We have waited so long for this scheme and people in Mayo who are living in local authority houses desperately need it. They have waited for years for this scheme. This reminds me of when the original scheme came out and the action group sat in Erris and presented 20 things that would make that scheme right, affordable and fit for purpose and would provide 100% for people but the Government did not listen. It is absolutely critical that the Minister listens at this point to get this scheme right. As my colleagues h…

Is iad costais fuinnimh an t-ábhar imní is mó atá roimh theaghlaigh agus gnólachtaí faoi láthair. Energy costs are the biggest worry facing families and businesses at the moment. Seven months into this energy crisis, the Government has not removed a single cent of carbon tax from home heating oil. For rural households, particularly in my and the Minister of State's constituency of Mayo, this is devastating and unsustainable. Does the Minister of State know how many women have done themselves injury by trying to car…

Over the summer the Department published a report prepared by KPMG that set out the economic case for data centres in Ireland. Freedom of information requests made by Lynn Boylan of Sinn Féin, and I acknowledge all her work in this area, revealed that officials from the Department sought to make amendments to the draft prepared by KPMG in order to cut concerns about the impact of data centre expansion on housing, utilities and farmland. In the interests of transparency will the Minister release the full draft repor…

People need transparency because they are researching how many data centres are enough and how do we get a sustainable balance. In 2025 data centres consumed 23% of all metered electricity, which was up from a figure of just 5% ten years ago in 2015. This is more than the total metered electricity used by all urban dwellings in 2025, which accounted for just over 18%. All rural dwellings accounted for 9%. At this rate, the electricity usage of data centres will surpass the total used by all homes within a few years…

Has a cost-benefit analysis been done in respect of data centres? Perhaps the Minister can answer this question. We need a thorough cost-benefit analysis. It may be that the information is there and I have not seen it. I ask this question because households are footing the bill for network upgrades to increase capacity for the expansion in the number of data centres, effectively subsidising the power supply for some of the most profitable companies in the world. Network charges currently represent 30% of household …

The Minister of State will recall that Aer Lingus announced substantial job cuts in July affecting hundreds of workers across the country. My office has been contacted by some of those affected workers facing redundancy. They are extremely concerned regarding the transparency of the restructuring at the airline, while others face significant changes to their current working arrangements. Can the Minister of State provide an update on his engagements with Aer Lingus since July concerning these job cuts? Will he outl…

I do not think that a hands-off approach is going to work in this case. Aer Lingus announced in July, as the Minister of State rightly said, that 500 jobs would be lost at the airline. That would impact pilots, cabin crew and ground staff. The company said this was due to the €34 million loss reported for the first six months of 2026. Aer Lingus, though, is a very successful company, having recorded operating profits of €282 million last year. The company is also expected to make an overall profit in 2026. Its pare…

The Taoiseach told me that the Minister of State would follow up on this. Will the Minister of State confirm that he did so? What engagement has he had since the announcements were made and what concrete commitments have been secured from management? The Minister of State also needs to confirm that he will meet directly with the affected workers and representatives and ensure that Aer Lingus management engages in genuine consultation. The proposed redundancies at Aer Lingus are causing enormous uncertainty for work…

I am very disappointed with that answer.

The recent IBEC-CBI report identifies serious barriers to all-island labour mobility, including complex tax arrangements, restrictions, hybrid working, incompatible work permit systems and a lack of clear guidance for employers. I thank my colleague the Minister, Dr. Caoimhe Archibald, in Stormont, who has already written to the British Treasury about this and who has discovered that significant progress has been made on the new double taxation convention between the UK and Ireland. I am interested to hear an updat…

I am asking the Minister for a timeline for when the recommendations in the report will be implemented. The report rightly addresses the barriers preventing workers and employers from taking full advantage of the all-island labour market. Both organisations involved called for urgent action on hybrid working and taxation and immigration arrangements, including the establishment of the forum, as the Minister said, to develop solutions. Brexit has led to significant issues for workers in the Six Counties and the wide…

I thank the Minister for that and for the work that is being done. I just think there needs to be an urgency in respect of this matter. I accept that the double taxation convention is primarily a matter for the Department of Finance and the British Treasury. However, the consequences of the barriers extend directly into enterprise and employment policy, recruitment skills shortages and the ability of businesses to operate across the island. The IBEC-CBI report is not simply a taxation report. It identifies wider ba…

I want to thank my colleague Deputy Pa Daly and Muireann Meehan Speed in his office for their work on this Bill. It is critically important. What is does is very simple. It prioritises the needs in local communities and areas. It seeks to strike a balance in regard to what is critical infrastructure for small and medium businesses that are really dependent on energy and also in terms of the housing that is needed to house employees in areas. It is about getting that balance and addressing what is needed here becaus…

I too want to condemn the attack on Michael Healy-Rae, say how appalled I am about it and send my good wishes to him for a good recovery and to his family. Mar Chathaoirleach ar an gComhchoiste um Chosaint agus Slándáil Náisiúnta, tá an-áthas orm inniu labhairt faoin nglas triarach. The Government needs to be honest with the Irish people about the triple lock. Its amendment to our motion states that the triple lock is not a determination or expression of neutrality. However, it is a safeguard and it underpins promi…

This morning, workers at Aer Lingus woke up to the devastating news that up to 500 jobs will be cut at the airline, impacting both staff at head office and flight crews. By all measures, Aer Lingus is a profitable company, reporting operating profits of €282 million in 2025. Its parent company, IAG, has operating profits of €5 billion. Yet, 500 families in north Dublin, Cork, Shannon and across the country now face the possibility of losing their livelihoods. We urgently need firm guarantees that workers' rights wi…

I thank Deputy Farrell for allowing me some of her time. I think Michael Collins would be pleased with the Tánaiste today. I thank him for allowing us Government time to discuss such an important issue. I also acknowledge the work Deputy Currie has consistently done in this space.

I would need much longer than three minutes to discuss the fiscal implications of a united Ireland, such is the depth and breadth of the work already done. I commend all of those who have done it. Leaving all politics aside, the economic benefits of reunification present unprecedented opportunities for sustainable growth. As we prepare for the constitutional future of this island, one of the key priorities must be creating an all-island competitive and conducive environment for foreign direct investment and indigen…

I acknowledge the huge work that my colleague Deputy Ó Snodaigh puts into the arts time and again. The fact that this is our last item of Private Members' business before we break up for the summer shows the real importance of what we are trying to do here. I welcome some of the things in Minister of State's speech, particularly her comments on Ireland co-ordinating the EU's position at the World Intellectual Property Organization's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, as well as the conference on co…

Rural depopulation is one of the greatest challenges facing Mayo, with too many young people leaving because they cannot see a future at home. One of the main reasons they are leaving is they cannot afford a place to live. As a Mayo TD and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, I ask the Minister to provide an update on the plans and efforts the Minister is making to reverse rural depopulation across the county.

I do not deny those things that the Minister has read out. The problem with it is that there is not a consistent approach. While there are many really good projects that the Minister and I have both visited, and this is not us saying it as a party, let us consider the GAA, for instance. It is a minor miracle that Mayo is in the all-Ireland football final with so many of our young people being in Australia. I know the Minister wants to join me in wishing Mayo the very best of luck on Sunday week. Hopefully, after 75…