Brian Stanley
Laois · Independent · Ireland
“We are going through an epidemic of domestic abuse and violence. In 2025, the Garda had over 67,000 calls in relation to domestic abuse. Seven women were murdered last year, and in many of those cases, it was by a family member, a partner or somebody known closely to the victim.”
“Those fundamentals cannot be ignored. Are supporters of partition really saying that we can continue on this small island with 14 different departments in each jurisdiction working back to back, often in competition with each other? Are they saying that having Twenty-six Counties in the EU and Six Counties out of it makes economic sense?”
“Those who still argue for partition ignore the fact that in a reunified 32-county state, the pension liabilities of those workers in the Six Counties who accrued pension entitlements by paying into the British national insurance system and the British exchequer or employment pensions would receive that portion of their pension liability.”
“Unfortunately, I do not get any sense of urgency from the Minister of State that we are going to have laws introduced in September or October, and that is the crucial issue. Yes, we have rules now, and she listed them out in relation to the signs. However, they are being ignored.”
“The cost is €2.6 billion for the diplomatic mission alone. There is also MI6 and the massive military machine and capacity, including the army, the navy and the Royal Air Force. I saw a figure of €60.2 billion for 2025 and 2026. That amount is due to rise sharply to meet its increased military capabilities.”
“The issue I am raising with the Minister of State is the increase in the number of injuries, including those involving young children, relating to e-scooters and e-bikes. Ten have been killed.”
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“Why do the people who use them not have to know the rules of the road and pass a basic test? These are very basic requirements. If we do not do this, we are failing the public, and the safety of the public is our primary responsibility. We are also failing those people who drive them safely. We need to make sure that people can use them safely for work purposes and essential travel.”
“They need to wise up for the safety of their own children and the general public. There is a role for the Government, but there is also a role for the public, which I accept. The existing rules the Minister of State has set out here are not being implemented. Either gardaí do not have the training or do not have the powers. That is the first thing. Second, we must go further. Who covers the cost? If a pedestrian has a hip or a knee broken or, God forbid, something worse, who picks up the insurance cost? Why do we not have registration of ownership when they are bought so they are registered to an owner? Why is a helmet not compulsory? It is compulsory on a Honda 50, and some of these go much faster. We need to be careful. We need to have it for e-bikes as well.”
“Unfortunately, I do not get any sense of urgency from the Minister of State that we are going to have laws introduced in September or October, and that is the crucial issue. Yes, we have rules now, and she listed them out in relation to the signs. However, they are being ignored. The only place e-scooters are not being used is on the motorways, but they are being used extensively on footpaths and pedestrianised areas. The type of scooters that do not comply remain illegal if they travel at more than 20 km/h. E-bikes need to be treated the same. Some do multiples of that speed, and very few do less unless they are kids’ toys. An ordinary e-scooter should not be treated as a toy. The 16-year-old age category is being completely ignored. I would appeal to parents who still think that these are children’s toys.”
“The consultants felt that they had to come out to the media and call on us to do this. We need to have registration. They can be registered when they are bought. We should know who owns them and they should third party insurance. If a driver crashes into someone and injures them, who picks up the medical bill for it? It is the unfortunate shopper. There needs to be an urgency about this. It is a public safety issue, and the public are demanding action. Can this House bring in legislation as a matter of priority in September? I believe there is support for it across this House and the public would certainly support it, including some people who use e-scooters.”
“What is required is proper regulations for these mechanically propelled vehicles - that is what they are - and for the gardaí to have the training and powers to enforce new laws. The priority has to be enforcing the existing rules around speed limits, so that people stay within the 20 km/h, and ensuring that hey have lights, do not carry passengers and are not on footpaths. These are basic things, but much more than that is needed because of the scale of what we are facing. If people have to pass a test to drive a small motorbike or scooter, they should have to do the same thing for these e-bikes, some of which are as fast as small motorbikes or scooters and maybe even faster. Helmets need to be compulsory. People are suffering serious head injuries and head traumas.”
“We are dealing with e-scooters and e-bikes, but these are mechanically propelled vehicles. They are not toys. Some of them are capable of travelling at significant speeds comparable to petrol scooters, mopeds and small motorbikes that people need to have a licence to drive. Some people are calling for a ban on them. I am not in favour of a ban, but we do need to take action quickly. A lot of people use them for work and necessary travel. They are economical to run, have almost zero carbon emissions, take up limited road space and are more environmentally friendly than cars and SUVs, of which there is an increasing number on the road. I do not think we should ban them, but we need to get this right.”
“I have seen children of nine and ten years old on them. They are carrying passengers when they should not. They are on footpaths when they should not be on them. I see them in Dublin, Laois and everywhere else with no lights at night time, particularly in the winter months. I see it in every Laois town, and I have received complaints from every corner of the county about it. The number of e-scooters and e-bikes has ballooned, but so has the number of serious injuries. Some are travelling at speeds of three times the legal limit. We have all had near misses. I am sure the Minister of State has. If people are shopping in the street or anything like that, they would nearly be crashed into by people on e-scooters. The situation is out of control, and that is only wording I can use for this.”
“The issue I am raising with the Minister of State is the increase in the number of injuries, including those involving young children, relating to e-scooters and e-bikes. Ten have been killed. Temple Street hospital consultants have been highlighting the number of serious injuries, including the fact that six children are currently in the intensive care unit. The Children's Health Ireland report released today shows the scale of the problem. Eighteen children have been admitted with serious brain injury in the past year. These are all serious injuries. Of those admitted with head injuries, 97% had fractured skulls and 53% required emergency brain surgery. This is a serious matter. The current laws are not being enforced. The 20 km/h speed limit is not being implemented. E-scooter drivers should be over 16.”
“We need the North-South interconnector. We should drop all opposition to it. That needs to be built. Government departments working with singular focus in all areas, right across government, would bring efficiencies to public services. Along with the strong economic case for reunification, there is also the political and social case, with opinion polls now showing an ever-increasing number of people in favour of reunification. There is an onus on the Government to begin planning and preparation work for reunification. There is no reason to delay this any further.”
“Those fundamentals cannot be ignored. Are supporters of partition really saying that we can continue on this small island with 14 different departments in each jurisdiction working back to back, often in competition with each other? Are they saying that having Twenty-six Counties in the EU and Six Counties out of it makes economic sense? Are they saying that having two revenue systems and two separate currencies on this small island of 7.3 million people is logical? The fact is that we need an all-Ireland economy that gives us economies of scale both to improve exports and enlarge the whole market. We need a single currency and a single revenue system that will benefit the Thirty-two Counties. Having the whole country in the European Union, which is not the case as a consequence of Brexit, would be of obvious benefit.”
“The cost is €2.6 billion for the diplomatic mission alone. There is also MI6 and the massive military machine and capacity, including the army, the navy and the Royal Air Force. I saw a figure of €60.2 billion for 2025 and 2026. That amount is due to rise sharply to meet its increased military capabilities. Proportionate or not, all of that is paid for by residents of the Six Counties. Taxpayers in the Six Counties have to carry part of the burden of Britain's ever-increasing national debt. Of course, the fundamental points cannot be ignored. One of the key points is that Britain no longer has the benefits of empire. Its coal industry is gone. Revenue from North Sea oil has all but dried up. Britain's manufacturing base has gone south, including car-making. Those jobs have gone to the Third World and China.”
“Those who still argue for partition ignore the fact that in a reunified 32-county state, the pension liabilities of those workers in the Six Counties who accrued pension entitlements by paying into the British national insurance system and the British exchequer or employment pensions would receive that portion of their pension liability. It would not fall to a new government of Ireland but, rather, to the British exchequer into which they paid. Currently, taxpayers in the North contribute to the cost of the British royal family. The relevant figure when last I looked was €137 million. I think that was the figure for last year. There is also the cost of Britain's massive diplomatic mission and its embassies across the world, not to mention its occupation of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and many other places.”
“Various claims have been made by economists, some highlighting the economic logic of reunification and others exaggerating the cost, with the latter done mainly by ignoring the fundamental issues and facts. As an example of that, they ignored the economic damage caused by partition, particularly in Border areas. The previous speaker referred to the IBEC meeting this morning, which I was happy to attend. Its representatives gave us the example that firms in the Border region are now reluctant to hire workers from the other jurisdiction due to the difficulties with Revenue and tax compliance, etc. That is a real issue that IBEC is highlighting. That is just one more issue that is popping up.”
“The debate today is hugely important. It is 29 years since the Good Friday Agreement and this is my 16th year in this House. I have been waiting each year patiently, hoping this debate would happen. I particularly welcome the constructive approach. I listened to every word the Tánaiste said. While I would disagree with him on many things here at different times, I believe he approached the matter very constructively. His statements were very constructive and will contribute greatly. I hope this is the beginning of moving on the process. The big argument of those who still support partition and have a partitionist mentality is that we cannot afford a united Ireland. As a left republican, I put the case that we cannot afford not to have national reunification.”
“I ask the Minister for justice, the wider Government and Cuan to treat this with a sense of urgency, allocate the capital assistance scheme, CAS, money for it and get the scheme up and running as quickly as possible. I think the Tánaiste will agree it is an important issue.”
“I will finish on this point. The council bought a site nearly three years ago for an eight-unit refuge. There was a lack of progress, but an approved housing body, AHB, Tuath Housing, has been secured to put that in place.”
“Having a safe place for victims to go, including when children have to flee the family home, is essential. Victims in Laois often have to leave the county to seek refuge, and they are away from all services and family supports.”
“We are going through an epidemic of domestic abuse and violence. In 2025, the Garda had over 67,000 calls in relation to domestic abuse. Seven women were murdered last year, and in many of those cases, it was by a family member, a partner or somebody known closely to the victim. This year, in the first six months, matters have got even worse. Eight women have been murdered to date. Two were killed within a few short days of each other just over a week ago: Jamey Carney in Kerry and Adina Constantin in Portlaoise, who was killed literally on the same street as my office. The absence of a domestic abuse refuge in nine counties, including Laois, is a problem. The Tánaiste will recall me raising this a number of times in the House over the years. The Laois domestic abuse services have been raising the importance of this issue.”
“The Taoiseach will have to admit, and he has not addressed this, that since he was the Minister for Health, those thresholds have not increased, and I acknowledge all the progress that has been made, although we have a distance to go yet. It is €184 for a single person, €266.50 for a couple and €345.50 per week for a family of four.”
“I am hoping to get a bit longer than 83 years out of it. The fundamental question here concerns people who do not have health cover. Progress is being made towards implementing Sláintecare, and I acknowledge, in particular, the stand taken by the Minister in relation to the contracts for consultants. If they are paid to work for the full week by the State, then they cannot do private work during that time. A plumber working for the Office of Public Work, OPW, cannot be off doing nixers during the day for somebody else. We support her in doing that. Universal healthcare is where we have to get to. We are out of step with other states.”
“I welcome the fact that the number of training places for GPs has been increased, but will the Government expand the process in this regard further and get the HSE to directly employ GPs in to fill the gap in rural and urban areas where people do not have access to GPs at present?”
“This is an important step towards delivering on universal healthcare I agree with her on that, but it is 105 years since independence and the establishment of this State. Budget 2027 will be introduced in 12 weeks' time. I accept that everything cannot be done at once, but will the Government ensure, as the next step towards implementing Sláintecare, that income thresholds will be increased in order to provide medical card cover to the workers and families who do not have any at present? Will it also ensure, very importantly, that cancer patients have full medical card cover?”
“We are making some progress on that, but it is not happening quickly enough. Ten years were allocated in respect of the implementation of Sláintecare and universal healthcare. Those ten years will run out in 17 months' time. The process relating to full implementation has to be stepped up. The position relating to discretionary medical cards needs to be examined and improved. As a start, we need to ensure that cancer patients have full medical card cover. On 6 March 2025, the Minister for Health, who is sitting beside the Taoiseach, in reply to a parliamentary question I tabled, stated: I can assure the Deputy that my Department keeps medical card issues under review ... Over the course of 2025, we will review the existing eligibility framework to clearly assess what is working well ...”
“The facts are that the income thresholds relating to entitlement to a full medical card have not increased in over two decades. The Taoiseach was Minister for Health at the time. The thresholds are of the 1980s variety. The latest figures from this year show that a single person has to be on an income of less than €184 a week in order to qualify. The threshold for a couple to qualify for a full medical card is €266.50 per week. If they have two children, the threshold is €345 per week. For the GP-only card, the threshold is €373 a week for a single adult and €607 - which roughly equates to €30,000 per year - for a couple. This means that many households which cannot afford it have no access to even basic healthcare or GP care. In turn, this gives rise to medical neglect. I fully support Sláintecare.”
“I want to raise the situation regarding the absence of health cover for a large section of the population. Many middle- and low-income households have either very limited health cover or none at all. Forty-five per cent of the population have some kind of private health insurance. Most people who have such insurance have very limited, partial and restricted cover. A total of 42% have medical cards that provide either full medical cover or just GP care. This breaks down to roughly 30% having full cover and 12% having GP care cover. What these figures show is that 57% of the population have very limited cover. Worst of all, 13% to 14% have absolutely no health cover whatsoever. These workers and families are typically on low to middle incomes but they live in one of the richest countries in the world. That is a scandal.”
“They said that every child would look the same and there would be no competition for fashion, particularly in girls' schools. However, what has happened is-----”
“We have a reasonably good education system, but we must deal with the issue of costs. In the context of the proposals in the motion regarding the introduction of enforceable guidelines for schools and the fact that some schools have a mandatory requirement in respect of laptops and IT equipment, it is important that these be mandated as opposed to just the subject of a letter that was sent out. We also need to restore the school grant up to an amount of €50 million in order to cover the cost of ICT infrastructure. We need to restore the €100 that was cut from the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance and issue a ministerial order to schools in relation to generic uniforms. It is a terrible situation. I remember hearing a conversation between my mother and an aunt years ago regarding the benefit of school uniforms.”
“While I acknowledge that the free schoolbooks scheme and the book-rental scheme result in savings and are a help, those savings are wiped out by the cost of having to buy IT equipment. Such equipment is now mandated in schools and can cost up to €500 or more. Then there are all the other costs that the National Parents Council has consistently highlighted. These are the hidden costs such as transition year contributions, payments for school trips, etc. In the struggle to meet these costs, many households turn to moneylenders because there is nowhere else to go. In some cases, they pay penal amounts to illegal moneylenders who charge rates of interest in excess of 50%. In light of the cost-of-living crisis, there is an onus on us to do all we can to help the low- and middle-income households.”
“I welcome this comprehensive set of proposals from Deputy Kenny. We are at the time of year again when parents, particularly those in the low- and middle-income brackets, face the annual challenge of covering back-to-school costs. Families are facing a stack of fees and expenses in respect of uniforms, increased school transport costs, school stationery, so-called voluntary contributions, and laptops and IT equipment. In addition, State exam fees are back. Surveys show that the total cost per school year can accumulate to €1,700 for primary school children and up to €2,900 for secondary school children. For families with a number of school-going children, this can be a major headache.”
“The Bill is a step forward and I would like to see it going further. I would like to see the age of eligibility increasing to at least 40, which would only cost €5 million to €6 million as I understand it. It would be a huge change if we did this in the Bill and there is a budget coming up. I ask the Government to seriously consider this, along with lowering the age of eligibility for BreastCheck. I understand that both have a cost but it is not hundreds of millions of euro and is a relatively small figure. I hope this will be given serious consideration by the Government. It would save lives, improve women's health and save money.”
“While I am speaking on the issue, I want to mention BreastCheck, which has brought huge benefits in terms of early detection and has saved many lives. It has been a huge step forward in recent years but it needs to be extended further and I ask that the Minister considers this. Women aged between 50 and 69 can avail of it but several women have asked me to make the case for lowering eligibility from the age of 50 down to the age of 40 or 45. It would not break the bank to do so. I am raising this as serious issue because breast cancer is a huge issue in this country, as is ovarian cancer which I believe is harder to detect. BreastCheck has really been one of those game-changers and it would be a very positive health measure if we could lower the age at which women are eligible for BreastCheck.”
“The Minister did say, or was certainly reported as saying a few months ago, that it was not on her priority list. It should be on the priority list because women are having children into their early 40s. If the scheme could be extended to the age of 40 it would be a big improvement, but I would like to see it going further than that. A survey carried out four months ago by Trinity College found that the age limit was the most often cited barrier for women who want to access the scheme. One in three women face barriers accessing the free contraception scheme. It is good that two out of three are able to have it but one out of three is not and we must revisit this. I ask the Minister of State to take away this message.”
“Pharmacies have longer opening hours and they are open on Saturdays. Some of them open on Sundays. This will improve access. At present, women aged from 17 to 35 can get free contraception but I would like to see this being extended upwards to at least 40 years or possibly to the age of 45. Many couples are now leaving it longer to have children due to economic necessity. This is a story in itself. We talk a lot about reproductive rights for women and couples but, unfortunately, a lot of people, for reasons of housing, access to housing and economic necessity, delay having children longer than they would like to. This is an area we will come back to on another day. Will the Minister look at the benefits of moving the age upwards to at least 40 years?”
“To be able to obtain certain contraceptives directly through a local pharmacy will be a particular benefit in rural counties such as Laois and in rural localities where there are no family planning clinics. Crucially, this will take some of the excessive workload from GPs. We know it is becoming increasingly difficult to access a GP, and I have highlighted here many times the difficulties in County Laois. This scheme means contraception methods appropriate for safe administration by pharmacists, who are highly qualified to do so, will be administered in pharmacies and it is good day when we are doing it. Pharmacies open late in the evening and at weekends when GP surgeries are understandably closed. GP surgeries operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. although some of them open in the evenings now.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is a step in the right direction by improving access to contraception through pharmacies. I believe the proposed legislation will be another step forward for women's health, their control over their fertility and improving reproductive rights. It will add another building block to enhancing and developing a proper primary care system, which we are all supposed to be working towards in Sláintecare, but it is of course is limited. The Bill will bring some benefit for women who have endometriosis and use contraception for this purpose, women in lower income groups and women in rural areas who may not have a medical card or access.”
“There must be a requirement to do the following: to know the rules of the road, pass the test, have insurance and wear a helmet, and for the current laws on driving them on footpaths to be enforced. People are going around this town with no lights on their vehicles. Can we make this a priority in the next term of the Dáil? When will we see proper legislation for these mechanically propelled vehicles? These are not toys. This week we had a garda in court because he pursued one of them in a Garda car. He finished up in front of the court over it.”
“Over the past two weeks we have had a number of serious accidents with e-scooters and e-bikes, with people being seriously injured, including six children who are currently in intensive care in Temple Street. One of them is from County Laois. It is one accident after another. Ten people have been killed on e-scooters, two this year so far. It is time to act. Fifty years ago, to drive a Honda 50 with a top speed of 35 m/h, you had to pass a test, wear a helmet and have tax and insurance. We need to stop kidding ourselves that these e-bikes and scooters are capable of only 20 km/h; some of them can do 60 km/h or 70 km/h. Let us be clear: these are mechanically propelled vehicles just like petrol-driven scooters.”
“The all-Ireland energy system is an area for immediate co-operation and priority, in particular in the area of renewables. The North-South Interconnector should not be delayed any further. Parties that say they are for a united Ireland cannot have it both ways, on the one hand championing a united Ireland and on the other hand frustrating the construction of this vital North-South infrastructure. A reunified Ireland has to be based on social justice, where workers and families are protected, with good public services in an inclusive republic. It has to be the republic of Fintan Lalor and Connolly more so than the republic of Griffith. It is long past time and we need to move it on and get on with it.”
“Six all-Ireland bodies were created under the Good Friday Agreement: Waterways Ireland; the Food Safety Promotion Board; InterTradeIreland; An Foras Teanga; Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission and the Special European Union Programmes Body. There is provision for others to be created and this should be pursued. What is the Government doing about it? It does not even have a senior Minister here tonight, never mind the Taoiseach, to listen to this debate.”
“It should hold hearings with various sectors, such as the trade union movement; the agriculture sector; the health sector, North and South, with the aim of creating an all-Ireland national health system; environmental lobbies; local councillors and local government; education; the housing sector; transport; energy and so on. This would be with a view to increasing co-operation in all these areas. We do not need to wait for a Green Paper or a citizens' assembly for this. The Government and all of us, North and South, should be working towards that now. While some work has been done on co-operation, such as on the Narrow Water Bridge, moves towards getting the A5 in place at last and the Ulster Canal, that has to be accelerated, along with a whole lot of other areas, to the benefit of people, North and South.”
“There is no logic to having two currencies, two revenue systems, two sets of Government Departments - 14 in total working back to back - two police services, two transport systems and so on. All of this works against efficiency, co-ordination and economies of scale. A citizens' assembly is a very limited proposal. While I will be supporting the Bill, what we should have is a commission on the future of the nation. This should be representative of the Assembly and the Dáil. All parties, North and South, including the significant number of Independent MLAs and TDs, should have a representative on it.”
“As a small country of just over 7 million people on the north-western flank of Europe, it makes absolutely no economic, social or political sense to continue with a Border that was imposed under threat of immediate and terrible war by a foreign state. There is simply no logic to having 75% of the country in the European Union and the remainder of it excluded. Brexit has exposed the difficulties with that and how ridiculous it is. While the Six Counties remained - just about - in the EU Single Market for trade in goods, they are excluded from the EU and the Single Market in every other way, including having no representation in the European Parliament. I have not heard any party, including the largest Opposition party, raising this, which is surprising.”
“Those of us who believe in a united Ireland - and some of us have spent all our adult lives working for a 32-county republic - and those in Fianna Fáil who say they believe in it should step up matters a couple of gears. We need to build a republic where workers and families have their fair share and good public services. The most recent opinion polls show that an increasing number of people North and South see the merits of national reunification. The question now is not can we afford it but can we afford not to reunify the national territory. More and more, the economics of it stack up and make sense.”
“On a point of order, there is no senior Minister present at the moment for this debate. It is a poor sign of how Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael treat this subject. The national reunification of the territory needs to be made a priority. It has been 105 years since partition which was created by Britain and created an artificial, sectarian state, which has held back this country, economically, socially and politically for far too long. While I welcome the proposals to move forward on reunification, this Bill is very minimalist and limited. Much more is required than a Green Paper and a citizens' assembly, 105 years after partition. It has been over 28 years since the Good Friday Agreement, which provides for the holding of a referendum on national reunification.”
“Three-bedroom accommodation of 76 sq. m is awful. We need to start thinking about people's quality of life. At the same time we are doing away with the common spaces. We cannot have it every way. There is not going to be any storage or common area, yet a family is going to be confined in a three-bedroom apartment of 76 sq. m. That is not good enough. That is the piece I have a problem with. Everybody has got their way - the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, the investors, the developers and everyone else but tenants and purchasers who are paying big mortgages and high rents are the ones that are suffering.”
“I would ring the Land Registry in the Minister of State's constituency, on Cork Road in Waterford, and ask to be put through to the lease section. Someone would answer the phone, if not the first time then I would get them an hour later and they would address the problem immediately. They were very helpful. Now we have an email address and we might as well be doing something I will not say in the Chamber. That is the point I am making. There are some good things in the Bill, such as the judicial review measure, but we need to be careful with people who are living in the locality. The change to apartment size is the one I have a real problem with. I measured 32 sq. m in my office to see what is involved before I came to the Chamber. It is tiny. It is not fair to ask people to live in accommodation of that size.”
“Every county has a network of villages, which could help us to solve the housing crisis. I accept that the vacant property grant is working reasonably well. We are not getting any complaints. That is how I know it is going all right. If it was not working well, people would be complaining about it. It is bringing houses, including some in rural areas and villages, back into use. I mentioned Tailte Éireann. I would say it is like playing handball in a haystack. It is absolutely frustrating. The Minister of State is a Waterford TD. Ten years ago, if there was a problem with a registration or property and a constituent or their solicitor were getting nowhere with it, they would contact me to see if I could do anything about it.”
“The other day a fantastic new playground opened. That is the type of development we need to see. I can show the Minister of State villages where that has not happened and where the whole village has been hollowed out. Many of the villages need a small wastewater treatment system or what the one they have to be upgraded. Some of that will come by way of development levies but some of it will not and will need funding. My point is that is one way of doing it. I argue that if we are serious about rural development, along with making it possible for people who have to live in a rural area to build a one-off property, we have to build up our villages and connect them with public transport. A start has been made and it is working well but there is more work to do.”
“The Minister of State knows that many people in rural areas are self-employed, and they might have a van, a trailer, JCB or something like that. A person cannot bring that into a housing estate but if they are living on the edge of a village and have a quarter of an acre of a site, that is the problem solved. This fits in with the lifestyle. I ask the Minister of State to take the example of Ballyroan in County Laois, which has ten serviced sites developed by the council. Since we zoned land there in 2006, the Cross of Newtown, the Glenbrook estate and Gleann na Glaise, which is a council estate, have been developed there, along with the ten council serviced sites. Everything is in three or four minutes walking distance to the school, church, the pubs, all of which are open, and to the GAA and the soccer clubs.”
“It is expensive to do that and the car is still used to get to the local shop. That is not the way we should be doing it. These houses should be close to the centre of the village. This means zoning land for private and public housing close to villages and local authorities building, where needed, small clusters of social housing. There are some good examples of that but we need more of them. I suggest that councils develop serviced sites, and there are a few good examples in County Laois. Castletown is one example and Ballyroan is another. Sites, roughly a quarter of an acre on the edges of the village, are sold at cost-price to people in the area who want to build their own modest house and have a reasonably-sized garden.”