It was the day before the vote.

I want to raise the issue of the funding cuts to education programmes at education and training boards, ETBs, this year. The Government has cut over €1.3 million from Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB's further education pathways budget. The result is that 25 teachers have been informed that they are being let go and roughly 150 classes are being cancelled. GRETB says it has been left with no other choice because of these funding cuts. The cuts will mainly affect the most essential classes, i…

Families have been left in shock by the steep rise in their fuel costs. These families are already under enormous pressure. We know 320,000 households across the State are in arrears on their energy bills under the Minister’s watch. This comes after the Government slashed cost-of-living supports in this year's budget. It left households to fend for themselves, including elderly people and people living alone. People with disabilities were left €1,400 worse off. It was really shameful and the price increases since t…

I am also pleased to co-sponsor these Bills, which are important legislation to end Ireland's energy rip-off. There are 320,000 people in arrears on their electricity bills, which is an enormous jump of 20,000 households in just a month. At the same time, Government has failed and refused to empower the regulator to tackle price-gouging and hold companies accountable for skyrocketing bills. The two Bills being introduced are critical to addressing this and ensuring that the CRU can protect consumers. This is very i…

The Athenry ring road is a key infrastructural project for our town. It is fair to say that progress has been quite slow. While parts of the road have been completed, we need to see this full project progressed and delivered. Construction is ongoing at the elbow section at Ballygarraun. That is very welcome and will provide another connection to the schools and the motorway and make it quicker and easier to get around the town. The next section to be completed is the eastern section through Ballydavid. This is key …

Go raibh maith agat. What I am really looking for is clarity on this project. The people of Athenry have been waiting for the ring road for a very long time. It is a hugely important infrastructural project for the town and for reducing congestion in the town. It is critical for us as a growing town and a town that is going to continue to grow significantly in the years ahead. The design work is going on for a very long time at this stage. We know what is required for the bridge works to facilitate the road and the…

On wastewater infrastructure, planning permission has been granted for in excess of 60 houses at different sites in Mountbellew on the basis of the condition that they cannot be occupied until they are connected to the upgraded Mountbellew wastewater treatment plant. There is still no clarity on when construction on the plant will begin. In Craughwell and Clarinbridge, funding was announced for wastewater upgrades three years ago, but there has been no progress on these projects. As the Minister knows, we have a se…

Mixed messaging from the Government and the HSE has caused confusion and uncertainty about the future plans for an elective hospital at Merlin Park in Galway. The hospital has been promised for years. It is critical for healthcare in the west of Ireland and for taking pressure off University Hospital Galway, UHG. The people of Galway want immediate and full clarity on whether plans to build an elective hospital at Merlin Park are going ahead, and whether the funding to deliver these plans is in place. They want cla…

During an interview with TG4 last week, the Taoiseach was recorded as saying that there is not a lot of substance in the current campaign for a referendum on Irish unity. The Taoiseach's dismissive attitude is very disappointing, especially given the hard work that many organisations are currently doing to advance the case for a united Ireland, such as Ireland's Future. Unfortunately, these organisations are doing the job the Government should be doing in terms of actively preparing and planning for Irish unity. Wh…

What about the preparation for unity?

The recent carbon tax increases we have seen impact on the most vulnerable households. It hits them the hardest. As we know, households are facing rising costs across the board, particularly when it comes to filling the car with fuel and heating the home, yet the Government is set to plough ahead with these increases. They are scheduled until 2030 at least. Households are expected to take on this burden at a time when many households are struggling. The Minister says this is a tax that will contribute toward changi…

The whole argument the Government uses to justify the increases in this tax is that the increasing receipts are spent on climate initiatives. The Minister can say that it is ring-fenced, but this report has said that the reality is that 40% of the revenue is not being directed toward the intended measures. I outlined to the Minister the pressures that carbon tax increases are placing on households and that people do not have the alternatives. I do not know how the Minister can justify further increases when he is n…

I attended a public meeting in Abbeyknockmoy in my constituency last week. Power Capital is proposing to develop a very large solar project there. It is already developing one nearby in Grange. There are proposals to install a battery energy storage system as part of these projects. This has caused unease in those communities because in January of last year there was a fire at a separate lithium-ion system based in nearby Claregalway. Three fire fighters have not been able to return to work since dealing with that …

I am inundated with families contacting me who are having a real difficulty accessing the supports, services and therapies that their children need from CDNTs. The HSE data from last month showed a number of vacancies across the CDNT network in Galway. At that time, just one CDNT out of 15 in the broader west and north-west region was fully staffed. The result of that is that children are facing extreme waits to access the services they need. It is causing untold stress to families as well. One particular family in…

Clearly, this legislation is being rushed. It is really important legislation that deserves to be debated fully and fleshed out. What is happening here is bad practice. There is a limited time for proper scrutiny and late amendments. It is all very last-minute. It is impossible for TDs and their offices to give this the full level of scrutiny it deserves. It is irresponsible to do business in this manner. Amendment No. 1, which was proposed by Deputy Carthy, very sensibly sought to set out a report in order to ensu…

I am all right.

The Minister earlier said that this debate is sovereignty in action. It is, but what he is doing in this instance is signing that away. We are not going to have the same capacity to make these decisions because of the EU pact. He is handing away decision-making power. The Government has also signed us up to potential infringement proceedings from the European Union when we inevitably cannot live up to the pact that we have signed up to. That is a bizarre and irresponsible approach to take. We are talking about huge…

This is obviously a very sensitive area and the welfare of children is absolutely paramount. As Deputy Ward said, we need a robust system that treats people fairly and processes them as quickly as possible. I ask the Minister to set out in as much detail as he can what he envisages will happen in terms of detention and how that process will work in practice. Is it his position it should be a measure of "last resort", as mentioned in the amendment, and what safeguards are there to ensure the welfare of people who ar…

I want to raise the ongoing review of the 2006 wind energy guidelines. Revised guidelines have been promised for many years at this stage, as the Taoiseach is aware. In my constituency, and particularly in the north Galway area, we are facing a huge number of developments in communities such as Clonberne, Killimordaly, Barnaderg, Shancloon and Laurclavagh, to name but a few. The 2006 guidelines were brought forward when turbines were a fraction of the size of modern turbines. They do not protect communities from th…

The recent discovery of bluetongue cases across the island has been a major setback for the farming sector. While the number of confirmed cases to date has remained low, the consequences of this outbreak for the wider sector are significant. One of these consequences is the recent introduction of bans on the live export of animals between the North and South of this island, except in cases where the animal is intended for direct slaughter. This ban is having a huge effect on livestock farmers who depend on all-isla…