2026-04-16

I thank all Members who were here earlier and contributed to the debate. A number of good examples have been raised of improvements to air quality. I will give my own area and local authority of Fingal County Council a plug. A scheme was brought in in 2019 called school streets. It was brought in by Councillor Eoghan O'Brien, who was mayor at the time and who happens to be my brother, on a pilot basis in one school, St. Oliver Plunkett National School, Malahide, one of the largest national schools in the country. They closed the road between 8.30 a.m. and 9.15 a.m. and then, in the afternoon, between 1 p.m. and 2.45 p.m. Initially, people were not overly happy at the idea but it is still in place and the air quality around the school improved 20% year on year in the first period. There is a 43% reduction in school-related traffic. Again, that reduction is continuing to grow - if that is not an oxymoron and Deputies understand what I mean. There is a 50% increase in active travel to school. It works. We have rolled it out to Pope John Paul II National School in Malahide and other schools around Fingal. While some are calling for legislation and I am happy to look into that, the local authorities are actually doing that in consultation and it really works. It is particularly good for national schools. These are young kids so we do not want idling cars around schools. It changed behaviour and people got used to it. Once there is good consultation, there are those types of measures. We do not need to legislate the hell out of everything. Common sense can prevail many times. A lot of good matters were raised today. The Bill is important. I thank my officials again. They are why we have moved forward with this legislation. I see there is broad support for it across the House, maybe with the exception of Deputy Tóibín, which does not surprise me. The Minister of State and I have taken note of all the contributions, as have my officials. This is about improving enforcement and bringing in a more comprehensive suite of enforcement capabilities, like fixed-payment notices, compliance notices, powers to seize and the establishment of solid fuel registers - which, by the way, those in the retail of solid fuel trade really welcome. It is to try to take rogue operators out of the system as best we can. In a nutshell, it is about giving local authorities the tools they have asked for to enforce the rules fairly, consistently and effectively. I appreciate colleagues' remarks and input into the legislation today and look forward to working with them on Committee Stage. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.