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.”
The complete record
Every one of 711 lines we hold for Malcolm Byrne, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 15.
“I know that Deputy Farrelly would prefer that we move and try it in the same way as Austria moved with local elections first and then move on to broader elections. We could see what impact that has and then look at a constitutional amendment. Referring to Austria, I am conscious of what Deputy Gogarty said. Austria has had it for federal elections since 2007, so there is plenty of research, including that mentioned by Deputy Gogarty. The research shows that, on average, young people are as informed as other generations about the issues. They are much more likely to participate later in life. They are embedded in their communities so they will get involved. The evidence is that young people do not tend to swing one way or another politically. They tend to vote broadly in line with other generations. Young people are not all the same.”
“When we had engagement with young people during the last term of the Oireachtas on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act - young people have greater knowledge of online safety and provided great input into the Act - we ended up setting up a youth advisory panel to inform Coimisiún na Meán when it was set up. In the context of the national AI office, which will be set up next year, I also want to see a youth advisory panel be set up. The Government has responded on a lot of youth issues, including reducing youth transport costs and I hope to see the youth culture card introduced. However, I share the views that have been expressed, that in the first instance, we should move to allow for the reduction in the voting age for the local and European elections in 2029, which does not require constitutional change.”
“Arguably, they are among the country's most successful entrepreneurs at the moment. The youth wings of all our political parties and the people who are involved and engaged in them inspire me in many ways. Ógra Fianna Fáil, my political party, allows people to vote and become a member between the ages of 16 and 30 and Ógra Fianna Fáil is in support of reducing the voting age. People can become a voting member of the Minister of State's party, Young Fine Gael, at the age of 16, although it defines youth as going up as far as 35. The individual I believe to have been the greatest Taoiseach in the history of the State, Seán Lemass, fought in the Easter Rising at the age of 16 and he inspired many in politics. When this debate came up before, then Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, expressed strong support for it.”
“Of all the witnesses who have come - and older witnesses have confirmed this - the younger witnesses, particularly those from the youth advisory panel of the Ombudsman for Children's Office, gave some insightful and informed testimony. I look at the work of Seán O'Sullivan who won the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in 2024 with his project on detecting the use of large language models in student essays, which was not necessarily popular with all his classmates. He is entirely in touch with the tech revolution we are all facing. Others have talked about climate change and biodiversity and how young people have led in that space. Patrick and John Collison from the Minister of State's neck of the woods won the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition as young people.”
“In January, many of us will go to the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition where we will see some of the most amazing ideas come up. We will see what happens at Young Social Innovators. We engage with Comhairle na nÓg. The Minister of State does so directly. The Irish Second Level Students Union, ISSU, does incredible work and, during the Covid-19 pandemic when there were issues around exams, it was 16- and 17-year-olds in the ISSU, led by Reuban Murray, who provided some of the most informed and inspirational leadership during some of those discussions. Deputies will be aware I chair the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence. We had a session on AI and children and young people.”
“Like many others, I welcome all our guests to the Public Gallery this evening, who are listening to this important debate. It is about votes at 16, but it is also about young people's participation in society. Like others have said, when I go to talk to schools or young people, I find that young people are engaged with the issues. They do not have any filters. They will say exactly what they think. I always get annoyed when I hear the phrase "young people are the future". They are not. They are very much part of the present and engaged in society and we should encourage that. I do not share the dystopian vision of the future that was offered by Deputy Paul Murphy because I am often quite inspired by young people when I engage with them.”
“Yes, I am. I commend Deputy Farrelly on introducing this Bill and on his deep and genuine commitment to young people, engagement in civic life and youth work more generally. I have long supported the reduction of the voting age to 16. In fact, I wrote an opinion piece in August 2007 for The Irish Times and in preparing for this I reread it. The arguments I made then are still as strong 18 years later as they were at the time. Deputy Jen Cummins mentioned she was on the board of NYCI in the noughties and said she felt old. I was on the board of the National Youth Council in the 1990s, but I was described on "The Week in Politics" at the weekend as a young Fianna Fáil TD. Given that we are ageing and our life expectancy is getting higher, I will take that in a positive way.”
“Not everybody is going to run a marathon, although many will be running it this weekend, yet engaging people in sport is a very positive development.”
“As she also knows, I regularly sing the praises of park runs all around the country, and I know people who take part within the park run community. Many of them do it for physical health reasons, but also for mental health reasons. The sense of community that has provided is critical. The Minister of State will be aware that I have urged for quite some time that we look at the introduction of tax relief for gym membership and membership of sporting organisations. As a State, we need to encourage people to be as physically and mentally healthy as possible, and engagement in community activities, whether those are the arts, sport or whatever else, contributes very positively to physical and mental good health.”
“Therefore, I would suggest that when core funding has been taken into account for organisations, regard can be had to where an organisation has to rent premises as opposed to where it may own it. The Minister of State knows only too well the importance of simply being able to talk about mental health issues, particularly for men. It is critical. Too often in many ways, we actually come at it too late when we try to talk about health. We do not sufficiently invest in health promotion or talking about positive health. As the Minister of State knows, I am a big believer that if we invest in sport, the arts and community activity, that is vitally important for people's physical and mental well-being.”
“A lot of colleagues have raised the question of mental health services. The Minister of State has been a champion in that space. I would certainly echo the importance of engaging in rural Ireland, particularly with men on farms in rural communities who are often reluctant to go to their GP. There is fabulous work being done by Macra na Feirme in terms of Make the Moove and so on. There is that difficulty with regard to getting men to talk. The Minister of State will be familiar with Talk to Tom, which was founded in Gorey and works in my community. We also have the Samaritans based in Arklow. They face a particular challenge that unlike a lot of other Samaritans, they are renting a premises.”
“I echo the remarks of Deputy Eoghan Kenny with regard to trans healthcare and, indeed, condemn outright the appalling personalised attack on the Minister of State for her compassion. I have known the Minister of State for a long time, and she is somebody who wears her heart on her sleeve. It is important to have that within the Department of Health. I will always have her back, as I think will nearly everybody in this House, on how she seeks to ensure that Ireland becomes a fairer society. I would also echo that I think we need, as has been raised, a State-run prostate screening programme for men. The quicker we can roll that out, the better. The risk of prostate cancer is well articulated, but a State-run programme where men would be encouraged to take part is critical.”
“We have worrying news from Arklow this morning. The Merck Life Sciences plant, which is located in the town, is scheduled to close in 2028. About 100 employes are impacted. I have been speaking with the company. There will be efforts to redeploy. Until now, Merck has been a very good employer. I know many of the people who are working there. It is critical, and I would like assurances, that every support will be given to those workers. Some will have to redeploy but I refer also to any necessary upskilling and retraining. I also call for us to seek a fresh plant for the site on the Vale Road. Arklow has a long and proud tradition in chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It is a vital sector for Irish society, so it is important that we can find a replacement plant there to provide high-value employment in Arklow as soon as possible.”
“In that context, it is critical that we have a fully funded Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, that makes provision for Ukraine, which is a big producer of food, and that the next CAP will take into account an enlarged EU. I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach has invited President Zelenskyy to come to Ireland. I suggest that if he does come as part of the European political community, he might be invited to address a joint sitting of the Houses. I know he has done that previously on screen, but I think he would be accorded a very warm welcome and it would be good to hear from him directly.”
“I echo the views expressed by the Taoiseach and my colleague Deputy Brennan on the fact that we need to continue to show solidarity with Ukraine and support, in every way possible, the people of Ukraine in their fight on the front line against Russian aggression. Whatever support we can provide while bearing in mind our policy of neutrality, must be provided. On cyber resilience and hybrid warfare, we need to work with our EU partners and Ukraine to combat Russian aggression. I welcome the moves we are making to provide support. The Taoiseach might outline what further supports will be provided during our EU Presidency in respect of Ukraine's accession.”
“As it is within the remit of the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, who is an accountant, I hope he will progress this matter and this legislation will be accepted or incorporated into Government legislation.”
“When trouble arises because these people are not members of a professional body, there is very little recourse for affected individuals. It is critically important that this is not seen as protecting vested interests. That is certainly not the case. It is of note that all of the professional bodies representing accountants want to see this legislation introduced. At present, the Companies Act, which this Bill seeks to amend, does provide for protection of the title of auditor so it is not possible for anybody to call himself or herself an auditor. All we are seeking with this legislation is that similar protection would be provided to the title of accountant so that somebody who has studied, worked hard and attained the professional qualifications would be recognised.”
“Individuals with no formal training or education who have no association with professional bodies can use this title freely. This means that there is a lack of protection. It misleads consumers and damages the credibility of the accountancy profession. We know that the titles of a lot of professions are protected, for example, solicitors, doctors, teachers, architects and electricians. When it comes to somebody trusting their finances to an accountant, it is critical that he or she is guaranteed that what he or she sees is somebody who is qualified and experienced in doing this. I am familiar with a number of cases of people who have gone to people who presented themselves as accountants and who then lost out.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to regulate the use of the title "accountant", to establish criteria for recognition, and to provide for offences and penalties for misuse of the title, and to provide for related matters. I am happy to be here today to introduce the Companies (Protection of Title: Accountant) Bill 2025. This Bill is about protecting consumers. At present, anybody can describe himself or herself as an accountant. Indeed in the morning, the Ceann Comhairle and the Government Chief Whip could set up an accountancy practice called "Murphy and Butler Accountants" and there would be nothing to stop them from doing so. Unfortunately, this has happened. Unqualified people have set up as accountants and defrauded members of the public.”
“It is critical from a food security perspective as much as anything else that we develop flour-milling facilities on a commercial basis in Ireland. I raise again the proposal before the Minister from the Kavanagh brothers at Ballycarney, County Wexford. His Department has been very helpful on this. There is strong support from Enterprise Ireland for a capital support scheme. I raised it recently with the Minister, Deputy Burke, because this scheme is coming from the Department of enterprise. I ask the Minister, Deputy Heydon, to liaise with him to ensure this scheme is launched as soon as possible so we have the potential to get a commercial flour mill up and running in Ireland. Obviously, in north Wexford we hope the Kavanagh brothers would be successful in that proposal, but it will provide a market for our tillage farmers as well.”
“I ask during the EU Presidency that the Minister ensures if we are to look at the sustainability of farms financially and environmentally, the family is at the heart of that. The Minister spoke a lot about new technology and how it can help. It will be critical in terms of investment. Artificial intelligence can be used for example to inform tillage farmers where to plant seeds and how to monitor soil quality. I commend the work of the Walton Institute in South East Technological University in this space. I welcome the Minister's commitment in his speech to new milling facilities. I will not repeat the comments that colleagues made about whiskey but the Minister will know we continue to import most flour.”
“I welcome that there will be a focus on smaller farmers. Some of the larger ones, because of economy of scale, will not be hit to the same extent. I share the view of colleagues that there has to be an urgency about this. Farmers are planting at the moment. They do not know what the situation will be next year. It is important that the Minister provides certainty in that regard as soon as possible. We also need to examine the broader sector and whether there is sufficient competition when it comes to the grain merchants to ensure there is domestic competition so that farmers get a reasonable price. I know the Minister has been in regular contact with Commissioner Hansen on his belief around generational renewal but sustaining the family farm is critical in terms of some of the CAP measures.”
“If we are to look at a long-term strategy, we have to find a way to put an income floor in place for Irish growers and measures to guarantee family farms that they will be able to continue, that we will have a sustainable model for farmers and that we can meet our climate action plan target of 400,000 ha by 2030. Guaranteeing that economic floor is critical, perhaps by providing for a basic income for tillage farmers based on the model of the basic income for artists which the Government has continued to pursue. Our challenge, if we are to get to 400,000 ha, is that approximately 1,400 farmers have left tillage in the past three years. Many small tillage farmers left simply because of the lack of certainty. The Minister will discuss and negotiate with farm organisations and those who have skin in the game.”
“It shows how Sinn Féin has failed to understand agriculture with its anti-trade and anti-EU policies, particularly now as so many in opposition have fallen into the vortex of People Before Profit manifesto policies. To deal specifically with the question of tillage, it is critical, particularly acting on budget issues, that the Minister engages with farm organisations such as the IFA and the Irish Grain Growers group and, as my colleague, Deputy Cleere, outlined, with younger farmers. I hope Macra na Feirme and tillage farmers involved in Macra na Feirme will also be at the table. As the Minister knows, winter crop is going in this week. The difficulty, unlike in many other sectors and businesses where farmers generally know what their input costs are, they do not know what prices they will get next year.”
“I can, but I will not be able to do so in the time allowed. I welcome the debate. That the Minister and both Ministers of State from the Department are present speaks to a recognition of the seriousness of the challenge facing the tillage sector. I have raised this issue with the Minister on a number of occasions on the floor of the House and privately. I know he is aware of the challenge. Colleagues have outlined that in great detail. I want to specifically take on remarks by my Sinn Féin constituency colleague, who accused the Minister of not understanding agriculture. At the same time, he derided trade, attacked the European Union and engaged in anti-EU rhetoric that would not be out of place in the mouth of Nigel Farage of the Reform Party.”
“I welcome from Pat Leahy’s insightful reporting in The Irish Times yesterday about Ireland preparing for potential drone attacks during the EU Presidency. We need assurances. When every other parliament in Europe is debating the fact that there is an increased risk of war, we are not debating it in this House.”
“We are seeing an expanding war in Europe now and Russia’s campaign of aggression against Ukraine but also others. We are seeing horrific things. Up to an estimated 20,000 children have now been abducted from Ukraine and taken into Russian territory. We also know about the hybrid and cyber attacks from Russia on member states of the European Union and, indeed, other European countries. We have seen drone attacks and violations of airspace in recent months on Poland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Those counties know that combat aircraft have had to be scrambled. We know Russian vessels are in Irish waters yet, while I have sought it since we resumed after the summer, we have not had a debate in this House around the escalating war in Europe.”
“I strongly welcome the Taoiseach's commitment to the implementation of CETA and to the growth of our trade relations with Canada. However, I want to raise EU competitiveness. It is over a year since the publication of the Draghi report yet the European Policy Innovation Council, the Brussels-based think-tank states that only 11% of the recommendations are on the road to implementation. We are seriously falling behind in Europe in terms of competitiveness. One of the areas is network resilience and our digital infrastructure. We are shortly to publish the new national digital and AI strategy. The Taoiseach might give us an update on that. As part of Ireland's competitiveness strategy, will the Taoiseach ensure we will have the necessary digital infrastructure to be able to compete in this century?”
“As the Minister of State might know, Arklow is the home of Ronnie Delany, who was Ireland's gold-medal winner over 1,500 m in the Melbourne 1956 Olympics. There are many great runners in the community but they do not have an adequate athletics track. In the next round of the LSSIF, as Wicklow did not get any funding, I would hope that could be prioritised.”
“The second phase, which we hope will be funded under the next round of the LSSIF, will provide facilities for Gorey Cycling Club and basketball. It is a showcase example of a partnership between a local authority and a number of sporting codes to be able to deliver a multisport facility. It is a model. I want to raise also the question of sporting facilities in Arklow. Wicklow did not receive any funding under the LSSIF. I have been assured by Wicklow County Council that under the next round, it will be prioritising the development of sporting facilities in Arklow, including the Coral indoor sports hall and the facilities around the building. What is critical there is the need for a new running track for St. Benedict's athletics club.”
“It is essential as well that we find mechanisms that will allow clubs and organisations that do not have traditional access to land or facilities ways that they can do that because this is a huge barrier for many clubs. I am particularly thinking about boxing clubs that do not have a home. Like colleagues, I think that partnership with schools and, as Deputy Devlin has mentioned, that mid-tier of funding between sports capital and LSSIF should be considered. I praise the support that has been given in north Wexford for the development of the east-coast sporting hub, located north of Gorey town. It is a multisport facility. The first phase will fund Gorey Cricket Club, Gorey Hockey Club and Croghan Athletics to have homes there.”
“I praise the very considerable investment in sport that has been made by this and the previous Government and commend the Minister of State and his officials on the co-operation with local sports groups on the sports capital scheme and the LSSIF. In reviewing both the sports capital scheme and the LSSIF, I will make a number of comments. It is essential, as colleagues have said, that where sporting codes are sharing facilities, that will be rewarded. Facilities must have equal access for men and women, for boys and girls, but I would also ask in the next round that particular regard would be had to recognising applications that ensure increased applications by those with a disability or by those who are neurodivergent. It is important within all our communities that sport be inclusive.”
“I am glad to see the Government has agreed to progress with the private wires Bill and the development of a private wires policy. It is critical to addressing the energy deficit we face that we move as soon as possible. It is also important that we ensure we have the necessary digital infrastructure to support the digital economy, and that includes data centres. I am sure the Taoiseach would agree with me that data centres, as a critical part of the economy, would benefit from the private wires Bill, in particular if they partner with renewable energy sources in order to be able to power them but also to engage in district heating systems such as the one we see in Tallaght. Could the Taoiseach indicate a timeframe for when we will be moving forward with the private wires legislation and when we may see companies being able to avail of it?”
“It will obviously be critical for the AI summit the Minister of State and her Department will be hosting during the latter half of next year. It is very ambitious. I welcome and applaud the Minister of State's ambition. I just need certainty that we are going to be able to achieve it.”
“I do not know if the Minister of State can outline how she envisages some of the governance structures. Does she see there being a board? How will that board be formulated? The Minister of State praised the young people I mentioned. I ask that she commits to a youth advisory panel as part of this to ensure we hear the voices of children and young people along with everyone else in society because this has to be human-centric. I certainly envisage that, if the office is in place, it will have input into the creation of the observatory because having evidence-based data to inform our policy decisions and to be prepared for trends, whether disruption to employment or opportunities in healthcare, is important.”
“I thank the Minister of State very much. I very much welcome the fact that the general scheme is going to be coming before Government, that we will see legislation in place to underpin this office by next summer and that the office will be in place by August 2026. As the Minister of State knows, resourcing is critical to this. During debate on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, the Minister of State and I talked about Coimisiún na Meán and ensuring that it was adequately resourced. I am not just talking about budgets but also about putting in place qualified personnel. It needs to be an office that will command respect. Working with those other competent authorities is critical. The commitment to have the office in place by August 2026 is important.”
“I welcome the Minister of State's announcement that we are proceeding with this office apace but, particularly as we are now implementing the AI Act, it is important that we hear from the Minister of State the detail of how this office will operate.”
“We should not underestimate the scale of the operation that will need to be established. I have looked at the national AI office in Spain. As the Minister of State knows, this was established two years ago in September 2023. There are many divisions within that office. It has departments for innovation; AI aimed at public administration; certification, instruction and supervision; trend identification and social impact; alignment and co-ordination; and awareness, training and promotion. As I have said, that is also critical because this cannot just be a department of "Thou shalt not" but must be a department of "Thou shall, this is how and this is how we are going to help you".”
“Will it be similar to some of the other regulators? It will need to be a body that has the respect of other regulatory bodies. It will obviously be critically important that the named bodies that have responsibility in this space liaise with the national office and that the national office will also identify where there are cracks in the system where data is being used so that it can take action. It is also important that the voices of children and young people are heard in establishing the office. I urge the setting up of a youth advisory panel similar to the youth advisory panel in Coimisiún na Meán, the media regulator. That is a good model. The Office of the Ombudsman for Children also has a youth advisory panel. Two representatives of that panel came before our committee this week. They were very effective and informed witnesses.”
“It is important in the long term that it is independent. In the early days following its establishment, it will require a lot of support from the Department. I see it as having two main roles, which the Minister of State might outline further. There is the regulatory function, which will be to oversee the implementation and enforcement of the artificial intelligence Act. Equally, there is the information and support function, particularly for SMEs and small organisations, to enable them to innovate and support them in being able to avail of the potential of AI. There is also the element of how we can use AI in the public services for the more efficient and effective delivery of public services. I would like to hear from the Minister of State how she envisages the governance structure of the national office on AI.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here to address the question of a national office on artificial intelligence. It is very much within her brief. I welcome the commitments she has made to open a national office on artificial intelligence, establish an AI observatory in order that we will have evidence-based research on the social and economic impact and potential of and the opportunities presented by AI and host an AI summit during the course of Ireland's EU Presidency in the second half of next year. The Minister of State is aware that the committee on artificial intelligence is very keen to have this AI office established. I have spoken to her about it several times. Our colleague Deputy Ó Cearúil has even brought forward legislation in this regard. It is critical that we get to know how the office will function.”
“I am not expecting the Minister to reveal what is in the budget, but I would like to hear assurances from the Government that serious consideration will be given to the crisis facing tillage at present.”
“It is not an exaggeration to say that the tillage sector in Ireland is facing an enormous crisis. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Heydon, is very aware of this. As part of the Government's climate action plan, it is intended that we will have 400,000 ha in tillage by 2030. We are not going to achieve that, particularly given that, since 2022, 1,400 farmers have left tillage. Despite a good summer harvest, prices are not there for tillage farmers. We are also facing the challenge of cheap imports from outside the European Union. This matter is also critical in terms of developing markets. The Minister will be aware of the hope to establish a commercial flour mill again in Ireland at Ballindaggan, County Wexford. The loss of tillage production has an impact on many other areas of agriculture. It is critical.”
“I will be very disappointed if the Minister of State does not stand up in her concluding remarks – and I will tune in – to give a clear commitment that, as the Minister of State with responsibility in this area, she will introduce legislation before Christmas that will address the issues of packaging and marketing. We do not have a department of public health in this country. Rather, we have a Department of illness and sickness. This is a public health crisis. I know the Minister of State is a serious person who is deeply committed to her role, but we need to move on legislation as soon as possible.”
“I am quite happy to sit as late as we need to some evening to fast-track this legislation. There is cross-party agreement on the need to address this. We know that this issue is at crisis point in all of our communities. I was very struck by a survey of approximately 1,400 young people from the Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford areas that two students from FCJ Secondary School, Bunclody carried out nearly four years ago. The Minister of State knows that school and area very well. A total of 10% of the young people involved in the survey had never smoked previously but now regarded themselves as regular vape users and effectively addicted to it. The problem is that nothing has happened in that four-year period. I am not convinced that the Minister of State’s Department is treating this as a public health emergency.”
“These are nicotine-inhaling devices and it is a public health crisis. While I respect that the Minister of State is relatively new in the post, I am not convinced that her Department is taking this sufficiently seriously. We know the damage nicotine causes. Many of these nicotine-inhaling companies are the cigarette companies of old and we are allowing them to market products, as we have heard already, in an attractive way to young and vulnerable people. People who had never smoked before are taking up vapes. I really question why the Minister of State is in here responding to statements. When the Minister of State responds, will we hear her say that legislation will be introduced on this issue before Christmas and that it is a public health emergency?”
“I welcome that the Minister of State is here to take this debate. However, why are we having statements on this issue and not a debate on the legislation? During my time in the Seanad when we debated the legislation on the prohibition of sales to under-18s, there was promise at that time that we would move on legislation to deal with the issue of flavoured nicotine-inhaling products and that we would deal with some of the marketing issues, yet it has not happened. I really have to ask the question: why are we having statements on this? We have talked about this. Everybody knows and every colleague here has highlighted the problems. They have been highlighted by youth organisations. FDYS in County Wexford did an extensive study around young people. Young people themselves want action to be taken. Even the use of the term "vapes" is wrong.”
“A policy all of us here have been talking about for far too long is the one around over-70s. In no other EU jurisdiction, nor in the North or Britain, is there a provision whereby those aged over 70 are excluded from driving school buses. There are requirements to ensure they are competent. They have to pass tests every year and the drivers and bus companies do not have a problem with doing that. This is a case where the Minister of State should take control of the situation. We are tired of it being thrown between Bus Éireann, the contractors, the Road Safety Authority and everybody else. A decision needs to be made, not just for those recently turned 70 but because the age profile of bus drivers shows it is a big challenge attracting new drivers and this problem will only grow.”
“Kids in those areas have gone to those schools for a long period but, because it is not necessarily the nearest education centre, they have not been provided with the bus. We need more flexibility on that. In parishes and communities like Castletown and Coolgreany in north Wexford, depending on where you live in the parish, you are closer to Gorey or Arklow. People are playing the postcode lottery and using other family members' postcodes to ensure they are closer to the school they want to attend. It is crazy that communities are divided in that way. We should have flexibility whereby, provided you want to attend a school within a reasonable radius - 20 or 25 km - you should be able to do that, particularly if there is a tradition in the community of going to that school.”
“I was hoping we would hear more. The Minister of State might indicate that we will see more in the course of this school year. In my area, there is demand for going from the Monamolin-Oulart area into Wexford town. We have an existing service going into Enniscorthy. All the parents are looking for is to extend that to Oulart to take children from there. There is huge demand because these are traditional school routes. Children from the Ferns area want to go to school in Bunclody. If they live a couple of kilometres away in Tombrack, they are able to get the bus. All we ask is to extend that service as a pilot into Ferns. There is a similar request for Ballindaggan-Kiltealy into Bunclody. The reason I talk about these is they are not new routes; they are traditional school routes that have been in operation.”