I would also like to give a voice to those parents in terms of post-primary choice. I take the opportunity to mention funding resources for special schools. I thank the Minister for the increase in the capitation grant in the budget. It is something that we had discussed at the education committee and I know it was on her agenda. I am always pushing for more resources. As I have mentioned previously, on the allowances for special schools, they may have 70 staff but the allowances for principals are based on how man…

Learner drivers never have to sit a driver test to roll over their learner permits. They just have to show they have booked or joined a waiting list for a test. Some have permits for years, contributing to a culture where learner permits are treated like full licences. The Road Safety Authority has had more than a decade to prepare for the closure of this loophole. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has made progress, promising learner drivers will have to take a test before getting their third permit, once test…

The RSA is saying they are not.

Budget 2026 has come at a time of global uncertainty with risks of tariffs and instability on the European Continent. This is a budget that seeks to invest in our future while securing the jobs, prosperity and stability that families and businesses depend on today. I also recognise that the programme for Government outlines progress on issues such as reducing childcare costs and college fees and removing the means test for the carer's allowance over multiple budgets. While these are longer term commitments, it is i…

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Health that there will be an inquiry into the spina bifida and complex scoliosis service at Children's Health Ireland and that it will form part of a wider reflection on paediatric services. The Government must confront these failures openly and honestly, and is doing so. Peadar Tóibín said he would use the presidential election as a referendum on Simon Harris. His actions are not about families and children.

It is not even about Simon Harris; it is all about Peadar Tóibín, who demands democratic accountability while trying to convince the country that Ireland's democracy is broken because his preferred candidate for the Presidency could not convince enough Independent Oireachtas Members to help her to secure a nomination. The fact is that Ireland's democracy works because of its citizens. Irish voters make our democracy work.

I raise the deemed disposal rule for exchange traded funds, ETF. I welcome the reduction in the exit tax rate announced in the budget, but the rule itself remains the difficulty. Under the deemed disposal rule, investors are taxed every eight years on gains they have not realised. This creates an opportunity cost for savers. To pay the tax, investors may need to liquidate part of their ETF holdings or use cash that otherwise could have remained invested, meaning the long-term growth is reduced and the benefits of c…

I welcome the Government's ongoing commitment to continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities. As the Minister knows very well, it is not simply about delivering post; it is increasingly about connections and access to the world through a local service. My constituency is one of the largest in the country and is continuously growing, with a total of 4,000 homes built over five years. As the area expands, …

The level of the communication I have received on this shows that people appreciate their postal delivery service. I am fully aware of the period of transformation that An Post has been undergoing in recent years, which is a positive transformation, and the areas of potential growth. Nevertheless, we have to keep the basics working. When issues have been directly raised with An Post and people are told there has been no designated post person for that area for several months, that is quite frustrating. I recognise …

The trading online voucher was previously available to businesses of up to ten employees to help them move online, boost sales and access new markets. The Grow Digital voucher was then launched in September 2024 to be available to more businesses for more services, with more funding. In the 12 months since, there were only 150 applications across Ireland, with 139 approvals, so something is not working. The upper grant limit of €5,000 does not seem enough to incentivise cash-strapped SMEs to invest more of their ow…

Approximately 10,000 people in Ireland develop shingles every year, two thirds of them over the age of 50. One in three of us who had chickenpox as children will develop shingles in our lifetime. The national immunisation advisory committee recommends five vaccines for older adults - flu, pneumococcal, Covid, shingles and RSV - yet only three are publicly funded. The shingles vaccine is available only to those who can pay for it, the cost being almost €500. This creates inequity, leaving many unprotected. Ireland i…

I know the Minister of State wants to hear about issues our constituents are facing so he can fix them and I appreciate that. I also appreciate that there has been an increase in the number of students accessing the service and most families have a positive experience but too many do not and for those households, it is causing havoc. A total of 11 students are travelling 10 km from Tyrrelstown, Hollywoodrath to Ériu Community College in Hansfield. The local secondary school is full. In two years' time, Ériu Communi…

I ask the Minister for an update on the review of the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities whereby for 75 new homes, there should be the provision of 20 childcare places. The link between supply of new homes and childcare places has not been working effectively. I welcome how the Minister has addressed this as an issue of concern and I seek an update on her progress.

We have a rudimentary system from 2001, which provides that for every 75 homes the developer must provide 20 childcare places, but it is not working for a variety of reasons. The provision of childcare infrastructure cannot be based on such a basic formula alone. Like schools, we need a proper forward planning system based on demographics, assessment of need, new residential developments and that delivers appropriate childcare buildings based on the needs of that community. Instead, what we have now is crèches bein…

Is it envisaged that the review will form part of the action plan? I am looking forward to that action plan because to address any of the issues in childcare, whether that be affordability or availability, we have to address all the issues in childcare, such as infrastructure, staff and retention and funding models. Does the Minister agree? Some of our small providers are struggling with core funding. I wish to give one example. A service opened in 2004 and it is a Montessori and after school. In those 20 years, th…

Ireland is a leader in remote working, and that is not by accident. Approximately 15% of people in Ireland work remotely on a full-time basis. That compares with an average of just 10% across Europe. Access to any form of hybrid or remote work stands at 37%, which is also higher than the European average. I want to speak specifically about the benefits of fully remote and locationless work, distinct from hybrid models. Hybrid arrangements, while highly valuable, still require proximity to the office and, therefore,…

The Minister of State has confirmed what I had set out, that Ireland is a leader in remote work. We cannot take that for granted, however, particularly when we see announcements about companies rowing back on hybrid arrangements. There are great benefits to diversifying the tax base while revitalising local economies and communities. There are 100,000 remote jobs advertised on job sites across Europe monthly. We can continue to position Ireland as a leader in remote work, but we have to actively target the jobs. We…

According to data from the Department of children, there has been a 25% reduction in the number of State-supported crèches taking babies under one year of age since 2022. Baby rooms in crèches outside of core funding are not subject to fee caps, meaning parents are likely paying over and above for services they are desperate to secure. These are damning figures and should be a wake-up call to those who constructed core funding and batted off questions last year, insisting supply of places was broadly meeting demand…

I welcome the establishment of this commission of investigation into historical child sexual abuse in all schools. The scoping inquiry received 2,395 allegations involving 884 alleged abusers across 308 schools nationwide. That is 2,395 allegations; 2,395 cases of children abused by monsters, and 2,395 cases of our nation's children being failed by our schools, 308 schools, and by our State. Survivors have shown immense courage in coming forward about their suffering. For too long, survivors have carried their trau…

Community childcare not-for-profit operations led by the community for the community stand out in a sector dominated by private provision as an alternative, often part of a wider network of early intervention and family support services. Availability varies wildly across the country, from over 60% of services in Monaghan and Leitrim to just 6% or less in my own county of Fingal. It is 13% in Wicklow. In Dublin 15, two community childcare services in two years have take the really difficult decision to shut their do…