Malcolm Byrne
Wicklow-Wexford · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I appreciate the Minister of State is responding on behalf of the Minister but the response provides nothing new. It is almost a carbon copy of the response I received when I raised this issue in January last.”
“Free and fair trade right throughout history is the greatest example of providing people with employment opportunities and lifting people out of poverty. One of the best examples of this is our being able to trade with Canada.”
“I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will remember being approached by the then principal, staff and others. Pressure has been applied. When capital decisions were being made by the Department of education I asked why this school was not included and what criteria were used.”
“To say that the school, and indeed, the wider area are deeply frustrated by the lack of progress is an understatement. This is an excellent school, but when it comes to its physical infrastructure, the school is in dire straits.”
“As we are moving towards the recess, I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and indeed, the officials in her office and all of the staff across the House for all of their work during the year that has made this place run so smoothly. I wish to raise the question of Bunclody Community College. I have had to do it on a number of occasions.”
“I am conscious the Minister of State referred to additional capital investment in 2027. I fully expect and will continue to campaign to ensure this school is included in the 2027 capital list because it deserved to be addressed before now.”
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“A critical point is that we, as a country, have always supported the principles of multilateralism and of engaging at EU and UN levels, and the evidence has shown consistently that this is what works. Ireland going it alone does not work. The way that we, along with Spain and Norway recognised, and rightly so, Palestine as a state, was the right thing to do. It stands to this House and to the late Brian Lenihan senior who, as early as the 1970s and in the 1980s, as the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, called for the recognition of the Palestinian state. In our search for peace we need to move to where we go after this and to how we can guarantee the horrors we see now - and we have to stop them - can never happen again. How can we build some sort of trust among those parties within the Middle East?”
“Yes, the immediate ceasefire has to be our top priority and every pressure needs to be brought to bear. I commend the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste on their work. The strong stance that has been taken by countries like Ireland, Spain and, indeed, Slovenia is finally being listened to by some of our European colleagues. For instance, the fact it was the Netherlands that brought forward the proposal to review arrangements with Israel at EU level shows that we are finally being listened to at a European level but the decision was only reached on the basis of a qualified majority vote. There are still nine member states that are not happy to enter into this, so there must still be a process of persuasion at a European level.”
“Yair Golan, an opposition leader and a former deputy chief of staff of the Israeli army, stated this week, “A sane country does not fight civilians, does not kill children as a hobby, and does not aim to expel populations." It is very clear that the Netanyahu government is engaged in a bloodthirsty action that will continue to have serious consequences for many years to come and we need to do everything we can to stop it. There will be long-term scars, obviously for the families of the innocents who have been killed but equally for those who have been taken hostage by Hamas and have now spent 587 days in captivity. There are short-term challenges but our obligation, when we talk in this House about what more can we do, is to illustrate what that can be.”
“With others in this House, and I am quite certain people right across the entire country, we share the horror of what we have been seeing going on in Gaza and across the Middle East. The denial of humanitarian aid to citizens is, as the Taoiseach rightly said, a war crime. The fact that we are now hearing evidence, as Deputy Duncan Smith has said, from a number of trusted humanitarian organisations which this country has always stood by shows the sheer depravity of what is going on within Gaza. As Deputy Sheehan has said, this can all be traced back to Benjamin Netanyahu. Even within Israel, there are now many voices speaking out against what is happening.”
“With that in mind, I hope the Taoiseach will also give an assurance, in the context of the multi-annual funding framework and the agreement of the EU budget, that when we have a fully funded CAP, it would not just be to meet current needs but would also look at the needs of an expanded European Union, including Ukraine, especially with regard to Pillar 2 of CAP. Will the Taoiseach give indications with regard to the EU Presidency in that respect?”
“I welcome the Taoiseach’s continued engagement with President Zelenskyy, our continued strong support for the people of Ukraine and our condemnation of Russian aggression. I am sure the Taoiseach agrees with me that under no circumstances should Russia ever have a veto on Irish foreign security or defence policy. On practical examples of action that could be taken, in 1990, when Charles Haughey was Taoiseach, Ireland led when it came to German reunification and a united Germany’s membership of the European Union. That was followed in 2004 by the accession of ten central and eastern European countries during our EU Presidency. I hope that during the 2026 Presidency priority will be given to aiding, as far as possible, Ukraine’s membership of the European Union.”
“I would like to see a commitment on the part of the Government toward the possibility of opening a female open prison because there is not one in the State, and of looking at more opportunities for schemes such as those run by Tosú about being able, after the punishment has been served, to rehabilitate those prisoners and prevent recidivism.”
“As the Taoiseach is aware, there is overcrowding in every prison in the State at present. That has consequences for the prisoners but also for the prison officers. While punishment has to be part of the prison experience, it is also essential that we address rehabilitation and deter recidivism. We have only two open prisons in the State. Shelton Abbey in Arklow is one of them. It works with Tosú on some excellent programmes in educating, training and rehabilitating a number of prisoners, working with local employers and often providing role models. Some of those prisoners go back into communities to talk about the dangers of going into a life of crime.”
“There seems to be significant progress, although we had circumstances before whereby the OPW entered into discussions with the landowner but took so long that the landowner moved on with the sale. I appreciate that the matter is commercially sensitive but I would like assurances that we will move as quickly as possible. It is critical for this vital service for our coastal communities that we ensure that we get a state-of-the-art facility for the people of north Wexford and south Wicklow. More important than communicating more details to me, the OPW should communicate directly with the Coast Guard and the team in Courtown so they will be aware of the future plans.”
“I thank the Minister of State. As he can imagine, my frustration is minimal by comparison with that of the Coast Guard and those who support and work with it in Courtown. It serves from Cahore right up to Arklow and beyond. The latest development does represent progress. Although the Minister of State cannot give me a complete timetable, he said the project will be completed by the time the lease for the parochial hall in Courtown will have expired. We are two years into a five-year lease, so I anticipate that since the Coast Guard cannot rely on divine assistance and will have to return to relying on the assistance of the OPW, it can be assured, within three years, that this process will continue.”
“The only progress I have seen on the position reflected in previous answers is that while there were six sites in the past, this number decreased to five. There was a possible site identified but then, for commercial reasons, it could not be proceeded with. The Minister of State who is present, Deputy Troy, will forgive me and the Coast Guard for questioning what the OPW believes to be a key priority if something that was meant to have been sorted out a decade ago still has not seen any progress. I appreciate that he is answering answer on behalf of the Minister of State responsible for the OPW but I hope he is not going to give me a cut-and-paste answer, as a number of his predecessors have had to do.”
“The OPW then made it clear that there were no outstanding issues with the county council. We thought we would see progress then but nothing happened. In October 2023, when I raised the issue again in the Seanad, a Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, told me Courtown was “one of the key priorities of the OPW in its building programme”. It was such a key priority that I had to raise the matter once again a year later by way of another Commencement matter. This time it was with Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O’Donnell. He reiterated that the matter was a key priority but informed me that the OPW had then completed an appraisal of all the possible sites and that progress had been made.”
“Such a priority was it, and nothing having happened by November 2022, the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, who is obviously quite familiar with south Wicklow-north Wexford, came into the Chamber and assured me that the Courtown Coast Guard building was one of the key priorities for the OPW and that “OPW officials are giving this project every priority possible at this time”. It gave it an awful lot of priority and nothing had happened by the summer of 2023, so the then Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Jack Chambers, came down to Courtown Harbour. Courtown is certainly a wonderful place to spend your summer but not to have a meeting about something the OPW had made no movement on. The Minister of State came down and helped to resolve potential issues between Wexford County Council and the OPW.”
“During my five years in the Seanad, I raised the matter on five separate occasions with various Ministers to try to get an update on the position. Let me take the Minister of State, Deputy Robert Troy, through the history of what I was told in my time in the Seanad. In February 2022, then Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton came into the Seanad and told me six possible sites had been identified by the OPW and that it was part of the OPW’s building priority programme.”
“This is a long-running saga impacting on the Coast Guard station in Courtown. The Coast Guard at this station serves the coast of north Wexford and south Wicklow. More than 20 individuals regularly and bravely serve our communities in that area. The current old rocket cart station is one of the oldest in the country. It is a limestone building with a very rich history - it was unsuccessfully raided for arms during the War of Independence - but is currently no longer suitable for use because it was meant for single use. With male and female crews, it is not suitable and the conditions are not good enough. The local Coast Guard has been able to acquire a five-year lease on a private house in the local area and it is now two years into the lease period. This saga has seen approximately seven Ministers visit the station over the years.”
“It is useful to engage with Macra and other young farmers on this. I look forward to seeing the commission on generational renewal’s recommendations in its report. I understand that is due to be published relatively soon. This is a critical issue. It is important for the Minister’s party and my own. I thank him for this opportunity and I am now grateful to share my time with my party colleague Deputy 'Chap' Cleere, on HAP.”
“The key point I wish to make is about the biggest challenge we face in agriculture, which is generational renewal. I tabled parliamentary questions on this earlier this year. The farm structure survey that was carried out, which the Minister will be aware of, shows just 4.35% of farm holders are under the age of 35 whereas 64.2% are aged 55 and over. He knows those statistics. In any other sector of the economy or society, we would be talking about a major crisis there. It is critical we get more young people involved in farming and food production. That includes doing so via our budgets but definitely as part of the CAP. I am heartened by EU Commissioner Christophe Hansen’s remarks in this regard. It is important we expand viable sources of finance for young farmers and that there is access to capital.”
“We can talk about a fully-funded CAP but this means our taking very serious decisions around the multi-annual funding framework of the European Union as a whole because it is critical as well, and related to agriculture, that the EU has a sufficient research budget. That will include support for research in agriculture. We need to address the European security budget and I think everybody accepts that, but it means the overall EU budget needs to be large enough not just for Europe as it is now but for the Europe we see well into the future. On environmental issues farmers are the front-line workers in the battle against climate change. They see it first-hand. On the biodiversity challenge, if we provide supports to farmers they will ensure they address it, but they need the supports to be able to do that.”
“Ukraine is a very strong food exporter, as the Minister knows, but it would be a significant beneficiary under Pillar 2 were it currently a member. If we see the enlargement we support, we must ensure that not alone is CAP sufficient to meet current needs but also to meet the needs of an enlarged European Union. It is critical also when we come to looking at the issue of convergence. The Minister will be aware of the problem under the current CAP. Productive farms should not be penalised and I am interested in his views on convergence. It is critical we support those productive family farms around the country.”
“The purpose of CAP, as he outlined, going right back to the early days of the European Economic Community is to support a sustainable future for the farmers of Europe to ensure we had food security and food production and to ensure cheap food, basically, for the citizens of Europe. That requires that we make available the necessary supports for farmers to be able to continue with that policy. It is therefore critical we have a fully-funded CAP in the next round as part of the multi-annual funding framework. A crucial aspect I will be interested in the Minister’s views on is the need to consider the CAP in the context of an enlarged European Union. Ireland has rightly stood, for instance, behind Ukraine’s path to accession to the Union and we continue to strongly support Ukraine.”
“I thank the Minister for taking this very important debate on a critical issue not only to our economy, but also our society. I also welcome Mr. Francie Gorman, president of the IFA. I have had a lot of very close interaction with both Wicklow and Wexford IFA as well as Macra na Feirme and the other farm organisations. I am delighted that the first female deputy president Ms Alice Doyle is of course from my neck of the woods and it is important we address the role of women in agriculture as well. We are speaking about CAP. I welcome the Minister’s comments but it is absolutely critical CAP remains as a stand-alone policy of the EU that is separately funded and ring-fenced for agriculture.”
“Will the Government facilitate an urgent meeting between the Minister, me and other representatives of north Wexford, where this is an important issue, to finally address it? I have no confidence in HSE estates to address an issue that has now been running for 15 years but for which it still has not issued the call to tender.”
“In the recently published HSE capital plan, there is no mention of the planned primary care centre for Gorey. While primary care centres are enormously successful, this has been promised since 2010. During the previous Seanad, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, took four Commencement matters from me on this and she took a Topical Issue earlier this year. There has been no progress by the HSE. When the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, met HSE estates in November 2023, it indicated this would be a top priority. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, when she was before this House, assured me that the call to tender would be issued by the end of quarter 1 this year. I have raised the matter with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.”
“The Royal Irish Academy has done a very good job in that regard but I would challenge our universities and further and higher education providers to engage much more in the community and talk about the importance of the sector. If we are to become a global centre for research and attract the world's top researchers, it is critical we address the question of basic research equipment. It is unacceptable that half of the research equipment in our universities is over ten years old and one third is over 15 years old. If we are to achieve that research goal, it is essential we address that. I thank both Ministers for their input and wish them well in addressing the challenges.”
“We will be considering this in the Oireachtas committee on artificial intelligence but we need to look at integrating artificial intelligence and other tools into our further and higher education courses. We also need a debate around academic integrity when it comes to using AI. When the Minister, Deputy Lawless, spoke to the Irish Universities Association yesterday, he said a priority of higher and further education should be to promote curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. It is critical those in the sector engage in public debate. The academy is not about what happens in our universities and our higher and further institutions; it is about a wider debate within society. Facilitating that debate is critical.”
“It is also critical that we look to make the Erasmus programme far more accessible. It should be open to every student and not just those from a better-off background. I am not saying that is the case, but there are many costs associated with the Erasmus programme and I would like, as part of our European commitment, a lot more engagement on that issue. We are experiencing rapid technological change. This will be crucial to the work the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is doing, but it will not only apply to apprenticeships. We also must consider reskilling and upskilling, particularly because of technological change, right across society.”
“Without the support of SUSI grants or higher education grants, many of us would not have had the opportunity to go on to higher education. The budget this year must prioritise increasing the thresholds at which students qualify for SUSI grants and the amounts of money payable under those grants. It is critical that we ensure as many people as possible have pathways into further and higher education as they move through the post-leaving certificate, PLC, sector. If somebody wants to proceed to higher education, we must make it as easy as possible. In respect of reform of SUSI grants, we must consider more options for second chances. If somebody who got a SUSI grant suddenly discovered that the course was not for him or her, that person should be allowed a second chance at getting funding.”
“If there is a research prioritisation exercise to be conducted by Taighde Éireann, I ask that we include blue-sky research and do not solely focus on applied research. The Minister has indicated his desire for Ireland to take its place among the nations of the world in respect of research. He also spoke about finally signing the accord with CERN, which is welcome. The moves in that direction are positive. It is critical that we address the issue of professorships at the technological universities in order to ensure the research base within that sector. I strongly agree with many of my colleagues that one of the priorities must be around accessibility. This is an important issue and one that many people have discussed.”
“If it is agreeable, I will be sharing time with Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere. There may have been a mix-up in respect of the time. I wish the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, well. I yesterday had the privilege of sitting in on the event organised by the Irish Universities Association at which the Minister set out his priorities for the higher education sector. I welcome his commitment to addressing the core funding issue, which is critical. I look forward to the necessary implementation of the commitments regarding the National Training Fund to ensure that our higher education sector is properly funded. The Minister made clear his commitment to investing in research and innovation. I support the concept of Ireland becoming a global centre of excellence and attracting some of the world's top researchers.”
“Will the Taoiseach join me in stating that data centres are an essential part of the digital economy and that modern data centres will contribute towards energy supply in this country?”
“Specifically on the work of NESC, similar to Deputy Lahart, I welcome the broad consideration it has given to many issues. As the Taoiseach mentioned, it is carrying out work on artificial intelligence. Critical to this is ensuring we have the necessary infrastructure in place to support a modern digital economy. This includes the construction of data centres. Data centres have got bad rap in many places. On foot of launching the new Echelon data centres in Arklow on Friday, the Taoiseach is aware how these centres, which are critical pieces of infrastructure, meet the criteria of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities for data centres and how they will contribute to the national grid.”
“I appreciate the answers the Minister has given and I appreciate that he will make an announcement. I understand he is awaiting the second report but in the first report, as the Minister acknowledged, quantitatively and qualitatively the basic income scheme for artists was viewed as a significant success. It is important for those in receipt of it that some indication is given to them as to whether after August they will be in a position to be able to continue with the basic income for artists scheme or whether the Minister plans to broaden it or restrict it. We are speaking about a couple of months and primarily for those on the scheme it is important to at least let them know what will happen.”
“Specifically on Question No. 101, I welcome the fact the Minister has stated clearly it is a priority to continue with the basic income for artists scheme. I agree with Deputy Ó Snodaigh that we are coming very quickly towards August. As a first priority for the 2,000 recipients of the basic income for artists scheme there needs to be an indication as to whether it will be continued for the same 2,000 people. We also need to have certainty on whether the current scheme will be extended or will it be opened to many more artists. I acknowledge the Minister's praise for the former Minister Catherine Martin on this. I welcome the Government's commitment on it but there is an urgency for the Government to make clear what will happen with the scheme.”
“It is critical that we ensure in the funding under the next EU budget that the multiannual financial framework is sufficient to support a number of areas that are critical to this country. We need to have a fully funded Common Agricultural Policy. With regard to Europe's competitiveness, the Union's research budget should be sufficiently well funded. On the opportunities that are available to people and the DiscoverEU programme, which is currently only available to 35,000 18-year-olds, we should set a goal of ensuring that every 18-year-old has access to the programme and there is much more opportunity to experience other cultures in Europe.”
“It is essential that Europe is more competitive but also that we ensure for consumers, whether it is financial products, insurance or so on, that there is an open European market in that regard. It is also critical that we encourage global trade, and that in an era when global trade is under threat, we ensure that we support free and fair trade, which has been critical to bringing so many people out of poverty and creating employment all around the world. It is really bizarre that there are Members in this House who are quite happy to have the hands of our foreign and defence policy bound by China, Russia and the United States, yet they are opposed to a free trade agreement with Canada. I urge the Minister of State that we move as quickly as possible towards ratification of CETA.”
“I know how committed the Minister of State is to the ideals of the European Union and to the peace and prosperity project it continues to be. Our statements today are very important, particularly as we prepare for Ireland's hosting of the EU Presidency during the latter part of 2026. It should be noted that under our Presidency in 1990, German reunification occurred. We saw in 2004 the largest accession to the EU, including of countries in central and eastern Europe. I hope in 2026 that we continue to support Ukraine's path towards accession to be part of the European family. It is important we look at the future of Europe and we ensure it remains competitive. The implementation of a capital markets union should be among our priorities during our EU Presidency.”
“However, how does the Taoiseach envisage on a global level us ensuring the kinds of principles that are laid out in the AI Act, and, as he mentioned, how we defend human rights, the rule of law and our democratic values in the roll-out of this new technology, both to avoid a small number of individuals controlling technology companies setting the agenda and the misuse of AI? We have seen, for instance, in China social credit scoring by the Chinese Communist Party, the Israel Defense Forces using particular technologies in Palestine and, indeed, Iran using AI to discriminate against women with its hijab law. From an EU and an Irish perspective, we have certainly made a very good start, but it is important for Ireland to play a lead in setting out the basis on which we use this new technology globally.”
“I thank the Taoiseach for his personal interest in the subject and in the potential and opportunities that artificial intelligence presents in so many aspects of Irish life. The fact that there are references to AI and digitalisation within the programme for Government including, as the Taoiseach referenced, the improvements to public services, means it is going to be critical. Our challenge, as the point was made, is how we govern the roll-out of this new technology, not just at a national or European level but, indeed, globally because technology like this is going to be transnational. The Taoiseach is correct that the concepts of regulation and innovation are not mutually exclusive. It is about getting the appropriate balance right. The EU AI Act, while not perfect, is certainly a very good start.”
“I ask that it be a priority for the committee and that the Minister agree to come before the committee in due course to outline progress on this matter, particularly in advance of the Estimates process, and give his thoughts on how this youth culture card can develop.”
“I was in the National Gallery the other day and saw its continuing programme of engaging young people but this is about so much more. It needs to be done on a regional basis throughout the country. Whether it is young people in Wicklow and Wexford, which I represent, or in Mayo, which the Minister of State represents, they need to have access within their communities to artistic facilities and venues for concerts, gigs, dance and opera. I think venues will respond very positively to that. We can learn from the experience in other European countries. As the Minister of State has outlined, considerable work is being done in other areas. This is a very strong commitment to young people and to the arts in the programme for Government.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his kind words. It was a privilege and pleasure to work with him on the previous arts committee in a very collaborative way. I hope the new arts and culture committee will look at this commitment in the programme for Government as a priority. It is welcome that the Minister has indicated that his Department will carry out assessments as to how this culture card will operate in practice. I appreciate that there may be a cost to the State but that is why I also suggested that we look at Cyprus. We can look at a partnership approach. I have no doubt there would be a number of potential commercial partners interested in doing this. I acknowledge the role of the national cultural institutions.”
“I believe we will see theatres, arts venues and concert venues responding enthusiastically to this to try to encourage young people to come along and attend. In particular, it is important for us to recognise that, coming out of the Covid period, we need to encourage more young people to attend those venues. The previous Government did an awful lot of good work in the arts, such as the basic income scheme for the arts and significant increases in Arts Council funding. This is about building audiences, especially young audiences. The youth culture card has been committed to in the programme for Government and I hope we can move toward it in budget 2026.”
“At a time when we face all sorts of questions about digital literacy and people understanding the importance of trust in news sources, encouraging young people to subscribe to newspapers would be positive. In France, where they have the pass Culture , every 18-year-old gets a €300 voucher which allows access to cinemas, museums, theatres, concerts, books, art courses, art materials or, indeed, the purchase of musical instruments. There is a similar scheme in Italy - the culture bonus card. In Germany, there is the KulturPass scheme. In Cyprus, quite interestingly, where there is a €220 voucher, the Republic of Cyprus makes €200 available but the Bank of Cyprus has provided €20. It could be something the State does in partnership with a financial institution. We recognise in this country the importance of cultural activities.”
“It is also important for arts venues to ensure they grow young audiences and attract young people, whether it is to the theatre, concerts or other cultural activities. We note that a number of countries, particularly post Covid, have introduced such schemes. They cover a wide variety of areas but I will give a number of examples. In Spain, where they have a youth culture voucher, it is €400 for every young person aged 18. Of that €400, €200 can be spent on live arts, culture, heritage and audiovisual arts, €100 can be spent on physical cultural goods such as art materials, and €100 can be spent on digital or online subscriptions. Subscriptions to newspapers or magazines could be part of our youth culture card.”
“I am grateful to the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, for taking this Topical Issue. It concerns introduction of a youth culture card which, as the Minister of State will be aware, we have committed to in the programme for Government. I championed this in terms of our manifesto at the general election. This is something we believe is critical to ensure young people have access to the arts, cultural events and cultural activities. This is supported strongly by the National Youth Council of Ireland and by many youth organisations. In many ways, Covid denied many young people access to those cultural events which formed part of our lives. For those of us who had fun growing up, we remember going to our first big concert, first gig or first play. It is important we look to recognise young people's access to those activities.”
“We talk about the sovereign wealth funds, about the Apple money and about how we are going to invest in our infrastructure, but we need to ensure Uisce Éireann actually delivers. Unfortunately, the experience from a lot of this is that the pace of delivery is just not good enough. The question that Uisce Éireann is not asking every time its leadership gets up in the morning is "What are we doing to contribute to ensuring that people can live in homes in our communities?".”
“I will conclude by speaking about our creaking infrastructure and the problems in the State with the growth we have had. Deputy Lawlor mentioned some of the problems in Wexford town. Last year we had 22 water outages in Gorey at different stages, which impacted different parts of the town. In many cases these outages took place without notice. In quite a number of cases they were for longer than 24 hours. The Minister of State can imagine the disruption for individuals trying to get to work when they are unable to shower in the morning, or to wash during the course of the day. These outages impacted parts of the town and rural areas like Tara Hill and Ballymoney. It is just not acceptable to have that number of outages. The message has to be in terms of investment. We know the money is there.”
“The late independent councillor, Declan MacPartlin, raised this project at nearly every council meeting he was at. It would be a wonderful legacy to him to finally see it delivered for the people of Ferns and Camolin. Without this scheme, it is practically impossible for those two villages to grow. This puts increased pressure on the town of Gorey. We are being told it is a priority. If we are to see that it is a priority, we have to actually see building work being delivered. I specifically ask the Minister of State to go back with this. I have raised it on a number of occasions, including on the floor of the Dáil and the Seanad and directly with Uisce Éireann. I ask that the Aughrim scheme in County Wicklow and the Ferns-Camolin scheme in County Wexford would be prioritised. The Minister of State might come back with an answer to me.”
“In the period between the censuses of 2016 and 2022, the population of the local electoral area grew by 14%. That is obviously putting a lot of pressure on connections and so on. Part of the problem, and why all the building is happening in Gorey, is that most of the villages in the surrounding area do not have the capacity. Uisce Éireann's red list of villages where there is no spare capacity includes Ballycanew, Camolin, Ballindaggan, Boolavogue and Killinierin. There is no capacity in these beautiful villages and communities. People who work in those communities cannot live in them, simply because there is no water or wastewater capacity. I will highlight one scheme that has been a priority for Wexford County Council for well over two decades. Deputy Lawlor will know that I am referring to the Ferns-Camolin scheme.”
“Again, this is a significant problem and particularly if we are looking at developing the south Wicklow greenway and looking at tourism offerings and so on. It is impossible if we do not have the necessary water and wastewater infrastructure. The EPA's own report in 2024 talked about some of the problems with regular discharges of partially treated wastewater in Aughrim, and said that Uisce Éireann is failing to address this and that there is no secondary treatment. At the moment, given the schedule, it looks like it will be 2029 before we see it being delivered. That is not acceptable to the people of Aughrim or south Wicklow. South of the border in County Wexford, in the other part of the constituency I am proud to represent, Gorey is growing very quickly.”