Timmy Dooley

I have met the National Inshore Fishermen's Association and other representatives of the inshore sector and I am aware of the challenges facing the inshore fisheries sector. I am taken by its resilience and capacity to manage through difficult times. I am fully aware of the concerns raised. However, Ireland's current €258 million Seafood Development Programme 2021-2027, which is co-funded by the G…

In my initial answer to the Deputy's question, I wanted to set out the parameters under which future decisions might be taken or any work done. I will continue to engage with Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs in that regard. We have a clear policy position to support the inshore sector. That is why, by October of this year, there will be a total ban on trawling within the six-mile limit …

The Berkery report will be published shortly. That report was guided by the exceptional crisis arising from the significant loss in quota as a result of the scientific advice of last year. That is the direct response. The Mulvey report was broad based. It set out to ascertain where the sector is at, so it had a different requirement from the Berkery report. I will set out what is happening at Eur…

I thank the Deputy for his question. I know of his particular interest in this area. I have met with him and some seaweed harvesters. Indeed, he and I have discussed this in the Seanad previously. I thank him for his advocacy on behalf of those people who are particularly impacted by this and I congratulate him again on his successful election back to this House, where I have no doubt he will make…

I want to make the Deputy aware that MARA has a statutory function. It is an independent regulatory authority. I would not be in a position, nor would the law permit me, to influence the work it does. In the adjudication of any licence application, it will have to follow the legislation as it stands and would not be minded to consider what we might be discussing in this House or what any future pr…

I am thankful for the opportunity to respond to the strongly held views of many Opposition Members. There is a bit of divergence between some of them, and I must respect that. People's views are strongly held. We might argue over the detail. What I want to reflect about this Bill that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I have brought forward is that it is purely about energy security. Maybe we do …

I reiterate that there is very little between our understandings of the negative or harmful impact that gas, whether it be natural gas, LNG or any form of methane, has on our climate and on the environment. As I set out in response to the other amendments, the Government has made it abundantly clear that we have to pivot away from the use of fossil fuels. We are doing so and have a strategy for do…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on Second Stage of the Development (Strategic Gas Reserve) Bill. As Deputies are aware, the main purpose of the Bill is to provide for a project-specific, bespoke consenting pathway for the strategic gas emergency reserve facility to be located at Cahiracon in County Clare. This will enable a development consent …

In line with the Deputy’s comments, I congratulate him on being so succinct in his points. He managed to do it in a relatively quick time. I will make a number of general comments. We have had a good debate across a lot of areas, many of which are not part of or subject to this legislation. This Bill is the first stage in addressing the energy security deficit that we have. It is an enabling pie…

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for his continued interest in this matter. It is an issue in which I know he has a personal interest and one on which he has advocated considerably in this House and elsewhere. I thank him for that continued work. As the Deputy knows, the current position in relation to this major development project in Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, County Cork, is the responsibility of the Mi…

The Deputy has made a strong case for this project. I set out, in broad terms, the criteria that apply to all schools and building projects. I set out, in a clear way, the commitment of the Government, from an overall financial envelope available over the next number of years, to complete these projects and how they get assessed. Of course, there are more projects than there is money to address th…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for allowing me to update the House on what has happened. I acknowledge the significance of a very severe fish kill that occurred on the River Glyde and the devastating impact it has had on the local communities, anglers and users of this important river catchment. I want to pay tribute to the angling community and those who use the river for leisure a…

I thank the Deputy for his contribution. I know Deputy Eoghan Kenny and other Members of this House were centrally involved in the Blackwater issue. As referenced, I cannot recount if a licence was ever removed. I know licences have been suspended in cases and it may be that there is a difficulty from the EPA's perspective on how it might do that. Maybe that does require to be codified better in t…

I thank Deputy O'Reilly very much for her series of questions. I know her interest in this area and she has been a strong advocate, not just for specific schools in her area but also for the educational needs of children. The Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the programme for Government makes several commitments…

The original intention and the continued emphasis of the summer programme is to mitigate the impact of learning loss on those children while schools are closed. An increase in special educational needs prevalence rates, particularly of autism, and the presentation of children with more complex needs has meant that the summer programme is more important than ever. Details of the summer programme w…

I thank the Deputy very much. As I indicated, there has been a significant increase in demand for both school-based and home-based tuition during those months. From a departmental perspective, it does take a little bit of time to iron out all of that. I will ask the Department to communicate directly on his specific questions and that, perhaps, there be a level of engagement between it and the sch…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)(b) and 188(1).

I thank the Deputies very much. It is refreshing to see everybody on the same side of an important issue like this. Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for this Government. The DEIS plus scheme represents a significant expansion of targeted educational supports. It is designed to provide enhanced, evid…

-----by just one. I get that but there has to be a cut-off. There has to be some line so the Department's hands are tied in that regard. As the Deputies know, the school submitted an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board and, unfortunately, that appeal was unsuccessful. The board operates entirely independently of the Department and the rules set out that its decision is final. It is unfor…

The Chair is emphasising that.

I thank the Deputies. I understand and get the difficulty but there have to be objective criteria for allocating or reducing the number of teachers. My understanding is that, with the awarding of DEIS plus status, the school got additional resources. I set that out for the Deputies. There was an additional element. I get that it is challenging when there is a reduction of just one. If it were five…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter regarding the delivery of social and affordable housing in Arklow. I am answering on behalf of our colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, and his Department. Affordability and the chance to own a home remain at the heart of this Government's housing policy, as set out in our new national housing action…

I thank the Deputy. Of course, I know of his significant interest in homes and housing. He has been and continues to be a strong advocate. There is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation from the Department's perspective. It is looking at the overall delivery of social homes and it is on target and on budget. To get into micromanagement is a bit of a challenge for the Department but I will certainly…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is an issue I am very familiar with as a result of his continued lobbying. I had an opportunity to meet with the Deputy and some representatives of the fishing community who use Burtonport Harbour. All work in relation to Ireland's exclusive fisheries zone comprises law enforcement matters for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea-Fisheries and…

I assure the Deputy that I will make every effort to ensure that he does not have come in and be as passionate as he is about this issue. It is something that I am aware of. I am working to try to find a resolution. I take the Deputy's point about the language that is sometimes used to set out the reasoning, with terms such as "business case", "headcount" and "personnel". Having travelled the roa…