Maurice Quinlivan

In recent years, there have been some improvements on the bus transport in Limerick city, with routes such as the 310 from Annacotty to the city centre being rolled out. These new routes and improvements have to be welcomed, but significant gaps remain in the provision of bus services across Limerick city. Condell Road in Limerick is an example in this regard. Hundreds of new homes, which were bui…

As stated, good progress has been made regarding transport in the mid-west, but we still lag way behind other areas across the State. Last year, I published a report on bus infrastructure in areas on the north side of Limerick City. It clearly showed that working class areas lack basic services and that they had no bus stops, signage or bus shelters. Some work was done on the back of that report. …

The cost-of-living crisis is impacting families of all backgrounds. The bite is being felt at the petrol pump, at the grocery till, in the utility bills and beyond. For working families, one of the most expensive monthly outlays is childcare fees. Families in Limerick with both parents working full time who are not fortunate enough to have additional family support are paying up to €300 per week o…

As an island with a dispersed population, connectivity is crucial to our continued economic development. To continue this development it is necessary to lift the passenger cap in Dublin Airport while also focusing on delivering balanced regional aviation growth. That is something I suggest this Government and its predecessor have failed to do. Last year, Dublin Airport exceeded the passenger cap b…

I move: That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters entitled "Report on Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 25th March, 2026. I welcome the opportunity to move this motion and to present the committee's report on inclusive education for persons with disabilities. I acknowledge the di…

I thank the Minister of State for his kind and supportive comments for the committee and its members. It is much appreciated. I thank all of the members of the committee who contributed to the report, turned up to meetings, read all of the submissions, made suggestions, changes and amendments and helped us to deliver what I believe is a good report. I hope it will be accepted. I want to I record m…

Ballinacurra Weston in Limerick is one of the most disadvantaged areas in this State. This time last year, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, acknowledged it was an area forgotten by the State and that it now has Government support. He made those comments while visiting Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre. That same centre is now facing the daunting task of telling local families there are no early c…

-----or will Ballinacurra Weston once again be forgotten by Government?

No, the waiting list has 214 children on it. It is completely overwhelmed.

I have raised a number of times over the years the capacity issues faced by University Hospital Limerick. The huge number of people on trolleys remains unacceptably high. One of the impacts of that is the number of outpatients waiting excessive amounts of time for appointments: 3,244 people have been on outpatient waiting lists for more than 12 months, with 981 of those waiting over 18 months for …

The Government has cut it.

Yes, but the Government is opening a new hub that-----

The Government has failed consistently in the delivery of transport infrastructure. Projects experience delays, costs mount and progress occurs at a snail’s pace. I am proud to have been representing the people of Limerick in this House for over a decade. It has been the honour of my life. I tend to travel to Dublin by public transport, most regularly by train. Upon arriving in Dublin, I mostly us…

People living with a disability face a double disadvantage. They face lower employment rates combined with a higher cost of living, as the Minister knows. Those living with a disability are entitled to an adequate standard of living, like the rest of us. That standard includes safe, accessible housing, nutritious food, quality healthcare, rehabilitation services, education and access to meaningful…

I listened carefully to what the Minister said in his speech. One of the saddest things is that he actually believes what he read out. The figures announced recently of 7,062 eviction notices across the State show a 51% increase on the same time last year. This will come as no surprise to many of us because we predicted this was going to happen. In Limerick we have had 354 evictions in quarter 1 o…

I begin by sending my solidarity to those in the National Ambulance Service who are engaged in strike action today. I know they would much rather be at work. Today's action should and could have been averted but the Government failed to address the issues that caused them to strike. At this late hour, I call on the Government to intervene and engage with the workers, and ensure that ambulance staf…

Irish householders pay 40% more for electricity than the EU average, which comes to €480 more per year. On average, households owe €500 to their energy suppliers. The vast majority of them simply do not have that. Over 320,000 households are in arrears on their electricity bills and 180,000 are in arrears on their gas bills. This is scandalous. Irish people, when they can, always pay their bills. …

The medical board at University Hospital Limerick has, as the Minister of State is aware, warned that the risks to patient care at the hospital remain intolerable and unacceptable. I have spoken countless times in this Chamber over the past decade of the challenges faced by patients and staff at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, and I welcome the intervention of Prof. Devlin of the UHL medical bo…

I am deeply concerned by a part of the Minister of State’s response. He said that, “Under existing plans, we will deliver 420 additional beds by 2031”. He also said that 128 of those beds have already been delivered at UHL but HIQA said in September, when it knew these beds were there, that 500 beds were needed. That is what it said. I spoke to senior officials in the hospital before I came here t…

As the Taoiseach knows, a new 96-bed unit was opened in University Hospital Limerick, UHL, last October. That was very welcome, but it has not addressed the issues at the hospital in the way that some people had forecast. To date, 7,554 people have been on trolleys in UHL. That is a reduction of less than 2% on what was seen last year despite opening that 96-bed unit. UHL has doubled the number of…

-----that we heard from the HSE on Monday that it is only getting 50% of the budget for the surgical hub.

I am asking the Taoiseach to intervene and make sure that the HSE Mid West gets the 100% of funding it needs to open the new surgical hub.

It will not be.

The surgical hub will not be open. The hospital will not have the money.

That will take years.