I thank the Minister of State. I have seen the reference to undocumented branches. If pipes were put in 50 or 60 years ago, the mapping may not have been as good as it is today. I accept and understand that. I welcome that Uisce Éireann is engaging with the businesses but if it could speak to the two crèche owners in particular, it would certainly alleviate some of the frustrations felt by the residents in the local area. I get that there is no ideal solution here but, as the Minister of State mentioned, what famil…

I want to highlight a deeply concerning situation facing Balscadden National School in my constituency in Dublin Fingal West. The school is simply asking for appropriate educational provision for children with additional needs. It has been informed by the Department that it will only provide a single special educational needs, SEN, classroom through a modular build. This decision appears to be based on the assertion that a two-classroom unit would require planning permission and would delay the project. However, th…

I thank the Minister of State. I will convey this to the school principal, Mr. White. While seeking the two SEN classrooms is probably not as common as it should be, it is good to hear that the Department is working closely with the school. I feel that myself and my Dublin Fingal West colleagues are like a broken record at this point. It is the fastest-growing local authority area in Ireland. I am glad to see that facilities like this are being taken seriously, as is coming forward from the Department. From my own …

I want to acknowledge my party colleagues today for bringing forward this motion because ordinary working - people I represent Dublin Fingal West - are to the pins of their collars trying to pay for heating their homes, filling the cars and putting food on the table. Ireland has the highest costs of energy prices in the EU, and why? It is because this Government continues to hand incentives, discounts and preferential treatment to some of the wealthiest corporations on the planet for their data centres. These are c…

Has consideration been given to the establishment of an independent governance authority for sporting and volunteer organisations to oversee committee conduct, ensure compliance with governance standards, provide independent dispute resolution mechanisms and support transparency and accountability in organisational administration? I have been asking this question for a while and I seem to be pushed from one agency to another without being able to get a clear answer.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I have come across a case in a volunteer-led organisation where a member raised serious issues through the appropriate channels. The organisation's committee stated that the matter had been investigated. However, it subsequently emerged that no thorough investigation had taken place. Most concerning of all, the party who made the complaint was not engaged in the process. When the complainant sought to escalate the matter to the NGB, they were informed that NGBs do not…

It is good to hear about empowering NGBs and I accept that care and consideration are needed on this matter. Volunteer organisations play a vital role in our communities, but with that role comes responsibility to uphold good governance, transparency and accountability. I urge the Minister of State to bring forward those measures that he just mentioned and further measures, where they are needed, to ensure that members have access to an independent avenue of appeal when local governance processes fail. I have since…

I want to bring forward a practical and potentially long overdue reform. Early years educators are currently not permitted to work July provision, providing supports to children transitioning from ECCE into primary school. I have been contacted by several early years educators from my constituency in Dublin Fingal West who have built trusted relationships and deep knowledge of children's individual needs, but are excluded from participating in July provision. This creates two clear problems. First, children are lef…

I will start by quoting Eric Cantona, who has been very vocal in his support for boycotting Israel: We all remember apartheid in South Africa. The sporting boycott was critical in ending it. We have power. You have power. And football fans around the world have power. I would go further. It is not just football fans around the world who have power. Every sporting fan, every athlete, every governing body and every nation that participates in sport has power. Sport cannot be separated from human rights and sporting b…

I welcome the Minister of State and am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important Second Stage debate on the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2026. This is significant and necessary legislation that seeks to modernise Ireland’s broadcasting and public service media framework for a digital age that has changed fundamentally since the Broadcasting Act 2009 was first enacted. This Bill has long been in the making. It puts into effect many of the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission and of t…

Sit down, Deputy.

Too often, we speak about domestic abuse as if leaving is a simple choice when for many, it is not. Coercive control and financial abuse mean survivors may have no safe access to money, even if they are in employment themselves. The safe fund policy launched recently by the Labour Party and Labour Women would provide a once-off, non-means-tested and rapid payment delivered in times of emergency and to help people to leave or to help with essential needs for those who have to stay. We already know this model works b…

I would like to highlight the vital role family resource centres play in communities across the country, particularly at a time when more and more families are struggling and looking for support close to home. Family resource centres are often the first place people turn to when they are facing difficulties. They provide practical help, emotional support, family services, youth programmes, counselling, and community connections. Most importantly, they offer early intervention and prevention supports that help stop …

I want to take a moment to appeal directly to the Minister of State to recognise the importance of this. Some of that funding is greatly welcomed for centres like the Aster resource centre in Balbriggan, the only family support service based in north County Dublin. It serves mainly Balbriggan, but also covers Rush, Lusk and Skerries. Those are smaller towns but there is no similar service there. It is not just a service provider; it is a lifeline to countless people across Balbriggan and the wider community. Every …

Supports have been provided to farmers in the main budget already. I have addressed this issue before but want to highlight again that the commercial growers have largely been left out of this. Unlike farmers who benefit for supports for green diesel, growers are facing significant increases in gas and energy prices, particularly those in horticulture sector. Given the rising cost pressures on growers and the vital role they play in our food supply chain, will the Minister consider introducing a targeted support pa…

As the Minister knows, commercial growers across the country are under enormous and sustained pressure. I am specifically talking about a very small subset of those growers who use gas to heat their greenhouses in order to grow certain vegetables. The soaring energy bills, higher fertiliser prices and transport costs they are facing due to the Middle East crisis are pushing them to the brink. We are not talking here about abstract figures on a spreadsheet. These are family-run businesses that employ local people, p…

I appreciate that response. To recap, Irish growers are expected to compete with those in other countries in which gas costs are significantly lower. That creates an uneven playing field, as the Minister knows. Our growers have been asked to meet the highest environmental, quality and labour yet they are not always receiving the supports they might need. If this trajectory continues we will see a loss of more grower's jobs and family-run businesses. Officially, we have 73 growers left in the country. If you speak t…

Did we get under Deputy O'Connor's skin?

I thank the Minister. I look forward to the progress report in 2026. That is good news. I agree that the move to fibre will improve Internet speeds, reduce connectivity problems and support modern services such as online learning, remote working, streaming and digital healthcare. I think that is what the Minister means by end users and vulnerable users. It is especially important for rural Ireland, where better broadband can create new opportunities. Copper networks are also old and expensive to maintain. Fibre is …

I thank the Minister. I will claim some for myself. I believe the project is coming in under budget. It goes back to maybe Pat Rabbite's days and that is over 10 years ago, so it is a long time coming. While the copper switch-off is an important step forward, many people still do not understand what it means for them. This goes back to the vulnerable end users. That is why the Government should run a public awareness campaign once the time comes. Many households, especially older people and those in rural areas, st…