Niall Collins

The Dublin Port tunnel.

You see, the Deputy tries to own the argument every way. She does not have a monopoly on concern for the Palestinians. I have been to the Middle East. I have been to Palestine and to Ramallah and Hebron. I have walked the streets of East Jerusalem. I have been to the settler communities and seen the impact those have on the people of Palestine. The Deputy does not have a monopoly on concern for th…

You cannot have it both ways. You want to have it both ways. The Deputy thinks we can just lock down Dublin city centre every single day of the week.

That is what the Deputy is saying, because if it is okay once, then it is okay twice. Where does it go from there then? The Garda was right and acted completely correctly in my view.

I have seen the video and I will support every single member of An Garda Síochána who policed that event because they were looking out for the hundreds of thousands of people around this city and region who-----

-----have an absolutely right go about their business and use the public roads to get on with their business, get home to their families, do their day-to-day activities, get to work, get home, rear their children and bring their kids to their clubs and their sports. The Deputy, though, seems to think that locking down Dublin is acceptable.

No, it is not. People are absolutely entitled to protest. Nobody disputes that. The Deputy, though, wants to elevate it and bring it to a place where it actually discredits what they are protesting for, and that is regrettable.

This record justice budget of over €6 billion reflects our strong commitment to build safe and secure communities. Youth justice has a crucial role to play in this. The significant increase of €7.3 million in youth justice funding which I have secured is a 22% increase and enables us to achieve comprehensive nationwide coverage of our network of youth diversion projects for the first time ever. Th…

I thank Deputy Gogarty for raising this issue, acknowledge the contributions of all speakers and reiterate that the Government is not opposing this motion. There has been significant interest in this motion and it is an area we take very seriously. We are all in agreement about the need to address the root causes and impact of antisocial behaviour. The harm this behaviour causes communities can be…

It is not a secret.

It is not a secret.

It is not a secret when you refer-----

-----to publicly available information.

The development of renewable energy is an important issue. Therefore, it is useful to have the opportunity to update Members of the Dáil on the status of planning guidance with regard to wind and solar energy development. From a planning perspective, the programme for Government contains commitments to prioritise the publication of the wind energy development guidelines and to introduce new planni…

Deputy O’Hara knows that I represent a constituency that is very similar to his. I attended a number of meetings there during the summer. I understand all the concerns and issues he has highlighted because I have heard them in my constituency. I am also advocating on behalf of my constituents. They want to see the new wind energy guidelines published as soon as possible. The delay has been complet…

I thank Deputy Lawlor for raising this important topic. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport, but neither he nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. Statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public …

This year, the NTA introduced a new distance based zonal fare structure for the greater Dublin area. This move aims to make fares equitable, more consistent and easier to understand with significant reductions for many commuting from outer areas aligning prices more closely with distance travelled. I acknowledge the vital role commercial bus operators play in the overall public transport network b…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. The programme for Government commits to securing a thriving and resilient seafood sector. The appointment of a Minister of State with responsibility across fisheries and the marine to co-ordinate and integrate these key policy areas, in addition to the establishment of …

I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue, specifically in relation to Howth Harbour. He has rightly highlighted the need for the EPA consent, which I will absolutely follow up with my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. As Deputy Brabazon has pointed out quite correctly, it impacts on the commercial sector within the harbour of Howth. It also impacts on the leisure sector and pe…

I thank both Deputies for raising this important matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Transport. From an aviation safety perspective the regulation of the recreational and commercial use of drones, which are also known technically as unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, is provided for under the European Union regulations that are directly applicable in Ireland. Two drone-specific EU …

I am aware that the rapid pace of expansion of UAS operations has resulted in challenges and generated real concerns and uncertainty among communities, particularly around issues of noise, intrusion and privacy. The recently published policy framework seeks to identify and address any policy, regulatory or legislative gaps. It aims to facilitate consideration of how matters such as planning and en…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I note he is raising it in conjunction with his two colleagues, who, unfortunately, are not here to partake. I recall that my Fianna Fáil colleague, the other TD in the area, Tom Brabazon, raised this issue at a Fianna Fáil party meeting recently when we were discussing the whole area of sustainable communities. In the first instance it should be noted t…

As I stated at the outset, the provision of amenities and services is a core element of the plan-making process and is key to promoting the development of balanced and sustainable communities. Section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 sets out mandatory objectives which must be addressed by local authorities in their development plan, including objectives for the integration of the plan…

I thank Deputy Quinlivan for giving me the opportunity to address the House on capacity at University Hospital Limerick and provide an update on measures that are being taken to alleviate overcrowding. Reducing emergency department overcrowding and reducing waiting lists is a priority for this Government. Many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. UHL has on…

There is no doubt that when people get through the emergency department at UHL, the care and treatment they receive up the house and in their journey through UHL in the main is very good and very high quality.