The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is in the Chamber and she may want to take this question. I raise the important and sensitive issue of the closure of the Letterkenny-based child and adolescent counselling service. It is the only one in our county and it is a vital amenity that provides services right across the county, not just in Letterkenny but elsewhere. Some 120 clients avail of counselling services at any time, with hundreds on the waiting list. It has been delivering a service across the county since 2010 and has huge support. It is where many of the families of the Creeslough tragedy turned, those who were victims themselves and families of the victims. I spoke to one mother who lost her beautiful daughter in the Creeslough tragedy. I know she was in contact directly with the Minister of State as well. She talks about the support she and her family get from this service. The fact that the service is now in a wind-down mode because it has been refused core funding is devastating to anybody who is availing of counselling services. Anybody who is going through counselling knows the impact of not knowing that a counsellor will be available in the coming weeks or months.
Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation
I thank the Deputy.
We have asked that the HSE and Tusla directly engage with people.
The time is up.
I will finish on this point.
The Deputy is over time.
Has the Minister of State had a chance to intervene to date and can she shed any light on the matter?
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. I do understand how important this service is. I have spoken to those using the service and those involved in setting it up. Colleagues of the Deputy had a meeting with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, yesterday as well. I was also in contact with Dermot Monaghan, who is the chief officer in the area.
When I spoke yesterday I had not received the briefing in this regard. Where we are now is that a meeting has been scheduled by the HSE to review the request received from the Raphoe diocesan pastoral services and consideration will be given to all the issues arising, taking particular cognisance of the impacts on the service users. It covers primary care, social inclusion, Tusla and mental health. Now, my mental health budget last year did provide €56,428 for a waiting list initiative and we will look at this aspect again. I will, though, stay over the details of this issue, working with everybody. This is a hugely important service and I was very much struck by someone bereaved by the Creeslough tragedy reaching out personally to my office.
Returning to the area of school transport and its reform, I know the review of the school transport system is with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. How long it remains with her remains to be seen. We need it to be published urgently. As it stands, though, there are still cohorts of children all over the country who have been left behind by a school transport system that is not fit for purpose. In our own constituency, 17 families plus from Swords have students going to Coláiste Ghlór na Mara, Balbriggan. A provider is ready. It is the local, regional Gaelcholáiste for these students, the only one in Fingal and the one they should be going to. This archaic system in place though means they are being told to go into Dublin city or even across into County Meath. While we wait for this review to be published, therefore, can something be done for this cohort of children in our own constituency and for students all over the country who still await a proper school transport system?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an cheist sin. Bhí mé ag caint le tuismitheoirí aréir faoin ábhar seo agus beidh mé ag buaileadh leis an Aire Oideachais an tseachtain seo chugainn. Tar éis sin, tiocfaidh mé ar ais chuig an Teachta agus chuig na tuismitheoirí freisin. Ba mhaith liom an cheist seo a réiteach go luath. The students need a service. This is the only Gaelcholáiste in our Dáil cheantar and I wish to ensure the Gaelscoileanna and those pupils leaving them and going to the Gaelcholáiste have a bus to get them to school. As I said, I am meeting the Minister for Education on this specific matter next week. I spoke to parents only yesterday and I will be returning to them after that meeting and also to the Deputy.
I wish to ask the Minister about rogue landlords. Salvador Chavez Morales, a computer engineer, was left short of food and at risk of becoming homeless after he was evicted by landlord Marc Godart. What had Salvador done to prompt this eviction? He had made a complaint about being recorded in his home live on CCTV cameras and was evicted as a result. Marc Godart is renting out 208 beds across 19 properties in Dublin city centre. In one property alone on Cork Street, 33 beds are being rented out. The Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, has made multiple rulings against Godart. Fire safety notices have been issued against multiple properties that he rents. Damages owed to tenants have been left unpaid. He is operating with complete and utter impunity. Apart from the properties he owns, he has no connection with Ireland at all. He has simply spotted the opportunity to exploit our lax regulation and very weak protections for renters. What is the Minister going to do to stop rogue landlords like Marc Godart from flouting the law and exploiting renters?
This is a horrendous case. I have read about it and I am aware of it as well. I know there is a matter before the courts now. From what I have read, the behaviour of the particular landlord mentioned by the Deputy has certainly been absolutely horrendous. The RTB, as the Deputy knows, has been heavily involved. It is a matter that Dublin City Council has also been involved in as well. The matter is also before the courts. Secret surveillance of tenants is absolutely precluded and should not happen. It should never happen. The fact that a tenant makes a complaint and is then illegally evicted is outrageous. This matter has been and is being dealt with by the RTB and by the courts.
On New Year's Day, the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, issued an absolutely damning ruling against Metropolitan Films, which is one of the biggest film producing companies, with tens of millions of euro of public money having been issued to it over the years. Awards in the region of hundreds of thousands of euro have been made to film crew workers. This ruling revealed systematic blacklisting, breaches of employment legislation and forging of employment contracts to cover up the failure to honour the workplace and employment rights of workers. What is infuriating is that for four years I, on behalf of the blacklisted film workers, have asked the Government to stamp out this abuse, which is endemic across a film industry that is receiving €100 million annually, at least. I ask the Government to stamp out this abuse and to respond to the request from the blacklisted workers to meet the relevant Ministers to discuss the implications of the case.
Any WRC ruling should be respected, unquestionably. I am not familiar with this specific case, but I will certainly raise it directly with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. If the Deputy will submit the documentation to me, I will certainly seek from the Minister a meeting with the Deputy and the impacted workers, if that is at all possible.
Last year, the Saolta University Health Care Group undertook an external review of nine cases of haemorrhage where newborn babies suffered bleeding between their skulls and their scalps during their birth in 2022 in University Hospital Galway. Despite having had the report since last October, it remains unpublished. This is worrying because the Saolta group has been inconsistent in how it carries out external reviews of maternity problems in its hospitals. More alarming is the direct contradiction between the internal and external reviews concerning those nine babies. Additionally, the HSE has not given clear reasons for these differences. This situation shows that our health service is not being open and honest, as it should be, especially after the passage of the law last year on open disclosure mandating such transparency. This report must be published immediately and we need a fully independent and transparent review of this type of incident at University Hospital Galway.
I thank the Deputy for raising this extremely serious issue. The review of the neonatal subgaleal haemorrhages in 2022 was undertaken because the management team in University Hospital Galway maternity services observed through the clinical governance processes that there had been an increase in the incidence of this type of haemorrhage in newborn babies from previous years. While this increase was well within the reported range in the international literature, the management team in UHG decided to undertake an audit of the nine cases. The aim of the audit was to provide insights into trends, root causes and potential areas of improvement. I take on board what the Deputy has said. I will bring it back to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and I will ask him to respond to the Deputy in writing.
I know the Minister met a group of businessmen from Clonmel recently, including David Burke, Richard Gleeson and Nuala Hickey, regarding the situation concerning Uisce Éireann in the town. It is just abominable. For three or four days again this week there has been no water in Ballingarrane, Cherrymount and other parts of the town for businesses and houses. No information has come from Irish Water. Local staff on the ground are trying to do their best but Irish Water is coming along, installing pressure reducing valves, PRVs, not telling anybody and upsetting the whole system. When is someone going to have a day of reckoning with Uisce Éireann and make it accountable to somebody? People in Rosegreen also have no water. It is out every second day and gone an hour after it has come back. Pumps are being replaced. The overseers or people in charge are not being told about them. There is no joined-up thinking and the company is just running amok. Businesspeople are paying for their water. Everybody is entitled to a service and customers are not being treated with respect. I appreciate the Minister having met these people but they are not getting satisfaction and they have no certainty. It is bad enough to be without water this time of year but what will happen when the summer comes? It is just not acceptable in Clonmel.
I met residents and representative business owners in Clonmel. I had a good meeting just prior to Christmas before the recess. I have engaged with Uisce Éireann on the behalf of those people as well. There has been significant investment by Uisce Éireann in Clonmel, as the Deputy knows, and in the region. Another potential investment is required and some workarounds are also being looked at. I do not have an update yet from Uisce Éireann but I did engage with residents and the chamber of commerce in the town last December. We will stay engaged with them on this issue and work towards making progress in Clonmel.
I ask that the Minister speak with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment regarding the current crisis in the hospitality sector, especially for the smaller, independent-led cafes, restaurants and pubs that serve food.
Every week, more and more of them are closing their doors permanently. They are being hit by a wave of extra costs including an increase in the VAT rate, wage inflation, increasing supplier costs and their warehoused taxes. There is also additional and increasing pressure in many towns, including in Bundoran and Rosses Point in my own constituency, due to hotel accommodation being used for refugees. The downstream tourism and retail businesses are suffering even more because there are no tourists. A suite of measures needs to be put in place and the Government needs to consider reinstating the 9% VAT rate, a much longer timeline to pay warehoused tax debt and a tailored support package for this sector.
This Government has supported businesses right the way through the Covid pandemic. Most businesses and sectors will respect what we have done there. We work together to protect businesses. I am aware of increased costs on businesses due to inflation in the cost of wages, materials and so on, as are we all. The Government is bringing forward and has signed off on a package of €257 million through the increased cost of business grant. That will be a vital measure to support those small and medium businesses. I know the Deputy has raised this issue directly with the Minister. That grant will be paid at a rate of half of an enterprise's commercial rates bill for 2023 for firms paying up to €10,000 in rates. It is a flat €5,000 grant. Our analysis suggests that approximately 143,000 businesses will benefit from that. The Deputy may have seen the Minister for Finance, Deputy McGrath's remarks on the warehousing arrangements for tax debt. He has committed to looking at those again. We want to support the indigenous SME sector and we have done so. The Minister for Finance has committed to looking at the issue to see what we can do to help on the tax side. We expect the increased cost of business grant to be paid out by the end of the second quarter of this year.
Tá obair iontach déanta ag an Aire sna ceantair tuaithe. He has done a lot of things including extending the first home scheme to rural areas. He is also carrying out a review of Gaeltacht planning and so on. The measure that has had the most immediate impact in rural Ireland is probably the extension of the Croí Cónaithe scheme to single houses in rural areas. There is a substantial amount of interest in that scheme in rural Ireland. Does the Minister have any data as to the number of applications received from rural areas as opposed to urban areas since he made the groundbreaking decision to extend the scheme to rural areas? My second question relates to the first. Do we have any information on the delay with inspections in different county councils because that is the only cloud on the horizon with this scheme? When people apply, they like to get a fairly quick response.
Gabhaim buíochas le Deputy Ó Cuív as ucht na ceiste. Is cinnte go bhfuil deontas folúntais Chroí Cónaithe ag obair go dian tríd an tír. People have responded to it extremely well with over 7,000 applications and 3,600 approvals. We update it per local authority and we are now building data on one-off homes. Since the scheme was extended to rural homes, we have seen a really big uptake. I have received approval to double our targets this year. I want more grant applications coming in. The average processing time is approximately 11 weeks. We only want two inspections: one at the start and one at the end. I had a meeting with Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann yesterday. We have now seen 14 applications from our islands, which is not insignificant. I have committed to looking at further increasing the grant for islands based on the Deputy's intervention. We should do that because of the additional costs for our islands. We want to make sure that island populations can be regenerated and rejuvenated. I will get that data and send it on to the Deputy.
Last June, I brought to the Dáil's attention a pressing issue concerning Castlebar Educate Together National School, which finds itself in a serious situation. It comprises 140 enrolled students, five teachers and one SNA. For the past eight years, the school has been operating out of Marsh House, a former town council building leased from Mayo County Council. The conditions are dire for an educational institution. The school is now scattered across three campuses, each with limited classroom space. The children are forced to play in a car park and in public areas, which, as the Minister will know, poses significant safety risks. Despite tireless efforts to engage with the Department of Education, the school's pleas have fallen on deaf ears, which is completely unacceptable. As a Government, we need to take immediate action to address Castlebar Educate Together National School's concerns and to secure the appropriate accommodation the school so desperately needs.
I am not familiar with the specific case of Castlebar Educate Together National School. I will raise the matter directly with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and ask her to engage directly with the Deputy.
The situation at Tara Mines has reached a critical point. The mine has been suspended since July of last year and the prospects of reopening remain uncertain. The unions are not ruling out industrial action. The management released plans to the media without first consulting with the unions or the workers. SIPTU has accused the company of trying to rip up negotiated agreements under a new rescue plan. Unite, one of the unions representing the workers at Tara Mines, has detailed the challenges faced by the workers and the broader implications for the local economy. Immediate action is necessary to safeguard the livelihoods of the workers and to secure the future of Tara Mines. The concerns that have been outlined by the unions highlight the need for Government intervention to ensure the highly skilled jobs at Tara Mines are preserved and that the terms and conditions of the workers are maintained. I ask that the Government talk to all relevant stakeholders to make any supports provided contingent on Tara Mines committing to an early and firm reopening date while maintaining the terms and conditions of the workers, including any voluntary reduction package. Workers will tell you that better terms and conditions were offered 30 years ago.
I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue. The Government is committed to providing all possible assistance to facilitate a resumption of operations at Tara Mines. This is a matter that has been raised directly at Government level by the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and by Senator Shane Cassells. As the Deputy will know, Enterprise Ireland is liaising with the company on energy and productivity supports that could assist with a sustainable reopening. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, and officials from his Department will continue to engage closely, as I assure the Deputy they have been doing, with both management and unions to support ongoing efforts to achieve the accelerated resumption of operations. I have also read of workers' concerns about potential pay freezes and so on. The Government is committed. These are strategically very important jobs for our country. There are skilled workers there. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has had a number of meetings with the management of the Boliden group and with trade unions representing workers to discuss the issues that impact on the potential reopening and such meetings will continue. I will keep the Deputy informed and thank him for raising the matter here today.
We all watch in absolute horror as the horrific scenes from Gaza get more and more devastating. More than 23,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the Hamas attack, 70% of whom were women and children. Yesterday, I convened a meeting with my Fine Gael colleagues and Sadaka – The Ireland Palestine Alliance. That group's biggest concern right now is Gaza's newest deadly threat, starvation. The majority of people in Gaza are experiencing famine right now. That is on top of being displaced, not having access to clean water and being at risk of disease. People there are living under constant deadly threat. There are attacks and bombings and now starvation and the world looks on. What Israel is doing is far beyond disproportionate. I spent time in Palestine and am particularly passionate about this issue. I am proud that Ireland has been a lonely voice on the international stage in support of the people of Palestine. However, right now it is South Africa's voice that is lonely. What is the Government's response to the South African court case?
I agree with the Deputy that what is happening in Gaza, and now in the West Bank as well, is extreme, horrific and horrendous. It is totally and utterly disproportionate. What the State of Israel is doing in the destruction of Gaza, the killing of women, children, men and women and bombing Gaza into oblivion is outrageous but it is what is happening. As the Deputy has rightly said, our Taoiseach and Tánaiste have been to the forefront of the Government's response to this in trying to bring about a collective approach within the European Union. We have been successful in doing so. Just yesterday, the Taoiseach met with the Belgian Prime Minister in this regard. Other EU states are also involved. We need an urgent ceasefire now and proper humanitarian access. Starvation is happening now. We are watching a potential famine happening in front of our eyes. It is incredibly distressing and very wrong. Our Government is absolutely committed to doing everything we can at diplomatic level to push for that immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to people in Gaza.
Let us not forget also what is happening to Palestinians in the West Bank, with the grabbing of land and the continued expansion of illegal settlements. It is outrageous, frankly, and Ireland stands against those illegal actions.
The Minister is very familiar with the issue of LDA development in my home city and county of Limerick. There was much excitement and enthusiasm in Limerick when we initially heard of the plans for Colbert Station. However, there are concerns locally at the slow pace of delivery and a watering down of the ambition. It is important the Minister hears those concerns but my concern is separate from them. It is that it seems there is no plan beyond Colbert. We have a very ambitious transport strategy now in Limerick. The Colbert plan is fantastic, notwithstanding the concerns I mentioned, but there should be planning for Lisnagry, Ballysimon, Dooradoyle and Moyross. It should extend out to Shannon as well, which is very much part of Limerick's transport strategy. It is all built around a rail network. We need to see LDA action in these areas.
When the three parties came into government, the LDA did not have legislation underpinning it and it had no money. We have been able to make significant advances in that regard and fully capitalise the LDA. I received approval for further capitalisation before Christmas. It delivered approximately 800 homes last year. I have been in Limerick on a number of occasions with the LDA. I was at the launch of the Colbert Station master plan, which will make a massive difference to Limerick. We want to see that drive forward. I assure the Deputy that the LDA is absolutely committed to that. We have seen it break ground on three large sites, namely, Shanganagh, Devoy Barracks and St. Kevin's in Cork. The LDA work is happening apace.
Specifically with regard to Limerick, I assure the Deputy the commitment is there. I am interested to hear his views on what is perceived in Limerick as a slow pace of delivery on the Colbert master plan. I will raise that directly with the LDA and revert to the Deputy.
I gather a new national student accommodation strategy is being developed as we speak. The 2016 policy targeted no new student accommodation in Waterford, despite the issue of a university in Waterford appearing in the 2011, 2016 and 2020 programmes for Government. To reiterate: none, nada, nothing. I cannot resist the cheap shot that this is one of the few targets in housing the Government has actually achieved. WIT, now known as SETU, was at the vanguard of developing its own student accommodation, with the College Fields development dating back to 1992. It was the first institute of technology to do so. Of course, this was back when WIT management had some control of its own affairs and strategic planning. In the current programme for Government, Waterford was barred from borrowing as part of the process, forcing it to accept the technological university. Will the new student accommodation policy have any scintilla of ambition to address the brain drain in the south east? When will SETU be allowed to borrow?
To correct a point made by the Deputy, we met our housing targets in 2022. We exceeded them in that year and in 2023, and substantially so. As regards student accommodation, I will be with the Minister, Deputy Harris, tomorrow at a launch in DCU. We have already invested €61 million in additional student accommodation that we want to be affordable. My Department has worked directly with the Minister, Deputy Harris, on this.
Specifically in respect of the south east and Waterford, the Deputy will be aware there has been unprecedented investment in Waterford and the region since the Government came into office. I have had the pleasure of being in Waterford on several occasions, seeing game-changing investment there. The Waterford Crystal site has been purchased as well. We are working with the technological university in the south east regarding the provision of additional student accommodation. I will be with the Minister, Deputy Harris, tomorrow. I will discuss it directly with him and revert to the Deputy.
The biggest ever strike is taking place in the North today, with more than 150,000 workers from right across the public sector taking co-ordinated action to fight for higher wages. They are fed up with seeing their real-term wages drop and being punished by a Tory Government that wants to ensure their pay levels drop behind those of workers in England, Scotland and Wales. They are absolutely correct to engage in strike action. They have the full support of People Before Profit. If they are prepared to continue and escalate, they will win. There is a danger for the Government that workers in the South will take inspiration from what they are doing and be willing to do the same unless the Government is prepared to make a pay offer to the public sector that actually makes up for the loss in real terms that workers suffered in the past couple of years. That means a 7.5% increase in one year. Unless that offer is made, workers should engage to have co-ordinated ballots for strike action in the South.
What we are seeing in the North as well is the fact there is no Assembly or government there. The public services there are under incredible strain across every sector, from local government to health. I came into politics through my membership of a trade union and I support the right of workers to defend their rights and pay and conditions. What we have been able to do in this country for many years is to ensure we get agreement on public sector pay. We have done that and we are in the middle of those negotiations right now. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is leading that and I am confident we will be able to strike a deal that is good for workers and the public sector. We have more public servants working now than we ever had previously. This Government has invested in the public sector. We respect and value the work it does and I expect we will be able to work together to secure a pay deal that secures the agreement of employers and workers.
During Covid, the Irish Wheelchair Association took over An Castan, the then HSE-run high support day service for adults with disabilities which is based on Commons Road, Navan. Some 14 adults from County Meath are greatly dependent on the service. It is a vital lifeline and support for those using it and their families. Before Christmas, services for all 14 of them were cut by 40%, from five days to three days. These are adults with considerable needs. It is a high-support service. The Irish Wheelchair Association states it is living with a recruitment and retention crisis. It understandably points to pay parity with HSE counterparts. These are vulnerable adults who need significant support. Many of them are immobile, incontinent or non-verbal. They are in desperate need of these services. The services need to be reinstated. It is very difficult to get an answer from the HSE, as all Members are aware. We need a ministerial or departmental intervention.
The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will respond to the Deputy.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am not over the details of it. If he sends them on, I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, about it. As the Deputy is aware, the Government is committed to enhancing services for people with disabilities. The Deputy referred to the fact that the Irish Wheelchair Association stated there were difficulties with recruitment and retention. That may be the reason for the 40% service cut. Services are so important for people with disabilities. If the Deputy passes on the details, we will have it looked into straight away.
I refer to Carlow CDNT. As the Minister is aware, the outcome for children with complex needs is far better when they receive early diagnosis and treatment. With the right treatment at the right time, such children can grow up to lead happy, independent lives. There are children in Carlow who will never be lucky enough to achieve that, however. We have to be fair. My issue is that children need to get these services urgently. I am told the issue is staffing. The 2023 staff census was conducted in December. What are the staffing levels now? What is being done to increase those levels to serve these children? The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, knows it is important to get services to children quickly. I have had a significant number of meetings with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and the HSE. This is an urgent issue in Carlow.
As I stated, the Government is committed to enhancing services for children with disabilities. In budget 2024, €8.5 million additional investment was allocated to improve children's services, including the recruitment of additional therapy positions, the procurement of assessments from the private sector and increasing third level places.
As regards the Deputy's specific question, the 2022 CDNT staff census notes an average vacancy rate of 34% across CHOs. An overall analysis of the data from 2021 and 2022 demonstrates an increase of 11% in the number of approved posts and a 2% increase in CDNT. It is important to note the HSE has agreed to provide a special derogation for categories of staff employed across HSE and section 38 disability services under the HSE recruitment pause.
This will allow CDNTs to continue with efforts to address the staffing gaps. Recruitment is under way at pace at the moment.
We have three remaining Deputies and we are out of time. We will take 30-second questions from each of the three. I call Deputy Durkan first.
In the past two years, I have had occasion to raise on numerous occasions the question of family law and its application in this country, and the manner in which it continues to separate children from their parents, fathers and mothers, more especially mothers, by way of the use of the parental alienation theory, which is not a law, just a theory. The abuse continues with obvious consequences for the children and the parents. Some parents have not seen their children for more than two or three years. What can be done to expedite procedures to deal with the issue?
I commend the gardaí in Dublin West on the hard work they are doing and the commitment they have, particularly in the difficult circumstances since the horrific murders on Christmas Eve. However, I want to raise the chronic issue of the lack of Garda numbers, which is affecting the confidence of people in Dublin West in the ability of the State to provide a service. Confidence in community safety is dropping like a stone. I have an issue relating to Hollywoodrath in my constituency, and The Crescent. I have here a list of 30 calls that were made over a period of ten weeks to the Garda regarding antisocial behaviour that is going on at the moment. It is something that really needs to be addressed, particularly for the community and the gardaí themselves who are really feeling the pressure.
The Social Democrats are very supportive of the principle of marine protected areas. As a former marine biologist, I am keenly interested and want to see that legislation progress as quickly as possible. It was first mooted by Government in 2019. The heads of the Bill were published in 2022. It is going quite slowly considering the potential impact and the biodiversity loss that we are seeing. Can the Minister give me an update on when he anticipates the Bill will be before the Dáil? It is important that it is passed before the next term.
I will bring the matter Deputy Durkan raised to the attention of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and get her to come back to him.
I join Deputy Donnelly in commending the work of the gardaí in Dublin West after the horrific incident on Christmas Eve on Main Street, Blanchardstown, a place I know very well as he does. We are committed to continued increased investment in An Garda Síochána, with this year's budget 2024 allocation at €2.31 billion, which is a 23% increase on 2020. We need to make sure there are more resources, more gardaí on the street and more gardaí in the station. I agree with the Deputy on that and I know he has been engaging with the chief superintendent, I expect, in that area. I suggest also that he raises the specific matter, which I can also raise with the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on his behalf.
I know Deputy Whitmore has been supportive of these matters. We have brought forward generational change in amending legislation through the Maritime Area Planning Act, 2021. The marine protected areas legislation is imminent. The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, has been working very closely on that and we expect it to be finalised in the coming weeks. We hope to get it before the Dáil in the first or second quarter this year.