An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-21
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Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel

We were all very excited last week when we saw the release and celebration of the 1926 census on its 100th anniversary. By yesterday, there were 20 million hits. Everybody was having great fun and learning an awful lot about those who went before us. It gives us a small window into the country we had and all those who lived there. It is wonderful the exhibition is travelling around the country. Ten centres have been chosen. I am happy Naas Library and Cultural Centre is one of them. It is an excellent service for the local communities in those areas. It shows what living in a newly independent Ireland was like 100 years ago.
One of the most interesting facts that came out was that Kildare, the county I am proud to be from and live in, has seen a population increase of 327% since 1926, from 58,000 people to nearly 248,000. That is by far the biggest growth in any county. I thank Councillor Suzanne Doyle for putting some of these figures together. Bearing that increase in population in mind, it is a fact that 100 years later, Kildare County Council receives lower national funding per capita than any other county. We receive approximately €715 per person annually. To put that in the context of a large county and a small one, Dublin City Council receives €1,900 and Leitrim receives €1,256. We also have a high number of large towns. We are the fourth most populated county, after Dublin, Galway and Cork, and they have cities for a lot of investment. We need autonomous and equitable funding. We need resources based on the metric of need and sustainable growth, which allows for strategic planning and development. We need to have the Minister in to speak about what we have learned from 100 years ago and how we need to move forward.
I raise the growing issue of nitrous oxide misuse. That is commonly referred to as laughing gas or fast gas. Across towns and communities, we are increasingly seeing the impact of this problem, with discarded canisters littering everywhere. It is not just an environmental problem. It is a clear indicator of wider use and that is a concern.
It is not classified as a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It can cause serious health problems. We need to have a debate about this for two reasons. We need to be concerned about the safety of our young people but we also need a very clear policy about how these canisters can be disposed of because the local authorities cannot do anything. There is not a policy. We need a national policy on it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-21