Malcolm Byrne

I thank the Minister. This question is based on a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence. I am encouraged by the approach Government has taken, particularly the publication yesterday of the AI and digitalisation strategy. The Minister correctly stated in response to the previous question that this is related to our investment in digital infrastructure plus our investme…

I very much welcome the Minister's approach on this. It is critical we bring the public with us and, as he said, that it be cross-government. Will he consider public information campaigns to make people aware of the possibilities and challenges? He and I will probably remember the famous ads, "I don't know what a tracker mortgage is", so that people could understand financial products. We need to …

I commend the fact that the Minister has significantly increased the sums available when it comes to the humanitarian relief under storms. He did reference Storm Claudia, particularly with regard to the impact that had on County Wexford and the humanitarian relief which was open to businesses and sports clubs under that scheme. Unfortunately, one of the clubs that was impacted in a big way was Woo…

I thank the Minister of State for being here for this debate. In fairness to him, he is not afraid to roll up his sleeves. He is passionate about trying to address this issue that has impacted so many communities. I too pay tribute to local authority staff and emergency services which have had to deal with these adverse weather events we face with increased regularity. I asked this question of rep…

1. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach for an update on the first progress report of Climate Action Plan 2025. [68209/25]

The commitments to invest in onshore solar and wind, but particularly in offshore renewables, is critical to meet our climate objectives but also for reasons of energy security. The Taoiseach might outline further the work of the offshore wind energy clearing house. There are concerns we will not meet our offshore renewable targets originally set for 2030 but if we can meet them for 2031 or 2032, …

23. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach his assessment and response to the NESC report, Connecting People to the Energy Transition. [68210/25]

I would like to focus on two key themes in the NESC report: energy resilience and energy sharing. In light of the particularly adverse weather, it is important that for events we have experienced and will increasingly experience, we guarantee generators to communities so communities can respond, which is clearly identified in the report. On energy sharing, within the electricity markets directive…

Microgeneration.

6. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach which Cabinet committee oversees agriculture and when it will meet next. [5806/26]

The issue of generational renewal is critical in the context of the forthcoming CAP negotiations. I know it has been raised in the discussions with Commissioner Hansen. The Taoiseach will be aware that almost 40% of farmers are now aged 65 and over, whereas fewer than 5% are under the age of 35. He will know that Macra na Feirme has been seeking, as an essential part of the next CAP, fully funded …

24. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will meet next. [5807/26]

163. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance for an update on the programme for Government commitment to consider tax measures to encourage gym membership. [9526/26]

Given the rate of osteoporosis in Ireland and the problem with regard to fragility fractures, I would be grateful for an update on the commitments in the programme for Government to consider tax measures to encourage gym membership to allow for strength and resistance training.

I acknowledge and am very enthusiastic about the enormous investment that we have made in sport, but this is really about measures to increase strength, resistance training and flexibility. We know that about 250,000 people have osteoporosis in Ireland - approximately 20% of women and 6.2% of men aged over 50. Annually, we see in the order of 32,000 fragility fractures, basically because of lack o…

I thank the Tánaiste and I look forward to engaging further on it. I know he is serious about this. However, I always wonder when "dead weight" is mentioned by the dead hand of the Department of Finance.

If I have a fragility fracture, I can get a tax relief on my healthcare expenses, I can get tax relief on my nursing home expenses, and I can get tax relief if I go to a physiotherapist, an osteopath or a chiropractor, but if I decide to join to join the gym in order to be able to build my resistance, I will not get tax relief. There is a long-term financial saving on the health side. I have made…

The Minister of State is entirely correct in that the best insurance is where we have the necessary flood protection and indeed coastal protection schemes. In some of the communities near where I live, such as Arklow, Aughrim and Enniscorthy, recently we have witnessed the dramatic impacts of floods. I wish to focus on Bunclody where they had floods for the first time in 60 years where people did …

I am sure the Taoiseach will join me in thanking and praising the work of the local authorities and many voluntary groups in the response to Storm Chandra last week. When he came to Aughrim on bank holiday Monday he met with Aughrim Tidy Towns, which has done incredible work in the community providing support to the victims of the floods. The big issue we are now dealing with, which is a particula…

It is more than just Aughrim.

5. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [3638/26]

Critical to the delivery of housing, the Government's top priority, is the need to unlock infrastructure that will allow that housing to be provided. I would be grateful for an update on the housing activation fund. In particular, the provision of the northern inner relief road for Gorey will unlock 73 acres of land in St. Waleran's for housing development. Now that the wastewater treatment plant …

Today I raise the question of the sustainability of section 39 organisations. The Tánaiste will be aware that these organisations in all of our communities, and there are hundreds of them around the country, are vital for health and social care services particularly in the area of disability, hospice care, and care for our elderly. They engage in service level agreements with HSE. They are very he…

I thank the Tánaiste for his answer. The WRC decision and the commitment that section 39 workers will be part of future public sector pay discussions are critical. There is a challenge for a lot of the section 39 organisations in meeting standards. I will give the example of cyber resilience. We know the impact of the cyber-attack on the HSE, and the hundreds of millions it is costing to ensure th…

The Taoiseach will be aware of the impact of Storm Chandra, particularly on the Wicklow-Wexford constituency. I pay tribute to the county councils, emergency crews and volunteers. In villages right across the constituency, in Woodenbridge, Laragh, Aughrim, Wicklow town, Castletown, Clohamon and Bunclody, we have seen rivers and streams burst their banks. I welcome the Government's opening of the h…