I have received notice from the following Senators that they propose to raise the following matters:
Senator Mary Seery Kearney - The need for the Minister for Education to make a statement on the supports for mental health services in primary and secondary schools.
Senator Fiona O'Loughlin - The need for the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide an update on the upgrade works for the military swimming pool at the Defence Forces Training Centre at the Curragh, County Kildare.
Senator Micheál Carrigy - The need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide funding to Longford County Council to compensate for the loss of rates income due to the closure of Lough Ree power station.
Senator Victor Boyhan - The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on his plans for surgical hubs in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick, including locations and timelines.
Senator Aisling Dolan - The need for the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to make a statement on assessment waiting times for SEAI fully-funded energy upgrades for older families, including vulnerable prioritisation; and the number of assessors in Roscommon and Galway.
Senator Malcolm Byrne - The need for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on implementation of the recommendations of the Funding the Future framework published in May 2022, particularly those relating to the core funding shortfall.
Senator Tim Lombard - The need for the Minister for Education to make a statement on the process in place for an ongoing review of the scheme of reasonable accommodations at State examinations, including the addition of new reasonable accommodations.
Senator Barry Ward - The need for the Minister for Education to make a statement on the continuation and survival of Newpark music school, Blackrock, County Dublin.
The matters raised by the Senators are suitable for discussion and I have selected Senators Seery Kearney, O'Loughlin, Carrigy and Boyhan and they will be taken now. The other Senators may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise.
Before I call on the first Commencement matter, I welcome the students on the student council from Scoil Choilm CNS, Clonsilla. I welcome them and thank them for the great work they are doing in their school on behalf of their fellow students. They thank their teachers who are here this morning as well. They are guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, and are very welcome. I thank them for the great work they are doing and we are glad to have them here in the Oireachtas today.
By the way, I did offer them to have their homework off but to highlight how progressive things have become and how the world has changed since my days in school, I was informed they have homework off for the month of June, which is great.