We are all thinking of the families who have been bereaved by the roads. As the Minister of State is very well aware, we had a number of tragedies that affected Galway families recently. All our thoughts are with those families and their loved ones. Over the course of this debate and those we have had over the last number of weeks, we heard of many different ways in which we can tackle this particular issue. I want to speak on a specific issue that I feel really does need to be addressed, which is the state of the …

I raise the cancellation of the Aircoach from Galway to Dublin Airport. This has caused huge concern across Galway. Will the Minister outline the steps he is taking to address this matter?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The context to all of this is that in September 2020, Bus Éireann announced that the 20-X20 route between Galway and Dublin was to be discontinued as and from July 2021. At that time, the NTA granted a licence for the Aircoach 706-706X commercial service, which has been running since July 2021 with ten departures each way, seven days a week. At that time, I raised this with the Minister and the NTA and was told that private operators would fill the gap left by the 20-X20. However, thi…

But not through County Galway.

There is no harm in that but we need to be looking at rural Ireland as well and its connectivity. I live in Galway city and can jump on a Citylink or a GoBus any day of the week, almost any hour, but we also need to look at services for rural areas. We cannot have a situation where this Government is once again forgetting about rural Ireland and public transport links for rural Ireland. It is extremely important and the Minister should really understand that. I understand what he is saying regarding the issue of de…

This is cancelled.

But this is cancelled.

Not to Dublin Airport.

There was a service and it was cancelled.

Tá sé tagtha chun solais nach bhfuil an Ghaeilge éigeantach do phost mar stiúrthóir scoileanna san Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB. Is cúis imní é seo do scoileanna Gaeltachta agus do Ghaelcholáistí. Tá seacht meánscoileanna Gaeltachta agus dhá Ghaelcholáiste taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht faoin GRETB agus is é seo níos mó ná aon trian de na meánscoileanna Gaeilge ar fad atá sa Stát. Tá dualgas, ar ndóigh, ag scoileanna Gaeilge faoin Acht Oideachais an Ghaeilge a chaomhnú agus a neartú. Cén ch…

Táim ag labhairt faoi stiúrthóir san GRETB i nGaillimh agus i Ros Comáin, ceantar a bhfuil seacht meánscoil Gaeltachta agus dhá Ghaelcholáiste i gceist.

Is faoin stiúrthóir don phost nua-----

-----do na scoileanna ar fad. Tá duine éigin nua á fhostú i gceann cúpla mí.

Tá an duine bhí ann éirithe as agus maidir leis an bpost seo, níl sé éigeantach go mbeadh Gaeilge ag an duine seo, cé go bhfuil Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí mar chuid den-----

Níl sé éigeantach nó riachtanach don phost nua.

Go raibh maith ag an Tánaiste.

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Tánaiste.

"We're seeing mass starvation now and famine before our very eyes ... I think we, as humanity, need to look at ourselves in horror and dismay". These are the words of South Africa's foreign minister, Naledi Pandor. Gaza is at the brink of famine. António Guterres has rightly said that such a famine would be entirely man-made. The people whom Israel has not managed to kill through its indiscriminate bombing and destruction of hospitals and basic infrastructure it is now hoping to kill by starvation. We watched in ho…

The need for the provision of properly resourced healthcare at community level is clear. The ongoing crisis in our hospitals emphasises the importance of care being available to people at a community level to help relieve pressure on the emergency departments. Part of the plan to strengthen community care is the concept of primary care centres that would support the provision of a range of services in the local community. The roll-out of primary care centres in Galway west has been painfully slow. In 2014, the HSE …

The Government's policy of having an over-reliance on vulture funds to provide student accommodation instead of directly provided student accommodation by the Government has meant there is a complete reliance on overpriced accommodation for the student population. This, of course, means many students feel completely locked out of third-level education because they simply cannot afford to live in the areas where they might want to study. Students have been very clear for a long number of years that what they need is…