Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. That tells the story. I was expecting to hear numbers like that. A 7% increase in Enterprise Ireland employment numbers across Galway in 2023 to 2024 alone is phenomenal growth and the type of growth we want to see, not just for Galway, but for all of the west. There are two important aspects I wish to highlight. The first is the planning process for new companies looking to establish in our area to accelerate that growth. We had a fantastic example in my nearest town of Athenry…

I appreciate the commitment by the Government to tackle the planning issues, but we did not have that problem in Athenry, fortunately. It was an eight-week planning process and permission was granted with the necessary conditions to ensure nobody was impacted negatively. It was a positive news story and something we as a Government should promote more to the wider world to show that companies can do business in Ireland, can do it quickly and can grow their business in a safe and reliable environment. The other poin…

This question is essentially to ask when a new western regional enterprise plan will be published. Will the Minister of State provide some detail on that? The previous western regional enterprise plan from 2021 to 2024 has been a success. It identified a Galway to Athenry economic corridor in which we now see enterprises developing in the form of Dexcom, but we have also seen other developments right across the west. I refer to CREW and BIA Innovator in Athenry. A huge amount is going on. I would greatly appreciate…

The western regional enterprise plan must have significant consideration of AI and a dedication to it. Ireland has benefited massively in the past 30 to 40 years from having incredible educational opportunities, ultimately leading many people into high-paying, knowledge worker roles. The problem is that, with the speed at which AI is changing, it is a threat to many of the knowledge worker roles. We should not see it as a threat but as an opportunity. We must embrace it and run with it. This western regional enterp…

I appreciate the Minister of State's commitment to digitalisation, but I want to hammer the point home. An AI hub for the west is something we need in order to be as competitive as the rest of the country, and world, into the future. The final point I want to raise relates to agritech and the agrifood sector. There is a role to be played between agritourism, the food sector and what we have already built in Athenry – the BIA Innovator. If the Minister of State has not seen it or visited it, it is an incredible mult…

I am looking for an update on the status of a request for SNA support for Gurteen National School in County Galway. Gurteen has applied, gone through the process, had its review and was hopeful that over the Easter break it would have been able to interview people. Can I please get an update on the status of that application for SNA support?

That is fantastic news for Gurteen. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister for their commitment to special education. It is vital and the needs have to be met. The most important thing is that every child have a fair chance in school and get the support he or she needs to thrive. I attended the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO, briefing yesterday. Its proposal for special educational needs co-ordinators, SENCOs, in schools is a really worth considering. I have no further questions but I appreciat…

In the first three months of the year, venture capital investment in Irish firms has surged to €587 million. This is a huge sign of confidence and hope for indigenous businesses. However, as the Taoiseach knows, we are going through global upheaval and massive global uncertainty, which require that the Government ensure these businesses have stability and a pathway forward. Does the committee have any plans to support Irish indigenous SMEs and ensure they are successful into the future?

I intend to raise the issue of development levies later tonight as a Topical Issue but wish to say now that, since the development levy waiver was taken away, many young people in my constituency, Galway East, feel like they are being scammed. I realise that sounds harsh, but what I mean is that a young person in east Galway today building a one-off home can pay the local council up to €5,000 or €10,000 between connection fees and development contributions. Understandably, people are happy to pay their electricity …

Not a week goes by in which I do not have a farmer in east Galway contacting my office regarding the delays to agri-climate rural environmental scheme, ACRES, payments. What has gone so wrong with ACRES payments? Why has there been such a delay? What lessons will be learned to ensure this does not happen again?

I had the fortunate opportunity to study at Mountbellew Agricultural College over the past two years for my level 5 and level 6 qualifications. I met many young farmers who want to get involved in their family farms and to be part of the farming future of Ireland but we have to bring them with us. We have to show them that if they sign up for a scheme that will commit to paying them X amount, they need to be assured of payment on time. In no other profession would people accept delayed payment. I know the Minister …

The development levy waiver was a powerful initiative introduced by the Government to bolster housing supply and ensure a pipeline of housing delivery. We saw some of our largest commencement numbers ever last year, with more than 60,000 homes commenced, 9% of which were first-time, one-off homes. I come from and represent a rural constituency. I have a major concern with regard to couples or individuals buildings homes in rural areas ending up paying a development contribution to their local authorities. I raised …

I am asking about one-off homes for self-builders who are taking on mortgages to build their homes. Let us call a spade a spade: they are contributing to the ultimate completion figures this Government wants to see. We want more units to be delivered. Self-builders make up almost 10% of those numbers on the basis of the commencement figures from last year. The development levy waiver was a huge success. There were 69,000 commencements in 2024, which is absolutely incredible. Those are the type of numbers we need ev…

One of the lead indicators of a country's future likely success is how many young people choose to stay. What are the Minister's expectations for affordable housing delivery in 2025, given it will be one of the key tools to ensure our young educated workforce can stay here?

The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins has visited the homes that have been delivered in Claregalway. It is a fantastic initiative and a fantastic price for people to be able to purchase a home. The problem is that in Galway East, we have not seen a single affordable home delivered yet. I know the Minister is aware of this. We need to see affordable homes delivered in towns such as Tuam, Athenry and Loughrea where young people who are commuting into Galway city but want to live closer to home have the option to purc…

Galway County Council is not short of ambition when it comes to affordable housing. Our chief executive set out an ambitious plan last year. At the time, I was a councillor. We approved loans for affordable housing across our local authority and sought departmental approval for them. We do not lack the ambition. We have the ambition to deliver the homes. In the town of Athenry, the county council is now going for Part 8 planning in the coming months on two separate sites there. There is the ambition. Affordable hou…

One of our greatest assets in the town of Athenry is now becoming one of our greatest pain points. Train services into Galway city are wholly inadequate. We need to see significant investment in additional carriages arriving at Athenry. As mentioned previously, there are only two carriages going in on the first train in the morning. To put it bluntly, people are packed in like sardines. It is a complete disaster and it is very unfair on the people who are using this service.

I agree that the passing loop is welcome but it points out a huge issue with how we manage infrastructure in this country. Galway County Council was granted urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, funding in March 2021 for that passing loop. It was March 2024 before Irish Rail submitted a planning application for the passing loop. I welcome that it is to commence construction this September. If it has taken three years for Irish Rail to go for a planning application, what does that say about how urgent and h…

Absolutely there can be no doubt that the economies of public transport have completely flipped the script over the last few years. We have seen fares come down and the cost of using a car has gone up. It makes more sense for people to use public transport. As the Minister of State well knows, Athenry is a booming town with huge growth potential over the coming years. We need to see a double track line all the way into Galway city. I do not know if this will come through the national development process or the all-…

The Ceann Comhairle is speaking.