Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Mark Daly extended his sympathies to Michael O'Regan and his family, as did many other colleagues, including Senator Conway. There were some lovely comments for Michael. We will all miss his wit and his informed analysis of political life and life in general. As I said at the outset, he was a fine journalist. We all enjoyed his commentary. He was still very much involved in Irish political life. Senator Maria Byrne is right that he died far too young. It is very difficult for his family. We wish them the very best in this difficult period ahead.

Senator Garret Ahearn raised the issue of Irish Water in Clonmel, as he has on many occasions. I am sure the Senator has tabled Commencement matters on this at this point. If he has not, I suggest that he does, as it is quite a specific question about Clonmel and the area there.

Senator Eugene Murphy raised an issue about retrofitting. I will ask for a debate with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, on the issue. I agree that we have very ambitious targets to reach for retrofitting. Many older people just are not engaging in that process because it is still quite expensive, even with the loans and grants available. It is a challenge to get tradespeople to carry out the work, because one must be registered with SEAI to avail of that grant. That is problematic. I have raised those issues with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, on occasion. It would be a good debate to have. We are all keen to see the retrofitting programme succeed, particularly for older, vulnerable people who tend to be in older housing, whose bills would be reduced because of retrofitting. That is all a shared ambition. We will request that debate. I think there is good news to share from that Department. It might also be of benefit to hear some of the practical experiences of people from the floor here about how we might improve that scheme for people across the country.

Senator Maria Byrne congratulated the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, on its QS 5 star rating. I extend my congratulations to the university. It is a fantastic achievement. It is still in its infancy as a university, so it is great that it is advancing at such a great speed. I commend the delivery of 100 jobs to Limerick, as announced by the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond.

Senator Emer Currie spoke about Michael O'Regan. She also spoke about his passion and commitment to peace on the island and mentioned that he never forgot the struggles of achieving peace. He often had a kind word for her own father, which she very much appreciated.

Senator Eileen Flynn raised the issue of youth mental health and the recent report of the Children's Rights Alliance. The Senator rightly acknowledged that much work has been done by this Government on youth mental health, but there is of course work still to be done and I think we will all agree with those remarks. There are many challenges still facing children in the State, including new challenges.