104. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Transport if plans are in place to progress the double-tracking of the rail line between Athenry and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1763/26]
TDs / Albert Dolan
Albert Dolan
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1,557
questions asked
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45,779
words spoken in the chamber
Across 211 contributions
416
votes recorded
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209
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Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 211 in all
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| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
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Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Galway East 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
Athenry as a town is growing at a rapid rate. The town has been without a bus for a year and our trains are completely wedged. I welcome the investment in Ceannt Station in Galway, bringing it from a two-platform to a five-platform station. I welcome the investment in the passing loop at Oranmore to increase frequencies. However, I have to ask whether there is any plan to double-track the line from Galway city to Ath…
I really appreciate the update and the fact that it is being looked at and that a team has been appointed to design a preferred option. However, I have to re-emphasise that Athenry is a town with a population of over 5,000 and currently has 200 homes under construction across four different sites. Things are going great for the town. Jobs are coming but that access to Galway city is vital but right now a town with ov…
For fear there would be any confusion, I invite the Minister of State to look back through my social media since I was elected in politics in 2019. He will see that month on month, I consistently raised the need for the passing loop at Oranmore. On radio and in local media I have consistently pushed for the double tracking. Those projects are vital and they will be delivered but this has to be done collegially and to…
18. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination will next meet. [71594/25]
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 their parents and c…
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 fantastic place, and I will …
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 school to bring it i…
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 feel secure in those …
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 to Galway city whic…
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 then, what we have seen…
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 reduce energy costs in ho…
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 the system so energy i…
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 infrastructure and the fundi…
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 gathering over our …
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 farms, and there are …
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]