In 2018, the BusConnects plan was launched. We knew it would take time to get that into place. Unfortunately, we have not seen the speed of implementation we should see. In my constituency of Wicklow, 58,000 people travel to work every year; only 2,500 of those travel by bus. There is huge potential to get people out of private cars and into buses, if the bus service was there. The BusConnects plan for north Wicklow is for a bus loop service for Bray and Greystones that would go around the different towns, a direct…

Today's report from the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, paints a very bleak picture for renters all across the country. In my constituency of Wicklow, the average monthly rent is a staggering €1,596, which is a 13% increase on last year. Taking a quick look at MyHome.ie to see what is available, there is a one-bedroom property in Wicklow town for €1,800, another one-bedroom residence in Newtownmountkennedy for €1,575 and a two-bedroom property in Kilcoole for €2,500. These are very ordinary premises with incredib…

Some 28,000 farmers are still awaiting their agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, payments. In counties such as Donegal and Cork, more than 3,500 are waiting while in Wicklow it is approximately 350. This is an important funding source for farmers to assist them to transition to more nature-friendly farming models. When will those payments be made? When will every farmer have his or her payment available to him or her?

By March?

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to represent the Minister for Education. This is my third Topical Issue on this issue, which I have raised a number of times in the Dáil with the Minister. In early October 2023, it became apparent that there was a major shortfall of places for secondary school students in Greystones. At that stage, we thought it could be around 100. I raised it directly with the Department during a committee meeting with the forward planning section. It was aware of this shortf…

I have to say that I am really disappointed with the response. It has been two months and the Department has yet to ascertain how many children in the area do not have a place. How does it take two months to go through that process? How has the Department not yet figured out where there is capacity in schools in the area? Parents in the area have just two questions. They want to know what school their child will be going to and when they will find out. They are two very simple basic questions and after first raisin…

Will the Minister provide an update on the provision of low-interest loans for retrofitting? It is quite a few years since they were first mooted. When will we see such loans offered and what will the interest rate be?

I am really disappointed that we do not seem to have the details of the loan scheme. The Minister launched the scheme two or three years ago. Every time I put in a question on it through the parliamentary system, I am told that information should be available in the following quarter. It seems the same response is being given again today. I acknowledge that progress has been made and there is agreement at EIB level. However, people need to know exactly when the loans will be available and what kinds of interest rat…

The Minister said this has not been done before. In fact, other countries have given zero-interest loans. Brussels, for example, gives zero-interest loans for retrofitting. That would have actually been a much better solution because it means that retrofitting is going to be something that every household could look at - that there is not that upfront cost to them. That is just a different argument. I have a quick question in relation to the loan scheme. Is the Minister looking to extend it beyond residential, to c…

The Department is not ahead of its B2 energy rating targets.

One of the first things I tabled in this Dáil was a motion drafted by the Social Democrats for the eradication of consistent poverty among children. Unfortunately, the Government rejected it. We have not seen the reduction or eradication of consistent poverty among children that we need. The State of the Nation's Children report for 2023 was published earlier today. Instead of a reduction, there has been an increase in the numbers of children at risk of poverty and in those experiencing consistent poverty. We now h…

We have not reduced child poverty, it is going up.

What about qualified child payment?

Thousands more children are living in poverty.

Last week, all Members of the Oireachtas were invited to stand outside the Dáil and read names from a list of people who have been murdered in Gaza since this conflict began. I did not realise the weight of the task until I started reading those names. There was name after name on page after page. The list just seemed to go on forever. The most difficult part was reading out the names and the ages of children. They were babies, toddlers and teenagers whose only concerns should have been things like going to school,…

I support this amendment and thank Deputy Murphy for tabling it. The way I look at it, if the Minister of State does not do this, he is actually tying the hands of GNI. He is constraining it, limiting it to very commercial activity and operations and not taking other things into consideration. Now is his opportunity. Bringing the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act through was a huge win for the environment. It was a very significant piece of work the Green Party in government did, in consultation with th…

The Taoiseach said we did not condemn.

Calling it an atrocity is a condemnation and the Taoiseach needs to present facts in this case.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. We need to see the plans of the Government on immigration and housing refugees. Each week we are told that they are just being worked on, but we need to see the facts, figures and timelines on this. There are more than 600 IPAS applicants who are currently on our streets who are facing sub-zero temperatures or storm after storm and we need to see the plan for how the Government will provide them with accommodation. We hear about reception and integration centres. Where are the pla…

Will the Minister deal with the question?