Road safety is a matter that affects all of us. Every citizen is entitled to feel safe on our roads. The Minister set out the key contributors to collisions and touched upon some of the measures introduced in recent years to help restore Ireland's long-term progress in the area of road safety. I will use the balance of my time to focus on some more specific interventions. On the national roads network, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, continues to have full access to collision data under the road infrastructu…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. From the outset, I would like to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in respect of public transport but neither the Minister nor his officials is involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the NTA. The NTA works…

I assure the Deputy that I fully recognise that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live, work and study in Ireland and it is key to revitalising our villages, towns and urban centres. We need to expand the public transport network and increase service levels as outlined in policies like Connecting Ireland and BusConnects. We aim to achieve more balanced regional development and greater connectivity for all public transport. BusConnects has already achieved significant success in transforming …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important subject. It is not the first time we have spoken on it in the Regional Group of Independent TDs, of which I am a member with Deputy Verona Murphy. We have been advocating for a non-means-tested carer's allowance support grant for a long time. As a member of the disability matters committee, I have heard first-hand through listening to people with the experience of living in a household with somebody with a disability, the trauma and struggle that always prevails.…

I want to raise with the Taoiseach the serious traffic issue at present in Galway. As everybody knows, Galway city is the centre of the west of Ireland but the way it is currently progressing, it is running into trouble with traffic. We have the outer ring road which has been on the books for at least 15 to 20 years. About €30 million has been spent on it and we have nothing to show for it. A report came out last week or the week before regarding Gluas, a light rail project for the city.

The problem is that in the east of the county, many of our young people and workers go to work in Galway city every morning and come out in the evening. They probably spend about an hour and half in traffic every day of the week trying to get in and out of work. There is no guarantee they will arrive on time. This is coupled with the fact we have been talking about putting in place a bus lane from Claregalway into the city since 2007. I think Noel Dempsey was the Minister for Transport at the time and it still has …

I appreciate what the Taoiseach has given me there. It is a history lesson, let us say. What I think can and should be done is to first look at the work the Minister, Deputy Ryan, has carried out in the all-island rail review. The western rail corridor can be reopened without having to go through all the processes on which we spend millions. It does not need a rail order or planning permission. It can and is ready to go ahead. It is important we get that moving as a matter of urgency. It is something that can be de…

Deputy, I remind you to remain on topic.

Deputy, what you are talking about is not relevant to this debate.

It is not. We are talking about criminal matters here. I am asking you-----

On behalf of the House, I wish you the best of luck and health in your next steps. I call Deputy Phelan. He has three and a half minutes.

I want to raise the power up grant for small business, which was part of budget 2025 for the retail and hospitality sector. Some €170 million was made available with €4,000 per business. I and other members of the Regional Group are finding that certain businesses are unable to avail of this grant for the simple reason that they did not qualify for the increased cost of business support grant that was there previously. Therefore, some businesses are being treated one way and others are being treated in another way.…

First, I want to speak to the issue of the universal social charge. As many TDs have said, this was a temporary measure that was brought in at a time there was a call on people who were working to try to save this country. We have gone on too long taking this money and need to put a stop to this unworkable charge on people's earnings. It does not bear any resemblance to fairness any more. Working people have paid their due for the folly of others and it is time that we put a plan in place to phase out the USC compl…

I welcome the motion from the Independent Group. It is important we look at the hospitality and pub sector in a different light. The pub is part of our tradition and culture and is a tourist attraction for people coming into the country. What I am finding happening on the ground is that pubs are downsizing. Where they had a big space, they have cut it down to a small bar size. They are relying on a few customers coming in and a party every so often - a 21st, 40th, 50th, 60th, or, in my case, maybe a 70th or 80th. T…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. First, I will speak about a situation that is pertinent to what we are talking about and has arisen in my town, Tuam. The Pieta service has operated there for the past ten years in a purpose built unit, but due to a lack of funding it is now pulling out of its facility that was purpose built with the sweat and tears of local people. The problem is that Pieta has a shortfall of money. It has had a continuous shortfall of money. I know money has been given to mental hea…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important Social Welfare Bill as it goes through the House. It is important to acknowledge that there is a lot of good in this Bill. It follows on from other improvements made over the years in relation to social welfare payments. I, too, acknowledge the work of staff in social welfare offices throughout the country who are at the beck and call of Members and the public. In tough times and good times they have been there to steer people as they try to navigate their way to…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this motion. I thank my colleague from the disability matters committee, Deputy Tully, for tabling it. The Dáil has discussed disability services a great deal over the past five years, but there are still a few elements we have not got right. For example, we have young children who are waiting for assessments to diagnose what is wrong with them. If they have to wait two, three or four years for such assessments, it is wrong. This is the reality of what is happening on the …

I raise the issue of housing aid for older people and the mobility and housing adaption grants. I welcome the announcement by the Ministers that they will increase the income thresholds and the level of funding available to local authorities to provide additional money for the works that need to be carried out. The grants will increase by 30% and I believe the income threshold will increase by 25%. It is something I have been advocating for. My only problem with it is the announcement was made and will be implement…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. It is the issue of the day. Not alone is it affecting young people, it is also affecting the economy. FDI companies in expansion mode cannot deliver housing in the areas where they need it so their workers can have a decent standard of living commensurate with that expected among workers of a global company at local level. This affects Dublin but it affects the regions more. If we have companies in expansion mode and can build houses in the regions, we sho…

I am sharing time with Deputies Shanahan and Verona Murphy. I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1: To delete all the words after "recognising that" and substitute the following: "there is a need for the Government to commit to protecting the public purse, seek value for the citizen and implement accountability to ensure that there is a cost to high ranking civil servants or Government Ministers wherever there is an incident of unjustifiable waste of taxpayers' money.". I want to talk about public expenditure. L…