Paula Butterly

I have been following the statements this afternoon. Many colleagues have given a good idea of the shape and size of haulier firms throughout the country. We have 4,779 hauliers across the island of Ireland and 70% of them have no more than three trucks, yet they contribute €3.7 billion per annum to the economy. Unusually, these are not multinationals. These are small firms that operate in local …

I would like to ask the Minister about community groups, essential youth services that provide vital services in the community, particularly those in County Louth. Has provision been made to combat the cost of auto-enrolment and the increase in the minimum wage? Have they been factored into their budgets and will there be additional budgets for them in 2026?

91. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to address the shortage of early childcare places, particularly for children between the age of 0 to two years which is preventing many parents, especially women, from returning to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60793/25]

I obviously am going to welcome any increases in budget and she is right when she says there are pockets across the country where the demand is far in excess of the places that are available. In County Louth we have 114 childcare services but only 31 of those offer places for children under the age of two. That equates to less than 30%. While maternity leave has been extended, for a family that ne…

Do I have another minute?

I will be. I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. He is very kind. I thank the Minister very much for all of the advances she is making. However, back in 1990, Mary Robinson stood up and said that the hand that rocked the cradle had rocked the system. If we do not address this issue and find childcare places for the young babies and toddlers of this generation of young women, the only thing they wil…

First and foremost, I want to address the issues we witnessed in Drogheda last week. It appears two thugs kicked in the front door, set light to the stairs and this resulted in 28 people being homeless. It resulted in eight people having to go to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital to seek treatment. Thankfully, none of those injuries were serious. However, let us put ourselves in the shoes of those peop…

Thank you, Deputy.

You are over time.

Use your time quickly and beneficially.

I thank the Minister for the support he has offered to farmers since taking up the role. I have spent many a day and many an hour discussing the issues facing farmers and I thank him for the support, especially for the farmers of County Louth. In his opening statement, the Minister addressed the issues and challenges facing tillage farmers in particular. These include downward pricing, the cost of…

I wish to discuss the rule that excludes widows and widowers from receiving illness benefit solely because they are in receipt of a widower's pension, notwithstanding the fact that they have returned to work and are paying all of their PRSI contributions. The Minister of State will be aware that illness benefit is a contribution-based process. If somebody has returned to work and has made their PR…

I thank the Minister of State. In fact, I welcome the widening of the eligibility in regard to who does and does not qualify for a widow's pension. That, in itself, was an anomaly that was highlighted through a campaign in the press due to that widower. Let us reflect for a moment on the fact that, as the Minister of State said, if somebody is in receipt of a reduced widow's pension, they may also…

There is no denying the benefits of sport for our mental and physical health. Our boys and girls across Louth, as Deputy McGreehan has said, have benefited from a vast amount of sports capital grants. However, there are two blips in that horizon at present. One is that Louth does not have a county GAA stadium. Deputy McGreehan has rightly pointed out that we are all 100% behind the missing funding…

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 Grace Boland - To discuss the national fare structure for train fares announced by the NTA. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss the distribution of the shingles vaccines for the over-66 population. Deputy Mark Wall - To discuss the …

I wish to discuss the NCSE’s new guideline review. In the last three days, my office has been inundated with emails and the telephone lines have been choked by calls from concerned parents, principals and SNAs. The guidelines have actually sowed confusion among the school community and among parents. As a parent myself, I consider it a huge privilege to be able to give my son the best education an…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I hope it reassures principals, teachers, SNAs and, in particular, parents, because this has been an issue, as the Minister of State said, which has worried hundreds if not thousands of people across the country. I am particularly thankful that the NCSE will be contacting schools in the coming days to clarify the position because, while I appreciate the…

Domestic violence continues to impact thousands of lives in our communities. The need for support services has never been greater. The Minister recently said that Ireland has a very big problem when it comes to domestic violence. Cases have risen dramatically. In my constituency of Louth, we have seen a 52% increase over five years and nearly 27% of an increase between 2023 and 2024. I welcome the…

It is no secret that the tourism industry is one of our most valuable indigenous sectors. Over the decades, it has reached every corner of Ireland, providing jobs and opening our communities to the world, not just other parts of Ireland. It is no secret, however, that over the last number of years the sector has been struggling and has had challenges. It has faced these challenges remarkably well …

I thank the Minister for those updates. I look forward to welcoming those extra visits to County Louth now that the cap will be lifted. When it comes to County Louth, I will never shy away from broadcasting and promoting the county. Indeed, as people arrive in Dublin Airport and head to the north east, I have a vision of seeing Drogheda as the welcoming mat for County Louth. Without a shadow of a …

94. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend the free travel pass to children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; the number of children who would benefit; the estimated cost of this extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32745/25]

I thank the Minister. I will go back over the criteria for free travel. One can get a free travel pass if one is in receipt of disability allowance, blind pension, carer's allowance or invalidity pension. Leaving out the domiciliary care allowance is an anomaly in itself. It is quite unfair. The domiciliary care allowance is provided to parents and guardians of children under 16 who have a severe …

I welcome all of these changes but I will go back to the issue. These children are under 16 years of age and have severe disabilities. Their parents and carers are put to the pin of their collar both financially and emotionally. Allowing them a free travel pass would not only ease the financial burden, but ease the transition. As I was saying previously, this is particularly the case in urban area…

There is no doubt that everyone has come into the Chamber to talk about the RTÉ programme. As a daughter who had a father in residential care, and as a sister who has a 55-year-old brother in residential care with Lewy body syndrome, I actually could not watch the programme. Like many people who have a parent or a member of the family in residential care, we are often overridden by guilt. Even whe…

The Deputy should allow the Minister to speak.