Closing response and welcomes
The Cathaoirleach ended the item and Senator Kyne responded to several contributions, including LAMA and the Middle East. The session closed with another welcome to visitors from Laois.
I thank all the Senators for their contributions. Senator O'Loughlin, who was supported by Senators Boyhan and Costello, commented on the LAMA awards. It sounds like a very successful night. The Senator mentioned that 533 projects were submitted. She made the very sensible suggestion that the Ceann Comhairle host a reception for LAMA. I will certainly pursue that with the Ceann Comhairle. I also acknowledge, as Senators Boyhan and Costello did, South Dublin County Council being the successful winner.
Senator O'Loughlin also raised the events in Iran, as did Senators Clonan, Murphy, Keogan and Higgins. The situation is hard to fathom. From my engagement on the issue and on the basis of press reports, the horrific human rights abuses in Iran over the past number of year by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei certainly cannot be defended. Senator Clonan said he does not mourn his loss. As I said, however, we are a neutral country. There was a call for a debate on the matter. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, will be in the House to debate matters of international affairs in the coming weeks. That was planned before current events. It is clear that the United Nations has not been working and that President Trump, unfortunately, has not been paying any heed to the organisation in his second term. He has a cohort of people around him who are of the view that they can do whatever they wish in conjunction with Israel. The situation is very complex. I am not sure what the solution is. We will have a debate on the matter in the coming weeks.
Senator Ahearn raised the very important issue of foster carers awareness week. He is a strong advocate for fostering and foster carers. The Senator mentioned a specific issue concerning St. Bernard's therapeutic centre in Fethard and the removal of specialised supports for foster carers and children. The centre was previously downgraded in 2021, but now consideration is being given to moving it to north Cork. It is quite a specific issue, so the Senator might table a Commencement matter in order to get a more complete response from the Minister, Deputy Foley. It is an important issue.
Senator Stephenson referred to civil legal aid, the Legal Aid Board and the proper resources. I will request a debate with the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. The Senator may wish to table a Commencement matter in order to get an earlier response.
Senator Comyn referred to a fire at Marley's Lane and the impact on Drogheda Boys and Girls Football Club. A committee has come up with plans. I am not exactly sure whether the application has been made to the local authority or the Department of sport. The Senator may wish to table a Commencement matter. The sports capital grant scheme is opening again. However, the Senator may perhaps be looking for something separate from that process, particularly as, I presume, it will be the end of this year or the beginning of next before that process is completed and the awards made. As a result, she may wish to table a specific Commencement matter to which the Minister for sport can reply.
Senator Scahill referred to the successful attendees at enterprise week in Roscommon. I certainly wish them well at the national awards. The Senator is a strong advocate not only for Roscommon but also for enterprise. These awards are a great recognition of the work done by individual companies in his county.
The Senator raised a valid point regarding road signs, including directional signs, speed signs and their maintenance and upkeep. Ultimately, this is a matter for local authorities. The Senator is right in that there are signs all over the country, as opposed to just in Roscommon, that are twisted, facing the wrong way, sideways, bent over or not visible.
As I said, road safety is ultimately a matter for the local authority, as is ensuring visibility of directional signs, road signs, slow down signs and in particular, school crossings and flashing lights. If the Senator wishes to put down a Commencement debate with the Minister for Transport to see whether there would be a national fund, it would be a worthwhile suggestion to engage with the Department of Transport on that matter. I will request a debate with the Minister for Transport on the overall issue of roads and roads funding. That might be an issue the Senator could raise at that stage.
Senator Keogan, as well as raising the issue of Iran, raised energy security and independence. She talked of the carbon tax. The moneys raised by the carbon tax go to quite specific projects, including supplementary welfare, the ACRE scheme for farmers and the retrofitting of homes. In budget 2026, €1.14 billion was allocated to uses of the carbon tax. I will request a debate on energy security. I have listened to Senators over the last year on a range of projects, when they were generally against wind farms, solar farms, battery storage facilities and onshore or offshore wind. There is a real issue in relation to energy independence. The Senator mentioned offshore drilling. Some years ago, I was Minister with responsibility in that area. We granted licences but a Government decision was made then to stop future exploration on foot of the issue of climate challenge and keep it in the ground. Even if there were licences, either for that or for mining, there is always a campaign against those as well. That is understandable. It is understandable in any community. None of this is easy in terms of energy independence. We have the cross-channel Celtic interconnector, which will provide some energy security as well, but real decisions have to be made, as our economy and population continue to grow, on where we are going regarding energy security and independence.
Senator Flaherty raised Horse Sport Ireland and issues regarding price increases there. He has asked for the Minister, Deputy Heydon, to directly intervene. I will ask the Senator to put down a Commencement debate on that matter because it is quite specific. If it is selected, I am sure the Minister will provide an adequate response and perhaps attend himself.
Senator Duffy raised the deplorable jacking up of prices of home heating kerosene, and at our petrol pumps, in light of the present conflict in the Middle East. This is totally unjustifiable and absolutely wrong. It is taking advantage of customers, homeowners, households, the transport sector - the Senator mentioned buses - including cars, the HGV fleet and all of that. It is wrong and not justifiable. The Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, has written to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, in relation to this. Hopefully, it can intervene and look into this. Retailers are possibly fleecing loyal customers, who have paid their bills over the winter period for kerosene. To treat them in this fashion is just not right. Such retailers have to be called out. As I said, the CCPC is looking into that on instruction of the Minister. The Taoiseach also met the commission yesterday. It is a very important issue. Price gouging is totally not justifiable in any fashion.
Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised energy credits and the cost of energy and heating. As she knows, a number of measures were put in place in the most recent budget in relation to fuel allowance and the reduced VAT rate for energy credits. These are things that always have to be kept under review as we prepare for the next budget. Thankfully, we are coming out of this winter. There are still maybe six to eight weeks left and while today is a sunny day, we have to recognise it is still cold and these are real issues. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has been doing a lot in getting advice on the best approach to take to target those who are in need of support on this issue.
As a member of the committee on further and higher education, Senator Tully raised the issue of apprenticeships and how to encourage apprentices not to go abroad. She raised a specific issue in relation to an individual who is coming from abroad with the tools he purchased while abroad and who got a customs bill of some €2,000.
She might raise that directly with the Minister for Finance. Customs laws are there so I suggest that nothing can probably be done retrospectively. If it is within the law going forward, perhaps amendments could be made to the Finance Bill if she were to engage on this matter or ask her colleagues in the Oireachtas committee on finance as well.
Senator Boyhan raised the local government task force. A report will be presented officially to the Minister tomorrow. He commended AILG, LAMA, the CCMA, as well as NOAC, and called for a debate on the key recommendations. It is in all our interests. I know many of us contributed to that. The Senator and I, as well as the Cathaoirleach and Senator Maria Byrne made presentations to the task force some months ago and had questions and answers on the matters after it. I look forward to the key recommendations and more importantly, to the Government's response and the implementation of those key recommendations. I will request a debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, in due course once, when he has initially received and digested that report.
Senator Harmon, supported by Senator Higgins, has raised the issue of the Bessborough decision. I heard an interview on RTÉ last Thursday when driving home. I am not privy to the details of that. I am not privy initially to the zoning of that land. Was it zoned residential or was there a debate on that? If there are more grounds at Bessborough, then the zoning of that should be looked at. That will be a matter for the councillors in that area. However, as I said, there are a number of objections going into that. It will be for An Coimisiún Pleanála to decide on that.
Senator Andrews had Ava and Harris in and talked of the concerns in relation to some of the flat complexes, as he has done on numerous occasions and stated that residents of the inner city deserve more facilities and more initiatives related to road safety and that so much is lacking within the inner city areas. I will request a debate on our capital city. I will request a debate on that matter and will see whether the Minister, Deputy Browne, will come in on that matter. Some of it is obviously cross-departmental but as regards housing it would be a matter for the Minister, Deputy Browne, and in relation to play facilities it would be for the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan. I know the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, was visiting part of the inner city a number of weeks ago. Demand for additional facilities is an ongoing issue.