Sligo University Hospital will shortly submit its options appraisal for formal capital approval for the replacements of its orthopaedic theatres. This project will provide two new replacement orthopaedic theatres, essential storage facilities and additional beds. I appeal to the Minister for Health and the Department to move swiftly in approving this critical development. The existing orthopaedic theatres are no longer fit for purpose. Over the past 18 months, numerous operations have been cancelled due to leaks fr…

While national progress is welcome, people in the north west want to know what NSO 3 is delivering for Sligo, Leitrim and south Donegal. Our region has huge potential in tourism, enterprise, remote working and the blue and green economies, but the potential is still being held back by infrastructural deficits and poor connectivity. Roads funding is a major concern in Sligo, Leitrim and south Donegal, and planned roadworks are now being scaled back because rising construction costs have outstripped available funding…

The success of NSO 3 should ultimately be judged by whether rural counties can attract and retain people, jobs and investment. In the north-west, communities across Sligo and Leitrim and south Donegal continue to argue that stronger intervention is needed to overcome decades of underinvestment. They point to the need for accelerated broadband delivery, greater support for town centre regeneration, expanded remote working infrastructure, enhanced tourism and outdoor recreation investment and, crucially, for improved…

The Taoiseach will be aware of the devastating situation now facing two major festivals in the north west following the collapse of Tickets.ie over the June bank holiday weekend. The Rory Gallagher International Festival in Ballyshannon is owed €283,000 and the Cowboys and Heroes festival in Leitrim is owed €130,000 in revenue that rightly belongs to them. These festivals are not just annual events. They are significant cultural and economic drivers for communities in Donegal and Leitrim and attract thousands of vi…

What support can we give these people? Legislation should be introduced to make safe clients' funds, as is the case with solicitors and estate agents.

It is €283,000.

I wish to highlight an urgent and exceptional situation facing St. Patrick's National School in Calry, County Sligo, which requires immediate and practical intervention to ensure children in this community can access the education they are entitled to. St. Patrick's National School is experiencing unprecedented staffing pressures for the 2026-2027 school year. The school has already pursued the appropriate channels and submitted an appeal to the appeals board for an additional teaching post. Despite presenting a st…

I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Department and I understand from the response to my representation that its decision is considered final. However, what is at stake goes far beyond the numbers or technical criteria. The decision not to allocate an additional teacher to St. Patrick's National School is, in practical terms, short-sighted and it risks having a deeply damaging impact on children, on families and on the wider Calry community. T…

Recent legislative developments have not addressed practical barriers that continue to delay and prevent many people from setting up an enduring power of attorney, EPA. Before the Easter recess, the Government expedited the passage of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 through the Dáil and Seanad. The Act’s primary purpose is to enable High Court to extend on a case-by-case basis the timeframe for discharge of wardship. The legislation represented a missed opportunity to address well-docu…

The announcement in February 2025 represented a significant boost for the university, particularly given that this site had long been identified as a crucial element in addressing the ongoing accommodation crisis in Sligo. For several years the shortage of suitable and affordable student housing has placed considerable pressure on both the university community and the wider local area. It is, therefore, understandable there is ongoing frustration. In November 2024, Sligo County Council voted to sell the land to ATU…

To be honest, I was not fully aware of the situation. In recent years hundreds of students in Sligo have found themselves without suitable accommodation following the repurposing of two privately owned student housing complexes that had traditionally provided beds for approximately 500 students. Their conversion to facilities for international protection applicants significantly reduced the availability of purpose-built student accommodation in the area, placing immense pressures on both new and returning students.…

I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak on this issue. I know I am not the only TD who has been contacted by parents who want to pass a property from one generation to the next. At its heart, this is not about tax breaks for the wealthy; it is about fairness, stability and the ability of ordinary families to plan their futures without being overwhelmed by financial pressures that are, in many cases, disproportionate and unnecessary. One family contacted me recently and their case illustrates the problem clea…

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I am pointing out that where there is a gain somebody is definitely entitled to pay capital gains tax but, unfortunately, the parent who hands over that property has no gain, gets no money and has to pay out maybe €70,000 or €75,000. In this particular case I raised, they may have to pay out €70,000 or €75,000 in capital gains tax, despite the fact they do not get any funds whatsoever. They are gifting the house to one of their family members. In these times with such…

A 42-bed ward is currently under construction on the Sligo University Hospital campus. This development is very welcome. However, beneath this building there will be a vacant space specifically earmarked for a future daycare oncology unit. The planned oncology day unit represents a major opportunity to expand capacity, improve patient experience and deliver safer and more timely care for cancer patients in the region. I therefore call on the Department to ensure that, by the time the 42-bed ward is completed, fundi…

I thank the Minister for his response. It is extremely important to ensure that the oncology unit is fully funded and delivered and to immediately progress the surgical ward development. The people of Sligo and the wider north-west area deserve a timely, safe and reliable hospital service. These commitments are essential to delivering that service.

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this amendment. I remember, maybe 55 years ago, that smoking was a very cool thing to do at the time. We had a small shop in Ballymote where you could buy cigarettes individually for 3p, three old pennies, at the time. Thank God I got off cigarettes - I was lucky - but I see a lot of people using vapes now. When I smoked we did not realise the damage cigarettes were doing to people. I see people today, young people in particular, vaping and I wonder what sort of damage …

I suppose I got some of the answers anyway. I recognise that. The situation facing the council housing adaptation grant schemes in Sligo and Leitrim is now critical. In 2025 the council budgeted €2.4 million to support older people and people with disabilities to remain safely in their homes yet the allocation fell far short of what was required. That forced the council to seek an emergency top-up payment of over €240,000 in July, funding that could only cover priority 1 cases. As a result, the scheme has been paus…

I genuinely welcome the extra allocation of funds to the local authorities for the provision of those grants. As I said earlier, the work done paid for by those grants is keeping people out of hospitals and nursing homes. I know of a number of cases where people have left nursing homes to go back home because of the funding that was made available to improve their living conditions at home. I appeal to the Department to immediately approve the grants to Sligo and Leitrim county councils for the full 2026 budget inc…

I want to draw the Tánaiste’s attention to the urgent and growing need for increased funding for the community involvement scheme and the local improvement scheme, particularly in Sligo-Leitrim and south Donegal. I am sure he is very much aware of this need. The programmes are vital for rural connectivity and safety, yet they remain significantly under-resourced. In 2025, Sligo County Council received €473,000 under the schemes. This allocation allowed for 13 roads to be completed. Meanwhile, 103 additional schemes…

Earlier this year, Sligo Garda station was identified as one of several stations that experienced crime rates above pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with theft accounting for nearly one third of all incidents. It is imperative that we shine a spotlight on rural crime and the emerging trends in the north-west. In Donegal and Sligo, there has been a marked rise in theft and arson, leaving communities anxious and unsettled. County Leitrim has witnessed an increase in burglaries. Only last Friday, a property was broken int…