John Brady

This morning and every morning, thousands of Wicklow residents are stuck in lengthy and lengthening queues along the N11 and M11, which is having a serious and detrimental impact on people's quality of life. People are late for work and school. It is having a detrimental impact on the economy in Wicklow and a serious impact on the environment. In 2022, after going through a lengthy process, gettin…

Will that include the N11?

The Minister is not representing part of his party when it comes to taxes.

That is ridiculous. That is no defence.

You are not meeting your commitments.

Each year in Greystones, children are being left without secondary school places. This year, up to 29 students have no place, including one student who repeated sixth class after missing out last year. This student still has no offer of a school place and that is an absolute disgrace. We need a common enrolment policy, but there is another simple solution and that is building a post-primary school…

The Greystones Media Campus was hailed as a transformative €300 million project for Wicklow, set to deliver 1,500 jobs in a major boost to Ireland's creative sector. The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund committed €24 million to the project, and while some site work did commence in 2023, the project has since ground to a complete halt. This is not just a delay; it is a serious risk to one of the m…

There is State funding of €24 million.

I am talking in the whole about 1,500 jobs for Wicklow and the rest of the State.

I am asking about what hands-on action the Government is taking.

Clearly nothing.

Yesterday, I listened to an interview that should haunt every one of us. Dr. Victoria Rose is a surgeon working on the front line in Gaza. She told us of the 2,300 families who were completely wiped from the Palestinian civil registry - gone, annihilated. Not one member of any of those families is left. She spoke of the 42,000 children who are the sole survivors of their families. They are known b…

Double standards.

What about the genocide?

You have sat on your hands.

We need to take action.

I welcome the Minister of State who I am sure is familiar with the N11 road which runs through my constituency of Wicklow. It is gridlocked most days - both northbound and southbound - with people commuting from working in the city centre and people going about their daily lives. In the national development plan, there was a commitment to carry out a major upgrade - a critical upgrade - to the N11…

I appreciate the Minister of State's response and while I acknowledge he is reading from information he has been given, unfortunately, it will not be much comfort - if any comfort at all - to the residents in Bray who are seriously concerned about the closure of this junction and the impact it will have. As for hearing one of the intentions regarding closing the road is to improve road safety for …

People will be stuck in traffic.

I asked about meeting a delegation of the residents. Unfortunately, the county council and TII are not listening to the public representatives or the residents.

I asked the Minister of State about meeting the residents. There are still 27 seconds of time remaining for the Minister of State to respond.

It has cut Taoiseach's Questions in half.

What about the Occupied Territories Bill?

You could have had Michael Lowry in there as well. Would he like the Tánaiste to ask a question?

I am not sure about that.