Cormac Devlin
Dún Laoghaire · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“That brings me to the fiscal implications. Members will have noticed that the estimates vary enormously. In 2025, researchers at Dublin City University and Ulster University published the first peer-reviewed study of the cost of unity over its first ten years. They put the cost in year one at approximately €3 billion.”
“There are also gaps that we can start closing now through greater co-operation and engagement. Second, we should build prosperity in the meantime. The Government has announced €377 million in new shared island investment across 12 cross-Border projects.”
“It benefits communities North and South today, irrespective of the constitutional future people choose tomorrow. It is important that we recognise the success of that co-operation today. The third point is that we must keep asking the right questions.”
“I welcome the debate and the contributions from all Members of the House, as well as the varying views. As Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I believe this is exactly the type of debate and discussion that we should be having in this House.”
“The studies make different assumptions about pensions and the UK national debt, and very different assumptions about how quickly the Northern economy could grow and converge with our own. That is the honest position. The true scale of the cost is yet unknown. Anyone who claims certainty on the figure is not being straight with anybody.”
“We should certainly do what we can now, and I am suggesting three things. First, we should build an evidence base. Much reference has been made today to the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, which has published extensive research on two economies, two labour markets, education, health and other areas.”
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“I am pleased to speak in support of the Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bill introduces significant and welcome changes. It finalises the arrangements for the new automatic enrolment system, which will ensure that all employees have access to a pension, and also gives effect to the improvements set out in the budget. It is important to put the scale of that budget package on the record. In 2026, overall social protection expenditure will rise from roughly €26.9 billion in 2025 to €28.9 billion. That is an increase of around €2 billion, or almost 7.5%, in a single year. It is not something that happened by accident. It reflects political choices at Cabinet and strong, determined negotiation by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary.”
“The demographics illustrate that, even in the HSE's original documentation. I ask for a commitment from the HSE to meet local TDs prior to any finalisation of any review but it is also important to highlight-----”
“I thank the Minister for that reply and acknowledge what the HSE states about the regional health areas and the single point of access. However, this primary care centre is nearly a decade in the making. I understand it has planning permission, or did at one stage, and it beggars belief how long this has taken to redesign and redevelop the existing site where primary care is being administered at the moment. There is genuine concern locally that as Cherrywood continues to grow and attract investment, there will be pressure to rationalise, as was mentioned in the reply from the HSE, by shifting the new primary care centre there instead. It might look more efficient on a map or on a desktop but it ignores the original objective of that project that was conceived to serve an older and less well-off community.”
“I ask the Minister, on behalf of the Taoiseach, for whom he is taking questions today, to reaffirm the Government's commitment to delivering a new primary care centre in Loughlinstown, serving Loughlinstown, Ballybrack, Shankill, Shanganagh and the surrounding estates, and to confirm that the current HSE service-led plan will explicitly take into account the deprivation and age profile in deciding its location so we do not see a shift of resources from an older, lower income community to a more affluent, younger one.”
“Cherrywood, rightly, will need services of its own but they should be additional to, not a replacement for, the long-promised upgrade of the primary healthcare centre in Loughlinstown. There is already a HSE health centre and primary care team in Loughlinstown delivering valuable services on the ground today. The purpose of this project is to modernise and expand those services on or adjacent to the existing site and not to relocate them elsewhere from people with the greatest need.”
“Loughlinstown, Ballybrack and the wider area have some of the highest levels of disadvantage in my constituency. It is also an area with a significantly older population, with the Dún Laoghaire, Dalkey and Loughlinstown community healthcare network recording 20% of residents to be aged over 65 compared with 15% nationally. They are precisely the communities that most depend on accessible, local primary care. Cherrywood, by contrast, is a new strategic development zone built from a new urban centre with plans for more than 10,000 homes and a projected population of roughly 26,000 people, orientated towards younger working households, well served by the Luas and the new town centre facilities.”
“I welcome back my constituency colleague, Deputy Boyd Barrett, and wish him well in the rest of his recovery. I would like to raise the status of the long-promised primary healthcare centre for Loughlinstown and the surrounding communities. The HSE confirmed earlier this year that the operational lease process for the new Loughlinstown primary care centre collapsed when the preferred operator withdrew for viability reasons. The HSE advised it is now carrying out a service-led review before deciding on the next steps. I fully accept the HSE must ensure value for money and that projects are deliverable. However, it is vital this review does not quietly become a vehicle to move the primary care centre out of Loughlinstown and into Cherrywood or elsewhere.”
“We must keep investing in Howth, unlock practical inshore facilities at Dún Laoghaire, safeguard and support lobster potting at Bulloch, manage offshore renewable energy in order that fishers will be partners and hold our line in Brussels and London while we ride out the stock cycle. If we do that, we will ensure that the next generation in Dublin, on the east coast and at ports around the island will see a future at sea.”
“As we prepare for the 2026 review milestones under the UK-EU trade and co-operation agreement, Ireland’s bottom line is clear - defend our access, defend our share and make sure landings support processing and jobs at home. Regarding skills and safety, BIM through its plan, The Next Wave, is investing in the people we need, such as skippers, engineers, processors and those with business skills. That must continue. If we want young people to choose this life, we owe them modern kit, predictable income and a harbour they can come home to. We keep the knowledge alive by ensuring that people know how to set a string, read a tide and bring a boat and a crew back safe.”
“We need its outputs to be nailed down in practical protocols involving charted corridors, fair compensation for disruption and opportunities for fishing vessels to earn income on surveys and guard-duty work without being lost to the fleet. Dublin Bay and Dún Laoghaire Harbour can be national exemplars of good practice here, with climate action and coastal livelihoods rowing in the same direction. We also need to keep pulling EU levers. Ireland must keep fighting for fair outcomes under the Common Fisheries Policy and in annual quota rounds. With European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund moneys already underpinning our seafood development programme, we should ring-fence the next multi-annual financial framework in order that fisheries supports are stable through the cycle.”
“Let us back it with targeted micro-measures, such as small-gear grants, safe haul-out and storage, a seasonal conservation plan developed with fishers and young entrant supports tied to BIM training, in order that new skippers can step aboard with competence and confidence. If we want the tradition to endure, we should make it a little easier and a lot safer to work from Bulloch Harbour. Across the east coast, there is a wider co-existence agenda. Offshore renewable energy is coming. Survey vessels are already using our ports, and the build-out is going to intensify. The State’s seafood-offshore renewable energy working group is the right forum.”
“That means designating a modest working area in the Coal Harbour or the Old Harbour for time-limited commercial landings by small craft, providing hose points and shore power, securing gear storage in order that pots will not be competing with leisure users or those engaged in boat and craft repairs. None of that would turn Dún Laoghaire into a second Howth, but it would make a real difference for inshore crews and for restaurants that want local catch on local plates. My second ask relates to Bulloch Harbour. The tradition of lobster potting from Bulloch is part of our coastal identity in Dún Laoghaire.”
“Along the coast, we have small inshore fleets working pots for brown crab and lobster from Skerries and Clogherhead down to Bulloch Harbour in Dalkey, Kilmore Quay and Dunmore East. The decision to prohibit trawling by vessels over 18 m inside the six-mile zone helps restore that link between local resources and local boats. We support that policy and we want to see the benefits land locally. I have two practical asks for Dublin Bay. The first relates to Dún Laoghaire Harbour. Dún Laoghaire is not a fishery harbour centre, but it is a major harbour with slipways, a public boatyard, fuel, water and easy logistics. I want to see it utilised further for inshore activity.”
“It will bite hardest where communities are most dependent on a narrow species mix. That is exactly why targeted investment, fleet efficiency, skills and local value-add are not just nice to have, they are also survival tools. Let me turn to Dublin and the east coast, where the pattern is distinctive. Howth is our designated fishery harbour centre in Dublin. It anchors a significant processing cluster and sustains hundreds of jobs across the value chain. Continued capital investment there involving dredging, safety, berths and utilities is essential to keep output high and to secure processing jobs that support families right across the Dublin area. That work is already funded this year under the national capital allocations for fishery harbour centres, so let us keep it moving at pace. However, Dublin’s story is bigger than one harbour.”
“His work has encompassed capital works in our fishery harbour centres, reciprocal access with the UK out to 2038 with no change to quotas, the launch of the FLAG coastal communities scheme and a dedicated skills plan through BIM to bring new entrants into a modern, professional seafood industry. These are practical measures that build resilience when margins are tight and crews are hard to find. There are major challenges for the sector ahead. ICES advice points to sharp reductions next year, with a 70% cut signalled for mackerel, 41% for blue whiting and 22% for boarfish. In the context of Ireland’s most valuable species, that is very worrying. The Government has committed to work with the industry on a pathway through this. Let us be honest, however. An adjustment of anything close to this level will bite.”
“Given that Ireland is a maritime nation, our waters are a strategic asset. Our fishing communities are a living heritage and our policy choices now will decide whether the next generation will be able to make a livelihood from the sea. I welcome today’s debate and the Government’s continued investment in the sector. Since 2020, over €180 million has been invested in seafood, with a further €50 million for local piers and harbours and €157.7 million provided in budget 2026 to keep that momentum going. That money matters on the ground in the form of safer harbours, modern kit and real supports for crews and processors. I welcome the re-establishment of the role of Minister of State for fisheries and marine. Since his appointment earlier this year, the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, has moved quickly.”
“I know she is committed to keep funding services locally, with counselling and talk therapies for men, supporting groups like men’s sheds and, of course, supporting specialist services so men can get the help and support they need when they need it.”
“Sometimes the best early intervention tool is the cup of tea someone else makes for you. We are also targeting high-risk settings, including the Construction Alliance to Reduce Suicide, CAIRDE, project in construction, On Feirm Ground for farmers and the national engage training programme, to name but a few. We can add to that the men’s health action plan 2024-2028 now being implemented by the HSE, a newly appointed national lead for men’s health, and a dedicated combined budget of €1.3 million across Healthy Ireland and the HSE to keep momentum. I want to commend the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on her efforts.”
“It was great to join the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, at Mount Carmel last week for the official opening of Riverside House Community Eating Disorder Services. It is a state-of-the-art hub for specialist community mental health services for people with eating disorders across south Dublin and Wicklow. In my constituency, men’s sheds in Dalkey, Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock and Loughlinstown are doing quiet, life-saving work, building friendships and developing life skills. There is a project on a bench, and the conversation that follows. You do not have to call it therapy for it to be therapeutic. Government backing through the Irish Men’s Sheds Association, the Sheds for Life programme and Healthy Ireland funding is money well spent, because connection is often the first and most important intervention.”
“We also know men's mental health needs are real and under-treated. Some 16.7% of men aged 40 to 44 report mental health difficulties. Yet men are less likely to seek help early. Our job is to lower the threshold to care and meet men where they are. That is why I particularly welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler’s targeted investment this year of €2 million to deliver over 15,000 free counselling sessions for men, with simple referral routes via GPs, yourmentalhealth.ie and trusted partners like Connect Counselling and MyMind. It is practical, stigma-busting and fast to access, exactly the kind of intervention that turns help seeking from a good idea into an easy step. Policy is also delivering locally .”
“I welcome today’s debate on men’s health. Ireland was the first country in the world to adopt a national men’s health policy in 2009 and we have followed through with action plans in 2017 and again in 2024. We have seen progress, with the number of premature deaths down, stronger partnerships across voluntary, academic and health sectors and a far better evidence base to guide what works for men. However, there is more to do because men in Ireland still die younger than women. The life expectancy for men is 80.5 versus 84.1 for women and 40% of male deaths are still premature. That is the challenge facing us. The agenda is clear. Men carry higher risks in key areas: cancer now accounts for 30.8% of male deaths; 63% of men are overweight or obese; 37% report binge drinking; and men made up 78% of road fatalities in 2023.”
“Will the Minister outline the timeline and options for the promised retail investment taxation roadmap, specifically whether reform of the deemed disposal rule is on the table? Even a phased approach or an opt-in deferral mechanism at disposal would simplify life for smaller savers and bring treatment closer to direct share capital gains tax. This Finance Bill backs jobs, investment and housing. It simplifies parts of the tax code, supports small businesses and helps households. I thank the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Chambers, for their engagement in advance of the budget. I look forward to engaging with them on the next four budgets where we should prioritise indexation, tackle inheritance tax and resolve ETF deemed disposal so that taxpayers are treated fairly, savers are encouraged and our capital markets deepen and strengthen.”
“Budget 2026 continues record investment in services and spending while also trying to balance possible challenges on the horizon. In future budgets, however, I feel that tax relief for workers must be considered. This Bill moves USC sensibly but full indexation of income tax bands should be a priority across the remaining four budgets. Without it, wage growth drags families into higher taxation by stealth. My second point concerns inheritance tax. In Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, where family homes often exceed group A thresholds, ordinary families face capital acquisitions tax bills that do not reflect today’s property market. I support the focus on services and capital now but the next budgets should raise thresholds or otherwise ease the burden so that intergenerational transfers are fair and predictable.”
“That gives some relief to those hit hardest by rate rises. The Bill extends electric vehicle, EV, VRT relief to the end of 2026 and adjusts benefit-in-kind with a new A1 zero-emission band of between 6% and 15% and a tapered relief out to 2028. It extends the €400 microgeneration income tax disregard to 2028 and keeps 9% VAT on energy to the end of 2030. These measures support the transition while recognising real household pressures. Automatic enrolment starts on 1 January 2026. The Bill tidies tax treatment at death, extends exemptions across structures and confirms that employer automatic enrolment contributions are exempt from USC. This is a major reform that will boost retirement security for hundreds of thousands over time.”
“Tax measures in the Bill support apartment viability and urban renewal with 9% VAT on the sale of apartments to 31 December 2030. The 125% construction cost deduction, capped at €50,000 per apartment, for projects commencing 8 October 2025 to 31 December 2030 and the extension and enhancement of the residential stamp duty refund to 2030 with better phasing rules are welcome, as are the broadened living city initiative to 2030 with higher limits and new conversion reliefs, the cost-rental income corporation tax exemption and procedural flex for the residential zoned land tax, RZLT. These steps will help to close viability gaps and accelerate delivery. Mortgage interest tax relief is extended on a tapered basis for 2025 to 2026 with maximum credits of €1,250 and then €625 payable on the usual delayed schedule.”
“For ordinary savers, the Bill cuts exit tax from 41% to 38% on Irish funds and equivalent offshore funds, including many exchange-traded funds, ETFs, and aligns life policy exit tax at 38%. That is a clear win for small investors. I ask the Minister to update the House on his thinking regarding ETFs and the eight-year deemed disposal rule. A simplification roadmap is welcome but many constituents need certainty on whether deemed disposal can be reformed in future budgets. From 1 January 2026, there will be a stamp duty exemption for buying shares in Irish-registered listed companies with a market cap below €1 billion. The old Euronext growth blanket exemption is repealed and replaced by this targeted rule. This should help liquidity for smaller Irish listings. All of this is welcome.”
“I agree that we must stay prudent and cautious, maintain buffers, deliver value for money and protect our fiscal credibility while we invest, but the public must also see real improvements in services and infrastructure and investment that is badly needed and appropriate. Turning to the measures, the Bill raises the USC 2% band to €28,700 so that a full-time worker on the new minimum wage stays out of the top USC rates. It also extends the reduced USC for full medical card holders with income below €60,000 to the end of 2027. These are sensible, broad-based steps and both are welcome. From 1 July 2026, the VAT rate for hospitality and hairdressing will fall to 9%. I have long argued for a reduced VAT rate on labour-intensive sectors that generate employment in every town and village in Ireland so I welcome the cut.”
“The budget package is €9.4 billion, comprising approximately €8.1 billion in additional spending and €1.3 billion in tax measures within a gross voted expenditure of €117.8 billion in 2026. A total of €97.7 billion has been allocated for current spending and €19.1 billion for capital investment. Three pillars dominate that spend - social protection at €28.9 billion, health at about €27.4 billion and €11.2 billion for housing to drive supply and regeneration. This is a record budget in terms of spending but at the same time, we must be cautious. International analysts and groups like the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, are warning about potential market instability ahead.”
“With all the shouting and roaring, I thought there was an election happening this week. This debate involves examining the Finance Bill and many of those concerns have already been raised but are being rehashed here today. I welcome the opportunity to examine the Finance Bill, which gives effect to the budget’s targeted tax measures and supports for businesses, jobs and housing while modernising many parts of the tax code. It is important to note that this is the first of five budgets expected in this Dáil by this Government. In many respects, it sets a steady path, protects services, invests for the future and keeps public finances on a sustainable footing. In that context, the totals matter.”
“We are not hearing a lot of that in this Chamber from certain quarters but ultimately it is there to support hard-pressed families at a very difficult time and also to support enterprise so that it can continue employing people and continue the growth in the economy.”
“I welcome the reduction in VAT for labour-intensive sectors like hairdressing and hospitality, supporting jobs in every town and village across Ireland. It was interesting to see some of the Opposition, including Sinn Féin members, voting against the VAT cut here then hailing it outside the Chamber in the media. The increase in the national minimum wage from €12.70 to €13.80 on 1 January 2026, worth almost €2,230 a year for a full-time worker, is a step in the right direction. Again, this was largely ignored by Opposition speakers. The USC 2% band moves up to €28,700 in line with the increase in the minimum wage and the 9% VAT on household energy is extended to the end of 2030. Many positive steps have been taken in budget 2026.”
“I again press for a new Garda station at Cherrywood and the refurbishment and expansion of the Dún Laoghaire and Shankill stations to match the growth and commuter patterns. Those projects should be prioritised within the capital envelope now provided. The total Social Protection spend is €28.9 billion, which is the largest single component of the budget representing almost 25% of State spending next year. Core weekly rates rise by €10; carer’s allowance income disregards increase to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple; fuel allowance rises by €5 to €38 and opens to working family payment households; domiciliary care allowance is up by €20 a month. These are modest but meaningful steps and crucially must continue across the next four budgets. Work always pays and families are supported.”
“Some €69 million has been allocated to strengthen school transport while €1.6 billion in capital will move over 300 school projects through construction. There is €5.78 billion current and €390 million capital for the justice sector. The Garda budget funds up to 1,000 new gardaí, 200 extra staff, a doubling of the Garda Reserve to 600, and 392,000 extra overtime hours for visibility purposes. There is €160 million for technology, including national rollout of body-worn cameras. The capital allocation for new stations is €174 million, alongside investment in prisons, probation and court services. It is appropriate that the Minister is here. I welcome the Garda capital programme.”
“Water infrastructure, essential to new housing, gets a 29% increase for Uisce Éireann to €2.2 billion, with overall water services at about €2.5 billion. These are the building blocks for supply. Compared with 2025, there is €1.5 billion extra in current health funding. This will allow the recruitment of 3,300 additional staff, between 220 to 265 extra acute beds, more than 1.7 million home-support hours, and capital of €1.56 billion to progress projects such as the National Maternity Hospital, ambulance bases and the digitisation of health records. Education and youth funding totals €13.1 billion which is 7% up on last year, with 1,717 additional special needs assistants, SNAs, 860 extra special education teachers and higher school capitation of €50 per primary pupil and €20 per post-primary pupil.”
“I welcome the opportunity to examine measures taken in budget 2026 on Tuesday, the first of five budgets expected in this new Dáil term. It aims to steady the economy in challenging times, invest for the future and improve services that families rely on. It attempts to balance day-to-day pressures with long-term capital investment in housing, hospitals, schools and safer streets. Housing funding will reach over €11.2 billion in 2026, up a massive 20% with €5.19 billion allocated for capital investment and €2.02 billion for current spending. Within that is €2.9 billion to deliver 10,200 new-build social homes and continue the acquisitions programme. Homelessness services rise to €563.5 million, up sharply from last year.”
“The direction is right, with record funding, smarter pathways, stronger community roots and a quiet revolution in how care is delivered, with dignity and partnership at its heart. On World Mental Health Day, let us say clearly to every person who is struggling that help is closer than you think. Please reach out.”
“Every life lost is one too many, but it matters that investment, reform and community action are saving lives. Our job is to keep going, to keep investing and to keep reducing the stigma in order that people reach out early and are supported. It was great to see that every mental health nurse graduating this year has been offered a permanent contract, reducing reliance on agencies and giving patients continuity of care. That is investment not only in posts, but in people. Budget 2026 is really encouraging in this area. The allocations and investment secured by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will ensure faster access through out-of-hours emergency teams, more services in the community and work on a single point of access for children and young people at an early stage.”
“The new interdepartmental steering group for mental health, bringing together 14 departments alongside the HSE and the Mental Health Commission, is designed to do exactly that, aligning delivery with Sharing the Vision and the next suicide reduction strategy informed by nearly 1,900 public submissions, 85% of whom said suicide reduction should be a Government priority. People told us to make access easier, target supports better and fix the social determinants that drive distress. These voices have been heard. We are seeing the long-term curve bend. Between 2000 and 2021, Ireland’s suicide rate fell by 28%. Preliminary figures show that there were 302 deaths in 2023. We are now at the lowest preliminary level in over 20 years, and self-harm rates are down 12% since 2010.”
“However, we also know that care does not start and end in clinics. It starts where people live. In my area, for example, the men’s sheds in Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock and Loughlinstown are quiet powerhouses: a bench, a kettle, a shared project and suddenly the conversation is made easier. You do not have to call it therapy for it to be therapeutic. Government can help by signposting, backing social prescribing and making sure local grants and premises are there for groups that hold men in the community before they ever reach a crisis point. Progress also means joining the dots across Government, housing, education, work and justice.”
“Some €31 million in capital this year, the largest single-year mental health infrastructure allocation, funds safer inpatient environments, community hubs and specialist capacity like the new eating disorders hub at Mount Carmel, with feasibility work for Ireland’s first mother and baby perinatal mental health unit. I want to place a particular focus on men’s mental health. Men are more likely to die by suicide and less likely to seek help early. I really welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler’s ring-fenced allocation of €2 million for more than 15,000 free counselling sessions for men, with supports available by phone and in person, and targeted work with young Traveller men through Exchange House. The aim is simple: lower the threshold, fit services around men’s lives and tackle stigma head-on.”
“We are strengthening the national clinical programmes, dual diagnosis, perinatal mental health, early intervention in psychosis, adult eating disorders and services for older people, so the specialist help is there when general support is not. Crucially, progress is not just on paper. The Mental Health Commission’s latest reports show continued falls in seclusion and restraint, a hard-won shift towards human-rights-based, person-centred care. That is what service users have asked for and that is what services are delivering. The Government is also investing in the fabric of care and facilities which is welcome.”
“These are badly needed, as are the ten new intensive care rehabilitation unit beds at the National Forensic Mental Health Service in Portrane. That increases capacity where pressure is most acute and it builds a more humane, therapeutic pathway for recovery. For children and young people, a priority is early help: two new early intervention youth services, a digital single point of access so families are not lost in the maze, more eating-disorder capacity in CAMHS and discovery colleges to equip young people with skills and confidence. When help is easy to find, it is easier to take. We are expanding talking therapies, rolling out a digital mental health strategy and growing peer-support roles because recovery is often peer-led and community-anchored.”
“That is the direction of travel and it is the right one. Funding will establish specialist mental health nursing teams out-of-hours in all model 4 emergency departments, so if someone arrives at 11 p.m. in acute distress, the right expertise is there at the right time. We will also see three crisis resolution services with associated Solace crisis cafés in Donegal, Kerry and the midlands, giving people a safe, community-based alternative to the ED. I welcome plans to expand the suicide crisis assessment nurse service working with GPs, because many people first reach out in primary care. These are practical fixes to real-world issues people and practitioners regularly face. The opening of 21 acute CAMHS beds, including ten at the new National Children’s Hospital is very welcome as is the reopening of 11 beds at Linn Dara.”
“I welcome this debate to mark World Mental Health Day. The simple truth is still the strongest line: there is no health without mental health. Today is about removing stigma, yes, but also about showing that the services are there, close to home and getting stronger year-on-year. Since 2020, funding has risen sharply and budget 2026 builds again on that. I want to commend the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and her team on securing a record allocation of almost €1.6 billion, the sixth increase in a row. It adds 300 new staff across services and puts real weight behind crisis supports and suicide prevention. In short, it backs what clinicians, families and service users have asked for: earlier help, easier access, better alternatives to emergency departments and more joined-up care.”
“Looking ahead, I encourage every club to get ready for the next round of funding under the community sport facility fund call in 2026. Obviously, they should know that shovel-ready projects win all the time. It would help if the Minister of State's Department could publish an indicative timeline and a short guide on how to be ready for smaller clubs so they are not left behind. Can the Minister of State indicate when the next round of the LSSIF will open? We also need a mid-tier stream of grants to bridge the gap between the small grants and funding for stadium-scale projects. With that, we can relieve pitch pressures, widen participation and keep our young people active, connected and thriving.”
“Last November, €4.6 million was allocated under the LSSIF for a new facility at Hyde Park in Dalkey, to be shared between Dalkey United and Cuala GAA. That is a flagship project with real local dividends, but success brings pressure and pitches in Dublin are at breaking point. Demand outstrips supply most evenings and weekends, and clubs juggle waiting lists, shorten sessions and undertake long trips across the city and county. If we want participation to grow, we need more playable hours, floodlighting, all-weather upgrades, safer routes to and from facilities and a shared use agreement with schools and colleges on other facilities. Equal access matters too. Girls' teams and disability sports need guaranteed peak time too and not the leftover slots.”
“I welcome the debate. Investing in sport and sports infrastructure is one of the wisest choices a state can make. It pays back in terms of public health, safer communities and confidence in young people, a confidence they carry into schools and their working lives. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, we are already seeing the benefits. Our area received €1.5 million under the community sports facilities fund in 2024 to improve council facilities at Loughlinstown, Meadowbrook and Stonebridge Road in Shankill. Of course, significant funding was also provided to Monkstown Boxing Club for its wonderful clubhouse in Mounttown. Some clubs, though, are still in need of facilities, like Pearse Rovers FC, Granada FC, Shankill GAA and the Olympic Centre of Excellence in the harbour, which the Minister of State has visited.”
“The safety and welfare of those on board, including two Members of the Oireachtas and constituents of mine, must be paramount. All actors must respect international law and avoid any unlawful or violent act. Our message is simple: let aid flow, protect civilians and humanitarians, de-escalate, and return to politics. There is no need for a military element. Only a lawful, negotiated two-state settlement can deliver dignity, security and peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Let us use Ireland’s voice to push for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and a durable, lasting peace.”
“We must also look to the West Bank where the continued expansion of illegal settlements, displacement and movement restrictions are eroding the viability of peace. The internationally agreed destination remains two states living side-by-side in peace and security, a consensus rooted in the Oslo accords of the 1990s and as explicitly affirmed by the UN Security Council in Resolution 1397 in 2002. That vision is being pushed further from reach daily by facts on the ground. Ireland should keep championing accountability by supporting the ICJ, the ICC processes, advancing proportionate trade measures consistent with international law and standing up for the simple principle that no one is above the law. Finally, I want to address the Global Sumud flotilla.”
“Recent investigations underline why transparency, access and independent inquiry are essential. I am sure we all welcome early indications of a long-overdue ceasefire and the diplomatic energy behind it. Any cessation of hostilities must immediately unlock safe, sustained and reliable humanitarian access at scale, the release of all hostages and a massive surge in reconstruction. It will be a long road - it will take a generation to fully rebuild Gaza’s homes, schools, hospitals and basic services. The scars from this war will last much longer. Ireland should remain at the forefront, funding lifesaving aid, backing UN agencies and supporting medical evacuations, while pressing all parties to comply fully with international humanitarian and human rights law.”