Is the Government even at this late going to allow the RSA to do what it is supposed to do and deal with operational services in a separate body?

I want to ask the Minister about documents recently released to the Committee of Public Accounts relating to cost overruns in the IT system that was supposed to regulate train movements across the State. Under the initial proposals, the traffic management system was targeted to be commissioned in 2024 with an associated target cost of €19 million. However, over €31.5 million has apparently already been spent without the first phase having been completed. Has the Minister of State any statement to make?

There may not be difficulty with railway safety at the moment, but to say that progress has been slower than anticipated when €31.5 million has been spent without the first phase having been completed is surely the understatement of the year. I understand that there are between seven and nine phases to it and we have not even reached phase 1 despite that kind of expenditure. I do not need to go into the history of bike sheds, children's hospitals and so on but is there a danger that something similar will happen, g…

The Minister of State is correct to say that there is a growing use of rail, and we support that, but its development and broadening out are at serious risk with projects like this. The minutes of Irish Rail board meetings are publicly available. The chair of Iarnród Éireann and the project director have expressed serious reservations about the direction and delivery of the project as well as concerns about the contractor's ability to deliver all phases of the project. The failures of this project also raise massiv…

The haulage industry is essential to Ireland's economy. It is not just about moving goods; it is about keeping local economies alive. Every shop shelf, building site and farm relies on a local driver and business to keep moving. The sector was already under considerable strain before this crisis. When the US and Israel began their war on Iran, which spread across the region, the pressure became unbearable. Despite this, the Government sat on its hands four weeks, prevaricating until people were forced onto the stre…

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle, and thank you for the opportunity to raise the issue of the former ecclesiastical site of Rattoo in Ballyduff, north Kerry. It is a national monument and 1,000 years old, and it is the best-preserved round tower in the whole country. It once hosted an abbey, a church, a hospital and even a school of music. It is of immense historical and local significance and huge tourism potential but it has been closed for 15 years while works are being carried out by the national monumen…

Yes.

Eleven years ago, a reply was given by a Minister of State in this Chamber that the works at Rattoo Round Tower in Ballyduff in north Kerry, which were being undertaken at that time, included conservation and repair, working on the exterior and then moving on to the interior. The works are continuing to this day and great work is being carried out by the national monuments depot works section, which is based in Killarney and in general does excellent work. However, the pace of the work is incredible and there is de…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am glad minds have been concentrated and I hope they will remain concentrated after today. I hope the Minister of State will go back to the Department. I asked a parliamentary question about this matter a year ago and the reply indicated that a reassessment of risk and public safety access would be prepared. I understand from the Minister of State's reply, which I thank him for, that the OPW will issue a full report following the completion of the works, which should b…

World Earth Day is a day that should be about hope, urgency and leadership but the truth is that the Government has failed on climate action. It has failed on fairness and has failed on any kind of just transition. If emissions continue on their current path, climate change will have profound consequences for Ireland. We can see the warning signs already: more frequent flooding; stronger storms along the coasts; rising sea levels threatening coastal communities; and increased pressure on farming from unpredictable …

It is difficult to overstate just how precarious the geopolitical context has become. We are going from one disaster scenario to the next, and the consequences will no doubt be felt for generations. No words are sufficient to condemn the impunity or disregard for human life that is on display. When we think back to recent human history, we ask how we could have let it happen. There is conflict across the world, in Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon and Ukraine. Even though there is no conflict in Cuba at the moment led by a…

What representations has the Government made, whether at EU level or to the United States, about the oil blockade of Cuba, which has resulted in a huge humanitarian crisis? Does the Minister of State agree with the call by Mexico, Spain and Brazil that urgent and sincere dialogue should take place to address this?

Is anything happening at European level?

Has the Government itself done anything?

EirGrid, the national grid operator, has issued a stark warning that blackouts are almost certainly on the cards because of the negligence of the Government. It is not the first time; it has been making these warnings for ten years and Governments have refused to listen. The red carpet is being rolled out for data centres, yet we cannot build houses or connect public transport. We are told the lights could go out. What steps is the Minister taking to eliminate any risk of blackouts due to the threat to grid stabili…

I see what the Minister is saying, but will there be a prioritisation framework so, for example, housing and public transport can be prioritised ahead of data centres? It is one third of our electricity and it is predicted to go much higher. It is already causing grid interventions and higher household bills. In the midlands in particular, it is preventing housing being built. Data centre demand has skyrocketed and gone out of control. It could not have been anticipated five or six years ago how high it would go - …

The Construction Industry Federation has said housing delivery is being held back by significant delays in electricity connections. Last year, while 60,000 homes were commenced, completions remained far below what is needed. The Minister is saying housing is a national priority but the energy policy allowed massive developments to absorb grid capacity first. We are not, contrary to what the Minister says, anti-tech or anti-business. It is about sequencing, fairness and priorities. The data centres can wait for thei…

What steps is the Minister taking to shield households from the energy crisis, which has been triggered by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran? Will he make a statement about it? He will have seen that over the past couple of weeks, the Government lost the confidence of the people, even one of its own Ministers. The Government has not done enough, particularly for people whose home heating oil bills have effectively been doubled. There are 750,000 households affected, often in rural areas, often in single dwellings,…

We saw yesterday the Taoiseach clapping himself on the back because, since 2022, the worst of the rises in electricity bills had been cushioned by supports given by the Government. In this regard, there were electricity credits promised in the run-up to the election. However, the supports have been stripped away, leaving ordinary householders even more exposed. Compounding matters was the dismissive attitude of the Taoiseach. The Minister may or may not wish to comment on the Taoiseach’s comment that he hopes there…

Unfortunately, last time I checked it was oral questions to the Minister and not questions for the Opposition. Unfortunately, the Minister has not dealt with my questions. That he answered a question with a question makes me wonder whether he is from Kerry, by any chance. He has not answered any of the questions we have asked. What specifically will he do to ease the burden on rural householders posed by the price of home heating oil? The protests over the last week are the tipping point. They are the final straw f…