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 into the 21st century and ensure the children in that area are not left behind but receive the standa…

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 towns, we need an increase in our gardaí allocation and our gardaí numbers. More importantly, as the…

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 which would greatly improve the quality of life for all commuters in east Galway.

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 has been an escalation and elevation of the speed at which mobile phones and the applications there…

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 homes is to retrofit them for the future so that they simply do not need as much energy. That is the n…

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 in Ireland becomes predictably affordable for the long term. Yes, the Government acted decisively dur…

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 funding, really there is no excuse but we do have a problem with red tape, bureaucracy and local authorit…

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 communities. We are facing proposals for 27 separate wind farms in north Galway. We are looking at a…

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 proposals coming forward for solar also. Consideration definitely needs to be given to the appropria…

The current wind energy guidelines date back to 2006. In 2006, turbines were 80 m high. Today in east Galway, communities are fighting applications against 180 m industrial structures using rules from two decades ago. It is regulatory negligence to apply 2006 rules to 2025 technology. My argument is simple. The guidelines must protect people first, through strictly increased setback distances and noise regulation. Only then can we provide the renewables. We cannot continue to regulate modern monsters with obsolete …

I appreciate the update and that the Department of energy and climate is working on the noise aspect. The speed at which this is dealt with is vital. Right now, there is a gold rush and a race to get planning applications through for these wind farms. I am speaking on behalf of the people of east Galway in Killimordaly, Barnaderg, Shancloon, Laurclavagh and Clonbern. There are 27 proposed wind farms in north Galway alone, with up to 150 turbines. The entire character of north Galway would be transformed if these we…

Recently I had the privilege of walking one of the proposed sites in Shancloon near Caherlistrane in County Galway, where what was before me was beautiful open landscape. What amazed me was that this windfarm was proposed to be built on a bog. In order to build a turbine on a bog, a significant amount of peat has to be excavated in order to put in the concrete base to allow for the turbine to go up. The problem here is that this goes against everything we are working for environmentally; digging up bogs to put in w…

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, we have seen very few school building announcements. We need clear timelines. We need to know when decisions are going …

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 young men, and all men, are aware that these sessions are available and that they can avail of them through their GPs. I …

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 have been misled and, in some cases, financially harmed by individuals who claimed to be accountants but were unregulat…

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 of the country. Also, we have to ensure we are not unduly exposed to international risks, which pose serious threats in…

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 deliberately deprived of food, water and medical aid. This is not just war: this is a systematic assault on human dignity. Le…

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 needs to be remembered in the context of public spending and how money is being spent. Our local clubs spend it best bec…

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?