Yesterday the EPA published the Water Quality in Ireland Report 2019-2024, which shows only half of water bodies are in satisfactory ecological health. I have raised a specific instance of poor water quality with the Taoiseach in the past, namely, Lady's Island Lake in County Wexford. At the time he said he would personally intervene to see if we can get an action plan put together to start the process of reversing this. Senator Noonan and I met the Save Lady's Island Lake campaign group a couple of weeks ago and w…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the regulation in the public interest of the private and commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems, commonly referred to as drones; to create an additional consideration for issuance of a National Planning Statement; to require local authorities to prepare objectives for the management of unmanned aircraft system operations; to permit any person, a local authority or the Environmental Protection Agency make a complaint to the Distric…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I wish the Minister of State a good afternoon. This debate offers us a really good opportunity to recognise the really vital role the AHBs play in housing provision and in making housing a reality for so many people who otherwise simply would not have access to housing at all. In particular, we have to recognise that they consistently support marginalised communities, vulnerable people and people with additional needs and they prevent many people from simply being left behind. In a housing crisis where supply is al…

Somewhere between 240,000 and 260,000 rental homes in Ireland fall below the B standard for BER. Tenants renting those homes are hit with the double blow of rents that are too high and energy bills that are artificially high because the places they are renting are not energy-efficient. In Housing for All, there was a commitment to set out a roadmap on how these homes could be upgraded. Where is that roadmap?

Hundreds of thousands of renters in Ireland face that double blow of rents that are too high and energy bills that are artificially high because they live in homes that are not energy-efficient. Their homes are cold, draughty and mouldy, which is a direct cause of energy poverty. It is also a contributing factor to our carbon emissions from the housing sector. The Minister of State has set out some research done by the ESRI. It is valuable research. It shows us the scale of the challenge. Some 240,000 to 260,000 ho…

As a Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Cummins needs to put as much of his concern towards renters who are stuck in these cold, draughty homes as he is towards landlords. A challenge of this scale will only be addressed if a plan is actually in place. I am concerned that the Minister of State does not seem to have any sort of date or timeline for the delivery. I am also concerned about his use of the term "under active review". Will he clarify that the Department at least still plans to brin…

I will start my contribution on a constructive note, difficult as it is in the context of what was announced yesterday. I recognise the work the Minister, Deputy Foley, has done in keeping and growing the equal start programme and DEIS model for early years. This is a scheme I was proud to have initiated as Minister. It is already benefiting over 30,000 of the most vulnerable children in our country. I also welcome that the basic income for the arts scheme will be made permanent, although I would like to see some m…

Any government’s first budget is so important. It is a map for how it is going to act over the next five years. It allows the government to take the initial steps in areas it says it is going to prioritise. What today’s budget tells us is that this Government has no sense of direction. The untargeted VAT cut will benefit the biggest food businesses but is delayed for the small cafés that need it. There is no movement on the big commitments Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael made during the general election. There is no star…

I will reiterate the importance of passing the occupied territories Bill in this Dáil as quickly as possible. It is important to acknowledge that the constant articulation of the need to sanction illegal Israeli settlements that are a direct threat to the possibility of a two-state solution in the Middle East is paying off. The work done by Ireland, advocacy groups, civil society, political parties and the Government has changed the debate across Europe on this issue. While the EU as an entity has completely failed…

I have raised the issue of the lack of regulation for commercial delivery drones in the House on a number of occasions. Over the summer, the Minister published the National Policy Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Which of the 16 actions set out within that document fall directly within the remit of the Department of Transport? What is the Minister's action plan regarding the implementation of those actions?

The Minister notes that this is the first framework of its type in Europe. I hope the rest of Europe is not going to be taking this document as inspiration because it is deeply disappointing. It fails to deal with the issues I and others have been raising throughout this time. People in my community in Dublin 15 are asking that four fundamental issues be addressed. These are privacy, noise, planning status and safety. There is no clarity in this document as to when these issues are going to be addressed. We are see…

I know of no other innovative cutting-edge technology sector where that technology is just let loose without any regulatory structures being put in place. This is new and innovative. Maybe it is a good thing but it has been allowed to happen without regulation. There is no regulation or clarity on whether planning permission is required for a drone base. There is no way to deal with noise complaints. When representatives of Dublin City Council came before a committee, they were very clear. Section 108 of the EPA Ac…

It is too late. It is already-----

It does not deal with noise.

Everyone in the House agrees it is important for commuters and people using public transport to feel safe. That is why I welcome the commitment in the programme for Government to the creation of a transport security force under the NTA. I am also aware this will require a legislative basis and funding. Could the Minister give us some indication of when this will be rolled out? When will we see the first officers of the force on our buses and trains?

I am a strong advocate and daily user of our public transport system, but the perception and reality on public transport is that people are feeling unsafe. The NTA's security survey shows 40% of people feeling unsafe on public transport. The "Prime Time" programme on RTÉ earlier this year revealed that reported incidents of antisocial behaviour on Dublin Bus specifically rose from 494 in 2019 to just over 1,000 last year. There are real issues there, and this is making public transport less attractive, and especial…

Will the existing private security go completely when the new transport police force comes in or is there a plan to run it concurrently? I am aware that the creation of something new like this requires legislation and a dedicated budgetary line. Nevertheless, the Minister took office in January 2025, and he is now talking about this service being operational in early 2027. That is a fair time but I do not think much beyond that would be. This is a doable proposition and something the Minister has been advocating fo…

I raised a number of local school transport issues in the Dublin West constituency on Tuesday. They were Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg, Catherine McAuley National School and St. Peter's College, Dunboyne. I acknowledge that the Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg issue has been resolved and the bus has been put in place. I appreciate that. On St. Peter's College, Dunboyne, we do not have a resolution there yet. We have children travelling from the Hollystown area to that school. It is in a different county and there is an issue be…

I welcome the focus the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have placed on child poverty in their public comments in the run-up to the budget. However, will they take steps to address child poverty among that cohort of children who are most vulnerable, the 9,000 children in the international protection system? Children in the international protection system get €29.80 per week; that is it. This figure was last increased in 2018. The Tánaiste knows the child poverty unit in the Department of the Taoiseach drafted proposals t…