Conor D. McGuinness

And housing second.

Says the man who presided over the housing crisis.

Deputy Connolly mentioned slippage, and it is something we must all guard against. I wish both the Minister and the Minister of State well in their briefs in the time ahead and I look forward to a constructive working relationship. I ask the Minister for an update on both the veterinary and the pharmacy courses at South East Technological University. These are crucially important. They were annou…

We are on the theme of slippage.

9. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department is taking to address the challenges faced by young carers and young adult carers pursuing courses at third level. [14632/25]

This is a very serious issue. My question relates to the situation of young adult carers in higher and further education. We had a comprehensive debate on the more broad topic of young carers and young adult carers in this House last week. My question relates to the Department's efforts, schemes and steps to support young carers and young adult carers to access education, stay in it and benefit f…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an bhfreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his response. The most recent census in 2022 tells us that there are almost 5,000 young carers in this State. Undoubtedly, the number of young people and young adults providing care is much greater as it often goes unreported, unsupported and unacknowledged. By unsupported I mean people who do not avail of many of th…

I thank the Minister for the elaboration. It is clear there are supports available. It is about accessing those supports and for students to know they are available and make sure they are kept under review so that they can respond to emerging challenges, unforeseen challenges and circumstances and continue engagement with advocates in particular and young carers and young adult carers. Another rel…

75. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his Department's plan to critically evaluate the outcomes of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021–2025; and the extent to which this will inform the development of a new policy. [14861/25]

Ar dtús báire, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an mbeirt Airí. I congratulate the Ministers on their respective roles. As Deputy O'Reilly has said, both she and I, as their counterparts on this side of the House, will endeavour to co-operate with them and engage constructively with them, but it is also our role to hold them to account. Accountability is at the crux of my question. It relates to Our Rur…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an bhfreagra sin. I am glad that the OECD report is to be published. I think that will provide food for thought for everybody living and working in rural Ireland. From my conversations with people in rural Ireland and my own experience, I imagine the biggest result and theme that will emerge from the consultations, which will no doubt be reflected in the OECD repor…

I welcome the Minister's comments, in particular about the importance of housing, infrastructure and facilities. The previous plan had a very significant focus on digital connectivity. That might have been a product of the time it was put together. The focus must now shift, as my colleague said earlier, with regard to bricks and mortar, and having facilities, homes and infrastructure so that peopl…

It is the same here.

Who is to blame for that?

Such as 40,000 houses.

The Taoiseach has tied himself to Deputy Michael Lowry and will regret it.

I welcome this long-overdue legislation and I commend the team involved in it. It involved a huge amount of work, no doubt interesting but painstaking. It also involved a huge amount of detail. We are grateful for that work having been completed and being presented to us here today. Having a look through this, I see so many proclamations that refer to activities in my own county of Waterford in t…

Ar an gcéad dul síos, tuigim go bhfuil leasuithe Uimh. 1 agus Uimh. 3 as ord. Ní aontaím leis an gcinneadh sin, ar ndóigh. Mar dhuine atá ag cur faoi i gceantar Gaeltachta agus mar dhuine, roimh dom bheith i mo Theachta Dála, a bhí i mo chomhairleoir ag déanamh ionadaíochta ar cheantar Ghaeltachta, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an t-éileamh ann ón bpobal go mbeadh Údarás na Gaeltachta iomlán daonlatha…

Bhí comhrá agus díospóireacht leathan againn ansin cé go rabhamar ag díriú isteach ar leasú áirithe. Bhí caint mar gheall ar phobal mór na Gaeilge agus lucht labhartha na Gaelainne fud fad na tíre seo. Is ceart an comhthéacs sin a bheith againn ach caithfimid a aithint go bhfuil an Ghaeltacht éagsúil. Is rud aonarach í Gaeltacht na hÉireann. Ní hamháin go bhfuil an Ghaelainn beo bríomhar mar thean…

Tá an leasú seo dírithe ar chathaoirleach agus leas-chathaoirleach a bheith ceaptha ar an mbord ionas go mbeadh an t-údarás acu labhairt ar son na Gaeltachta agus an t-aitheantas acu chun é sin a dhéanamh. Bheadh an dlisteanacht acu go mbeadh siad in ann é sin a dhéanamh agus bheadh éisteacht á fáil acu. Ar ndóigh, mar a dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, tá gá leis an mbord iomlán a bheith neamhspleác…

Tairgim leasú Uimh. 5: Ar leathanach 11, idir líne 24 agus líne 25, an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach: “(2D) Chun críocha fho-alt (2C), déanfaidh an tAire, ag féachaint don chóras caighdeán ar a dtugtar an Creat Comhchoiteann Tagartha Eorpach le haghaidh Teangacha, leibhéal B2 a fhorordú mar an leibhéal inniúlachta i nGaeilge is gá a bheith ag duine dá dtagraítear san fho-alt sin. (2E) Ní bhe…

Tá díomá orm a chloisteáil nach bhfuil an tAire chun glacadh leis na leasuithe seo. Is dócha go bhfuil sé seo chomh tábhachtach gur cheart é a bheith istigh sa bhunreachtaíocht in áit é a bheith ag teacht ón Aire i ndiaidh don reachtaíocht a bheith curtha i bhfeidhm. Ní hamháin go mbeidh sé tábhachtach go mbeadh comhaltaí boird in ann feidhmiú ag leibhéal an bhoird sna cruinnithe as Gaeilge agus t…

Then it has taken you nine years to stand up for your own backbenchers.

While this discussion is going on, the people of Lismore in County Waterford are without water again today. This will be the seventh time in recent months that the entire town of Lismore has been without water. Outages are becoming more frequent. They last 24 hours or more in many cases. They are impacting local businesses, families and a care home. One of the largest secondary schools in County W…

We had a discussion about this matter last night. I mentioned that there are 17 applicants on ice in Waterford at the moment. That is 17 families dealing with anxiety. It is also 17 landlords who are considering pulling out and going to the open market. This signal being sent from the Department is to dissuade applicants. Local authorities are not encouraging people to make applications, but rathe…