Navan had the highest driving test waiting time nationwide. Navan and Tallaght were completely oversubscribed, with a record high of 43 weeks. It was four times the recommended wait time of ten to 12 weeks. Thankfully, we have reduced that to 16 weeks. That is in no small part thanks to the emergency action plan the RSA introduced in May of this year. I have no doubt we will get back to the ten to 12 weeks by mid-September, as the RSA has promised. That action plan now needs to just be the plan. We need to ensure t…

Before I call on the Minister to open the debate, I remind Members that three separate motions are being debated in this slot, namely the motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level, the motion re proposed approval by Dáil Éireann for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards …

I ask the Minister his plans to suspend, or indeed abolish, the periodic means test review for carers in receipt of carer's benefit.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire for that and the very welcome news he has given us in terms of the income disregards. That will be very beneficial to many across the country, I am sure, but specifically in my area of Meath West. Many families have been in touch with me about this matter. I was this morning in a meeting of the committee on children. I am very privileged to have been appointed Leas-Chathaoirleach of the committee this morning. We had the Children's Rights Alliance in with us and I raised with it the is…

Again, I thank the Minister for his response. Our ambition and our goal are to get rid of the means test completely, and this is a really significant part of it. These people save us untold money every day in the care they provide in their own families. For example, in one family in my area the mother works part-time just for her own mental health, just to have a little breather from the issues she has at home with her child, and the father took on two jobs to pay for the private therapies that they need but have n…

Meath West commuters eagerly anticipated the new commuter fare zones being announced but they were disappointed in April to find out those only related to rail fares. We were disappointed again in recent weeks when the bus fares were announced. My own town of Trim only saw a minimal decrease in the fare but towns like Navan and Athboy saw an increase. The rationale given is that these fares now cover bus and rail. Unfortunately, as the Taoiseach well knows, we have no access to rail lines in towns like Navan and At…

I thank the Taoiseach for his comments and continued focus and priority on disability matters. A cross-departmental approach is the only way we will improve disability services and the lives of those affected by disability. I am heartened to hear of progress on the work programme being worked on currently and that a new strategy document will be prepared. However, I have a question about progress in workstream 15 in the current action plan for disability services. It focuses on a strength and drive to support peopl…

Housing is the number one priority for this Government. It is the issue I hear most about when I meet people across Meath West. This concern is not limited to one age group. Our twenty-somethings are struggling to gain independence. They are stuck in expensive rental markets with little hope of home ownership. Our thirty-somethings who are ready to settle down and start families are squeezed by high prices and limited supply. Our fifty-somethings are often parents watching their adult children remain at home far lo…

The assisted human reproduction Act was passed by these Houses in 2024, but has not yet been enacted. Retrospective surrogacy legislation will provide a pathway to parental rights to the second parent of eligible families. This part of the Bill is aimed at ensuring that children born through surrogacy in the past have the same recognition as other families. I raise the case of my constituent in Meath West. Lorraine, who is a mother, gets her twins up and out to school every day, brings them to gymnastics and puts p…

I thank the Minister, Deputy Foley, for her words and her hard work driving reform with a sharper focus on the delivery of therapies for children. I also thank her for taking the time to hear my voice as a representative of families who are facing unacceptable and heartbreaking realities. In my constituency of Meath West I have, first as a councillor and now as a TD, dealt with a number of parents in really difficult situations who are fighting daily to get the supports needed for their families. We do not agree on…

Before I call Deputy McGuinness, I welcome to the Visitors Gallery the O'Flynn family, who are guests of Deputy Ken O'Flynn.

Navan rail line is firmly on the agenda of this Government and is of great importance to the people I represent, not just in Navan but to the entire constituency of Meath West. Meath has the highest number of commuters leaving the county every morning. We are halfway through year one of two years of design, route selection and public consultation. This means we will not get the project into the planning system until 2027, with construction and delivery not planned until between 2030 and 2035, which is a decade away…

In light of the commitment made in the programme for Government to continue to significantly increase the income disregard for carer's allowance in each budget and, ultimately, phase out the means test, will the Government reconsider cases of people whose carer's allowance has been removed because they had to increase their income to provide private therapies for their children? I have a case of a family in Meath West, a couple who have fought for their daughter's needs every step of the way. The mother continued t…

I know the issues of our children and young people and their education, special education and disability are of the utmost importance to the Taoiseach, as they are to me as a representative of the people of Meath West. I look forward to that committee making progress. We need to keep moving forward on our policy, our legislation and our funding of these important areas. The situation is acute and urgent for some of our children. Every month that goes by reduces the chances of a positive outcome and can affect their…

I thank the Minister for the proactive work he has done in his brief, which I have no doubt will continue as we deliver on our programme for Government commitments. There is little doubt this Government and our Fianna Fáil Party are putting law and order at the centre of our work for the next five years. The nature of the crime faced by our citizens is constantly changing. Success in reducing a type of crime in one area sees different forms of crime spring up in other areas. Making sure the right number of equipped…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Healthcare is one of the major issues affecting the people I represent in Meath West and I would like to ensure that this Government gives an unequivocal commitment to the retention of services in Our Lady's Hospital Navan, as did the previous Government. A commitment should be given by this Government to the extension of the services and further investment in the hospital. It is the least that the people of Meath West and the hardworking staff who work in the hospital deserve.

I wish the Tánaiste well in his role as Minister for Foreign Affairs at this turbulent time. What was the number of passport books and cards issued to applicants from County Meath in 2024? What is the estimate for the number that is expected to be issued in 2025 and will he make a statement on the matter?

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. As a councillor and now as a TD, like many others, a good percentage of queries I receive from constituents relate to issues with passports. It can be an emotive issue in a stressful time for them. We see a lot of criticism of public services, such as the Passport Office, but it has excelled in recent years and it is a different situation from the one we found ourselves in four years ago. The issuing of 1 million passports in 2024 is a huge milestone to mark. Does the Tánaiste ha…

Is lá bródúil é dom a bheith anseo ag tabhairt mo chéad óráid. It is a proud day to be here giving my first speech in Dáil Eireann. It is a great honour to be here on behalf of the people of Meath West who I will represent every day with integrity and passion. My first thoughts in rising to speak are for the thousands of people who have suffered the loss of power and water over the past couple of weeks, the people whose lives and businesses were badly affected for days and in some cases up to the present day, and t…