Search the record

getting planning in much the same scenarios. This change was signed into law in 2012 by Leo Varadkar, a former leader in this House, and the Minister with responsibility for this, who later agreed with me in this Chamber that a total ban was very wrong … site distance is of the right standard. There is a lot of talk about affordable home schemes. We never had any one of those schemes in Kerry. I cannot understand why. I cannot understand how you can call one house an affordable house when the house beside

word, it is important to remember what has already happened and what the legal framework for all of this is. As the House will be aware, the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 came into effect on 31 December last year. That Bill prescribed prison sentences for very … crimes where word or incitement is proven to be motivated by hatred or where hatred is demonstrated. What that did was put the right legislation and right legal framework in place to ensure that any assault aggravated in any way by hatred is one that will attract

fair criticism. It is far too slow. I recognise also that in Dublin, for example, at the moment there are 9,562 houses being delayed by judicial review. That is an astonishing figure given where we are in the current crisis and what we have to do. That … frustrating. Sometimes, the exercise of rights is inconvenient. I also understand that the Minister of State has to do something about it because he cannot allow the situation to continue where there is delay in the construction and delivery of housing for the people who need

station cannot. It is dealing with everything coming from those housing estates that I have spoken about, which have all been added to what is very old infrastructure. It is also dealing with industrial units from WuXi right down and it just cannot deal with that. The wastewater … local authority handed it over, it was something like 169,000. Again, we do not have the capacity. We could be looking at houses being flooded with sewage because we do not have adequate infrastructure. It is a matter of short-term mitigations, long-term flood protection

insane that that has not happened to date. Europe is operating with hypocrisy in sanctioning Russia but not Israel. I remind the House that the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement does not involve sanctions. Rather, it is the revocation of a privilege. Israel enjoys a preferential … those rights. To carve out a little bit around immigration so that we can essentially drop our standards for inhuman and degrading treatment and torture when it comes to those individuals is a precedent that I am not willing to tolerate and one everyone in this House should

taxpayer capital, with no plan, no accountability and no guarantees of benefit to the Irish people. Let us be honest in this House: the Government record on energy policy is a record of failure. Ireland now has the second highest household energy prices in the entire European Union … working families but working families who are doing everything right, paying their bills and getting up early in the morning, going to work and putting in their shifts and time - are choosing between heating their houses and what they are purchasing in Lidl, Aldi, Dunnes or SuperValu

Members of this House, has contributed to real progress being achieved on many fronts. A key point for all of us to understand is there is a copyright directive on related legislation, which established overarching principles, in this case, the right to appropriate and proportional remuneration. The details … they are authors, producers, broadcasters and performers, and there are complex legal issues involved. Deputies may be aware, from previous discussions in the House and during Committee Stage of this Bill, and what I just outlined a moment ago, that a process is under way to address these

care for them every day. This legislation is about preparedness, prevention and peace of mind for students, parents and staff alike. With the right supports, training and legal clarity, we can build a safer school environment for everyone. I also wish to speak about a number … support staff just want to be able to do the right thing. Keeping children safe as well as providing an education is their priority. I know the priority for all of us across this House is the very same. The person continued: Some of the questions which come

ticking a box. I have been in this role for six or seven months. I want to ensure that we get these guidelines right, so I have been working extensively with my officials, who have been engaging with their colleagues in the Department of Climate, Energy … published in 2019 before my time in this House or this role. A considerable number of submissions concerned noise and the issue has taken up a significant amount of time in trying to ensure that we get that element right. I am committed to ensuring that the guidelines

opportunity to clarify the situation in relation to Oliver Bond flats and regeneration right across the country. I highlight that in 2026 alone, there will be just over €9 billion in capital invested in housing in this country as a result of Government policies. Some €50 million

have substantial provision for pensioners in our social protection frameworks. We allocated an additional €2 billion. There is a sense in the House that we can literally allocate billions more to everybody. We do need some conversation around targeting. I think targeting is important for pensioners as well … gets ignored because people want universality left, right and centre. As Deputy Hayes knows, there was a €16 increase in the child support payment for children aged over 12, bringing it to €78. There is a danger in the House that we are going to lose the importance

campaigning for this for a long time. The right to be forgotten is crucially important for cancer survivors. We welcome and support this right 100%. The State has effectively punished cancer survivors and victims on the double. The first way is in terms of delayed treatment and diagnosis … reduce that cost? Anything he or the House can do to remove additional costs and stress from people who have cancer and significant illnesses is a good thing. This is a step in the right direction. The right to be forgotten and the ability of cancer survivors

Areas right throughout the country were seriously affected. Our area was seriously affected from 4 or 5 January by one of the most unprecedented snow storms. In some parts of Duhallow in north Cork, there was between 16 and 20 inches of snow. I compliment the farming community … everybody to try to clear roads. Many houses were cut off for the bones of a week. There was isolation and fear. They were not just without power, but also without water. ESB crews have worked in hugely difficult circumstances right through from the end of November

statistics on those driving the wrong way down motorways are really worrying. The figures are going the wrong way rather than the right way in that regard. I will touch on some issues that are not in the Bill. One of the issues that constantly comes … nitrous oxide. It is not a banned substance. Residents ring in to say there is somebody sitting in a car outside their house taking nitrous oxide and driving off. They contact the Garda and are told the fact it is not a banned substance means there is very

action plan to tackle these barriers to delivery. This will include plans to progress legislative reforms to strike a better balance between the rights of individuals and the public good; simplify regulation and consenting systems to make it easier to deliver projects; and reduce the administrative burden … Uisce Éireann to continue to build essential capacity to support new housing developments and to increase the resilience and sustainability of water supply. This will help to further progress development of wastewater treatment plants right across the country. I am providing €3.5 billion to ESB and EirGrid

universal one-off measures. The Social Democrats have asked us not to do that and to do targeted measures. I am telling the House that this Government will deliver a budget in October. We will set out the parameters of that budget in the summer economic statement, which … Uisce Éireann faces. She is right about the enabling infrastructure. Deputies will see from Government in the revised national development plan next week a very significant increase in capital investment. It will enable a significant upward shift in investment in water, energy, housing and areas under pressure from

would like to acknowledge the incredible work done by workers right across our country in the public service and in the private sector, as well as the many people who work here in Leinster House to help our democracy function on a daily basis. Objectively, it is fair … proposals my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, brought forward on that to Cabinet this week. This will ensure that workers right across our country will have greater financial security and comfort in their retirement. It addresses a real divide that has existed in respect

binary and intersex people in Ireland. The Minister needs some time and support to develop a model of care and to get this right. It is really welcome that there has been good engagement so far with clinicians, with stakeholders and with the community. I think the interim … talking about people who work here in Leinster House. We are talking about the postman, the nurse, the teacher, the doctor. We are talking about everyday regular Irish citizens who are looking for recognition, for rights, for equality and just to be able to live their lives

clearly a case of the right hand not knowing what the left was doing. One arm of the State, the SEAI, was rightly promoting retrofitting and the reduction of carbon emissions, which would reduce the family's energy bills, while another, South Dublin County Council, was implementing planning … fault. The Minister for Housing has himself admitted that new legislation is needed and has said public consultation will be held on it this year. However, given the roll-back of climate action across a range of areas by the right-wing Fianna Fáil–Fine Gael–Lowry Government

Deputy is right. I always learn a lot, when I come in here on a Thursday, if a multitude of colleagues across the House are bringing up the same issue. I have to be blunt. We are increasing the number of teachers and SNAs working in our schools

within its rights to fulfil its international fixtures, and the Government acknowledges its right to do so. For these reasons, the Government proposes to amend the wording of this motion, as submitted to the House

continues to be an issue, is that there are those who sit right above the threshold for grants, for whatever reason. It is similar in a way to when somebody is applying for social housing and there is an income limit of €40,000. In circumstances where there

foundation for building more homes in the villages and towns right across our country. That plan is due to be published in the coming weeks. Work is ongoing between the Department of housing, the Minister and Irish Water to put that together over a five-year period

actions. I have seen the videos in this regard. Protestors have a right to protest, and in this case they were protesting about something that is fundamental, and all of us in this House support trying to sort out the issues in Palestine, but locking down the Dublin

royalties is absolutely welcome, but the Bill the Government has brought before the House is poorly thought out, regressive and ill-conceived in terms of the mechanism available to artists to vindicate their right to resolve disputes. The Government is shoehorning into this legislation a change of venue