I thank the Minister for his reply. He quoted different sets of figures from the CSO. I am quoting figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Yes, it has to be a priority, but the Government needs to scale up the delivery of cost rental and affordable to buy for that wedge of people, workers and families, who are caught just above the threshold for social housing but below the level of income that would make getting a mortgage achievable . One of the things I would say to the Minister, a…

There is a clear commitment in the programme for Government regarding the occupied territories Bill. The Bill was published eight years ago. The International Court of Justice said the Government had an obligation to ban all trade in goods from occupied territories. The Taoiseach admits that in the programme for Government, which I read this morning. There are 160 legal settlements in the West Bank, 69 of which came into force since 2022. In recent weeks, the Israeli Government announced 19 new ones. Palestinian ho…

We have done all of that, though.

When we joined the EU Single Market back in 1972, there was supposed to be free trade, but also fair trade, between the states of Europe, and all treaties since underlined that. The Single Market was sold as a level playing pitch with standards harmonised. However, with substandard products coming in from outside, it is not harmonised. The Mercosur deal completely undermines it. Farmers are having to compete with food produced to lower standards from other countries. The importation of 99,000 tonnes of beef and 180…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. It is a very important issue. I am glad the Minister for Health, as the senior Minister, is here to address this. We are having this conversation in the context of us being just days away from Christmas. This is one of the last sittings of the Dáil. Here we are, discussing a measure and what is up for consideration is a very small amount of money. On the other hand, it is about saving people's lives and looking after people's health. We are also having the debate i…

The programme for Government states on page 68 that the Government will support the school building unit in the timely delivery of school building projects. Coláiste Íosagáin in Portarlington has been waiting for a decade and a half. Portarlington is the second-biggest town in County Laois and the school is full to capacity. It has a catchment area taking in Killenard, Lea, Emo, Ballybrittas and Courtwood and, in Offaly, Walshisland and Bracknagh. There is huge pressure on student places and a large part of the sch…

The fact that the Government is still breaking the law years after this matter was highlighted is absolutely scandalous. Referrals are supposed to be made in three months and assessments completed within six. The situation is getting worse, with the number waiting now over 18,000, as has been outlined here. In Laois–Offaly, the figures are ballooning. What is happening is an absolute scandal. The average waiting time for a referral is 21 months-plus. It can be plus another six, eight or 12 months, and some must wai…

Will the Minister consider granting funding to homecoming festivals in various locations in the country to promote tourism and increase investment, particularly in rural areas? What is his opinion on this? What supports can be provided?

What the Minister said in the last couple of sentences, in relation to finalising plans for 2026, is timely. This is a great way of improving tourism and visitor numbers. As we all know, tourism figures are down this year and there are various reasons for that. Some of it is due to high prices being charged by some hotels and over-pricing, and the industry has to take that on board. The first homecoming festival was organised in Laois this year and it was a huge success. It took place on 4, 5 and 6 September. A lot…

I thank the Minister for his reply. I acknowledge the support given to the Old Fort Quarter festival and other projects in County Laois through the LEADER fund and I accept that. The key thing is that sometimes the information on what is available and where it can be accessed is unclear. I know some bureaucracy is necessary and it is important that money be accounted for properly and that things be done the right way. However, we need to try to streamline this. There can be a multitude of places to go to for fundin…

I am raising the issue of bus drivers over the age of 70 for the school bus scheme with the Tánaiste. When I raised it with him in the first week of February, I pointed out that as it is a part-time job, most of the drivers are retired from their full-time careers and are between 60 and 70 years of age. People over the age of 70 can drive 50- and 60-seater private coaches for long distances, but they cannot drive a 12- or 14-seater minibus to the local school. The Government is committed to expanding the school tra…

The Tánaiste, therefore, became popular with 69-year-old bus drivers in Laois. The Tánaiste said at that time that this is quite a farcical and bizarre situation. I have been back and forth with the Minister since and I have raised it a number of times in the Chamber. This is something that we can do, and there is a problem already with drivers. There is a shortage of school bus drivers because it is a part-time position and it suits retired people. I am asking the Tánaiste to fix this. This needs be caught and fix…

The Government runs the show.

I thank the Minister of State and am happy she is here as a resident of Laois. I know she is just inside the border, but she is still in Laois. I raised this back in April 2022. On Holy Thursday of that year, I became aware from a source that there were plans to close Erkina House in Rathdowney. Erkina House at that time had 12 residents and €120,000 had just been spent re-roofing part of the building. There was an almighty campaign to keep it open. The decision to close it was not notified to the Minister at the t…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. As of yesterday, my information is it was down to two residents. We have known for three years that the building will not meet standards. The HSE, the Government and the Department know it. In the meantime, HSE management was clear it needed four centres and the ideal size of those centres was to cater for between ten and 15 people because that provides the best model in terms of efficiency, use of resources and best practice for residents. It outlined in great detail wh…

The cost of energy is putting huge pressure on households, with 300,000 households now in arrears with electricity bills. I was listening to Deputy Barry Ward complaining about the energy companies putting up the wholesale price - of course, they are doing it - and he wondered why electricity is getting so dear. Well, 25 years ago, it was 96% publicly owned. We had one of the cheapest electricity supplies in the European Union. Now, it is 25% publicly owned and 75% private. That is because of all the renewables own…

That needs to change and I would ask the Minister of State to bring that back to the senior Minister.

We need a housing plan that is going to work. Rents are up sky high and will get higher in March. House prices are up sky high. Evictions are up sky high. There were 15,000 notices to quit and eviction notices in the first nine months of the year. We need a plan that will work. The Department has set out that County Laois has to increase its population by 35% between now and 2030. I see the Minister's plan to roll out infrastructure and I will welcome it if it is done but without the infrastructure in Laois, it wil…

Yesterday, we had the publication of the National Development Plan Review 2025 - Securing Ireland’s Future Sectoral Investment Plan: Transport. A number of bypasses are needed in County Laois but it looks like the whole county was bypassed for funding. The Tánaiste was down there this week last year, exactly 52 weeks ago, canvassing for the general election. Huge housing developments are needed in Laois. There has been rapid population growth in the county. It has been one of the top three counties in terms of popu…

There were big promises made.