Roderic O'Gorman

I thank the Labour Party for bringing the motion forward. Danu Community Special School in my constituency of Dublin West agreed last summer to take an additional 12 children - two new classes - to deal with a school places crisis we were experiencing in Dublin 15. Those children were due to start in the school in September of last year. They are all now on the books of Danu school. However, not …

The move to renewable energy should be centred on allowing consumers to benefit from lower electricity prices. That is why, as part of the previous Government, the Green Party legislated to give customers a legal right to dynamic pricing whereby they can benefit from changes to electricity prices and only use electricity at the cheapest rate. That right of consumers to benefit from the low price o…

This is a highly important document and there is only a short time to speak to it. I will mention some of the positives. I am encouraged by the stronger focus on compact, low-carbon growth and the formal integration of environmental assessments. The new national planning objectives, NPOs, reinforcing a commitment to biodiversity are important. Likewise, I welcome the commitment to transport-orient…

The renewed slaughter in Gaza has now claimed hundreds more lives since Benjamin Netanyahu broke the ceasefire on 18 March. In that time we have seen the overall death toll from Israeli attacks break 50,000, the UN Human Rights Council reporting on the destruction of maternal and reproductive healthcare facilities and now another war crime with the massacre of Red Crescent medical workers. The lie…

We see slaughter in Gaza every single day. In light of that, it is not enough to rely on the things we did last year. The occupied territories Bill is a concrete act that fulfils our obligations under international law - legal obligations that were made clear to us last July by the decision of the International Court of Justice. Three weeks ago, just down the hallway, the UN special rapporteur Fra…

I welcome the recent improvements in water quality that have been reported in the past number of weeks. The EPA’s early insights nitrogen indicator report for 2024 shows nitrogen levels in rivers reduced last year. This is a clear and welcome signal the actions that have been taken in recent years are starting to deliver real and measurable results for our environment. These improvements reflect t…

This is a quote from Mario Draghi's report on European competitiveness, which was published last year: In a world of stable geopolitics, we had no reason to be concerned about rising dependencies on countries we expected to remain our friends. But the foundations on which we built are now being shaken. The previous global paradigm is fading. The era of rapid world trade growth looks to have passe…

A Government's majority is a mandate to govern, but it is not a mandate to dilute and make less effective the long-established principles and rules of how this House operates, the very basis for our democratic exchange functions. The Government is held to account by the Opposition. That accountability must be honest, rigorous and searching. It will work only if it is independent of the Government.…

Coillte has got rid of Coillte Nature, its not-for-profit climate division. We are told it is being absorbed into the wider organisation. We are told that the need for a separate nature team has been superseded by the overall Coillte strategic vision, which was published in 2022. Yet, that strategic vision - that very document - spotlighted Coillte Nature as delivering nature projects at scale. On…

Did Coillte tell the Minister that it was doing it?

Today, we discuss a significant but overdue change in our social welfare system that seeks to address a long-standing injustice. The social welfare Bill we are discussing is a direct response to the Supreme Court ruling in the O’Meara case delivered in January last year. That ruling exposed the very real inadequacies in the current law. It also reaffirmed the need for a system that is fair, more i…

lreland’s neutrality with regard to participation in armed conflicts, our position in not joining military alliances and our commitment to the specific ideals of the UN Charter have always allowed us to exercise a significant voice towards building and achieving peace as a resolutely non-aligned nation. I think on all sides of the House, there is agreement that the value of this independent role o…

I welcome the fact that this motion has been brought to the House today. Its passage will bring clarity and certainty to the 37,000 Ukrainians who are currently in homes supported by the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, and the thousands of Irish people who have provided them with accommodation. It is worth recalling that the ARP was conceived at a time of extreme crisis, when thousands of …

North Korea.

4. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of artists who have benefited from the basic income scheme for artists to date; the status of research into the benefits of the scheme; and if extending this scheme is a priority for him in budget 2026. [10543/25]

The basic income for the arts scheme is a proud legacy of the Green Party's time in Government. It is benefiting more than 2,000 artists with a monthly payment. I believe this scheme should be maintained and, indeed, enhanced. Can the Minister give us an indication of the research that has been done on its impact at the same time as the pilot is operating? Can he also give us an indication as to w…

I am glad to hear the Minister refer to the impact assessment his Department conducted after year one of the scheme. I was really impressed by some of its findings, including artists being able to spend up to eight hours a week more on their practice and having the ability to invest up to €550 monthly into their practices for materials, workspaces and the like. There was a 9% increase in the numbe…

The qualitative research is extremely valuable when we are investing significant amounts of taxpayers' money. The research process was built into this pilot from day one to ensure we were assessing the scheme's actual outcomes. We look forward to seeing the qualitative paper the Minister spoke about earlier. There are options here. The Minister could look to extend the scheme for the existing 2,00…

It is not often that I find myself in agreement with the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, but this morning, he tweeted that the Government had opened the door to commercial LNG facilities becoming part of the energy mix in Ireland and I fear he might be correct. Could the Minister clarify whether the Minister of State is wrong? Will the Minister commit that this Government will follow …

As a TD, I have had the opportunity to visit many local schools. One thing I love doing is meeting a politics and society class and having an opportunity to discuss with them the topics they are studying and what is happening in our country. One such visit has always stuck with me. We ended up discussing the work-life balance Act and the extra rights it provided through domestic violence leave and…

100. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the poor performance of many bus services provided by a company (details supplied) recently; the way he and the NTA will ensure a better, more reliable service for travellers in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9417/25]

In recent weeks the performance of one company, Go-Ahead, which operates bus routes across Dublin, has been widely criticised. At the same time Go-Ahead is being rewarded. It has successfully tendered to operate new bus routes. Does the Minister understand the frustration commuters feel at not getting the service that should be delivered, and at new services being awarded to that same company? Wil…

The reputation of this company has taken a real pounding because it is not meeting the services it committed to. The commuter experience is a key part in determining demand for public transport. People are telling their friends and family that they cannot rely on route X or route Y. It is negative in terms of encouraging people to make that shift to public transport. I have always felt the NTA nee…

Sticking on that idea of the commuter experience, one proposal I welcome in the new programme for Government is the proposal for a transport security force. Many of us who have had a negative experience on public transport, particularly because of the location as you can be isolated in a train or Luas carriage, know it can be hard to get out of those situations. That is why we need a transport pol…

91. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children who have benefited from the baby boost triple child benefit payment to date; the number his Department estimates will benefit from it in 2025; the estimated additional cost in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8526/25]