I thank the Taoiseach for the update on the progress made on housing. I will raise one specific issue relating to the qualifying income limits for social housing. It is the intention of the Government to increase these limits. I want to raise the issue to ensure that happens as quickly as possible. As the Taoiseach knows, the limits were last changed in 2023, which was three years ago. There are currently three bands ranging from €30,000, €35,000 and €40,000 in terms of qualifying limits. In the past three years, w…

I thank the Taoiseach for the update about the Cork city futures group. As he mentioned, transport is a key theme within that reference. As the Taoiseach probably knows, I have been calling for a strategic integrated transportation office to be established in Cork. It is critically important that we have all the State agencies under one roof, such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, the National Transport Authority, NTA, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and the local authorities, driving the key projects for Cork. As …

Budget preparations will be intensifying over the summer period. With that in mind, I want to take this opportunity to raise the issue of stamp duty and first-time buyers. As the Taoiseach knows, first-time buyers have to pay 1% in stamp duty when they are purchasing a new or second-hand home. This is unfair and unjustifiable, and I ask that it be reviewed. There was waiver in place previously. At a time when house prices are so high and when it is such a challenge for first-time buyers to secure home ownership, we…

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Topical Issue debate. I want to raise the matter of the proposed amalgamation of two schools in the lower harbour area of Cork. These are Ringaskiddy national school and Shanbally National School. This is a project that has been in the pipeline for many years but, unfortunately, remains effectively stalled and has been so for the past number of years. There is very little progress to show. I thank the Minister of State for visiting the school in Shanbally in…

I thank the Minister of State. I want to put on the record my appreciation for the Minister of State taking the time to visit the school. He visited Shanbally National School and heard about Ringaskiddy national school and the conditions there, and about how critical this project was. I want to be absolutely clear about the land and I can furnish documentation to the Minister of State. A response from a senior person in Cork County Council states that, while finalisation of the acquisition is taking place and in ad…

I raise the offence of spiking. As we know, this is where a drug is administered to somebody, without their consent, in a drink or an injection in a busy night-time scene. It is a gross invasion of an individual and it can result in catastrophic consequences such as serious sexual assault. The programme for Government states that we will impose stronger laws in relation to spiking. Currently, spiking is dealt with under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act through an offence of poisoning. Stand-alone legis…

I also want to raise summer provision, something I raised a number of weeks ago. I welcome that the application process reopened and thank the Tánaiste for that. I want to raise concerns brought to my attention by schools in respect of delays with approvals and information from the Department regarding staffing requirements, in particular for schools which are seeking additional staffing requirements to deal with children with higher needs. There is a total lack of certainty. These schools are under intense pressur…

I thank the Taoiseach for his update. I want to raise the issue of the qualifying income limits for social housing. The Minister for housing has indicated a willingness to examine these limits but I am raising it because I believe they urgently need to be increased. An increasing number of working people are finding themselves outside the social housing income limits and outside the social housing support bracket. This is increasing the cohort of people who are effectively receiving no support from the State. Tradi…

I want to raise the issue of July provision. The summer programme is very important, providing additional educational supports to students during the summer months. Unfortunately, issues have arisen this year in relation to the application process. A very short window was open for schools to apply. Many received no notification and were not aware of the application process. Schools that have benefited from this provision in recent years have not had the opportunity to apply. This needs to be reviewed and schools ne…

I thank the Taoiseach. I raise the issue of Cork BusConnects project. As the Taoiseach knows, Cork is a growing city but every day people are facing long commutes, unreliable journey times, whether that is in a private car or on public transport, and we have roads that simply cannot take additional capacity. BusConnects offers a real choice but unfortunately it is almost stagnant in terms of its delivery and implementation. If it is moving, it is at a glacial pace. It was first mooted in July 2021 with the first co…

I thank the Minister and welcome his reply. As he said, the limits were last revised over three years ago, and as I understand it, they went up by €5,000 in the basic change. Unfortunately, that was not sufficient at the time, but it was a welcome increase. We certainly need to look at that group who find themselves outside the social housing qualifying limit but do not find themselves within reach of any other support scheme, whether that is cost rental, affordable purchase or any other scheme. We need to try to a…

I again thank the Minister for that. I am encouraged by his words. I ask that this happen as quickly as possible. If a broader review is required, the Minister might increase the limits initially while that review is undertaken, because as public representatives we are all dealing with people who are on very low incomes but find themselves outside the limits. It is a disincentive to work; that is the reality of the situation. If people find themselves pulling back on their working hours, their working week and so o…

I thank the Minister of State for being here this morning. The Government, including the Minister for Defence, has clearly stated its intention to increase the strength of the Defence Forces, which is badly needed and very welcome. At the end of 2025, there were 7,756 personnel in our Defence Forces, an increase of 200 on the previous 12 months. It is great to see that trajectory. In response to a recent parliamentary question I submitted, the Minister stated her intention to increase the strength of the Defence Fo…

I thank the Minister of State for outlining the facts. To reiterate, the increase in personnel in the Defence Forces is very welcome, with 780 inductions in 2025. That brought an overall net increase of 200 in the Defence Forces complement, which is welcome. The intention to have 850 inductions this year is also very welcome. However, I repeat what I said earlier about the importance of having a fair and user-friendly application process in place. When you look at the stages of that process outlined in the reply, f…

I thank the Minister of State for facilitating the statements here today in relation to road safety and the use of cameras to deter and detect traffic offences. The number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads is far too high. I am sure the major progress we made as a country over recent decades to reduce the carnage on our roads has been mentioned many times today already. Unfortunately, we have seen a reversal of that in recent years, with 190 deaths in 2025. As a Government we need to work with all stakeho…

When does the Minister hope to open the community sports facilities fund and the large-scale sports infrastructure fund for applications?

I very much welcome the Minister of State's commitment in relation to these sports schemes. They are critically important. We are a proud sporting nation, as the Minister of State outlined. It is critical that we continue to invest in sporting facilities. There are many sporting clubs, community groups and national governing bodies waiting for the sports funds to open for applications. I see the importance of sporting clubs in my community. They are the thread that holds the community together. They provide a very …

I welcome the Minister of State's acknowledgement of the volunteers who help to run these sporting clubs across our country. They are critically important. People give up their time to proved a positive outlet for people of all ages in our communities. I want to add one point on the need to continue to invest in our sports facilities. Housing is our number one priority as a Government and we are rezoning additional land across the country. We will see additional houses built in our towns and villages. It is critica…

The pupil-teacher ratio currently stands at 23:1. The programme for Government contains a commitment to reduce it to 19:1, which would be more in line with EU averages. We all know the importance of having a low ratio. With the multiplicity of needs that teachers now face in the classroom, having a lower ratio leads to a better learning environment, more individual engagement with pupils and better outcomes overall. Unfortunately, I am aware of a school in my constituency where two senior infants classes will have …

I want to raise the shocking and deeply concerning announcement by Pfizer yesterday that it is seeking to reduce its workforce in Ringaskiddy by over 100. This represents about 12% of the workforce. Pfizer has been a very good employer in Cork since 1969, when it established the plant. As the Tánaiste will appreciate, it is deeply concerning for staff that this announcement has come forward. Will the Tánaiste ensure the State agencies engage with the company immediately to understand the background to this announce…