I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion and the Minister, Deputy Calleary, for his presence in the Chamber. This is an important debate because it affects every TD. People call into our constituency offices about family members or themselves in relation to their disabilities. Often, you come across people in difficult circumstances who may be on disability allowance. My colleague, Deputy Wall, gave an example. People cannot turn on the heating, afford to pay a phone bill or keep the lights on. That is the difficu…

Yesterday was my first budget in this House. Having spoken to a number of families last night and individuals who contacted me, they have looked at that budget yesterday and found absolutely nothing of substance that would help them. These are working families and working men and women. If the Minister takes the ordinary middle-income working family with two or three kids, there is no change in the price of their groceries or in their household bills. The tank of diesel or petrol costs more. Voluntary contributions…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, for being here and I also acknowledge the communication from the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on my Topical Issue. I wish to raise the roll-out of DEIS plus, which is a significant development in education across this country. It is something of keen focus for the Labour Party. I know the Government has announced, following the general election this year, that DEIS plus would be rolled out across many schools in the country but my firm belief is that we still do not ha…

I appreciate the response by the Minister of State. It is extremely important that we continue to highlight the significant issues faced by children across this country and the barriers before them in education. Today the Labour Party launched our Alternative Budget 2026. A significant part of this relates to disadvantage in our school communities and in education. In our alternative budget we want to begin the phasing in of all DEIS plus with identified clusters, which would cost €3 million. We want to expand the …

I also thank the Social Democrats for bringing this motion forward. I do not doubt the Minister's bona fides on this matter. He is a good man. I am well aware that it is more than likely there are people coming into his constituency office and applying for carer's allowance. I do not doubt that. At the same time, people - women are predominantly the carers in this country - are feeling significant pressure. They are finding it extremely difficult to care for loved ones in their households when the application for t…

I will be extremely parochial with my contribution. We are a year on now since the general election. Large-scale sport infrastructure funding was granted to Cork County Council, North Cork Athletics Club and Mallow Athletic Club for an athletics track at Carhookeal in Mallow. Speaking last year, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, said the project would be developed in the short term on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. One year later, nothing has progressed. This is not the short term. It is my understanding that…

The Taoiseach raised the possibility of using bespoke legislation to ensure a major sewerage scheme for Dublin does not face further delays. He said that we cannot tolerate any more delays. What about our own county of Cork? I am sure that, similar to my office, his office is inundated with housing needs. In July, five homes commenced building in Cork city. The city's monthly commencement average is ten times lower than last year's. While I appreciate that figures for Cork city are not as bad, Cork county is still …

Private homes.

Private single homes.

Yes.

They are five singular homes.

The Minister of State will be well aware that on 11 August this year members of the Mallow angling group reported dead fish in the River Blackwater which, in turn, led to an investigation by Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Cork County Council and the Marine Institute. Fish mortality in the River Blackwater is on a scale that we have never before seen in this country. It is heartbreaking for the wildlife and natural habitat of the area. I would like to note that the committee…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I appreciate it. I fully recognise the Government's response to this. To the fair to them, the Ministers of State, Deputies Dooley and O'Sullivan, have taken calls from me and have recognised the fact that a significant ecological disaster that has affected many species and wildlife has taken place on the River Blackwater. My issue lies solely with the State agencies involved, particularly IFI. Trying to get those agencies on the phone is next to impossible. Trying to ge…

Over 225,000 children live below the poverty line in this country. How are families meant to get out of poverty in Ireland in 2025? Food is getting more and more expensive. Food is not an optional extra. It is an everyday basic need. People are working to the bone. Parents are skipping meals to ensure their children are fed. Coming into winter, once again energy costs are going up. Heating one’s home, cooking meals and refrigerating food are all basic necessities and people are being continually squeezed more and m…

The Minister of State is going to be well aware of some of the schools and areas I am going to raise, as we are both from in and around the same area. As spokesperson on education for the party, I have heard from a significant number of people including teachers, parents, lobby groups within community areas and volunteers who have spoken to me about school transport or the lack of school transport. The difficulty that families are facing when it comes to trying to access a school transport is quite extraordinary. T…

I welcome the motion from Sinn Féin and the opportunity to raise these issues and concerns relating to school places for children with additional education needs. The Labour Party will absolutely support the motion. This is the third motion on this subject in 2025, including one of our own. The reality for a significant number of children with additional education needs and their parents has not changed. The number of parents contacting my office and the offices of colleagues across this House is actually increasin…

I welcome the motion brought forward by Sinn Féin. I begin my own contribution by welcoming all the students in the Gallery, who came out in force this evening against this €1,000 increase in the student fees. I put on the record that I have great respect for the Minister, but I absolutely think this is an argument and a fight that the Government is losing. I say that because the Minister made an assertion in his contribution that Opposition parties are using education as a political football.

He made that assertion.

I appreciate that, and I would appreciate if that was taken back because he made that assertion about people like me. I am not using this as a political football. This is genuine. I am the youngest Member in this House. I came out of college and the only reason I went to college was that I had access to a SUSI grant, but 80% of people across the country do not have that same access to a full grant. It is in the Minister's amendment. I would not have been able to achieve third level education if it was not for the s…

I realise that we have just had a debate on this. I seek an update on the programme for Government to continue to reduce the student contribution fee over the lifetime of the Government, as of July 2025.