Rose Conway-Walsh

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31. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [14195/25]

In the context of global economic turmoil, investment in infrastructure is very important. In 2021, the national development plan set a target of 5% of GNI* to be invested in capital projects for the period 2021 to 2030. We know this target has not been met in any of the years so far. In 2021, the national development plan was underfunded by almost €1 billion. In 2022, it was underfunded by €2.2 b…

While I welcome the fact that at last the Government is acting upon the recommendations of the Commission on Pensions, which it established, and is introducing legislation to prohibit employers setting a mandatory retirement age for workers, I am calling on the Government to reduce the age at which citizens can access their State pension to 65 years old. People have not forgotten that this was abo…

In February, I submitted a parliamentary question regarding resources for students with mild to moderate learning difficulties accessing level 2 learning programmes, L2LPs, and level 1 learning programmes, L1LPs, in mainstream classes. I received a reply but the real issue was deflected. The key question here is whether the Department of Education will allocate hours to schools in order to resour…

I will give the Minister of State this document. It sets out what the issue that needs to be addressed is. The student I was talking about receives maths tuition for two hours per week, covering basic units like money, the days in the week and the months in the year. Is there any TD in the Dáil with his or her child at this level of learning in secondary school who would not expect that child to h…

I listened carefully to the Minister's answer to my colleague Deputy Kenny. The principal issue of the categorisation of the land parcels still stands. The measure aims to protect peat but the classification of all parcels of land with more than 50% peat soils being subject to GAEC will severely disadvantage farmers across Mayo and the western seaboard. I heard the Minister deny that but 100,000 h…

We want to work with the Minister on this matter, but he must understand that there is a legacy of mistrust. I come from a severely designated area where people now cannot get planning permissions. It is getting worse with planning permission refusals these days because something is an NHA or an SAC. Parts of Mayo, including lands around Carrowteige and the Mullet Peninsula, for example, are being…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. We are all trying to get ready for the announcement at 9 p.m. That is the situation we are in. I apologise for being late. I understand the absolute necessity to extend the 9% VAT rate on electricity and gas. The Eurostat figures released in October last year show that the average energy bill for an Irish household is €500 higher than the EU average. The figures are d…

I welcome the Bill but also encourage the Minister of State to accept the amendments to it. Being from County Mayo and rural Ireland, and Storm Éowyn was mentioned by Deputy Doherty, I see at first hand the importance of a Bill such this and the Bill having a legal standing for businesses' acceptance of cash. I commend the post offices on the Trojan work they did when they did not have services fr…

7. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach the engagements he has had with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group in the days before, during and after storm Éowyn. [12470/25]

11. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach the engagements he has had with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group in the days before, during and after, storm Éowyn. [13818/25]

The lack of urgency in the Government's response to the storm was quite bizarre. The storm was on 21 January, and the Taoiseach said there was a meeting on 22 January, but - and maybe he can correct this - warnings of the ferocity of the storm were sent out days in advance, yet there was no effective co-ordinated plan in the aftermath. I will tell the Taoiseach what I think the problem was. Whatev…

24. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach how he intends to increase the coordination role of his Department in national security. [13819/25]

I am also deeply concerned about what happened with Mothers Against Genocide protesting peacefully on Mother's Day. I want to give the Taoiseach the time to answer as to why the escalation of this peaceful protest took place. Very powerful advocates on behalf of women and children are being slaughtered in Palestine.

The Minister will be very familiar with what I am going to say. I acknowledge the work he has done on this scheme so far but we need to tidy it up and sort out the inconsistencies. As my colleague Deputy Kerrane was just saying, some people are getting some while others are getting nothing at all. Tonight, I got a message from somebody whose roof was really damaged and who has been waiting a month…

I also wish the Minister well in his role. I previously held the role my colleague, Deputy McGettigan, now holds and I very much enjoyed it. It is an area in which the Minister could make great progress, not least with regard to accommodation. There are serious problems with digs accommodation. That is why my colleagues, Deputies Ó Broin and Farrell, introduced legislation in the area last year. I…

I am asking about Mayo.

I did not have enough time on accommodation earlier. We need a change of thinking here. Student accommodation has to be an integral part of third level education and it has to be an investment. I do not think we need another strategy, even though I welcome that, because we have enough strategies on student accommodation to pave the way from here to Mayo. We need the investment. The effect of not h…

12. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on the process of getting qualifications obtained in Britain recognised in Ireland since the cessation of the mutual recognition of professional qualifications in 2021. [14517/25]

My question relates to the process of getting qualifications obtained in Britain recognised in this State, particularly since the cessation in 2021 of the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. The Minister's Department serves as the national co-ordinator and the national assistance centre for EU Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. The directive prov…

This is a real problem, including in a North-South context. We want to encourage student mobility across the island, which is how things are progressing. However, there appears to be a particular issue in regard to the health and social care professionals regulation body, CORU. In 2023, there were media reports that qualified Irish physiotherapists returning to Ireland from Britain, having attaine…

In that case, that person was paid less than her counterparts and is documented as an unqualified teacher. My question is: how can she be registered to teach with the Teaching Council yet be branded as an unqualified teacher? It just does not make sense. In October last, the Australian Government announced that doctors from Britain, Ireland and New Zealand will have their ability to practice in A…

Yes, to fast-track. They brought in a policy to fast-track. Why can we not do the same here?

It was for the medical professions - for doctors in particular. It was for doctors from Britain. The doctors from Ireland are being fast-tracked there; why can we not fast-track our own who are living abroad?