Neale Richmond
Dublin Rathdown · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I am grateful to Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this once again. I welcome the comments by his party leader this week when she declared that this is a great State and a great place to live in. It makes a welcome change from most other days of the week.”
“Another thing that must be looked at when discussing a united Ireland is that a lot of work has to be done to show example from political representatives on the base level of sectarianism that at least two other colleagues on these benches and I put up with every day.”
“They could not decide among themselves in the "Yes" campaign whether they would have a new form of sterling or a currency pegged to sterling or adopt the euro. That is not an issue for us. We join the European Union and we join the euro. It is simple as.”
“I will make a few concluding remarks to follow on from some of the points made by the Taoiseach in his opening iteration because in his 20 minutes he did not cover them all.”
“Over the coming months, we will act impartially serving as an honest broker among our fellow member states to progress many files in areas that were raised here today. Our work will respond to the overall interests and needs of the union, its member states and citizens across Europe.”
“More pertinently to the Deputy's questions, very real charges have been placed in The Irish Times and by other investigative journalists stating that the amounts of alumina being produced from Aughinish are going indirectly to the Russian war machine. If that is the case, it is completely unacceptable.”
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“For example, the Rainbo initiative, which I had the opportunity to visit while in Sierra Leone, supports over 50,000 young girls in their journey to healing from traumatic experiences through access to much-needed health and recovery services. Unfortunately, in recent years, there has been a growing pushback against human rights norms, particularly those related to women’s rights, gender equality and the rights of LGBTQI+ persons. Not only does this pose a risk to global progress on issues like sexual and reproductive health and rights, it has begun to unravel decades of effort that secured gender mainstreaming across global policy agendas and has the potential to curtail achievement of the equality ambitions central to the SDGs.”
“Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls remains a central priority for Ireland, as we deliver on our commitment in A Better World, to increase funding for women’s organisations, channelled through support to UN agencies and NGOs but also in targeted partnerships. We place a particular focus on advocating for a survivor-centred approach to tackling gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence. We work with many valued partners, both civil and bilateral, to ensure that survivors have access to non-discriminatory, trauma-informed legal and sexual and reproductive health services. Our embassies directly provide support to programmes preventing and responding to gender-based violence.”
“This is a treatable but potentially fatal condition to both a mother and her infant. Pre-eclampsia causes 46,000 maternal deaths every year and 500,000 miscarriages or stillbirths. Ireland has provided €4 million to the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Mozambique, working in partnership to increase the early detection of treatable conditions such as pre-eclampsia. Ireland is also supporting the use of innovative technology to diagnose pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. Early detection is essential to facilitate treatment. In 2024, Ireland helped train more than 450 maternal health workers and screen over 115,000 pregnant women for pre-eclampsia. Our support helped save 5,000 mothers in one year.”
“I have seen at first hand the positive impact that Ireland’s investment in the area has realised on my visits to sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Sierra Leone. We continue to support this area of work because even now, over 700 women in poor countries die each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Sometimes very simple interventions can have a huge impact on whether a woman or her newborn can survive delivery. In Tanzania, we fund training along with boots, coats and torches for health workers so they can get to pregnant women in hard-to-reach locations and ensure they receive the care they need. One area of maternal health that I believe demonstrates in practical terms the significant impact that Ireland is having is in regard to pre-eclampsia.”
“It is important to note that there has been a change globally in terms of where those living in extreme poverty are located. Increasingly, they are found in fragile and conflict-affected locations, with these contexts home to a quarter of the world’s population, but almost three quarters of those considered the extreme poor. When we talk about reaching the furthest behind, we also need to think about disability inclusion. We have made significant progress in this area but we cannot overlook the grave challenges ahead, especially the risk of the erosion of the rights of persons with disabilities. Ireland has invested in maternal and newborn health since the very first days of our aid programme. Since my appointment as Minister of State, I have sought to continue to advance interventions in this area in Irish Aid programme countries.”
“This is an increase of €30 million on 2025 and represents the highest ever level of funding for the Irish Aid programme. This is a clear sign of Ireland's commitment to working in partnership to save and improve lives around the world. We can be proud that Ireland remains committed to the fight to end poverty and hunger. The Government delivers this support through our bilateral development programme, channelled through Irish embassies, civil society and humanitarian and multilateral organisations, including the United Nations. lreland’s international development programme has evolved in terms of its scale and approach since its establishment by the late Dr. Garret FitzGerald in 1974, but one constant has been our focus on delivering for those furthest behind first.”
“This will significantly affect Ireland’s international development programme given the thematic and geographic focus of our work. The crisis is much deeper than a financial one as countries consider the purpose and definition of development assistance, the need to reform the UN system, the global push-back on gender equality and persistent levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. This is also emerging as an issue of trust for many developing countries, which are also often constrained by crippling debt levels. I assure Members that it remains a whole-of-government priority for Ireland to play our part. In budget 2026, the Government provided €840.3 million for the international development assistance programme managed by the Department of foreign affairs.”
“I thank the Seanad for inviting me to speak on my responsibilities as Minister of State with responsibility for international development, a central focus of Ireland’s foreign policy. I will start by considering the global context. International development is facing an existential crisis. This is partly driven by cuts to official development assistance, ODA, by a number of significant donor countries. The humanitarian, health and education sectors are among those hardest hit. Humanitarian aid is projected to decline by up to 36%, assistance for health will drop to levels last seen in the mid-2000s and ODA to education is projected to decline by between 18% and 22% between 2023 and 2025. The cuts will have a disproportionately negative impact on the least developed countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.”
“While I will focus my remarks primarily on the international development side of my brief, it is fitting that I commence by paying tribute to our late dear friend and colleague, Senator Billy Lawless. I was lucky to be in Chicago at the weekend and I spent some time with his son, Billy Jnr. I spent something else in The Gage, but we will leave that between me and him. It was brilliant to remember in that great city a great friend and colleague who I had the pleasure of sitting beside in this House for over four years. I was lucky to sit in on the statements and tributes beforehand. Every word uttered was utterly deserved. Billy is sadly missed by us all, but he has left a real legacy here and in the United States. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.”
“In this regard, the Government is providing significant funding through the national broadband plan, which will and is improving to be a game-changer in making sure people are maintaining access. It is important to keep a focus on that. The existing supports within the Department, along with recent budget increases, will continue to support this important cohort. However, I understand the points that the Senator is making. I absolutely believe this is something that perhaps he could take up further as the social welfare Bill passes through the House. Moving from €2.50 to €10 per week in one step is a large amount in one go for 164,000 people. We can all do the maths in our heads if we want to, but that does not mean that it not without merit.”
“I agree with the Senator that we need to ensure that older people are not left behind in an increasingly digital world. In this regard, I commit that the Government will not be found wanting. The Senator rightly cites and commends the volunteers of ALONE. It is a brilliant organisation to which we are all indebted. As previously outlined, the Department of Social Protection provides targeted payments to help people with their household costs, including fuel allowance, the living alone allowance, the household benefits package and the additional needs payments. While these supports can, of course, help older persons with the cost of digital services, providing access to these services is also a priority for this Government.”
“Increasing the rate of household-based schemes such as the living alone increase and the fuel allowance provides targeted support to households that are at a higher risk of poverty, as evidenced by recent ESRI research. Those in receipt of the telephone support allowance also have access to the household benefits package, which comprises of an electricity or gas allowance and the free television licence. This provides a further €580 a year to this cohort. Furthermore, the Department of Social Protection provides for additional needs payments as part of a supplementary welfare allowance scheme to help people meet essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. These payments are available through community welfare officers.”
“In order to receive the telephone support allowance, a customer must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and also in receipt of both the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance. This means that those in receipt of the allowance already receive considerable support from the Department of Social Protection. The living alone increase is paid at a rate of €22 a week - a yearly total of €1,144 - in recognition of the greater challenges facing those living alone in avoiding poverty. Since 2019, the living alone increase has more than doubled in value from €9 to €22. The rate of fuel allowance payable has also increased significantly in recent years and, from January 2026, will provide support of €1,064 to a household during the fuel season.”
“These supports were increased, including an overall package of €1.15 billion. This significant package balances payment rate increases together with a targeted package of measures aimed at supporting the most vulnerable in society. A weekly €10 increase was secured in the maximum weekly rate of all primary social welfare payments from January 2026. There will be proportionate increases for qualified adults and people getting a reduced rate. Furthermore, a €5 increase in fuel allowance, from €33 to €38 per week, from January 2026 was also secured, and this will provide an additional €140 during the annual fuel allowance season. A Christmas bonus will also be paid to over 1.47 million long-term social welfare recipients in December 2025.”
“The agency continues to inspect sites where it believes peat extraction may be taking place illegally and has engaged with the relevant local authorities in terms of that sector’s enforcement of environmental legislation. On the points raised by the Senator, there are various forums at which the agency can be held to account. I encourage him to seek to deal with the agency at those forums. In relation to the point on the nitrates directive, we put all our faith in the Minister for agriculture, Martin Heydon. I certainly have faith in him.”
“The Department of Climate, Energy and Environment, on behalf of which I am taking matter, is responsible for setting the policy and legislative framework within which the key environmental regulators discharge their functions, including the agency with regard to the environmental licensing of large industrial installations. The Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment, Deputy O’Brien, is constrained by the provisions of sections 79(3) and 86(5) of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 to exercise any power or control in relation to the performance in particular circumstances by the agency of a function assigned to it.”
“The regulatory regime is designed to control how the large-scale commercial extraction of peat takes place in order to ensure that the activity is carried on in an environmentally sound manner consistent with national and EU legislation. The EPA has been active in its efforts to control the unregulated large-scale peat sector and has committed to continue its enforcement actions in this regard. Details of the enforcement action taken by the EPA are set out in the agency’s Large Scale Illegal Peat Extraction report, which was published, as the Senator set out, in June. The report notes that the EPA was in the process of investigating 38 large-scale peat extraction operations over seven counties.”
“The key point to reiterate is that the agency is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. As a result, it is entirely independent in the exercise of its functions, including enforcement, under that Act. While it would not be appropriate to speak to individual enforcement actions carried out by the agency, the enforcement of legislation that protects our environment should be supported. The large-scale commercial extraction of peat is subject to planning legislation. Exemptions apply in specific circumstances and, depending on the scale of the activity, may necessitate the granting of an integrated pollution control, IPC, licence from the EPA.”
“Let us call a spade a spade. I am quite constrained in what I can answer here. The Senator will understand why. I will go through the detail now. The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. The purpose of the EPA is “to protect, improve and restore our environment through regulation, scientific knowledge and working with others”. This reflects its three core roles: as an environmental regulator; as a key source of trusted scientific evidence and knowledge; and as a voice for the environment through leadership, advocacy and collaborating and partnering with others to deliver better environmental outcomes. In carrying out its mandate, the EPA performs a wide variety of functions.”
“It makes absolute sense, for me, to add additional time but all I can say is I will convey the Senator's very real frustration and that of thousands of families around the country to the Minister and the SEC.”
“The point I would make is that more than one in four candidates at the 2025 certificate examinations were provided with some form of reasonable accommodation within the RACE scheme to support them in accessing the State examinations, underlining the importance of the scheme. In 2025, 36,000 candidates in 750 post-primary schools were accommodated in the scheme. I completely understand the Senator's frustration; I am not going to mince my words here. He and I had this discussion before and it was raised and replied to in good faith. Of course, the Minister welcomes the SEC's intention to pilot a scheme of additional time on a national basis at the 2026 certificate examinations. There are processes in place for a good reason. It is not my reason. I share the Senator's frustration.”
“The SEC is actively working to determine appropriate conditions of eligibility. All those nationally who meet the appropriate conditions of eligibility will be included. The SEC acknowledges that there is increasing complexity in the special educational landscape and, by extension, in the impact on candidates with special educational needs taking the certificate examinations. The extensive consultation and engagement to be undertaken as part of this comprehensive review will provide an opportunity for the views of those affected to be fully reflected.”
“This will include and has included young people with special educational needs, their families and representative organisations. I understand the State Examinations Commission has met a number of times with Dyslexia Ireland, for example, among other bodies. I know it has appeared before the joint Oireachtas committee. These consultations will inform any appropriate changes to the shape of the scheme for the 2026 State examinations and beyond. The State Examinations Commission has recently issued the RACE instructions for schools for 2026. While the SEC has not confirmed any adjustments to the RACE scheme for the 2026 examinations within this publication, it has confirmed that it is continuing to work on piloting arrangements for additional time to be in place for the 2026 examinations.”
“This will ensure any changes are implemented as early as possible and, quite clearly, in the interest of students. Already, and on a pilot basis for the 2025 examinations, additional time for vision-impaired candidates, who are under the care of the visiting teacher service, was increased from ten minutes per hour or part of an hour to 15 minutes for junior cycle, leaving certificate applied and leaving certificate. These arrangements were piloted for all those students nationally who were deemed eligible. Given the wide range of difficulties for which accommodations are sought, the review is seeking the views of users through extensive consultation and engagement to capture all perspectives and ensure all voices are heard equally.”
“The programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and, in certain circumstances, and to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations. The review by the SEC, which is now well under way, will seek to take account of these and other relevant issues and best practice internationally. The review is directed by the board of commissioners of the SEC and overseen by a steering group, with the terms of reference published on the SEC website. The inclusion of internal SEC members as well as external members is to ensure that rolling changes can be implemented as the review progresses, rather than awaiting a big bang approach at the end of the full review period.”
“Candidates who have learning difficulties, including dyslexia, are provided with accommodations on the grounds of a learning difficulty without the need for any diagnosis. This is established by criteria, such as a standard score test for reading and-or writing conducted by the school, and by the description of the candidate's normal way of working in school in the application form. The SEC, as the Senator is aware, is currently undertaking a review of the RACE scheme in the context of senior cycle redevelopment and of the wider special educational needs policy landscape. This is a comprehensive and system-wide review of the scheme.”
“I am grateful to the Senator for raising this really important issue once again. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for education. As the Senator is aware, the State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations, RACE, scheme. A central tenet of the RACE scheme is to ensure equitable treatment for all candidates. The range of accommodations provided within the scheme has been designed to ensure fairness for all when facilitating candidates in demonstrating their level of achievement. It is important to note that access to the scheme is needs-based rather than based on a specific diagnosis. This is in line with best practice internationally and with well-embedded special education policy in Ireland.”
“With regard to the two specific queries raised by Deputy Murphy, I will, of course, pass them on to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and ask him to reply to the Deputy directly.”
“As stated, it is illegal for anyone with a learner permit to drive on a public road unaccompanied. The following penalties apply to a learner convicted of driving unaccompanied. If you are unaccompanied and the vehicle owner, you are liable to have your vehicle impounded. If you are unaccompanied but not the vehicle owner, the owner faces their vehicle being impounded and being fined up to €1,000. In addition, there are penalty points and fines for unaccompanied learners - up to four penalty points and a fine of up to €160. In closing, the safety of all road users is a guiding principle behind driver licensing law. Road safety is promoted by ensuring that all learners meet a high standard of ability, attain sufficient driving experience and training and prove their ability to drive safely by passing a driving test.”
“I am very grateful to Deputy Murphy for raising this. From a road safety perspective, it is vital that learners are encouraged to complete the learning-to-drive process and become fully qualified drivers, and that people do not hold learner permits without ever taking a driving test. The RSA has a communication plan to engage with multiple learner permit holders. This will provide clear, targeted information to affected learners setting out the changes and providing information regarding testing options and supports available. It is important to remember that learners must always be accompanied by someone with a current driver licence for the same type of vehicle. They must have held that licence for at least two years and display L plates on the front and rear of the vehicles they are driving.”
“As learners may not currently drive on public roads unaccompanied, these changes will not affect the independence or mobility of any learners who comply with road traffic law, including older and rural learners. The learning-to-drive process sets out the knowledge, skill and competency needed to become a licensed driver. These changes will improve road safety by encouraging learners to become qualified drivers and not remain in the learning process. It is considered that seven years is more than enough time for the vast majority of learners to achieve this. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, intends to sign the regulations for these changes very shortly. The RSA will then contact those directly affected with information on the changes.”
“Under this proposal, a learner, after holding a permit for four years, must take a practical test before renewing their permit. For most learners, this will be for their third permit. After seven years, the learner, to continue learning to drive, begins the process again - theory test, learner permit, 12 essential driver-training lessons and the practical test. A learner permit is not a driver licence. It allows the holder to drive on public roads, accompanied by a qualified driver, while learning to drive. Until a learner completes the process and becomes a qualified driver, they cannot be judged safe to drive unaccompanied on public roads.”
“Accordingly, there was not sufficient capacity to cope with the additional initial demand for testing that might arise from these measures. As alluded to by the Deputy already, the average waiting time for a B car test is now ten weeks, a significant improvement on the 27-week average in April and a return to the service level agreement target. There is now no barrier in testing capacity to the introduction of these changes. We know, however, from RSA data that a significant number of learners renew their permits for many years without ever taking a test, rather than going through the learning process and becoming qualified drivers. As of September 2025, nearly 63,000 people, or 19% of all learners, have renewed their car permits three or more times. Of those 63,000 learners, 60%, or nearly 38,000, have never taken a driving test.”
“I am very grateful to Deputy Murphy for raising this issue. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, would also like to thank him for raising this matter and he looks forward to continuing a very close working relationship, given the Deputy's role as Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport. The Department of Transport is committed, under action 7B of the road safety strategy phase 2 action plan, to addressing the issue of learner drivers with multiple successive learner permits and, in particular, those who have never taken a practical test. In 2019, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, made proposals on reducing the number of multiple subsequent learner permit holders. However, with Covid-19, driver testing shut down and was then greatly restricted, leading from 2023 on to significantly longer waiting times for tests.”
“As per the very specific concerns in relation to Clonmel, as raised by Deputy McGrath and previously by Deputy Michael Murphy, the Minister remains available to be contacted directly to address this issue in tandem with Uisce Éireann, the EPA and the HSE. I thank the Deputy for his intervention this morning.”
“The updated national development plan has secured record levels of investment of €12.2 billion for the water sector, of which €11.7 billion will be invested by Uisce Éireann to support the delivery of key strategic projects in our cities and regions to deliver the additional water services capacity required for the new housing targets while prioritising public health and safeguarding the environment. This investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area, making a significant contribution to addressing Ireland's needs.”
“Both our water and wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the systems up to the quality and resilience standards required of a modern service to provide for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change. The preferred long-term approach for Clonmel, as set out in Uisce Éireann's national water resource plan, is the construction of a new water treatment plant with water sourced by abstraction from the reservoir. The overall plan sets out strategic options to ensure a more secure, reliable and sustainable water supply for almost 370,000 customers in the region over the next 25 years, supporting future growth in population and industrial development.”
“Business customers who pay charges can follow up with Uisce Éireann as they may be entitled to a rebate. The Department's priority is to ensure that people's health is protected and that adequate water is available for all consumers. We all want to see this notice lifted without undue delay, but only when the HSE and the EPA have confirmed the water supply is safe.”
“When complete, this will provide local homes and businesses with a safer, more reliable water supply into the future. Clonmel and the surrounding areas are currently supplied with drinking water from three water treatment plants - Poulavanogue, Glenary and Monroe. The area has been subject to ongoing operational issues impacting homes and businesses, including intermittent boil water notices and unplanned interruptions to supply. While these works are ongoing, Uisce Éireann has been in contact with the customers in question to keep them informed of progress being made to lift the boil water notice. The Uisce Éireann water charges plan sets out a compensation mechanism when water quality is compromised and unfit for human consumption such as when boil water and drinking water restriction notices apply.”
“To be helpful, the Minister has made inquiries of Uisce Éireann on both the Deputy's behalf and that of Deputy Michael Murphy, who raised the matter directly with him. Uisce Éireann acknowledges that aspects of the water treatment plants and network infrastructure in Clonmel are aged and fragile and the resulting impacts that water supply issues have on businesses and residents in the Clonmel area. Uisce Éireann is committed to investing significantly in Clonmel to deliver a more robust, resilient water supply that will include upgraded treatment facilities, storage and an upgraded network. Uisce Éireann has confirmed that the delivery of a strategic multimillion euro investment to modernise and upgrade the water assets across the town is well under way.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister. The Deputy will appreciate that the supply of public water and the provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. The Minister has no function regarding the specific Uisce Éireann operations to which the Deputy refers. The Environmental Protection Agency, in turn, as environmental regulator, is responsible for setting quality standards and enforcing compliance with EU directives and national regulations for the provision of drinking water. As the public health authority, it is the HSE's decision regarding issuing a boil water notice.”
“In particular, the Government is committed to the provision of infrastructure to support housing across the country in order to meet housing need and looking at reasonable, realistic and common-sense approaches that can unlock the potential for housing in counties such as Kerry and many others.”
“To ensure compliance with all these considerations, the draft will need to be subject to environmental assessment and legal review, following which it is intended that it will be published for a period of public consultation. This is a key part in relation to the asks and reasonable suggestions that the Deputy put forward in order to drive housing provision in County Kerry and beyond. This is the window to make sure that this is submitted and a full part is played. In addition to supporting rural housing, the programme for Government includes a significant number of commitments in relation to the development of housing in rural areas which the Department will address where necessary in conjunction with agencies, such as Uisce Éireann and other Government Departments as required and, indeed, as alluded to by the Deputy.”
“The updated rural housing guidelines in the form of a national planning statement will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in the local authority development plans for rural housing on a consistent basis based on the high-level policy framework set out by the national planning framework and recognising that obligations under European directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change has become more central to the operation of the planning system. I assure the House that due care is being taken to ensure that this work will not conflict with the fundamental EU freedoms, will comply with EU environmental legislative requirements and will have dual regard to decisions of the European Court of Justice.”
“Notwithstanding the need for updated rural housing guidelines, planning permission has been granted for almost 6,000 one-off houses on average every year since 2020. One-off houses constituted 20% of housing completions over the past five years, with an average of 5,200 completed per annum. It is also important to assure the House that both current and future planning guidelines will continue to enable county development plans to provide for rural housing. Furthermore, the Department is a key participant in the development of the new Our Rural Future policy, which will take effect from 2026, and regularly engages with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht on housing and the necessary infrastructure to support housing development.”
“This work will replace the current rural housing guidelines and will continue to enable development plans to provide for housing in the countryside based on the considerations detailed in the national planning framework. This will be balanced with the need to manage development in certain areas, including areas around cities and larger towns and environmentally sensitive areas, to avoid overdevelopment. The development of these new guidelines is a priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, recognising that nationally, rural housing continues to be an important component of overall new housing delivery. The vast majority of one-off houses - well in excess of 90% - are built in rural settings.”
“This NPO makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence, that is, those areas within the commuter catchment area of cities, towns and centres of employment where there is a need to facilitate rural housing on the basis of demonstrable economic or social need, on the one hand, and rural areas where population levels may be low or declining and rural housing may be facilitated on the basis of siting and design, on the other. In line with the programme for Government commitment to continue to support one-off rural housing, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is considering how best to proceed with updated rural housing guidelines in the form of a national planning statement on rural housing.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. At the House's discretion, I think the Deputy would like to join me in a note of sympathy on the death of his former colleague in Kerry County Council and former mayor of Tralee, Jim Finucane, who was a good friend of mine and I know of the Deputy as well. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. The recently approved revised national planning framework retains the national policy objective, NPO, of supporting the sustainable development of rural areas.”
“The further this war goes on, the further Russia is allowed to make advances, it hurts the Irish people in their pocket as well as detrimentally and existentially hurting the security of not just Ireland but Europe going forward.”
“The primary role of the de-mining is in respect of training Ukrainian civilian authorities to clear mines. This is done by members of the Defence Forces. Ireland has a particular expertise globally in de-mining. We have been to the forefront of a number of training missions across Africa. We are still active in Uganda through the United Nations. In the last two years the Defence Forces acquired new de-mining equipment that is top of the range, to ensure that our Defence Forces officers are able to implement that, not only when participating in peacekeeping missions, but also when they are training. If I may refer to a very clear point the Deputy made at the end of his last intervention, the material impact of this ongoing war in Ukraine is felt by every single household in this country. It is felt in our grocery bills and energy bills.”