Albert Dolan

19. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination will next meet. [71595/25]

An issue that has come across my desk a few times in the past year concerns young couples or individuals being refused planning permission along national roads and having it objected to by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII. I understand TII objecting in the case of national roads. The problem is that these people are already living at home with their parents. They are proposing to build beside…

Thank you.

The increase in capital funding for school building projects is absolutely vital and is reflected in the NDP. In Galway East and across the country it is also vital that we remember smaller secondary schools that play a crucial role in rural areas. I talk specifically about Coláiste an Chreagáin in Mountbellew. It has over 120 pupils and operates out of a historic structure. It is truly a fantasti…

17. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at COP30 in Belém [65713/25]

102. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when construction is expected to commence on approved school building projects (details supplied) in Galway East; if she will provide an update timeline for delivery of these projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70757/25]

I submitted a question seeking an update on many building projects in Galway East such as Coláiste an Eachréidh, which is a fantastic Gael campus project; Kilcoona National School; St. Brigid's in Loughrea; Carrabane National School; Gort National School; and Gort Community School. If the Minister of State could provide me with an update on any of these projects, I would be grateful.

I thank the Minister of State for the update on those schools. For the people of Galway East, these projects are absolutely vital but I will focus on Carrabane National School. I know this has been raised with the Minister of State multiple times and that progress is taking place but the school is in an absolutely dire state at the moment. It needs that large-scale investment to build a brand-new …

4. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach for a report on the national security strategy. [65712/25]

When we are talking about national security, it is vital we also give people confidence at a local level in our local security, particularly with regard to An Garda Síochána. In Galway East we have towns that are booming, thriving and growing such as Gort, Loughrea, Tuam and Athenry. Those towns are all feeding into Galway city. They have seen massive population increases and for those people to f…

15. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [65711/25]

We need to double-track the rail line from Galway city to Athenry. The passing loop at Oranmore is under construction now. Ceannt Station is moving to be a station with five platforms. Huge investment has gone in but we must continue it because we are going to wait years for the Galway city outer bypass and the reality is that rail is the lever we can pull. We can build a double track from Athenry…

It would be remiss of me not to tell the Minister of State the story of my generation. When we started in secondary school in 2011, all of our phones were still call and text phones. By the time we reached the junior certificate year, every single person had a smartphone, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. The entire landscape of being a teenager in Ireland had completely changed by 2013. Since the…

14. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach for an update on his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [58232/25]

It is vital that when we speak about regulatory reform, we talk about the administrative operations of existing systems in the function of the State. I will specifically reflect on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, and the roll-out of grants. We are about to have a debate in this Chamber on energy costs. One thing that is vital is that the best way the Government can help to reduc…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the cost of energy, an issue that continues to weigh heavily on households and businesses throughout the country. While the worst of the crisis has passed, the reality is that energy prices remain stubbornly above pre-pandemic levels. I firmly believe responsibility now falls on us to take the next steps not only to protect people this winter but to reshape th…

I welcome the updated housing plan. The plan is only as good as the money that goes into it and ultimately this is the largest investment that has ever been made into housing. The launch of the infrastructure plan this morning will give the plan the credence it needs to go forward and actually deliver the homes. They have to be underpinned by the necessary infrastructure. Once we have the infrastr…

I stand here today to defend the landscape and future of Galway East. We all understand the necessity of the energy transition and we know we must move forward with renewables but what is happening in my constituency right now is not a transition but an invasion. It is an unregulated chaotic industrialisation of the Irish countryside on a scale that is terrifying. A perfect storm of development is…

I appreciate that it will go to public consultation and guidelines will be forthcoming, but the fear for people at the moment is the speed at which we are moving to see this enacted. While we in the Dáil and Government Departments are dealing with this, there is a delay that is allowing for more of these applications to come forward. Five or six of them are live in Galway East right now for wind f…

14. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65419/25]

532. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines;and if he will make a statement on the matter.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60285/25]

533. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60322/25]

The current wind energy guidelines date back to 2006. In 2006, turbines were 80 m high. Today in east Galway, communities are fighting applications against 180 m industrial structures using rules from two decades ago. It is regulatory negligence to apply 2006 rules to 2025 technology. My argument is simple. The guidelines must protect people first, through strictly increased setback distances and …

I appreciate the update and that the Department of energy and climate is working on the noise aspect. The speed at which this is dealt with is vital. Right now, there is a gold rush and a race to get planning applications through for these wind farms. I am speaking on behalf of the people of east Galway in Killimordaly, Barnaderg, Shancloon, Laurclavagh and Clonbern. There are 27 proposed wind far…

Recently I had the privilege of walking one of the proposed sites in Shancloon near Caherlistrane in County Galway, where what was before me was beautiful open landscape. What amazed me was that this windfarm was proposed to be built on a bog. In order to build a turbine on a bog, a significant amount of peat has to be excavated in order to put in the concrete base to allow for the turbine to go u…