Emer Currie

The Minister for Justice has assured this House that his Department is finalising the regulations necessary for the local community safety partnerships to function. We really need to get them up and running as soon as possible. Dublin West is a big place. Key to the effectiveness of the local community safety partnerships is that they are indeed local. The problems facing Clonsilla are very diffe…

23. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with rural affairs and community development will meet. [22486/25]

I fear Dublin’s urban and suburban villages are getting left behind. As I raised with the Taoiseach previously, out of 150 new gardaí in March, just four came to the K district. The vast majority went to the city centre. The K district is one of the busiest policing districts in the country. Our Dublin West villages are too small for the Town Centre First policy and too big for the town and villag…

132. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the roll-out of local community safety partnerships in Dublin West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24783/25]

I too am raising the local community safety partnerships. I believe they have the potential to truly impact community safety if they are implemented in a way that brings the right and relevant local stakeholders around the table and supports specific strategies for specific areas. Too big, and we will not address local problems; too small and it becomes hard to manage. When will see the local comm…

Last year, nearly 19,000 vehicles were seized by An Garda Síochána for being uninsured following the introduction of the new Irish motor insurance database. That is a positive development that makes our roads safer. In comparison, gardaí seized approximately 5,000 vehicles from unaccompanied learner drivers even though there are approximately 370,000 learner permits in the State according to the R…

22. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Northern Ireland will meet next. [20790/25]

The Good Friday Agreement is now 27 years old. I will resurrect some research conducted around the 25th anniversary by Behaviour and Attitudes for The Sunday Times. It highlighted the attitudes of young people, including the ceasefire babies who grew up in peaceful times although very much still dealing with the legacy of conflict, paramilitarism and divided communities. Half of those 18- to 34-ye…

When the current Tánaiste was Taoiseach, he visited Castleknock village to hear directly from our local businesses about the cost of doing business. Since then, some of our vacant units have been sold or leased, and we look forward to them all opening. However, last Friday another business closed, which had been operating for more than 20 years. As a community we want our village stores, salons, c…

Melo.

We have seen the rapid growth of commercial drone activity in Ireland, especially in my constituency of Dublin West. Manna Drone Delivery has been piloting a delivery service from a local base in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and another site in the vicinity at junction six at the M50, which is the subject of some dispute. The company completes more than 300 deliveries daily within a radius of 3 …

The Minister of State's response proves my point. I thank him for it. This is heavy on regulation rather than on the rights of residents and communities. The language used is not at all consumer-friendly. Meanwhile, we are seeing the fast development, growth and expansion of these deliveries and services and they are impacting communities. We have to make sure the regulations and public informatio…

The programme for Government recognises the need to work in partnership with private childcare providers to make core funding work as well as taking the critical step into State-led childcare. The three main issues the Government needs to tackle are staffing, accessibility and affordability. The truth, as the Tánaiste knows, is that reliance on the private sector alone will never deliver the child…

I welcome the new planning framework recognising the need to reflect changes since 2018. Back then, it was an innovative plan. Today, we must double its ambition. Setting objectives is one thing, but delivering them is another. We speak of building 50,000 homes per year until 2040. That is achievable, but it demands radical change in efficiency and execution. People are asking about housing now, n…

28. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the policing reform implementation programme office in his Department. [20789/25]

I wish to ask about the programme for Government commitment to earmark cost-rental units for key local workers like gardaí, teachers and nurses. We heard it at the GRA conference yesterday and at teacher conferences over Easter - housing is a key recruitment and retention issue. They need to be able to secure affordable accommodation that is accessible to the communities they serve. We already hav…

27. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee dealing with transport will meet next. [13707/25]

29. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee dealing with transport will meet next. [13709/25]

35. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee for transport will meet next. [17217/25]

36. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [17218/25]

Our public transport in Dublin West is under serious pressure. Punctuality figures for the 37 bus route over winter and spring last year stood at approximately 60%. I often wonder what employer is okay with staff being punctual just 60% of the time. The National Transport Authority, NTA, admits that we are badly affected by ghost buses. The BusConnects roll-out is now delayed until late 2026 becau…

105. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to fulfil the programme for Government pledge to roll out common application systems; the progress made on establishing a common applications process for secondary school places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17560/25]

For the first time, common application processes are included in the programme for Government, which is great. If there are not enough school places in an area, a common applications process, CAP, cannot make up for that. It will streamline the enrolment process for families, some of whom face months of stress waiting to find out if their child has secured a place in their local school. Will the M…

I thank the Minister. Yes, we have our trial in Dublin 15 and I commend the principals on it. There are 13 schools involved but with the support of the Department, it can be scaled up. The trial done for secondary schools is being run independently, and with the Department's involvement it can be piloted in other areas, such as Dublin West, as a project. As I have said, when it comes to the common…

I thank the Minister. The truth of the matter is that parents go through a rollercoaster to secure a school place in Dublin West. There are lengthy waiting lists that have to drop in order for children to attend school and it is very stressful. A new secondary school in Hollywoodrath is excellent news for the Blanchardstown and Mulhuddart school areas but not when it is at the expense of the new s…