Grace Boland

I am here in solidarity and in celebration, but also in concern. Pride is not just a parade, a flag or a month on the calendar. It is the living legacy of generations who fought for dignity, freedom and equality. The rights they fought for were so hard won, but as we have seen across Europe and beyond, those rights are frighteningly easy to lose. This year marks ten years since Ireland made histor…

106. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail the uptake of the supports to help to achieve a better gender balance in apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37513/25]

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss the design of the entrance to the Rush side of the Rush and Lusk train station. Deputy Paula Butterly - Tourism in Louth. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing road safety issues on the Celbrid…

Is this relevant, Deputy?

Please make sure you keep it relevant to the legislation.

Child poverty in Ireland is reaching crisis levels. The Children's Rights Alliance annual report revealed a staggering rise in the number of children living in consistent poverty. We must ensure families have the financial support they need to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. I very much welcome the Taoiseach's comments yesterday in which he stated that nothing is off the table w…

81. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps taken to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month, to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32101/25]

Ireland's best asset is our hard-working men and women. It is crucial that we fund childcare as an essential infrastructure. I know this is something we have talked about many times before. The Minister might give us an update on what she has done to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month and what she plans to do to make sure we achieve it over the lifetime of the Government.

I very much welcome the work that has been done to date. As I stated, I hope we deliver the reduction in childcare of the lifetime of this Government, as it is essential. I also highlighted with the Minister that it is not just the cost that is an issue for many parents who are trying to access childcare; it is also the access to childcare. As she is aware, I live in the youngest area in the coun…

The building blocks scheme was welcome, but the eligibility criteria are limited and many private providers could not apply for it. The Minister might consider reopening the scheme and widening the eligibility criteria to enable private providers to apply. There are very few public childcare providers in Dublin Fingal West. I would love to see that being prioritised for delivery in the roll-out of…

11. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Finance how the Future Ireland Fund is being used and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27604/25]

I thank the Minister for her acknowledgement and honest assessment of the challenge facing many families whose children are waiting for an assessment of need. The issue of disability has activated many of us in this Chamber to become politicians. We have seen An Tánaiste and the likes of Cara Darmody all activated on the issue of disabilities. It is a key reason we are here today. Dublin Fingal We…

13. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the recently launched business energy upgrade scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21239/25]

In light of recent utility price volatility, global economic uncertainty, trade wars and the threat of tariffs, it was really good to see the business energy upgrade scheme launched in November. Now that it has been under way for five months, will the Minister of State give us an update on the uptake of the scheme, how it is working and whether public bodies are utilising it?

I thank the Minister of State. As someone who has spent my recent years advising SMEs, it is important to remember that a lot of them do not have the capacity to be continually checking what grants are open for application and navigating difficult processes, so it is important that we have a streamlined, efficient process. Will the Minister of State tell me how long it is taking to finalise and co…

I thank the Minister of State. As he said, it is important that we support our SMEs with their energy costs, and it is great that we have this scheme. It is important that we have a periodic review of the uptake of the scheme to make sure it was working. If the uptake is not increasing substantially, we need to look at how we are advertising that scheme and encouraging SMEs to take it up, as well …

We know that domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is an epidemic in this country. The research bears this out, the reports from the Garda bear it out and I have no doubt that we have all listened to the experiences of constituents. It is still a great taboo in this country. It is not spoken about openly but it is something we urgently need to address. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEnt…

94. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the uptake in the building blocks extension grant scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20291/25]

As a very proud TD for Dublin Fingal West, one of the youngest constituencies in the country, I cannot understate the demand for childcare. As a mum of eight-year-old twins who has never been able to access childcare, the delivery of additional childcare places is an absolutely priority of mine and I really hope it is of this Government. The Minister might give us an update as to the uptake of the…

While I welcome the Pobal scheme, 78 applications is not a lot and 78 additional childcare facilities, or not even childcare facilities, is not sufficient for the demand we have in Ireland and it will certainly not do anything to meet the demands of the people in Dublin Fingal West. Will the Minister look seriously for more funding to support childcare providers in areas of high demand? As I said,…

That is very welcome news. If the 78 applicants do not take up the €25 million, I ask the Minister to urgently reopen the scheme. Seven weeks was not a very long window for childcare providers to make applications to the scheme, so I would very much like her to look at reopening it if the money is not all utilised. In addition to that, however, I would very much appreciate it if the Minister looke…

I ask the Minister to update us, please, on discussions in respect of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport. We are an island nation with an ever-growing population, expanding at a rate of 100,000 people per year. Our capital city's airport is a vital component for our national competitiveness and continued success. Dealing with the cap and putting in place a long-term plan for the airport is an opp…

I welcome the draft legislation coming before the House and thank the Minister, Deputy Burke, and Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, for their work on it to date. As other Deputies have said, the Bill, when enacted, will see the implementation by the Government of one of the key commitments in response to the pensions commission's recommendations and implementation plan. This legislation reflects a…

108. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education the way she plans to support the school building unit in how it delivers school buildings in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16806/25]

The Minister might tell us what the plan is to support the school building unit to deliver school buildings and extensions to school buildings in an efficient and timely manner. In my constituency of Dublin Fingal West, there are numerous projects that are taking an extraordinarily long time. Some cases are taking decades. It is essential the Department works collaboratively with principals to del…