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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“I again raise the Presidency of the European Union. The Heads of State will be coming to Ireland next year, and I specifically mention Killarney as a destination for meetings and a place to stay. We have the best of hotels. There are 42 hotels in Killarney. We have the best of hotels and the best of restaurants. We have the national park, the Lakes of Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, the Gap of Dunloe-----”
“I ask the Minister of State to relay the importance of this issue to his Cabinet colleagues. I cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of this issue and how difficult it is for all the families concerned in Kerry. I have no doubt it is similar in other counties and throughout the country. I am pleading again. It is an opportune site and an opportune location for the Department of children, the HSE and St. John of God to make a plan and not shove the can down the road any further. They are sick to death of hearing this over many years. It is time for action. It is in the programme for Government. It is supposed to be a priority of Government. We need it to happen now.”
“As I mentioned earlier, I have met parents individually and collectively. Their stories are harrowing and would break your heart. That is not good enough. We have a facility in the heart of the county, in mid-Kerry not far from where I live. It is a beautiful top-class campus. To see what St. Francis special school is doing for the children there. There is a big gap when the children reach 18 years of age and go on to adulthood. We need to address this sooner rather than later.”
“Historically, the respite at Cúnamh Iveragh respite centre in Cahersiveen has been offered from Friday to Sunday. It is only running at half-capacity. There were four beds there. It is two adults per night instead of four. I am reliably informed the issue is that the HSE is not releasing the funding. I cannot understand or accept that. I ask the Minister of State to address this issue. The facility should be available to the parents who are crying out for overnight respite. This should be done sooner rather than later. In every corner of our county there are parents begging and it is not good enough and not fair. Again, I am pleading here tonight. I have raised this matter several times since I was elected to Dáil Éireann on 1 December at 10 o'clock. It is a top priority for me and my constituents in Kerry, and especially the families.”
“They are only getting one or two weekends in the year. A working group is being formed. St. John of God, the HSE and representatives of the residents, St. Mary of the Angels and St. Francis school and others need to sit down and get respite provided there as soon as humanly possible. Parents are worn out and they need help. There are very few positions in respite available in our county. It is in the programme for Government to make disability a key factor. Now is the time; it is opportune. We have the site, the campus, the buildings and the services there. Please help these people. They need all our help. They have been forgotten about for far too long. I have met with the parents individually and collectively. Their stories are harrowing. I am pleading again tonight to help these people. It is a small ask.”
“A one-size-fits-all approach has to be taken into consideration as many of the children who attend St. Francis Special School or many of the children in the county with profound needs need a safe haven where they can roam the grounds freely. St. Mary of the Angels offers this. Houses in the community, while they are necessary, do not meet the needs of all the children who are by and large young adults or adults today. A number of Ministers have visited the campus in recent times, including the Minister, Deputy Foley, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and, more recently, the Minister of State Deputy Naughton. Others will be visiting the campus in the near future. The time is opportune to push this on and develop it for respite. Families are crying out for help. They are at the end of their tether, to be honest about it.”
“St. Mary of the Angels and St. Francis Special School in Beaufort in the heart of County Kerry is a very special place. The special needs community in Kerry has a major respite crisis. The families do not have the time to wait. The ground and the campus at St. Mary of the Angels should be made accessible now. Families do not have time to wait. They need help. They are not asking for full-time residential care but respite care, a break and a helping hand. Having more respite will cost the Government far less than full-time residential places. The Doyle family, who so generously donated these lands many years ago for children with profound disabilities and special needs, should have their wishes followed through. There are services there, empty buildings and 30 acres of prime development land.”
“I previously did so on many occasions as a councillor in County Kerry, and I am calling on him again this evening to make a very strong cases for continued student fee reductions to the Minister for Finance and the Minister for public expenditure in the budgetary discussions. I am convinced that the Minister will deliver for our students and their futures and for all our futures in this budget and future budgets, as committed to in the programme for Government.”
“Accommodation, transport, food, books, etc., are extremely expensive in Ireland today, and this reduction in fees must be carried forward so that students can continue with their further education. We are speaking about the hard-pressed middle here. They deserve a break and they deserve our support. It is particularly difficult for parents with two or three students going to college. Education of our youth is vital, not alone to them but also to the economy of our country. It is only right and fitting that we continue to invest in our students for all our futures. Every student should have the right to undertake a college degree or diploma in their chosen fields, professions and trades and should not be held back by onerous fees. I have already raised this important matter with the Minister.”
“I, too, welcome the students to the Gallery this evening. The last three budgets reduced the cost of third level student fees by €1,000 per annum as part of the wider cost-of-living packages introduced by the Government. I am pressing the Minister to continue these reductions in fees for students on an ongoing basis as they and their families are hard-pressed to afford them. The cost-of-living crisis is still very much with us. Some might say that €1,000 is not a very large sum of money in the modern world, but I can vouch for the fact that it is very large to students and their families. I have been contacted by students and their families from all corners of County Kerry. I know students who are rising at 5 a.m. to go to work to earn a few bob towards college.”
“I also believe we must grant planning permission for high-rise apartment blocks where appropriate. These are the planning changes required to help our people acquire a home, which is a basic right.”
“We must zone plenty of land, not just in our cities, but around all towns and villages, to give people options of affordable, social, private and low-cost sites. The provision of wastewater treatment facilities is a huge issue. I mentioned before that €6 million was announced for Beaufort village more than two years ago. I have been informed it will take at least another seven years before there is a sewerage scheme there. Constructed wetlands are a cheaper and quicker solution. We have 40 unsewered villages in Kerry. A number of others, including my own village of Glenbeigh, have been at capacity for approximately 25 years. We must bring developers with us. They can and will provide wastewater treatment facilities that are up to an acceptable standard.”
“We must relax planning requirements and introduce modular housing. I believe a marked improvement will be seen in early course in our efforts to house our people. Naturally, we need a mix of affordable, social and private, including low-cost sites. There is plenty of land and old buildings around Killarney available from the HSE. I urge the Minister of State to engage with the HSE with regard to acquiring this land. This land has been available for between 20 and 30 years, and the buildings are unoccupied for equally as long. My son, Councillor Tommy Cahill, has also raised the matter of modular homes and we will pursue this important issue for our people. I am a great believer in modular homes. We must grant them and address the planning laws accordingly.”
“We are forcing planning applicants onto our housing lists by refusing one-off houses. This has the effect of making the problem worse. We must reverse this now and get to a situation where houses are available to those who need them most. I am anxious to get housing units available for all. I have consistently urged the introduction of good quality modular houses to increase the supply available. Modular houses of a very high standard are available. They are economical to buy, build, heat and maintain, and they have a lifespan of up to 80 years. Many people have told me they would be delighted with such a home. Young couples in Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Castleisland, Killarney, Dingle and Kenmare confirmed to me they would be more than happy with a modular home. They are a quick solution to what is a real crisis. We must free up land.”
“Urgent action is required to address the lack of housing available across Ireland and local authorities are at the heart of the solution. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage must request and direct all local authorities to play their part in addressing the housing crisis. Local authorities urgently need to start granting planning permission for one-off housing. I again call on the Minister to request all local authorities to play their part. They can do this by amending their county development plans and area plans and by granting planning permission to all applicants who clearly demonstrate a rural housing need. Applicants who are from an area, who live in it, who work in it or who went to school in it should qualify for planning permission to build a home there.”
“I have had many inquiries regarding back garden cabins from constituents all over County Kerry. They must be allowed to go ahead and they should also be available for rent. Local authorities should be able to adjudicate on small to medium-sized infrastructural projects by way of Part 8, even where environmental impact assessments are necessary, instead of such projects being sent to An Bord Pleanála. On rural settlement policy, we must get planning authorities to remove the zoning category of rural area under significant urban influence from all plans. It is discriminatory. At the very least, we must remove the word "significant" from the description. As a result of this zoning, there are issues around all towns and villages in my county, including Killarney, Killorglin, Cahersiveen.”
“One cannot get around the town. I am repeating myself by calling it a nightmare because that is exactly what it is. I plead with the Minister of State to take it up with Transport Infrastructure Ireland to make a case to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I have already mentioned it to Deputy O'Brien on a number of occasions and, obviously, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for public expenditure. I will be hammering this issue again in here until such time as it is delivered.”
“Killarney is the best town in Ireland for a town of its size. It is also the best town in Europe for a town of its size. Everyone goes to Killarney. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how important this project is. It is in the making for quite a number of years but it has come to the point where action is required right now. It should be at the very top of the political priority list. It should be at the very top of Transport Infrastructure Ireland's priority list. I am again pleading for the funding to be made available and to expedite this hugely important piece of infrastructure. It is Kerry County Council's top priority also. I mentioned the Chamber of Tourism and Commerce in Killarney. This is hugely important to the chamber. Its members see on a daily basis the effects of the chronic traffic jams and delays, etc.”
“This is a priority for the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce and for all of us, including Kerry County Council. Killarney is a tourism flagship and attracts visitors in their hundreds of thousands, bringing much-needed foreign currency to these shores. The Government must support our tourism industry by forging ahead with the bypass from Killarney to Farranfore, or the Kerry-to-Cork economic corridor as the Taoiseach called it. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, must provide the funding at the earlier possible date. As Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on tourism, this is also a priority for me. I have raised this issue on several occasions in this House and I am pleading for this important infrastructure to be expedited.”
“It is of the utmost importance that the Government continues to support the Killarney to Farranfore project financially, planning-wise, etc. A sum of €3 million has already been allocated this year by my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Local residents in Killarney regularly miss trains and buses and doctor and dentist appointments. It could take six or seven minutes to walk from St. Mary's Cathedral in Killarney to the railway station, but 35 minutes or 40 minutes in traffic. Taxi drivers have told me that to get around the town is a nightmare daily. Delivering goods to retail outlets is also a nightmare. I have experience of spending well over an hour getting from Lissivigeen to Fossa, a distance of just a few miles.”
“The town of Killarney is choked with traffic almost daily. This is causing mass frustration for residents, local businesses and visitors alike. Members of the public are missing trains and buses, along with GP, dental and hospital appointments, and many others, because of the gridlock. Killarney in County Kerry is the capital of tourism in Ireland and is the main reason for visiting this country for many foreign travellers. Killarney has been catering for tourists since Victorian times and is renowned for its professionalism in the sector due to its long years of experience. This success that Killarney has at attracting visitors to the town has brought about a chronic traffic gridlock problem that must now be dealt with via a planned new road or bypass from Lissivigeen just outside Killarney and onwards to Farranfore.”
“The staff in this school have gone above and beyond the call of duty through Covid, emergency enrolments and increasing levels of need, yet the Department's response is a reduction in support. It is not only unfair but unsustainable. I call on the Tánaiste to engage with the Minister for education and for the Government to reverse this decision, listen to those working on the ground and support DEIS schools trying to deliver inclusive education in some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable.”
“I want to raise an urgent and deeply concerning issue regarding a DEIS school in my constituency, Scoil Saidhbhín in Cahersiveen, County Kerry. It has just had its appeal against a cut of two mainstream teachers and one English as an additional language, EAL, post rejected. This is despite an ongoing surge in enrolment, including more than 40 Ukrainian pupils and recent IPAS admissions. This school, already stretched to capacity, now faces class sizes of up to 40 children, many with complex emotional, linguistic and educational needs. These are children dealing with trauma, ASD diagnoses and language barriers, and now they are being asked to learn in classrooms that are bursting at the seams.”
“Columbanus home in Killarney, and the list goes on. I plead with the Minister of State to bring about accountability here and bring those responsible before us, particularly at the Joint Committee on Health as that would be a good starting point. I do not see any reason they should be allowed to refuse. I have seen that happening at the Committee of Public Accounts recently. That is another issue I have commented on publicly already. Anyone invited in should be brought in.”
“At the end of the day, it is ultimately responsible for what has happened in both of those homes. Both homes were in receipt of millions of euro of taxpayers' money. There should be accountability here. The idea of our elderly people being afraid of going into long-term care is frightening. It is a sad day and a sad reflection on our society in this day and age in 2025. The sad thing about it is that all other nursing homes are being tarnished because of this. There has to be accountability. We have great community hospitals in Kerry. We have some of the very best. We have wonderful directors of nursing, matrons, nurses, doctors, carers, caterers, cleaners, etc., in places such as Cahirciveen Community Hospital, Valentia Island Community Hospital, St. Joseph's nursing home in Killorglin, St.”
“Since the airing of the "RTÉ Investigates" programme on national television, families feel terrified. They do not know what way to turn. My constituency office in Killarney, County Kerry, is inundated with queries about home care. Those queries are asking what is available to families to look after their loved ones at home. Many of these would be under extreme pressure to be able to cope at home but they are turning away from private nursing homes following the recent scandal. There is no doubt about that. Regarding sanctions, penalties, suspensions, termination of contract, what has happened in that area? As the Minister of State will know, I raised the issue of the company involved coming before the Joint Committee on Health, which I am a member of. The company should be brought in. There is no doubt about that.”
“I urge the Taoiseach to liaise with the Ministers for Health, Finance and public expenditure to introduce this vaccine as soon as possible.”
“The national immunisation programme should include a vaccination for shingles free of charge for all our citizens. A vaccine to prevent shingles would be of great benefit to the entire population but would particularly benefit older people who are more susceptible to viral disease. Shingles can be quite painful and debilitating and these effects are more pronounced in older people. The costs would be beyond the budget of many and as a public health issue, a nationwide free vaccination scheme would benefit the entire population. Given that it is available free of charge in Northern Ireland, it should also be available here. We must support and protect our most vulnerable, those with health issues and those getting on in years.”
“That is why I have put forward four or five different options. Otherwise, we will not reach our targets. I also look forward to the €100,000 over-the-shop grant being introduced. It will be a budgetary measure that will help with the provision of more accommodation.”
“Plenty of land is available in Kerry from the HSE. It has not been used in years, and there are plenty of buildings also that could be quite easily turned into one- and two-bedroom homes. Negotiations between the Kerry County Council and the HSE have been going on for as long as I can remember. We need to put the skids under Uisce Éireann regarding the provision of wastewater treatment facilities. We have up to 40 villages in Kerry where there is no sewerage treatment. I am a big believer in constructed wetlands. They are much cheaper, they are a success and they can be provided in a much shorter period. We must start providing cluster-type developments and, as others mentioned earlier, we must allow developers to provide the treatment facilities. Uisce Éireann is not going to do it. Above all else, we must give our people choices.”
“We need to zone land and open up planning permission for people, especially for one-off houses. We need to provide affordable houses and social houses. We need to provide private housing, low-cost sites and good-quality modular homes. We need to give choices to our people. I am convinced that good-quality modular homes are part of the solution here. Four or five modular homes can be provided for the price of one affordable house. They are better insulated and much warmer. They can be erected at speed. I am focusing on modular homes because I meet young couples in every town and village in Kerry. I meet people in Killarney, Dingle, Killorglin, Cahirsiveen, Kenmare and Castleisland. I meet their parents. They would be very happy with modular homes because they are desperate. That is the bottom line.”
“The boys of Barr na Sráide are waiting a long time. That is why I am raising the issue today. I emphasise that the Ring of Kerry is as important to us as the M50 is to Dublin. It is Ireland's premier tourist route. The town of Cahersiveen needs urgent attention, as I have outlined, as, indeed, do Killorglin and the Killarney to Farranfore bypass. I am pleading with TII, especially, to listen to our calls. I am not the first person to call for funding for the Ring of Kerry; many of my colleagues have done so over decades. It is about time the people of south Kerry are treated in the manner they should be treated. I note and welcome the regeneration scheme funding of €6.5 million for Killorglin.”
“A bypass is required but it is a long way down the road. In the meantime, short-term measures are required. On the subject of bypasses, Killarney town must be put at the very top of TII's agenda. The town is absolutely choked with traffic. People are missing doctor and dentist appointments, trains and buses. It is impossible for delivery trucks, electricians, plumbers and all types of tradespeople to get from A to B. Taxi drivers tell me the town is a nightmare to get around. The Killarney to Farranfore project must be prioritised. I included in my submission on the programme for Government that the Ring of Kerry road and the Killarney bypass must be prioritised. I welcome that my colleague the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has announced €3 million for that.”
“The south Kerry greenway will be Kerry's biggest and best ever tourism project, commencing in Glenbeigh and going on to Cahersiveen through the three tunnels, over the viaduct at Kells and down to Reenard Point. It is progressing well, with the first completed sections opening in the near future. However, Glenbeigh and Cahersiveen are not greenway-ready. The road in the vicinity of Filemore National School is extremely dangerous, as is the section between the viaduct and Caitins Pub and Accommodation at Kells. The condition of the road at Coad between Waterville and Caherdaniel near O'Carroll's Cove is not much better. The town of Killorglin also requires urgent attention, with both the streets and footpaths needing immediate upgrading. The daily traffic jams in Killorglin need to be addressed.”
“The Taoiseach is very familiar with the Ring of Kerry road from his visits to south Kerry and Valentia Island. I emphasise the importance of the Ring of Kerry. It is Ireland's premier tourist route but it is 70% substandard. The roads and footpaths through Cahersiveen have been in a shocking condition for many years. Local businesses, residents and visitors are outraged. They feel, rightly so, that they and the people of Iveragh have been forgotten. There is an ongoing €19.5 million regeneration scheme in Cahersiveen. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has been well aware of the issues for many years. My village of Glenbeigh is in urgent need of traffic-calming measures, including upgrading of roads and footpaths, pedestrian crossings and public lighting.”
“I wish the Minister, Deputy Browne, well and will support him in any way I can. I know his heart is in the right place. We will get to the end of this crisis but it will take doors being knocked down, windows being opened, etc.”
“What is the longest vacant local authority house in each local authority area? What number will be repaired? What number will be sold? What will happen to the remainder? There may be title issues, boundary issues, etc. Can we be told when the properties will be sold, repaired, etc? To address the housing crisis, we need to make radical decisions. We need to zone land in all our towns and villages. We need to zone lands for affordable, social and private housing. We also need to zone land for modular homes. We need to give our people a choice. We should make low-cost sites available to our citizens. In that regard, we need somebody radical. I hope he will forgive me for saying it, but we may need somebody like Michael O'Leary to be given a free rein. This problem is sortable.”
“Local authorities need to do much more about our vacant council housing stock. We have houses vacant for one, five, ten, 15 or 20 years, or longer. Some of these properties are beyond repair. Others require substantial works. There are vacant rural cottages that were part of a farm and that family members wish to buy and have been trying to do so for many years. Where there is value for money, of course we should be doing up these properties and reallocating them to qualified housing applicants; where it is too costly to repair them, we need to sell them off as soon as possible and put the moneys raised back into replenishing the housing stock. I would like to get the figures for the number of properties vacant for more than one year, five years, 15 years and 20 years in each local authority.”
“The closure of Skellig Michael to landings is a crime. It is having a detrimental effect on the local economy and the economies of Iveragh, south Kerry and the entire county. People come from every corner of the world to visit this very special, majestic place, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The knock-on effect this is having, not just on boat operators, but on local hotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, shops, restaurants, pubs, filling stations, etc., cannot be calculated. I ask the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Kevin Boxer Moran, to do everything humanly possible to get this open as soon as possible. I cannot emphasise it strongly enough. That is why I am raising the importance of reopening it yet again in this House. Could the court case be brought forward?”
“There is a need to accelerate all of our regeneration schemes that have commenced and to expedite and accelerate town centre first schemes. They are a way of tackling dereliction. I would like to see the €100,000 over-shop grant introduced ASAP because it is another way of tackling dereliction and providing badly needed houses in rural towns and villages. There are two schemes ongoing in Kerry, the Killorglin and Cahersiveen regeneration schemes. I would like to see them accelerated. I refer also to the Kenmare and Castleisland town centre first schemes along with Dingle and others.”
“I have come across senior citizens from Glencairn, Callanafersy, Keel and Castlemaine who wish to move to Killorglin town. They wish to be near the local shop, the post office, the church and the doctor. I have cases where senior citizens in Rathmore and Barraduff wish to move to Killarney town for the very same reasons. I have come across cases of senior citizens from Lispole, Anascaul and Ballyferriter who wish to move to Dingle town. I have also come across cases of individuals in Templenoe and Sneem who wish to move to Kenmare town. This is hugely important. There will be a big take-up if a scheme is made available. I have come across many cases and have made Kerry County Council aware of them. Will consideration be given to doing away with the means testing of older people's grants, disabled persons grants and mobility aids grants?”
“Housing for All also pledged additional actions, including guiding and informing enhanced design and construction of age-friendly, universally designed homes and reviewing existing grant programmes to assist older people to live independently. Will the Minister of State provide an update on that? How are local authorities ensuring that the voice of the older person is at the centre of any decision to rightsize and that their choice on where and who they wish to live with must take precedence?”
“I thank the Minister of State for that. Rightsizing generally means moving home in later life into housing that is more suitable. It is more usually known as downsizing. It can also mean adapting your home to make it more age appropriate or considering other housing options. The Housing for All plan sets out that the current and projected need for housing among our older people should be made through clear, target-driven local authority delivery action plans and housing strategies. Can the Minister of State indicate what engagement he has had with local authorities in this regard and whether he is satisfied that they are taking it seriously? Are there any good examples that could be used on a nationwide basis?”
“Will the Minister outline his plans for increasing number of housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence? Will he also provide an update on the development of a policy on rightsizing?”
“Every kind of a lame duck excuse has been given over the years by Irish Water and Uisce Éireann. There are solutions. I raised with the Taoiseach a couple of months ago the matter of constructed wetlands. It is a faster and much cheaper form of treatment. Put the skids under Uisce Éireann. The time for talking is over. Provide the badly needed affordable and social housing our people crave. I also ask the Minister to provide a low-cost sites scheme. There should be a low-cost sites scheme in every town and village in County Kerry and throughout the country. Without the infrastructure we cannot have them.”
“It is anticipated that it will surpass the numbers that were attracted in the first 12 months to both the Waterford and Mayo greenways, which had 250,000 visitors each. I have received a number of preplanning inquiries with regard to hotels and so on but they are at a standstill, for obvious reasons. We urgently require accommodation. Everything is completely stalled by the inaction of Uisce Éireann, which is preventing the people I represent in County Kerry from building a family home or developing a business. The treatment plant at Portmagee, where the boats leave for Sceilg Mhichíl, is also at capacity. The population of many of the villages I mentioned rockets during the summer season. Other villages I must mention are Cromane, Boolteens and Castlemaine. They have been campaigning for sewerage schemes for quite a number of years.”
“Not one of them has progressed other than the announcement for Beaufort. The cost of the Scartaglin scheme in 2019 was €3.5 million. Major investment is also urgently required from Uisce Éireann at 17 small plants in Kerry that effectively require total replacement to meet minimum regulatory standards. These plants have been completely inadequate, overloaded, outdated and beyond upgrade for far too long. Uisce Éireann needs to pull up its socks. The time for action is now. We have a national housing crisis and this also applies to my county. The villages I refer to also include Gneevgullia, Reask, Ballydavid and Ballyferriter in the west Kerry Gaeltacht, and my own village of Glenbeigh has been at capacity for well over 20 years. The south Kerry greenway is coming onstream, with a section due to open later this year.”
““Housing and Critical Infrastructure” is a very appropriate heading for the motion as we cannot have housing without critical infrastructure. In my own county of Kerry, we are in the Dark Ages when it comes to critical infrastructure. The majority of villages in County Kerry do not have any wastewater treatment facilities. In the first week of December 2023, €6 million was announced by the Department for the Beaufort village sewerage scheme but it has not progressed since. I was recently informed that it will take another seven years before Beaufort has a sewerage scheme. There are a total of 32 villages in Kerry without a wastewater treatment scheme. In a report to members of Kerry County Council back in 2019, we were informed that immediate priorities included Beaufort, Scartaglin, Caherdaniel and Currow.”
“It is absolutely critical that it is opened on 10 May. I already mentioned poor weather conditions, etc. There are obviously many every season, particularly in recent seasons. I ask the Minister of State to engage with his ministerial colleague and ask him to do everything on behalf of the people of Kerry to get this wonderful amenity opened as soon as possible.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of Skellig Michael opening on time to the tourism industry in my county. It is fair to say they are very concerned. Every day, there is obviously a loss of earnings, and I ask the Minister of State to engage with his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, and ask that he do everything in his power to resolve this issue on time. I am aware of the legal proceedings but I am also acutely aware of the knock-on effect that the closure or any delay in the opening of Skellig Michael to visitor landings will have on the local economy. I wish to re-emphasise the importance of Skellig Michael to our county and country. Visitors come from all over the world every year to specifically go there. They spend and stay, and they will always be welcome.”