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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“That means we have had a reduction in non-essential procedures from a maximum of 20 cases admitted per day to a maximum of ten admitted per day and the majority of those ten are reserved for oncology and in line with cancer treatment protocols. I ask the Minister, in advance of next winter, if we could have a site-specific UHL winter plan. I acknowledge that her plans, which we look forward to hearing next week, on localising services across the region will indeed help us to manage those challenges. The public needs to see movement. We need to see that the Government understands the scale of the crisis and that this Government is willing to match the investment with action. Let this moment be the turning point.”
“I appreciate too that she is examining option C and looking at what the long-term sustainable hospital capacity for the mid-west may look like. I appreciate that this requires further time and consideration. That is prudent and necessary. At the same time, as I raised with her last night, we cannot simply wait for medium-term and long-term solutions. That is why I asked her last night for a UHL site-specific winter plan, as I had previously done in this Chamber over many months before the summer. As I referenced last night, the HSE mid-west region has implemented a seasonal adjustment plan, postponing non-essential procedures. This is normally implemented in November and December and it is to keep the hospital beds free for the emergency department, but it was brought into force in October of this year.”
“The problem is bigger and deeper than that single block. That is why the HIQA report matters. It is why the decisions that the Minister takes now will shape healthcare for the mid-west for a generation. We urge the Minister to place herself in our shoes and imagine that she, her family and all her loved ones are in the catchment area for UHL and be ambitious for us. I welcome her commitment to option A, maximising capacity at the existing Dooradoyle site, and option B, identifying a site for a co-located acute bed facility. They must progress urgently and in parallel. I also welcome the Minister's confirmation that she will be bringing a detailed and fully costed report on those options to Cabinet prior to Christmas. That is the seriousness that this moment requires.”
“I recognise and thank the staff - our nurses, doctors, hospital staff and management who continue to work tirelessly to provide safe care in difficult conditions. Their commitment is extraordinary. We have seen improvements. I acknowledge the impact that the new 96-bed block has had on trolley numbers since the Minister opened it last month. Indeed, for the first time in recent memory, Limerick was designated green last weekend, as the Minister stated, because the trolley numbers have fallen so low. We are, however, at 35 today on the HSE trolley watch and at 98 on INMO, which is more than double any other hospital in the country, even with those improvements. We must be honest - the new block has not ended corridor care. It is not capable of addressing the scale of the crisis before us alone.”
“The memory of Aoife Johnston and Eve Cleary and the testimony of families like that of Niamh McNally just yesterday must be front and centre in our minds. Their experiences and those of so many others are a constant reminder that delays in procuring hospital beds at UHL are not abstract problems; they are matters of life and death. Every day that we fail to deliver meaningful solutions increases the risk to people right across our region. The geographical realities make the challenge even sharper. Over 40% of Clare's population lives more than an hour from an emergency department. The west Clare municipal district, the largest municipal district in Clare by population, is also the furthest from an emergency department. It is not just inconvenient; it is dangerous.”
“We now need decisive and visible action to restore public confidence - action that shows the people of the mid-west that this Government will deliver the acute hospital capacity that our region critically needs. The figures are stark. UHL remains the busiest emergency department in the country, with 83,000 attendances up to 16 November, a 10% increase on the same period last year. It also has the highest acuity of any model 4 hospital in the country. This means that patients attending UHL are sicker and more unwell than those attending other hospitals. As a result, UHL has recorded the highest number of admissions nationally to date - 25,915 admissions nationally to date. Behind these statistics are real people and real suffering.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. As the Minister knows, the people of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary have lived with crisis conditions in our acute hospital system for more than a decade. What the HIQA review has done, bluntly and unmistakably, is confirm in black and white what patients, families, clinicians and communities have been saying for years - that the mid-west’s acute hospital infrastructure is not fit for purpose, not matched to the population we serve and not resourced in line with national norms. Last night, along with Oireachtas colleagues from across the region, I met with her to discuss the report and the action required in its aftermath. I acknowledge at the outset her engagement, her openness and her commitment to progressing solutions. Acknowledgment of the problem alone will not rebuild public trust in the mid-west.”
“The inclusion of the N20-M20 Adare bypass is particularly important for us, as the Deputy Leader knows. We are eagerly anticipating and getting ready for the Ryder Cup coming to Limerick in 2027. We are delighted to see all of these projects advancing. The next step, in my view, and I have sought a meeting with the Minister to advance it, is delivering a metro rail line for Limerick with a rail link to Shannon Airport. I look forward to raising that with the Minister very soon. I look forward to working closely with the Mayor of Limerick and all the city and county councillors on these projects and further projects into the future to ensure that Limerick has the resources and investment it needs for a strong future.”
“This morning, I rise to acknowledge and thank the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, for the significant committed moneys that we heard about yesterday for Limerick in the NDP sectoral plan for transport. We are delighted that key projects like the M20-N20 Cork to Limerick motorway and route, the N21 Abbeyfeale relief road, the N21 and N69 Limerick to Foynes road, including the Adare bypass, the Newcastle West relief road and the Coonagh to Knockalisheen distributor road all got funding. They are important roads to us locally. Indeed, they are almost the sum total of the major roads that we were seeking allocation of funding for. We are grateful for that. They will help to improve safety, reduce congestion and better connect communities across the county of Limerick.”
“Since I first met him in 2018, he has been highlighting and trying to draw Government attention to the many natural resources on our west coast, including the deep channel in the Shannon Estuary, the existing port that has the potential to be expanded, the connectivity through Moneypoint and Tarbert into the grid and the high winds on our Atlantic west coast, which others around the world would compare to oil fields. They say Ireland is the Saudi Arabia of wind. I commend Pat Keating, the Shannon Foynes Port Company and the other port companies that have joined forces and announced this collaboration, which we hope will help expedite the adoption of floating offshore wind across Europe.”
“I wish to highlight a wonderful venture launched yesterday, namely the collaboration of the Shannon Foynes Port Company with Associated British Ports and BrestPort. Associated British Ports runs the ports across the UK and BrestPort handles the ports across France. They have combined to establish an alliance of ports to handle floating offshore wind. It is hoped the alliance will be able to share best practice and experience and promote learning and the rapid adoption of floating offshore wind across Europe and the world. Shannon Foynes Port Company CEO Pat Keating has been one of the strongest and earliest advocates for floating offshore wind on the west coast.”
“As the Minister of State rightly outlined, about 5,000 of these houses are built per annum at present. In my experience of dealing with people who wish to build, there is a much greater demand and we could facilitate, within reason, more new homes to be built in rural Ireland.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the fine work that is being done to facilitate a greater number of homes to be developed around the country, and congratulations on the publication of the new housing plan. We look forward to supporting the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Browne, in the coming years, and achieving those goals that we have set in government. The proposals that I have outlined today are practical small tweaks that can be made in this area of rural housing. I will send them to the Minister of State and the Department for consideration. I am delighted to hear that updated planning guidelines will be brought forward by the end of next year. We must accept that more new homes need to be built in rural Ireland.”
“People who satisfy the local area criterion and have a site should be able to transfer that building option to another person who has the means and wishes to make use of it. All of these proposals serve one simple objective, namely to make it possible for more people who want to live in rural Ireland to build their own family homes. When will the rural planning guidelines be updated?”
“In these locations, if applicants satisfy all other planning criteria, there is no meaningful purpose to having a local area criterion as well. I wish to put forward a couple of suggestions. The Aire Stáit will indulge me. We should replace the requirement to demonstrate a housing need for people who want to build one-off rural houses. If someone satisfies all other criteria, what difference does it make if you have another home? A new house is being built. Are we not in the game of housing supply? It is great if another home comes onto the rental market. Is that not a good thing? We should allow landowners who meet the local area criterion to transfer their building options.”
“It is a small adjustment but it would allow more people to build homes. The councillors have also proposed that ribbon development restrictions be scrapped altogether in respect of areas within 1 km of country towns and villages. That is a practical proposal. I would go further. I am of the view that the local area criterion should also be scrapped for proposals in respect of new home developments within 1 km of a town or village. The local area criterion was introduced to prevent speculative development. Twenty years on, however, our patterns of living, working and shopping have changed dramatically. More people work from home, online shopping means fewer car trips and many rural businesses are struggling with footfall, so edge-of-settlement areas within 1 km of towns and villages are ideal for rural housing.”
“My colleagues Councillors Ger Ward, Fergus Kilcoyne, Martin Ryan and Francis Foley recently moved a motion on this topic at a meeting of Limerick County Council. They outlined practical proposals, which I fully endorse and which I will set out for the Minister of State. Their proposals include that the rules relating to ribbon development should be modernised. One of the greatest obstacles is the strict interpretation of the policy relating to ribbon development. In County Limerick, for example, residential development along a rural road is limited to four houses per 250 m. Originally well intentioned, this rule is now applied so rigidly that many local people cannot build on their own land. My councillor colleagues have proposed a practical update to allow up to six houses per 250 m.”
“If we are serious about increasing housing supply, we also have to be serious about creating opportunities for people who want to put down roots in rural areas. Since becoming a public representative, I have met countless young couples who are desperately searching for a way out of the housing crisis, families who are trapped in small terraced homes that no longer meet their growing needs and others who are living separately in their childhood bedrooms and who cannot afford to rent because they are saving a deposit to buy a home. Across rural Ireland, and particularly in County Limerick, there is strong demand from people who want to build their own homes. However, outdated planning policies are preventing them from doing so.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Minister of State for coming in to address this issue. I asked if the Minister for housing could provide an update and whether he could possibly relax the rural housing planning guidelines to facilitate more people who wish to build their own homes in rural areas. There is an urgent need to look at these plans and to revise them because there are so many people who genuinely wish to live in the countryside and build their own homes there. The decisions on these applications are made on the basis of an Act that dates from 2005, which is 20 years ago. The rules were designed for a different era. In their current form, they are overly rigid and no longer serve rural communities or the State in the midst of a national housing crisis. Surely, nothing can be off the table at a time like this.”
“Before the Minister of State answers, I welcome to the Chamber the pupils in the politics classes of St. Brendan's College, and their teachers, who are guests of Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. They are all very welcome to Commencement matters in Seanad Éireann where individual Senators have an opportunity to submit a question to a particular Department and a Minister or Minister of State will come in here to answer. The Minister of State is about to respond.”
“Before we proceed to the next speakers, I welcome Senator McCarthy and his guest Deeksha Agarwalto to the Visitors Gallery. They are very welcome, and I thank them for joining us. Senators Kyne, Byrne and Conway are sharing time.”
“As legislators we have to ensure that energy generation, environmental stewardship and water management are treated as interdependent parts of one national system because they are. I look forward to discussing this with the Aire again.”
“We must remember that this is not the first time that we have placed our faith in the Shannon and the west coast. I refer to the important power generation project the State took on at Ardnacrusha, using Lough Derg and the River Shannon to generate electricity. I have to bring to the Minister's attention, as he is no doubt aware, the concerns that have been raised about another project he is responsible for, the Shannon to Dublin water pipeline, and the proposed abstraction of water from Lough Derg. Critics warn that during periods of drought or low flow, this abstraction could reduce the water levels available to the Shannon system, with knock-on effects for the Ardnacrusha hydroplants, navigation, ecology and the river system.”
“As the Minister is aware, we have the natural resources of our deep waters in the estuary and the strong winds on our Atlantic seaboard. We have the ambition to use that energy to meet our renewable energy targets in this country and to drive economic regeneration right up and down the west coast. It is a project I believe strongly in. I know the Minister does too, and I look forward to working with him in accelerating our progress toward that over the course of this Government. Without major reinforcement of the arteries of our energy system in the national grid, the renewable energy of the Shannon Estuary will never reach our homes, our industries or our neighbours. This Bill gives the ESB the ability to make that happen. I must sound a note of caution.”
“I heard the Minister on the radio this morning making the point that in the last year or so, for the first time in decades - since the development of Ardnacrusha - the State has generated more electricity from renewable energy sources than from oil or coal. That is a significant national achievement and we must recognise the efforts that have been made to get us this far. Our ambitions for 2030 go further, though, with a target of 80% renewable energy with at least 5 GW from offshore wind in operation. To meet those targets, we must scale up faster than ever before. This capital investment, along with the ability for the ESB to draw down finance, means that the ESB has the public mandate and the financial means to build the infrastructure that private enterprise alone cannot deliver. I have to talk about the Shannon Estuary.”
“We have a particular interest in and affinity with the ESB in Limerick and the mid-west. We are the home to the State's first pioneering renewable energy project at Ardnacrusha. We have strong ambitions and a keen focus on the development of the next phase and chapter in Ireland's renewable energy production, and that is the opportunity for floating offshore wind off the Shannon Estuary and the west coast. The programme for Government commits to delivering 9 GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030. Since 2020, we have made real progress on those ambitions. Our renewable share of electricity has risen from 40% to over 50%.”
“An tAire is very welcome to the Seanad. It is great to have him back. I thank him for his ongoing engagement with Senators, and not just through his frequent presence in the Seanad Chamber. I know from stories from other Senators how hands-on and supportive he is on constituency matters, in particular roads projects that are very dear to us. Go raibh maith ag an Aire for his cross-party support on those projects. I thank the Minister for his time and bringing forward this important Bill, which I strongly support. This Bill empowers the ESB to invest at the scale required for Ireland's clean energy transformation. It is legislation that matters for everyone, including families, businesses and communities. It will support key priorities in infrastructure, housing, competitiveness, investment, growth and climate action.”
“It will have a knock-on effect on our hospital and we need planning for how to prepare and cope with the increase in our population for those few weeks to begin now. I would like the Minister for sport to give us an update on what medical provisions and preparations are being made across the region.”
“I support that call for a capacity emergency to be declared at UHL and once more - I believe it may be my third time in this House - ask the Minister for Health to address the Seanad on what provisions she will make for us for the winter. I have been asking since last June for a UHL-specific winter plan. We need a site-specific winter plan that takes into account that the hospital is already at maximum capacity and is facing into the flu coming from Australia, which, we have been warned, will be quite severe this year. At that HSE briefing, a matter I had previously discussed with Dr. Peters came up. It is the welcome event in two years' time, the Ryder Cup. It is exciting, but it will bring 200,000 people to our region.”
“I raise again the subject of University Hospital Limerick, UHL. I, the Leas-Chathaoirleach and many other Oireachtas Members from the mid-west region attended an informative briefing on Monday of this week with HSE staff from the mid-west who gave us updates on the work being done across the region and the ongoing constraints and capacity issues faced at UHL despite the successful and welcome opening of the 96-bed block last month. The board at UHL, over the course of the recess of the Houses, called on the Government to declare a capacity emergency at UHL. It has said it would find that helpful in the work it is trying to do.”
“I know the Minister might expect me to say this but, for €800,000, it sounds to me like a hell of a great return on investment for security and assistance in detecting and prosecuting crime in Limerick.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. It is reassuring to hear that our first citizen and the first directly elected mayor in the country, Mayor Moran, has engaged directly with him and the Minister, Deputy Browne, on this matter. I wish the Minister and him well in their ongoing discussions and negotiations on this. I hope a temporary solution can be found for funding to prevent the protective notices having to be executed on this occasion and to ensure the service can be maintained. I look forward to engaging further with the Minister to ensure this vital tool for the Garda in Limerick is built into ongoing budgeting for future years in the Department of justice. I note the Minister said that the local authority contributed significantly to it.”
“Drug dealing and other criminal activity takes place at the graveyard in question. I have spoken with local gardaí about these issues. They are supportive of further CCTV cameras being installed. I thank the Minister for being present and for the direct approach he is taking on this issue. I look forward to his update.”
“We have also had approximately 11 explosive incidents in Limerick. Gangland feuds are simmering in Limerick. In that context, our Garda numbers and supports, including the CCTV unit, have to be strengthened rather than diminished. The loss of this CCTV service will have a serious impact on public safety in Limerick. Since becoming a public representative, I have consistently pressed for greater investment in Garda resources and supports in Limerick, including more CCTV cameras as an essential tool for gardaí and an effective deterrent against crime. I have made representations to the local authority for further cameras on the greenway in Castletroy and in particular areas I am familiar with, such as the graveyard in Scanlon Park in Castleconnell. Both of those locations are known for antisocial behaviour.”
“It has some of the most deprived communities in the country. The two most deprived parts of the country are in Limerick city. When the Minister visited Limerick earlier this year, he and I met with the representatives from the prison, gardaí, people from a domestic violence refuge and those who provide family supports for prisoners. He was briefed at first hand on many of the issues we are contending with. Poverty and extreme deprivation have serious knock-on effects across society. They impact on health, life expectancy, school attendance, employment prospects and mental well-being. They lead to addiction and leave vulnerable people and children open to exploitation by gangs. Communities in such circumstances need more rather than less Garda support. This year alone, we have had over 17 shooting incidents in Limerick.”
“This matter relates to a significant safety and policing matter in Limerick. I refer to our 24-7 CCTV monitoring service, which is at risk due to the phased winding down of Government regeneration funding. This service is operated by Moyross Community Enterprise Centre in partnership with Limerick City and County Council and An Garda locally in Limerick. It is central to keeping our communities safe. It supports Garda operations and deters crime. Where it does not deter crime, it helps those involved to detect it and pursue prosecutions. As a result, it is crucial. It is deeply concerning for all Oireachtas Members across Limerick that staff at the monitoring centre have been issued with protective notice because of the uncertainty about ongoing funding. As the Minister knows, Limerick faces unique challenges.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the House to take this question on the urgent matter of continued and ongoing funding for CCTV cameras in Limerick. The Minister's presence signifies his appreciation of the seriousness of the matter and his commitment to policing and security in Limerick. Before I get to my question, I thank him and acknowledge the work he has done on the criminal law Bill, which he brought forward just before the recess and which, once it has completed its journey through the Houses and been enacted, will do a huge amount in the context of providing protection from domestic violence, gender-based violence and violence against children. As a mother of daughters and as a woman, I thank the Minister for that. I acknowledge his work in this regard. We look forward to debating the Bill in this House.”
“I acknowledge all of the actions the Minister of State listed that Government is taking to drive down the sale of cigarettes but I question whether this measure will achieve that aim. From discussing the issue with other retailers, it seems to me this will be successful in driving the sale of cigarettes and vapes underground and further into the black market, which is thriving in this regard. Regrettably, it is my view that this measure, should it be introduced without a derogation for small businesses, will be a further nail in the coffin for independent retailers who are struggling in what is already a very difficult and challenging trading environment. I ask the Minister of State to pass on to the Minister of Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, the need to examine this issue for small grocery stores.”
“They are loss leaders and footfall drivers for businesses that are trying to sell other products. We have heard a lot over recent weeks in the lead up to the budget about how important coffee shops were to rural communities throughout the countries and how important small restaurants were to small towns. There was a grocer, a local corner shop, in my village for a hundred years ever before we had a coffee shop and I can tell you that the loss of that grocery store would be as keenly felt as anything else in the fabric of our village. Will the Minister for Health consider a derogation, an exemption, for small groceries and retail businesses around the country from this new licence fee?”
“They were deemed essential services and did not close but persevered through the years of the lockdowns to ensure that communities like mine and that of the Minister of State, and communities throughout the country, were able to access the goods and groceries they required. These businesses have faced a perfect storm in recent years. The storm is not over yet because the Minister is proposing to introduce a licence fee of €1,000 per year to sell tobacco and €800 per year to sell nicotine-inhaling products, or vapes. That is regardless of the size of a premises, turnover or footfall. It is a blanket charge that is, in effect, a further tax and cost to small, independent grocers throughout the country. While the Government is rightly trying to drive down demand for these products, they are not profitable in their own rights.”
“Will the Minister for Health consider a derogation for small grocery stores and small retailers in consideration of the significant cost increases they have experienced in recent years? It is worth restating those cost increases. They have seen increases in lighting and heating bills, in insurance costs, in the minimum wage and in their basic inputs, the stock that they are buying in to sell on. All of these increases have put a significant squeeze on the very small profit margin these businesses are operating with. Indeed, these same businesses, as the Minister of State will remember, remained open to serve all of us during Covid.”
“Cuirim fáilte ar ais roimh an Aire Stáit. Gabhaim buíochas leis as teacht isteach sa Teach seo chun mo cheist a fhreagairt. I would like to raise an issue that was brought to my attention by the proprietor of my local grocery story in the village in County Limerick that I am from. This person is the third generation of their family to run the local grocery store in the village. This person is well respected and, indeed, is an integral part of our village life and community. George Lee, the independent grocer, brought to my attention that the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is proposing to introduce in February of next year an annual licensing fee for the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products.”
“The students' union at UL has provided a daily breakfast club supporting over 100 students. It is important. I know the Minister was as struck by that as I was and it is important that we acknowledge this reality clearly and honestly. It is difficult, it is expensive and the shortage of accommodations is impacting students' choices about where to take up courses and study. I will finish by commending the Minister on the commitment he has shown to addressing this issue. I know he is working closely with the Minister, Deputy Browne, on it and I look forward to the publication of his comprehensive student accommodation strategy later this year.”
“I thank the Minister for visiting the University of Limerick again two weeks ago. I believe it was the Minister's third visit to Limerick since he has taken office and we greatly appreciate his commitment and engagement to the sector in Limerick and the mid-west. The Minister will remember that on the occasion of the opening of that impressive students' union centre, the Minister and I were briefed that this is now also home to a breakfast club that the students' union has established to support students who are travelling from great distances on a daily basis. They are commuting to attend university in Limerick because they cannot find accommodation nearby. Due to traffic and bus connections they are often arriving on campus between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. before anything else opens.”
“At the Joint Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, we heard a great deal during recent meetings from employers, workers and student representatives on this topic. These contributions have reflected what is going well and advocated for changes and improvements these groups would like to see being made. We look forward to reflecting all this back to the Minister in the coming months. As the Minister correctly highlighted, however, accommodation is one of the most pressing issues for him during his term. We cannot speak about access to education without speaking about access to accommodation. For too many students and families, finding and affording a place to live has become one of the biggest barriers to accessing further or higher education.”
“It supports collaboration between academia and enterprise and strengthens our reputation as a destination for high-value investment. These are meaningful changes that ease pressure on families, while opening doors for those who might otherwise have been locked out of education. From a mid-west perspective, I broadly welcome the expansion of healthcare places. There are more than 1,100 new spots across medicine, nursing and social care and a 27% increase that will help to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals nationwide. I also particularly welcome the record €79 million investment in apprenticeships announced in the budget. This is more than double the 2020 level. Apprenticeships are no longer confined to traditional trades and now span technology, cybersecurity, green energy, manufacturing and healthcare.”
“There will be a €500 permanent reduction in the student contribution fee, the first since free fees introduced in 1995. The SUSI income threshold will increase to €120,000, the highest ever, extending support to thousands more families. There will be a rise in the SUSI non-adjacent rate by between €204 and €430 from September 2026, which will support students who have to travel or rent to attend college. There will also be an increase in the SUSI postgraduate grant to €4,500 and an increase in the research and development tax credit from 30% to 35%. This all underscores the determination of the Minister and the Department to keep Ireland, and regions like mine of Limerick and the mid-west, at the forefront of global innovation.”
“While much is owed to foreign direct investment, the work of IDA Ireland and the policy direction set by successive Governments over the past number of decades, much credit is owed to those decisions made in the recovery of our economy in the past decade. We must now ensure that the next chapter of our country’s economic history is written by indigenous companies and businesses. We must support them to scale up to be more innovative and to succeed in their efforts to trade into Europe and beyond. The Minister’s Department and skills are at the forefront in ensuring that vision is recognised. I take this opportunity to welcome what the Minister has delivered in budget 2026. It is the most significant package of permanent supports for further and higher education in a generation. The measures the Minister announced bear mentioning again.”
“Other targets include: providing more training places nationally; continuing to reduce the student contribution fee in a sustainable way over the lifetime of the Government; increasing maintenance grants and reforming SUSI; increasing supports for PhD students to encourage emerging researchers; working with industry and educational institutions to provide more short and microcredential qualifications; and funding graduate research programmes to support economic development and growth. As the Minister rightly said in his opening comments, his Department is leading the response to global disruption.”
“Building on the focus for higher education and research that led to the establishment of the Department, the programme for Government sets very clear and ambitious targets for the Minister. These include closing the core funding gap that exists by unlocking the National Training Fund and he has made progress this week on this goal. Another target is to develop the framework for borrowing for technological universities and develop a pathway for these institutions to access capital funding for initiatives, including student accommodation. This is dear in my area with the importance of the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, in Limerick and the important contribution it has made to our regional economy over the past decade and more.”