Ryan O'Meara

83. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider introducing a three-week mandatory Gaeltacht course for every student studying Irish at leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40612/25]

I will touch on the inability of so many Irish people to converse in our national language on leaving secondary school after 14 years of education. This is obviously something a lot of people talk about but I am concerned about whether we are actually addressing it and enhancing the ability of all of us to communicate as Gaeilge. Will the Minister consider introducing a three-week mandatory Gaelta…

After 14 years of education, it seems like the whole purpose is to get to the leaving certificate exam and to get as many points as possible out of it. That is the sense among a lot of students when they leave school. The instant the oral is over and the paper is written, they feel they are finished with Irish and stop practising it. The love of it and the whole point of why they are studying it h…

The Minister has lined up my final point perfectly in terms of immersive experiences. Gaeltacht courses for student teachers are free for primary teachers but are costing post-primary teachers about €2,000 when they have to do them. It has been raised with me numerous times in Mary Immaculate College in Thurles by the staff and particularly by the students there. It is an obstacle for students whe…

97. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Finance how VAT receipts to date in 2025 compare to the same period last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39246/25]

I would like to discuss the first home scheme price ceiling, particularly for County Tipperary. As a young Member, I will highlight yet again that housing is the number one issue affecting my generation. In Tipperary, we are really struggling with privately built housing, particularly affordable housing. The first home scheme is in place to help those of us who could get a mortgage but where the p…

The last point I will make on this concerns the second paragraph of the Minister of State's reply, which states: "I am advised that the board takes into account a range of factors as part of these reviews, including the median price and volume of new builds purchased by first-time buyers in each local authority area." The key message I hope the Minister of State brings back to the Minister and the…

8. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his meeting with the EU budget Commissioner on 25 June 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37909/25]

I raise the planning guidelines for anaerobic digesters, ADs, and the regulations of these plants. I acknowledge the need for AD plants to reach our emission reduction targets and improve water quality, particularly in light of the conversation we will have today on the nitrates derogation. However, given the ambition for AD plants to be built across the country under the national biomethane strat…

I would like to raise the Limerick to Ballybrophy regional line with the Minister of State. Before coming in here, I told one of my colleagues what I was going to speak on and the response was, "Oh, do you have a railway line in north Tipperary?" This railway line is probably one of Iarnród Éireann's best-kept secrets. It services Birdhill, Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Roscrea but it is a regional li…

3. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [23202/25]

I am sure the Taoiseach is aware of the teacher fee refund scheme. In 2025, it is aimed at assisting teachers with upskilling and paying for some of their course fees or examination fees. The Department of education has informed me that courses that fall under that with regard to professional development for teachers include tackling disadvantage, discrimination and equality and promoting well-bei…

It does not fall under the teacher fee refund scheme.

I welcome this timely Bill, which has some very reasonable measures, and the clear action that has been taken by this Government to protect planning permissions currently in the system as we strive to increase the number of houses delivered in this country. From my point of view, as a younger Member of the House, it is an absolute priority for me to see the number of houses being delivered by this…

Both Cloughjordan and Silvermines in my constituency need playground facilities for young children. Both of these local villages have dedicated, skilled and ambitious voluntary committees that have been working on this for a number of years. Both have secured lands, namely, the Thomas MacDonagh Memorial Garden in Cloughjordan and the parish field in Silvermines. Both have considerable sums of mone…

I say again that housing is the number one issue affecting my generation. It was the biggest issue by far and away for me on the doors, whether I was speaking to people my own age; getting messages from people on social media saying they would love to be able to come home and afford a home; parents who said when I knocked on doors that their adult children were still living at home, as I am also; …

20. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the progress of the national security strategy. [29817/25]

Housing is the single greatest issue facing my generation. I start with an issue I have raised in this Chamber a number of times, and will continue to raise, which is modern methods of construction, modular homes, log cabins or whatever we want to call them. I recognise the Minister of State's position on it. I welcome the work done to date by Government on planning exemptions relating to backyard…

I strongly condemn in the most certain terms the brutality Israel is inflicting upon the innocent people of Gaza. Equally, I strongly condemn in the most certain terms the atrocious acts committed by Hamas, particularly those of 7 October 2023. The murder, maiming and unjustifiable terror being waged on innocent people on both sides of this conflict have no place in our world yet they continue, to…

I would like to start by recognising the young Tipperary schoolgirl outside the gates of Leinster House this evening in the pouring rain. We are discussing this incredibly important issue because of her. Cara Darmody is an inspiration for the work she has done. She is not doing it for praise or recognition but rather for the love she bears for her brothers and family and the empathy and understand…

11. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to expand the provision of modular housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24654/25]

I have said before that housing is the number one issue affecting my generation. Whether we call them modular units, modular methods of construction or log cabins, we know what we are talking about. I am aware of many in rural Ireland up laneways or in yards, and planning permission is a major issue. We need to address that. In a rural area, if it is in keeping with the environment, which so many …

I acknowledge the work done by the Minister of State on that matter to date, particularly regarding backyard dwellings or the equivalent of the 40 sq. m extension planning exemption. We need to go beyond that and allow a wider scale. I am not saying it is the entire solution; it is part of the solution. There is a real place for these dwellings at the moment. I will highlight the example of a site…

I will begin by congratulating the Tipperary under-20 hurlers on their victory over Clare in Limerick yesterday evening. I congratulate Brendan Cummins and his management team, Sam O’Farrell, the captain, and Paddy McCormack, the vice captain, on lifting the J.J. Kenneally cup. I am one of a number of Fianna Fáil TDs who represent Kilkenny. I believe the Leas-Cheann Comhairle would expect nothing …

So is North Tipperary.