I want to make a simple, evidence-based case for retaining an all-day direct bus service from Littlepace to Dublin city centre. Under BusConnects, the 70 bus service, which is one of the most popular routes in Dublin West, will be split in two, with a direct service at peak times only and a local service during the day to the Blanchardstown Centre. Having surveyed 1,300 homes in three weeks, I got 978 responses, 98% of which wanted the daytime direct service retained. Will the NTA look again at this proposal?

I thank the Minister of State for that reply. The people of Littlepace know the plans inside out. Some things can look good on paper but are counter-intuitive. Nothing annoys people more than when the NTA, supported by the Government, focuses on fixing something that does not need to be fixed and decides to remove something that is working for them and gets them to work, college or appointments on time during the day. The Minister of State will recall that I previously highlighted the problems we were having in Dub…

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate it. He will know, having been a public representative for decades, that when you do a survey and get that kind of response, you have to listen to it. Out of 978 people surveyed over a three-week period, only 12 said they would have no issue with having to change buses at the Blanchardstown Centre. Some 99.1% of them described the direct service as either "extremely important" or "very important" to them. Worryingly, 60% of people said that if this change makes their journ…

I welcome the Tánaiste’s initiative to introduce personal investment accounts. I am on the record of the House saying that quite a bit. It is great. This can play an important role in encouraging more people to move from traditional savings into long-term investment and to build wealth over time. Irish households are strong savers and giving people greater choice and a straightforward framework for investing is welcome. As we create a new framework for future investors, however, we also need to address the problems…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I very much welcome the statements by the Tánaiste and the work that has taken place on personal investment accounts. It is a world of opportunity for us. It is a very positive move in terms of maximising the savings that are being put away and could be working harder for everyone. I also welcome the work that is being done around financial literacy and making investments more accessible for people. Like I said, this was an eye-opener for me. Since I spoke about ETFs and…

I thank the Minister of State for being here and introducing this Bill. I will start by acknowledging the 134 deaths this year and the families who have lost their loved ones. I welcome the Bill. There are a number of practical changes in it that I support. It removes the outdated requirement to display a paper motor tax disc, reflecting the fact that gardaí can now check tax status electronically through automatic numberplate recognition. That is a great positive. It strengthens Check My Vehicle, giving people buy…

Deputy Ward and I are moving this Bill today, but it would not be before the House without Saoirse Aylward's extraordinary strength and determination. Saoirse was 31 weeks pregnant when she lost Jax as a result of a road collision. She was preparing for his arrival, had chosen his name, had charted his progress at hospital appointments and listened to his heartbeat, and then she had to say goodbye to her baby boy. My words cannot do justice to what Saoirse has been through, but I know that having lost her son she f…

I wish to begin by recognising the substantial work undertaken by the Government-led shared island initiative, the ESRI, academics and opinion leaders. Without that work, we simply could not have a debate of this quality. For anyone who genuinely wants to prepare for a united Ireland, a unified Ireland or a new and agreed Ireland - whatever terminology they prefer - this is the opportunity to move beyond rhetoric and into practical realities. People will not simply vote on history and identity; they will also weigh…

I want to raise the urgent need to progress the long-awaited school building project for St. John Bosco Junior Boys National School, St. John Bosco Senior Boys National School and Mary, Help of Christians Girls' National School on the Navan Road. These schools have served generations of families in communities on the Navan Road and in Ashtown with distinction, but the reality is that the school buildings have reached the end of their life. Parents, teachers, staff members and past pupils all say the same thing when…

This is not simply about replacing old buildings; this is about building a modern educational campus that reflects the needs and the wishes of the families in Dublin 7 and Dublin 15 for generations to come. The community has waited long enough. They deserve a modern school campus and the opportunity to shape the modern provision of education in their area. When we have previously discussed this building project, I have made it clear from the start that it should be an objective that the building be suitable for co-…

The Liffey Valley is an unrivalled green corridor in Dublin, an ecological and biodiversity treasure for our capital. That is why I asked the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to reconvene the stakeholders of the Liffey Valley Park strategy. I welcome his agreement to do so. However, that vision set out 20 years ago this year to connect a necklace of amenities along the Liffey Valley remains unfulfilled. We have seen positive steps through the acquisition of Castletown House and Lucan House but we have also seen an …

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this Bill, for the event in the audiovisual room today and for making us feel welcome. Peace and partnership on this island was not built around a single document, declaration or day but as a gradual process of dialogue, agreements and framework-building, a process that demonstrated time and again that neither violence nor coercion would ever unite us. There is no doubt in my mind that we are living in a period of constitutional reappraisal but it has been decisions taken in B…

The early childhood care and education scheme, ECCE, is transformative for children, particularly those from low-income families and disadvantaged backgrounds. The State now offers two free years of pre-school, 15 hours per week and three hours per day. Ninety-six percent of children take it up. The Government has said it wants to get that to 100%. Why are we allowing the imposition of commercial rates on ECCE services and on ECCE-only services, which could potentially close them down?

When Tailte Éireann was before the housing committee a couple of weeks ago, I raised this matter with the representatives. They said they had taken legal advice via the Chief State Solicitor's Office and the Office of the Attorney General and it was unequivocal that ECCE services are rateable and are inherently operating for profit. This means that all ECCE services, including 100% Government-funded stand-alone ECCE services that receive no parental fees, are fair game for commercial rates, which in turn means that…

I thank the Minister. I know she is not responsible for this and it is something that has really come to light. The legal implications of the valuation tribunal and a case in the High Court have had an impact since 2024 but there is an urgency about this. Legislation seems to be required. I have worked on legislation. Will the Minister consider working with me on that to deal with this in an urgent way? Part of that legislation also includes sessional services that offer 30 minutes of care to support parents with f…

Okay.

When Coolmine Community School opened in 1974, it was one of Ireland's first community schools and a trail-blazer for education. It had an enviable mix of academic achievements, extracurricular activities and social activity. For many in Dublin West, it represented a modern community with a strong sense of identity and pride. Many of the parents of students attending today are former students who remember that pride. More than 50 years later, however, the building remains largely unchanged. While Blanchardstown has…

The Bill will not on its own end the unimaginable suffering people have experienced and are experiencing in Gaza. However, it sends out a clear message to Israel and the wider international community that there economic, political and reputational consequences for the continued expansion of illegal settlements, the occupation of Palestinian territories, genocidal action and grave violations of international law. As a country with a long tradition of peacekeeping, peacebuilding and multilateral diplomacy, the Bill h…

Working families are under pressure. They feel like they are often chasing their tails and that there is not enough at the end of the month to show for all their hard work. It is what I have always described as the struggle to juggle. We have consistently supported working families over the years. The Tánaiste and others have said this budget will include income tax changes, which I welcome because those families deserve to get more back based on what they are putting in.

I welcome the principles of what the Tánaiste is setting out. I know he cannot get into the details. I can see the Government, in an extremely difficult geopolitical situation, is trying to future-proof our country with the infrastructure and the foundations it needs as a growing modern state, and to deliver on our promise to move away from cycles of boom and bust to something far more consistent, stable and sustainable, planning ahead with the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. Ho…