Tonight marks eight weeks since Storm Éowyn, but people across Connemara are still without broadband or a telephone service. Any of us who have tried to contact, deal with or get answers from the network providers have been met with absolute nonsense. No dates or information have been provided. This is very serious. I have been informed that if there is an emergency situation involving a child at school, the parents cannot be contacted. Has the Tánaiste been in contact with these network providers? If he has not, w…

Homeless accommodation in Galway city and county is full. This means that at least two councils cannot provide accommodation in cases of emergency. At the same time, if somebody is trying to get a HAP property in Galway city or county, it is nearly to impossible to find one. If somebody in Galway city or county gets an eviction notice, what is the option available to him or her? He or she can hope that he or she can get something under the tenant in situ scheme, which is something that has worked in Galway city and…

Go raibh maith agat.

Comhghairdeas leis an Teachta.

Hear, hear.

I thank Independent Ireland for bringing forward this motion, which speaks to the real and justified anger that is out there. It is anger at the blatant waste of people's money by this Government and the previous one. In the dying days of the latter, we had a constant drip feed of shocking levels of wasted money, such as €336,000 on a bike shed, €1.4 million on a security hut, €9 million on phone pouches and the biggest one of all, €1.5 billion on a children's hospital. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments have be…

Tá mé an-bhuíoch as an deis labhairt faoi thábhacht na Gaeilge sa Gaeltacht agus Seachtain na Gaeilge faoi lánseol. Ar ndóigh, labhraíonn muintir na Gaeltachta agus lucht na Gaeilge an teanga chuile lá den bhliain. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach, áfach, go dtapaíonn muid an deis chun cinntiú go bhfuil muid ag tabhairt na tacaíochta atá ag teastáil uathu, agus ó na hoifigigh pleanála teanga, na coistí agus na pobail dheonacha atá taobh thiar dóibh atá ag obair sna limistéir phleanála teanga, sna bailte seirbhíse Gaeltachta …

Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil deacrachtaí le múinteoirí a earcú agus a choinneáil sna scoileanna atá againn faoi láthair ach tá sé deich n-uaire níos measa agus muid ag caint ar an nGaeloideachas, agus deich n-uaire níos measa fós nuair atáimid ag caint ar an oideachas sa Ghaeltacht nó ar na hoileáin amach ón gcósta. Tá cúpla rud gur féidir linn a dhéanamh chun é sin a dhéanamh níos éasca. Ar an gcéad dul síos, caithfimid breathnú ar an máistir gairmiúil sa oideachas, MGO, atá ann in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe faoi láthai…

Hear, hear.

I would like an update on the delivery timeline for BusConnects in Galway.

Go raibh maith agat, a Aire Stáit. It is good to be talking to a Galway Minister on these issues. The latest I have on this states the dates for implementation of the new service have not yet been set but it is anticipated the changes would happen in 2027. I thank the Minister of State for his response but it is disappointing to hear that the BusConnects network changes have been pushed back again. What is causing the delay? I was previously told the changes would start to come in during 2025. More recently, I was …

We all understand how difficult the traffic situation is in Galway and how it impacts people's lives every day when they are commuting, but my questions are specific because I have been dealing with it for a while. Does the NTA intend to implement new contracts with City Direct between 2025 and 2027? I am aware the new network will replace all current services. Does the Minister of State mean that the new network will be run by Bus Éireann alone or will other contractors play a role? I am concerned because this is …

I am sure.

Thank you.

I thank Deputy Coppinger for bringing forward this motion and for campaigning inside and outside this Chamber, as well as all those people who have joined us today because it is such an important issue. In the last year, we have seen reports of domestic violence to the Garda rise by 8% across the State but by 11% in Galway. We have already seen women violently killed in 2025. My thoughts are with those women and the people who love them. Tracking the real incidence of domestic violence is extremely difficult becaus…

Hear, hear.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Comhghairdeas leat as do phost nua, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I want to reiterate what has been said in the Chamber. Many people, especially young people, are waiting ridiculously long periods of time to access a driver test. In Galway, for example, the waiting list is over 3,000. That is 3,000 people who are waiting to get a driver test so that they can commute for work. A considerable issue I have encountered is that of commuting for housing. People are now waiting f…

Over the last year or so I have had an increasing number of parents of children of secondary school-going age who have not been allocated a school place. For a small number of people, this goes on months into the next school year. There is an added complication whereby on the school waiting list it is not clear what children have already been allocated a place in another school or are already in another school. Some are offered school places very far away and for a working parent it is just impossible to bring them…

Rents in Galway have been far too high for many years and they are only continuing to rise. We see, in Galway city, that the average rent is now over €2,100. In Galway county, it is over €1,500. That is a 70% increase just in the past five years. This is when rent pressure zones were supposed to keep rents at an affordable level but like so many of the previous Government's housing policies, they have absolutely failed in meeting their goal. Now the new Government intends on continuing its failed policies and the T…

Hear, hear.