Cathal Byrne
Cultural and Educational Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I join other Senators in urging the Government, including the Minister for local government, to produce the action plan on local democracy and make it a key priority to work on it over the summer so that the hard-working councillors up and down Ireland can have clarity about what exactly the changes will be as they face into another round…”
“I join colleagues in thanking so many of the staff here who make it possible for us to do our day-to-day work. That includes not only Martin Hughes and the team here in the Seanad, but also the ushers and all those who make the day-to-day life of Leinster House possible, including those who work in the restaurant, the canteen and behind t…”
“The Senator also raised the situation of the artist Emily Conway from County Mayo, who received an Arts Council bursary in recognition of her important contribution as an artist but which has created a scenario whereby her application for a blind pension has run into difficulty. I encourage him to put that down as a Commencement matter.”
“I feel there is also a responsibility on Dublin City Council to allow for that and to support local residents in the area. In fairness to Senator Andrews, he has spoken about this before in the House. I am happy to take it up with the Leader.”
“However, because the consultation with the consultant took place initially in Monaghan, the HSE refused that application. I encourage Senator Tully to perhaps raise this as a Commencement matter. There is an appeal mechanism through the HSE and the ombudsman. Perhaps that is an avenue for her constituent to pursue.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (resumed) and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m., with the proceedings thereon, if not previously concluded, to be brought to a conclusion at 3.45 p.m.”
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Every one of 555 lines we hold for Cathal Byrne, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 10 of 12.
“I very much take on board the point made by Senator McDowell that it is important in work that we do in this Chamber that we are not adding extra layers to a process that ultimately may not be regularly used. I echo the Minister's comments. It is important that he has an opportunity to hear directly from the Parole Board on how regularly this practice occurs and if it something that is used on a occasional basis or something that has not been exercised at all. I am conscious that in this debate we must always have at the forefront of our minds the victims of these crimes. An individual must be serving a life sentence to be eligible for parole in the first instance. A life sentence is one where the individual concerned has been convicted of some of the most heinous, serious and grievous offences that anyone can be convicted of.”
“I echo the comments that were made previously relating to Garda Kevin Flatley and offer my condolences to his family. I can only imagine how difficult today and the past few days have been for them. I offer my condolences to all members of An Garda Síochána who served closely on the force with him. I support the amendment tabled by my colleagues. I thank Senator Ruane for her and her office's work. I thank Senator Flynn for her work and contribution in this area. As a solicitor, I appreciate the contribution that has been made to the debate. I understand where Senator Ruane is coming from with the idea that information is being used to make a decision about somebody to which that individual does not have access. I appreciate the nuance of the point made.”
“Will that count as being an area which has access to cash, despite the fact that some of those in the area may not have a post office account? Will those post offices count towards the percentage of areas that are covered by this legislation or are they outside its remit and there will have to be a functioning ATM? Those are the points I wanted to highlight under this section.”
“It is important that the consultation incorporates bodies representing the interests of consumers, people with disabilities, elderly persons and the owners of SMEs, in particular those in the retail and hospitality sectors. The reality is that they are the people who find it very difficult to access ATMs. If the Bill is to be a success, it is important that those who may find it difficult to make their way to an ATM in a rural location are involved in consultation on where ATMs are to be located and that they are located in areas where they are accessible to people with disabilities or mobility challenges or the elderly. I refer to post offices which allow withdrawals from bank accounts. I am aware that people can withdraw cash from AIB or Bank of Ireland through the post office network.”
“While we are encouraging people to make use of cash, from a business perspective businesses need to be able to lodge cash. I am aware that the post office network offers that facility. Many businesses that deal in cash do not want to keep it overnight because of insurance considerations. The ATMs we will require to be available for consumer use should also have a corresponding requirement for lodgements. I welcome the provision in section 5 regarding the Central Bank. In the context of the report it is to deliver under the Bill, it is proposed that, should there be a reduction in cash demand of more than 15% in a calendar year, as part of the review process there must be a consultation.”
“There should be availability through Apple Pay and Google Pay to withdraw cash at ATMs. I would like the Minister of State's Department to delve a bit more into the detail on that and see whether it is possible to ensure that the ATMs addressed in the Bill can incorporate contactless withdrawals. Perhaps there is a mechanism to link with banks on that area. When people avail of cashback through petrol stations, will that count as cash being made available? Will cashback services through petrol stations be incorporated into the percentage of areas that have cash availability? Is the legislation strictly limited to physical ATMs? In the Bill, is an ATM defined as one that has withdrawal facilities or will there be a corresponding mechanism for lodgements? I am aware that in some larger banks ATMs allow people to withdraw and lodge cash.”
“Like my colleagues, I welcome this Bill. I want to highlight a number of specific things in section 5. Like so many people, I have tended to avail of having my bank card on my phone and making payments through Apple Pay. I notice that when I seek cashback from, for example, a petrol station that is not possible when using contactless payment through Apple Pay. I understand the Bill seeks primarily to deal with ATMs, but it is also important that we recognise the fact that while there are traditional ATMs, where people insert a bank card and put in a pin code, in an era when most people have adopted a model of paying through Apple Pay and having an ATM card on their phone, it should be recognised that the ATMs made available have to be modernised and move with the times.”
“Considering that we have greater integration when it comes to financial matters like insolvency and that we can recognise insolvency proceedings across the EU, individuals across the EU should have access to the financial markets in a greater way than is currently possible. It is important that this point be highlighted.”
“I thank the Minister for his overview of this technical regulation. It is appropriate, given the changes at European level, that there be an opportunity in the Oireachtas to debate this. I mentioned when the Minister's colleague, the Minister, Deputy Byrne, was in the Chamber a few weeks ago the fact that while we are recognising insolvencies across the EU, access to credit is not available on a European level and it is not possible for a deposit-holder in Ireland to gain access to deposit rates in banks in Germany, Spain, Portugal or elsewhere across the EU. The same is the case when it comes to lending.”
“While great work is done day in and day out on the St. Peter's College campus, the site is not suitable for the level of ambition SETU has for Wexford. As the Minister is aware, there is a legal dispute surrounding the compulsory purchase order, CPO, of the site in question. His departmental colleague with responsibility for apprenticeship programmes, the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, previously gave clarity on that issue in the Chamber. A business case is being given ongoing consideration by the Higher Education Authority, HEA, regarding the viability of a purpose-built, designated university campus for the south east at the Wexford location. I encourage the pushing forward of that case. I commend the motion to the House and urge Members to support it. My Fine Gael colleagues will make further comment on it as the debate proceeds.”
“It was previously set at €7,925 and has now been increased to €8,424. We are calling on the Minister to increase that further to ensure that the SUSI grants to students at third level remain accessible to all and that the forced choice between working overtime and taking up the grant does not apply. My colleagues are also going to highlight the need for additional capital funding for the third level sector, including allowing a borrowing framework to allow our third level technological universities to have clear access to capital funding for student accommodation and other initiatives. I highlight the work done in my county of Wexford in establishing the South East Technological University, SETU. I commend the Department on the progress made in that area to date. We are seeking our own purpose-built, designated campus in Wexford.”
“That must be a priority for the Minister and his Department over the coming term, and I would encourage him to seek that funding and commit to reducing and abolishing the student contribution fee for third level education over the course of this term. Another area my colleagues are going to highlight is increasing the holiday earnings deduction for student grants. If a student takes up part-time employment to gain life skills and experience and enters the workforce, contributing in a meaningful way to our economy, it should never be the case that the student has to make a choice between working that extra shift or the available overtime hours and having student grants. We recognise the work that has been done by the Minister's predecessors on this, and we are calling for that holiday deduction to be increased.”
“In budget 2024, we saw a reduction of €1,000 that, when coupled with a one-off cost-of-living grant, meant a reduction of €1,500 for an ordinary student attending third level university. In budget 2024, that was retained, and I would encourage the Minister to seek the funding to secure a further reduction. There cannot be a situation where we see the €3,000 contribution, which was €2,000 for the previous two years, restored to €3,000. High costs to accessing education act as a barrier, and no student should have to consider whether to attend third level this year or delay for a year owing to costs.”
“We recognise the work that was done under the Minister's predecessors, the now Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, and also the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, around a number of key areas. Establishing a new Department is never straightforward, particularly when it involves the separation and clear removal of powers from what was previously the Department of Education into a new, laser-like and focused Department of higher education. We recognise that in this motion. Specifically, we have ten requests, and my colleagues are going to delve more into the detail of each individual one. I specifically want to highlight a number of them. Over the past two budgets, we have seen a clear reduction in the student contribution fee for third level students.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House. As this is our first interaction, I wish him the very best in his role over the coming term and I look forward to plenty of engagement. The Fine Gael group of Senators has tabled this motion tonight recognising the importance of third level education for both the economy and wider society. Access to education at third level, be that through universities, our technological university or apprenticeships, will be important over the course of this Government and into the future. We recognise in this motion the establishment of the Department of higher education and also the fact that it has been retained at Cabinet level, which is something I think will be very important over the next five years.”
“In the first year of the measures we might see a large uptake of farmers producing that crop but, unfortunately, we repeatedly see farmers backing away in year two and year three simply because the form-filling and processes to access the money are too cumbersome. I ask the Minister of State to take those points on board. In his brief he has a very challenging role in engaging across the EU with many stakeholders. There was a point raised earlier about national sovereignty. We are here in this Chamber to make these points directly to the Minister of State who will take them up with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste for us and in Europe.”
“During our EU Presidency we will be in a position to address this as part of the CAP reform negotiations as we move to 2027 and post the current CAP. We need to prioritise the simplification of the CAP. There are simply too many schemes. They are too cumbersome and it takes too much time for individual farmers to get access to the grants available through the CAP at the moment. I regularly see measures or initiatives introduced as part of the CAP to incentivise the production of a crop that currently is not being produced across the EU. That inevitably leads to more people applying to access the measure and unfortunately, because of the associated bureaucracy, it acts as a disincentive.”
“Regarding agriculture, I again highlight the need for greater measures to be taken by the EU Commission to incentivise and encourage young farmers into farming. As has been said in the House before, the reality is that without farmers there is no food. At the moment the statistics are quite bleak. Some 12% of farmers across the EU are aged under 40 and only one in 20 farmers in Ireland are currently under the age of 35. If farming is not profitable for individual farmers, young farmers simply will not take up the profession. My father and uncle farm in Wexford but neither I nor my two brothers directly make our living from farming. Unfortunately, that is a reality faced by more and more families across the country.”
“We have to look more closely at greater integration across the European banking market. Second, I will address a point that the Minister of State raised relating to competitiveness. We have seen from multiple reports, including the Draghi report on EU competitiveness, that competitiveness across the EU is a major issue for us. In a worldwide economy, with more trading and the issues we are seeing with tariffs under the Trump Presidency, we have to get to grips with the issues relating to competitiveness in the EU. It is not sufficient to simply identify what the problems are in reports; these need to be actioned. I hope that, as part of our EU Presidency, we will be focused on competitiveness.”
“As this is my first interaction with the Minister of State in the House, I wish him the best of luck in his role for the term ahead. I wish to address Ireland's upcoming EU Presidency and the opportunities it brings for Ireland. Specifically, I want to speak about three key areas, the first of which is the further integration of banking across the EU. It should not be the case that an individual can go into a bank in another European country and put money on deposit at a higher rate than is available to depositors here in this country, or borrow money at a lower rate than can be accessed here. This applies particularly to house building, people looking to take out a mortgage to buy their first home, or business people or small businesses seeking to expand.”
“4, permitting the serving of notices and documents by electronic means to and from the Central Bank, was accepted. It is important that if we are to move to a period of serving notices and documents that they can be done by electronic means. It might seem at one point to be promoting the use of cash while simultaneously promoting the use of electronic notices. I do get the sense of irony in that but it is important in 2025 that people can communicate through email, should they choose to do so. My last point is that there are penalties in this legislation if a large bank is not following the requirements of the Central Bank and the Minister for Finance, to make cash available across the country, Those penalties should be severe and fully optimised in order that it is easy to enforce the requirements contained in the legislation.”
“The post office network offers that and it is important that is protected. If small businesses do not have the ability to lodge cash locally, that is another barrier to giving people and small businesses the choice to use cash. Another point in the Bill I want to highlight is that provision is made for a review of the access to cash criteria by the Central Bank following each census if there is a 15% drop in cash demand year on year or, if requested, by the Minister for Finance. On choice, if it is the case that the public is choosing not to use cash, and that is reflected in the hard data, then it should be possible, and legislation should be flexible enough to allow for that eventuality. It is important that the choice is made available. On the amendments accepted in Dáil Eireann on Committee Stage, amendment No.”
“If a tourist visiting the country is banking in a foreign currency and subsequently makes a withdrawal, the cost should not be capped for the provider of the cash and the bank. I want to recognise the point made by the Minister of State in his speech on the contribution the post office network makes to people across the country in making cash available. I want to again make the public aware that people can bank through the post office network. The post office network provides an important service in making cash available, in particular for smaller businesses such as local pubs, restaurants and takeaways which operate in small villages and deal in an environment where they have a busy till and need to be able to lodge cash after a weekend following a busy trading period.”
“She correctly highlighted making cash available and the balance between allowing extra banks into the market and creating a barrier, while at the same time allowing cash infrastructure to be available, as matters we need to set the correct priorities for in the Bill. I also want to illustrate my support for the section which deals with capping ATM fees. That can also be a barrier to making cash available. Placing a high premium on the cost of making a withdrawal and, in effect, creating a penalty for withdrawing from an ATM, creates a further barrier to the use of cash in the economy. It is only right and proper that the Central Bank and Minister are given the power to cap ATM fees, while at the same time recognising and excluding currency charges.”
“It is only right and proper that people are encouraged and given the option to have that choice so that they can choose whether they want to use electronic banking or pay through cash. One of the core priorities of the Bill, as I understand it, is to ensure the availability and preservation of cash infrastructure is set at the December 2022 level, which takes into account the fact that KBC and Ulster Bank have withdrawn from the market in Ireland. I accept the point that was well made by Senator Keogan that we must not do anything that will serve as an obstacle to extra banks coming into the Irish market and providing competition, which is very important.”
“My support for this Bill is underpinned by the fact that ultimately, the Minister for Finance will be provided with the power to prescribe criteria to preserve the cash infrastructure for the population, meaning that anybody in Ireland must be within a specified distance of not less than 5 km and not more than 10 km of an ATM. For me, that means large banks in this country will be forced to provide an ATM service for people living in isolated rural areas outside large towns where ATMs might be readily available. It is important that we recognise that is one of the goals of the Bill. It will also give people a choice so that it is not a requirement to use tap and go, have a card or be fully proficient in online banking. Many people across the country are not, and they are not comfortable with cards. They prefer, and deal in, cash.”
“I will start my first engagement with the Minister of State by wishing him the very best of luck in his role. I sincerely hope he succeeds in his endeavours. I rise to support the Bill on behalf of my good friend and colleague, Senator Joe O'Reilly, who unfortunately cannot be here today. I am from a rural part of County Wexford. There is an opportunity underpinning this Bill to help to bridge the urban-rural divide that at times can lead to a big gap between the facilities available in large cities and towns, and those available for people in rural areas.”
“I congratulate the Minister of State on the successful shepherding of this legislation through the Oireachtas. It is important to pick up on one of the points the Minister of State mentioned relating to the public. This service is a free service and it is important to stress that there is no levy or charge. This is a free service provided to make protection a key priority for financial consumers.”
“While the wording was meant to disguise that, that was the clear intention. This is something that should never be allowed in this country. We have a legal vacuum on it at the moment, and it is only right and proper that we all work together in this House to criminalise something that the people who are watching certainly expect us to.”
“It is important that any legislation that is introduced strikes that balance between not seeking to criminalise a poorly worded advertisement that is put up by a college student and seeking to criminalise the advertisement of an expressed exchange of sex for rent. It is important that, as this legislation makes its way through the Oireachtas system, this balance is struck. It is important that we balance the goal we are seeking to achieve with any responsibilities we have to make sure there are not prosecutions taken where that offence was never the intent. I congratulate the Senators on introducing the Bill. As somebody who is 33 years of age, I have seen advertisements that have been put forward in which the clear intent behind them was to advertise sex for rent.”
“There was plenty of discussion on this legislation as it made its way through previously, but one of the concerns that was flagged was that, while there was not any constitutional issue with creating a specific criminal offence of advertising sex for rent or promoting sex for rent, the drafting had to be sufficiently precise to make sure that, if there were to be prosecutions, they could stand up. There is a balance to be sought between somebody, for example, a college student, who advertises to rent a room and does not intend to pursue anything of a sexual nature but may suggest that he or she is looking for somebody with whom he or she can get on.”
“I recognise the work that was done by the former Minister, Helen McEntee, in creating the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, Cuan, and committing in the programme for Government to 280 new refuge spaces by 2026 and a refuge in every county over the course of this term. I acknowledge the great work that is being done in the new women's refuge in Wexford town, which I had the opportunity to visit last year on its official opening. It is important to note that as well.”
“The most important purpose of any legislation is to make sure that if we are to introduce a criminal penalty for something, it stands up to scrutiny and a prosecution can be successful. I noticed that, in the Chamber earlier, we had Deputy Bacik, who was my law professor in Trinity College Dublin when I studied law. I am sure that she would agree with the spirit of that as well. It is important to recognise the work that has been done in the programme for Government, which is committed to creating a statutory offence in this area. I am aware that the Minister will contribute on this debate later. It is a priority for Fine Gael and the Government to make sure there is a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.”
“I wish to put on record my congratulations to Ann Murphy of the Irish Examiner and my appreciation for her work in this area. It is only right and proper that, on Second Stage of this Bill, the work she has done to highlight this issue and tell some of the stories of the victims of the horrible act in question be acknowledged and noted. I also acknowledge that this is the third Bill in the Chamber seeking to criminalise sex for rent. I recognise the work done by the Oireachtas justice committee in this area. There were significant debates and discussions and a significant examination at meetings of the committee and in the public consultation work it undertook with various stakeholders, including the RTB.”
“I thank Senators Harmon, Cosgrove, Noonan and Stephenson for introducing this Bill in the House today and commend them on doing so. It is safe to say I can speak for everybody in this Chamber in saying that anybody who chooses to perpetrate the practice of, or promote, sex for rent is abhorrent. It is completely and utterly against what good, decent Irish people stand for. It is only right and proper that there be legislation in this area and, indeed, a criminal statutory offence for anybody who engages in the practice. I note the aim of this legislation is to prohibit the advertising of sex for rent but also to promote a criminal offence for anybody who does so. That is certainly to be welcomed. I am aware of the background to the Bill.”
“At the moment, if there is a large-scale flooding project, the Arterial Drainage Act commits that project to be submitted for review to the local authority, the Office of Public Works, and to the Minister and officials at the Department of public expenditure. It is my opinion that the Department of public expenditure is not sufficiently equipped to be a planning authority and to determine whether these flood relief projects should be awarded planning permission and consent to proceed. I know the Minister of State is committed to reforming the legislation in this area. This has to be a key priority for the Government. If we want to get serious about tackling major, large-scale flood relief projects, we need to have the ambition and a planning process that goes to where it should, which is An Bord Pleanála.”
“I know the Minister of State has committed to working with me on addressing the Enniscorthy flood relief project and I am grateful to him for that. I highlight the programme for Government commitment to streamline and simplify the delivery of flood relief schemes. It is important that, over the course of this term, we work to make sure there is a balance struck between the need to protect the environment, ensuring we live in a sustainable and environmentally supportive country, with the need of residences and businesses not to be in fear of being flooded yet again when the rain comes. There is a balance to be struck there and I am concerned we have not got the balance fully correct.”
“I thank the Minister of State for accepting my invitation to visit Enniscorthy in the not too distant future to address the long-standing flooding issues that we have had in the town. I look forward to working with him in my role as Fine Gael's Seanad spokesperson on public expenditure and infrastructure. I want to highlight the sheer devastation I have witnessed, and I am sure the Minister of State is the same as me, that flooding can bring to houses, residences and business properties. On Christmas Day in December 2021, I witnessed the flooding of my hometown, Enniscorthy. I saw people taking their entire life's possessions out of their homes and putting them into skips following the flooding.”
“I thank the Minister of State for confirming that specific funding has been set aside within the Department's budget towards the cost of the site. I recently met Professor Veronica Campbell, the president of the SETU, along with my colleague, Councillor Robbie Staples. I commend the great work taking place on the current Wexford campus of SETU at St. Peter's College and the work being done to put the word out that there are courses available there. This is about securing a purpose-built, designated, state-of-the-art facility for the SETU in Wexford. Regarding the business case and the current evaluation of it by the HEA, when is it likely that we will have an update?”
“It is important that we are fully briefed on the status of this project because, as the Minister of State is no doubt aware, once the business case is approved, we still have to go through the master plan, design, planning permission, tender and, ultimately, construction stages. She might give us a sense of how she sees this project progressing over the next few years.”
“I am aware that this matter is before the courts, so I do not intend to discuss the specific issue of the land. We were told that the Higher Education Authority, HEA, was examining the business case for the provision of funding for an SETU campus in Wexford, with a decision likely to be taken in the first quarter of 2025. Is the Government committed to the delivery of a Wexford campus for the SETU at Killeens? Will the Minister of State provide an update on the business case and on whether a decision been taken? Given the current uncertainty surrounding the site and the fact that a case is before the courts, is it possible for the HEA to progress the business case for funding for the campus?”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to discuss this important Commencement matter. The reason I have raised the issue is the most recent census showed that in my county of Wexford, the proportion of people going to third level is 37%, which is 8% below the national average of 45%. Wexford has the fourth lowest level of third level education of all counties. The South East Technological University offers us an opportunity to have a technological university based in Wexford where we can work to help to bridge the deficit for the attainment of third level education. As the Minister of State will be aware, a compulsory purchase order, CPO, process is under way to acquire lands to develop a designated campus at Killeens in Wexford town for the university.”
“The society raised the startling statistic that, in 2023, before the new system for registering an enduring power of attorney was created, we had 1,245 powers of attorney registered. In the first six months of 2024, the last period for which statistics were published, only ten were created. I am well aware of the difficulties in the area. It is flawed legislation. There needs to be a designated solicitors' portal. I encourage the Minister of State, like her predecessor, to work with the Law Society in that area. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.”
“The point she highlighted was that, in the past, because of concerns with insurance and claims if something were to happen, bus drivers, through no fault of their own, were actively discouraged from assisting people with disabilities for fear there would be a claim were there to be an accident or a fall. We need to resolve that issue. I urge the Minister of State to get directly involved in that. If we are to support Local Link services, we should create an environment where people with disabilities can access Local Link and public transport freely and safely. The programme for Government commits to reviewing the enduring power of attorney situation. As a practising solicitor, I share the concerns the Law Society has raised about the ability of people to access and create an enduring power of attorney.”
“With the Minister of State's focus on the issue, we can see real and tangible results very soon. A point made earlier concerned the ability of people with disabilities to access the public transport system. A constituent contacted me last week who stated it is very difficult for her with her blindness to access the new Local Link services because they are not fully accessible for people with disabilities. It is fantastic we now have a service operating seven days a week from Enniscorthy to Wexford town through rural villages in the heartland of my constituency, but it is important that bus service has wheelchair accessibility and is available to people with disabilities.”
“I want to highlight the area of people with disabilities accessing education at secondary school level, going on to third level and then into the workforce. I recognise the programme for Government's commitment in this area. As has been pointed out in this debate, when we have the lowest workforce participation rate for people with disabilities across the EU at a time of virtually full employment in the country, much more can be done. It is not only supports for people with disabilities to access a job but also to assist employers in their responsibilities when taking on people with disabilities. We cannot put a ceiling on the ambition of people with disabilities simply because they have a disability. They should be encouraged and supported to be active participants in the workforce at every opportunity.”
“It is so important for the people of Wexford I represent and people throughout the country who have raised the need for greater investment in the area and greater access to services. I particularly highlight the goal in the programme for Government to double the number of college placements for speech and language, physios, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers. It is important, if we are to have a pipeline of people to take up these positions when they became available, funded by the HSE, that there are trained professionals in a position to take them up. I recognise the 17% increase in CDNTs from October 2023 to October 2024 but, as the Minister of State knows well, we have much further to go in that area.”
“I thank the Minister of State, welcome her to the Chamber, congratulate her on her appointment and recognise the work she and her officials did with me on highlighting the need for more speech and language therapists in the town of New Ross. That is appreciated and it is hoped we will have further good news in that area shortly. I highlight again what has been highlighted already, which is the shortage of speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, especially for children when it comes to the assessment of need and making sure children in need of a diagnosis and subsequently given a diagnosis are in a position to access treatment promptly. I welcome the creation of the Minister of State's new role at Cabinet with the purpose of driving forward delivery.”
“I call on this House to have a debate on the delivery of infrastructure, including wastewater and water, for towns and villages like Whiterock Hill.”
“We are told that Irish Water is monitoring the situation closely, but the knock-on effect of this in Wexford town is that there is now a lack of confidence in the water supply in that area of the town among residents, businesses, developers wishing to expand that area of the town and people operating businesses, who do not have confidence that their businesses will not be impacted in a negative way. The Government has committed €6 billion to Irish Water in the programme from 2021 to 2025, with a new programme operating at the moment. The reality, however, is that if we cannot get to grips with urban areas like Whiterock Hill that are facing substantial outages regularly, we really need to examine where that money is actually going.”