2026-03-18

I move: Wednesday's business shall be: - Statements on International Women's Day (not to exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes) Wednesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Energy and Fuel Costs, selected by Sinn Féin. Thursday's business shall be: - Media Regulation Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to adjourn at the end of the first speaking round) Thursday's private members' business shall be the Motion re Structural Reform of Child Welfare Governance, selected by Independent Technical Group. Proposed Arrangements for this week’s business: In relation to Wednesday’s business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: (a) Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken, and Government business shall commence at the time when Parliamentary Questions to the Taoiseach would normally be taken; (b) private members’ business shall be taken following the Statements on International Women’s Day; (c) Parliamentary Questions to a Minister other than the Taoiseach pursuant to Standing Order 47(1) shall not be taken; and (d) topical issues shall be taken on the conclusion of private members’ business; and 2. the Statements on International Women's Day shall not exceed 2 hours and 25 minutes and the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the statements, not including the Ministerial response, shall be in accordance with the sequence contained in the table immediately below (to be read across); (b) following the statements, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes; and (c) members may share time In relation to Thursday's business, it is proposed that: 1. notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders: (a) no motion for a Committee report pursuant to Standing Order 111 or private member's Bill pursuant to Standing Order 169 shall be taken; (b) private members' business pursuant to Standing Order 168(1) shall be taken for 2 hours following proceedings of the Media Regulation Bill 2026; and (c) topical issues shall be taken on the conclusion of private members' business, and the Dáil shall adjourn on the conclusion of topical issues; and 2. the proceedings on the Second Stage of the Media Regulation Bill 2026 shall, if not previously concluded, be interrupted and stand adjourned at the end of the first speaking round and the following arrangements shall apply: (a) the first-round speeches shall be in accordance with the table below (to be read across); (b) where speeches conclude before the 3 hours and 24 minutes have elapsed and no other member is offering, a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a speech in reply which shall not exceed 10 minutes, whereupon proceedings shall be brought to a conclusion; and (c) members may share time.

Are the proposed arrangements for this week’s business agreed to?

Not agreed.

I call Deputy McDonald.

The Government's failure to act to assist families, workers and motorists as fuel prices skyrocket is completely untenable, unacceptable and unsustainable. We need to have accountability for its inaction as a do-nothing Government. More to the point, we need to hear concretely when and how the Government eventually proposes to act. We need statements and questions and answers on the most pressing issue at the moment for Irish families.

This evening at 5.30 p.m, my colleague, Senator Harmon, will lead a protest against the unconscionable planning decision we have seen at Bessborough. This site should become a site of national conscience. We cannot concrete over a site where 923 children died while the Government sits idly by. We need to have statements on this.

The Government has had plenty of time to put together what it is going to do for the cost-of-living energy crisis we face at the moment. Nothing has come forward. This week the Dáil should be discussing and passing emergency measures to help families and households under huge pressure with rising costs. There is a proposal from the Social Democrats for a €400 targeted energy credit that the Government should be adopting.

We have a deep energy crisis in this country with the price of fuel skyrocketing. We need a debate. We need the Ministers for energy and Finance before the Dáil. The seriousness of it surely evident in everybody's constituency. It surely is in mine. People are in desperate situations. The Government seems to be kicking the can down the road as if it is an issue that can be sorted down the road. Measures are urgently needed now. We have farmers who use fertilisers which is going to drive food prices and haulage companies mad.

The Chief Whip to respond.

Sorry.

Excuse me, Deputy Boyd Barrett. I passed over you. It is the jet lag.

As somebody who was born in a mother and baby home, I was lucky to have a good outcome. I am acutely aware of the feelings and sensitivities of people like those who suffered and were traumatised and of infants who lost their lives in places like Bessborough. There is urgent need to take on board the reason people are protesting this evening. I will be joining that protest. We need to listen to these people and acknowledge their concerns.

I thank the five parties and groupings for their comments. As they know, the Business Committee will meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow. We will certainly try to facilitate the statements on Bessborough, although it will not be this week as the Minister is away. We will certainly try to facilitate them next week. In relation to the cost of energy, Sinn Féin has a Private Members' motion this evening. The Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy O’Brien will be here for that. The Order of Business stands.

Are the proposed arrangements for this week's business agreed to?

Not agreed.

Last week, I, along with my colleagues Deputies Pearse Doherty and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, met the families of those who lost their lives or were injured in the Creeslough tragedy. They have two requests of the Government. First, that it establish a public inquiry into this tragedy and, second, that the Minister for justice meet with them. They have questions that are not related to the criminal investigation and that they want to put to him directly. This meeting and, indeed, a public inquiry can take place without compromising the investigation, as confirmed by the former Garda Commissioner. The Minister's predecessor, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, met with the families, but that was a year and a half ago. It is only right that the Minister should meet with them now and listen to what they have to say. This awful event happened nearly four years ago. The families continue to fight for truth and justice. They should not have to fight to secure a meeting with the Minister. Will he commit today to meeting with the families without further delay?

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It was a horrific incident that happened to the families. I had the pleasure of meeting the Deputy and Deputy Doherty to discuss it last year. I also met with the parents of Leona Harper in December. I want to be straight with the families, because they have suffered a lot. I will not establish a public inquiry until such time as the criminal investigation and the inquest are concluded. The reason I am being blunt about that is because I want the families in Creeslough to get justice. The only way they will get justice is through the criminal process. A file has gone to the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP. There may be another file going. I have been kept updated on this issue by An Garda Síochána and others. The only way they will get justice is through the courts. If at the end of that process there are questions remaining, I will very much consider whether a public inquiry is required.

Will the Minister meet them?

Deputy Ivana Bacik.

Will the Minister meet them?

I will answer that-----

Sorry, Minister. Deputy Ivana Bacik.

The Minister should answer. The families are looking in, and he is refusing to-----

The Deputies and the Minister will have to engage further. What is happening is not how it works.

I will answer it in due course.

Deputy Ivana Bacik is on her feet. The Deputies and the Minister will have to engage further.

There are 320,000 households in arrears on their electricity bills. Hundreds of thousands are facing soaring home heating costs and price hikes at filling stations as the US and Israel's illegal war on Iran enters its third week, with no end in sight. The Minister stated earlier that the Government is considering cost-of-living measures and a package of supports for struggling households. There have been many kites flown and many mixed messages from Government. The Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, suggested that the Government should consider scrapping the €680 million VAT cut on hospitality to pay for cost-of-living supports. Is that Fianna Fáil policy? If not, when are we going to see clarity from the Government for struggling households? People just want to know when and what will be offered by the Government. The Labour Party has put forward a number of measures. There are clearly things that the Government can do, including new measures to support faster roll-out of renewables, increased retrofitting supports for homes in energy poverty and the extension of the fuel allowance. We are not getting any clarity; all we are getting are mixed messages. Households are struggling.

I want to deal with the question from Deputy McDonald that I did not answer. I will keep an open mind in respect of the matter. I will just say, however, that my predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, met them. They want a public inquiry. I am being straight with them. I am not going to establish a public inquiry until such time that the criminal process is over. I will come back to the Deputy on this matter, but I do not want to fool people by bringing them up to Dublin and having them come in here-----

The Minister's time-----

Show them some respect by meeting them.

In the context of what Deputy Bacik said, people are obviously concerned about the rising cost of fuel. That is why the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and other Government Ministers have indicated that measures will probably be taken in response to what is happening with regard to the price of fuel. We are not going to just have a knee-jerk reaction in respect of this; we are going to have a united Government response in the same way that we did in respect of Ukraine. The Deputy will obviously continue to put pressure on the Government, but we need to formulate our response and target it, as I said to Deputy McDonald earlier.

When will it happen?

Has the Minister any plan at all to deal with the spate of arson attacks and vandalism happening at playgrounds the length and breadth of Dublin? This seems to be an issue that has increased in frequency and scale during his time as Minister for justice. Does he have any plan at all? I refer here to Diamond Park, Bridgefoot Street Park, St. Anne's Park and Sean Moore Park, which is in the Minister's constituency. These attacks are causing hundreds of thousands of euro worth of damage. I do not see the Department taking what is happening in any way seriously. Is this on the Minister's table? Is he engaging with local authorities about it? An Garda Síochána is asking local authorities to put private security in parks. This is madness.

I thank the Deputy. I am well aware of the issue. As he indicated, it happened in Sean Moore Park in my constituency. Gardaí had considerable success identifying the person responsible for it. The criminal justice system must operate in respect of people, even if they are under 18 years of age, who commit arson in playgrounds. Not only are they damaging playgrounds, they are damaging their communities. I do not think the Deputy is suggesting I am responsible for arson attacks or for the increase in such attacks. I assure him that An Garda Síochána is well aware of my interest in this matter and in the ongoing attacks being investigated. Young people need to be made aware of the damage they are inflicting on their communities by engaging in arson.

I rise to represent two constituents in Donegal who literally cannot speak for themselves. They are at the end of their lives and are living with advanced Alzheimer's disease. They live in cold, mould-infested, unsafe homes. They are confused and frightened, and deteriorating in a place that is stripping them of all dignity. If dignity in life means anything, dignity in death must mean more. Right now, they have neither. The Minister will point to a multibillion euro scheme and say that they can rent elsewhere. The truth is that they cannot. They have neither the time nor the capacity to do so. This is the reality coming down the road for us all. Will the Government prioritise vulnerable people, provide dedicated supports for older people to allow them to navigate this scheme and put in place a system to establish an end-to-end pathway for this cohort?

Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for the Deputy. I will raise it with my colleague the Minister, Deputy James Browne. It might be of assistance if the Deputy were to provide to the Minister details of the two constituents in question in order that he can look at the matter in more detail. At the periphery of every scheme, there is always some flexibility.

We are experiencing an energy crisis. The cost of fuel is spiralling out of control. People are struggling. The reality is that the vast majority of what we pay at the pump goes to the Government in taxation. In 2024, the Government took in over €4 billion in fuel tax. In 2024, carbon tax reached €1 billion. Aontú was the only party to vote against the carbon tax because we knew it would drive up the cost of fuel. These energy costs are going to drive up inflation across the economy. People in rural Ireland cannot afford to pay these prices any longer. They have no other option to get to work. When is the Government going to reduce the cost of fuel during this energy crisis? The cost in question is crippling for families at the moment.

Everyone is aware of the impact that the price of fuel is having on families, not just at pumps but also elsewhere. The Deputy is correct that VAT accounts for more than 20% of the cost of fuel. Excise duty accounts for more than 30%. That is something the Government is looking at, particularly in respect of the excise duty. We will not make a knee-jerk reaction just to facilitate the Deputy in getting an answer today. This has to be carefully considered by the Government.

I want to raise the issue of the suspended gardaí in the Limerick Garda division, which straddles some of County Clare, who were recently acquitted of wrongdoing. That was the right decision, but I am conscious that quite a number of more junior ranking gardaí are still under a veil of suspicion. Over the years, they have had laptops, mobile phones and other devices confiscated. It is important. The process has to conclude, but there are far too many people caught up in the net. During the term of the previous Dáil, at one point 108 gardaí across the entire country were under suspension. At that time, I read into the record a letter from one of those gardaí - I recently reposted it on social media - in which they talked about ending their life because of the huge strain that had been put on them. A threshold needs to be established whereby some matters should be dealt with under internal disciplinary processes and others should be dealt with in the context of criminal law. Not everyone can be suspended, dragged over hot coals and have their careers destroyed. There has to be some method of investigation beyond these court cases. There has to be an inquiry into all this.

I have spoken to Deputy Crowe previously about this issue and his concern for the gardaí involved. As is obviously the case, they were acquitted. They are not guilty. It is always the case, regrettably, that where people who are prosecuted for offences and acquitted, there are consequences for them deriving from that. There is no mechanism in place to provide any remedy for a person who is prosecuted and then acquitted, and I do not think there would be public support for it. The Deputy has raised an inquiry in respect of the issues. If there is going to be an inquiry, we are into a full quasi-judicial process again and that is not in anyone's interest. We need to move on from this. The gardaí have been vindicated and they need to get back to doing what they do best, which is protecting the community. If there are gardaí who are traumatically affected by it, they need to get help and I urge the Deputy to pass that on to them.

I would like to talk about housing supply in Carlow. We all agree that a quicker way to increase supply is to utilise existing buildings. I have to give kudos to Carlow County Council, which has made huge inroads tackling vacancy and dereliction, with a particular focus on providing town centre older persons' housing to facilitate the 339 older persons living alone in two- and three-bedroom council houses in Carlow so that these family homes are accessible to families. Carlow County Council has already purchased substantial vacant sites to provide more homes but the cost of abnormals, like decontamination or utility upgrades, is eating away at its allocated budget. I am aware of a site in the council's ownership that will require close to €1 million to be brought to a build-ready position due to the nature of its previous use. If costs like this were borne by central government, it would allow Carlow County Council to more quickly fulfil its ambition to bring Carlow town centre back to life and increase housing supply for the people of Carlow. Will the Government consider funding a certain level of abnormals for local authorities that are developing housing?

I thank the Deputy very much. I will raise that with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Browne. Just so the Deputy is aware,the Government has provided a €150 million fund to end long-term vacancy and dereliction in towns and cities under the urban regeneration and development fund. This dedicated €150 million fund allows local authorities to acquire vacant or derelict properties, residential or commercial, and to carry out any associated works needed to derisk or improve the properties. I am sure that the very effective chief executive of Carlow County Council, Coilín O’Reilly, is aware of this and it is probably worth engaging with him to see if any of this funding can be used for the purpose of ending vacancy and dereliction in Carlow.

I want to raise the issue of the funding cuts to education programmes at education and training boards, ETBs, this year. The Government has cut over €1.3 million from Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB's further education pathways budget. The result is that 25 teachers have been informed that they are being let go and roughly 150 classes are being cancelled. GRETB says it has been left with no other choice because of these funding cuts. The cuts will mainly affect the most essential classes, including English language classes, literacy classes as well as other areas, such as the Irish language. It is going to have a particular impact on the most vulnerable and marginalised students. I have been contacted by many students and staff who have been left absolutely devastated by this. It is a real slap in the face to teachers who have served their communities for years and are now being let go just as many of them were about to receive permanent contracts. I want a commitment that this cut will at the very least be reconsidered. It is a really cruel decision. These teachers must be kept on and these classes should go ahead. The Government needs to ensure that happens.

I thank the Deputy. I regret to say that I am not aware of the detail of the issues he has outlined but I will raise them with my colleagues, the Ministers, Deputies Naughton and Lawless. I do not know whether the issue is in respect of English language classes but generally there is good funding for ETBs. Obviously, if moneys are being reduced, there must be a reason for it and I will engage with my colleagues in respect of it and ask them to get back to the Deputy on it.

Like all the rest of the country, the people of Kerry are suffering with the exorbitant cost of diesel, petrol and heating oil. It has come to my attention that, in Northern Ireland, it is 30 cent less per litre. As the Government is taking in almost €40 million extra in taxes a week, I am asking it to reduce the price at the pump by that amount for the people who are using it. I cannot understand when the Minister says the Government will target certain people. Every man and woman with a wheel and an engine is affected by the extra cost now. I am told it takes 1,400 litres to fill a truck. Can the Minister imagine the amount of hardship? If the Government does not act soon, it will be too late.

The time is up, Deputy.

It must do something to rectify this situation. It is very serious.

You are affecting other Deputies now. The Minister to respond.

It is the same issue throughout the country. People are extremely concerned about the rising cost of diesel and petrol. The Government is well aware of that. We need a measured, well-thought-out response. The Deputy says everyone is affected by it. That is the case, but not everyone is affected to the same extent by the increase in fuel costs. The Government needs to have a look at this in terms of what is the appropriate response, whether it be in excise duty or elsewhere. It is also needs to give consideration to the targeting, or not, of measures.

I want to talk about Simona Demyter, a young 20-year-old Wexford woman who in 2019 was diagnosed with an extremely rare illness. Since that time, she has relied on a wheelchair but has outgrown it, the current one being too small. Last October, an occupational therapist called, did all the assessments and told her she would have a new wheelchair in a few weeks, but she never received it. In January, a wheel broke and she was told by the technician who came to fix it that it was unsafe and she should not use it any more. The family then discovered the reason for the delay was that the occupational therapist went on extended leave and never passed on the documentation. The file effectively disappeared from the system. Eventually, after the intervention of my colleague, Councillor Vicky Barron in Wexford, the family was contacted by the children's disability network team, CDNT, and told that another therapist was on leave and nothing could be done for weeks. However, the did have a solution, in that it would fix the wheel of the old, unsuitable and unsafe wheelchair. This young woman has now been confined to her family's sitting room for the past two months. This is just one example of a dysfunctional, crazy system that serves nobody.

I thank the Deputy for raising this. I am really sorry to hear of this and would be happy to engage with the Deputy to get the details of the situation, if his constituent is willing to share them. I will take it up directly with the HSE for the Deputy.

Ballycommon is a picturesque village in north Tipperary, located between Nenagh and the shores of Lough Derg in Dromineer. I am here today to convey the deep frustration of the people of Ballycommon in relation to 34 houses that could be built in that village if Uisce Éireann would just do its job. I have submitted a freedom of information, FOI, request to Uisce Éireann asking how much it has spent over the last number of years trucking sewage out of Ballycommon from a plant that does not work to Borrisokane. It will not answer that FOI for me. I cannot get parliamentary questions answered because apparently Uisce Éireann is not answerable to us in this House. I am again calling for changes to be made so we can hold Uisce Éireann to account. It will get €12 billion by the end of this decade to invest in our wastewater and water infrastructure, which is brilliant for the likes of Nenagh and Cloghjordan, but we need it answerable so we can get the houses built in Ballycommon and so many other areas.

I thank the Deputy for bringing the issue in respect of Ballycommon to the attention of myself and the Dáil. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Browne, in respect of it. I know that he is bringing forward proposals that will allow a builder to build up to 40 houses for, I believe, fewer than 120 or 150 people and that Uisce Éireann will then be obliged to connect them. I will raise the matter with the Minister. It sounds like it is essential that we get those houses constructed in Ballycommon so that people can live within their community.

In a county like Donegal, we are uniquely impacted by these increases in oil and fuel. We rely heavily on home heating oil to heat our homes. You cannot work in Donegal unless you have a car or van to get around. Public transport just is not there. We are uniquely affected. I find it astonishing that we are weeks into this crisis now and there is not a clear indication from the Government that it is going to cut the excise duty and reduce costs at the pump and for home heating oil. I urge the Minister again to make a clear statement that he will get that reduced and to reassure people urgently that it is going to happen.

The war started on, I think, 28 February. We are 19 days into it. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that the Government needs to consider what it is doing in respect of a response to the rising fuel costs. As I have indicated, it is being considered by the Government. I believe that there will be a response but it is not appropriate to rush it on the basis that we need to just get it done quickly. Let us get it done right as opposed to quickly.

Accessibility in our schools should be a basic right but the Department is not treating it like that. In Leap National School in my own constituency, there have been repeated incidents where a wheelchair user could not enter the building because the door is inaccessible and the school does not have a mobile ramp. The principal rightly took this very seriously and applied for accessibility works, but that application was rejected because no student or teacher currently needed it and because the lack of access was not sudden or unforeseen. For some reason, the Department refuses to conduct accessibility works outside of an emergency. By waiting until a child or a teacher needs the work, disabled people suffer and parents and visitors simply cannot access the school. Children in need wait years for necessary works, excluded from parts of their own school. Teachers turn down roles they want because they know they cannot access the schools. Will the Department review its approach to accessibility works, and will Leap National School's application be reassessed?

Accessibility for wheelchair users is fundamental, particularly for children in schools. I will raise the matter with my colleague in the Department of education, the Minister, Deputy Naughton. I will see whether the issue can be reviewed. Perhaps Deputy Cairns could provide the details to me or the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in order that we can pass them on to the Minister.

In my role as Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, I again want to highlight the crisis we now have on Irish roads. Already this year, 37 lives have been lost, which is up on the previous year. Most experts agree that the biggest cause of fatalities on Irish roads is driver behaviour, and what shapes driver behaviour more than anything else is enforcement on our roads. I, like many more, was shocked, following on from the December operation by An Garda Síochána, by the operation over the past week during St. Patrick's week when 188 drivers were arrested for drunk or drug driving, 4,250 fines were issued for speeding and 450 fines were issued for either use of a mobile phone or not wearing a seat belt. We need to strengthen our roads policing unit. To what extent are we engaging with the Garda Commissioner with a view to targets for our roads policing unit this year and during the lifetime of this Government? I appeal to the Minister. Can we set a target for the lifetime of this Government to have 1,000 members in our roads policing unit, bringing us back to where we were in 2009?

The Deputy is right that human behaviour is the biggest cause of fatalities and accidents on our roads. I know he is not suggesting otherwise, but people themselves need to recognise that looking at their phones and consuming alcohol or drugs will expose them not just to risk of fatality and car crash, but also to being apprehended by An Garda Síochána. That will result in increased insurance costs and time off the road and make it very difficult for their lives professionally in the future. I have spoken to the Commissioner. There is obviously a requirement for gardaí to devote a certain amount of time to roads policing. The figures the Deputy has given indicate that there is a lot of roads policing ongoing, but it is a balancing act as well. There is much other important work the Garda has to do, so I cannot just ask the Commissioner to devote a majority of resources to roads policing. People have a responsibility as well. I will keep a close eye on the matter.

The proposed transport projects in Dublin and Cork cities, with the Swords-to-Dublin city route and Ballincollig to Mahon, will cost billions of euro when completed. Of course these projects are to be welcomed, but not if they mean that Local Link services will not now go ahead or will be withdrawn. Last week, I found out that a route already tendered for months and months ago for Dunmanway, Clonakilty and Timoleague via Grange in west Cork cannot now go ahead as the National Transport Authority, NTA, says it has no funding available. Last Friday night, I attended a meeting in Kealkill where the people told me that they did not have even one public transport service passing their door to Bantry or Macroom on either side of them. It is the same for our communities in Drinagh and Caheragh in west Cork. There is absolutely no public transport service but still there are planned billions being announced month after month in other parts of the country. Can the Minister find out why the Clonakilty-Timoleague route is once again being put off and why the Kealkill route that was promised to the people is now not going ahead in spite of a public outcry for these services?

Local Link is hugely important to people in rural constituencies such as the Deputy's and, indeed, throughout the country. I do not have the details in respect of the Dunmanway-Clonakilty route. I will raise it with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to see if we can get an answer in respect of that and come back to Deputy Collins. I just do not have the specifics of it at present.

I welcome to the Gallery a very special lady from my constituency, Mrs. Brigid Walsh from Ballyverroge, New Ross, County Wexford. Brigid turned 90 in recent weeks and she is in the Public Gallery with her daughter Aileen. Belated birthday wishes, Brigid, and thank you very much for making the journey to join us today. You are most welcome.