Michael Cahill

I call on the Minister for housing and local government to intervene in a most urgent matter in County Kerry where subcontractors to Uisce Éireann are being left to wait for two, three or four months without being paid for work that has been carried out. This is not acceptable. These delayed payments mean subcontractors are unable to pay wages or for diesel due to cash flow problems. This is happe…

With delayed payments, interest should be applied to overdue accounts paid to contractors similar to local authorities, utilities and other bodies that have this payment system. Why not Uisce Éireann? Why should it be allowed to get off scot-free especially with the manner in which it is blackguarding contractors and subcontractors? It does not pay to provide a 24-7 call-out service without payme…

I welcome the publication today of the draft national planning statement on rural and Gaeltacht housing, which represents the most significant reform of rural housing policy in over 20 years. As a rural TD for Kerry, I know at first hand the frustration, inconsistency and uncertainty that many families have faced when trying to build a home where they were born and raised. I was glad to engage con…

7. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [23619/26]

I want to raise again the chronic shortage of respite for children with profound disabilities in County Kerry. Families are waiting seven or eight months for one or two nights' break and they are at breaking point. The same applies with regard to adults with profound disabilities in Kerry. The issue of respite for these individuals and their families must be of the very highest priority. There is …

12. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will be reviewing the group B and group C thresholds under capital acquisitions tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48383/26]

I raise again the issue of inheritance tax and the anomalies that exist for parents and their children, on one hand, and childless adults, their brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, on the other.

I have raised this issue on a number of occasions. It is a huge issue and there are anomalies. We need to address this. Currently, children inheriting a family home from their parents are exempted from inheritance tax up to €400,000, which, considering the price of homes currently, is undoubtedly far too low. However, a major anomaly exists when it comes to childless couples and individuals, who o…

I believe we should separate the limit on the house from any other inheritance. The €40,000 cap in the case of a niece, nephew, brother or sister is absolutely ridiculous and discriminatory. In the upcoming budget, I propose that the Minister increase the €40,000 cap and we separate the house from the inheritance. The bands are less today than they were 15 or 16 years ago, as they were reduced dur…

I want to raise again two hugely important education and economic development projects for County Kerry and ask that every effort be made to expedite both. The first is the proposed hospitality education college at the former Pretty Polly site in Killarney. It is a transformative project not just for Killarney but also for the wider south-west region. Hospitality and tourism, as the Minister is w…

I again raise the issue of inheritance tax and the anomalies that exist for parents and their children on the one hand, and childless adults, their brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews on the other hand. Currently children inheriting a family home from their parents are exempted from tax on inheritances of up to €400,000, which, considering the price of homes currently, is undoubtedly far too low…

I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. I mentioned the case of the civil servant who passed away. His partner was refused the widow's portion of his civil servant pension as they were not married. This was also found to be unconstitutional. Contrast this with the current taxation system where partners are treated as strangers for capital acquisition tax purposes. This is wide ope…

I call on the Government to urgently address the anomaly that exists with the current taxation system in respect of capital acquisitions tax when applied to partners in comparison to married couples. Current legislation means that a partner, even a lifetime partner, is regarded as a stranger for capital acquisitions tax purposes. Therefore, the current threshold limit of €20,000 applies and anythi…

-----the current legislation and needs to be addressed by the Minister for Finance.

I welcome the opportunity to again raise this important issue and to request that the Minister for Education and Youth provide additional funding for significant improvement and refurbishment works in schools. What is happening in my county of Kerry is simply not acceptable in 2026. We have a systemic problem of underinvestment and as I outlined about two weeks ago in this Chamber, it is very obvi…

I thank the Minister of State for the response but I have to say it does not match the reality being experienced by many schools across County Kerry. This evening, I have raised consistent and repeated concerns from multiple school communities and I would like to return briefly to a few of them. Scoil Iognáid Rís, Dingle, has a building that is fundamentally unfit for purpose. This is not a minor …

I raise this issue at a time of growing uncertainty for Ireland's tourism sector. In counties like Kerry, the uncertainty is very real. What is the Minister's Department's current assessment of the likely impact of these aviation challenges on overseas visitor numbers in 2026? Specifically, what contingency planning is under way to protect regions like Kerry? What actions are being taken to safegu…

Tourism in Kerry is the lifeblood of our local economy. From Dingle to Cahersiveen, from Killarney to Ballyheigue, from Kenmare to Ballybunion, from Glenbeigh to Listowel, from Valentia Island to Tralee and right across the county, thousands of jobs and small businesses depend directly on a strong and stable flow of overseas visitors. That stability is under threat. We are seeing the early impacts…

I appreciate the Minister's response but I want to press the point about regional impact. This cannot be approached in a one-size-fits-all way. Kerry and the wider south west are particularly vulnerable to any reduction in air capacity. If flights are cut or become more expensive, visitors do not just delay; they often choose alternative destinations entirely. While there is a suggestion Ireland …

What is happening in schools across County Kerry is simply not acceptable in 2026. I wish to be clear from the outset that we do not have a minor works problem; we have a systemic underinvestment problem. Nowhere is that clearer than in Scoil Iognáid Rís in Daingean Uí Chúis. The school is located in what is considered to be one of the most affluent towns in the country, yet the conditions in the …

I again raise the CAMHS scandal in Kerry. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, provide updates on the north Kerry look-back review and the compensation scheme? I thank the Minister of State for visiting Kerry recently and meeting with individuals and their families. She has always made herself available to the families. I was in Leinster House on a number of occasions over the years when the…

A new permanent oncology and haematology unit at University Hospital Kerry is vital to the people of Kerry. Cancer patient numbers in Kerry are continuing to grow, with many needing to travel from all over Kerry to a hospital, such as Cork University Hospital, the Bon Secours, the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, the Mercy Hospital in Cork, and with many others travelling to Limerick…

There is no doubt that the rising cost of energy is placing enormous pressure on households right across County Kerry and, indeed, the entire country. For many families, it is a weekly decision between buying food, heating the home, filling the car or meeting other essential costs. In a rural county like Kerry, where people rely heavily on their cars and on home heating oil, these increases are be…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the vital role of our post office network, particularly in counties like Kerry where our post offices are the very heartbeat of our towns and villages. I sincerely thank the Government for its continued commitment to this network, in particular the approval of €75 million over the next five years. That investment sends a clear and strong signal that this Gover…

The post office network is a national asset. With the right vision and continued support, it can remain at the centre of community life for generations to come.