I agree fully with Deputy Gannon that this is an appalling incident and we must condemn those who did it because they are impacting, presumably, on their own community. Young children now cannot avail of that play facility because of the burning that has taken place. I cannot comprehend why people would do that. I will alert the Minister for justice to the Deputy's comments. There has been increased visibility but gardaí are not going to be everywhere 24 hours a day. That has to be acknowledged as well. Nonetheless, this is a very serious incident. It is shocking in terms of the damage and the prevention of opportunities for children to play. I will certainly alert the Minister to this.
Sentiment score: 0.14
First, I appreciate the comments the Deputy has made and that he has acknowledged the encouraging signs the committee witnessed when it visited Lady's Island Lake recently. I have been engaged with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, on the biodiversity plan and national funding over a period, to enable implementation of the broader national strategy and plan. Obviously, we are committed to continuing the work at Lady's Island Lake to see how speedily or timely we can get that work done. I will speak to the Minister of State again on that.
Sentiment score: 0.35
The additional resources have been allocated and the Garda and others are working flat out to make it as timely and efficient as possible. Legislation is there, so people are either constrained by it or have to operate under the legislative frameworks that govern vetting. It should be kept under constant review to make sure it is practical and pragmatic while at all times ensuring proper safeguarding and protection of people.
Sentiment score: 0.33
I know the Minister for agriculture is here but I will take it on the basis that this morning, the Cabinet had a discussion on this issue, acknowledging, first of all, the significant take-up of TAMS by farmers in respect of solar. More than 20% of the expenditure overall, out of €160 million, has been on the solar capital investment scheme. That shows there is a real hunger there among farmers. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is engaging with the Minister for agriculture. They will try to work it out together and then we will go to the Minister for public expenditure. In any event, we are onto this and I think there is an issue here. It is an issue for everybody. The more renewables we can install, we can reduce costs for users of energy and that is something we have to do at pace. TAMS is a good potential vehicle for solar but, that said, there are limits under the existing scheme because of the fact that 64,000 applications have been received to date. Three times the number was received.
Sentiment score: 0.14
We have benefited enormously from a strategic approach to cancer over the past three decades, going back to the late nineties. That has resulted in significant survival rate improvements and increases in technology and so on. Survival rates for patients have improved greatly. OECD data show that cancer mortality rates in Ireland are falling faster than the EU 27 average and faster than that of our economic peers. The first strategy was 1996. My understanding is that there is a successor to the current ten-year strategy in planning and on the way. There has to be. I will talk to the Minister in terms of the Deputy's raising this issue today. We need to continue with that strategic approach, looking ahead at trends, therapies and how best to deploy them.
Sentiment score: 0.05
As we have always done, we work to help and support Irish citizens in any difficult situation. In this case it is absolutely unacceptable. I have condemned what the Israeli military and Israeli Government have done in international waters. We will work extremely hard through our ambassadors to make sure that all Irish citizens are looked after and that they are released immediately. Those are the advocacy and representations we will make to the Israeli Government. I do not accept the Deputy's assertion that it is the Irish Government's fault that the flotilla has been intercepted by Israel. They have been doing that for over two decades.
Sentiment score: -0.14
I do not think it is fair. I will just make the point----
Sentiment score: 0.16
That is not the reason.
Sentiment score: 0.00
That is not the reason.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I take it that it is a post-primary school.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I will talk to the Minister in respect of this. In addition to the physically established special classes, a new inclusive class is being advanced by the Department. It is open to schools. If they have children and young students with special needs, the same principle of one teacher and two SNAs will apply. In advance of a class being established physically, a new innovation has come into being. I will check with the Minister whether Duiske College can be accommodated within that. We are trying to create more classes as well across the length and breadth of the country because the numbers are increasing and we have to meet the need.
Sentiment score: 0.34
The Deputy knows that the European sanctions against Russia are European, not individual member states'. The same applies to Israel. We have not been able to get unanimity at European Union level in respect of Israel. The Deputy knows that yet he just presents a false picture. By the way, Russia did kidnap thousands and thousands of children.
Sentiment score: 0.10
The Deputy has never brought a Bill in about that.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Or about anything. I agree what has happened is unacceptable. Everybody does. We are seeking to try to get the Israeli-EU trade association agreement suspended. More states are becoming supportive of the Spanish and Irish position. The Deputy knows damn well we advanced it two---
Sentiment score: 0.05
The Deputy keeps interrupting. We advanced it two and a half years ago. He knows we did, yet he just keeps on making false assertions about the Government's approach to this. I do not think that is fair either.
Sentiment score: 0.07
I appreciate the point the Deputy is making and I have a lot of empathy with what he is saying. They were last revised about three years ago, maybe a bit longer, and I think the threshold for qualification for social housing went up about €5,000. I know the Minister for housing is reviewing this. I have spoken to the Minister about this. There are quite a number of working people who are on incomes that would not enable them to get mortgages and so on and who are above the threshold for social housing. I believe it needs to be reviewed upwards.
Sentiment score: 0.09
I thank the Deputy for raising this. He has a particular focus on this issue. I will speak to the Minister for justice. Generally speaking, we support what the Deputy said. The numbers are increasing of those coming through Templemore recruitment centre and college, which is good. There was an initial focus on Dublin and cities but that will change. There is now an increasing allocation to rural areas. In terms of a recruitment and dispersal strategy, I take fully on board what the Deputy is saying. I will also pick up on his point that perhaps we need to look at the policing model for rural Ireland and work with local community safety partnerships and local stakeholders in rural Ireland to see what is the best way to deploy resources to enable people to feel safe. I have witnessed recently that where we had greater Garda visibility on streets, the psychological impact was amazing. People felt safer because of that.
Sentiment score: 0.34
Work is under way between the Department of energy and climate and the Department of housing in terms of a planning statement, which has replaced the format for guidelines. Remember this same Department had to work on the planning on exempted developments, which was quite a significant piece of work, on the rural housing guidelines, which are imminent, and on short-term lets. There is a lot of work going on there. I do think we need somewhat of a conversation or debate about energy. I make this point generally. We had to allocate €750 million a couple of weeks ago to help people pay for their energy costs because of the importation of fossil fuels and the incredible rise in prices, which is impacting people. Renewables give us a pathway to reduce costs for everybody. We need to make sure we get the balance right in terms of the different energy sources, so that we can get costs down permanently for people. That might involve trade-offs but we can discuss that when the planning statement comes along.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I agree in terms of the appalling nature of this act. Worse is the fact that Israel is not allowing appropriate and sufficient aid into Gaza. Notwithstanding the Board of Peace and the first phase of the agreement being implemented early on, and aid was getting in-----
Sentiment score: 0.10
That has choked up again and has been restricted. This is a grievous thing to be doing. It is an appalling thing for the Israeli Government to be doing because people are still starving and do not have proper shelter in Gaza. There are quite a number of international citizens, including Irish citizens, on board the flotilla raising awareness about the injustices of what is happening in Gaza and in the West Bank itself. Ireland has been very clear on this. It is at European Union level that the greatest impact can be made, and with the United States Government, to have pressure and leverage on Israel to stop doing what it is doing. It is acting with reckless abandon and, in my view, is consistently in breach of international humanitarian law.
Sentiment score: -0.19