I am aware of the recent figures from the Vintners Federation of Ireland, which highlight the challenges faced by rural pubs and their importance as hubs for social connection and cultural life. I agree with the Deputy's analysis in that regard. I also acknowledge that the VFI made a written submission to the consultation process which the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I opened last year to inform the development of the next iteration of Our Rural Future. While specific supports for the sector would fall under the remit of my colleagues, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, the new Our Rural Future policy will take a whole-of-government approach to rural development, with actions to support the rural economy and rural communities, including addressing rural isolation. The policy is underpinned by funding through my Department's rural investment and community development programmes, as well as an array of funding streams across government. As Deputy McGuinness set out, rural pubs play an important social role in rural communities in particular. I am conscious of the challenge of rural isolation. With this in mind, the Department has a range of funding streams to help address the issue. These supports include the local enhancement programme, the community services programme, the social inclusion community activation programme and the seniors alert programme. There is no doubt that our significant investment in the community centre investment fund in recent years has helped to ensure our rural areas have high-quality facilities that serve as focal points for communities. The development of the new Our Rural Future policy will continue to provide a framework for continued investment in our rural communities in the coming years. The policy and its associated action plan are nearing completion. I am continuing to engage with all of my ministerial colleagues to ensure that our ambition for rural Ireland is underpinned by a series of ambitious and practical actions. That ambition includes addressing the challenges faced by rural communities, rural isolation in particular.

Sentiment score: 0.22

I assure the Deputy that we are very committed to investing in rural social infrastructure. That is why we will be opening the community centre investment fund for investment of €25 million in the coming week. That will assist community centres right across the country. When it comes to rural isolation, the Deputy is correct to identify rural men in particular. We have just invested up to €3,000 per shed for 369 men's sheds across the country. The rural pub is important. I welcome and thank VFI for its submission. While it highlighted excise duty and cost, it also highlighted the need for a rural transport plan, capital supports for rural pubs and support for pubs as community venues. In the context of the transport plan, we are having engagement with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Pilot schemes are running in both Killarney and Achill with the TFI Anseo app, which is effectively providing a bus-on-demand service to a certain extent. We will look at that pilot and, ideally, we will expand it around the country, specifically to rural areas. That will assist the viability of rural hospitality venues.

Sentiment score: 0.28

We are very focused on rural transport. Deputy Buttimer is a Minister of State in the Department of Transport as well as being a Minister of State in my Department. The work being done by Local Link to expand its services and, more importantly, expand the flexibility of its services in recent years will continue. We will engage with the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Department of enterprise and tourism in the context of Our Rural Future policy to determine what can be done to sustain rural enterprises and economies. Obviously, as the Deputy knows, due to state aid rules, we have to be careful in how we intervene in private business. That is why we are investing in the social hub of communities, such as community centres, sports clubs and men's sheds. Through the local enhancement programme, we are supporting local community groups. I am certainly open to ideas and proposals, however. As I said, the Vintners Federation of Ireland has made a good and round submission to the consultation on Our Rural Future. I will engage with the Minister, Deputy Burke, on some of its proposals in the context of Our Rural Future.

Sentiment score: 0.36

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo a ardú. Baineann an cheist seo le halt 18E(b) d'Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla a cheanglaíonn ar an Aire, le hordú, an dáta nó na dátaí a shonrú faoina gcuirfear gach seirbhís a sholáthraíonn comhlacht poiblí i limistéar pleanála teanga Gaeltachta, nó don limistéar sin, ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Mar atá luaite agam cheana maidir leis an gceist seo, is beart suntasach agus fairsing é, a bhfuil go leor le cur sa mheá faoi. Dá bhrí sin, tugadh faoi chomhairliúchán cuimsitheach agus fiúntach leis na comhlachtaí poiblí ábhartha chun na críche seo tríd an taighde don phlean náisiúnta um sheirbhísí poiblí Gaeilge, agus arís i ndiaidh fhoilsiú an phlean náisiúnta céanna. Bhí na próisis úd an-tábhachtach ar mhaithe leis an leibhéal is airde tuisceana agus feasachta maidir leis an bhforáil a chothú i measc na gcomhlachtaí poiblí, go háirithe dóibh siúd a bhfuil an leibhéal is airde idirghníomhaíochta acu leis an bpobal. Is fiú a aithint freisin nach beart iomlán neamhspleách é seo atá le feidhmiú i bhfolús. Tá sé mar chuid den éiceachóras foriomlán a bhfuiltear ag iarraidh a fhorbairt faoin Acht. Chuige sin, beifear ag tacú lena cur i bhfeidhm tríd an obair atá ar bun faoin phlean náisiúnta agus, go deimhin, an plean gníomhaíochta trí bliana a foilsíodh níos luaithe i mbliana, mar aon leis na caighdeáin teanga agus forálacha eile an Achta i gcoitinne. Táim muiníneach, mar thoradh ar an gcomhairliúchán breise seo agus ar an obair atá ar siúl ag mo Roinn idir an dá linn trí fhorbairt na struchtúr seo, go gcuirfear na tacaíochtaí cuí ar fáil do chomhlachtaí poiblí chun tabhairt faoi aon athruithe is gá sa spás seo. Bunaithe air seo, beidh mé ag leagan síos dáta nó dátaí réalaíocha agus insroichte a chothóidh muinín phobal na Gaeltachta in úsáid na seirbhísí poiblí sin trí Ghaeilge de réir a chéile, sa chás nach bhfuiltear á n-úsáid cheana féin.

Sentiment score: -0.22

Tuigim an mífhoighne ach ní mór na dúshláin a thuiscint freisin. Tá muid ag obair ar na dúshláin sin le cinntiú go mbeidh daoine in ann na seirbhísí a sholáthar, ní hamháin do mhuintir na Gaeltachta ach dóibh siúd a labhraíonn Gaeilge freisin. Is gá go mbeidh taithí agus muinín ag na daoine a bhíonn ag obair sa Státseirbhís chun é sin a dhéanamh. Tá muid ag obair air sin. Agus mo hata eile orm mar Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí, tá sé sin tábhachtach dúinn. Tá muid ag obair go mbeidh daoine sa Roinn sin in ann seirbhísí a sholáthar do mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus do dhaoine a bhfuil Gaeilge acu. Léiríonn mo thaithí sa Roinn sin na dúshláin atá sa Roinn chun an tseirbhís seo a thabhairt amach. Tá muid ag obair air agus tá muid dírithe air. Tá sé tábhachtach freisin - tuigim go dtuigeann an Teachta é seo - go mbeidh seirbhís le daoine i gceist agus go mbeidh muinín ag muintir na Gaeltachta agus muintir na Gaeilge as an tseirbhís atá le teacht. Tá muid ag iarraidh go mbeidh muinín ag muintir na Gaeltachta go mbeidh an tseirbhís ag feidhmiú ag an gcaighdeán is airde. Tá muid ag obair ar na caighdeáin sin.

Sentiment score: -0.35

Tá muid ag obair ar na caighdeáin sin. Tá mé muiníneach go mbeidh muid in ann iad a fhoilsiú roimh i bhfad. Tá mé ag obair freisin leis na comhlachtaí poiblí chun go mbeidh tuiscint ag gach comhlacht ar na caighdeáin seo. Caithfidh siad iad a thuiscint agus a chinntiú go mbeidh na resources acu chun tabhairt faoi seo. Ní mór do na comhlachtaí sin freisin tuiscint a bheith acu ar cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé seo do mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus don Rialtas araon. Mar Aire, tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go mbeidh na caighdeáin sin ard agus go dtuigeann na comhlachtaí poiblí agus eagrais Stáit go gcaithfidh siad é seo a dhéanamh agus go gcaithfear na resources a chur i bhfeidhm lena dhéanamh ar ardchaighdeán. Níl aon phointe caighdeáin a fhoilsiú agus a rá go bhfuil an tseirbhís ar fáil ach nuair a théann daoine chuig aon oifig Stáit, níl an tseirbhís sin ar fáil toisc easpa cainteoirí chun an tseirbhís a sholáthar. Tá sé tábhachtach dom, nuair a fhoilseofar gach rud, go mbeidh muid agus gach comhlacht ar an talamh réidh le dul.

Sentiment score: -0.28

I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing interest in this area. The local improvement scheme, LIS, provides for the upgrading of non-public rural roads and laneways typically not maintained by local authorities. It was reintroduced in 2017. Since 2017, funding of over €200 million has been allocated to local authorities and over 5,500 roads have been improved. In February this year, I was pleased along with the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to launch the 2026 scheme. We confirmed base funding for 2026 of €17.5 million which represents an increase on the initial base funding made available in 2025. Laois County Council received a 2026 allocation of almost €470,000. The total allocated to Laois since 2017 is over €6.6 million. My officials are engaging with local authorities which have submitted their priority road lists for 2026. They have now received approval to proceed with the works. I have directed that scheme spend be monitored closely to ensure that funding is fully utilised and not returned to the Department and that as many road improvements as possible are completed under the scheme this year. Parallel to that process, I will be monitoring spending within my Department over the coming months to identify any potential savings that can be reallocated to the LIS programme. I am very aware of the importance of the scheme to councils and rural communities. It is a priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and me. We continue to monitor expenditure within the Department. We are also asking local authorities to consider their level of expenditure on each road. There are considerable disparities in expenditure on the scheme from local authority to local authority. We are zeroing-in on that to ensure there is a common spend around the country. In that way, we will also achieve more roads being completed.

Sentiment score: 0.24

Laois completed 18 roads in 2025 and 81 are outstanding on the list we have. We had a really successful visit to Laois with Deputy Stanley and with Deputies Fleming and Aird some weeks back. I saw the fantastic work Laois County Council is doing. I pay tribute to that work. I could literally throw the entire budget of the Department at LIS and still have waiting lists. Other Departments also have responsibilities in terms of regional and public roads funding in rural areas. It cannot just be this Department that takes on that burden. We are working closely with other Departments on that. We are looking at our expenditure as we are nearly six months through the year. I reiterate the necessity for every local authority to complete and spend the money allocated to them in a given year. If money is returned by local authorities, it makes my job in the Department of putting extra resources into this programme even more difficult.

Sentiment score: 0.08

We are very aware in the Department of the increase in costs, in particular over the past three months since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East. That directly impacts road costs in particular. That is why the Department will be flexible. If I can see underspends, LIS will be a priority. Our capital delivery teams are engaging with local authorities that are serial offenders as regards sending money back. We tried to get notification of the approval of schemes out to councils earlier this year so that they could get work under way in the so-called summer period and get most of that work done. Looking around, I see that nearly everybody here is a rural Deputy. I encourage every Deputy to engage with the management of their local authorities in respect of LIS to ensure they are spending the allocation they are getting because, as I have said, it is not good for local authorities to be sending back money. I want money spent, particularly where it is capital money. I encourage engagement at local management level around LIS budgets.

Sentiment score: 0.20

Mar is eol don Teachta, is fiú a thabhairt faoi deara go dtiteann an fhreagracht maidir le cúrsaí tithíochta ar bhonn ginearálta ar an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta. Agus é sin ráite, tá soláthar tithíochta dóibh siúd atá ina gcónaí agus ag obair sa Ghaeltacht thar a bheith tábhachtach dom go pearsanta agus do mo Roinn. Go deimhin, tá tithíocht riachtanach chun an teanga, seirbhísí, fostaíocht, fiontraíocht agus deiseanna eile sa Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Agus é sin san áireamh, tá céimeanna tacaíochta á dtógáil chun na críche seo. Beidh an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú), 2024 le tógáil ag Céim na Tuarascála an tseachtain seo chugainn. Cé gurb é athbhunú toghcháin chuig bord an údaráis príomhchuspóir an Bhille seo, ar mhaithe le tacú le soláthar tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht, déanfar leasú sa Bhille ar alt 8 den Acht um Údarás na Gaeltachta chun cead a thabhairt don údarás talamh a dhíol le comhlacht tithíochta ceadaithe nó le húdarás tithíochta, nó a dhiúscairt ar shlí eile chuig an gcuspóir céanna, chun tithíocht a sholáthar sa Ghaeltacht. Tá mé féin agus mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire, an Teachta James Browne, ag obair go dlúth lena chéile ar an gceist seo lenár n-oifigigh, a bhfuil obair shuntasach déanta acu ar fhorbairt ráiteas náisiúnta pleanála don Ghaeltacht. Sa phlean tithíochta a foilsíodh le déanaí, Tithe a Sheachadadh, Pobail a Thógáil, gealltar an ráiteas náisiúnta pleanála a fhoilsiú agus moltar scrúdú a dhéanamh ar an bhféidearthacht go n-oibreodh Údarás na Gaeltachta le hUisce Éireann agus údaráis áitiúla chun tacú le tithíocht a thógáil do phobail labhartha na Gaeilge. Reáchtáil mé cruinniú le gairid idir Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Uisce Éireann chun a chinntiú go ndéanfar dul chun cinn gan dua maidir leis an fhéidearthacht seo a scrúdú. Bunaithe ar fhigiúirí ó na húdaráis áitiúla, ceadaíodh meán de 90% d'iarratais phleanála le haghaidh tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht in 2025, rud a léiríonn nach bhfuil fadhb ag daoine cead pleanála a fháil sa Ghaeltacht. Ina theannta sin, bronnadh os cionn €3 mhilliún ar iarratasóirí sa Ghaeltacht faoin deontas athchóirithe do réadmhaoin fholamh le linn 2024 agus 2025.

Sentiment score: -0.15

Mar a dúirt mé, tá mé féin agus an tAire, an Teachta Browne, ag obair go crua air seo. Nílim in ann dáta a thabhairt don Teachta ag an bpointe seo. Caithfidh mo Roinn agus an Roinn tithíochta teacht ar aontú faoin mbealach le dul. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh scéim agus ráiteas pleanála againn a oibríonn ar an talamh. Tá a lán dúshlán ann. Caithfimid obair ar na dúshláin seo. Táimid ag obair air sin ach níl aontú ann go fóill idir mé féin agus an Aire, an Teachta Browne. Nuair atá an plean réidh, beimid in ann é a fhoilsiú. Tá an obair ar siúl. Bíonn cruinnithe ag na hoifigigh. Bhí cruinniú ag na hoifigigh sa dá Roinn an tseachtain seo caite. Táimid dírithe isteach air ach ní bheidh sé éasca. Tá sé sin an-tábhachtach le rá. Tá dúshláin againn freisin le hUisce Éireann. Táimid ag obair ar na dúshláin sin chun go mbeidh talamh seirbhísithe ó thaobh uisce agus séarachais. Is ceann de na dúshláin eile atá againn é sin. Táimid ag obair le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta chun a chuid talún a cheangal le córas Uisce Éireann chun go mbeidh deiseanna ansin.

Sentiment score: -0.13

Níl mé chun iad seo a leagan amach ar urlár na Dála. Táimid ag obair air. Tuigeann an tAire, an Teachta Browne, agus mé féin cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an ráiteas seo chun díriú ar an nGaeltacht agus go háirithe ar na daoine óga atá ag iarraidh tithe a chruthú inti. Táimid ag obair ar gach ceann de na dúshláin atá ann. Tá a lán oibre ar siúl ar a lán dúshlán sa Roinn. Tá na hoifigigh sa Roinn tithíochta atá ag obair liom ag obair ar roinnt de na dúshláin eile. Táimid ag obair ar chúrsaí taobh amuigh den ráiteas freisin. Mar a dúirt mé, tá san áireamh ansin soláthar séarachais agus uisce. Táimid ag obair le príomhfheidhmeannaigh na n-údarás áitiúil a bhfuil freagracht as pleanáil sna Gaeltachtaí orthu. Tá a lán píosaí ag baint leis an dúshlán nó jigsaw seo. Táimid ag obair air. Creidim go n-aontaíonn an Teachta liom gurb é an rud is tábhachtaí ná go mbeidh ráiteas pleanála againn a oibríonn agus a thugann deis do dhaoine tithe a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh siad in ann íoc as na tithe sin agus go mbeidh siad affordable. Táimid dírithe air seo agus ar thithe sóisialta freisin.

Sentiment score: -0.04