I ask the Minister to provide an update on the new State aviation policy and also provide more information on the process of the review that he mentioned earlier.

As has been said, it is ten years since the State aviation policy was updated so I hope it is something that can be progressed as quickly as possible. The national planning framework, which came before us recently, made very limited reference to the role that the State’s regional airports will play into the future. The development of these airports must be a clear strategic priority, especially in the context of balanced regional growth. When we consider that over 84% of all flights in the State are processed throu…

I thank the Minister. I met representatives of Shannon Airport recently. I am also on the cross-party Oireachtas group. Obviously every airport wants more airlines but they also want support in terms of policy from the Minister. They want the State aviation policy to reflect the need to develop regional airports. I want to raise the issue of bus and rail links to airports, in particular Shannon Airport and Knock airport. It is key to supporting their development. Will bus and rail links to regional airports be cons…

This is to ask the Minister what actions his Department is taking to address capacity issues on InterCity and regional rail services, particularly in the context of increased numbers of people using public transport, as the Minister mentioned.

The issue of overcrowding on services, particularly at peak times in and out of Galway city at stations such as Athenry has been raised with me. I have met Irish Rail to discuss this. For example, we have only two carriages on the first train arriving into Galway city at 8.10 a.m. every day. We have seen serious overcrowding and it has been a safety issue. As the Minister mentioned, there are new carriages arriving in Dublin. They will not become operational until 2026. Irish Rail has informed me that once these ne…

I welcome the Minister's commitment to raise this issue with Irish Rail. I will also raise the lack of early morning services into the city. As I have mentioned, that first train arrives at 8.10 a.m. Again, there are restrictions with the single track but is that going to be looked at? There are issues with morning services being late. I ask the Minister to engage with Irish Rail on that and on the need for more services later into the evening for commuters returning home. Will the Government look at fully double-t…

We learned this week that the Government has again misled the public. The funding announced for Irish Water to support increased housing supply was not actually additional funding, but just a different way of funding the current programme. We have heard that directly from the chairman of Irish Water. I am sure the Tánaiste will deny that, but he cannot deny the reality on the ground. There are many towns and villages across County Galway, such as Corofin, Ardrahan, Monivea, Abbeyknockmoy and many more, where we can…

The consequences of the crisis in childcare are well known. Many parents who want to work are prevented from doing so. They have to leave their jobs or reduce their hours and stay at home with their children instead. This is preventing many people, women in particular, from returning to the workplace. It impacts hugely on low-income families. At present, we have some of the highest childcare costs in the EU. Thousands of parents cannot find places for their children or are forced to travel very long distances to ac…

International Workers' Day is not only a time to celebrate the strides that have been made in improving workers' conditions and pay; it is also a time to reflect on the areas that need significant improvement. Sub-minimum wage rates, in particular, remain an issue. These rates mean young people under the age of 20 are legally allowed to be paid less than their fellow colleagues for the same work. These rates are exploitative of young workers, and the State should recognise the principle of equal pay for equal work …

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this important motion. I want to use the opportunity to raise an ongoing allocation review in Lisheenkyle National School in my constituency, which is due to be completed in mid-May. The school currently has ten SNAs, who are a fantastic support to the children there. Parents have been informed by the SENO and school staff that the review is likely to reduce the number of SNAs in the school to just three or four. This school has a significant number of children with spe…

This framework will have a significant influence on the development of major strategic projects in the State. It should show ambition for future balanced regional development. As a TD from the west of Ireland, however, I think this development plan fails to address the current regional imbalance between the greater Dublin area and the rest of the country. If anything, the population growth targets contained within the document further cement this imbalance against the western region. This is a missed opportunity fo…

Public representatives were made aware of a contract having been signed to provide international protection accommodation at the Merriman Hotel, Kinvara, on 18 March. This was the first anybody had heard about this. It has caused enormous anger in the local community. I need to stress that the people of Kinvara have always been very welcoming to refugees from different parts of the world over many years. However, in this instance, there was zero engagement with the community in advance of this proposal, which could…

Engagement is no good after a decision is made. That is not consultation. Communities cannot be kept in the dark on these proposals and treated with utter contempt. It is a recipe for disaster. Stating that the sole hotel policy does not apply to hotels like the Merriman is a cop-out. It is a hotel. It is the only one in the village. This is a tourist village, and the loss of this hotel is having a serious economic impact. There is no clarity for the Ukrainian residents - 40 people are still there, by the way. Sham…

One of my greatest frustrations with Irish Water is the difficulty in accessing information or getting a response to representations. I am aware this is a major source of frustration for my constituents also. It was particularly an issue in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, when very little information was provided by phone or email on disruptions to water supply. In recent weeks, I have been getting responses to representations that I made in the week following the storm. A response is not much good to me or my consti…

As we know, many workers who have a contractual retirement age lower than the pension age are being forced out of their jobs and this can lead to significant drops in income for workers. It is also insulting to people who have worked their entire lives to be forced out of their jobs before they can access the full pension. This has caused significant hardship for many older citizens. Many people find purpose in their work. They enjoy going to work every day and they want to continue contributing to society. They en…

No one trusts the Minister on this issue, given what has happened in the past. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted when it comes to water charges. The fact that the Minister is opposing this Bill confirms we are right to have those suspicions. Water is a human right. Water charges punish the likes of pensioners and people on low incomes. They push people into water poverty. We have a cost-of-living crisis and there is no justification for charges. We have discovered, however, that the Government is working …

Funnily enough, this was not mentioned during the general election campaign because the Minister knows this is something the Irish public does not support. This has never been about conservation or tackling excessive use from the Government’s point of view. It is simply an attempt to bring domestic water charges in through the back door. If it was about conservation, we would have proper investment in our water infrastructure and underground network. The Government should ensure that Uisce Éireann has funding to ad…

The approach to this scheme has been unnecessarily petty and insulting to many of my constituents who suffered enormously after Storm Éowyn, particularly elderly and vulnerable individuals who were left to fend for themselves in many cases. Many in my constituency feel they were abandoned despite the assurances given by Government that everyone would be looked after. I have been inundated with queries from people whose humanitarian assistance scheme, HAS, applications were rejected. I have had people who cannot und…

This legislation is long awaited and much needed for bereaved partners who have been discriminated against for a long time. While it is very welcome, it is regrettable that it took a grieving partner to take a court case to make this change happen and recognise the changing make-up of modern families and relationships. We know that many couples choose to live together without formalising their union through marriage. This choice does not diminish the love, the commitment and the partnership that these couples share…

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. The work of young carers in particular has not been recognised. That needs to change. They need to be supported in order that they can pursue their education and live their lives as young people. I am going to share the experiences of some carers in my constituency with whom I have spoken in recent days. While this is just a small sample, all of those I have spoken to feel forgotten and totally unsupported. Frances told me about her mother who cares for her…