Joe Neville

I have met the former Minister of State many times but to have an Olympic gold medallist looking down on us is indeed an honour for us all. I congratulate Mr. Wiffen on all his work, what he has done for the country and how he raised the country's spirits during his time. His talent has inspired many people in this country. I thank him for being present and for taking the time to come to watch us …

Last week, when the Committee of Public Accounts met with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, I raised the issue of dynamic pricing online and how it impacts the consumer. I highlighted how people go online with the intention of buying at one price but when dynamic pricing kicks in, consumers are quickly in the impulse buying position at a significantly higher price than that…

I wish to speak today against the backdrop of the budget last year and the economic situation Ireland finds itself in. There is no doubt we find ourselves in a strange economic place. We are in a place where we have budget surpluses. We are not in an era of budget deficits, which was something we all grew up with in this State. It was a situation that came against us with the crash. This is also a…

The issue I want raise is the need for sporting infrastructure. Last week, I met with GAA members who were working on the No One Shouted Stop Until Now report, which focuses on Ireland's demographic shift in the past few decades and the response to it. Key findings in the report included that just 50 clubs out of the 2,200 clubs in the island of Ireland account for 25% of all zero to five-year-old…

First off, I just-----

Yes.

Perfect. I welcome Ms Clodagh Hanna, chair of the politics society in Trinity. It is good to have someone who is beginning the journey from a schools perspective. Over the past 25 or 30 years, or indeed since I have been observing, we have been very good at sending children to university and then into the workforce. Ireland’s having a highly educated workforce has worked very well for it internat…

I raise the lack of childcare in north Kildare, where there is a growing population. Will the Minister provide an update on State-led childcare, which is desperately needed to address the shortages in towns like Kilcock, Maynooth and Naas? I get multiple emails each week from people who are struggling to get childcare in their areas and want to get back into the workforce. Many of them are mothers…

I welcome the students and teachers from Confey College. I was on the board for ten years. Today I raise a fundamental local issue in Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth where we had another water outage this week. We have had a number of water outages affecting over 10,000 houses and 25,000 people. Indeed, the students in the Gallery, along with those in other schools, were not able to go to school …

I was due to speak on the need for an additional class between the three schools on Green Lane in Leixlip. Those three schools are Scoil Bhríde, Scoil Mhuire and Scoil Eoin Phóil. I attended Scoil Eoin Phóil. There is a requirement for an extra class, but I am delighted to say that this morning we finally received the good news that it has been delivered. Obviously, I had put in for this speaking …

It is not often that I table a Topical Issue and get the win on the same day. This is a matter I have been raising for a number of months. As already stated, this is a very positive situation. What has happened speaks to the work of Department in this case. The Minister of State stated that a specific issue can be targeted. I was conscious of the potential for the Department to look organically a…

121. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Health if her Department has considered introducing initiatives such as a refundable tax for set-up costs on new GP practices to address the current GP shortage and incentivise more GPs to open practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28453/26]

I ask the Minister if her Department has considered introducing initiatives such as refundable tax credits on costs of new GP practices or extensions to GP practices to try to address the current GP shortage and incentivise more GPs to extend their practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

I thank the Minister for her very positive reply. This has an impact especially in my constituency of Kildare North, where we see a huge need for more GPs, but I have also been very aware that it is not just commuter belt areas where we have this issue. There are also areas where there are rural sustainability challenges and indeed urban deprivation strategies. Analysis shows that it is in those t…

There is a lot of information in the Minister's reply and I will take on a couple of the points. I have seen the benefit of the new primary healthcare centre in Celbridge, and we have one in Kilcock. It is about maximising the outputs we can get there. I am very conscious as well that in areas like Maynooth - and this is something we have mirrored all across the country - we might have seen a GP p…

I note the Minister is here. As the House knows, there is an urgent need to address the issue of GP access across Ireland. Last night, I spoke on the Critical Infrastructure Bill. We need to view GP care as critical infrastructure in its way and incentivise its creation and extension. I see this in my area of Kildare North, which is one of the hardest places in Ireland in which to get a GP, where …

Shocking.

I pay tribute to Republic of Ireland captain, Nathan Collins, who, like me, is a native of Leixlip. We both went to the same school, Scoil Bhríde. That is where the similarities end. On the football pitch, we were very different. Nathan is a lovely fella. He has been around the town and is a brilliant role model. I was also lucky enough to grow up on the same estate as Emma Byrne. I was across th…

I speak here tonight on a fascinating day in its own way. In here in the Dáil Chamber, we saw many different things happening. At the same time, this ultimately is really important legislation before us here tonight. I have seen many contributors from different sides, some positive and some negative, but it really speaks to the importance of infrastructure for us and within our own areas. Many peo…

160. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the diaspora strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20218/26]

My question was grouped with Deputy McCarthy's. The Minister of State has partially answered it. I asked what the status of the diaspora strategy is and if the Minister or the Minister of State would make a statement on the matter, considering both of them are there. I know the Minister of State has specific responsibility for the diaspora. Coming on the heels of St. Patrick's Day, we know how imp…

I am delighted that the Minister of State referenced college football because we have seen the tremendous impact that has had. Not only are we bringing the games but we are bringing people over. A lot of those people spend a lot of time in Ireland. The game offers a window to Ireland in America with huge numbers watching the games. They see the best of what Ireland has to offer from a sporting fac…

The issue I wish to bring up today is something I have raised a number of times since I was elected. Like the Tánaiste, I believe that an Irish savings and investment account model, especially for young people, can make a huge difference. However, I also continue to believe that tax reform for ETFs would offer an effective and impactful means too for those people who already might be in a position…

10. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Health the number of GP practices or primary care centres that have been introduced in north Kildare since 2020; the number due to be opened in 2026 that are known; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17744/26]

The Minister referred to her discussion earlier with Deputy Daly, which I listened to, about the need for GPs and how we roll them out. He was speaking about both the rural and urban areas in his area, but where I see a real need is in those urban centres of Leixlip and Maynooth. They are two large towns with a university on top. There are 60,000 residents and there is not a primary care centre be…