Noel Grealish
Galway West · Independent · Ireland
“In this regard, the FAI has strongly represented the views of its membership that Israel should be excluded from international football competitions, including bringing a motion to UEFA to this effect last year.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton. I will outline to the Dáil the current position on investments in school infrastructure in County Waterford. Waterford county is broken down into five school planning areas.”
“We will also continue to use our influence to persuade the international community to take appropriate action and stop this conflict. However, we should not reduce this issue to one or two football games or events.”
“Should the first fixture take place in Dublin, which again is ultimately a matter for the FAI and UEFA, I am fully confident that An Garda Síochána has the expertise and resources to police the game properly.”
“Of the total €7.55 billion investment, it is envisaged that approximately €5 billion will be used for project roll-out to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the large-scale, additional accommodation, modular and annual September accommodation needs programmes.”
“Ireland had taken a strong stance in respect of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including recognising the State of Palestine, and the Government stands ready to play our part in working towards a sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine, through the realisation of the two-state solution.”
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“I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I am sure the Minister for Health will be agreeable to meeting with the Senator and to discuss the matter further. As TDs and Senators, parents always come to us regarding the oral hygiene of students, particularly those going to the national schools and secondary schools and those who use medical cards. It is important we can try to progress and move that forward. I am sure that the Minister will be open to discussing this matter further with the Senator.”
“To increase this number further, the Minister for Health supports the creation of additional capacity in higher education, including in oral healthcare. Substantial modernisation of the service and contractual model, in tandem with increasing workforce capacity, will train and enable more dentists to take contracts to care for medical card holders. The Senator asked how many dentists are in Roscommon. I will ask the Minister to reply directly to him on that.”
“This will further assist the provision of oral healthcare services by HSE dental staff to provide the care it is tasked to provide. The plan for the first phase of policy implementation, to end in 2027, is being finalised by the Department of Health and the HSE, following targeted consultation in quarter 3 of last year. The policy highlights the need for strategic workforce planning to ensure a sufficient number of appropriately trained oral healthcare professionals, including dentists, dental hygienists, dental nurses and other auxiliary grades. It is heartening to note that, currently, we have more registered dentists in Ireland than ever before - 3,823 as of April 2025, which is an additional 171 registered dentists since April 2024.”
“The Minister acknowledges, however, that access issues remain and that complete modernisation of care, the service model and, subsequently, contractual arrangements for adult medical card holders is required. The vision for substantial service reform is set out in the national oral health policy. Budget 2025 allocated €2 million for 2025, increasing to €4 million in 2026, to continue the implementation of the national oral health policy. The investment will also provide an additional 15 HSE dental staff to deliver oral healthcare in the community, including medical card holders. In addition to this, the HSE has sanctioned filling the existing 34.7 whole-time equivalent vacancies in the oral healthcare service and has advised that the recruitment process has commenced.”
“Services available annually and on demand include an examination, two fillings, emergency extractions and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients are available subject to the approval of the local HSE principal dental surgeon. To support contractors to provide care under the scheme, an additional €10 million was made available in budget 2022 to increase the preventative care available and increase the fees paid to contractors for most treatment items by between 40% and 60% from May 2022. The introduction of these measures has improved access to care for patients. In 2024, 227,691 additional treatments were provided nationally under the DTSS, with 44,208 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.”
“This is my first day as Minister of State in this Chamber. I thank the Senator for his warm welcome and also for the congratulations on the Galway win. I congratulate him on a great win in London also. It is leading up to a great challenge on Sunday week. I am sure I will see him in Pearse Stadium. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address the issue of dental services and recruitment of dentists for medical card holders. The dental treatment services scheme, DTSS, provides dental care free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services are provided by private dentists and clinical dental technicians who hold a contract with the HSE to operate the DTSS.”
“One of the first meetings I had when I was appointed was with Bord Bia. I was very impressed with the organisation. It has 14 offices around the world. We export to 114 countries and many of those exports are drinks that are produced in Ireland. If we can promote the wine industry here, I am sure Bord Bia will be delighted to do so. I will be happy to work with Deputy Byrne to ensure that happens.”
“I would be delighted to sit down with any producers the Deputy would like to introduce to me. If there is any help or support we can give them, we will do so.”
“It is important to note that my officials participated in the European Commission high-level wine group last year. This group was established to develop policy recommendations to address issues in the European wine sector. While primarily aimed at reducing burdens currently impacting larger wine-producing countries, the final recommendations document produced by the group also recognised the importance of new and emerging wine producing countries, including Ireland. This may present an opportunity for further expansion in the cultivation of vineyards for wine production in Ireland. My Department will continue to monitor the pace of growth in this sector and is happy to engage with producers wishing to pursue this as an agrifood business, as part of the horticultural strategy.”
“These offices are a valuable resource to local small businesses because they can provide advice and sometimes funding to assist in the development of businesses. It may also be of interest to producers to make contact with their local action groups in respect of the LEADER programme. These groups contain local representatives from the community, public and private sector and award funding to projects within their geographical area in accordance with their local development strategy.”
“The capital investment scheme is intended to assist in increasing innovation and diversification in horticulture with grant aid in capital investment and specialised plant and equipment to microenterprises and SMEs active in primary horticulture production. A number of vine growers have been supported under this scheme in the past. A budget of €8.5 million was allocated for the implementation of these schemes in 2025. The call for applications closed in February. Should these schemes reopen for applications in 2026, this will be widely advertised through the Department's website, on social media, in the farming press and through stakeholders such as Teagasc and An Bord Bia. Additionally, I encourage producers to engage with their local enterprise offices.”
“I thank Deputy Byrne for submitting this question. The Department operates a number of schemes in the horticulture sector. They may be availed of by wine producers in the context of the grape-growing aspect of their production. The two schemes are the scheme for investment aid for innovation and diversification in horticulture, which supports feasibility and desk studies, and the scheme of investment aid for innovation and diversification in horticulture, which provides funding for capital investment. These schemes are aimed at increasing innovation and diversification in the horticulture sector. The feasibility studies scheme is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, engaging in primary horticulture production which would like to innovate and diversity in the horticultural industry.”
“I agree with the Deputy on that and I will look at it, along with my colleagues here. The second call closed on 7 March and relates to a €3 million fund to develop and promote our organic sector to cover the period of 2025 to 2027. The applicants were asked to submit their applications for that. It is in process at the moment and the announcements will hopefully be made by the end of April. I hope more organic markets like this will be in our towns and villages around the country but it would be great to see more of them within the major cities and the likes of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway where farmers come in to sell their produce, as we see all over Europe. I came back from Vietnam recently and there is a market on every street. It is maybe something we could see if we could grow more here. I thank the Deputy.”
“I thank the Deputy for his comments. It is great that a Dublin TD is talking about farmers' markets, which is very important. I spoke about this in my first speech to this Dáil when a number of the TDs from Dublin were talking about the farming community. Farmers put an awful lot into the economy in Ireland and I am great a supporter of farmers' markets. We have very successful ones in Galway and Galway City Council tries to support an organic farmers produce sales in the Black Box Theatre, which has been very successful. As I said, there is an application in place. It is in process and I hope the Merrion Square project will be successful and I hope that if it is, I will be there to visit it. I thank the Deputy for the question and I hope the application will be successful.”
“Given the ongoing process, I am not in a position to state whether or not any of the applications relate to national or Dublin-based food fairs but over the past number of years every opportunity has been provided for groups and individuals to apply for funding to support food fairs.”
“There were over 90 applications, and 16 successful projects were announced in January this year. Many of these will be supporting local food markets, but none is Dublin based, unfortunately. A total of €920,000 in funding has been allocated for 2024 and 2025, inclusive. Earlier this year, I announced a €3 million call for projects to promote and develop the organic sector over the period 2025 to 2027. The call looked for projects that would align with the EU action plan on organics, and allowed for proposals to develop national and local food fairs. A total of 25 applications were received. These will be evaluated, successful applicants notified and projects published before the end of April.”
“Go raibh maith agat, Deputy Geoghegan, for the question. I am a great supporter of the farmer markets and organic food markets. In 2023 the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine awarded €1.1 million to 12 projects to promote and develop the organic sector over 2023 and 2024. One of the successful applications was to hold an organic food fair in Merrion Square, and this was a well-attended event that took place on 31 August and 1 September 2024. In 2024, the Department held a call to promote and develop short supply chains. There were five themes to the call, one of which was “Encourage and support local authorities to expand the number of farmers’ markets, farm shops and food emporiums, and support the formation of community-owned markets in all towns, showcasing local food produce from local farmers, growers and food producers".”
“The main categories were beverages, worth €690 million, and dairy, which was worth more than €800 million. Any tariffs, no matter how small, could have far-reaching consequences for the agrifood sector and will affect every single corner of this country. In my county of Galway, the medical devices sector employs 15,000 people, with many thousands more employed in supporting companies. A total of 20% of all medical and pharmaceutical exports from Ireland are sent to the US. I have full support for and confidence in Verona Murphy. I look forward to voting confidence in her.”
“It is no surprise that she broke barriers once again by becoming the first woman to be elected as Ceann Comhairle. This debate comes at a time when Ireland faces unprecedented challenges. We are wasting Dáil time on unnecessary motions when the Irish people just want us to get on with the urgent business of this House. We are debating a motion that amounts, in essence, to a row about eight minutes of speaking while we anxiously await an announcement tomorrow by President Trump on tariffs that could have massive consequences for the Irish economy. The agrifood sector accounted for €19 billion of exports from Ireland in 2024, with the US one of our largest trading partners. In 2023, Irish agrifood exports to the US were worth €1.6 billion.”
“I am delighted to vote confidence in the Ceann Comhairle. Verona Murphy is a formidable lady and the first woman ever elected to the office. Despite encountering difficulty in carrying out the duties of the office, she has always been impartial, fair and independent in her actions. Verona was first elected to represent Wexford in 2020. Since then, she has proven to be a strong voice for her constituents and for the Irish people. Verona was always a hard worker and a trailblazer for women. Having established her own haulage company at the age of 21, she completed her leaving certificate in her mid-30s and then a degree in law. She became the first woman president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, which was an organisation dominated by men.”
“I am pleased to see how the Commission's approach very much aligns with our Food Vision 2030 strategy, recognising the importance of stakeholder involvement in policy formation and the importance of all aspects of sustainability. The agrifood sector's contribution to the social and economic fabric of our country cannot be overstated. The sector produces food and ingredients with a global reputation for quality and safety, with a livestock sector built on an invaluable grass-based production system. Global demand for high-quality food is increasing with the growing populations, urbanisation and affluence. The Irish agrifood sector is well placed to play a role in meeting this demand. I very much look forward to supporting all in these efforts.”
“It is also pivotal to developing the next generation of cutting-edge technologies and innovation, and building a highly skilled workforce that will ensure we are globally attractive and competitive as a food island. I welcome the publication of the European Commission's vision for agriculture and food. It acknowledges that the agrifood sector makes an important contribution to the EU priorities of competitiveness, innovation and rural development. It is also essential to the EU's climate action and environmental protection objectives. Food security is fundamental to the EU's economic security and should not be taken for granted.”
“Since 2010 the Department has invested more than €250 million on public good research in agrifood, forestry and bioeconomic areas. Last year, just over €48.5 million was awarded to 76 successful research projects, which will see the creation of 58 postgraduate positions. The availability of research and innovation talent will be a key component in addressing the disruptive impacts of digitalisation, adopting climate-friendly farming, driving new innovative start-ups and attracting and retaining multinational food businesses. The work funded under our research calls is essential to equip farmers, foresters, advisers, scientists, policymakers and the wider agrifood sector with the tools needed to improve economic, environmental and social sustainability in the years ahead.”
“Regional shifts in markets are expected, linked to changing demographics and new economic affluence, including the increasing role of India, south-east Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and China's increasing self-sufficiency. We will continue to support the Irish agrifood sector in remaining agile, resilient and competitive in the face of market shifts. We will draw upon the expertise of our Bord Bia colleagues to facilitate new market opportunities and encourage product diversification. Research, development and innovation are crucial to ensuring the continued economic contribution of the agrifood sector. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, including its State agencies, is the third largest Department for expenditure on research.”
“This is also an increase of €1.6 billion on the previous peak levels achieved in 2022. It represents a significant 58% increase in value from €11.6 billion in the decade since 2014 and a doubling from €8.9 billion in 2010. We will review Food Vision 2030 later this year, with a view to mapping out a vision for the next ten years. I look forward to engaging with this very important exercise. The world's population is expected to grow to almost 10 billion by 2050. This is expected to boost economic growth by 50% compared to 2013. Emerging economies have increasingly driven global agricultural market developments over the past 20 years and are projected to continue to do so over the next decade.”
“It also improves social sustainability of primary producers in areas such as generational renewal, gender balance, health and safety, mental health and well-being, and wider rural development. As the Minister mentioned, Food Vision 2030 envisions an increase in the value of agrifood exports to €21 billion by 2030. This will be built on sustainable and steady value growth. We are well on our way to achieving and surpassing that figure. Food Vision 2030 looks to protect and build on Ireland's global reputation as a trusted supplier of high-quality, safe, sustainable food to consumers at home and abroad. As mentioned by the Minister, the latest CSO figures show that in 2024, Irish agrifood exports reached a record value of €19.2 billion, an increase of 6% in value on the €18.1 billion achieved in 2023.”
“We are matching our policies to these objectives. Delivering real and measurable improvements in sustainability will also provide the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector. International customers for Irish products and ingredients want to know that their supplies come from sustainable sources. Equally important is economic sustainability, and one of Food Vision 2030's missions is viable and resilient primary product producers with enhanced well-being. This places the primary producers - farmers, fishers and foresters - at its centre by improving the competitiveness and productivity of primary producers, increasing the creation of value and distributing it fairly, and introducing greater diversification in production systems and incomes.”
“It is the envy of many other countries and has been replicated, to some extent, by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's strategic dialogue on agriculture, which was supported by stakeholders across the sector. Food Vision 2030 is Ireland's most recent stakeholder-led strategy. Its vision is for Ireland to be a world leader in sustainable food systems, with environmental, economic and social sustainability at its core. This is about developing resilient production models which are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. It acknowledges that each actor in the food chain, from farm to fork, has an important role in developing a sustainable food system. Ireland is a world leader and sustainable food systems will deliver significant benefits to the agrifood sector, Irish society and the environment.”
“We are aware of factors which may adversely affect the sector, including geopolitical developments and their potential to impact international trade relations. We continue to enact policies to safeguard animal health and welfare and monitor diseases which may impact animal health and have adverse economic consequences for production outputs and livelihoods. We as a Government will continue to work at EU level to ensure we have an adequately funded CAP into future which supports our farmers and our sustainable food production goals and contributes to our climate and environmental ambitions. Ireland's unique collaboration between agrifood stakeholders has resulted in successive, strategic plans to develop the agrifood sector.”
“During the many challenges of recent times, our family farms have demonstrated adaptability and resilience by continuing to deliver safe and healthy food for Irish and international markets. Living in uncertain times, we need our farm families to be producing safe, sustainable and high-quality food more than ever. The Government has, and will continue, to support our farm families with this objective in mind. The Government and my colleagues, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, the Ministers of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, and the Minister of State-to-be, Deputy Timmy Dooley, are conscious of the challenges facing agriculture, farming and fishing. We remain vigilant in monitoring agrifood sector developments, including farm incomes, viability and structures, the performance of key market commodities, food industry trends and key economic indicators.”
“Let us consider, however, how effectively the Irish agrifood sector has demonstrated its resilience and agility in recent years despite numerous pressures and uncertainties such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have adversely impacted the sector. Significant energy price rises and supply chain disruption have fuelled inflation and increased the challenges for farmers, fishers, processors and food businesses. What this period also demonstrated, however, is how resilient the sector is. Stakeholders worked together, with the support of Government, to ensure critical food supply chains were maintained from farmers and fishers all the way to retailers.”
“It is great to hear everyone talking about the importance of farming to the economy. It was reassuring to hear Deputies from Dublin talking about the agricultural sector. That is important because I think many farmers believe that no one in Dublin knows anything about farming, but there are people in Dublin who know something about farming. I have been involved in the programme for Government and it recognises the critical role the agrifood sector plays in the economy. The nature of the food business, especially one as outwardly focused as Ireland's, means events far beyond our shores can have a significant impact on market dynamics.”
“I thank everyone for their contributions and for their messages of goodwill to the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and me. My good friend, Deputy Fitzmaurice, said they were giving us a short stay of execution. I hope I get a bit of a longer one because I am only new in this Department, while the Minister has been there for the past five years. Listened to the debate, I note what Deputy Fitzmaurice said about going out to the land and walking through the cattle. I grew up on a farm and my job every weekend was to milk the cows on Saturday and Sunday. We used to go to 7 o'clock mass in the morning and I would have the cows milked beforehand. Every cow had a name and I would give every cow a kick to get it up, so I know what it is like to walk through the farm animals in the morning.”