Dee Ryan
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Employers cannot take on people unless they have a car because their particular place of employment is not serviced by public transport. Workers are frustrated that they cannot get to work on a bus. They would like to be saving some money with the cost of living by using public transport.”
“Having heard my account of what is going on the ground in Limerick, the Minister of State will understand why I am really disappointed with that response. The NTA will be publishing an implementation plan by the end of this year. Is she joking me? What in the name of God is going on in the NTA? Clearly, it has no interest in Limerick.”
“I am nearly even afraid to say it out loud but in the last month, I have heard that it could be 2030, which is unthinkable. Can the Minister of State please tell us what is holding us back and the reason for the delay? Has the local authority completed all the works it needs to do to run the system?”
“I am out on the doors in Limerick every week and frustration with the public transport service in Limerick comes up everywhere and repeatedly. I have parents complaining that they cannot give their teenagers a little bit of freedom and let them off to go somewhere on the bus, so they have to play taxi.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in to take my question. She is very welcome. I am standing here to ask her if she can, and I really hope she will be able to, clarify for the people of Limerick what is going on with Limerick BusConnects.”
“I thank the Minister of State for that excellent update. It is great to hear that the Department envisages that the pilot will be live before the end of this year.”
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“We have been told separately by the Department that the NTA is fully funded for this. I am not satisfied with that answer. Where do I go? Where do I get the answers to the questions I need?”
“Having heard my account of what is going on the ground in Limerick, the Minister of State will understand why I am really disappointed with that response. The NTA will be publishing an implementation plan by the end of this year. Is she joking me? What in the name of God is going on in the NTA? Clearly, it has no interest in Limerick. It has no interest in delivering the public transport needs we have and serving our needs in Limerick. What happens in there when they are faced with a tough question and asked why they have not done something yet? Do they say they will do another implementation plan? We are sick of plans in Limerick. We want delivery. We are clear on this. The NTA in its response also sounds like it is kind of blaming the Department saying it will engage with the Department on funding this.”
“Perhaps the Minister of State can clarify the answers to some of those questions for us now. Ultimately, all I want to know is when BusConnects will be operational.”
“I am nearly even afraid to say it out loud but in the last month, I have heard that it could be 2030, which is unthinkable. Can the Minister of State please tell us what is holding us back and the reason for the delay? Has the local authority completed all the works it needs to do to run the system? Has the city centre transport plan been finalised with the mayor? It has been on his desk and I know his team has been liaising with the National Transport Authority, NTA, for over two years on it. Has the Department funded the project? Has the NTA hired the mechanics and drivers? I ask these questions because this is like the Spider-Man meme. When I start asking questions, all these organisations start pointing at each other and give me all the reasons I outlined as to why BusConnects has not been delivered.”
“Employers cannot take on people unless they have a car because their particular place of employment is not serviced by public transport. Workers are frustrated that they cannot get to work on a bus. They would like to be saving some money with the cost of living by using public transport. Generally speaking, people feel that they pay taxes, work hard and hold up their end of the bargain, so they want to know why they cannot use public services and avail of a proper bus system in Limerick. We have had many different and conflicting reports on when BusConnects is going to be delivered. I really hope the Minister of State will be able to bring clarity to this subject today. We were first told it was going to be happening in 2025, then it was going to be in 2026, and more recently we were told it was going to be 2028.”
“I am out on the doors in Limerick every week and frustration with the public transport service in Limerick comes up everywhere and repeatedly. I have parents complaining that they cannot give their teenagers a little bit of freedom and let them off to go somewhere on the bus, so they have to play taxi. I have students genuinely upset that they have to pay for petrol or diesel. We do not have sufficient cycle lanes and routes everywhere across the city, so they have to drive the short distance into the university or into one of our many institutes of learning because they cannot get the bus. Of course, I also have employers speaking to me. I would have been very familiar with the employer perspective in the past in my role as an employer representative.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in to take my question. She is very welcome. I am standing here to ask her if she can, and I really hope she will be able to, clarify for the people of Limerick what is going on with Limerick BusConnects. To give the Minister of State the background, BusConnects was first mooted more than a decade ago. The public in Limerick, including employers, members of pedestrian and cycling organisations, traders, all the different city centre stakeholders and councillors, would have been consulted on this great vision for public transport in Limerick since about 2020. It was finally unveiled for us in December 2023. We were told originally that this project was going to be delivered in 2025.”
“I acknowledge the important impact it will have on overcrowding in prisons and, as the Minister of State outlined, also supporting the Judiciary in making a decision, where suitable, to have someone on bail or temporary release, as opposed to being on remand. We look forward to trialling it for the Minister in Limerick if possible.”
“I thank the Minister of State for that excellent update. It is great to hear that the Department envisages that the pilot will be live before the end of this year. That is a testimony to the commitment of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and the Minister of State to modernising our justice system, and all of the other measures that she mentioned, including the high-visibility policing in Limerick, which has been hugely successful. We are very pleased with it. It gets commented on by people when I call to their door. That is why I am really eager for this to be trialled in Limerick. I have confidence in our gardaí. They have the capacity to manage it very well. They will give back great information. I am also keen for the benefits of electronic monitoring to be rolled out in Limerick as soon as possible.”
“We have a strong track record in our city not only in tackling crime, supporting victims and improving community safety but also within the Garda in rolling out trials. We recently finished a community access support team, CAST, partnership pilot between the Garda and the HSE mental health unit. We finished a trial on body-worn cameras and are due to start one on tasers. Limerick would be particularly well placed to put in place an effective trial and to do the monitoring and reporting that would be necessary to help inform any future decisions on where electronic monitoring may be suitable. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response.”
“While I understand and appreciate that electronic monitoring or no other single measure can prevent a tragedy such as this, the public is entitled to expect that every reasonable safeguard is in place to monitor compliance and reduce risk. There are also many cases where a prison sentence is neither necessary nor appropriate. However, where individuals might be granted bail or offered temporary release, protecting the public has to remain the overriding priority. Electronic monitoring can help us to strike that balance while allowing suitable individuals to remain in the community but providing greater confidence that they are complying with the conditions imposed by the courts. Limerick is particularly well placed to host any pilot or trial of electronic monitoring. I call for that to be done.”
“Limerick and, indeed, all communities across the country deserve every available tool that can help to protect people, strengthen their confidence in the justice system and ensure court-imposed bail conditions can be properly enforced. Electronic minoring will be a tool for the Judiciary when considering who among those before it may be suitable for bail and will also give us reassurance of greater safeguards for the public. The tragic death occurred in Limerick in 2023 of University of Limerick student Joe Drennan, originally from Laois, who was standing at a bus stop in Castletroy after finishing his shift working in a nearby restaurant. He was mowed down and killed by a driver who was out on bail.”
“The issue of personal safety, the safety of people's property in their homes and safety in their cars comes up repeatedly throughout the constituency. Likewise when I meet the business community, as I do regularly, the issue of shoplifting and the crippling cost to retailers already much challenged in our city centre comes up again and again. The Garda works very well with private individuals and businesses in trying to tackle these issues but I see the potential for a great role for electronic monitoring in supporting the work the Garda does in those areas. I am eager to get an update from the Minister of State because of its potential for enhancing public safety.”
“I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ardagh, to the Chamber. I believe this is my first time addressing her since she got her new role. I congratulate her. We look forward to working with her over her term. I have no doubt she will do great things in her new role. I thank the Minister of State for the opportunity to raise this important Commencement matter and for coming in to take it. I seek an update on electronic monitoring. What progress had been made? We have a commitment to it in the programme for Government. The Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, is personally very committed to delivering it. Public safety and security in people's homes is a live issue for us in Limerick. I am on the doors every week in different parts of the constituency.”
“I again ask if the Minister will please update us on what is happening with the proposed project board that is to be put in place to develop the site at Raheen for expansion of facilities at the regional hospital, which could potentially include new maternity hospital facilities in Limerick.”
“Last week, I spoke about the consultant numbers there of 59 consultants per 100,000 population versus the national average of 82 per 100,000 population. The week before I highlighted the shortcomings in dental care through the school dental system. Only one in five eligible schoolchildren were called for the school dental programme in 2023. This week it is our nurses and midwives. We have a significant healthcare worker staffing crisis in the mid-west. I call on the Minister to come to the House to address this matter at her earliest opportunity. I also support the nurses and midwives in their protest, and I support their call for an expansion of the neonatal unit.”
“Today I highlight a protest that happened in Limerick on Tuesday of this week. Nurses and midwives staged a lunchtime protest over what their union said are unsafe staffing levels at University Maternity Hospital Limerick. The INMO said between 30 and 35 front-line posts were cut at UMHL with the implementation of the pay and numbers strategy in 2023. That has left the hospital, which was already under significant pressure, in what they describe as a catastrophic state. Those are their words. They have told us the neonatal unit is beyond safe capacity in staffing and that the labour ward has deficits of midwives on duty. They have called for an expansion of the neonatal unit to meet demand. Once again, I will highlight a healthcare issue in Limerick.”
“I recognise the significant role it has played in our overall economic development and the growth of Dublin but I would like to see meaningful parallel investment in our regional airports.”
“Much as we have done in a dysfunctional housing market where we intervened and funded where necessary to provide critical supports and subsidies for people to achieve housing and get on the housing market, we need to look more closely at what policy measures can be drawn up and what funding can be brought into place to fund strategic routes. I am not talking about Ibiza or Santa Ponsa, I am talking about Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol - meaningful connections that will help to develop our regional economy. I am glad we are finally saying the emperor has no clothes. Dublin Airport has been exceeding its cap for many years. It does not observe it. It is appropriate that we legislate to allow it to continue to grow.”
“It is an important extension of Government supports to Shannon Airport but if we are serious about regional development and balanced economic development, we have to recognise the strategic importance of our airports in that. As an island nation, we need those connections to other markets which will support foreign direct investment into regions and support companies in the regions to make those business connections, develop those markets and potentially invest out. In Limerick and the mid-west region at the moment we do not have daily business connectivity to an EU hub airport. It is shocking as members of the EU - this is our key asset in terms of international trade. We know how important that is to us as an economy. Shannon Airport does not have daily business connectivity to the EU marketplace.”
“How can an airport with passenger numbers of a record high at 2.3 million compete with 36 million? There is no competition. The airports are self-financing. They have to generate their own revenues. For a layperson's understanding, they use part of the revenue they generate not only to maintain and upkeep the airport, improve facilities and provide services within the airport but also to entice airlines to put on new routes. The Minister of State cannot tell me an airport like Shannon with 2.3 million passengers per annum has anywhere near the pockets the DAA and Dublin Airport have to compete and bid for route development. It is not the case. I appreciate and acknowledge the Minister has included Shannon Airport in the regional airports programme which I have been seeking for eight years.”
“I welcome the Aire Stáit and thank him for giving us the opportunity to discuss this important issue. I rise today feeling conflicted. I am a Limerick woman from the mid-west. I spent the six years before I came into this House advocating on behalf of the business community in the mid-west. A key pillar of that was pushing increased investment in the region and promoting balanced regional development. A key component of that balanced regional potential for us is Shannon Airport. It is very difficult as a mid-west woman - I am sure my Clare colleagues will agree - to stomach the dominance of Dublin Airport. I disagree and refute completely that it has not come at a cost to the regions. With the recent figures for growth in regional airport numbers, it absolutely has.”
“I look forward to reviewing the legislation further and participating in a constructive way with colleagues here in the House in proposing any amendments that might be useful in developing the most beneficial and fruitful framework for the regulation of this important technology and for overseeing its use in our future and in our children's future.”
“I welcome the Bill and acknowledge the significant amount of work the Minister of State and her officials have put into getting it to this stage. The Committee on Artificial Intelligence has been preparing for this over recent months. We have been meeting with the competent authorities, each of which is taking responsibility for monitoring and overseeing the regulation in its own area. To be fair, they had many questions as to how they would interact with the AI office. From a first reading of the Bill, it seems the Minister of State has answered many of those questions in the draft legislation.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I thank her for giving the time today to discuss and introduce the Bill into the House. As a member of the AI committee and with a background in business, I am very appreciative of the regulatory infrastructure the Bill now provides. I am aware of the huge amount of work the Minister of State and her officials have put into creating this regulatory framework. It will allow us not only to ensure that the citizens of Ireland are served with the safe use of artificial intelligence, but that safe opportunities will be created for us to innovate within Ireland, using AI to deliver better public services, where appropriate, and equipping our business community to innovate, flourish and develop.”
“I reiterate calls by clinicians and consultants in the mid-west for a step to be taken in the meantime, that is, to increase the number of consultants in the mid-west. Unfortunately, in the mid-west, we have the lowest number of consultants per head of population, with just 59 consultants per 100,000 people versus the national average of 82 per 100,000 people. It is part of the ongoing problem in the mid-west and I urge the Minister to address that issue immediately.”
“I ask the Leader to bring this call for a dental tax credit for working families who are dipping into their savings and their pockets to put their children's healthcare requirements first, as we all do as parents. We could introduce a practical, targeted measure to assist them as a cost-of-living measure in the upcoming budget in addition to the longer term reforms the Minister is making. She is bringing forward work on this. Sticking with the theme of health, I sought an update from the Minister for Health two weeks ago on the appointment of a project board to oversee the delivery of something that is badly needed in the mid-west, namely, new acute model four hospital beds. I understand the Minister is still working on that. We eagerly await the appointment of that board.”
“I acknowledge the significant steps that have been taken by the Government to improve the situation with dental care. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, has increased the number of third level dentistry places. In time and with the new intake of 70 students to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, in Sandyford last September, this will increase the number of practising dentists available to us. However, I have spoken to the Irish Dental Association. A number of challenges remain for dentists and the association is calling for reform of the medical card dental scheme, including measures to simplify it. It talks about the introduction of a voucher-based approach in its pre-budget submission, which I support.”
“I reiterate a call I made in the House last month for a dental tax credit to be made available in this year's budget to parents of primary school children. I propose a €200 dental tax credit for parents to help to cover the cost of routine dental treatment, because delays in the school dental screening programme are causing additional cost-of-living pressures for families. The report by colleagues on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health laid bare that just over half of eligible children nationwide received school dental screening in 2023. They are supposed to receive screening in second class, fourth class and sixth class, yet I have been contacted by parents in Limerick whose children are leaving the primary school system without ever having been seen by a dentist.”
“I just want to wish them all well in their new secondary schools in September. This is a sixth class group, so they will be breaking up in a couple of weeks' time and moving on. We hope to see some of them back here in the future, either as staff members of the Oireachtas or some of them may choose to stand for election themselves.”
“What the chair of the residents group has raised with me and has been raised extensively in local media is what they feel was a lack of sufficient public consultation on the site selection. As I understand it, there were not enough consultations done with the residents in the area. I ask that this matter be raised with the Minister and that we ensure that when Uisce Éireann is doing its very valuable work in future - everyone in Kilkee acknowledges that there is a huge need for an upgrade in the wastewater treatment to end the discharge of raw sewage into the ocean nearby - sufficient public consultation on site selection is done so that everyone is satisfied with the end result.”
“I rise to raise the issue of the proposed wastewater treatment on the Dunlicky Road in Kilkee, County Clare. Kilkee is a beautiful spot on the Clare coastline. It is beloved by both Clare residents and people from all around the country, but it is particularly beloved by Limerick people, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach will well know. I have been contacted by councillors in County Clare and the chair of the Dunlicky Road residents association to raise concerns. I am conscious that this matter is before the courts. Clare County Council had initially refused planning permission for the site that was chosen. That decision was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála and overturned. The residents group is now taking a judicial review of the appeal decision.”
“As the Minister of State knows, we unfortunately have 59 consultants per 100,000 in the mid-west versus the national average of 82 consultants per 100,000.”
“She will be making her deliberations based on that. I thank her for her support. I also thank her for listing out and reminding us of the progress that has been made. It is important to point out that all the recommendations from Mr. Justice Clarke’s report into the death of Aoife Johnston have been implemented. It is also important for the people of the mid-west to hear that. The reality is that we have huge distance and ground to make up and I acknowledge her commitment to helping us to do that. I turn to the issue of consultants. The clinical board at UHL has sought accelerated recruitment of consultants and supporting staff at UHL as an interim measure and as something important and meaningful that can be done while we are waiting for the bricks and mortar to be delivered.”
“I thank the Minister of State for mentioning CAST and I sincerely thank her for her leadership on that initiative. It was an initiative, as I understand it, that was proposed from within the ranks in Henry Street in Limerick. The Minister of State really supported it. It was in danger of getting stuck, but she unclogged it and allowed it to move forward with her personal support. That project is getting strong feedback across Limerick. I know the final report has been prepared and submitted.”
“The welcome second 96-bed block is under construction at the moment and there are plans for further development on that site. While we have to be more phased in the development and the maximising of facilities on the Dooradoyle site, once plans have been finalised and planning permission has been granted we can plough ahead and go hammer and tongs at the green site in Raheen. I would like the Minister of State to provide an update on those, and I will ask about the consultant numbers afterwards.”
“We appreciate that thought and consideration have to be put into establishing a project board, but the project board is the first critical step in developing and finalising the plans and monitoring the progress of the development of the new site at Raheen. While the Minister has accepted and authorised the maximising of the facilities on the existing UHL Dooradoyle site, that is a more complex project. This is the only acute hospital in the region. It is a busy hospital. It is managing all of the health requirements for 440,000 people across the area. It is a phased development. I give full credit to all of the hospital doctors, workers and staff who are going in and out every day. They are doing their absolute best in challenging facilities, and in what is effectively a construction site.”
“As we move forward, it is important and welcome that there is a focus on additional beds in Nenagh, Ennis and St. John's hospitals. Nonetheless, it is the provision of further acute inpatient beds that will help to alleviate the accident and emergency overcrowding we are experiencing in the mid-west. In March the Minister announced the purchase of a 43-acre site in Raheen as part of plans to expand hospital facilities for UHL at Dooradoyle. I am seeking an update from the Minister of State on what steps have been taken since then to move the project forward. We understand that this is not something that will happen overnight.”
“Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to answer this query. I have asked for an urgent update on the establishment of a hospital board, on the expansion of facilities at UHL and on what other measures can be taken, including recruitment of additional consultants to meet demand and population levels in the mid-west. At the outset I acknowledge and thank the Government and the Minister of State for last December bringing clarity and direction to the healthcare and hospital crisis that has plagued the mid-west for far too long. The HIQA report last autumn laid bare for all to see that the brutal overcrowding in our emergency department is caused by the chronic shortage of acute inpatient beds in UHL. That point remains central to my query for an update today.”
“There is much still to do but there is clear evidence of progress, a clear direction of travel and a seriousness of purpose that deserves acknowledgment. Fianna Fáil remains committed to supporting practical, deliverable policies that expand educational opportunity, support balanced regional development and ensure students have access to safe, affordable and high-quality accommodation.”
“Senator Rabbitte spoke to me recently about the pressure a constituent of hers is facing in trying to find accommodation in Limerick for September. God willing, that student will get a place. This is why the momentum under way must continue. We need accelerated delivery of purpose-built student accommodation near campuses and transport links. We need continued collaboration between the Government, higher education institutions, local authorities and the private sector. We must continue to strengthen our regional education centres in order that opportunities are spread right across the country and not solely concentrated in Dublin. That will ease the burden the concentration of services and opportunities is putting on the capital. The measures introduced under the Minister's tenure are laying important foundations for the future.”
“It is about access and whether a young person from rural Ireland can afford to attend college. It is about whether students can participate fully in university life without enduring the exhausting commutes or unaffordable rents we have discussed. It is about ensuring our regional cities continue to grow as centres of education that foster innovation and attract investment into the wider economy, thereby providing opportunity for all. Challenges remain, of course, and the Minister has acknowledged them and is determined to address them. Unfortunately, demand continues to outpace supply in many areas. Affordability pressures are real and many students are experiencing enormous anxiety as they try to secure accommodation.”
“We need to look at increasing their borrowing capacity in order to fund these types of projects, which can be self-financing to some extent, and increase the amount of student accommodation being provided overall within a region. There is nobody better than the councils to identify the most suitable sites and handle all the challenges associated with development. I urge the Minister to relate this discussion to the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, and ask him to examine the possibility of introducing for the local authorities a similar capacity to the TU borrowing framework, in the interest of providing what is the Government's top priority, namely, housing of all types. These developments matter because student accommodation is not simply about buildings.”
“We have also seen proactive engagement from Limerick City and County Council in examining additional opportunities for purpose-built student accommodation on public lands. Earlier this year, the council went to consultation to gauge market interest in partnering on such development on local authority-owned lands. It is now reviewing the responses. There is a role for local authorities in this area in addition to the work being done by the Department and complementary to the public private partnerships and nomination agreements. The Mayor of Limerick, Mr. Moran, has ambitious plans for smart housing in the form of modular accommodation, which could be ideal for students. Financing will, of course, be an issue for local authorities.”
“It is set to start later this year. It is going to be the largest student accommodation project ever undertaken outside of Dublin. The project will not only provide modern accommodation for students but will also ease pressure on the wider rental sector in the Castletroy area in Limerick. It will support economic activity and reinforce Limerick's role as one of Ireland's leading university cities. In March of this year, planning was granted for a 115-bed student accommodation unit in Pennywell in Limerick city centre, very close to the art college, which we are very pleased to see. Unfortunately, we have not had as much success in developing student accommodation in the west of the city, near Mary Immaculate College, but I hope and believe the changes the Minister is introducing and leading will help us to get there.”
“The Minister published the student accommodation strategy, tying all of those other measures together, with clear national targets and the roadmap for delivery of the 42,000 beds he has projected we will need over the lifetime of the strategy. While there is more work to do, it is important to state clearly that these are substantial achievements and they are making a difference. We are now beginning to see progress right around the country, in particular in my home town of Limerick. In recent months, we have had very positive announcements that demonstrate the momentum is now building. Most notably, the Minister and I visited the site in Limerick at the Groody Student Park in Castletroy, close to the University of Limerick, where a landmark 1,400-bed student accommodation project will be delivered over two phases.”
“He introduced nomination agreements allowing higher education institutions to partner directly with developers and accommodation providers to accelerate the delivery and provide certainty for students. He introduced the borrowing framework for technological universities. That work, combined with the introduction of the 9% VAT rate for apartments in last year's budget, has brought confidence back to the market and sent signals to the construction sector that Ireland is serious about supporting the development of student accommodation. I also acknowledge the Minister's work in securing the carve-out for students within the stronger tenancy protection legislation - the three-year protection window for students. That is a practical and important change that he secured.”
“This is a landmark reform that strengthens parity of esteem across the higher education system and supports the continued growth of regional institutions. He secured a record €410 million investment in apprenticeships, expanding courses and student spaces for learners right across the country. He delivered and made permanent the €500 reduction in the student fee contribution, a very meaningful support for students and families. He launched aiready.ie , the national AI skilling platform to ensure that Ireland remains competitive in the rapidly changing global economy. Critically, for today's debate, the Minister made student accommodation a clear priority. Last year, he published the national design guide for student accommodation, helping to ensure that new developments are high quality, sustainable and designed around student well-being.”
“I thank the Minister for his time. I am delighted to welcome him back into the Seanad on the occasion of this important debate on student accommodation. I acknowledge the very significant progress that has been made under his leadership in the Department. Sometimes in politics we focus solely on problems and do a disservice to the taxpayers and citizens by failing to recognise the actual progress that is being made and the genuine delivery and reform. Since taking office, the Minister has pursued an ambitious agenda with tangible results already, and that deserves recognition in this House. He has unlocked €1.48 billion from the National Training Fund to support higher education and skills development. He introduced the full professorship grade for technological universities.”
“Furthermore, I call on the Minister to engage with her colleague the Tánaiste to develop dental credits for families in the upcoming budget, recognising that the cost of private dental visits is an unseen cost-of-living burden being unfairly levied on the majority of parents in Limerick. I urge the Minister to work with the Tánaiste to develop this dental tax credit for working families in the upcoming budget.”