Albert Dolan

93. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department is liaising with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the new draft wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59827/25]

Is the Department of climate working with the Department of housing on the delivery of updated wind energy guidelines? I would be grateful for an update on same. Is there any anticipated timeline for when we can expected updated wind energy guidelines? It is of huge concern to the people of Galway East. I appreciate any response.

Schools in Galway East and right across the country are waiting on critical upgrades and critical building upgrades. I am talking about new classrooms, special education spaces, safer buildings and modern facilities. I am thinking about Carrabane National School, Gort National School, St. Brigid's College in Loughrea, Gort Community School, and Coláiste an Eachréidh in Athenry. Over recent months,…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on men's health. I commend the Minister of State on the investment she made in August to provide more than 15,000 free counselling sessions to men. This is really welcome because quite often men, and particularly young men, are afraid to speak about how they are doing, how they are coping with the pressures of life and how things are going. It is important that y…

I am delighted to rise in support of Deputy Malcolm Byrne’s Bill to make the title "accountant" a protected title. As a chartered accountant, I know what it takes to go through the rigorous training process, the ethical standards and the requirements to pass examinations to become a qualified accountant. We have seen the consequences of the loophole. Across communities and small businesses, people…

It is a privilege to speak on my first budget in my term as a TD. It is very clear what the budget is about. It is about investing in the future of this country and securing the jobs that fund it and ultimately make it a success. When we talk about investing for the future, we have to be realistic about the investments that needs to be made in infrastructure, energy, grid capacity and the security…

95. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current cost of the bovine TB eradication programme; if he will address the concerns regarding funding shortfalls in the bovine TB compensation scheme for affected farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54860/25]

What has unfolded before our eyes in Gaza is nothing short of catastrophic. It is a stain on humanity and it demands our unflinching condemnation. Since the war began, over 65,000 people have lost their lives, tens of thousands more have been injured and millions are displaced and starving. Children are buried beneath rubble, hospitals and schools are destroyed and an entire people are being delib…

I welcome this debate. The one thing I have to say about sports capital funding and the one thing that is heartwarming about it is that it is the most efficiently spent money in the country. When the grant is devolved to our local clubs and teams, we see them go to the ends of the earth to spend the money as efficiently as possible to yield the very best results for their communities. That always …

6. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the action he is taking to simplify business regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51027/25]

Red tape is a huge issue for small businesses. When I am out meeting business people, one thing that comes up consistently is red tape. What is the Minister of State doing to cut through red tape and simplify business regulation?

Go maith agat. I really welcome all that is being done in the Department to try to simplify business regulation. From my dealings with the Department, that is definitely the thinking. It wants to make life better for businesses. It wants to make Ireland a better place to operate a business. To reiterate how important this point is, the IBEC CEO Survey 2025 ranks sensible regulation as the third m…

Part of what will make our business environment better to do business in is something that falls within the Minister of State's brief, namely digitisation. Ultimately, the question the Department needs to be asking is whether every grant application, licence permit, etc., can be processed by it digitally? It is important for every Department to look at this because if somebody cannot easily deal w…

9. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of investments IDA Ireland is targeting in the west under its current strategy; its performance in investments in the west under the previous strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50584/25]

The work of IDA Ireland cannot be underestimated. It has a proven, serious track record of delivery right across the country and of bringing in business and creating jobs. Under the current strategy, how has IDA Ireland performed in the west of Ireland, what is the plan for the future and where are we going from here? Ultimately, it is vital that we make a success of the west. I would appreciate i…

Over 31,000 people are employed by IDA companies in the west of Ireland, as the Minister outlined. I welcome the fact that the ambition is going up, from 76-IDA backed investments in the last plan to a target of 100 investments over the lifetime of this strategy. I welcome the publication of the strategy. I attended the opening of the Medical Technology Ireland conference yesterday in Galway and …

I really welcome that and I assure the Minister that, when he goes to Cabinet with that memo, he will have my full support. We must make sure that site is unlocked and the potential is realised. What is notable about that semiconductor site, adjacent to Oranmore, is its scale. It is going to be huge and the impact will secure the future of the west of Ireland for the next 20, 30 or 40 years. Somet…

Today, I welcome the introduction of My Future Fund. This is Ireland's new system of automatic enrolment into pensions. This is one of the most important social reforms for a generation. For too long, too many workers, particularly in the private sector, have faced the prospect of reaching retirement with only the State pension. We know that only about a third of private sector workers currently h…

We have a duty and a moral obligation to protect the long-term health of our young people. Right now, too many children and teenagers are being targeted in the context of, hooked on and harmed by vaping. Let us be clear; nicotine is addictive. The long-terms health effects of these products are still unknown, and yet an entire generation is being lured in by colourful packaging, candy-flavoured li…

The programme for Government sets out a clear commitment to bringing in an unsewered villages scheme. In 2022, a fantastic investment of €50 million was announced to bring some of these villages that do not have sewage facilities back into use, such as Craughwell and Clarinbridge in Galway. These were fantastic announcements. Three years on, however, we do not have plans, sites or, ultimately, exe…

Migration has always been part of Ireland's story. For generations our people went abroad seeking work and opportunity. Today people come here for the same reasons, namely, safety, jobs and a chance to build a life. It is important to say migration is not new for this country and given the current climate of the globe I do not believe it is going away. It is important that we distinguish between …

When I was first elected to the Dáil just over nine months ago, I was really heartened by the leadership shown by Deputy Mícheál Martin to appoint Deputy Norma Foley as Minister for children and disabilities, to have focus at Cabinet level and to have cross-departmental focus on disabilities. The new disability strategy is a welcome step forward and it is welcome that people of all levels of abili…

It is great to have a debate on the all-island strategic rail review. One of the key recommendations of the review is the reopening of the western rail corridor and the consideration of same. The Minister of State has been a strong advocate for the western rail corridor since long before I entered politics in 2019. I commend him on that. I will be doing everything I can as a Fianna Fáil representa…

I support the Bill and I will clearly and urgently make the case as to why this legislation is not only necessary but also overdue. We are in the middle of a housing crisis that affects every community in this country. It affects urban and rural, young and old, single people, families, renters and buyers alike. At the heart of this crisis is a basic mismatch. The demand for homes is outpacing our …

I refer to the issue of specific speech and language disorder, SSLD, classes and the eligibility criteria for same. The Circular 0038/2007 published by the Department of education set out the criteria for enrolment into specific speech and language disorder classes, which precluded access to this service for children who have an identified disability. Essentially, the children with speech sound di…