. With regard to the marine protected areas, it arrived very late in my term of government and we had a huge challenge in trying to get that legislation developed. It is still not developed so I welcome the commitment in the legislative agenda, if not in the programme for Government, on delivering MPAs. All Senators have spoken about this wider interdependence and the responsibilities of Ministers of State, their actual function and role, and their accountability in both Houses to TDs and Senators. That is the real challenge here, and I know the Minister of State will agree with that.”
“This was particularly the case with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the incredible work it is doing in managing a huge estate of eight national parks and 78 nature reserves, as well as all of biodiversity policy. This Government will have to face into a statutory national nature restoration plan, a statutory national biodiversity action plan, marine protected areas, on which I will speak shortly, and a water action plan, which is the only means of retaining our nitrates derogation and improving water quality across the country. Some amendments have been tabled regarding the delegation of functions and the responsibilities of Ministers of State. It is a real challenge, and I know Senator Rabbitte and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, will attest to this as well.”
“However, the fact the role of nature has been downgraded in this Administration is most unfortunate. Both the children's assembly and the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss recommended that there be a senior post for nature. We need only look at the lost opportunity regarding Inland Fisheries Ireland, a point made by Senator Kyne. All of nature should be in a single portfolio. Whether it concerns habitats, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the EPA, freshwater ecology or marine diversity, it needs a coherent approach. One of the things I found during the term of the last Government was that this disjointed element often pressed challenges on me, as Minister of State, and on other Departments in trying to address those wider issues.”
“I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins. We served in the previous Administration together. I congratulate her on her appointment and wish her all the best for the term ahead. Listening back, I was particularly taken by the comments from Senator Joe O'Reilly about the response of the Government to the pressing issues of society. In looking at the appointment to Ministries of Ministers of State, I am somewhat disappointed. In 2019, the Dáil declared a biodiversity emergency as well as a climate emergency, and the 2020 programme for government recognised this by ensuring that biodiversity, for the very first time, had a seat at the Cabinet table. I am delighted with the appointment of the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, to my old post and I will work closely with him over the next term.”
“It is important we can use this as an opportunity to embed resilience in our rural communities in particular around trees in our countryside. They are an important and vital asset and they provide vital ecosystem services in terms of flood retention and carbon sequestration. Calls for removing them completely from our roadsides are ill-judged. It is important we have a debate on that as soon as possible.”
“I travelled extensively during the Seanad campaign, as we all did, and more recently around Roscommon, Leitrim and Mayo. I spoke to contractors working on the removal of trees and making the roadsides safe. Regarding calls to remove all trees from roadsides, there is a broader debate to be had. Putting a fund in place to manage roadside trees might be a more appropriate measure. Senator Boyhan might know about this as a fellow horticulturist. I would welcome the opportunity to have a debate on putting in place a fund to support local authorities which could be used for tree surgeons to make roadside trees throughout the country safer, rather than removing them altogether. There are going to be targets for standing wood, dead wood, in our nature restoration plan.”
“I have several items to raise. I agree with Senator Ahearn's point on the progression of the N24 but the 2:1 split on transport spending by the former Minister Eamon Ryan has led to a transformation in rural public transport, particularly Local Link services, the reduction in public transport fares and free transport for children aged under nine. This has been transformative for rural Ireland. It has reconnected many communities. It was the right decision, notwithstanding the need to progress the project. Eamon Ryan increased funding for regional roads and spoke of his support for regional roads and bypasses throughout the country. I would welcome the opportunity to have a debate in the Chamber on Storm Éowyn and extreme weather events generally.”
“I believe local government is a sleeping giant and has immense potential, but it is not being fully realised. For far too long, its role and function have been constrained and held back. Nonetheless, there is immense potential, as we have seen regarding climate action, nature restoration and putting biodiversity officers into our local authorities, and I note the role of the elected members in ensuring those officers have a significant job to do. I welcome the establishment of that task force and look forward to participating in it. I congratulate Members on their election and look forward to working across the House with all elected Senators in the coming years.”
“We had a difficult election but part of this for us is that it is important to keep on the agenda the wider issues around climate and nature. We have a big task of work to do in this sitting of the Seanad in terms of nature restoration, looking at the weather events of recent weeks and embedding and ensuring that a strong and resilient nature is good for our food security, is good in the face of climate change and is going to improve water quality up and down the country. For me, working with farmers and the farming community will be vital and I would like to put emphasis on that in this Seanad term. I again congratulate all Senators across the House. I welcome the comments regarding the debate that I took part in on the future of local government.”
“Among that legislation was the Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, the Planning and Development Act and the Electoral Reform Act, and we have talked quite a bit about electoral reform in our contributions this afternoon. I can say, hand on heart, that those significant pieces of legislation were improved greatly by the contributions of Members of this House. That highlighted, and continues to highlight, the significance of this House in improving and strengthening the robustness of our legislative process. The legislation that I was involved in was all the better for the incredible work of Senators in this House. I pay tribute to my former Green Party Senator colleagues.”
“Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil leis an gCathaoirleach and again congratulations to all the Senators elected and here this afternoon. It is a proud day for all of us, our families, my wife, Jennie, and Kitty and Stephen. We took them out of school this morning for this special occasion. It is important to have them here for such an occasion. As the Cathaoirleach is aware, I spent quite an amount of time in the ministerial chair in the Seanad during the last Dáil term, bringing forward legislation as Minister of State, and often in fear when Senator Higgins took to her feet.”