Ruairí Ó Murchú

We are obviously in support of ensuring that we have a sufficient amount of capacity in our Defence Forces. We also need to ensure that we have the capacity to deal with some of the hybrid threats that are in the world that we have to deal with at this point of time. That is everything from cyber to the issue of disinformation, whether organised or disorganised, and the huge harm they can cause. W…

I understand that.

Yes, but the investor–state dispute settlement-----

Más rud é nach bhfuil fadhb ag duine ar bith, tá muid ag dul ar ais go dtí Sinn Féin leis an Teachta Ward.

The Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform, Digitalisation and Taoiseach has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimates for Public Services for the service of the year ending 31 December 2025: Votes 7 and 9.

Amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 6 are related and may be discussed together.

Pursuant to Standing Order 194(3), it is reported to the Dáil that the Long Title has been amended.

I invite the Minister to speak. Leanaimid ar aghaidh.

Within the last while in Dundalk, County Louth and across the State, parents have made applications for their primary school children to get a place in secondary schools. Unfortunately, a number of those in Dundalk and its environs have had to make contact with me. I will go through these very quickly. My daughter got rejected. We are absolutely devastated. [...] My son has not been selected fo…

Could the Tánaiste provide a route map? These people here should be-----

I appreciate it.

Before I start, I would like to welcome Councillor Kevin Meenan to this illustrious place. Obviously, he will be absolutely delighted to be mentioned and will not be embarrassed by it in any way, shape or form. In fairness, he will probably also say that the best thing I could do would be to use ChatGPT to prepare my speech rather than delivering what I am going to come out with now. Anyway, we ar…

5. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on justice, migration and social affairs will next meet. [51665/25]

I am very glad that the issue of drugs has been raised. I have said before that I do not think we are having a real conversation. I do not think we are asking the right questions, whether we are talking about drug gangs, young people who fall into crime or the chaos that is caused in communities where there is a crossover with poverty and intergenerational trauma. I spoke to the Garda Commissioner…

28. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on disability will next meet. [57036/25]

I want to bring up the attempt by Darver National School in County Louth to have two autism classes sanctioned. The initial engagement between the principal, the SENO and the NCSE took place in June 2025. This was followed up throughout September and October, with no word back. It is absolutely supported by the patrons and the board of management and all have tried to make contact. We need to ensu…

This relates to parking spaces and planning. It should be a very small piece of work to get this changed to account for the 45 staff and also enough bays for the minibuses. At this point, there is not space. It would be very cheap to get it changed at this point. A contractor is on for this. If not at this point, then we could be talking about something that could cost €100,000-plus.

On the two issues, if I could write to the Taoiseach and if his good offices would be able to put some pressure on-----

In fairness these are critical time-wise.

I will deal initially with auto-enrolment. In fairness, it has been said by a number of my colleagues that we are not against it in principle, but we do not agree with the methodology behind the operation of this particular auto-enrolment scheme. Obviously, the issue is that we believe the home of this money should have been the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, and it could have been put…

-----and some movement but there is a lot more to do. Unfortunately, I have no more time. There has been some flexibility shown to me by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, so I thank him for that.

79. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reasons her Department accredits for the lengthy waiting lists for assessment of needs; the progress being made in developing legislation in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61490/25]

Will the Minister provide the reasons her Department accredits with the lengthy waiting lists for assessment of need? There has been much discussion on this in the last while. There has also been talk of developing legislation in this area. Will the Minister make a statement on the matter? From my last parliamentary question, the number of people on the waiting list is somewhere between 17,000 and…

We all know the issue. The Minister is stating that the reason is the increase in population. We all accept that on some level. However, she is also stating that parents are trying to explore all options available to them. They are doing this out of frustration. I have heard that people who previously would have been able to get a service in primary care in other sets of circumstances are all bein…

I welcome the fact that we are not talking about removing that one right parents have to the six months. I have no particular issue with looking at the best means of offering assessments and therapies - we have had that conversation before - but, as the Minister herself has stated, we have issues in the system itself as to where referrals are going onto the assessment of need list. I am back to th…