Malcolm Byrne

I have listened in envy to some of my colleagues talk about the wonderful rail services they have and how much more they need, because in this rail review the Rosslare line was an afterthought. Hardly any consideration was given to improving the services south of Wicklow town. While I welcome that we are talking about extending the DART services to Greystones in Wicklow, it is intended in this rev…

In the past decade, according to figures provided by the Minister's Department, the number of civil servants has increased from about 36,000 to 53,000, which is an almost 50% increase. In figures provided to me by the HSE with regard to whole-time equivalents, the numbers employed by the HSE have increased from 107,274 to 148,268, a 38.2% increase. We have seen today a report from the Irish Fiscal…

I thank the Minister of State for being here. He is very much aware of the "RTÉ Investigates" programme and the work that was done by Aoife Hegarty and her team. It was an example of quality public service broadcasting. I know the Minister of State, like me and so many others, was appalled by what he saw on his screen. I know he wants to take action on foot of that. The Taoiseach said that when HI…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth. Listening to him respond to the last matter, I understand his passion for primary schools, which we all share. Primary schools are at the hub of all our communities and we often marvel at the work done by principals in primary schools who not only are they leading in the education of the children in th…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I totally get that there are differences between schools. Even within the primary school sector, I made the point that an old school that is very difficult to heat is totally different to a new modern build school. However, a lot of the costs will be the same. There is obviously a question about the overall quantum and there is certainly a case for a…

4. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy will next meet. [29735/25]

Up to 25% of Ireland's coastline is facing the serious problem of coastal erosion and the proportion in counties Wicklow and Wexford is higher. The Taoiseach will be aware that I represent an area that stretches from Brittas Bay to Morriscastle. We have some of the finest beaches in the country, but many of them, most notably Courtown and Kilmichael, are in serious danger. We need to look at addr…

I thank the Minister for bringing forward this legislation. The bigger debate we need to have is precisely that around the funding of local authorities. It is interesting that our debate is focusing on the question of the local property tax. The Minister will be aware that the overall budget for local authorities in the country is in the order of €6.7 billion annually. We are here debating the 6.…

I thank the Minister of State for staying to this late hour to take this question about Coláiste Bhríde in Carnew, Wicklow. This is a progressive secondary school of almost 1,000 pupils which serves a predominantly rural area in south Wicklow as well as parts of north Wexford and south Carlow. The local community rightly takes great pride in this school. The whole school evaluation reports regular…

I welcome that the Minister of State indicated the stage 2b process is in its final stages. However, he knows as well as I do that the critical next step is moving to a tender so that a contractor will be appointed. With the best will in the world, even if the Minister of State announced tonight that stage 2b was complete and it was moving to tender, we would still probably be looking at more than…

On 10 September 2024, the Cabinet in the previous Government agreed to a Bill that would provide for further regulation of nicotine inhaling products, particularly with regard to a ban on disposable vapes and restrictions on advertising, colours, flavours and imagery used on nicotine inhaling products. It is also in the programme for Government. This is a public health emergency. It has been an ac…

Is there a timeline for the Bill?

I warmly welcome Ireland's decision to apply for associate membership of CERN and want to see a strategy of us moving towards full membership. I commend the Minister personally. He has been a big supporter of this. Indeed, he and I laboured in the last Oireachtas to ensure that this got over the line. I also commend his departmental officials on the work done to join the world's largest and possib…

1. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the European Council on 20 and 21 March. [16780/25]

I thank the Taoiseach for his comprehensive outline of what happened at the European Council. He indicated we will have initial sight of the next multi-annual financial framework this month. It is critical that we see a fully funded EU budget. From Ireland's point of view, it is critical that the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, is fully funded and is not just there to meet current requirements. W…

Shame.

On Ukrainian accession-----

Hear, hear.

I thank the Leas Cheann-Comhairle for the indulgence, and I welcome the fact that there are members of Sinn Féin present although I notice that members of "performance before policy" are not present or, rather, the bourgeois wing of the party who, since the split happened, seem to be cosying up to Sinn Féin, according to other Members. It marks the fundamental difference between Government and Opp…

109. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his views on whether it is critical that Ireland generates sufficient energy to meet both housing needs and the requirements of a digital economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30257/25]

Are the Minister and his Department sufficiently ambitious to ensure that Ireland will generate sufficient energy to meet housing needs and the requirements of the digital economy?

I am glad the Minister has clarified how the ambition of the Government is to meet those future needs. The future is both green and digital. It is wrong that the debate has been presented by some as a choice between one and the other. The critical issue is that we have a sufficient supply, particularly of clean energy, to meet our future needs. On the new economy, data centres often get a very ba…

I welcome what the Minister is saying. The Secretary General might wish to reflect on some of her words because the Minister's Department is responsible for ensuring we have a sufficient level of energy. My frustration, as I know is the Minister's, is about the delays, particularly when it comes to offshore renewables. We are talking about 5 GW of offshore wind energy being generated by 2030. Our …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. I entirely agree with Deputy Ó Murchú on the importance of district heating systems, but a very successful model to examine is the one operated by South Dublin County Council which heats facilities of TU Dublin and the council. It was opened by the previous Minister, Eamon Ryan. It provides a sufficient level of low-carbon heating to a number of c…

I thank Deputy Ó Muirí for raising this matter. I express concern about the remarks reported in the Irish Independent today by the Secretary General of the Department of energy. It is not about a choice between housing and AI. We need to build housing but we also need to prepare for our tech future. This is also, by the way, the same Department that is responsible for the development of renewable …