Albert Dolan
Galway East · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The Tánaiste will be well aware of the case of Carrabane National School in east Galway. I have no doubt that multiple representations have been made to him about it. While I do not expect him to have an answer today as to what the case is, I want to highlight the frustration that exists among the school community.”
“Those are people who were not already in a pension, who were working hard and earning money but who were not contributing to their future retirement and now they are auto-enrolled into a pension. You would have to ask if they know what they are a part of. Do they know the potential of it?”
“I would say that we need to be careful. I welcome the Grow Digital vouchers, but this would lead to businesses depending on those vouchers to get the expertise and skills to be talented with AI. The whole idea of AI is that it is going to be usable by anybody for anybody with their own critical thinking and their own ability.”
“This is something that I am very passionate about. It is something that affects us all. It is about financial literacy: understanding how a mortgage works, understanding how contributions to a pension can compound, understanding how people can better manage their own financial situations individually and, ultimately, understanding how peo…”
“Go raibh maith agat a Aire Stáit. I appreciate the update and the work that is ongoing. A key area I want to highlight, and I know the Minister of State is hearing this regularly, is energy costs.”
“I really appreciate the Minister of State's engagement on this issue. I welcome the response from the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the financial literacy framework and directive that are in place. I know about that because I experienced it when I was in secondary school.”
The complete record
Every one of 331 lines we hold for Albert Dolan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 7.
“When I was first elected to the Dáil just over nine months ago, I was really heartened by the leadership shown by Deputy Mícheál Martin to appoint Deputy Norma Foley as Minister for children and disabilities, to have focus at Cabinet level and to have cross-departmental focus on disabilities. The new disability strategy is a welcome step forward and it is welcome that people of all levels of ability were included in the formulation of this strategy, but the test of this strategy will not just be the words on the page; it will be what happens in people's lives. Success will be children getting therapies in their schools without years of waiting. Success will be when young people can move into jobs with the right supports in place.”
“It is vital that Ballyglunin station be operationalised and considered in any plans for the reopening of the corridor. There is a stretch of about 30 km between Athenry and Tuam and we cannot leave that entire hinterland without rail. If consideration is being given to the western rail corridor, we need to ensure that rail is reopened and Ballyglunin forms a central part of it.”
“It is great to have a debate on the all-island strategic rail review. One of the key recommendations of the review is the reopening of the western rail corridor and the consideration of same. The Minister of State has been a strong advocate for the western rail corridor since long before I entered politics in 2019. I commend him on that. I will be doing everything I can as a Fianna Fáil representative for Galway East to ensure that this project gets the funding necessary to be a success and gets the necessary backing in our national development plan to drive forward not just Galway and Mayo, but the western seaboard. The Minister of State may have heard me on Galway Bay FM last week raising concern around Ballyglunin train station.”
“From my own experience of having spoken to planners, developers and, most importantly, young couples and families who are desperate to find a home, I know the call is consistent. We need clarity, consistency and speed. This Bill is a step towards delivering all three. Our planning system must be a facilitator of housing rather than an obstacle to it. This Bill will not solve everything overnight but it lays a critical foundation for a planning system fit for the scale of the challenge we face. If we are serious about building homes, we must be serious about getting this Bill through.”
“It reforms the JR process to stop serial objections, which are often made by people with no local connection and without being based on the public interest. It strengthens An Coimisiún Pleanála with a clearer mandate, a modern structure and better governance, giving it the tools to make decisions faster and more fairly. This is not about bypassing communities; this is far from that. Public engagement will still be protected but we cannot allow a system where national housing targets are frustrated by a minority who can delay and derail vital developments with no accountability. If we want to meet Housing for All targets and deliver homes for the next generation, we must reform how we plan. No amount of investment or zoning will matter if we cannot get projects off the ground due to planning gridlock.”
“In recent years, major housing developments have faced delays of 18, 24 and even 36 months due to JRs or planning appeals. These are homes. They are not just homes, but homes that could and should already be built. This legislation seeks to bring that kind of inertia to an end by creating a faster, more coherent and more transparent planning system and framework that gets homes built more quickly while still protecting the public's right to be consulted and the environment's right to be safeguarded. The Bill does three key things that are especially important from the perspective of housing delivery. It provides greater certainty for applicants and communities through the provision of clear development plans and timelines.”
“I support the Bill and I will clearly and urgently make the case as to why this legislation is not only necessary but also overdue. We are in the middle of a housing crisis that affects every community in this country. It affects urban and rural, young and old, single people, families, renters and buyers alike. At the heart of this crisis is a basic mismatch. The demand for homes is outpacing our ability to deliver them. One of the core reasons for that delay is an overly complex, inconsistent and drawn-out planning system. Time and again, housing projects, including affordable and social housing projects, are delayed by a system that is too slow, too uncertain and too exposed to procedural challenges. Our planning code has become a battleground for paperwork rather than a roadmap to progress.”
“In one CDNT in my constituency, 20 children have been identified following assessment. There are in excess of 90 CDNTs nationwide. Therefore, if the law of averages applies, there could be at least 2,000 children who have a disability and a speech sound disorder who are being denied access to these therapeutic supports because of the idea that their speech and sound is of an unknown origin. I appreciate the Minister of State's support on the matter.”
“Regarding the details in the revised circular that was issued in March of this year, I was informed that it was a senior speech and language therapist from the NCSE who mistakenly advised on the particulars that went into the new circular. We cannot stand over this discrimination any longer. I request the immediate removal of the discriminatory clause to ensure equality of access to these classes and that the NCSE reviews its recommendations to insert that clause. Furthermore, we must request the Department of education, the NCSE and the HSE to address the insufficient classes that are available throughout the country to meet demand and to cater for the significant number of children with speech and language disability. I want to make an additional point before my time runs out.”
“The Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists highlighted this issue several times before in position statements in 2007 and 2017 and it stated that, regardless of such concerns, the adoption of evidence-based criteria is urgently required and deemed the eligibility criteria for placement in a specific speech and language disorder class to be narrow and restrictive. It also stated that the current position, where the only intensive model of support available is restricted to children with non-verbal IQ at or higher than 90 points and significantly discrepant language scores, denies appropriate support to many children with severe, pervasive and long-enduring needs.”
“I appreciate the reply. It is also welcome that the IQ measure has been removed but, as I said, the Government has highlighted that bringing therapy back into special schools is a key priority. However, there is a cohort of children with disabilities and speech sound disorders in mainstream education who have a critical need for in-school speech therapy. In 2005, the Department's report noted that the eligibility criteria could not be widened at the time due to a shortage of supply of speech and language therapists. Here we are 20 years later and nothing has changed. The criteria have not been amended at Government level. It has taken the steadfastness, determination and advocacy of a small group of parents in east Galway to highlight this and to escalate it to Government level in order to enact it.”
“As a result, the children are now able to verbally communicate. These children are capable and they are eager to learn. With the right support, they can thrive, and their voices, though not always heard, are just as important as any others in those circumstances. While this issue has been highlighted by the Down Syndrome Galway education subgroup, this is a nationwide issue that has affected children all over the country for years. We have a Government that is advocating for inclusive education. In 2024 the NCSE published a paper, An Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Society. I am conscious of the time and I will comment further in due course.”
“Unfortunately, it is SLT managers in the primary care section of the HSE who decide whether or not a child is enrolled in these classes, although it is a Department of education policy. In some instances it is a discretionary decision made at HSE level. These classes must be accessible to all children regardless of disability. For children with literacy, learning, social participation and well-being needs, their educational provision and their special educational needs will be best met by the integrated and short-term provision offered through the specific speech and language disorder, SSLD, classes. There are multiple examples of children with a speech sound disorder and a disability who attended SSLD classes in the past and who made significant gains from attending these classes.”
“While it is the HSE's responsibility to operationalise and implement the therapy in specific speech and language disorder classes, the fundamental problem in accessing these classes is the criteria set out in the Department of education's circular letter, that is, the exclusion of a child who has a speech sound disorder and a co-occurring disability, for example, a physical disability such as cleft lip and-or palate, or a specific syndrome such as Down's syndrome. It is important to note that speech sound disorders can occur in a child with a disability and, likewise, they can occur in a child without a disability. Thus, a child's disability is not always the cause of their speech sound disorder. This barrier is being used by the HSE to prevent access by children who have a disability.”
“While the specific reference to IQ range and physical disability in the amended circular have been removed, a new discriminatory clause has been inserted. The DSI Galway education subgroup sought international expert advice on the interpretation of this discriminatory clause, as well as advice from local senior speech and language therapists. Their advice is that this is further discrimination and exclusion against children with disabilities. This is in contravention of inclusion and fails to agree with the principles of the Equal Status Act 2000, the Equality Act 2004, the Education Act 1998, the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, the Disability Act 2005 and, more recently, the UNCRPD.”
“However, the revised circular, which was published in March 2025, Circular 0024/2025, also discriminates against children with a disability as it only permits access to children who have "a speech sound disorder (SSD) of unknown origin". Therefore, children with a disability are still excluded. These discriminatory eligibility criteria are the cause of blatant discrimination against, and the exclusion of, young children with a disability in primary schools in Ireland for decades. This policy in the Department of education has denied children with a speech and language disorder equal access to supports in education, for example, specific speech and language disorder class placement based on the grounds of disability, since the publication of the circular in 2007.”
“I refer to the issue of specific speech and language disorder, SSLD, classes and the eligibility criteria for same. The Circular 0038/2007 published by the Department of education set out the criteria for enrolment into specific speech and language disorder classes, which precluded access to this service for children who have an identified disability. Essentially, the children with speech sound disorders cannot be treated in mainstream classrooms due to the nature of the specialised support required. A parent representative group from the Galway branch of Down Syndrome Ireland initially highlighted this anomaly in the circular last May to the then Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Anne Rabbitte. A working group was convened to undertake a review of this circular to remove any discriminatory elements.”
“I appreciate the update on the Labour Employer Economic Forum. I wish to ask about a separate matter regarding multiple schools in my constituency which have been in contact with me in the past week. National schools spread right across Galway East, including in Castlehackett, Esker, Annagh Hill, St. Oliver's special education school and Peterswell, have raised significant concerns with me around SNA allocations and reviews. A lot of the schools have had reviews and were recommended more SNA support. They have identified needs coming in in September. Is there a plan to ensure these schools are catered to come September?”
“I would like to hear the Minister of State's consideration of the agritourism and agrifood sector as well, especially in the west, because it is a great opportunity for us.”
“I appreciate the Minister of State's commitment to digitalisation, but I want to hammer the point home. An AI hub for the west is something we need in order to be as competitive as the rest of the country, and world, into the future. The final point I want to raise relates to agritech and the agrifood sector. There is a role to be played between agritourism, the food sector and what we have already built in Athenry – the BIA Innovator. If the Minister of State has not seen it or visited it, it is an incredible multimillion euro facility with state-of-the-art biotechnology, kitchens and supports in place. It is not just a kitchen; it is a wraparound service for entrepreneurs in the food sector who are trying to make new and innovative products, ultimately leading to them growing and expanding.”
“This western regional enterprise plan should set out clearly that Galway or the west needs an AI hub, whereby all of our tech companies, medtech and pharma in the west can tap into AI and make sure that not only are they using AI to benefit their companies, but they are using it to benefit the west and the country as a whole, because it is going to get hyper-competitive in the coming years. If we do not get ahead of it now, we run the risk of being left behind. Globally, AI is being adopted at a faster rate than any technology previously in the history of the world. It is our chance as a country to get out in front.”
“The western regional enterprise plan must have significant consideration of AI and a dedication to it. Ireland has benefited massively in the past 30 to 40 years from having incredible educational opportunities, ultimately leading many people into high-paying, knowledge worker roles. The problem is that, with the speed at which AI is changing, it is a threat to many of the knowledge worker roles. We should not see it as a threat but as an opportunity. We must embrace it and run with it.”
“This question is essentially to ask when a new western regional enterprise plan will be published. Will the Minister of State provide some detail on that? The previous western regional enterprise plan from 2021 to 2024 has been a success. It identified a Galway to Athenry economic corridor in which we now see enterprises developing in the form of Dexcom, but we have also seen other developments right across the west. I refer to CREW and BIA Innovator in Athenry. A huge amount is going on. I would greatly appreciate it if the Minister of State could provide an update on when the new western regional enterprise plan will be launched.”
“It should not be a case of the large players continually being the ones to get the largest slice of the cake. It should be the case that our small-to-medium-sized enterprises in our localities have access to opportunities as well.”
“I appreciate the commitment by the Government to tackle the planning issues, but we did not have that problem in Athenry, fortunately. It was an eight-week planning process and permission was granted with the necessary conditions to ensure nobody was impacted negatively. It was a positive news story and something we as a Government should promote more to the wider world to show that companies can do business in Ireland, can do it quickly and can grow their business in a safe and reliable environment. The other point I wanted to make applies in particular to small-to-medium-sized enterprises across the west. Procurement can be quite difficult. I continually raise this, but we need to change the way we are doing procurement to ensure our small-to-medium-sized enterprises can access opportunities close to home.”
“I need support from the Department of enterprise to encourage the other Departments, be that the Department of Transport or of infrastructure, to ensure access to Galway city is a priority. So many of my constituents commute into the city to access work in Parkmore and it is not fair on them to have their time stolen.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. That tells the story. I was expecting to hear numbers like that. A 7% increase in Enterprise Ireland employment numbers across Galway in 2023 to 2024 alone is phenomenal growth and the type of growth we want to see, not just for Galway, but for all of the west. There are two important aspects I wish to highlight. The first is the planning process for new companies looking to establish in our area to accelerate that growth. We had a fantastic example in my nearest town of Athenry. The Dexcom facility currently under construction is set to employ 1,000 people. It is at the M6 motorway interchange and has rail connectivity. This formed part of the western regional enterprise plan previously. The problem currently lies with infrastructure in Galway city.”
“In Galway, we have a fantastic economy that has grown over the past few years and has only gone from strength to strength. A significant number of people are employed across our IDA and Enterprise Ireland clients. I ask the Minister to provide details of the number of jobs in Galway in either IDA- or Enterprise Ireland-related companies.”
“It is welcome to hear that a review will take place and that such reviews happen periodically. Is there a date for when submissions will open? Are they made on a rolling basis? If I go back to my constituents in Galway East and across the network, it would be great to be able to give people an update. I would appreciate an update on the permit system. As with any new system, there have been teething issues but nothing that cannot be worked through. The system will serve the better purpose of shortening waiting times for work permits. In sectors of high demand, is there any limit to the number of work permits that can be issued for areas where we have significant skills shortages?”
“Are there plans to expand the lists? The programme for Government does not just mention visas; it also refers to merging the visa and employment permit systems into one user-friendly, single-application procedure supported by a new ICT system. I understand that a new permit system has been rolled out, and Deputy Mattie McGrath also raised this issue. Concerns have been raised with me by constituents, all of which we were able to resolve. How is the new system performing? Is the new IT system performing well? Is it slower than the previous system? There is much confusion. To support SMEs, the Department could provide more training. There was an online webinar and briefing but more training could be of benefit for SMEs that regularly use the system, whether in healthcare or ICT.”
“This question is important in the context of our economy. Across our economy in health, ICT and engineering, there are skills shortages that need to be filled. Will the Minister of State provide an update on his plan to expand the list of occupations?”
“That is fantastic news for Gurteen. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister for their commitment to special education. It is vital and the needs have to be met. The most important thing is that every child have a fair chance in school and get the support he or she needs to thrive. I attended the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO, briefing yesterday. Its proposal for special educational needs co-ordinators, SENCOs, in schools is a really worth considering. I have no further questions but I appreciate the update on Gurteen.”
“I am looking for an update on the status of a request for SNA support for Gurteen National School in County Galway. Gurteen has applied, gone through the process, had its review and was hopeful that over the Easter break it would have been able to interview people. Can I please get an update on the status of that application for SNA support?”
“In the first three months of the year, venture capital investment in Irish firms has surged to €587 million. This is a huge sign of confidence and hope for indigenous businesses. However, as the Taoiseach knows, we are going through global upheaval and massive global uncertainty, which require that the Government ensure these businesses have stability and a pathway forward. Does the committee have any plans to support Irish indigenous SMEs and ensure they are successful into the future?”
“It is unfair on councillors and local authorities that it goes into a pot and gets spent with the rest of the money as opposed to being ring-fenced for what it is for. Even the development contributions relating to housing estates are not ring-fenced for the delivery of footpaths and lighting in towns and villages. There needs to be a wider conversation in this regard. If possible, I ask for the Minister of State to bring my request to consider the extension of the development levy waiver for one-off homes back to the Minister, Deputy Browne. This move would facilitate young people who are starting out on their journey of home ownership and who are trying to self-build. It would ensure they could do that without an overburdening cost, particularly when they are contributing to our completion figures.”
“I am asking about one-off homes for self-builders who are taking on mortgages to build their homes. Let us call a spade a spade: they are contributing to the ultimate completion figures this Government wants to see. We want more units to be delivered. Self-builders make up almost 10% of those numbers on the basis of the commencement figures from last year. The development levy waiver was a huge success. There were 69,000 commencements in 2024, which is absolutely incredible. Those are the type of numbers we need every year. I am very conscious, however, that the money from the development contribution goes to the councils and self-builders get nothing in return. They do not get footpaths, lighting or investment in their localities.”
“While the Government does a good deal of work to put supports in place, such as the first home or help to buy schemes, to ensure that people have a deposit in place, we then take this development contribution on the other side. There is a better way of doing this. It is either a case of ring-fencing the funding or trying to ensure that this charge is not levied against one-off homes, specifically when those who build such homes have to deliver so much infrastructure themselves.”
“Multiple constituents have contacted me in the months since the waiver was discontinued because they realise that they now have new bills of somewhere between €5,000 and €10,000 for connection fees and the development contribution. We need to either ring-fence the funding to ensure it goes towards those local facilities or show that it is delivering local amenities as opposed to disappearing into the abyss. People do not feel like it is a fair charge, especially when they have to invest in infrastructure themselves. They do not get the lights or the footpaths. We need to make it fairer for people who are constructing their own dwelling.”
“While it is understandable that councils cannot service everywhere, people need to know exactly where that money goes. At present, it is going into the council’s pot and is used to fund everything else the council does. Ultimately, it does not serve the person who contributes. We need to recognise that there is an unfair burden when it comes to these local contributions, not to mention the fact that people also have to install their own septic tanks and put in place their own infrastructure that they have to maintain and manage, which brings its own costs as well. In respect of the contribution side of things, that money goes into a pot. It is not seen by the people who build their one-off homes. The people who do that need to be recognised.”
“The development levy waiver was a powerful initiative introduced by the Government to bolster housing supply and ensure a pipeline of housing delivery. We saw some of our largest commencement numbers ever last year, with more than 60,000 homes commenced, 9% of which were first-time, one-off homes. I come from and represent a rural constituency. I have a major concern with regard to couples or individuals buildings homes in rural areas ending up paying a development contribution to their local authorities. I raised this matter earlier with the Taoiseach. While people are quite happy to pay their for water and ESB connections, paying a development contribution to the council when they live in a rural area seems quite counterintuitive because they do not get lighting, sewerage facilities or footpaths in return.”
“I had the fortunate opportunity to study at Mountbellew Agricultural College over the past two years for my level 5 and level 6 qualifications. I met many young farmers who want to get involved in their family farms and to be part of the farming future of Ireland but we have to bring them with us. We have to show them that if they sign up for a scheme that will commit to paying them X amount, they need to be assured of payment on time. In no other profession would people accept delayed payment. I know the Minister is working through it and the Department is making inroads.”
“Not a week goes by in which I do not have a farmer in east Galway contacting my office regarding the delays to ACRES payments. What has gone so wrong with ACRES payments? Why has there been such a delay? What lessons will be learned to ensure this does not happen again?”
“Maybe there is now time to restructure how the money is being spent or ensure it is ring-fenced within councils for allocation for local infrastructure. I would appreciate the Taoiseach’s thoughts on this.”
“I intend to raise the issue of development levies later tonight as a Topical Issue but wish to say now that, since the development levy waiver was taken away, many young people in my constituency, Galway East, feel like they are being scammed. I realise that sounds harsh, but what I mean is that a young person in east Galway today building a one-off home can pay the local council up to €5,000 or €10,000 between connection fees and development contributions. Understandably, people are happy to pay their electricity and water connections and they see the value in these, but when it comes to development contributions to the council, they are incredibly frustrated. The money goes into the abyss and in rural areas, we do not see lighting or footpaths. It is a major source of frustration.”
“Galway County Council is not short of ambition when it comes to affordable housing. Our chief executive set out an ambitious plan last year. At the time, I was a councillor. We approved loans for affordable housing across our local authority and sought departmental approval for them. We do not lack the ambition. We have the ambition to deliver the homes. In the town of Athenry, the county council is now going for Part 8 planning in the coming months on two separate sites there. There is the ambition. Affordable housing is starting to come to fruition but we need to ramp it up massively. We need to see an accelerated delivery and we need to see affordability continue throughout that system, right across east Galway. One of the leading indicators for a country's likely future success is how many young people choose to stay.”
“When we were campaigning in the general election, so many parent whose children are in Australia would tell me to make sure we get affordable housing right in this Government.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins has visited the homes that have been delivered in Claregalway. It is a fantastic initiative and a fantastic price for people to be able to purchase a home. The problem is that in Galway East, we have not seen a single affordable home delivered yet. I know the Minister is aware of this. We need to see affordable homes delivered in towns such as Tuam, Athenry and Loughrea where young people who are commuting into Galway city but want to live closer to home have the option to purchase a home in those areas. The funding approvals for Galway city and Claregalway are welcome. The price is good and the numbers still stack up in County Galway. What I really need to see is a push.”
“One of the lead indicators of a country's future likely success is how many young people choose to stay. What are the Minister's expectations for affordable housing delivery in 2025, given it will be one of the key tools to ensure our young educated workforce can stay here?”
“Athenry will be a hub and a connection point for the west. It is so important that there are adequate rail and bus services. I must also raise the point that there is currently no bus serving Athenry into Galway city. Athenry is a town of 5,000 people and I hope the Minister of State would tackle that as well.”
“Absolutely there can be no doubt that the economies of public transport have completely flipped the script over the last few years. We have seen fares come down and the cost of using a car has gone up. It makes more sense for people to use public transport. As the Minister of State well knows, Athenry is a booming town with huge growth potential over the coming years. We need to see a double track line all the way into Galway city. I do not know if this will come through the national development process or the all-island rail review but I seriously think we need to be looking at Athenry as the main connection point to Galway city and ensuring that people have adequate access to that public transport. Recently we saw the announcement and now construction, with potentially thousands of jobs, of the Dexcom facility in Athenry.”