Darragh O'Brien

I thank my colleagues for amendments Nos. 1 and 2, which I am taking together. At the outset, I appreciate the support for this important legislation. We are about to embark on the largest and most significant investment in the grid infrastructure, pretty much in the history of the State and certainly since rural electrification. This Bill is an important part of that because it allows an increas…

I do not intend to accept either amendment. I have outlined why that is the case. I appreciate the Deputies' remarks but have nothing further to add.

I move the following Further Revised Estimate: Vote 33 — Culture, Communications and Sport (Further Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €1,164,069,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport including certa…

Tá mé lánsásta a bheith anseo inniu, mar Aire Iompair agus Aire Aeráide, Fuinnimh agus Comhshaoil, chun an cháinaisnéis a phlé. I am pleased to discuss next year's budget across the Departments of Transport and Climate, Energy and the Environment. Budget 2026 provides almost €6 billion in investment in these Departments. Is í seo an infheistíocht is mó in iompar poiblí, fuinneamh agus comhshaol ri…

I move: (1) THAT for the purposes of the tax charged by virtue of section 72 of the Finance Act 2005 (No. 5 of 2005), that Act be amended, with effect as on and from 8 October 2025, by the substitution of the following for Schedule 2 to that Act (amended by section 70 of the Finance Act 2024 (No. 43 of 2024)): “SCHEDULE 2 RATES OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS TAX (With effect as on and from 8 October 2025…

We are talking about cigarettes.

We are talking about Financial Resolution No. 1.

I move: (1) THAT section 291A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (No. 39 of 1997) be amended, in subsection (6)(a), by the substitution of the following subparagraph for subparagraph (i): “(i) any allowances to be made to a company under section 284 as applied by this section, and any balancing allowances (within the meaning of section 288) to be made to a company in respect of a specified inta…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, plays a pivotal role in protecting, improving and restoring our environment through regulation, scientific knowledge and working with others. As part of this role, there are approximately 900 EPA licences in operation in Irel…

We will get a copy of it. Apologies, we will circulate that. Tá brón orm faoi sin. Before changes that affect emissions from an existing installation can be made, the operator is required to amend or review the existing EPA licence. This is an important system overall which protects our natural environment and human health. While strong licensing procedures are critical to protect our environment…

We banned that.

I thank the Deputies for their contributions here this evening. They were all constructive. Deputy Whitmore raised specific issues and made suggestions, as did Deputies Ahern, Cronin and others. Charges were made about certain things but I will leave them for a more general debate. I welcome the broad support for the Bill. I assure Deputies that as we move to Committee Stage we will be seeking to…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)(b) and 188(1).

I thank the Deputy for his question on this important matter. As I have previously outlined to the House, the Chicago Convention of 1944 is the main international treaty governing the operation of international civil aviation. Article 35 of this convention provides that no civil aircraft may carry munitions of war in the sovereign territory of a state without that state’s permission. That pertains…

Yes.

I take the Deputy's question and statement in the manner in which it has been raised. The allegations, though, that any arms or weapons are going from Ireland to Israel are just wholly incorrect. Irish law is clear. On the examination of the draft report, we have sought legal advice. There is extensive documentation. I do not want to hide any of that but I need to allow it to be assessed properly,…

Ireland has led in Europe in that regard. There are others who wish to state otherwise - not the Deputy but others - purely for political points. This situation is far too serious for that.

Where complaints and allegations are made about the illegal transfer of either munitions, parts of munitions or dual goods, items that could be used for military use, that is taken very seriously. We have a process that is long-standing in Irish law. Our legislation is very clear in that regard, with domestic orders going all the way back to 1973 and reaffirmed in 1989. I take the allegations seri…

I never turned my back on Donegal.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an cheist seo a ardú, ach níl sé ceart faoi ar chor ar bith. He is not correct at all in his assertion. We have the largest ever national development plan, with €105 billion of investment between now and the end of the decade, and €245 billion-plus in total. Those are the facts. Now it is about delivery and we are seeing lots of our projects across the coun…

Capital has been secured through the NDP. It is a fully funded multi-annual plan. In the coming weeks, each Department, including my own, will publish departmental NDP plans setting out specific projects. I could stand here for the next two hours listing the projects that are under way but I will give only a couple of examples. Phase 1 of the Cork area commuter rail programme is scheduled to be co…

Last year we saw the highest number of public transport passenger journeys that we had ever seen. There were about 330 million passenger journeys. The good news is that in the month of August we were up about 10.5% on the comparable month last year. We want to maintain a sustainable and affordable public transport system. I advise the Deputy not to believe everything he reads in the newspapers in…

I thank the Deputy for his question, which follows on very much from the question asked by his party's spokesperson. The Deputy will be aware that transport was one of the four prioritised areas for investment under this NDP review and we secured a core allocation of €22.3 billion across the next five years, with a further €2 billion allocated from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to as…

I thank the Deputy. He is advocating strongly for his own area and I believe he would agree that while a lot of progress has been made in the past five or ten years on infrastructural investment and infrastructure full stop, as our population - thankfully - continues to grow and as our economy thankfully is still in full employment because of the hard work of our people and the economic and policy…

To ensure balanced regional development, the national planning framework will guide that and the NDP itself. As for the commitments we have made in the programme for Government, the two parties and the Independents came together to ensure and commit to a balanced regional development and we will ensure that it happens. This morning, I met the incoming new chief executive of Iarnród Éireann at Heus…