Catherine Callaghan

12. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide an update on Ireland's proposed participation in the EU's SAFE initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59616/25]

I thank the Tánaiste for his response. It is very important to acknowledge the marked increase in our defence budget. We are making good progress and it is really important that this momentum should continue. I mention the second part of the SAFE regulation, which is the loan. One way I would have liked to have seen this momentum continue was through availing of the SAFE loan. It was a loan that w…

I thank the Tánaiste. That is very reassuring to hear. The logic of creating the SAFE regulation was to ensure EU money stayed in the EU to support and encourage European enterprises to be developed with the long-term goal being to strengthen Europe's industrial and technological base. At a recent defence committee meeting, the Department of Defence said that out of the €340 billion spent on defen…

I am very happy progress is being made on developer-led infrastructure in terms of water and wastewater treatment for smaller developments but will the Tánaiste please ensure that Uisce Éireann moves as fast as developers do? There are significant water restrictions in Castlecomer in my constituency due to the lack of water capacity. Uisce Éireann has a plan to upgrade the plant, which I welcome, …

I welcome the contributions that have been made on this important Bill so far this afternoon. I commend the vision and efficiency that the Government has shown in progressing this Bill, which will fulfil the second phase of a multiyear plan to increase the number of judges. While those who work to administer justice in Ireland are among the hardest working individuals in the country, by increasing…

I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution on the topic of international protection processing and enforcement. It is an area in which, in spite of enormous challenges, the Government has made sustained progress in the right direction. It is critical to point out at the outset that migrants make an immense contribution to Irish society. People are welcome to come here, work, study and join f…

I welcome the contributions on the topic of men's health. To hear that this may be the first time in the history of the Dáil that this issue has been discussed on its own is a good sign of the direction we are travelling in. I want to thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for all her work on mental health and men's mental health in particular. I was recently at an event in Carlow, as was the…

Ballon Meats is a family-run independent meat processing factory that has been operating since 1977. It provides a vital service to local farmers across my locality - Ballon, Fenagh, Kildavin, Rathoe, Myshall and Tullow - as well as employing local people. It faces a challenge at the moment and needs our help. It needs more skilled workers. Despite having advertised locally and across the EU, it h…

6. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the progress on developing a new national cybersecurity strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49231/25]

I thank the Minister for his answer. As we all know and as he said, cyber-resilience is really critical in this modern world. We need robust cybersecurity to protect our digital systems and data from unauthorised access and misuse and from theft and damage due to the increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Cyberattacks are increasing in frequency, complexity and destructiveness and can compromise…

In the Department of justice, we know An Garda Síochána leads the domestic intelligence and national security operations, while the NCSE manages cybersecurity. In the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces handle external and military intelligence. In the Department of the Taoiseach, the national security secretariat provides strategic oversight and co-ordination. Will the Minister please outli…

13. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for the progress that has been made on the national roll-out of the See Something, Say Something initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54168/25]

I ask the Minister to offer a report on the progress that has been made on the national roll-out of the See Something, Say Something initiative, as outlined in the programme for Government.

I thank the Minister very much for his answer. As he says, See Something, Say Something is a really good initiative. The national roll-out of it is committed to in the programme for Government. It is a community initiative which enables the public to text details of illegal dumping, antisocial behaviour and other incidents directly to the authorities, as the Minister said. It is designed to suppor…

I thank the Minister. As already outlined, the initiative has been enormously successful. While I commend the Minister's ambition in expanding community policing across the country it is important to note there is still a real need for more community gardaí in our rural towns and villages who are as visible and contactable as possible, as far as the people they serve are concerned. Of the most rec…

Budget 2026 is about protecting and supporting jobs in the face of turbulent economic headwinds. As the first of five budgets that will be delivered over the lifetime of this Government, of course we cannot achieve everything we wish to at once and there will always be more that we can do. However, the permanent incremental measures that are outlined in this budget will go a long way towards provi…

Carlow town is a vibrant and expanding university town. To sustain and build upon that status, it is essential the student experience in Carlow be supported by the provision of adequate student accommodation, a key commitment outlined in the programme for Government. The proposed upgrade of Mortarstown wastewater treatment plant is the key to unlocking the provision of student accommodation in Ca…

I sat in my office in Carlow town last night until almost 9.30 p.m. with two primary school principals who tell me they lie awake at night wondering how they are going to pay the constantly increasing costs of running their schools. They, along with the multiple emails and calls I have received from across Carlow and Kilkenny from teachers and parents alike, have four simple asks: to increase the …

I will add to what Deputy Keogh and many others have said about school transport in rural areas. The same thing seems to happen every year. I commend the Minister of State on the work he has done. The additional 8,000 bus seats that have been delivered this year are very welcome. Many of the difficulties I have dealt with across Carlow and Kilkenny relate to the allocation of concessionary tickets…

6. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will, in the interests of equity, seek an increase in cadets' pay to bring it in line with the starting pay of a three-star private given both are similarly trained and qualified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49483/25]

In the interests of equity, will the Tánaiste seek an increase in the starting pay of cadets to bring it line with the starting pay of a three-star private, as both are similarly trained and qualified?

I thank the Tánaiste. I acknowledge his work to date on improving pay and conditions, some of which he has outlined such as quite rightly increasing pay for three-star privates and reforming the apprenticeship pathway so that technical staff beginning their careers in the Defence Forces correspond with three-star privates after six months. The Tánaiste has also overseen the introduction of the ins…

I thank the Tánaiste, and I am happy to hear that it is with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. I implore him to follow that matter up with the Department, as neither the conciliation and arbitration scheme or national pay talks are going to address this low pay, given the no cost increasing caveat in the national pay deals, as he mentio…

87. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his plans for an expansion of the funding of the circular economy innovation grant scheme in 2025. [49232/25]

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the funding that has been spent in this important area. In the most recent round of funding, small commercial start-ups and SMEs dominated the list of companies that had been awarded funding with only two, The Rediscovery Centre and We Make Good, accurately described as community enterprises. While these commercial start-up contributions to the industrial t…