Back in March, I wrote to the Ministers for agriculture, justice and Transport on the issue of sulky racing and general sulky use. It is extraordinary to think that sulky racing is permitted under the Roads Act 1993. This issue crosses all three Departments. I ask that the working group look at welfare, enforcement, legislative reform, minimum ages, and a licensing and regulatory framework. It is extraordinary that the racing of sulkies is permitted. Is there any update from the working group? Does the Minister sup…

I want to briefly amplify what has already been said about Uisce Éireann. South Tipperary is in crisis, with 38,0000 households on a prolonged boil water notice. Most of the key towns are more often than not without water. Will the Taoiseach request a meeting for the Oireachtas Members with the CEO of Uisce Éireann, Mr. Gleeson? There is also the issue of accountability. A public utility in receipt of significant taxpayer funding should be accountable to the Dáil. I cannot table a parliamentary question for this or…

I am immensely proud to represent the constituency of Tipperary South, a constituency blessed with extraordinary strengths, great history, strong employment, great outdoors, an outstanding tourism offering, wonderful retail and hospitality businesses, and above all extraordinary community spirit. Of course, like every constituency we have our challenges. We continue to tackle vacancy and dereliction. We continue to fight for investment particularly in our water and wastewater infrastructure. However, today I want t…

This is about fairness. Just two gardaí have been allocated to Tipperary this year, with 245 going to the Dublin metropolitan region. Criminal gangs are operating with increased confidence in my constituency. Our gardaí on the ground in south Tipperary deserve reinforcement. Our communities deserve reassurance and our businesses deserve to operate without open criminality undermining our town centres. The reputation of south Tipperary is only as strong as the people's sense of safety. Once that begins to disappear,…

While I welcome the supports available to older people, there is a growing concern that the social welfare system does not address the additional costs associated with advancing age. What I am asking the Tánaiste to examine, in the context of budget 2027, is additional supports for older people, particularly those over the age of 80 and 90. I am particularly thinking about the fuel allowance. We have 189,000 people over the age of 80 and 29,000 over the age of 90 but not all have an automatic entitlement to the fue…

Following on from the decision to withdraw from State-contracted commercial accommodation for beneficiaries of temporary accommodation, to what extent has a review been undertaken of the long-term role and cost-effectiveness of modular accommodation centres, of which there are 11, including whether alternative future uses for such facilities are being considered in light of that change in accommodation policy?

I thank the Minister. I want to focus on Clonmel. As he said, there are 654 units at the national level, of which 82 are in Clonmel. From the very outset, not all, but the vast majority of people understood that these modular homes were built as an emergency response to the war in Ukraine. They accepted that such extraordinary circumstances required extraordinary measures. I am somewhat concerned, though, that there is no final decision on the future of these sites despite that multi-agency process the Minister ref…

I welcome confirmation that these are durable homes with a 60-year lifespan. Indeed, I further welcome the Minister's suggestion around social housing or perhaps cost rental. It would be helpful as well if that Office of Public Works post-project completion report is published, particularly in the interests of transparency. The units in Clonmel were built at an average cost of €436,000 each. Taxpayers have invested many millions of euro. I welcome confirmation from the Minister that the people of Clonmel, together …

I want to champion the warmer homes scheme and the Minister's commitment to it. I am seeking an update on waiting times for initial assessment and for completion of works, and details of any action plan to reduce those times.

I reaffirm my support for the warmer homes scheme, which is having a real impact at local level, particularly for vulnerable householders, including older people and low-income families. The extension of the eligibility criteria for the scheme means that more than 470,000 families are now entitled to avail of it. My concern is the waiting times, with an average of 14 months for assessment and 24 to 26 months for completion of works. We really need to look at that. Having met with SEAI representatives this morning, …

Since the early days of the scheme, which I continue to champion, more than 176,000 houses have been retrofitted. The Minister of State is right that the average retrofit cost per house is €31,000 but I am conscious that 30% of all applications are for what are called shallow refits involving both attic and wall insulation. When I met with the SEAI representatives this morning, there was a consciousness on both sides of the better energy homes scheme, which provides 100% funding for wall and attic insulation. We ne…

Deputy O'Shea had better not go over time.

The State continues to fund an international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centre on the site of the former historic Dundrum House Hotel despite repeated concerns raised by me around due diligence, transparency, planning compliance and the protection of our built heritage. On the issue of planning compliance, a decision of An Bord Pleanála is imminent. In recent days, however, further evidence has emerged of the serious and accelerating deterioration of a protected structure on the site, that is, the man…

Yes.

I raise the ongoing closure of the south Tipperary memory clinic in Cashel and the growing impact it is having on patients and families across the county. I thank the Minister of State for taking the question, as I know it is an area she is very familiar with, given her previous responsibility in this area. Through a number of parliamentary questions I submitted recently, I received confirmation from the HSE that the memory clinic has been closed since January 2026. There is no reopening date, and while there is a …

I thank the Minister of State for her reply and acknowledge the extent to which she has been a positive force. I acknowledge the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, too, and the establishment of 25 memory clinics around the country. The central issue remains that we have no clear timeline for the restoration of service in south Tipperary. At the heart of my question lie the 450 people awaiting an initial assessment and the 168 awaiting a follow-up appointment. That waiting list will only grow as long as the clinic…

Does the Taoiseach agree that the racing of the horse-drawn vehicles called sulkies on public roads is completely unacceptable? It is incredible to think that, under existing road traffic legislation, in particular section 74 of the Roads Act 1993, it is allowed for under certain circumstances. I am engaging with the Department of Transport in my role as Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport on the heads of the road traffic Bill, which are due to be presented to the Government before the summer recess. The…

I will take this opportunity to not only highlight, but shine a light on the proposed college of the future on the former Kickham Barracks site in Clonmel and acknowledge the progress of the project in the context of the SOLAS major project process. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the Minister's steadfast support for the project as well. As the Minister knows, I wrote to him in March inviting him to come to Clonmel to see the site first hand. He is due to visit the site in the next number of weeks. I lo…

I want to shine a light on the claim of our school secretaries and caretakers for access to the public sector pension scheme and other entitlements. I welcome the intervention of the Labour Court but for reasons unknown to me and ten months after their August 2025 strike action, we still await a recommendation. What I do know - I am sure the Minister will agree - is the extent to which they are such a positive force in our schools and centres of educational excellence. In recent weeks, many secretaries and caretake…

This being National Biodiversity Week it is really important we acknowledge the enormous positive work at the local level within our communities by schools, farmers, environmental organisations and especially volunteers and Tidy Towns groups. They do extraordinary work to protect and enhance biodiversity. If we are serious about protecting biodiversity we also need to be serious about confronting invasive species and this is what I will focus on in my contribution. In towns and villages in County Tipperary and acro…