Joe Neville

Following Deputy Aird's question about courts, I am looking for more prison spaces for guilty people.

I fully agree that incarceration is not always the answer. At the same time, we need to ensure that there are places in our prisons for those who commit offences. We also need to ensure that they know this. We have a great body of prison officers. They are some of the best people in our country. They work really hard and diligently on our behalf. I know many of them personally. We need to make sur…

I thank the Minister for his response. His colleagues, the two Ministers of State, have been very helpful in dealing with any queries and issues I have with the Department. I thank the Minister for his work since he came in, as well as his diligence, especially on this key issue. When people commit offences we need to ensure there are places for them, but we also need to ensure there is outreach a…

In my first speech in this Chamber I highlighted the need for major upgrades in infrastructure in the State and I used many examples in my county of infrastructural deficiencies and issues that need to be resolved. As Vice Chair of the new infrastructure committee I focused extensively on obtaining an understanding of the blockages in the system and the difficulties we have throughout the State in…

I am very aware that through the sound economic foundation set by that Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, over the years, we now have the opportunity to deliver for communities throughout the country. Not only do we have the houses but we have the facilities. I want to point out that three towns of Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth, which we all know and many of us pass on the motorway, are …

The issue that I am raising here today relates to the Irish Stock Exchange and its importance to the success of Irish incorporated companies and, indeed, Irish investors. The decline of companies listed on the Irish Stock Exchange has been well reported, with a decline from up to 100 in 1999 to a current level of 24. This decline is in stark contrast to the growth in the wealth of the Irish econom…

We are talking about sports infrastructure. More than many, I, as a coach, and my children have benefited in recent years from different facilities we have been able to develop locally by means of the sports capital grants. As stated by previous speakers, these grants are a very efficient way of spending and receiving money. Who best to spend the money in local areas than people who run clubs effi…

What are the Minister's plans to develop a pension solution for foster carers in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, as committed to in the programme for Government?

I thank the Minister for his response. I am especially conscious of the words in the programme for Government whereby we will seek to examine the pension provision for foster carers to acknowledge their long-term commitment and ensure valued support after years of fostering. I am very conscious that 4,000 foster carers in Ireland provide a service which, as with services provided by other people i…

I thank the Minister for his very genuine response and for his commitment. As he outlined, he is very aware of the contribution that foster carers make. He has demonstrated his knowledge on the topic and his willingness to engage further in the coming weeks and during in his term as Minister. It is something we will continue to work on together and I will follow up on it. I thank the Minister for …

91. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools enrolled in the school meals scheme in 2025; the percentage of waste analysis has been done in these schools; and the nature of the reporting mechanism. [50836/25]

How many schools are enrolled in the school meals scheme? Has an analysis been done of the waste in schools? Will the Minister outline the nature of any reporting mechanism in this regard?

I thank the Minister for his response. I welcome the work that has been going into this and the efforts that this Government and the previous Government have made in putting forward the hot meals programme. Ultimately, it is there to provide meals to people who might not be in a situation to get them otherwise. This is definitely something we need to encourage. It is a great idea but we do need to…

Today, I want to talk about something that I firmly believe in and have worked in. I have seen the effort involved in our own communities. The Minister of State has been leading on this since taking up his position in recent months. I have met him a number of times in north Kildare and know that he has been all around the country because he believes in what he is doing. He believes in the importan…

The issue that we are here to speak about is something that has been a national topic for many of us who have stood outside schools recently. We saw the importance of pensions and what they mean to caretakers and school secretaries. What we are talking about here, however, is across the board; it represents a sea change in how we look at pensions for the nation. From a State perspective, we need t…

It was not solely my office that was inundated. I am sure the Minister of State's own office and, indeed, all constituency offices across the country were inundated with similar issues. Having listened to other Deputies on this topic, I am left wondering how it is such a big problem every year. It seems to catch us almost by surprise. Here we are, school buses are needed and people need places. U…

I would also like to reference Patrick Gerard Murphy. I knew Patrick as a fellow councillor. I went to many conferences with him over the years and had a pint and a bit of chat. He was always one for a bit of back-and-forth in the best way possible. He will be sadly missed. I was very sorry to hear about him yesterday. What I want to reference today is Ireland's energy supply. As we know, it is o…

Sometimes, I come to the House and I am not exactly sure of the relevance of individual Bills or of what negative point the Opposition might make that day. The Opposition could not make a negative point today because this Bill speaks to the core of something we talk about in the country so often. We talk about money being spent, who spent it, why it was spent, who is to blame and where the account…

I wish to raise the issue of safety on our roads and, indeed, footpaths in relation to e-scooters and e-bikes. Last week, while coaching our under-14 hurlers in Leixlip, I noticed that there was an ambulance and a police car at an incident on the road behind us. I went up to investigate. I saw a nine-year-old boy being carried away in an ambulance. He had been cycling his bike and minding his own …

The issues I wish to raise relate specifically to our competitiveness across the EU, especially with the technological hat we have on as a country. I can see it especially in my own constituency with Intel in north Kildare. We are in a very lucky position as a country to be at the forefront of speaking at these EU summits. It is something we should not take for granted. Many people from this count…

Today, I am delighted to resume statements on the all-island strategic rail review recommendations. In my constituency of Kildare North, many people depend on rail transport to commute to work and I have been one of those over the years and continue to be. People living in towns such as Naas, Maynooth, Kilcock, Leixlip and Celbridge all commute daily. I commend the work the National Transport Auth…

I welcome the O'Regan family from Dublin via Cork and thank them all for coming to the Gallery. It is good to see them. We are speaking about the Middle East which is obviously a complex issue, as outlined by Deputy McGrath. The Government has done a huge amount of work internationally, from a diplomatic perspective, and has put a huge effort into discussing and raising the issue in a way that ha…

12. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has plans to increase local government funding in areas of rapid population growth, such as Kildare north, to meet its demands, as it directly affects the levels of service provisions that can be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35893/25]

My question for the Minister of State today is on behalf of the people of north Kildare, and indeed the entire county of Kildare. What plans does the Department have to increase local government funding to County Kildare, considering its rapid population growth, to meet its demands? The demands of the people there have been directly affected by the decrease in the provision of services.

I thank the Minister of State. The simple fact is that the population of Kildare has increased by 50% in the last 20 years. Although the State has grown, Kildare and especially north Kildare has outpaced that and grown rapidly. Unfortunately, the delivery of funding to the local government in Kildare, Kildare County Council, has not been kept at the same pace. That means we do not have the deliver…