Barry Heneghan
Dublin Bay North · Independent · Ireland
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an bPáirtí an Lucht Oibre. This highlights what many families are experiencing right now. Many people have been in contact with me. Even today, I met parents who were under enormous pressure because of the cost of uniforms, books, transport and school activities.”
“I refer to the hundreds of vacant spaces over shops in Dublin, the capital city in which I grew up. I welcome the above-the-shop grant but could we re-examine it in terms of microcompanies or SMEs availing of that grant? It can be difficult for them to avail of the above-the-shop grant.”
“They deserve to know how that supplier was selected, whether public procurement guidance has been followed and why students cannot use an equivalent device that they may already own. Technology undoubtedly has an important role in education. I do not dispute that fact. I came through education while the technology was developing.”
“Anois sa choiste fuinnimh táimid ag caint faoi plug-in solar. In 2024 there was a consultation done by the Department in which Bord Gáis Energy said that plug-in solar systems should be mounted on roofs where possible and hardwired into a dedicated circuit.”
“That contradiction leaves parents and students whom I represent caught in a middle ground. On one hand, the Department is saying they are not mandatory and, on the other, schools are telling parents that they must purchase one. I understand that the Minister of State was in north Dublin.”
“My granny drank raw milk and she lived to 98. We need to look into alternative ways to have locally sourced food. In that regard, I will point to what is happening at EU level and how it ties into this.”
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“If it does go ahead, there needs to be another option for these people. Will the Minister of State relay to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, the need to engage directly with the affected communities, which I represent? Will he also ensure the NTA publishes the base evidence for the changes? The Minister of State is correct. Obviously, his office knows I always raise, when I have the chance, Stapolin Educate Together National School, but I have him here to relay issues to the Minister for Transport. The bottom line is that the public need to be consulted properly, the reliability issue needs to be fixed, including the ghost buses that are being experienced across all the bus routes in north Dublin, and the data needs to be published. It is very simple for people to hide behind data.”
“I appreciate the reply from the Minister of State. This is an important issue for my constituents, who need reassurance. I emailed the NTA but my office has not received a response from it. I acknowledge the work of Independent Councillor Breen on the north side. I also acknowledge the work of the Acting Chair, Deputy Cummins, who worked very hard on the route 80, which affects her side of the city. If the NTA is to proceed with a merger, I can understand the changes to route 80 but not for the 130 bus route. I have visited special education schools in north Dublin with the Minister of State. Changes to people's routine can really affect them. A lot of constituents have contacted me who are terrified of the changes. They have learned the route and they are used to it. The merger cannot go ahead.”
“The public know where the faults lie in the public transport system. Will the Minister of State give me an update on the 130 bus and on any data from the NTA? Given that the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, has responsibility for special education, I would love to raise with him Stapolin Educate Together National School. All the Deputies have raised it. It is very important.”
“It is a bus system and the issue should be very simple to solve. Public transport must be reliable in order to reduce traffic congestion. We spoke this week about remote working and reducing traffic congestion. Another key issue in tackling traffic congestion is reliable bus services. I also want to flag other issues on the north side on which people were not consulted. The first is the changes to the DART station at Donaghmede. Iarnród Éireann insisted that a leaflet drop occurred. I emailed Iarnród Éireann about that again asking for the date and time of the leaflet drop in estates but I got no reply. I raised it directly with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and he has now emailed Iarnród Éireann. I know that does not relate to the 130 bus but it is part of the broader theme about the public needing to be consulted.”
“It is something else that could be examined. Is there any update on the 130 bus? Will the Minister of State's office please consult the NTA to reassure my constituents that if there are changes, they will be consulted and that there will be more frequent buses? This merger must be stopped. I cannot understand how we have allowed no public consultation to occur and how people are just being told their bus route is going to change. It makes no sense. The data behind the decision in regard to current reliability, cancellations, and time performance of the current bus routes must be published so that the public can see the rationale behind this. Ghost buses must be tackled urgently in respect of the failure with real-time information. We all receive hundreds of emails weekly from the public.”
“That is not down to the drivers - the drivers on Dublin Bus are really hard-working men and women - but is due to resources and the current number of buses at various times. The lived experience of my constituents is very fragile. I spoke earlier this week to the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste about children, elderly people and those with a disability who have the current bus system as part of their routine. They do not like changes to their routine. They were not sufficiently consulted. The former 123 bus now stops on the other side of the river, not near O'Connell Street. It is a change to people's routine. While this might not make a difference to everyone, it does to them. I heard Members of the House speak about an NTA-run taxi app. One of my constituents, P.J. Ryan, has pushed me to raise this. It is a very important issue.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an t-ábhar seo an-tábhachtach di agus dá constituents ar fad ar an taobh eile den chathair. Today I want to speak about issues relating to the National Transport Authority, NTA, and the proposed changes to a bus route but in particular the lack of consultation with my constituents. Will the Minister of State provide a current update on what the NTA proposes? The proposed merger of the 80 and 130 routes would be catastrophic because, according to the NTA, the reason for ghost buses relates to to cross-city travel and longer routes. Instead, could we be reassured that the current routes would be served more regularly, especially at peak times? I get the bus into town in the morning and I see two or three buses going by while I am at the bus stop.”
“They do the same work and carry the same responsibility except they are facing extreme emotional and physical demands. They want to get back to work. These men and women are facing discrimination. I appreciate the Minister said she would get back to myself and Deputy Ó Muirí. It is extremely purposeful.”
“Speaking to the current system in Beaumont and hospitals across Ireland, a lot of the time qualified healthcare staff are caught up in administrative roles when that could easily be automated. There are many things across the public sector that could be automated. We have systems now with generative AI, which can store data and automate systems to speed up the efficiency of these systems. Having people walking around with reports who are qualified and could be serving and helping with patients is not efficient. We can look at how China and Japan are currently dealing with their hospital systems. Deputy Ó Muirí and myself attended the launch of the report, and the current change in the systems for Beaumont will change and help lives. On the Northside Home Care Services, agreement was reached with the ICTU unions.”
“Speaking of taking pressure off the hospital, staff of Northside Home Care Services, who are in the Public Gallery, are currently on strike looking for pay parity. During the recession, they were promised their situation would be sorted out in the deal. Now, they sadly are on strike. They do not take it lightly. However, if the HSE can pay for staff to cover, why can it not pay the correct amount to these men and women? Seven of these men and women from the Northside Home Care Services went into a homeless hub while working and they continue to help the men and women of north Dublin. Their situation needs to be sorted out. I thank them for everything they do for the people of north Dublin.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Aontaím go hiomlán leí. Especially when the investment has gone in, there is a CT scanner and people are waiting, that needs to be looked at. In the words of Patricia Anderson, nothing can bring her husband back. However, she would love to see the delays in the emergency department and the ambulance system change. I thank the doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, porters, cleaners and administrative staff and the carers of north Dublin. Beaumont Hospital is one of the most important hospitals in Ireland for head injuries and its emergency department, as the Minister acknowledged, is under extreme strain. Communities across Coolock, Artane, Clontarf, Raheny, Donaghmede and beyond deserve more than what is currently being made available.”
“First, I thank the hardworking women and men of Beaumont Hospital. When I was in fifth year, I was extremely unwell and they looked after me and cared for me. When my mother suffered a polytrauma, they looked after me. However, thousands of constituents are contacting me about the accident and emergency department. Recently, I visited Patricia Anderson from Riverside whose husband spent 14 hours in a chair and then two months later would not go to the accident and emergency department. Sadly, he passed away in the driveway of his house. The current accident and emergency department is an absolute shambles. We need an update on the plans for redevelopment and expansion so northsiders can get the proper treatment they deserve.”
“I would love to see some at the entrance where the River Tolka goes into the bay. They are natural filters. There is a clear issue with water pollution. Sometimes there are e. coli levels of 3,000 parts per million in Dublin Bay. That is six times the safe amount. That is not six times what should be there. People are getting ear infections and going to the doctor for swimming, getting out and socialising. That needs to be looked at. I hear Deputy Ó Muirí discuss the Shannon to Dublin project. I am delighted to see how much it would be doing. I heard Deputy Gogarty talk about me with private wires and energy. I will not go into that. We are discussing Uisce Éireann. Water infrastructure and housing need to go hand in hand. I am delighted to see the great work of the engineers on the Shannon project.”
“Speaking of communication, I know - and I have heard other Deputies from north Dublin speak about this - that we are going to have a pipe along the promenade at Clontarf seafront, one of the great amenities of north Dublin. It would be great for the flood defence to be done at the same time while the plant hire is down there. It makes no sense to dig up the whole thing, put in traffic restrictions and disrupt the entire of north Dublin and then six months later put in a flood defence. It should be done at the same time. There needs to be practical, logical thinking. I was endorsed by Seán Dublin Bay Loftus, a former Independent TD. When he was running for this House, he was trying to save Dublin Bay. Now, Dublin Bay still needs protection. We see oysters are being introduced at Howth.”
“If civil servants in Uisce Éireann and the ESB had clear targets, it would be understandable for them to get bonuses. They are being given bonuses for clear water when that is what they do. If they had clear targets on how many emails or reps they are doing, that would be beneficial. To be clear, when we talk about Uisce Éireann, I have given out about Dublin Bay and people literally swimming in human waste. I have given out about the current flood defence. Sometimes there is not joined-up thinking when it comes to Uisce Éireann and active travel. Roads have had cycleways put in and then been torn up a month later to put in a pipe. There needs to be a bit more communication in that sense.”
“Bhí mé ag éisteacht le gach duine sa Teach seo. Táim i gcónaí ag tabhairt amach le daoine atá sa Civil Service. Sometimes it is warranted. I heard Deputy Ó Murchú mention that sometimes you do get that rare gem. I thank Keith Conmy from Uisce Éireann for all that the work he helped me with for the residents of Mask Avenue. We give out enough about civil servants. It is only fair to we clap for them when they do their job. He was sending me updates at 11.30 p.m., constantly keeping residents informed. That is the kind of civil servant I would love to see across the board in all of our Departments, but it is not there sometimes. When it comes to bonuses, I heard people giving out and it is fair enough. If there were targeted bonuses for people, he deserves one. I hope he got one.”
“Those people need to be facilitated if we are serious about tackling congestion, improving quality of life and meeting our climate targets. As we saw recently, we are in line not to meet those targets. We are dealing with this in the climate committee. Action on remote working could be a very important step that would help. The task now is for Members from all parties and none to work together to see how we can best benefit our economy through remote working, to scale it properly and to support employers and employees. I welcome many of the points made by speakers on all sides of the House today. If we can do this correctly, it will be very beneficial to the Irish people.”
“The existing system should be reviewed and, in that regard, I support the intent behind the motion and I welcome this discussion. The legislation we need to create must provide certainty for employees. Arís, gabhaim míle buíochas to the cross-party group on remote work, of which I am part. I spoke to people in Grow Remote yesterday and this morning and they gave me the statistic that Ireland was losing 100,000 jobs due to the current remote working system. We need to examine it with a view to changing it. Access to remote working expands access to jobs for carers. I welcome the work done by the people in the cross-party group. In north Dublin, there are people who would be 15 minutes from work on a bicycle but when it comes to getting there on a rainy day, they get into traffic congestion and it is not ideal.”
“Gabhaim míle buíochas le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre as ucht an intent atá thaobh thiar den tairiscint seo. Tá sé an-tábhachtach, go háirithe sna laethanta seo, go bhfuil an deis ag daoine trasna na tíre remote working a dhéanamh, go háirithe i gcomhthéacs an tráchta atá ar na bóithre, na timpeallachta agus gach rud mar sin. Tá a fhios ag gach duine – tá staitisticí ar fáil - go bhfuil sé an-mhaith i gcomthéacs an mhéid CO2 a bhíonn ag teacht amach ó charranna na ndaoine a bhíonn ag dul isteach chuig a n-áiteanna oibre. I am not supporting the motion because, as Deputy Currie mentioned, the legal right to request remote work, and the framework around it, recognises the important reality that not every job can be done remotely and not every workplace can operate in the same way.”
“They are asking for us to change their world. It is very simple for us to do that. I will continue to raise this with the Minister and the HSE. It is day six of the strike tomorrow. They will be outside of the Dáil. It is important that we listen to them. They need to be seen. The Northside Home Care Services is vital in north Dublin. They look after all of elderly, sick and anyone with a disability. They are vital. They are tireless workers. We need to look after them. I urge the Department to look at and change what is going on with these men and women.”
“When the recession hit, they were included in the Haddington Road agreement. Through decisions that were made in this House, they effectively lost out. They also lost section 39 status. This was not because their work rate change, but because decisions were made in here. These were always workers who were working the best they could. The only thing that changed is how they are being treated. Speaking to them, they told me that their pay has gone down since 2007. This policy choice needs to change. The Minister of State agrees with me. There has been a lot of work done. I welcome some of the work that his Department has done. There is no price that we can put on care. There is no price on seeing and knowing that your loved one is being cared for correctly. These workers are not asking for us to change the world.”
“Bhí mé ar an nguthán le Sonia Borwick díreach ansin. I was just on the phone with Sonia Borwick. Northside Home Care is on day five of strike in relation to caring. Sixty men and woman are on strike because what is happening them is unfair. In relation to the Bill, the carers have been on strike since 16 January. They are not doing this lightly. They are doing it because they have been pushed to the edge. These people who looked after my grandparents are all proud northsiders. Yet, speaking on the phone to her, she informed me that six of these workers had been made homeless while working as a carer. They are living in a hub in Coolock while still going out every day to care for others. That really sunk in. For years, these workers had pay parity with other healthcare staff.”
“It made a huge difference to those people who were not consulted. I would love the Taoiseach to examine this. They deserve reliable buses before redesigned routes. I acknowledge the work of Independent Councillor Breen on Dublin City Council on this.”
“To be clear, I support better public transport, but in the task force we speak about the changes. Everyone in this House will have heard hundreds of people speaking about ghost buses. The NTA now wants to merge and extend routes in north Dublin. The NTA has said that ghost buses are due to longer routes and cross-city routes. The 130 route has been told it will be changed, but there was not enough consultation with the people of north Dublin. At the same time the 123 service has been changed. It no longer finishes at O'Connell Street. Now, elderly people, those with disabilities and those who are vulnerable are asked to walked hundreds of metres to an area they are not familiar with. People have contacted my office. They have learned the route. They are not used to changes in their routine.”
“Before we move along, I would like to say a big "hello" and "fáilte" to Dundalk Grammar School, here on the invitation of Deputy Butterly, and to the Deputy's former business teacher, Mr. Brady. You are very welcome to Leinster House. I hope you enjoy yourselves.”
“Obviously I have only been in this House for the last 13 months and a lot of this stuff was done before I was a Member, but we need to rethink and challenge the interests, put Irish citizens first, bring in easier measures for people to use plug-in solar, bring in private wire systems and allow eco-villages to supply themselves off-grid to remove themselves from dependency and accelerate Ireland's energy transition in a way that is globally competitive so we can be making money for Irish citizens and not depending on other states.”
“Green hydrogen is a direct form and we need frameworks that unlock investment to electrolysis facilities, as I have already mentioned. There are great academics across the country's universities but we need to be listening to them. Irish people should be proud of the country we have, proud of the grid and proud of the energy we are producing cleanly. Safety is critical and this Bill improves safety. It is a moment to rethink.”
“It makes no sense that we have solar farms turning off their power as the sun is beaming on them while we are still buying power from the UK. We have so much potential with battery storage and gravity pumps. The technology is out there but there is no urgency, there is no oomph. It is my generation who are going to be paying for this. The Minister of State knows that when you reduce energy costs that effect trickles through the entire economy, into transport and everything, and thereby brings down the cost of living. Our future energy systems cannot be tethered to the volatile gas markets and for that to be done we need to increase our offshore and onshore renewable energy. We need to get rid of the NIMBYism I see across this House and the electoral cycle thinking. These are things that are constantly said but they are true.”
“One of our greatest untapped assets, as I have already mentioned, is our offshore renewable energy resource and the planned targets of 5 GW by 2030 and 20 GW by 2040 need to be reached. The critical infrastructure Bill will, I hope, help with that but it needs to be done quickly. We do not have a national policy for it but for foreign direct investment to see we are a country to be taken seriously we need to show it this can be done and give it a good blueprint. We need to show investors we are going to take planning actions quickly. The delays are not acceptable and the gaps and grid constraints are not either. I recently visited a solar farm where the operators are turning off power due to the grid not being able to take it but we are still importing power from the UK.”
“The Germans have done it and it really helps struggling people. It is very simple. People can put it on the outside of their balconies and plug it directly in. The current regulations and the systems do not allow people to do that. It would really help people and it is a very cheap system. We want clean energy in Ireland - something we can be proud of that is secure, affordable, decarbonised and future-proofed, but we need to accelerate renewables. The private wires legislation is due to come to the House this year and I am looking forward to going through that Bill and working with colleagues across the House, but if we are going to reach the 80% renewable share by 2030 we need to have a Covid-level response to this. Delivery is lagging and everyone knows it.”
“I am sure the Minister of State knows the UK is using a mix of green hydrogen and natural gas. It is something Ireland has huge potential in and it needs to be looked into more. I did not see much mention of it in the Bill. Energy prices have been going through the roof in the last few years and the inflation is leaving people struggling. I have hundreds of people contacting my office who are struggling with bills and the cost of living. Something we could do to help them, which I have mentioned multiple times, is to decentralise our grid, bring in private wires and bring in long duration energy storage. This would allow us to regulate our current grid like the Danish or Germans do. Something I spoke about recently, which is not mentioned in this Bill, is that those living in apartment buildings cannot use plug-in solar.”
“I understand that back in the early 2000s we had plans to develop our offshore renewable energy at a faster rate but unfortunately due to the financial crash and everything we did not and we are now years behind our EU counterparts and everyone else. The potential Ireland has needs to be seized. When it comes to the price, something we are constantly asking in the climate and energy committee is what is the delay and what is holding up this clear option for Ireland to be more energy independent. Not only could we be energy independent, but with the kind of tailwind we will be getting from offshore renewable energy we could use electrolysis to create green hydrogen. We could be supplying green hydrogen for high-energy industry. We could be supplying the growing green hydrogen market there is going to be in the EU.”
“Going through the Bill, we cannot argue. Improving safety is something that we really do need, especially in the operation and maintenance of our gas networks. I have heard other Deputies mention it. The improvements are important. Protecting our citizens is one of the main things that we in this Chamber do. As Deputy Gogarty has said, however, the measures are not grappling with the elephant in the room, namely, soaring energy prices and the burden on Irish households. If any other country had the potential that Ireland has, be it offshore or onshore and the amount of sea and seabed that we have, they would seize it. We are currently bringing in other countries' national installers to do it because we do not have the capability.”
“We cannot continue to talk about delivering housing without facing the reality that housing and water infrastructure go hand in hand. I heard a lot of people talking about this today. If we do not invest urgently in the wastewater treatment plant in Dublin, network capacity and storm resilience, we are not going to meet our housing targets in the term of this Government. Uisce Éireann needs to be properly resourced. We are throwing money at it but there needs to be accountability for the money we are throwing at it.”
“In Dublin Bay, residents in Mask Avenue, Coolock, have contacted my office for weeks. I eventually got in contact with Uisce Éireann, which said its workers were out in that area. From speaking to residents, however, they were not. The accountability is not there. This system cannot cope. I thank Lauren in Uisce Éireann who has been very helpful on this issue, which is currently in the process of being resolved. Residents not having drinking water is not acceptable. The unaccountability of civil servants, State bodies or semi-State bodies needs to be reviewed. There is also a serious issue with communication, which Members from all sides of the House have raised today. People are not being informed clearly or quickly when incidents occur.”
“Labhair mé faoin ábhar seo sa Teach seo. I understand Uisce Éireann has a huge body of work but it is failing on infrastructure. We have reviewed the judicial review system which will make it much easier for people to have critical infrastructure. Currently, in Dublin, especially in my area of Dublin Bay North, there is a huge issue where we see drone footage of E. coli and human waste going into the bay. I have seen other people using methods to clean it. I would love that to be done in north Dublin. Another thing I wish to ask about is why Irish Water will not allow its tanks to be used for a sprinkler system, particularly in student accommodation. It is a simple issue. It is bureaucratic issue of legislation that Uisce Éireann is following but it is destroying the construction industry and delaying builds.”
“Yes. It is great to see Deputy Ó Muirí’s enthusiasm, but, sadly, you cannot ask a supplementary on a priority question. A heritage centre would act as a home for Bram Stoker's story . It would be a base for tourism and a shared space for the community. It would drive footfall in the area. When I work as a barman, I spoke to Americans who came to the area. When I told them about Bram Stoker and the Battle of Clontarf, they did not know about either because not enough is done to publicise them. If any other country was the birthplace of the person who wrote Dracula and brought it to the world stage, that would be a centre point and it would be used to bring people in. We had the Bram Stoker museum. Sadly, it closed. Those involved with the heritage centre have the memorabilia ready; they just need a site.”
“It is great that the Minister thinks this is a good idea. Think of what would be in place in another country if Bram Stoker had lived there. He lived in the Fairview area. You can still see his house. I know the person who lives in it. They voted for me. Actually, I do not know if they did.”
“It would be brilliant to bring the community together. From the city out to Howth Head, the area has an extraordinary concentration of heritage. This is something I was not fully aware of until I was educated by Dennis McIntyre, who I commend on his hard work. A heritage centre would support schools, local groups, researchers and visitors alike.”
“I welcome the fact that the Minister thinks this is a good idea. It would be brilliant for the economy, local tourism and jobs. I will mention a few things that north Dublin has going for it, namely the Battle of Clontarf, Brian Boru, the two Norman castles, Lord Charlemont and Casino Marino and Daniel O’Connell and the monster meeting that took place in Clontarf in 1843 from which the Irish revolution and the foundation of the State began. I did not know about the latter until I went and met the men and women behind the great organisation involved to discuss giving them a base and a place that would not only be used in the context of heritage but also in respect of arts and anything that would help the local community. St. Anne’s Park is the former home of the Guinness family. We have the main avenue and the Red Stables there.”
“Anocht, ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an Aire regarding a heritage centre for north Dublin bay. This would be a single focal point for cultural heritage and would increase the number of year-round visitors to the area. Huge numbers of people already visit north Dublin. We have two castles there. People do not know that with the Guinness family, Bram Stoker and Daniel O’Connell all connected to the area, there is a huge amount of history there. We have loads of sites. Having a heritage centre would be brilliant for tourism and the economy.”
“I welcome that we are voting against this Mercosur deal. We should not support any trade agreement that compromises food safety, animal welfare, public health and climate responsibility. This agreement should be rejected outright.”
“It is indefensible and it undermines the trust in our food system. Ireland is known around the world for how good our food system is. I heard a lot of Members talking about labelling. I will be very interested to see how the labelling will be done. I welcome some parts of the Sinn Féin motion but I will not be supporting the motion. If one reads the entire motion, there is a lot of stuff in it that is not good. The agreement also contradicts Ireland's climate commitments. As an environmental engineer it does not make sense to me for our farmers to be held to the strictest environmental standards while on the other side of the world the Amazon rainforest will be cut down for cattle to be reared, and then giant ships will be used to ship the beef here to be eaten. It makes no sense when you look at the entire carbon emissions of the Earth.”
“From speaking to people, and from all the emails I got into my office, as it stands the deal is fundamentally incompatible with Irish agriculture given the food safety standards our farmers are held to and the regulations that they have to meet compared with those for the producers of meat we will be importing from the Mercosur countries. It is completely hypocritical. I welcome the work that the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the leader of the regional group, the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney, did in relation to Mercosur. This is why I welcome the fact that we are voting against the Mercosur agreement. With regard to including the strict limits on antibiotic use and the complete ban on growth hormones, allowing imports from countries that permit weak regulation in this area is unacceptable.”
“I heard a few Members of the House speaking tonight about the fisheries and what we have lost. I have been engaging with the Minister of State, and I hope he will address that issue and how the EU is taking advantage of our seas. With regard to the Mercosur deal, I welcome Deputy Gogarty's acknowledgment that there are some benefits. There are farmers here tonight. I come from a constituency in north Dublin. The only fields in my constituency are GAA pitches but I have been contacted by a lot of people. I am also well aware of the environmental impact this deal is going to create.”
“Toisc gurb é an chéad uair dom a bheith ag caint sa Teach seo i mbliana, ba mhaith liom athbhliain faoi mhaise a ghabháil le gach duine. I am seeking a clear update on the progression of the occupied territories Bill. The programme for Government I signed up for promised the advancement of legislation prohibiting the importation of goods. Given the ongoing genocide and Ireland's stated obligations under international law, it is now essential that we bring the Bill in as soon as possible. I stress that at the committee there was cross-party support for the inclusion of goods and services. What is the Taoiseach's current stance on the position of the Palestinian Action political prisoners who are still on hunger strike? Britain chose to let Irish hunger strikers die in 1981. What is the Taoiseach's current take on this situation?”
“We want these small-scale developers to meet the housing targets. I have hundreds of people in my constituency looking for affordable housing, and this cannot happen.”
“I too join in the condolences on the attack that happened on the Jewish community in Australia. I also support the plea for funding for The Complex. Regarding the Cabinet committee on housing, across the country AHBs have signed turnkey deals that then collapse. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, there was a recent scheme that had the contract signed, everything was above board, they were all ready and, at the last minute, when they were looking for funding, the Department denied the funding for 40 turnkey units. If we are to bring medium-sized and small developers into the market, this risk cannot be acceptable. We will not get the funding from the funding schemes, and it is putting all the risk on the developers. The homes are built, the deal collapses and the investor walks away.”
“Andrew's, as the Minister of State mentioned, demonstrate that when training is practical, supportive and connected it helps people succeed in their career going forward. I welcome its inclusive model. I hope it can be used as a blueprint across the country.”
“It is great to see that. I welcome the engagement the Minister of State has had with me so far. Especially for my constituency, and from speaking to young adults, it would be great if we could continue to see the investment she mentioned into more apprenticeship programmes. There are a lot of derelict sites in north Dublin that could be upgraded and used as an apprenticeship college. There are ones we could invest in. We need to show, north Dublin especially, that there are other options for these kids and future adults, as the Minister of State said, and that this is not a plan B or C. It should be considered a plan A. I welcome what she said about social media. We need to continue actively promoting apprenticeships as first-choice career routes. Centres such as St.”