Victor Boyhan
Agricultural Panel · Independent · Ireland
“It also mentions the agrifood sector and the importance of diversification in agriculture, the maritime sector, coastal communities and fishing communities in terms of rural policy.”
“I know from my engagement with both the Department and the Minister that over 900 submissions to the consultation process were received. No Member or parliamentarian will have had the opportunity to consider the anonymised version of these consultations, which contain many good suggestions in favour of the regulations and many concerns in…”
“I welcome the Minister and the official to the Seanad. This is particularly important Private Members' business. I thank Senators Collins and Tully for setting out the background and the rationale behind their Private Members' motion. I acknowledge the Minister's exceptional commitment to rural Ireland and his Ministry.”
“I am conscious of the Minister's public consultation, and I acknowledge it and thank them for it, in relation to the Our Rural Future work programme in 2025. In fairness to him, he did not stop at that. I received a further update when I requested it from his office very recently.”
“This will come about through that process. It is for the Minister to decide. Maybe he will do so tomorrow when the regulations are dealt with. However, when Senators are in this Chamber discussing these regulations tomorrow, they will have no sight of any constituent who made a submission. That is my first item.”
“I am pleased to see Senator Byrne in the Leader’s chair. I wish him well in that job. I also wish him well in his new position as Government Whip. There are three items I wish to discuss today. First is the exempt development regulations, which are being covered extensively in the media.”
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“Of course they will have opportunities to engage as gardaí and public representatives like to engage, and that is an important point to make. It has been put to me that the structures are fundamentally undemocratic. They are reducing the role of the elected members and increasing the power to statutory bodies. Statutory bodies have many opportunities to convey their concerns for their stakeholders and the groups and segments they represent. Is it really necessary to put them in on this structure? Councillors will say that their powers, audience and right to be heard are now becoming limited. We have seen the erosion of many aspects of the role of our city and county councillors. I know that the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan will reject many of these arguments. He has said on the record that he has considered the matters.”
“The concern expressed by county councillors on the ground and indeed by Senators and Deputies who were at the table for joint policing committee meetings is that they are perceived as an erosion of local democracy, engagement and accountability. I refer also to the knowledge of local politicians, be they Oireachtas Members or councillors, who represent their constituencies. One of the great things about our democracy is that our politicians are on the ground. I have no doubt the Minister of State will be around Limerick later today and tomorrow. Accessibility to our politicians at all levels is good and they are picking up information all the time themselves. Many councillors, Deputies and Senators will no longer have a seat at the table to engage with the garda responsible in the context of the LCSPs.”
“They were a collaboration between An Garda Síochána, community representatives, volunteers, educational stakeholders, business and enterprise stakeholders and more. They were engaged with minority groups and so on. It was overall a good experience and a collaborative approach that worked well. Any garda you meet, from the lowest to the highest rank, will tell you that the joint policing committees worked well and were collaborative. That is critically essential when dealing with community issues, particularly in the area of community policing. We now have local community safety partnerships, LCSPs.”
“I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Collins to the House. I appreciate him coming. He has vast experience and involvement in local community policing and recognises its importance. County councillors from all parties, including the Minister of State's, and Independents have raised serious concerns about the Department of justice decision to scrap joint policing committees. I am a pragmatist and a realist. Those decisions were endorsed by the Houses of the Oireachtas. I tabled a number of amendments on to this in support of some of the concerns of the councillors who contacted me through their representative bodies, LAMA and the AILG. However, they were not successful. The reality is that we have to deal with what is on the ground now. The Minister of State knows that from 2006, the joint policing committees worked very well.”
“I thank the officials. I thank the Minister of State. I know there are many demands, but I know her to be a decent person. I know her to be a champion of cancer and health rights in particular. I think we are all on the one page, but let us not go asleep or tap ourselves on the back and think it is all done. Today is the beginning. Let us keep soldiering on until we get what we seek to achieve for everyone affected by this illness.”
“Tonight we are having this debate basically on foot of her experience, and that of the professionals accompanying and supporting her tonight. It is a great privilege for them and for us in this House that they are present. They have made a difference to this debate for many of us who have been here a long time. When people who are directly involved in the issues we are debating come to sit among us in the Upper House of the Oireachtas, it is special and meaningful. No doubt we will have an opportunity to chat afterwards. I thank everyone involved.”
“We need to convince the policy makers. We need to convince the people who hold the strings in terms of recruitment, resources and funding. That is important. There are many aspects to cancer and many demands on cancer services, but today we are focusing on head, neck and throat cancer, and all of the issues around that. That is really important, and that speciality is a focus of our debate here. I again thank Senator Craughwell for sharing what is a family story and a lived family experience. I thank Rebecca, who has allowed her story and journey to be shared with us. It makes it so much easier to communicate when you are talking to the person, exchanging with the person and sharing their concerns. She is brave and courageous, but she is a champion.”
“We will of course engage with Government Ministers, who engage with us all the time. Those who look in on us from outside sometimes forget that this is a political establishment. We collaborate well together. We work well together. It is incumbent on all 60 Members of Seanad Éireann, on all sides of the House, to use our contacts with Government Ministers to progress this. As Senator Clonan said, it is important to keep the focus with the Joint Committee on Health. That is important. It is also important to prepare, and to ask Government and Opposition TDs to prepare, parliamentary questions to highlight the issue. Let us not go out of here feeling pleased that we have articulated something we all know about, because everyone in this room is convinced. We need to get out of here and we need to convince other people.”
“I thank the Minister of State for reading a difficult and long official response - no doubt it came from the Department - that clearly had the approval of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, which would be the right thing anyway. I thank the Minister of State for taking us through all of that. I also make an ask of the Members of this House, of all sides, who have parliamentary party meetings. It so happens that some Senators will have a parliamentary party meeting tonight. I have no doubt there will be other things exercising their minds tonight. However, I ask them to keep this issue live. I ask them to bring it to their party leaders, to the Taoiseach and to the Cabinet members they work and network with. They respect the Members. The Members respect them. They are in government.”
“I also take this opportunity to thank Senator Craughwell's staff. I know how committed they are to the Senator and to the causes he champions. That is important. The level of input that has been made in the preparation of this motion has come from their office. It has also come from Rebecca's lived experience, of course. I acknowledge that it has also come from Senator McDowell and Samantha, and their office, with the preparation of briefing documents and bringing people on board. It is very important, as the Minister of State has said, that the Government is not opposing it. Why would the Government oppose it? How could the Government oppose it, quite frankly?”
“It is not too often that so many distinguished, capable and able experts come to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery to bear witness to the debate in this House with regard to that. I will not be a cynic, but I am here long enough to know that many motions are debated but they tend to go on a shelf and we hear no more about them. I particularly welcome the proposal by Senator Clonan, who is also a member of the Independent group. I might say that all of us now on this side of the House are members of the Seanad Independent group. I am proud to lead that group and I am proud of its achievements. We keep our focus on being advocates. We are politicians, but we are also advocates. We advocate for particular issues, and we unite and work together to highlight and shine a light in particular areas.”
“I welcome the Minister of State and officials from the Department of Health. I particularly welcome our guests in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery and, of course, Rebecca. It is so great to see her and looking so well. I thank Gerard and Helen for sharing their and Rebecca's story. I do not think Senator Craughwell would have ventured in here without Rebecca's blessing. I know Rebecca, having had the opportunity to talk to her in the past. Rebecca, Helen and Gerard's story is remarkable. When he tells their story in here, it is a very powerful testimony and shines a light on a particular issue. I also thank the people from the Dublin Dental University Hospital.”
“It is an important body of work and I would like to know more details about the funding ring-fenced for that. I thank the Minister of State.”
“The funding is €801 million, an increase of €117 million. That has to be good, has to be positive and has to be welcomed. That money will feed into the equalisation payments, the LPT, supporting local government, IT, investment in that area, upskilling of staff, issues around An Bord Pleanála, funding, planning - all that. That is all very important. Supporting and encouraging new participants in local government and those who are elected to office is important. I thank them for their commitment. The Minister of State is on the record as saying he has ring-fenced money for the task force on local government. That has to be welcome, but I ask again if we could have a briefing note in the next week or so, if possible, on the exact detail of the money committed in this budget for the local government task force.”
“It is a matter of a pathway to that. In relation to agriculture, the IFA submitted a very detailed 2026 submission along with two concerns. There is some serious concern about the residential zoned land tax. I know it has been pushed out for a year but I would like if we could be provided with a briefing note on that, not necessarily today, as to where we are on that tax and farmers who are actively using these lands for farming. That is important. I know that in other areas we want to catch lands that have been abandoned. If we could have a briefing memo on that to the House, that would be really important. I finish with the positive endorsement of the Government's commitment to local government. Deputy John Cummins is the Minister of State with specific responsibility in this area.”
“I do not want to come criticising all the time, but there is now a desire to set out a pathway over the next two to three years as to how we will address issues in relation to disability and set out issues relating to the carer's allowance and the means-testing. I know it is planned to do it over a period, but now is the time to set out the pathway for that so people understand what they might expect next year. I want to be positive about that. I recognise there is a concern. The Taoiseach when he was addressing the DFI said that the system is not delivering for disabled people and that the Government can and will do better. That is what the Taoiseach said at the national economic dialogue. I do not doubt that he is committed to that or doubt the Government's commitment, while I understand the difficulties in terms of the fiscal space.”
“• Comparing these long-term expenditure projections with long-term revenue projections in order to assess the long-term fiscal sustainability of ... [our] Public Finances. That analysis is there for everyone to see. I am concerned. We need to look at that and take that advice further because that is what the Parliamentary Budget Office is telling us. It is not me saying it. The Disability Federation of Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and others say there is a betrayal of disabled people in terms of the supports they were looking for. I share some of their concerns but accept there have been supports for them. I heard some commentary by the Minister, Paschal Donohoe.”
“• It does not enable medium- and long-term planning with on the trajectory of public expenditure and considerations around the sustainability of ... [our] public finances. It continues: The PBO reiterates its recommendations made in its Pre-Budget 2026, and now makes an additional recommendation of reintroducing ELS estimates. The PBO further recommends: • Reintroducing ELS estimates in Budget documentation to provide clarity on the available space for new measures. • The publication of a comprehensive official methodology for estimating required increases in ELS components. • The integration of such transparent evidence-based ELS estimates into the annual budget process. • The consistent presentation of ELS estimates, with clear breakdowns of components in the Budget Expenditure Reports.”
“It further states: "For example, if ELS is underestimated for a Department, it would mean that funding is insufficient to fund ... new measures ...". It identifies some key issues in summary. This document is for the House. I will submit it to the parliamentary reporters later. It states of the lack of ELS estimates: • It does not support an evidence-based policy approach which should be at the heart of policy analysis and development. • It does not indicate the space available for new measures being undertaken. [This is our budget, the budget laid before the House.] • It makes Budget scrutiny more difficult for members of ... the Oireachtas or the public in general. • The lack of consistency in reporting ELS makes year on year analysis difficult.”
“In chapter 6 of its analysis, it refers to the budgetary policy as "A Weak Evidence Base": Informed policy-making involves the production of research and the accumulation of evidence to support decision-making. Politicians are required to weigh various considerations when determining what policies to pursue, it is therefore important that they be supported in this process ... That is really important. At the end of the document, there are some key issues that raise concern. I will share them with the Minister of State. The document states: "Therefore, it is not possible to assess the degree to which these categories [in the budget] of 'Other' and 'key policy adjustments and expansion of services' comprise funding for new measures ...".”
“Those who had an opportunity to meet its staff today will have found the engagement very meaningful. They do an extraordinary body of work. One of the great things about a democratic parliament such as ours is that we have this independent validation, scrutiny and analysis of the finances of Government budgets. Yesterday the office completed work in a timely fashion, and I acknowledge that. The role and functions of the PBO and its objective are to advise the Oireachtas - not Ministers, not Departments but Oireachtas Members. That is important. I wish to raise a number of issues with the Minister of State on the budget. I will not go into the detail. She is the Minister of State. She is in government. She knows the budget. The PBO, however, emphasises a number of issues.”
“I welcome many aspects, and I want my contribution to be as positive as it can, but I also want to point out some concerns I have. I recognise the importance of the national development plan and the critical roll-out of infrastructure for housing, the economy, employment, sustainability and all of that. We can talk all we like about housing but we need to see the Government's Housing for All or some iteration of its housing policy. That continues to be pushed back and back. I know the Minister of State is not the Minister with responsibility so I do not expect her to reply, but it is about time we saw the new national housing policy or document that the Government intends to operate and roll out for its term in office. I acknowledge the very significant work of the Parliamentary Budget Office, PBO.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. I thank her for her commitment to come to the House this afternoon. She is always welcome. I also thank her staff. We sometimes forget that behind all good Ministers and Departments are good staff who give technical support to the Minister of State and others in the formation of any budget. That is a key component of the process. I acknowledge the publication of The Budget in Brief: Your Guide to Budget 2026. Talking about budgets, if we had the resources, it should be in every household. I took the liberty of sending the link to hundreds of people last night. It touches on issues. It does not cover all of them or drill down on many of the specifics but it gives heading you can chase up.”
“I acknowledge the Minister of State’s statement that he has dedicated funding for the local democracy task force, in which this Seanad, on all sides of the House, has played a huge role. I acknowledge the Cathaoirleach’s work on that. The Minister of State said in a Government press statement this morning that a significant amount of money will be provided for in this budget for the implementation of the task force. I particularly welcome this but we may need more detail. Given the significance of local government and its interrelationship with the Seanad and those here whom it elects, I ask that we be given a briefing note, if possible, on the resources and funding for the local government task force which the Minister of State has committed to. I thank him.”
“It is about funding equalisation, the local property tax, fire services, enhanced services for local authorities, greater inclusion and awareness of local government and greater participation in local government. That is great. The Minister of State with responsibility for planning and local government, Deputy Cummins, has done a lot of work in this area. He comes from a strong background in local government, has huge expertise and is fiercely committed to it. I want to acknowledge that. Local authorities are at the front line of essential services for our citizens. As they impact on the daily lives of our communities and citizens, any additional money to local government has to be commended.”
“That is a sign of the health of a democracy and a really important service for us. They are always there to support us, as is the Library and Research Service. I want to acknowledge that. I will take the opportunity to touch on one issue, namely local government. As there are so many segments to the budget, it is important we have the opportunity to go through it section by section. We can do that later on or hopefully throughout the next few weeks. I want to acknowledge funding of €801.7 million for local government and electoral reform which is positive. It represents an increase of €117 million. That is a significant change for local government which is to be acknowledged and I want to support that.”
“I agree with the Order of Business. I thank the Leader for making adequate time today for debate on the budget. I will not say too much about it at this point, but I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the very significant and important work of the Parliamentary Budget Office. For those who have not called down to its stand in LH2000 this morning, I suggest they do so. If anyone has not had the opportunity overnight to read its commentary on the budget, it makes for very interesting reading. I will go into this later in the debate on the budget. The Parliamentary Budget Office is critical. It is really healthy and great in a democracy that we have a stand-alone, independent Parliamentary Budget Office that can stand over its analysis, figures and commentary with great integrity and impartiality.”
“This is a particularly attractive booklet but not everyone has access to IT. I suggest that the powers that be make this readily available throughout our library network and places of public information. It is important that people understand where money comes in and where money goes out.”
“I received some correspondence this afternoon from the Disability Federation of Ireland, DFI. The programme for Government includes a commitment to "Providing a step change in the supports and services required by people with disabilities". This afternoon the DFI issued a statement stating the budget was a betrayal of disabled people. A litany of agencies and advocates for the disability sector have serious concerns. Now is not the time to discuss them as we have not drilled down into the detail and it would not be fair to comment in the absence of the exact figures. I suggest we have a series of debates. We speak about disabilities a lot in the House. It is important that we communicate back. Many pre-budget submissions were made and it is a disappointing headline. I would welcome a debate on this.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach, Leader and Members. I will not touch on the budget in any great detail but I thank the Leader for organising a debate on it today and tomorrow. It is important that we have a series of debates on particular topics. I commend the Government on the very detailed hot-off-the-press "Your Guide to Budget 2026". It sets out a lot of the very positive information in the budget but there are other things missing. We have a lot of time in the House as we are full-time politicians, or we should be. I ask that the Leader's office speaks to us on running a series of debates on agriculture, infrastructure and housing. There is a range of issues. Over a period of the next three to four weeks we could drill into more detail on the budgetary impact on key issues.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor. It is always great to see her in the House. I thank her for giving of her time because this is an exceptionally busy day for any Minister. It is budget day. I thank her for giving of her time, coming in and addressing all the Commencement matters on the agenda today. It is greatly appreciated. I thank the Senators.”
“There are eight points: the abolition of the carer's allowance means test; a fair and adequate income for carers; a right - an absolute right - to respite; delivery of the statutory home supports scheme; a fully funded carer guarantee; priority supports for children with additional needs; delivery of housing, transport and climate justice; and support for working family carers. I commend the organisation's pre-budget submission to the House. I hope we will take it on board and use our contacts within our party and political networks to once again highlight the need for these key asks. Family Carers Ireland is worthy of our support and we need to support it.”
“It is too easy for us to sit in our comfortable armchairs at 9 o'clock and say it is all shocking and terrible and then turn the button off and walk away. These people are walking their talk. They are courageous and I salute both of them. I raise one issue relating to Family Carers Ireland. Everyone will be aware of it having received the organisation's pre-budget document. What is interesting about its pre-budget document for 2026 is that it says it has exactly the same asks as it asked for in 2005.”
“First, I want to say that I am thinking of the people of Gaza. A guiding light for my work here is that we should shine a light in a dark place. I pay tribute to our colleague, Senator Chris Andrews, for his bravery and courage. He is walking the journey and embarking on a journey. He is a man of conviction and one of our own. It is at times like this that we, as a Parliament, should be united in our support of him and the cause of Gaza. I am more than happy to endorse and support the amendment to the Order of Business today. I also support the great courage of Barry Heneghan, our Independent TD. They are a shining a light and moving beyond words into actions to highlight the terrible injustice of the crisis that is Gaza and, more importantly, its people.”
“The Department's response to this report, which was circulated to all Oireachtas Members in the past 24 hours, talked about the first quarter of 2026 to look at the recommendations. I am not criticising that but I am asking the Minister to take on board the need for resources to deal with this matter. There are clearly funding, resources and commitments called for in this document. The Minister is giving a commitment and that is great. It is the first quarter of 2026. My ask is that the Minister keep the focus on and the resources in place to deliver the Comptroller and Auditor General's reasonable requests on the bovine TB eradication programme. I thank the Minister for his time.”
“The first is that "The Department should review the target for eradication in order to ensure it remains appropriate and realistic" and provide "a revised long-term timeline for eradication". Second, "The Department should consider designing a comprehensive set of performance measures which are achievable and relevant to the strategic aims of the bovine TB eradication programme." Third, "The Department should consider adopting measures such as aligning the payment of compensation to effective biosecurity measures." Finally, "The Department should ensure that it is in full compliance with the minimum requirements specified in SI 58/2015" and it goes on. What are interesting are the responses from the Department.”
“The Minister knows that so I will not go into great detail. We need to look at tax reliefs. There is a great expectation on the Minister. Some of his parliamentary colleagues spoke of him, his work and the expectation on him to deliver for farmers. That is a matter for him and I do not expect him to talk about budgetary matters today but it is important. I like to go into talks and make an ask and I want to make an ask of the Minister. It relates to the Comptroller and Auditor General. He issued a report yesterday that I had a look at today. Chapter 14 is about the bovine TB eradication programme. There are many critical aspects to it. They are far-reaching and factual. It is a significant office in the monitoring of departmental performances. He makes four recommendations.”
“He will know about it anyway but it is important and I want to reiterate that commitment. There are some other key messages I want to share. They talked about the ask and I have spoken about that. The Irish Grain Growers is crystal clear in what it is asking. The Minister has clearly had discussions with the organisation. The representatives raised the issue of the quality of this gold standard grain. This is pertinent to distilleries. They mentioned the branding and marketing of this unique gold standard grain for Ireland, and the added value of that. We see the challenges around the American market and tariffs, but how can we differentiate? Of course, we have challenges with imports of other grains and we do not produce enough grain for our own needs in terms of feed and everything.”
“There is a big difference between those two figures from two representative groups in the sector. That is a big bridge to cross and a challenge for the Minister. One of the key takeaways was this. I tried to cut to the chase and asked both of them in the committee less than an hour ago to give me three goals they wanted us to achieve for them and the sector. We do not need chapter and verse. We could write books about policy but I asked for a simple message and takeaway. One thing repeated by everybody was about the report on Food Vision 2030, the importance and significance of the objectives the Minister and others have signed up to in relation to the tillage group and how that will be rolled out. I am familiar with the dashboard and commend the Minister and Department on putting it in place. I want to drop that back in to the Minister.”
“I will use my time wisely. I thank the IFA, ICMSA, ICSA and various other farm organisations for their collective collaboration and advocacy in relation to their field. A number of Senators here are on the joint agriculture committee, including myself. We have just come from a reasonably robust debate, as always in agriculture and politics, about tillage. The Minister will be aware of the Killashee Hotel. A vast number of people came out to that hotel in the heart of the Minister's constituency of Kildare South and articulated many views on the tillage sector. I will not go into them at great length. There are conflicting views between the IFA and the Irish Grain Growers on the funding required. The IFA advocated today for €65 million and the Irish Grain Growers advocated for €92 million per annum over five years.”
“I welcome the Minister. It is good to see him in the House. It is always good to have the opportunity to talk about agriculture. I am not going to repeat all the 11 asks Fine Gael has put in its Private Members' Bill. I thank the party for bringing this Private Members' business before us today. All those asks are, of course, in the programme for Government. There is nothing contentious about any of that. Well done and I wish Members well in pursuing their colleagues in government over its implementation. Cut and pasted today, every line of this was in the programme for Government, so there is no dispute over it. The Government is hopefully here to stay for a few years and will have plenty of time to implement it. I genuinely wish everyone well. I want to single out some key issues that are pertinent to this debate.”
“We have to continue to work to build greater understanding, diversity, respect and co-operation with each other to ensure a lasting peace for all the people who live on this Ireland. I am sorry for his loss and thank him for his service to both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann.”
“He was a proud and active member of the Church of Ireland and took a great interest in all of its affairs. That is something that the Church of Ireland is very proud of. He also had a great interest in its history too. Martin loved Ireland. He had an affinity and love for this place, this island. He truly believed in the potential for a united island based on trust and respect, as well as the enormous potential for the island of Ireland in agriculture, food, industry and commerce. He hoped that the success of the Good Friday Agreement would continue to grow. I will finish on this point. The Good Friday Agreement stands as valid today as it did over 25, 26 or 27 years ago. We must not be complacent, as Martin would not want us to be.”
“He had a house in south Dublin, which I visited many times. However, his deep roots were in Tipperary. He was born in England but he was a nationalist and a republican in the truest sense of the word. He embraced all of that. If one looks back on it, in many ways he was an unusual comrade or friend of Charles J. Haughey. He was, however, not that unusual. He had a love of agriculture. He had a love of antiquities. He had a love of forestry. He greatly spoke about Charles Stewart Parnell and Avondale and Horace Plunkett, the great advocates of forestry and agriculture in the early stages of the foundation of this State. Those subjects were loves of his. He had a huge interest in the bloodstock industry, as have most people in Tipperary and a great love and affinity for the land.”
“I salute and acknowledge that too. The then Taoiseach who signed the Good Friday Agreement, Bertie Ahern, the former leader of Fianna Fáil, greatly encapsulated Dr. Mansergh's many qualities calling him "a straight talker who everyone trusted". Everyone trusted him. When people trust and respect you, it is easy for them do business with you and they have confidence doing so. That is the hallmark of his career and as a person. An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, spoke of Dr. Mansergh's exceptional devotion to the cause of peace guided by the profound knowledge of this island's diverse history and the context of that diversity. Senators and TDs of course, will be aware that he was a Member of both of these Houses. He was a member of the agricultural panel and I acknowledge his generous advice and guidance. I knew him well.”
“I join the Cathaoirleach, Leader, Members of this House and colleagues in expressing my deepest sympathies to Dr. Mansergh’s wife, Elizabeth, his children, and his former political colleagues and friends. He had many of the latter. While he was of course a loyal supporter of Fianna Fáil and an activist, he worked and collaborated with political people right across these Houses. One of his defining features was his collaboration, and how he could be trusted and entrusted with various responsibilities, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland and the peace process on the island of Ireland. Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins, highlighted Dr. Mansergh's enormous assistance with the Good Friday Agreement. He also highlighted his very significant contribution to the Border and wider peace process, and he did so very eloquently.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is very welcome. He is no stranger to this House. I thank him for coming here because this Commencement matter is particularly important to his portfolio and area of expertise. This Commencement matter is in the name of Senator Seán Kyne and it relates to the recategorisation of Galway City Council from a tier 5 to a tier 4 local authority.”
“Okay. I thank Senator Byrne. Before I go on, I welcome our guests on my right, who are guests of Deputy Keira Keogh. They are from the Mayo Self Advocacy Group and are from right across Mayo. They are all very welcome, and so is the councillor. On my left, I welcome the guests in the special Gallery. I thank them for coming and I hope both groups have an enjoyable stay here in the Oireachtas.”
“I am aware there is to be Private Members’ business debate on agriculture next week during which I will have an opportunity to raise this matter with the Minister. I ask that we set time aside, maybe as part of that, to have a debate on this matter of importance to Irish agriculture and rural communities.”
“I understand that, as will many here in this room. There are the issues of pension funding and favourable taxation, but if we want to pass on our land and ensure we have food security and viable, sustainable rural and regional communities, the generational renewal plan is key, as are rural housing and the right of families to maintain and stay in their homesteads, on the land they were born on. Some will inherit and others will not, but there are more jobs in agriculture than direct ones. There are artisan enterprises and there are people who can work remotely from the homestead and do part-time work. We have to stand firmly with rural communities to ensure they are sustainable, viable and supported.”