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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“Indeed, they refer to it as a "cathedral of crap", which is a certain amount of praise. It does show that things can be done and it has led to the Avoca river being cleaned up and tackling some of the environmental problems. It now allows Arklow, a town that in many ways has been held back for decades, to expand and develop in a sustainable way. It should be noted, however, that it was 1988 when Arklow was first mooted as needing a new wastewater treatment. It took three and a half decades before we actually saw real progress. Arklow will begin to grow but there is a problem for a lot of the villages in south Wicklow. I will instance one in particular, which is the beautiful village of Aughrim where, according to Uisce Éireann, there is no capacity for it to develop. That means, of course, that we cannot have additional housing.”
“It is estimated that for every 50,000 homes, the cost will be a €1.7 billion investment to deliver water and wastewater infrastructure. As a State we have to do that and we are committed to doing that but our challenge as a Government and as a society has always been around delivery. It is not about money anymore. The questions the Minister of State must put to Uisce Éireann are whether housing is top of its agenda, and whether it is delivering. I will start with a note of praise about the Arklow wastewater treatment plant, which the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, made sure was delivered during the term of the last Government. Last week The Guardian newspaper in the UK described this remarkable architectural design by Irish architects Clancy Moore as the world's "most beautiful sewage treatment plant".”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, for taking this debate. It is particularly important in the context of the biggest challenge facing this country, which is housing. Whether it is the challenge of the cost of connection fees for individuals, which Deputy Lawlor has raised, or indeed for developers trying to build a new estate, some of the amounts are eye-watering. In many cases Uisce Éireann is not willing to negotiate even phased payments. It is my view that every State agency should be contributing towards tackling the housing crisis. They should not be putting roadblocks in place and it should be their top priority to ask themselves every morning "What are we doing to assist in the delivery of housing within the State?". We know the costs involved.”
“I ask the Minister to outline the criteria under which the Minister for the arts and media will make the decision, if he will publish the report from Coimisiún na Meán and any evidence, and if we could have statements in this House on the future of the sector.”
“Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for welcoming my friends from Tara Hill national school. We are all rightly proud of the very innovative and dynamic film, television and animation production sector here in Ireland. There was cross-party support in the previous Oireachtas, under the audiovisual media services directive, for the creation of a levy on streaming services to support the telling of Irish stories. We read this morning that the UK cross-party committee on culture, media and sport is calling for the introduction of a 5% levy on streamers to support film and TV production in the UK, joining 17 other European countries that have done this to ensure that stories get told. We see today that the Minister for the arts and media has announced that there will be a content production levy, subject to ministerial approval.”
“On the issue of Ireland's membership of the European unified patents court system, for those inventors and creators, to ensure that patents and our intellectual property is recognised and protected throughout Europe, the referendum which was postponed should now be held. It would be appropriate for it to be held in conjunction with the presidential election this autumn. A clear commitment to that would signal that we take the issue of patent protection seriously. It is important that the entire House will support the Government in its actions on this, and that we get as much information as possible out to businesses and citizens as soon as possible.”
“We always have to have regard to human rights and to environmental and labour standards. It is critical that we stress how free trade can help all countries and citizens. With that in mind, I ask that a very clear commitment now be given by the Government to ratify the comprehensive economic and trade agreement with Canada. Canada has been a very long trading partner with Ireland. It is our 12th biggest trading partner. There are over 15,000 people employed in Ireland by Canadian companies, and Irish companies employ over 6,000 people. To be able to increase free trade between the European Union, Ireland and Canada is something we should welcome. It has been growing in recent years. There is a Government commitment to do it but I want a very clear timeframe in the Minister of State's response as to when we will ratify the CETA agreement.”
“Within the programme for Government there is a commitment to establish a small business unit, looking at how red tape and so on impacts. I urge the Minister of State in his response to address how that might be set up, with a particular view to making customs as easy as possible. It is also important that we explore links with other parts of the world. It is mentioned specifically in the programme for Government that we strengthen our links with Latin America, for example. We must also talk about the importance of free trade. As a Government, we have always believed in its importance. Globally and right through history, free trade has always been shown to create more jobs and lift people out of poverty. That does not mean that free trade should not be fair trade.”
“I wish Maroš Šefčovič, the EU trade commissioner, who is very familiar to this country because of his role in the Brexit negotiations, well in the discussions he will have to lead on behalf of the European Union. It is critical within these Houses that every opportunity is given to Ministers to ensure that they are represented at EU decision-making tables. At no stage should those seats be left empty. It is critical that when a pair is required for a Minister to attend an EU Council meeting, it is provided. This will have significant impact on all businesses but for small businesses, many of which export significantly to the United States, it is going to be particularly difficult. They may not have the individual human resources to address this.”
“I agree with colleagues that this is an existential threat to our economy and to society more generally. It is rather surprising that the party of Eisenhower and Reagan is now led by an individual who is moving towards protectionist policies that were never part of the Republican tradition in the United States. I hope that those within the Republican party who believe in business might try to convince President Trump of the errors of these actions. As so many have said, there are no winners as a result of tariffs. Consumers and businesses in this country and around the world will suffer. I place great faith in the Government and in the EU negotiators.”
“I am not convinced that the NTA is listening sufficiently to the commuters of Wicklow and Wexford about the importance of the pace of delivery. The plans have been there for years. We are just not getting the delivery.”
“I would love to have the Tánaiste's confidence that we will see all of this delivered over the lifetime of the Government. I would love to see all of that happening. For commuters stuck in traffic or on an inadequate rail service every day, delivery over the lifetime of the Government will be essential. What the Tánaiste is speaking about in terms of additional rail carriages will need to be delivered over the next four to five years. We will need to see the M11 completed to Rosslare. We will need to see the introduction of park-and-ride facilities. We will need to see some of the level crossings that have held up the train being dealt with. The Tánaiste, being based in Greystones, knows of some of these issues. He has been hearing about this from the NTA for more than a decade.”
“That is as opposed to Carlow, equidistant from Dublin, which has 11; Dundalk, which has 16; and Portlaoise, which is equidistant and has 32 rail services. I am asking that we ensure there is balanced regional development, that in the review of the national development plan regard is had to road and rail infrastructure, and that the M11 - the spine running through counties Wicklow and Wexford - and the Rosslare rail line are finally given priority. This week, I met with the NTA and I am not satisfied. It has not moved sufficiently on issues such as park-and-ride facilities along the route. I want an assurance that, when it comes to the questions of pace and delivery, it will be the Government telling the NTA to deliver and not the other way around.”
“We know from census data that over 5,000 people commute from north Wexford through Wicklow every day. The problem is we are seeing an increasingly clogged M11. If leaving Gorey, you have to be on the M11 at 6 a.m. to get to Dublin at a reasonable time. In the other direction, Rosslare Europort is booming because of Brexit but we have not seen the M11 completed down to Rosslare Europort. If there is an incident, we have traffic chaos impacting on counties Wicklow and Wexford. If the alternative is presented, people do not have to use the M11 but the Rosslare rail line, which is the most neglected rail line in the country. If you are travelling from Rathdrum, Arklow or Gorey, you only have six services on a weekday to Dublin on a single line.”
“It is a privilege to be able to stand on the floor of this Chamber and ask questions on behalf of my constituents in Wicklow-Wexford directly of the Tánaiste or, indeed, the Taoiseach. It is critical to economic development that we invest in infrastructure. The Tánaiste will share my frustration about the pace of delivery of certain infrastructure, be it water and wastewater infrastructure, the national grid or transport. I wish to pose a question on transport to the Tánaiste. Obviously, he will be familiar with my constituency of Wicklow-Wexford, but this also impacts his constituency. The problem is faced by tens of thousands of commuters from counties Wicklow and Wexford every day. The Wicklow commuter study found that 46% of workers and 69% of students from County Wicklow commuted to Dublin daily.”
“Within an open prison, it allows for a lot of the prisoners, many of them young people, to have opportunities to contribute towards the community and take up education, training and even employment opportunities. In other words, those who have been involved in crime are given a second chance. I am aware that we are talking about diverting people away from criminal activity, but for those young people who make mistakes, and many of them do so, it is critical that we give them that second chance. We should look at investments in the likes of the Gate Service. I encourage the Minister of State to come to Shelton Abbey to see it in action. I reiterate a critical point that was made earlier, namely that it is about engaging with young people, listening to young people and hearing their voices.”
“In those circumstances, the key is that programmes are put in place to ensure that we prevent them from reoffending, that supports are in place to ensure they will not reoffend and that they do not end up going to prison, which becomes a training camp for them to develop worse habits and possibly get involved in more serious crime. I am very heartened by the work of the Gate Service, which is part of the Irish Association for Social Inclusion Opportunities. I see this operating in Shelton Abbey, which is the open prison just outside Arklow. The facility there is managed by Neala Murphy, the training and employment officer with the Gate Service.”
“That investment in youth services is critical. The tradition of gardaí going into schools and talking about their work and breaking down the barriers is critically important. We are not seeing this to the same extent that we did in the past. In raising the matter with the Garda Síochána, I encourage the Minister of State to ask that there be an active programme of engaging with young people in schools and in the context of youth services. One of the challenges of young people getting involved in crime is that they often end up there by simply being the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time, or they have had poor peer influence.”
“This is a very important debate because, as the Minister of State will be aware, the more people we can divert from criminal activity, the better. Apart from being good for the individual themselves, this leads to a significant saving for the State. I agree with colleagues about the importance of community gardaí. Within the communities in which we live, we all know of those gardaí who have been effective in engaging with young people and youth organisations. There has to be an increased emphasis placed on gardaí getting to know those young people who are particularly hard to reach, some of whom are from minority and Traveller backgrounds, to get them to be actively involved within their communities. Many youth groups in areas I represent in Wicklow-Wexford are more than willing to engage with gardaí.”
“I agree with Deputy Aird. One of the areas that is critical in implementing the tillage strategy is enhancing markets. Part of that is the development of a commercial flour mill. As the Minister and his officials are aware, the Kavanagh brothers in Ballycarney, County Wexford, have advanced proposals and are planning to develop a commercial flour mill. I would be grateful if the Minister continued what his predecessor did in indicating the support of the Department for that initiative. With the development of the mill, we will see a market for tillage farmers. It is critical to support tillage farmers in the work they do but if we can develop a commercial flour mill once again in Ireland, it would be very welcome, particularly in the post-Brexit context.”
“It is important that we support this growing sector. I welcome the supports that are available already. We also need to promote the development of Irish wines, perhaps through Bord Bia. As the quantities start to increase, there will be an export market for some of these wines. I am very happy that officials are actively engaged on the issue.”
“They are producing some very fine wines. Indeed, right around the country now quite a number of boutique vineyards are starting to produce wine in greater quantities and of higher quality. There is an opportunity to actively support those farmers and those involved in horticulture who want to move into the sector. In that context, I welcome the statement by the Minister of State.”
“I thank the Minister of State. Unfortunately, or fortunately, because of climate change the possibility of growing vines in Ireland has become more extensive. We are fortunate that parts of the country have a similar terroir or soil type to parts of northern France. Indeed, just outside my hometown of Gorey, La Kav vineyard is producing some very fine wines. The Ceann Comhairle will know about the Old Roots vineyard, which is located not far from her-----”
“I wish the Minister and the Ministers of State well in their important roles. On the diversification of farm activity, I was rather surprised that this question was chosen and that we have reached it. The question relates to wine production in Ireland. This is a growing activity. I would be grateful if the Minister of State would outline the approach of the Department and any supports that may be made available for those who choose to cultivate vines.”
“In May 2023, four Russian naval vessels, including the Admiral Grigorovich , a warship armed with cruise missiles, were located in Irish waters. In November 2024, the Yantar , a spy ship, was observed accompanying the Admiral Golovko . There had to be inspections of some of the pipelines in our waters after that visit. In January 2024, our Air Corps had to be deployed to monitor Russian shadow fleet vessels. Even on 20 March this year, it was reported that Russian-linked ships were seen dropping anchor near some of the undersea cables. I ask the Taoiseach to give us an assurance that the security of that critical undersea infrastructure and offshore renewables will feature as part of the national security committee's work.”
“Under national security, I raise critical infrastructure in our maritime area. Some 16 transatlantic cables run through Irish waters, carrying 95% of traffic between Europe and North America, which leaves us exposed. As we rightly invest heavily in offshore renewables, it will be critical that if we develop offshore turbines, the security of that sector is also protected. Representing the only constituency that has offshore turbines in our territorial waters, it is critically important that they are protected into the future. In the past two years, there have been a number of instances of Russian vessels operating in Irish waters. In April 2023, two Russian-flagged ships, the Umka and Bahktemir , were detected off the coast of Galway.”
“I welcome the establishment of both the Cabinet security committee and the national security council and the Taoiseach's strong commitment and that in the programme for Government to take seriously the defence and security of the State, something that is very important to this Oireachtas, particularly in light of modern global geopolitical challenges. This is not just about boots on the ground anymore but about cyber threats the State will face and hybrid warfare. I hope the Taoiseach will give us assurances that he will continue to adequately resource the National Cyber Security Centre. We will face a lot more cyber threats. There should be learnings from the experience with the HSE. Four states are responsible for approximately 40% of cyberattacks and the spread of misinformation and disinformation - Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.”
“The technology companies also have responsibilities, obviously, but the introduction of this Bill is about addressing a growing problem of deepfakes that deliberately set out to harm people and are causing harm.”
“It is therefore critical that, as well as legislation in this area to protect consumers, there is a programme of education so that people are aware of the challenges of deepfakes and they understand the harm these can cause. It is also essential within this House, along with dealing with it from a legislative perspective - it is welcome we now have a Minister of State for artificial intelligence - that we consider establishing a special committee on artificial intelligence, as I have called for before, to explore all the possibilities. I suggest we set up a programme of education on artificial intelligence for all Members of the Houses so that people understand the possibilities and threats.”
“Many will have seen the image of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket. This will not be impacted by the legislation. However, where individuals see their images misused - the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and many well-known personalities have seen their images or voices misused at times - there will be a specific, stand-alone offence. The Bill will also protect a lot of those within the creative industries by ensuring that their intellectual property that has been created by their voices would also be protected. It is important that we have many more debates on how artificial intelligence is used, both in terms of the Government's AI strategy, entitled "AI - Here for Good: A National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Ireland", and more widely within society.”
“I am proud of the fact that, right throughout the programme for Government, there are clear commitments to using AI for the betterment of the wider public and for the digitalisation of public services. However, the risk with any technology is its misuse. In how we all work, we rely on listening to one another's voices and seeing another person's image and we work on the basis of trust. Indeed, our voices, images and likenesses are integral parts of who we are. This Bill intends to set out a specific individual offence where somebody knowingly exploits a person's name, image, voice or likeness without that person's consent with the intention to deceive or to cause harm. Let us be clear, in that this is not about criminalising deepfakes generally. Some of them are done in a very humorous way.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to create specific offences for the misuse of an individual’s name, photograph, voice or likeness and to provide for related matters. I propose to share time with Deputy Ó Cearúil. The Protection of Voice and Image Bill sets out to make it an offence to publish, distribute or otherwise make public any manipulated or unauthorised use of a person's identity for the purposes of advertising, political messaging, fundraising, influencing public opinion and selling goods and services without the individual's consent. This includes technologies or software designed primarily to replicate somebody's image or voice. This House will be very much aware that artificial intelligence presents incredible opportunities in healthcare and the provision of public services.”
“We need to have properly funded local government. However, to base local government funding on a system that is essentially 200 years old, where the size of the premises determines how much is paid, was fine in the 1830s, 1840s and 1850s but is not fine to do so now in the same way. Certainly a lot of this outdated legislation needs to be repealed.”
“In today's modern enterprise economy, as the Minister of State knows only too well and particularly in her previous brief as Minister of State with special responsibility for retail, a business can be far more successful on a mobile phone and can have a far higher turnover than one that has a very large floor space. For us to continue to base essentially a quarter of the funding of local governments on legislation that is 200 years old is not acceptable. I appreciate it is not directly relevant to some of the key points of this legislation. However, as we are repealing proclamations and legislation from that era, I encourage the Minister of State to look at this. I was disappointed within the programme for Government that there was not a commitment to review the system of commercial rates. I support commercial rates.”
“There was a reward apparently. The issue I want to raise is related to that, around the repeal of legislation. While much of the legislation here is outdated and traditional, one of the biggest pieces of legislation that dates from that period, from the 1830s, was the commercial rates legislation, on which local government funding was established in Ireland. It was established under the principles that were set out by George IV that led in turn to Griffith's Valuation and so on. We continue to use those outdated mechanisms for the funding of local government. We are using a 200-year-old system of determining how we fund local government.”
“I have assured some of the extended members of the Sinnott family that if any information does come forward with regard to who killed the sheep during the 1830s that that information will be provided to the family.”
“I welcome this legislation. It is quite useful that we look at old laws and where necessary that we repeal them. I commend the Law Reform Commission and indeed the officials in the Department who worked on this. One of the proclamations being repealed is an 1831 proclamation around the stealing of sheep belonging to the Sinnott family of Parkannesley, Ballygarret, County Wexford. The Sinnott family continues to farm in that area. They are quite happy to allow an amnesty if information comes forward in these circumstances. However, it shows the importance of our history within this area. One of the things that will be useful is if some of the documents related to this were made available to local history societies and organisations because there is a rich social history in some of the work involved.”
“It should not be forgotten that the biggest terrorist attack in recent years on this country was the attack on the Health Service Executive. The reason I call it a terrorist attack is because people's lives were seriously disrupted as a result of it. Will the Minister of State continue to raise the very important issues to Ireland around security and defence? This is about what is in our own interest. It is about protecting our own critical infrastructure and our own citizens here and abroad but also showing solidarity with our European friends and colleagues in the spirit of defending those values that are critically important. We should not make any apologies for standing up at a global level and saying we will stand for the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
“We need to take seriously the critical pieces of infrastructure that are located on Irish territory and in Irish waters. We now know, for instance, that there are 16 key cables that operate between North America and Europe that run through Irish waters. We have seen what the Russians have done with cables in the Baltic Sea and with Nord Stream the hybrid attacks it has engaged in against critical infrastructure in Europe. Therefore, it is right that Europe takes security issues very seriously. If a hybrid attack happens on this country or if somebody with whom Vladimir Putin has an issue ends up being poisoned on Irish soil, if Members of this House have not taken strong enough action, questions will be asked.”
“As we know, Government backbenchers were not allowed contribute to the Social Democrats debate earlier on the question of the triple lock. However, I am really concerned that there are some in Irish politics who would seem to be happier writing love letters to the President of Iran than necessarily dealing with what has to be the greatest geopolitical threat facing Europe in at least 80 years. We know the actions of Russia in particular are constituting a major threat not just to other European countries but to this country as well. Russian military intelligence is engaging in shadow attacks against government and infrastructure. We know about the fact that there have been Russian vessels operating in Irish waters. The Yantar had to be escorted out of Irish waters last year.”
“Of course, the main talking point at the meeting was around Ukraine and around Europe's security. We reiterated our support for democracy, for respect and for sovereign borders and showed our solidarity with the people of Ukraine. It is not just at this time that it is important to show our solidarity with Ukraine but also to those many neighbours of Russia who are increasingly worried by the threat of Vladimir Putin. We should be showing to Ukrainians now at their hour of need the same solidarity that was shown to us by Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and by Poland during the time of Brexit. Obviously, this is not just around defence matters. This relates as well to issues around energy security and indeed global logistics, which is vital for countries operating in and out of Ireland. I listened to some of the debate.”
“It is absolutely critical at a European level, but also at a national level here, that we invest in digital and media literacy to a far greater extent and indeed that we ensure every Irish person and every European has access to AI technical and literacy skills. This has to be a top priority. While the Government has rightly appointed a Minister of State with responsibility for AI, it is not just the responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, or the Department of enterprise. This has to be a whole-of-government approach. Indeed, the Department of enterprise has been charged with a campaign around digital and AI adoption among micro and SMEs and we are not seeing any particular urgency to that. Therefore, as part of both Ireland's and Europe's competitiveness agenda, we need to move more quickly.”
“This is also about being able to have small businesses and also for consumers to see a much more open market in areas like banking, financial services, insurance and pension products. There is no reason as to why an Irish consumer cannot be able to shop around and look to a Belgian pension provider, a Dutch insurer or a Czech financial services provider if they can offer a better deal. Equally, Irish companies should be able to compete and offer good deals to consumers right across Europe. Europe's competitiveness will also depend on how we respond to the AI revolution and the rapid changes of technology that we are now experiencing. Europe's success in that will depend very much on skills. I am worried for instance that it was stated within the Draghi report that even still 42% of Europeans lack basic digital skills.”
“I will refer first to the competitiveness agenda because the economic agenda cannot be divorced from the security agenda and we cannot use the need for security to forget about the importance of also investing in Europe's competitiveness. I am somewhat concerned at the slow pace of the reforms with regard to competition. There is a commitment again and the statement from the meeting last week reaffirmed the EU's commitment to the creation of a capital markets union. We should see investments and saving flowing across Europe. The reality is that is not the case. It is critical in the context of the green deal and the digital agenda that a capital markets union is put in place. However, this is not just some nebulous concept.”
“At least this Government is willing to show up, unlike the "Social Media Democrats", who much prefer to get their little clip on TikTok rather than engaging in meaningful discussion. Europe is a concept and a reality based on the twin pillars of peace and prosperity. Those twin aims have always underpinned the work of the European Union. The values we hold dear about democracy, human rights and the rule of law always must underpin the work of the EU. In our commitment to multilateralism, we should continue to advocate for those both internally within the European Union and indeed externally. The agenda at the European Council meeting was obviously a quite heavy one.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirleach Gníomhach. I thank the Minister of State for taking this very important debate. I was delighted to see him appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs. He has carried out the role well in the past. He is holding the role at a very important juncture in Europe's history, but also when we are preparing for Ireland's EU Presidency and when we host the European Political Community in the latter half of 2026. In response to Deputy Gannon's remark about hearing the voices at the White House and so on, I say that we as a party have always believed in multilateralism and talking to people, even those we disagree with.”
“With respect, the only thing being suggested is forcing commuters to change in Wicklow or Greystones. If they are on a train early in the morning and it is wet and cold, commuters from Gorey, Arklow or Rathdrum to the city are expected to change trains. It is not acceptable. The Minister of State needs to be talking about a significant investment. There is discussion as part of the all-island rail review of doubling the number of tracks between Dublin and Belfast to four. I welcome and support that. We ask for the same doubling of the number of tracks, simply from one to two, so more services are available. The M11 is completely clogged up and if we are going to provide an alternative, we need serious investment.”
“I love how the Minister of State described as a significant change the addition of one "late evening service", as he described it. The late evening service left 45 minutes ago so I cannot avail of it. I am not sure what time the Minister of State regards as late evening. He mentioned the six services available to people I represent in Rathdrum, Arklow and Gorey. Equidistant from Dublin is Carlow, represented ably by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, from which there are 11 services daily. Commuters travelling from Dundalk have 16 services while those coming from Portlaoise, equidistant from Dublin with Arklow or Gorey, have 32 services. I do not believe six daily services, in competition with a clogged-up M11, could be regarded as significant investment.”
“I wish the Minister of State well in his role and welcome his commitment to investment in rail transport. I ask about the Dublin to Rosslare rail line specifically, in which there has been a lack of investment. If we are talking about providing a realistic alternative for rail users, there must be real investment in this railway line. In light of the Minister's previous comments about investment in rail, will the Minister of State outline what he plans to do with this much-forgotten service?”
“The other issue is one also raised by Deputy Lawlor, namely, the safety of retail workers. During the term of the previous Seanad, I brought forward specific legislation regarding criminal attacks on retail workers. There is a view that shoplifting in some areas is a crime that is being treated with immunity. Shop workers are not being protected. We must take a much tougher line on retail crime. I hope the Minister will treat it as a priority.”