For years, disabled children and their families have been failed by successive Governments. They have been promised rights, supports and services, but too often those promises have not been delivered. Families have been left waiting for assessments, therapies, school supports and basic services. They have been forced to fight the State for what should already be available to them as a matter of law and dignity. This is not a new failure. Governments have published strategies, made announcements and offered warm wor…

Neutrality and our triple lock have served us well and should continue to do so. The Irish people are proud of our history of neutrality, diplomacy and peacekeeping. We are particularly proud of our Defence Forces and the role they have played as peacekeepers in some of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world. In deployments in Europe, Africa and Lebanon, they have done us all proud. I am opposed to the steps being taken by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to end the triple lock on our neutrality protection. Moves …

In recent years, there have been some improvements on the bus transport in Limerick city, with routes such as the 310 from Annacotty to the city centre being rolled out. These new routes and improvements have to be welcomed, but significant gaps remain in the provision of bus services across Limerick city. Condell Road in Limerick is an example in this regard. Hundreds of new homes, which were built in recent years and in which families and workers live, are located on this road and in the surrounding area. The roa…

As stated, good progress has been made regarding transport in the mid-west, but we still lag way behind other areas across the State. Last year, I published a report on bus infrastructure in areas on the north side of Limerick City. It clearly showed that working class areas lack basic services and that they had no bus stops, signage or bus shelters. Some work was done on the back of that report. Some of the signage has been put up in the Ballynanty area where I live and where was no bus stop or signage previously.…

The cost-of-living crisis is impacting families of all backgrounds. The bite is being felt at the petrol pump, at the grocery till, in the utility bills and beyond. For working families, one of the most expensive monthly outlays is childcare fees. Families in Limerick with both parents working full time who are not fortunate enough to have additional family support are paying up to €300 per week on crèche fees. For those availing of a childminder, the fee is closer to €250 per week, which is a significant expense, …

As an island with a dispersed population, connectivity is crucial to our continued economic development. To continue this development it is necessary to lift the passenger cap in Dublin Airport while also focusing on delivering balanced regional aviation growth. That is something I suggest this Government and its predecessor have failed to do. Last year, Dublin Airport exceeded the passenger cap by more than 4 million passengers. The 32 million passenger cap must now be removed. If not, and due to legal challenges,…

I move: That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters entitled "Report on Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 25th March, 2026. I welcome the opportunity to move this motion and to present the committee's report on inclusive education for persons with disabilities. I acknowledge the disabled learners, families, educators, representative organisations, service providers and other experts, especially Corpus…

I thank the Minister of State for his kind and supportive comments for the committee and its members. It is much appreciated. I thank all of the members of the committee who contributed to the report, turned up to meetings, read all of the submissions, made suggestions, changes and amendments and helped us to deliver what I believe is a good report. I hope it will be accepted. I want to I record my thanks to the committee secretariat, ably led by Mairead O'Donovan and supported by Ronan O'Connor and Tracey Driscoll…

Ballinacurra Weston in Limerick is one of the most disadvantaged areas in this State. This time last year, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, acknowledged it was an area forgotten by the State and that it now has Government support. He made those comments while visiting Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre. That same centre is now facing the daunting task of telling local families there are no early childcare places for their children. We are not just talking about a few families but, rather, 214 children on a waiting …

-----or will Ballinacurra Weston once again be forgotten by Government?

No, the waiting list has 214 children on it. It is completely overwhelmed.

I have raised a number of times over the years the capacity issues faced by University Hospital Limerick. The huge number of people on trolleys remains unacceptably high. One of the impacts of that is the number of outpatients waiting excessive amounts of time for appointments: 3,244 people have been on outpatient waiting lists for more than 12 months, with 981 of those waiting over 18 months for an appointment. Something that could be done to reduce these numbers is the opening of the new surgical hub at the site …

The Government has cut it.

Yes, but the Government is opening a new hub that-----

The Government has failed consistently in the delivery of transport infrastructure. Projects experience delays, costs mount and progress occurs at a snail’s pace. I am proud to have been representing the people of Limerick in this House for over a decade. It has been the honour of my life. I tend to travel to Dublin by public transport, most regularly by train. Upon arriving in Dublin, I mostly use public transport to get to Leinster House. What I notice most – I am sure other Deputies will concur - is the contrast…

People living with a disability face a double disadvantage. They face lower employment rates combined with a higher cost of living, as the Minister knows. Those living with a disability are entitled to an adequate standard of living, like the rest of us. That standard includes safe, accessible housing, nutritious food, quality healthcare, rehabilitation services, education and access to meaningful employment opportunities. Yet, this Government took the entitlements from them in last year's budget. It did so by with…

I listened carefully to what the Minister said in his speech. One of the saddest things is that he actually believes what he read out. The figures announced recently of 7,062 eviction notices across the State show a 51% increase on the same time last year. This will come as no surprise to many of us because we predicted this was going to happen. In Limerick we have had 354 evictions in quarter 1 of 2026, and 269 were issued in quarter 4 of 2025. That is 623 in a six-month period. These are not just numbers but fami…

I begin by sending my solidarity to those in the National Ambulance Service who are engaged in strike action today. I know they would much rather be at work. Today's action should and could have been averted but the Government failed to address the issues that caused them to strike. At this late hour, I call on the Government to intervene and engage with the workers, and ensure that ambulance staff receive the respect and safe staffing that they deserve. Nurses are the backbone of our health service. While the dire…

Irish householders pay 40% more for electricity than the EU average, which comes to €480 more per year. On average, households owe €500 to their energy suppliers. The vast majority of them simply do not have that. Over 320,000 households are in arrears on their electricity bills and 180,000 are in arrears on their gas bills. This is scandalous. Irish people, when they can, always pay their bills. These figures demonstrate the scale of the rip-off that our Irish householders face. While Irish workers and families st…

The medical board at University Hospital Limerick has, as the Minister of State is aware, warned that the risks to patient care at the hospital remain intolerable and unacceptable. I have spoken countless times in this Chamber over the past decade of the challenges faced by patients and staff at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, and I welcome the intervention of Prof. Devlin of the UHL medical board. Dr. Alan Watts, a consultant in emergency medicine and a member of the board as well, said on the Live 95 FM radio …