Michael Cahill
Kerry · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I call on the Minister for housing and local government to intervene in a most urgent matter in County Kerry where subcontractors to Uisce Éireann are being left to wait for two, three or four months without being paid for work that has been carried out. This is not acceptable.”
“With delayed payments, interest should be applied to overdue accounts paid to contractors similar to local authorities, utilities and other bodies that have this payment system. Why not Uisce Éireann? Why should it be allowed to get off scot-free especially with the manner in which it is blackguarding contractors and subcontractors?”
“This is inexcusable. It must be addressed immediately. Contractors and subcontractors to Uisce Éireann are experiencing unacceptable delays. There are huge issues with issuing purchase orders, POs - orders are issued weekly and often contractors wait two months to get PO.”
“On contacting payables by email, contractors are told invoices were not processed or picked up from the previous Monday and there is no payment on the Friday. Furthermore, there is no payment run at the end of the month, which means contractors are waiting another couple of weeks which has been the case.”
“People are flabbergasted by these quotations. People are expected to pay that while contractors are not being paid by Irish Water. They are waiting four months. Uisce Éireann is well able to charge people, but when it comes to payments it is a totally different story.”
“Will the Minister of State please request that Uisce Éireann addresses this incompetence in its payment systems and work with contractors to address these issues?”
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“Will the Minister ask the Minister for Transport to allocate the necessary funding to the NTA for the Connecting Ireland mobility scheme to allow these important routes to proceed?”
“The importance of public transport and connectivity in rural areas cannot be emphasised strongly enough. In that regard, I acknowledge the tremendous work of Alan O'Connell, manager of Kerry Local Link, and his staff. As a councillor, I called a number of years ago for a hop-on, hop-off bus service on the Ring of Kerry. Today, thankfully, there are several buses going in both directions but there is a great need for additional routes. The tender process for the Killarney to Mallow route is complete and we await funding. I will raise three other important routes: Beaufort to Killorglin via Whitefield; Kate Kearney's Cottage at the world-famous tourist attraction, the Gap of Dunloe, to Beaufort village and on to Killarney town; and from Dooks in Glenbeigh to Cromane and on to Killorglin town.”
“I could go on forever listing them. We need to start investing. Is it a matter for the local authority to apply to the Government or Uisce Éireann for funding for these constructed wetlands or will a specific scheme be announced by Irish Water and invitations then put out?”
“In Beaufort, for example, there was €6 million announced for the Beaufort sewerage scheme over two years ago. That was increased recently to €7 million. I have been informed by Irish Water that it will take another seven years before that is up and running. It is far too long. Constructed wetlands are the way to go. I mentioned that some of them are at capacity. My village, Glenbeigh, is at capacity. We recently opened the first completed section of the south Kerry greenway. Huge numbers are using it, which is great to see. Glenbeigh is not greenway-ready, however. I had two planning clients seeking to build hotels specifically for the greenway but they will not get planning permission because there is no treatment system there. There are many such villages across the county, such as Castlegregory, Portmagee, Scartaglen and Cromane.”
“We have been informed that Irish Water is to receive the biggest investment in public infrastructure in the history of the State. That is obviously very welcome. I have been calling for many years, as a councillor and since being elected as a TD for Kerry, for constructed wetlands to be built in our towns and villages. Over 40 of our villages in Kerry are unsewered. Many more are at capacity. Constructed wetlands are quick and efficient and are a much cheaper and easy way to install a system of treating wastewater without the prolonged time of planning and construction. I believe they are the way to go. In the more populated areas, we can put in two or three constructed wetlands. They are environmentally friendly and are one way of sorting our housing crisis in the medium term. I mentioned there are 40 villages unsewered.”
“Short-term letting is a big part of the business in Kerry. It is important to our visitors from all parts of the globe for that opportunity to be there. People invested in short-term letting and in their properties to put their kids through school, etc. They should not be dictated to in regards to what area they should be in.”
“I thank the Minister. Legitimate businesses should be allowed to carry on. Other tactics need to be employed to encourage and attract people into offering long-term letting. I again call for a planning waiver. The Minister has touched on it there. Many of those with whom I deal in Killarney, Dingle, Kenmare and all of the towns in Kerry such as Killorglin, Tralee, Castleisland, Listowel and Cahersiveen, believe if they apply for planning permission, be it short-term or long-term, it could actually be refused. That is a very real concern. There is no point in me re-emphasising the importance of tourism to my county. We pride ourselves on tourism. We believe we are the premier tourist county. It is a great boast to have. We have the scenery. The people involved in the business of tourism in Kerry do it very well.”
“This is a quick, efficient and relatively cheap and easy to install system for treating wastewater without years of planning and construction. The new short-term letting register, managed by Fáilte Ireland, lacks the support of the tourism sector. The fact this register is to focus on just one type of letting has brought it into disrepute. Many believe it is discriminatory towards short-term letting and they are being held responsible for the shortage in long-term lets and the housing crisis. I believe the Airbnb sector has no intention of moving into long-term letting. The hosts have found their niche, pay their taxes and feel they should not be forced out of business.”
“Without the mix in accommodation and flexibility, many people would stay away, despite our fabulous food and stunning scenery offering from Kerry to Donegal. We need to be very careful that we do not kill the golden goose by legislating tourism accommodation providers out of the market. To fill the shortage of all types of lets, we need more premises. This is being addressed with the vacant and derelict property grants. I believe this will grow and can be sped up with more supports, such as with the expected investment in constructed wetlands in our towns and villages across the country, something I have been consistently calling for as a councillor and subsequently, as a TD for Kerry. I believe this would solve the housing shortage in the medium term.”
“The need for short-term lets for visitors to our shores cannot be underestimated in the make-up of the ideal mix of accommodation types to ensure that everybody has a full choice and range to decide from. We need long-term and short-term lets. There is no doubt about that. We need all sorts of accommodation. Restricting any type, such as short-term lets, is a detrimental move. We should encourage more of all types. Kerry is the premier tourist county in Ireland. Killarney is the best tourist town in the country. Local business owners should be consulted before any legislative changes are introduced. A wide range of accommodation types, including hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts and Airbnbs, is a primary reason visitors choose the area and choose Ireland.”
“I want to make sure that does not happen again and the only way that will be resolved is by funding being provided for the locations I have mentioned.”
“The businesses in Killorglin town along the River Laune are subject to tidal flooding and they are living in fear as well. It is a huge problem, not just in Kerry but nationally. There is an urgent need for funding to be made available. I ask the Government to make additional funding available to the Minister of State's Department because I know he will spend it, and it will be spent properly. I thank the Minister of State for his work. The top priority in Kerry - this is coming up at every single meeting of Kerry County Council and I have raised it here - is the residents of Cromane. They will have to relocate if they do not get help now. The damage this does is accompanied by fear and anxiety. Paschal Sheehy has covered the flooding in Cromane live on national television.”
“I was co-opted onto Kerry County Council in January 1990 following the untimely passing of my father. My very first motion was in regard to coastal erosion. That day I referenced Rossbeigh and Cromane. It is ironic that I am speaking all these years later about the same areas. I acknowledge the money that has been spent over the years, but we are talking about now. We are talking about the present and the future. It is like the old saying that a stitch in time saves nine. Again, I am pleading with the Minister of State to allocate the necessary funding to Kerry County Council. We have a proven track record in the quality of the work along with the Minister of State's colleagues in the OPW. I want to emphasise that because I have seen their projects first hand and how good the completed project is.”
“There are other schemes in Tralee, Killarney and Kenmare. The Minister of State is very familiar with these, and he is very much on top of his brief, to be fair. I commend him on his interest and on what he is doing. I hope the Government gives him more funding to carry out all these works.”
“They came up here to see a predecessor of the Minister of State, the current Tánaiste, Simon Harris, when he was Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. They were pleading for funding and were successful on that occasion. The embankment there was in the charge of the old Land Commission. This is a grey area. Historically, the residents would pay an annual fee to the Land Commission and in return it would carry out emergency protection works. That scheme should be reintroduced because they are in no man's land. There are other big schemes. I thank the Minister of State for the funding he has announced. He was in Listowel, which is a massive scheme. I congratulate the Office of Public Works and, indeed, Kerry County Council for the tremendous work they did there.”
“I plead with the Minister of State again today to come to the assistance and to the rescue of the residents of Cromane Lower. The same applies to Glosha, which is in Cromane as well. Going back the road from Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen there is Whitestrand Beach over the water from Cahersiveen. It is subject to continuous erosion. The public toilets are in danger of being washed away. I ask that emergency funding be made available there. Back along the Ring of Kerry road towards Waterville, there is a huge problem with coastal erosion. Submissions have been made regarding Waterville as well. Again, I ask that funding be made available. Regarding Glenbeigh, just a mile from Rossbeigh beach the Minister of State met with residents of Incheraigh. Their homes were flooded. They spent an absolute fortune over the years.”
“On that same day the Minister of State also visited Cromane, a five-minute drive from Rossbeigh, where he met a number of local families whose homes have been subject to flooding. As I keep saying, there is a big difference between rainwater flooding and seawater flooding. It is a different ball game when you have the Atlantic Ocean inside your home. I have witnessed a number of occasions when there has been 3 ft of salt water inside people's homes. Once a place has been flooded it is absolutely impossible to get insurance again. The people there, the residents of Cromane Lower, are living on edge every time there is a high tide. Where the problem really lies is when it coincides with a storm. Our storms are getting more frequent and urgent action is required. The residents cannot sleep in their beds when there are high tides.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, will know that I live by a lovely beach at Rossbeigh in south Kerry. The Minister of State did us the honour of visiting us on his second last trip to Kerry. We are plagued by coastal erosion, storms and damage to our coastline. Since the Minister of State was down with us, we have had a high tide and the public road down by the beach was closed off for a number of days. If we do not get funding fairly soon the play area, including the playground and the tennis court, will be damaged yet again. I ask that the Minister of State would assist Kerry County Council with funding to strengthen the works there and to carry out additional works.”
“I have a question about the funding of Killarney Technology Innovation Centre. The Minister or one of his officials might engage with Conor O'Leary, Sean Counihan and the team there. I acknowledge the work of the Minister on the Pretty Polly site. I ask him to ensure that in the new year, Kerry Education and Training Board will progress the project. Could he also try to resolve the green cert issue in MTU in Tralee for the students? If I may be a little cheeky, I wish the Cromane ladies team the very best in the all-Ireland final in Parnell Park on Sunday. I congratulate Ballymacelligott, An Ghaeltacht and Dingle on winning the junior, intermediate and senior Munster finals last weekend.”
“There has been considerable engagement between all stakeholders regarding CCTV cameras and, in particular, the preparation of a data protection impact assessment for the Killarney scheme. The final approval of that assessment is still awaited and no commencement date, project timeline or installation schedule has been provided. I plead with the Tánaiste to intervene and, maybe, speak to the relevant authorities, as well as An Garda Síochána and Kerry County Council.”
“Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has been campaigning along with Kerry County Council for a CCTV system to be provided in Killarney town for over 20 years. Promises have been made and repeated time and time again. Promises were made that camera systems would be installed at several locations in the town centre and in key areas on the outskirts. The matter has topped the agenda of both the council and the chamber on a constant basis. Apparently, funding had been provided yet no progress has been made. I wish to acknowledge the tireless work of the local councillors in Killarney. The whole issue seems to have hit a roadblock. While there is lingering hope, there is no great confidence in the town that CCTV will be delivered until data protection issues are addressed.”
“I believe toxicology reporting and testing in these cases is critical and it should be carried out in all suspected cases. Will the Minister commit to establishing a clear national pathway across all hospitals and Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated and investigated promptly and supported, as I said, by appropriate clinical and policing protocols? I cannot emphasise strongly enough how serious this matter is. I genuinely fear that the number of such instances will increase. It is a sly way of people getting what they want. I would ask the Minister - he will be strong on this - to ensure that every measure is taken to ensure that the people who carry out these offences are prosecuted and treated extremely harshly by the courts.”
“Can the Minister outline in more detail the protocols that are in place for a patient who presents at the accident and emergency department and reports suspected drink spiking and the reason hospitals do not carry out intoxication testing in these cases, especially when requested by patients and families?”
“I thank the Minister for his detailed response and I welcome everything he said. I believe the numbers involved are increasing. I am basing that on reports coming to my constituency office, and telephone calls and meetings I am having with young women and, on occasion, young ladies with their mums. Sadly, the Minister is correct in saying that many of these suspected spiking incidents involved rape. I believe we need to protect our women. We need to do everything humanly possible. Of course, it is difficult to prove, in that the person may have one or two drinks as well.”
“I ask the Minister to outline the measures in place to ensure timely Garda statements and preservation of evidence in suspected spiking incidents where a victim is incapacitated. What measures are in place in Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated as crimes and investigated promptly? Are these measures supported by appropriate policing protocols? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?”
“The causes are many and include housing and employment, but locally many more are at play. We need to have them identified, targeted and solved in as short a timespan as possible. I plead with the Government to set up this depopulation task force for south Kerry.”
“I urge the immediate initiation of a task force and I again call on the Government today to set that up with strong guidelines and short timelines to put the expertise of the hand-picked members to work as efficiently and quickly as possible to identify the many causes of depopulation and find solutions to it. In that news segment, south Kerry was highlighted not only by the Kerry county board demographics officer, Michael Murphy, but also by the south Kerry GAA board chairperson, Joe McCrohan, and of course one of the all-time great Kerry footballers from the region, Bryan Sheehan. South Kerry Iveragh is the perfect location for this task force on depopulation where the problem is most acute. Last November, I brought a delegation to Kerry County Council with the name "Three" to make a presentation.”
“Population change is having an effect across our wider rural communities, with fewer people in the area to support local businesses, shops, post offices, restaurants, pubs and so on. When fewer children are attending local schools, teaching and SNA posts are in danger, if not entire schools.”
“We want to continue to win all-Irelands. The problem with depopulation is that it will filter its way upwards in the coming years, through the more senior age groups, and wipe out many locally organised volunteer sports clubs and force parents and players to travel long journeys to take part, if indeed they continue. I sincerely thank the Minister. The Minister has already helped Dingle GAA, An Ghaeltacht GAA, Listry GAA, Rathmore GAA and many more. As stated by the Kerry GAA county board demographics officer, GAA clubs are a reflection of the communities they serve. It is vital that young people are encouraged and supported to live and work in rural areas, in our towns and villages and in our vibrant economic and social hubs.”
“The CLÁR programme exists to support less well-off areas and remote areas. I thank the Minister for the funding he announced recently. He may have seen a recent report on RTÉ News, fronted by Marty Morrissey, outlining the effects of depopulation on local GAA clubs in remote rural areas, particularly in south Kerry where up to five clubs have to amalgamate at under age level in order to field a team. Will the Minister accommodate the immediate and timely set-up of a depopulation task force in south Kerry? I appreciate that.”
“We need to help them. There is a fabulous facility at St. Mary of the Angels in Beaufort. There is already residential care there. There is St. Francis Special School there. There are a lot of facilities. There is a special swimming pool there.”
“She might speak to my party colleague the Minister for children and disabilities, Deputy Foley, who is well aware of the problem. I have met people on a number of occasions individually and collectively, particularly the mothers. Their stories are harrowing. It is just not fair. What is happening is illegal. It is criminal. They are at the end of their tether. It is 24-7. They do not get a wink of sleep and a lot of them cannot get respite for five, six or seven months. That is a huge crime and we should be embarrassed about it. I am begging the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Government to make sure that an adequate number of respite beds is provided both for under-18s and over-18s. It is something I made a priority when I was elected to Dáil Éireann on the night of 1 December at 10 o'clock. It is hugely important to me.”
“I thank the Minister of State. We have to do more. These families in Kerry are suffering every single day of the week because of the chronic lack of respite for both children and adults with profound disabilities. They have been let down by the State. We have to help them and if we do not, we are all failures. Obviously, I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach has made disabilities a priority for this Government, and rightly so. The bottom line is that we have to deliver an adequate number of residential respite beds for all the children and adults with disabilities and their families in County Kerry and throughout the country. It is a priority for the Government and the Minister of State is in a position to deliver this.”
“John of God's, Orchard Care, T1 Healthcare and the Kerry Parents and Friends Association. Fantastic facilities are being operated in Kerry at Whitefield, Beaufort on the campus of St. Joseph's Special School by St. John of God's. I urge the Minister to use this already owned property and buildings to further develop respite places for the families of Kerry in this wonderful setting, generously donated for a specific purpose by the Doyle family of Beaufort.”
“In parts of Kerry, particularly the peninsula of Corca Dhuibhne, Dingle, and west Kerry and Uíbh Ráthach, Iveragh, and south Kerry, there are difficulties in attracting suitably qualified staff to operate these respite beds. That is a huge problem. I believe we should now also consider offering added incentives to potential employees to come and work in these lesser populated areas away from the bright lights and also for those who might be persuaded to return home from abroad if circumstances suited. We can also accept that different patients have different requirements, but these are already being cared for, mainly by family members, who in the vast majority of cases have no training or qualification in this field whatsoever. I thank those staff who operate respite beds in Kerry and the companies that administer them, such as St.”
“The number of respite beds available for patients with special needs for use by six- to 18-year-olds in Kerry confirmed to me recently by the HSE is eight on seven nights a week, split evenly between north and south Kerry. The number of respite beds available for patients with special needs for use by those over the age of 18 is ten on seven nights a week and five on three nights a week. It would be extremely helpful if we could know the numbers of families that this level of respite beds are caring for, the average regularity of this care offered to any family and the total number of respite beds required to be in place in Kerry to give every family a monthly break.”
“All of us have set hours in our week, even our fantastic front-line healthcare staff, but many who care for special needs patients advise that it has been many months since they have had an overnight break to allow them to massage their brains and relieve all their built-up stress and pressure. Caring for special needs patients is a full-time job in the real sense of the word, in many cases entailing doing and supporting all functions for them, including the most basic. The cost to the Department of Health to provide once-monthly respite to all those qualifying would be negligible in comparison with the cost if these carers were not willing and able to act in lieu of the State, saving costs of hundreds of additional qualified staff and a vastly increased number of full-time residences for a large percentage of these patients.”
“I am anxious to get to the root of the numbers of respite beds not only available but also those required to bring us to a position whereby all families can avail of this vital service monthly. Respite is an extremely vital service and a survival requirement for many families, carers and patients. When dealing with patients with special needs, many carers and loved ones have to be available 24 hours a day to attend to all the needs of their charges. Respite gives all involved an opportunity to recharge the batteries with a change of pace. Even going to the shops without worrying about the patient will release tensions, both physical and mental. People caring for patients with special needs are well entitled to a monthly break as a basic human right.”
“We have the best horse trainers, jockeys, greyhound owners and trainers, and supporters. There is no better place to go than a night at the dogs in Tralee. Equally, there is no better place to go than the September meeting in Listowel. A lot of people build a week's holidays around that particular week. I wish to raise the issue of horse and pony association funding. It was stopped two years ago. It was getting €80,000. There are 26 meetings nationally. This is where all our great jockeys start off, the likes of Paul Townend, Ruby Walsh and Jack Kennedy. There are 26 meetings nationally and they should be helped out and provided for. We are providing big funding to the association and I believe €80,000 is a small amount of money in the overall funding context. We should be supporting it.”
“I strongly support the horse and greyhound racing industry. We have, as has been mentioned, a couple of great meetings in Killarney on a number of occasions every year. There is the Listowel September meeting and, indeed, other dates in Listowel as well. This provides a massive contribution to the local economy in Kerry and creates employment and enjoyment. I was in Curraheen Park recently with some friends of mine, including the Clifford brothers, whose dog, Solo and Go, was just pipped on the line in the Irish Laurels final. The Laurels is, of course, named after the The Laurels hostelry in Killarney, which is a great pub and restaurant. We should be proud of what we have invested over the years in both industries and I believe we should continue to do so.”
“It lost out on the fishing of wild salmon and all of that, with only a small element of that there today. This is hugely important. There are young people employed in the sector. They are contributing to their local communities, building houses, rearing families and contributing to every aspect of daily life. We want to keep them there and, as I keep saying, we want to keep rural Ireland alive. I will keep raising this hugely important matter until such time as it is addressed. I thank the Minister of State for his work. I put it on the record of the House that we are lucky to have him.”
“I acknowledge the Minister of State's work in this area to date and the fact that he has prioritised the issue of delays relating to the processing of aquaculture licences. He is very much on top of his brief, as I know from dealing with companies and people involved in the industry throughout my county, especially, and, indeed, further afield. I talk to all those people. I know he will pursue this to a satisfactory conclusion but, as things stand, the situation is totally unsatisfactory. It is more than annoying, particularly for the families I referred to in coastal communities in my county and further afield. I am sure he will get to the bottom of it. It is sad this has gone on for so long. I have mentioned An Cromán many times. It is probably the oldest fishing village in the whole of Ireland.”
“As the Minister of State is aware, I had a number of cases where fishermen and small companies submitted applications when their existing licences were due to expire. Grant aid was available to expand their businesses and they had shovel-ready projects. However, their applications were not processed on time and the projects fell by the wayside. These fishers - men and women - are very annoyed by the manner in which they have been treated by the Department. We must address these deficiencies, get our act together and get to the root of the problem. As I said, I have raised this issue numerous times. We simply must get it right.”
“The Minister of State must agree that waiting up to 20 years to get the go-ahead for your businesses or for the local firm that will give you and your family members employment is totally unacceptable. We must find the reason this has happened in order that we can correct it and bring all the fine aquaculture operators on our Irish coastline, from Castletownbere to Killybegs, into the market without further delay. Young fishermen and fisherwomen can earn a decent living, build that family home, buy a car, live in their own communities and contribute to everyday life in historical fishing communities where there is no other form of employment. If, however, they have to wait years to have an aquaculture licence processed, they will bail out, many to foreign shores, never to return.”
“Is it a fault in the application system itself? Is it a computer error or deficiency? Is it a lack of manpower? I am very slow to ask, but is there a deficiency in the training of those who are assigned the task of passing judgment on these applications? Is there an unwillingness to grant more licences? This incredible waiting list is putting at risk businesses and livelihoods that are the lifeblood of our coastal communities. There must be a reason for the delay. Applicants absolutely need to know what chance their application has of succeeding and how long their business hopes and dreams may have to wait. I have been raising this issue for many years as a member of Kerry County Council and, more recently, since I became a Member of Dáil Éireann.”
“They regularly feature on the podium of Bord Bia quality awards, showing how well regarded they are in the industry and by the accommodation and hospitality sector. Cromane mussels and oysters are famous not just here at home but all over the world. It is the same for all our coastal communities throughout the land as the produce of the Irish aquaculture industry is much sought after by clients at home and abroad. We pride ourselves on the quality of what we produce, supply and export. We pride ourselves on the top-class companies we have. I am flabbergasted by even the thought that aquaculture licences for oysters, mussels and clams, and you could even include salmon as well, can take so long - for example, two, five, ten, 15 or anything up to 20 years. I would be very interested to know how such a scenario could come about.”
“As the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, knows, I was born and reared in a coastal location, that is, the beautiful Rossbeigh beach in Glenbeigh, County Kerry, which forms part of Castlemaine Harbour, adjacent to Dingle Harbour, and includes places like Cromane, which is steeped in the history and culture of fishing. They are leaders in the art of aquaculture there. Companies in Cromane and many more throughout the country, including County Kerry, such as Dingle Seafood, Quinlan's in Cahersiveen and Kenmare and companies from Bantry Bay all the way up to the top of Donegal, supply their wares all over Ireland and different parts of Europe, including France, Italy, Holland, Spain and Germany. Exports also go to Asian countries, such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand, as well as the UK and the United States.”
“In my county of Kerry, there are several locations where mobile phone coverage is either non-existent or subject to regular interruption. These include the Tralee to Dingle road, Camp, Anascaul, Glencar, Gneevgullia, the Black Valley, Ballintleave, Curraheen near the Kerry bog village, Mountain Stage, Dromaclaurig, Ballinskelligs, to name just a few. These areas suffer regularly due to an unfulfilled mobile service. Could the Tánaiste clarify with the Minister if the Department has plans to deal with this issue? Can we get timelines for delivery of 100% mobile telephone coverage to all of Kerry and Ireland?”
“We all accept that mobile phones now play a major part in the social and working lives of the vast majority of our citizens. We become more and more reliant on them as the weeks and months roll by. Can we ask the Minister for communications if works are planned to improve mobile phone coverage in County Kerry and all over Ireland in those blackspots we all come across in our daily lives? These blackspots, for whatever reason, be it mountain shade or otherwise, continue to interrupt the social and business lives of our citizens if they are only passing through them but more particularly and deeply if they happen to live within blackspot boundaries. This issue must be addressed, especially to allow us to deal with emergencies.”
“I ask the Minister to look closely at the issue and to carry out a pilot study. It is the very least that the people of Kerry deserve. Everyone should have access to the same level of high quality service as people who are living in our capital. I ask the Minister of State to ensure that this matter is taken on board. I would like to see both Corca Dhuibhne and Uíbh Ráthach being used for pilot studies for the benefit of the entire country.”