I agree with everything the Minister said. Crucially, balanced regional development must be reflected in outcomes on the ground. South Tipperary, Clonmel and all the other key towns offer everything the IDA is looking for, such as a proven industrial ecosystem that the Minister mentioned. A town like Clonmel has so much potential. The crucial step in this regard was securing planning permission, which was a critical barrier for inward investment. That should translate into momentum. I press upon the Minister to pus…

I heard the Taoiseach speaking earlier about the 180 precious lives lost on Irish roads so far this year. Motorcycle deaths are the highest in more than 20 years. As policymakers and legislators, we have to do more. I am currently working on an action plan and working closely with road victim advocacy groups. Over the next four years during the lifetime of this Government, 500 more lives will be lost. A key priority is the strengthening of our roads policing unit. Back in 2009, that unit stood close to 1,050. We ha…

To what extent has the Department assessed the potential cost implications for public sector pay and pension liabilities that would arise in the event of Irish unification? This is not a political question. It is a simple question of forward planning, good governance and having all the facts in the context of this important debate.

I support the long-term aspiration of Irish unity based on consent. However, if we are serious about this aspiration, we also need to be serious about the practicalities that come with it and the financial implications. Right now, there is little discussion about the fiscal implications of Irish unification, particularly disparities that exist in public sector pay and pensions, social protection systems, taxation, health and infrastructure. This is not a political question. It is simply a question of good governanc…

I am sure the Minister agrees there are huge disparities between systems North and South in public sector pay structures, pension liabilities, welfare supports in particular, and broader public spending. Any future settlement, whenever it might arise, will have significant financial consequences for this State. Ignoring that reality does not make it go away. All I am seeking, and what the public deserves, is clarity on whether the State has even begun to model these implications. If unity is ever to happen, it must…

The warmer homes scheme is supposed to protect the most vulnerable households in our society, including older people, low-income families, people living alone and those wholly dependent on supports like the fuel allowance. Right now the scheme is failing them and it is about to get far worse. I will outline the current reality. On 4 November this year my office contacted the SEAI on behalf of a vulnerable client who applied for the warmer homes scheme in October 2024. Almost 14 months later she is still awaiting a …

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, which alluded to a 21-month waiting time. Correspondence sent to me directly by the SEAI confirmed that the waiting time is somewhere between 24 and 26 months. People came into my office in quarter 3 of 2024 and as of now, 14 months later, the SEAI cannot tell me when these homes will be surveyed. I have people in their 90s who applied in quarter 3 of 2024. They will not be alive when their house is due for a survey. I appreciate the Minister of State's reply, but there …

We are little more than 40 days from a cliff edge that the Minister has just described as a "critical juncture". From 1 January post mortems will no longer be carried out at UHW, a service that carries out 700 cases every year, which are often the most tragic and traumatic of deaths. Behind every one of these cases is a family in shock waiting for answers and waiting simply to lay a loved one to rest yet today, with the deadline fast approaching, there is no clarity on who will perform these examinations, where the…

This is not an abstract policy issue; this is a human one. There are 700 cases every year. Every day that a family waits for a post mortem is a day they cannot hold a funeral, cannot begin the grieving process and cannot find closure. That is the reality that awaits hundreds of families across the south east if this service collapses on 1 January. Coroners, funeral directors and front-line responders still have no guidance. Families deserve reassurance that they will not be left waiting in deep distress for a servi…

The N24 upgrade, particularly the Cahir to Waterford section, is a critical piece of national infrastructure yet throughout all of 2025, the project has remained stalled at the preferred route stage with no movement towards detailed design. At the same time, the Cahir to Limerick section has advanced, creating what is a clear imbalance along a single strategic corridor. In my role as Chair of the Oireachtas committee on transport, I have engaged directly with the Minister and also with Transport Infrastructure Irel…

The message is very straightforward. The N24 is essential national infrastructure and the imbalance in its progression cannot continue. I have engaged with both the Minister and TII. I thank them for that but we now need delivery. The Cahir to Limerick section is moving at pace and will be subject to a significant announcement today. Unfortunately, the Cahir to Waterford section remains stalled. In the meantime, the congestion on the Clonmel bypass shows the cost of inaction. There is pressure on safety, lost econo…

I notified the Ceann Comhairle's office on Tuesday that I would take this question, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Is that in order?

On Monday of this week the High Court quashed a section 5 declaration applying to Dundrum House Hotel. This site is no longer planning compliant, yet we maintain a multimillion-euro IPAS contract with a company whose shady business dealings are before the High Court. There is no accountability, no transparency and no due diligence. This is not about IPAS; this is about the taxpayer and the people of Dundrum. Since we have entered into this contract, we have lost a golf course. Some 780 members can no longer drive a…

The question of greater North-South integration and any future constitutional change carries profound economic implications. It is really important that we approach this debate with honesty and clarity. Further integration will require significant investment, aligning public services, connecting infrastructure, integrating health and education and ensuring social welfare compatibility. If we are to maintain public confidence, we need transparent, independent economic analysis. We need to be honest about the challen…

It will be a very positive day in Templemore tomorrow when 194 new recruits will be passing out. Unfortunately, many of these new recruits will be allocated to the metropolitan cities while in my constituency the key towns of Tipperary, Cashel, Cahir, Fethard, Carrick-on-Suir and my hometown of Clonmel will be left behind. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree that maintaining law and order is not just a challenge for our cities. It is a challenge for every town, village and community across Ireland. I am very proud of…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this important Topical Issue. I raise this issue today because there is an urgent need to finally close the loophole that allows drivers to continue renewing learner permits indefinitely without ever sitting a driving test. Of course, this is not a new problem. It was identified more than a decade ago in the RSA's Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020. Action 33 of the strategy clearly commits to addressing this loophole with a completion date of quarter 1 of 2014. Eleven years lat…

I thank the Minister of State. I have a reply in front of me and perhaps he could give clarification. It says that the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, signed a regulation yesterday. If that is the case, I welcome that. I also welcome the reply the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, has just given and again acknowledge the Department's efforts to improve driving tests overall. As the Minister of State knows, this issue has been flagged repeatedly by the RSA and by the transport committee, of which, as he said, I …

In the week of COP30, I call out the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, for its utter failure to deliver the warmer homes scheme in a timely manner. This week I got confirmation from the SEAI that the average waiting time for initial assessment is 14 months, and a minimum of 26 months from application to completion. What really concerns me is the lack of urgency from the SEAI and the lack of an action plan to reduce waiting times for what are really vulnerable customers. They need these urgent heating u…

Over recent months, the situation in Dundrum, south Tipperary, has become a test case for how we as a State balance urgent humanitarian obligations with proper process, transparency and respect for local communities. From the outset, I raised serious concerns about the lack of due diligence and transparency surrounding this decision, which regrettably have proven well founded. A substantial public contract was entered into with a company only incorporated in January of this year. That fact alone should have trigger…

As the Tánaiste knows, since I was first elected, the expansion of the Scoil Aonghusa special school in Cashel has been a priority of mine. I pay tribute to everybody involved in this centre of educational excellence. The school is under huge pressure as it caters for 150 children with complex special needs. Thankfully, the 15-room modular expansion was approved in February this year. It is my understanding that the tender process is just about complete. As the Tánaiste knows, it is all about delivery now. I am anx…