Roderic O'Gorman

13. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason for the delay in implementing the commitment contained in the programme for Government that introduced a minimum BER for the private rental sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53530/25]

Somewhere between 240,000 and 260,000 rental homes in Ireland fall below the B standard for BER. Tenants renting those homes are hit with the double blow of rents that are too high and energy bills that are artificially high because the places they are renting are not energy-efficient. In Housing for All, there was a commitment to set out a roadmap on how these homes could be upgraded. Where is th…

Hundreds of thousands of renters in Ireland face that double blow of rents that are too high and energy bills that are artificially high because they live in homes that are not energy-efficient. Their homes are cold, draughty and mouldy, which is a direct cause of energy poverty. It is also a contributing factor to our carbon emissions from the housing sector. The Minister of State has set out so…

As a Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Cummins needs to put as much of his concern towards renters who are stuck in these cold, draughty homes as he is towards landlords. A challenge of this scale will only be addressed if a plan is actually in place. I am concerned that the Minister of State does not seem to have any sort of date or timeline for the delivery. I am also con…

I will start my contribution on a constructive note, difficult as it is in the context of what was announced yesterday. I recognise the work the Minister, Deputy Foley, has done in keeping and growing the equal start programme and DEIS model for early years. This is a scheme I was proud to have initiated as Minister. It is already benefiting over 30,000 of the most vulnerable children in our count…

Any government’s first budget is so important. It is a map for how it is going to act over the next five years. It allows the Government to take the initial steps in areas it says it is going to prioritise. What today’s budget tells us is that this Government has no sense of direction. The untargeted VAT cut will benefit the biggest food businesses but is delayed for the small cafés that need it. …

I will reiterate the importance of passing the occupied territories Bill in this Dáil as quickly as possible. It is important to acknowledge that the constant articulation of the need to sanction illegal Israeli settlements that are a direct threat to the possibility of a two-state solution in the Middle East is paying off. The work done by Ireland, advocacy groups, civil society, political parti…

102. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport which actions under the National Policy Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems his Department will lead on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48563/25]

I have raised the issue of the lack of regulation for commercial delivery drones in the House on a number of occasions. Over the summer, the Minister published the National Policy Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Which of the 16 actions set out within that document fall directly within the remit of the Department of Transport? What is the Minister's action plan regarding the implementation…

The Minister notes that this is the first framework of its type in Europe. I hope the rest of Europe is not going to be taking this document as inspiration because it is deeply disappointing. It fails to deal with the issues I and others have been raising throughout this time. People in my community in Dublin 15 are asking that four fundamental issues be addressed. These are privacy, noise, planni…

I know of no other innovative cutting-edge technology sector where that technology is just let loose without any regulatory structures being put in place. This is new and innovative. Maybe it is a good thing but it has been allowed to happen without regulation. There is no regulation or clarity on whether planning permission is required for a drone base. There is no way to deal with noise complai…

It is too late. It is already-----

It does not deal with noise.

107. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the programme for Government commitment to create a transport security force under the National Transport Authority, which would operate and have similar powers to the airport police and customs officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51713/25]

Everyone in the House agrees it is important for commuters and people using public transport to feel safe. That is why I welcome the commitment in the programme for Government to the creation of a transport security force under the NTA. I am also aware this will require a legislative basis and funding. Could the Minister give us some indication of when this will be rolled out? When will we see the…

I am a strong advocate and daily user of our public transport system, but the perception and reality on public transport is that people are feeling unsafe. The NTA's security survey shows 40% of people feeling unsafe on public transport. The "Prime Time" programme on RTÉ earlier this year revealed that reported incidents of antisocial behaviour on Dublin Bus specifically rose from 494 in 2019 to j…

Will the existing private security go completely when the new transport police force comes in or is there a plan to run it concurrently? I am aware that the creation of something new like this requires legislation and a dedicated budgetary line. Nevertheless, the Minister took office in January 2025, and he is now talking about this service being operational in early 2027. That is a fair time but …

I raised a number of local school transport issues in the Dublin West constituency on Tuesday. They were Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg, Catherine McAuley National School and St. Peter's College, Dunboyne. I acknowledge that the Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg issue has been resolved and the bus has been put in place. I appreciate that. On St. Peter's College, Dunboyne, we do not have a resolution there yet. W…

I welcome the focus the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have placed on child poverty in their public comments in the run-up to the budget. However, will they take steps to address child poverty among that cohort of children who are most vulnerable, the 9,000 children in the international protection system? Children in the international protection system get €29.80 per week; that is it. This figure was …

It is important we are addressing this issue on the first week back, especially after the summer we have had, which saw communities, particularly the Indian and southeast Asian communities, targeted for both verbal and physical assaults in a number of locations across the country. I represent Dublin West, which is an extremely vibrant, extremely diverse part of Dublin and one where we have communi…

In February of this year, at my request, the first debate on drones in this Dáil was held. In that debate I made the point that I am not against drones. The vast majority people are not against drones. They do play an important role in society but commercial drone activity must be regulated. It must be regulated on issues to do with noise pollution and privacy. These drones have cameras. There are…

We have never had a conversation about how much of the traffic that currently is on our roads we want to move up into the sky because that is literally what is happening in Dublin 15 right now. Thousands of journeys that took place on our roads are now going over our roofs and going over our gardens. This represents a massive societal change. A change like that has to be done through a rules-based…

It is now four weeks since the school term started back. Like Deputy Sherlock, far too many primary and secondary school students in my constituency still do not have access to a school bus even though they meet the criteria. Students attending St. Peter's College in Dunboyne, the Catherine McAuley National School and Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg are still left hanging. Why is that every single August…

82. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if children attending a school (details supplied) who have applied for a place in a special school and have a letter from the NCSE that they are entitled to such a place will get a place in one of the two new autism classes being established in the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40455/25]

Two weeks ago, parents of children who attend St. Mochta's National School in Clonsilla who have diagnoses and who have been approved for a place in an autism class were shocked to find out that, even though the school is opening two autism classes, none of their children was being offered a place. I have met the parents and the school leadership, as have other Deputies. A lot of work has gone on …