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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“Regarding the task force, I welcome what Deputies McAuliffe and Brabazon said about north Dublin. What steps are being taken to make development of residential space above shops in Dublin's inner city easier? There are major issues with licences for fire safety. Is there any update on the proposed late-night licensing reforms and the Give Us The Night campaign? Young people in Ireland feel they are not welcome in Dublin city as we saw recently with Drury Street being closed off. If we want the city to be revitalised, the young people of Dublin need to be encouraged to come in. If the late licences go to 6 a.m., we will still have one of the earliest in Europe, but it would encourage people in.”
“I heard a Member of this House say that this Government is anti-climate change measures. I ask her to look at the programme for Government. I am a recently qualified mechanical engineer who helped to contribute to the programme for Government. Another Member spoken about the private wires Bill. Yes, 50% of Dublin's electricity is used by data centres, but what do the Members propose we do? Are they just going to whinge and whine? I propose we bring in the private wire legislation as quickly as possible and make the data centres bring in-----”
“In Dublin 2, 6, 4 and 8, they are looking for another Gaelscoil. I welcome the fact the Minister acknowledged that and I look forward to passing on the information to Gaelcholáiste Reachrann.”
“Tá sé deas é sin a chloisteáil. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta leis sin. It is important the children know that education through the medium of Irish is being taken seriously by the Government. In the previous Government, we saw a decrease in the number of children learning through the medium of Irish. It is something the Government needs to turn around. In the programme for Government, there are clear commitments to education through the medium of Irish and I like the way the Minister outlined them there. This is one of the most important things for me in my constituency but I would like to see this spread wider. I will not be so Dublin-centric. It is something the Department of Education and Youth can do, with more commitments and more construction of permanent buildings for Gaelscoileanna.”
“I welcome the fact the Minister stated she is committed. I thank all the TDs in Dublin Bay North for a unified push towards this. It is very important. The school has been waiting 25 years. It cannot wait 35 or 45 years. The students who are there now do not trust the system. I welcome the fact the Minister has committed to that and that it will go to tender by September. With all the pressure we can apply, is the Minister saying that construction will begin in Q1 to Q2 of 2026? If so, I thank the Minister from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of all the parents, students and people in north Dublin who are trying to access education through the medium of Irish. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go bhfuil an deis ann do na daoine sin agus go bhfuil siad in ann an teanga dhúchasach agus gach rud a fheabhsú i mBaile Átha Cliath Thuaidh.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an gcúirt a thug sé ar Ghaelcholáiste Reachrann. Bhí gach duine an-sásta é a fheiceáil ansin. I thank Deputy Ó Muirí and the other TDs in Dublin Bay North for asking the Minister. It was good to see her there and the school was delighted that she visited. Has the Department been speaking to the planning authorities and trying to expedite the building of this school? The Minister met all the teachers. It is important for the Irish language in north Dublin that this school building gets built. I thank the Minister again for her visit.”
“I have a question for the Taoiseach that is especially personal to me as my sister and her wife are expecting their child. Real fear and frustration is being felt by the LGBTQ+ parents who are still not legally recognised as their children's parents. As it stands, the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 risks leaving families behind, especially those born through surrogacy or donor conception outside Ireland. Will the Taoiseach commit to commissioning an independent equality audit of legislation, will he meet the LGBTQ+ Parenting Alliance and will he ask the Department of Health to publish a clear timeline for commencement of both existing Acts? This is not a health issue, but one of equality, dignity and legal certainty for families.”
“We need to do that now. It also sanctioned a leading figure of a settlement movement. There are senior members of the Israeli Government we need to sanction. The main point is that our Central Bank is facilitating the sale of bonds that are war bonds. This is not about diplomatic language. It is about technicalities. It is about the decency of us doing the right thing.”
“The Israeli state has been continually breaching laws and nothing is being done. This is ridiculous. We have all seen the images of children dying of hunger and infants skeletal from starvation being brought into crumbling hospitals by mothers who can do no more. Gazan children are being starved to death in full view. We have said it is genocide, but why are we not doing everything we can to stop it? I commend the Irish Government on doing what it has done so far. It has been leading the push to review the EU-Israel trade agreement but we need to do more. We are blatantly ignoring it. Our voice matters. Our voice has always been a voice for peace. We did it before with apartheid South Africa. Let us lead the charge again. We must push the EU to follow the UK's example. In recent days, the UK Government sanctioned two Israeli ministers.”
“Thousands of families have been completely wiped out. It includes medical staff, journalists and UN workers. In absolutely horrific scenes that we see on our phones, hundreds of Palestinians are being shot at while trying to get aid. They were not armed. They did not pose any threat. They were just trying to survive like our ancestors tried to do. In two separate incidents, Israeli forces opened fire on civilians gathered at aid trucks. Many of the victims were shot in the back. This is not war. It is absolutely horrific. We need to do everything we can to be on the right side of history. The horror continues at every level. Just days ago, a flotilla carrying food, medicine and baby formula was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters - another breach of law.”
“What everyone has said today is completely true. We are witnessing one of the darkest moments in modern history. In Gaza, the population is being bombed, starved, displaced and deprived of the most basic human rights. When I met a young man who lives in my constituency whose parents are still in Gaza, I could not look him in the eye and say I am not doing everything I can to help him and his family. Ireland cannot be one of the silent countries. Let us speak clearly. Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This is not a political slogan. It is the conclusion of respected international legal bodies and the position of the Government, human rights organisations and aid workers on the ground. More than 54,000 people have been killed and thousands of others injured, most of whom are men and children.”
“They did not do so. They objected to a berm that would be put in place the entire way down Clontarf seafront. This is a complete lie. It must be made clear that the people of Clontarf want and welcome flood defence. They are very grateful for the Minister of State’s visit.”
“The OPW is currently investing €200 million in flood relief measures across County Dublin. A total of seven of those schemes have been completed and seven more are under way. Nationally, the Government has committed €1.3 billion to flood defence. I thank the Government for that, because it is significant. What matters most to the people I represent, however, is that there will be delivery. I thank the Minister of State on behalf of the people. We must also thank the engineering experts. I thank him for the funding. Let us put in place permanent flood defences that protect homes and livelihoods. Let us deliver real security to a community that has lived too long under threat. I also wish to put the following matter on the record of the House. There is a public perception that the people of Clontarf objected to flood defence.”
“I look forward to working with the Minister of State on phase 1B of the larger multistage process. When he visited, he announced that he will be putting the alternative long-term flood defence solutions out for public consultation. I look forward to seeing those in the next three months, as he announced. I thank the Minister of State again. The community is delighted. Peoples’ marriages have been saved. There are individuals who were really stressed for the past few years and who could not get insurance on their houses. That has now changed. This is cross-party, constructive work. I welcome the involvement of everyone who has contributed positively to moving this project forward. We also must say clearly that the sandbags must go. We cannot accept a situation where parts of Dublin Bay North are reliant on temporary barriers.”
“The key part of the River Wad phase 1B flood relief scheme, and specifically the construction of the necessary culvert combined with the upgrade to the outfall, which began in April, represents real, practical progress. I thank the Minister of State for that. I am grateful. He is well suited to this role. I thank Dublin City Council, the OPW and all the civil servants who helped us get over the line. These works will protect more than 60 properties from flood risk. This is the result of years of planning and engineering studies. The Minister of State and the OPW have shown real leadership in progressing this project. I acknowledge all the technical work done by all the engineers involved and the consistent engagement of Dublin City Council. Make no mistake, the work is not finished.”
“Since the Minister of State’s Department announced this funding, I have been on the phone with multiple residents who have had restless nights every time there is heavy rain. The fact that the culvert is being worked on is really helping people. The Minister of State has helped people have their homes, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart. When I knocked on doors during the election campaign, the message that people were tired of living in fear came across loud and clear. The Minister of State has now removed that fear. They are tired of the sandbags in Clontarf. The people of Dublin Bay North and I thank the Minister of State for visiting last week. We need permanent, modern flood defences. I welcome the announcement on the 22 May that OPW approval has been granted for Dublin city flood works.”
“I wish to address something to which reference has already been made, namely our climate targets. This is a matter I have already spoken about. We know it will be beneficial for the Government if we invest millions of euro in our ports and expand them. While there is going to be huge offshore renewable energy coming into the Port of Cork, the latter is not a viable location for brining in the big vessels necessary to allow for the swift change in our infrastructure. On behalf of the people of Clontarf, I thank the Minister of State from the bottom of my heart for visiting the ongoing flood works there. I also thank his Department for announcing the €2 million it is giving towards flood defences. That was really well received. What residents in Castle Court and Auburn experienced in 2008 was horrific.”
“The CRU's announcement three months ago was not welcome and was not in line with the programme for Government. I urge the Government to expedite the private wire legislation to allow us to reach our EU climate targets.”
“I thank my constituency colleague for bringing up data centres and the State data centre. The programme for Government talks about expediting private wire legislation. As Deputy Ó Muirí just said with regard to the decarbonisation of data centres, as we are all aware, 21% of our electricity is being used by data centres. While other Deputies will attack data centres, there are 53,000 jobs indirectly or directly linked to data centres. I am not going to shout at the Minister of State and say they are using this electricity. We could use the expedition of private wire legislation to allow data centres to create their own on-site energy, as Deputy Ó Muirí said. This would then allow the giant companies to create on-site solar panels or, as the Deputy said, run private wires from other renewable projects. It is important that we do this.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. It is exactly that - the board is meeting once a month. Developers and investors are seeing this. It is holding developers up and adding many costs for them, which they do not like and discourages the building of homes. The scheme is valuable and it is right that it is being retained. I look forward to the budget and seeing what this Government will do. Revision is needed to ensure that the scheme reflects today's market. This includes updating the price gap and ensuring that the rules are clear and consistent. This is an opportunity to make a good scheme more responsive and fair for today's buyers, particularly for the buyers of north Dublin.”
“However, many new builds in the area now fall out of the existing eligibility cap, making this scheme inaccessible to those it was designed to support. These people are not high earners or looking for luxury properties. They are ordinary people being priced out by rising market values. Will there be a threshold change to the scheme?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I welcome the Minister said that. I have met developers in north Dublin and across the country and they told me that the Housing Finance Agency was meeting just once a month. Completed buildings are sitting empty in the middle of a housing crisis, yet there does not seem to be a sense of urgency in the Department. Housing is not the Minister's Department, but as Minister for Finance, will he be increasing the number of times the agency meets in order to show people that we are serious about tackling this crisis and show investors that Ireland can be trusted? In Dublin Bay North, I regularly hear from first-time buyers who are doing their best to secure a home close to work.”
“My question concerns the help to buy scheme and its future direction. The programme for Government commits to both retaining and revising the scheme. Given the significant rise in house prices, particularly in north Dublin, has consideration been given to adjusting the eligibility criteria or value threshold to ensure the scheme remains relevant and accessible to first-time buyers of my generation?”
“They want to provide a contributory old age pension in lieu of the unpaid work carried out. They are also asking, as Deputy Connolly just mentioned, for the HAA medical card to be provided. These requests seem minimal and it is the least the State can provide. It is all very well to blame the church, which has not done nearly half its fair share, but we, the State and our society, turned the other way and let these people down unbelievably badly. As legislators, we have the opportunity to fix these wrongs today. We are the only people who can do so. Everyone else outside this Chamber only plays a supporting role.”
“The former Artane industrial school is in my constituency. I remember once speaking to the daughter of an industrial school resident, who recalled the day of the State apology. She told me her father and the family thought his life would change for the better but really, looking back now, there was so much damage done. She wondered how anyone could recover. In the State apology in 1999, the State acknowledged the appalling failures of care. A redress scheme was set up and the legislation today is adding to the much-needed supports and money provided 20 years ago to some of the residents. In recent days, I have studied the amendments tabled by Deputies O'Rourke and Connolly. They want to expand the eligibility criteria for accessing the supports to those who experienced the industrial schools and not only for those who received redress.”
“I subsequently looked into this issue further, with the help of a book, Suffer the Little Children , by Professor Eoin O'Sullivan of TCD and the late Mary Raftery. Then I looked at the 2009 Ryan report online. I was deeply shocked, moved and somewhat annoyed by what survivors had to endure. As young children they were taken from their families. When I say young I mean starting from one, two or three years of age. They were taken from their families, brought to a court and sentenced by a judge to be confined to an industrial school until they were 16 years of age. In the schools they were often physically, sexually and emotionally abused. When that was not good enough, they were sent out to work for no pay in deplorable conditions, often hungry and with the loss of their education. Many survivors today have literacy issues.”
“I commend Deputies Connolly and O'Rourke on their amendments to the proposed legislation. Many younger Deputies, myself included, may not be too aware of the State's involvement in residential institutions, which finally closed in Ireland from the late 1980s up to the mid-1990s. I have watched recordings of Deputy Connolly in previous Dáileanna setting out, or painting a picture if you like, of the conditions that survivors endured. I want to say go raibh míle maith agat to Deputy Connolly for all the work she has done. A number of weeks ago I received an email from Sage Advocacy, as did many other Deputies, flagging to us that this important legislation was due and to inform us of the free one-to-one advocacy and support services it carries out on behalf of survivors.”
“We owe it to the people of Gaza, the principles of international law and our own conscience as a nation that once knew oppression to act now and deliver.”
“The only way to ensure the urgent flow of aid into Gaza is for us to apply maximum pressure on the Israeli Government diplomatically, economically and politically. Words are no longer enough. Ireland must lead the growing bloc of EU countries that is shifting and calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. Article 2 of that agreement clearly states that respect for human rights is an essential element of the partnership. That is something we are not seeing. The clause means nothing if it is not enforced. We must also speak frankly to the hold-out member states who continue to block action. History will judge them and us, and it will not judge any of us kindly. I am not directing this at the Minister of State but at the war criminal government that Netanyahu has created.”
“As Deputy Tóibín said, over 53,000 people have been killed, the majority women and children. The United Nations has warned of the war crimes. We know these are war crimes. Netanyahu is a war criminal. Human Rights Watch has stated bluntly that starvation is being used as a weapon of war. This is a reality. This is not just a humanitarian catastrophe. It is an attempt to forcibly remove the Palestinian population from Gaza. It is illogical what is occurring among us but there is a shift occurring across EU states. We saw what occurred in the House of Commons yesterday. Ireland has been a moral voice before. In the 1980s, we stood firm against the apartheid state of South Africa, started by the Dunnes workers. We were not silent and we must not be silent now.”
“It is deeply harrowing to witness the devastation unfolding in Gaza, as every Deputy has said. As we speak, infants are starving. Families are without clean water or basic medical supplies. According to the WHO, nine out of ten people in Gaza now face crisis-level hunger. I have heard Deputies across the Chamber refer to the Great Famine but it is actually the great genocide that our people faced when we had grass stains on our mouths and when lies upon lies were put on what was being inflicted on our nation. This is not a failure of logistics that is occurring in front of us. It is deliberate denial of humanitarian relief. The destruction we are seeing is not collateral damage. It is a systematic obliteration of civilian infrastructure - homes, schools and hospitals.”
“His father has been displaced by war. His mother has public health qualifications. His sister is studying medicine, while under fire, and a younger sister is still in school in Gaza. This family has strength, education and resilience but they are separated. I have asked the Tánaiste to really look into this case for family reunification and I would like to raise it again please.”
“We must act with the same urgency we would demand if this suffering were happening elsewhere, because if we say we believe in human rights, now is the time to prove it. The programme for Government committed to progressing legislation that would ban goods from the occupied territories and a direct response to international law and the International Court of Justice's opinion. That includes the occupied territories Bill. I have raised this multiple times. We need to take a stand. It might just lead to momentum and it can start there. I would like to speak briefly about a young man who I met in my constituency, Amir, and his host, Marina. Amir is a Palestinian refugee from Gaza. I have met him multiple times and he has told me about everything he has faced, but he still has hope in his heart. His heart is heavy. His family remains in Gaza.”
“This is why the European Commission's recent announcement to review the agreement is not only welcome but is long overdue. A growing number of member states, including Spain and Slovenia, are joining Ireland in demanding action. There is now clear momentum across Europe for an economic response to what is unfolding in Gaza. Let us be honest that diplomatic statements are no longer enough. The EU has real leverage. Trade and access are not just policy tools but they are instruments of accountability. The continued provision of economic benefits while war crimes are being committed is indefensible. Ireland cannot wait for a consensus to find its voice. We must lead. We must speak plainly.”
“What we are witnessing in Gaza is an humanitarian disaster. Thousands of people have been killed. Thousands more are missing under the debris and rubble and more than 1.5 million face starvation. Entire neighbourhoods have been obliterated. Children are dying of hunger. Hospitals, schools and refugee camps have been bombed, and still the world hesitates. I condemn the atrocities carried out by Hamas on 7 October. The killing of civilians and taking of hostages are crimes, but we cannot allow this condemnation to be used as a cover-up for what is happening right now. This is not self-defence. This is collective punishment that is targeted destruction of civilian life on a massive scale. These are war crimes. This is a genocide and the blockade must end immediately. Ireland cannot and must not turn away. Neither should the European Union.”
“I am delighted to hear that, and I thank the Minister for the engagement today. I wish him the best of luck. He has a great brief, and Ireland will definitely be defined and our Government will be defined by how we act in the next four or five years in this regard. I urge the Department to look at integrated constructed wetlands as a cost-effective solution. They store carbon, they boost biodiversity, this week being biodiversity week, they are cost-effective and they have been done very successfully in Sweden and Denmark. The ICW in Grange Castle West is being used as a water runoff treatment, but I was out there recently and it is great to see the native animals now using it as their home. It is great to see a solution to wastewater then benefiting nature.”
“I am delighted to hear that the Minister is committed to our climate targets. I know he might be surprised to hear a north Dublin TD who cares about agriculture, but it is something I have studied in college. He has just mentioned the sustainability aspect. To what extent are the CAP payments now tied to the measurable climate targets and how is the Department ensuring these conditions drive genuine change? Integrated constructed wetlands, ICWs, are brilliant, especially for farm runoff, using a piggery or any alternative to a wastewater treatment plant. They are really low cost and they filter hydrogen and phosphorous naturally. Not only that, a tiered system of integrated constructed wetlands also adds biodiversity to an area and creates a wetland, which is also a natural hold for carbon.”
“What support is the Minister's Department providing to help farmers meet national and EU climate targets, especially in emissions reduction, biodiversity enhancement and sustainable land use? Will the Department focus in particular on nature-based solutions? I was very lucky to have worked on an integrated constructed wetland and I would love to hear the Department's opinion on the use of such wetlands as a tool not only to reduce our emissions but also to clean our water.”
“We need a system that meets children where they are and not one that makes families chase diagnostician after diagnostician just to be seen. We must stop using assessment as a gatekeeper to care and start delivering care based on need. I believe this Government is serious about its commitments. I am committed to the programme for Government because a government’s role at its core is simply to protect and support those who need it most. I acknowledge the work of my predecessor, Finian McGrath, who did an incredible job as Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities. His leadership and passion sparked my interest in politics at a young age. He showed me that politics, especially Independent politics, is about putting people first and standing up for those who need it most.”
“Cara, I met you first as a councillor when you invited me to the monster rally outside Leinster House and I thank you for that. I really want to say thanks from the bottom of my heart and from everyone here. You are doing Trojan work. You are doing our job - the job we should be doing. You are asking for the establishment of a task force and I really hope this Government listens to you, because here is the truth. Despite a 65% increase in assessments this year, there were still over 15,000 overdue in March. While the promised reform and the €10 million that, as I have already said, has been allocated is great, it is not solving the core problem. Families do not want paperwork but consistent professional therapy for their children, especially those who have waited years for diagnosis.”
“It was to do with my neighbouring constituency in the north inner city and it was great. I heard life experience from mothers and fathers who fought for this and I really was moved by it, and I saw and heard this on the doorsteps during the election campaign. The HSE has reported a 65% increase in completed assessments in the first quarter of this year and that should be acknowledged, but the cold comfort is 15,000 children are still waiting to receive speech therapy, occupational therapy or behavioural supports. Families are being sent from queue to queue and we call it a system. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has committed to reform and that is welcome, but families need not another working group or consultation but immediate action.”
“Listen, I did not disturb you when you spoke so please be quiet. I will get a lot more done than any of you will. I want to highlight the unacceptable surge in waiting lists for autism assessments and broader failings in the assessment of need systems. The regional group negotiated pay parity for section 38 and section 39 workers and I am delighted to see it has been done, but let us be honest about what is happening here, namely, that families are exhausted, children are waiting too long and it is not just for assessment but access to real, life-changing supports. The system is letting them down at multiple stages and the consequences are serious. Developmental windows are being missed, family well-being is deteriorating and trust in the system is evaporating. Two weeks ago I was in the AV room at the invitation of Deputy McDonald.”
“Bhí an Teachta Healy-Rae ag caint faoi rud éigint atá thar a bheith fíor. An rud ná nach bhfuil gá ag an Aire ná ag an HSE. Nuair atáim ag cur ceisteanna parlaiminte isteach chuig an HSE nó NTA, tá sé soiléir go bhfuil rud éigint mícheart leis an system atá againn. Níl aon duine responsible. It is ridiculous. I do not understand how we have given the power to these senior civil servants and I wonder who is actually running this country. That is something that really needs to be changed because people in these positions-----”
“This is a perfect shovel-ready policy that is a win for the Minister, the Government and, more importantly, for the people of Ireland. I am delighted with the engagement I have had so far with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. In response to a parliamentary question I tabled on 8 May, he said it is an important action included in the programme for Government and that it is a priority for him. I ask again that we legalise private wires and turn the grid from a barrier to a back-up, and give housing developers and communities the power, literally, to move ahead.”
“Private wires legislation would unlock stalled housing developments, encourage developers to invest in on-site renewables, and create energy resilient communities less exposed to the volatile market prices. Right now Irish law does not allow electricity to be transferred through private wires, unless there is a block on it. This would not take years but months to bring through. I have already brought a Bill to the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers. We do not need to rewrite our climate targets or invent new funding streams; we just need to allow developers to build smarter and cleaner electricity. Let them generate, store and share electricity on site. The programme for Government, which I signed up to, commits to this.”
“I studied engineering in college for five years. I asked my professor what would be the one change he would make to Ireland's system to make the biggest difference, not only for our housing crisis but for our energy target goals, and he said to legalise private wires. In effect, we would create a local microgrid. It can be done entirely separately from the national grid if needed. This would mean no delay waiting for grid capacity, lower infrastructure costs and cleaner, cheaper energy from day one. This is not science fiction. It is standard practice in countries such as Denmark and Germany, where apartment complexes, business parks and energy co-ops can legally share electricity through private wires.”
“Take a typical new development of 300 units with six separate quarters of apartments. Under current rules, the ESB must install separate electricity connections to each individual apartment plus additional connections for lifts, lighting and building management. This means upwards of 310 separate grid connections. It is slow and expensive. Worst of all, if ESB or EirGrid states there is no capacity for them, which they often do, the entire project can be delayed for years or more. Imagine if private wires legislation was made legal. Instead of 310 separate grid connections the developer would install a single large connection for the building and sub-meters for each apartment internally. The development could also incorporate rooftop solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, battery storage and even back-up generators.”
“As an Independent Deputy supporting the programme for Government I will vote in favour of the Government's amendment, not because everything is perfect but because I am committed to the programme for Government, which lays foundations for real structural change. One of these structural changes, which was a key priority for me in negotiations, was the progression of private wires legislation. If we are serious about accelerating housing delivery and building the infrastructure of the future, then we need to remove the obstacles that are right in front of us. One of the most urgent and fixable issues with regard to our electricity, as the Minister has heard from every Member of the House, is the absence of private wires legislation. I will explain what this means in real terms.”
“We all agree that Ireland urgently needs better infrastructure to meet its housing needs. The Minister has sat here listening to all of the Deputies say this with regard to water planning and grid capacity. The solution does not lie in trading blame. It lies in us all rolling up our sleeves and fixing what is broken, and what is easily fixable right in front of us. There are small legislative changes that would have the biggest ripple effects in finally solving the housing crisis that my generation and every generation of buyers is facing. The motion from Sinn Féin identifies real constraints but it does not really offer real reform.”
“I am using this to insist that the commitments made in the programme for Government are kept, crucially, the commitments to Irish-language education, Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí, reflecting both parental choice and our national identity. There is a short line in the programme for Government. It is easy to miss, but it is essential, "Hold a convention bringing together all stakeholders in education". Cathain atá an tAire chun é sin a dhéanamh? We need to have the convention and the clear choice. I apologise if she has already announced it and I missed it. The future of Irish education cannot be decided behind closed doors. It should be co-created openly and transparently and with all people involved. I support the amendment, but I will not be supporting the motion.”