Results 61-80 of 93 for speaker:Eileen Lynch

Committee on European Union Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (21 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: I echo the comments of my colleague. I congratulate you, Chair, on your Chairmanship of this committee. It will undoubtedly be a very busy committee for the term ahead with the European Presidency next year. It is a very challenging time at a European level. It is vitally important that Ireland continues to play a strong role within the EU and continue to have an Irish voice heard. I am...

Seanad: Driving Test Waiting Times: Statements (20 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I support the comments of my colleagues regarding the unacceptable delays in driving test waiting times, particularly the extended periods which young people, jobseekers and rural residents are enduring just to sit their driving tests. As of the end of April, as the Minister of State will be aware, the waiting time for a test in Mallow and Wilton...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

PJ Murphy: I thank Mr. Taaffe for his very informative presentation. He mentioned the fact that 28% of the sites identified by local authorities as being suitable for the construction of social and affordable houses had been deemed undevelopable due to the lack of the three key services of water, wastewater and energy. I come from the southern half of County Galway where, of 14 villages and towns,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

PJ Murphy: Mr. Taaffe has touched on an interesting aspect, which is very relevant to my own area, namely, that some areas simply will not have receiving waterways. The area I am referring to is the southern half of County Galway and north County Clare, which is the karst landscape of the Burren and Burren lowland. There is no groundwater. There are no drains or rivers because everything runs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

PJ Murphy: A reed-bed system was piloted in County Waterford. Again, it was found that the system was more suited to an acidic area as opposed to an alkaline karst landscape because a reed bed must hold water for reeds to grow, which does not fit with a limestone karst landscape. It is quite problematic.

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...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Business of Joint Committee (14 May 2025)

Eileen Lynch: As a constituency colleague, I echo the comments of my colleagues here in congratulating the Cathaoirleach on his elevation to the role and wishing him all the very best for the term ahead. This is my first term in the Seanad. I was elected on the Agricultural Panel. I come from a farming background of a dairy and beef farm and it is something that is incredibly important to me. I am...

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...