Results 1-20 of 26 for speaker:Eileen Lynch

Seanad: National Biodiversity Week: Statements (14 May 2025)

PJ Murphy: First, on behalf of the Fine Gael group, I express my sympathies to the Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, and his family on the loss of his sister. As Fine Gael’s spokesperson for biodiversity, I am delighted to speak on the merits of biodiversity week. I am grateful to my party leader and the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, for appointing me to this position as...

Seanad: National Biodiversity Week: Statements (14 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I would like to be associated with the remarks of sympathy to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, on the loss of his sister. It is very timely we are having this discussion today for biodiversity week as we face so many challenges in terms of biodiversity. We need a practical, future focused approach, one that respects our rural communities and values the role of farmers as stewards...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I rise to speak on biomethane facilities and their development throughout the country. It is an issue that has become incredibly prominent and problematic in recent months. I appreciate that the national biomethane strategy was published last year. It contains 25 key strategic actions to address the challenges and opportunities of anaerobic digestion and biomethane production. However,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Control of Firearms (8 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I raise the establishment of a new stakeholder forum for licensed firearms holders. Licensed firearms, namely, shotguns and rifles, have an important place in rural Ireland. Farmers and hunters use licensed firearms to control vermin and tackle predators, protect crops, livestock and poultry and protect habitats and biodiversity, including in cases of overpopulation of deer. In addition,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Control of Firearms (8 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive response. I noted everything he said, but it still did not provide an answer as to when the stakeholder forum would actually be delivered. This has been promised since 2019. We are seeing changes in the legislation and rules regarding firearms, yet there is no consultation with those who are actively involved in this. It feels kind of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I would like the House to acknowledge and pay tribute to the work done by community alert groups as they celebrate their 40th anniversary. Community alert was founded by Muintir na Tíre in 1985 following a spike in rural crime, break-ins and illegal activity. For the past 40 years, community alert has not only protected communities but has also shown the importance of communities...

Seanad: Higher Education: Motion (7 May 2025)

PJ Murphy: I thank the Minister for coming to the Seanad. I am happy to fully support the motion introduced by my colleagues, Senators Kennelly and Cathal Byrne. As someone who has worked on the ground for many years in both the construction and agricultural sectors, I am very much encouraged by the inclusion in the motion of the promotion of driver education at secondary school. The vast majority...

Seanad: Higher Education: Motion (7 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I thank the Minister for being here to discuss this vital motion, which I fully support. I wish to focus on the call on the Government to prioritise and fund a national equipment renewal programme across Ireland's further and higher education institutions. As a nation we have long prided ourselves on being a knowledge economy and placing innovation, research and education at the heart of...

Seanad: Revised National Planning Framework: Motion (29 Apr 2025)

PJ Murphy: I thank the Minister of State for joining us. What we have before us in this revised national planning framework is a document that holds the potential to transform our nation's landscape, economy and communities for generations to come. We must consider our fundamental duty to the citizens of the entire country, focusing not only on those who wish to live in an urban setting but also those...

Seanad: Flooding: Statements (9 Apr 2025)

PJ Murphy: I wish the Minister of State a happy birthday. Although stated by my colleague Senator Rabbitte, I am indeed here to speak about the south Galway and Gort lowlands flood relief scheme and the painstakingly slow pace of progress on this project since the engineering consultants were first appointed in December 2017. That is over eight years ago. This project is critically important. The...

Seanad: Disability Services: Statements (8 Apr 2025)

Eileen Lynch: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. Gabhaim buíochas léi as a bheith anseo inniu agus guím gach rath uirthi lena post nua.The area of disability is one that affects almost all families in some form or other. Therefore, it is incredibly important that we are discussing it today. I wish to speak on an issue of growing importance in the area of...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

PJ Murphy: I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and thank him for coming to the Seanad to discuss the current housing situation. As the Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson for housing, I raise the issue of wastewater infrastructure across rural Ireland. I will use my own local electoral area of Gort-Kinvarra in south County Galway as the perfect example of a district where the building of houses...

Seanad: Common Agricultural Policy National Plan: Statements (20 Mar 2025)

PJ Murphy: I congratulate Deputy Heydon on his appointment to his Ministry. I have no doubt he will do a very fine job. I welcome this opportunity to discuss the CAP strategic plan. I will first speak about farm succession and the collaborative farming grant. We must learn from the mistakes in the previous farm retirement scheme in the nineties and early noughties where farmers were required to step...

Seanad: Seachtain na Gaeilge: Ráitis (6 Mar 2025)

Eileen Lynch: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim buíochas leis as ucht a bheith anseo linn inniu do Sheachtain - nó coicís - na Gaeilge. Táimid bailithe inniu chun labhairt faoi rud atá fíorthábhachtach dúinn mar mhuintir na hÉireann, is é sin ár dteanga dhúchais, an Ghaeilge, agus í a chur chun cinn. Is cuid...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Further and Higher Education (5 Mar 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I thank the Minister for taking this matter, which relates to the need for an update on the status of a new building for Macroom Youthreach further education and training centre. Macroom is my hometown in County Cork. For more than 20 years, the Youthreach building in Macroom has not been fit for purpose. There is little to no insulation. The only form of heating comes from a heater...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Further and Higher Education (5 Mar 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I thank the Minister for his response. I appreciate the detail in it and his obvious commitment to this. Nonetheless, it is incredibly disappointing that very little progress seems to have been made on this. Initially, there was meant to be a new centre in 2023, then in 2024. Being brutally honest, we are at the start of the month of March now, so from reading that, it is highly unlikely...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2025)

PJ Murphy: I raise the issue of funding or lack thereof for traditional music festivals in our towns and villages which will take place from now and throughout the summer and into the autumn. I include in this the county Comhaltas competitions, for example, the Galway County Comhaltas which will be held in my local town of Gort in May. Approximately 6,000 people will attend and perform over the...

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (5 Mar 2025)

PJ Murphy: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, and thank him for his attendance today. I congratulate him on his appointment. I take this opportunity to raise the subject of the largely forgotten Irish diaspora in Argentina. Between 1820 and 1920, and assisted in no small way by the Galway and Loughrea man, Fr. Anthony Fahy, more than 100,000 Irish migrants left for Argentina,...

Seanad: International Women's Day - Women's Health: Statements (5 Mar 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Minister to the House. We are speaking today on an issue that affects every family and every community. The Government has made significant strides in improving healthcare for women in Ireland but many women still struggle to access the care that they need when they need it. I know from experience in my area of Cork North-West that too...

Seanad: Care, Supports and Enhanced Provision of Services for Older People: Motion (5 Mar 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and congratulate him on his appointment. I am delighted that we are having this very important discussion. I fully support the motion. Like many of my colleagues, I also strongly believe that community-based living and healthcare are the way forward to allow older people to live for longer in their communities. As has been noted, we have an...