Michael Collins
Cork South-West · Independent Ireland · Ireland
“This matter has been raised twice already this morning, but it is hugely important. I will make a personal appeal to the Taoiseach regarding Skyclarys and the further delay that has now arisen. Yesterday, Emma O'Shea came to Leinster House from west Cork with her mother, father and brother.”
“Another huge problem which normally arises in August is that relating to school buses. Parents have no way to get their children to school because of the nearest school rule. The current and previous programmes for Government contain promises that this will be done away with, but nothing has happened. The rule needs to be abolished.”
“Every parent knows that September has become one of the most expensive months of the year. While free schoolbooks are welcome, many families now face growing costs for other items. Parents are being asked to purchase laptops that cost €400 or more, make increased payments for school transport and pay charges to cover examination fees.”
“Either 25 children are left without a school place this September, or two senior infants classes are merged into one class of 34 children. Does the Minister of State agree that schools should not be punished for helping to solve an enrolment crisis? Will he immediately sanction the additional teaching posts required for St.”
“Education should not be measured by means of the distance someone lives from school, and school transport should not be measured on that basis either. I want to raise a matter that Councillor Bill Clear brought to my attention. It is a very serious issue regarding St. Corban’s National School in Naas in County Kildare.”
“I was chairperson of a board of management and know the difficulties that schools face just because they are one or two children short. That can be made up as the year goes on but it is a crisis that Councillor Clear finds unacceptable.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,574 lines we hold for Michael Collins, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 32.
“Local democracy matters and local communities deserve to have their voices heard. We also need assurances that rural Ireland will benefit equally from these reforms. Faster infrastructure delivery cannot be confined to major urban centres. Rural roads, water services, electricity networks and community infrastructure must receive the same priority if balanced regional development is to become a reality. The Government says that these changes will reduce delays, increase housing supply and improve legal certainty. Those are worthwhile goals. However, the real test will be whether more homes are built, infrastructure projects are delivered faster, and whether the public continues to have confidence in the planning process. Independent Ireland will engage constructively with this Bill.”
“The measures aimed at accelerating electricity, gas and other strategic infrastructure are welcome. Without adequate infrastructure, we simply cannot deliver the housing that people desperately need. We also recognise the potential benefits of allowing approved apartment developments to be modified more easily. If sensible changes can help deliver more homes and improve viability without unnecessary delays, that is something we should support. However, faster planning must never mean less accountability. One concern for Independent Ireland is the growing centralisation of decision-making. The Bill allows regional directors and chief executives to take greater control where deadlines are missed. We must ensure that elected councillors and local representatives are not sidelined in the process.”
“I concur with the welcome you made to the Croke family, a Cheann Comhairle. They have been so helpful to the people of Lowertown and Cross Barry for many years on a voluntary basis, helping people with local gardening and all the works that need to be done there. They are a great addition to be here in the Dáil today. Independent Ireland supports the objective behind this Bill. We all know that our planning system has become too slow, complex and bureaucratic. Delays in planning are delaying homes and infrastructure and frustrating communities right across rural and urban Ireland. There are a number of positive measures in this legislation. The extension of existing development plans provides certainty, while local authorities prepare the new ten-year plan.”
“For those who have solar panels, and some are lucky enough to have them even though the grant is shockingly bad, tell me that what they are getting from Electric Ireland is not going to rise. Electric Ireland will put up the charge if we are using the electricity, therefore, but it will screw over the ordinary hard-working person who has put money into their home and put up solar panels. We are not fighting for renewables and to give people that opportunity or bonus by having renewables in their homes.”
“I wish to address what has become one of the worst examples of public sector mismanagement in the history of the State, the national children's hospital. The Minister for Health recently stated on Gavan Reilly's programme that there should be between 500 and 600 workers on site at the project, but when she asked to see all these workers, she said, "They declined." You could not make it up. Let us consider that for a moment. This project began with an expected cost of less than €1 billion. It is now projected to cost well over €2 billion. It has become the most expensive hospital project in the history of the State and probably the world. Electricity from Electric Ireland is going up by 8% today. We have not been able to bring the electricity companies to task in this country. They can just put up the electricity to any price.”
“Residential property prices have increased by 7.3% in the year to October 2025, with a median dwelling price reaching €381,000. For many young couples and single workers trying to purchase their first homes, those figures place home ownership further out of reach. The Government talks constantly about supply, but people judge housing policy by whether they can afford to buy a home or pay their rent. Childcare is another example of the gap between promises and delivery. Families are repeatedly promised affordable childcare. Parents were told that costs would reduce significantly, yet many families continue to pay hundreds of euro every month simply to go to work. The aspiration was commendable; the delivery has been lacking.”
“Motorists pay approximately €1.85 per litre for petrol and €1.88 per litre for diesel. More than half what motorists pay at the pumps consists of tax, levies and charges. Taxes account for approximately 58% of the price of petrol and 52% of the price of diesel. That is why communities across Ireland witnessed fuel protests. Ordinary hardworking people took the streets because they believed Government policy was making life more expensive and they could not afford to continue. They were not asking for special treatment; they were asking for common sense. Housing remains another major contributor to the cost-of-living crisis. The Government will point to more than 36,000 homes being completed in 2025. While that increase is welcome, affordability remains the real issue.”
“His point was straightforward - the USC was introduced in 2011 as a temporary measure. Fifteen years later, workers continue to pay it despite repeated promises it would be reduced or abolished. The State collects between €4 billion and €5 billion every year through the USC. Meanwhile, families deal with rising housing costs, childcare and fuel costs and energy bills. Independent Ireland believes workers should keep more of the money they earn. That starts with the abolition of the USC. Independent Ireland believes in rewarding people who work but this Government and some in opposition believe in punishing those who work or create employment. The same principle applies to carbon tax. For years, many of us warned carbon tax would increase the cost of everyday living. We were told we were wrong yet today we see the impact.”
“Food prices continue to increase year after year. Food inflation reached 5.1% in 2025 while the price of many everyday grocery items increased substantially. Families see these increases every week as they pay for their shopping. At the same time, the Government continues to speak about economic growth, strong tax revenues and budget surpluses. If the public finances are so healthy, why are so many working households struggling to get ahead? That is the question the Government cannot answer. One area where relief can be provided immediately is through the abolition of the universal social charge. Independent Ireland has consistently argued that the USC has outlived whatever purpose it may once have served. Just last week, Councillor Danny Collins tabled a motion before Cork County Council calling for its abolition.”
“When we discuss the cost-of-living crisis, we need to move beyond the headlines and focus on the reality facing households. The Government points to falling inflation rates as evidence the crisis is easing but inflation measures the speed at which prices are rising. It does not mean prices are returning to previous levels. According to analysis of CSO data, the reality is that overall consumer prices are approximately 24% higher than they were five years ago. Families carry the cumulative impact of five years of rising costs. The increases have been most severe in the areas people cannot avoid. Electricity prices are up 62% since 2021, natural gas prices have more than doubled and home heating fuels have increased by over 60%. They are not luxury expenses; they are basic necessities of life.”
“Everybody will then see there is a chance they will only have to pay €200 per month for childcare. It is all down to the hard struggling parents in this country and the early years childcare providers who have served the country with great distinction.”
“Sometimes if the wife is trying to run the business and is struggling, she is dipping into her husband's income from another sector to keep the doors open. It is astonishing we have let things go that far and that there is so little between profit and loss and between an early years childcare provider surviving and not surviving. The Government must discuss this with them, thrash out the difficulties, get this sorted and nip it in the bud before the next election. It needs to be done. They are willing to sit down. Any time they are sitting down, nobody is listening on the other side. That has been going on for many years. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, to show interest in resolving this crisis if she really is interested in doing so.”
“It is a serious crisis and we are not taking it seriously enough. The people have been promised €200 per month. They are not getting anywhere near it and we are not going to keep the promise the Government made at the rate it is going. I think it is in the programme for Government. The Government will not suddenly give a huge amount of money. It needs to look at and speak to the sector. The people who know are the people working on the ground. The Government does not seem to understand that if they are in crisis and closing their businesses, there is something wrong somewhere. They are not doing it just to pass the time. These are very committed people. The people I spoke to have given time, blood, sweat and tears to their jobs. They are giving it up and paying it out.”
“Unfortunately, we had an uncaring Government then and I think we have an uncaring Government now because the sector is still feeling the pinch. I sat down with the sector's representatives over the last few weeks. I raised it very specifically at Leaders' Questions last week to the Taoiseach. He is not taking in the reality of the crisis they find themselves in. They are not shutting their doors because they want to but because they are given no choice in the matter. Successive Governments have ignored the crisis they are going through. The current Minister needs to step up to the mark and understand that. We speak quite a lot about bills. This week Electric Ireland is raising the price of electricity. Providers have to pay these electricity bills from money they do not have.”
“It must be judged on whether providers remain viable, educators are retained and families can access the early years places they need. That is the question providers and families are asking and it remains unanswered. It is remiss that we have not thanked all involved in the early years childcare sector. They have been through the most enormous nightmare in recent years. I remember when they were outside the gate and the Minister would not even go out and support them on the day. Sometimes it is about standing with a genuine organisation like this. They were not standing out there for the good of their health; they were out there for to keep the doors open. The parents came out in their hundreds to support them.”
“That might be one way of getting votes but for many families it has proven to be a promise that has not been delivered. People took the Government at its word. The sad reality is many children whose parents were promised that support will be well out of early years childcare before meaningful action is taken. Families cannot keep waiting while Government points to spending figures and future plans. A sustainable childcare sector must be able to do more than keep the lights on. Providers need to be able to pay staff fairly, invest in their services, build for the future and expand where communities need places. This is one of the most serious issues today. A childcare system cannot be judged solely on how much Government spends or even by how much parents save.”
“Government points to growth in childcare services but families deserve to know how many additional early years places have actually been created, separate from school-age children. Growth in after-school services is welcome but it does not help parents who cannot find a place for a baby, toddler or preschool child. There is also the ongoing unfairness of historic fee freezes. Providers operating under the same conditions can receive very different levels of income because of decisions made years ago. Government has county-average fee data, so why can providers not be brought up to the county average while wider reforms are examined? Let us not forgot what families were told before the last election. Parents were promised childcare costs of no more than €200 per month.”
“I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. At this late hour, I thank most of the parties who have stayed in here to debate such an important issue. Last week when I raised these issues with the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions, he outlined the level of Government investment in childcare, but investment is not the same as sustainability. The Taoiseach answered how much Government is spending; he did not answer whether providers can survive. All around the country and particularly in rural communities, childcare providers are telling us the current funding model places enormous pressure on them. Participation in core funding is not proof that providers are financially secure. Many remain because they have no realistic alternative. The real question is this: how many providers are operating sustainably under the current model?”
“We need time for a debate on the mandatory retirement age for retained firefighters, who are currently required to retire at 62 despite meeting the same training and medical fitness standards as full-time firefighters. Given that full-time firefighters and other emergency services personnel can now serve until 65, there is a strong case for reviewing this anomaly and bringing the retirement age for retained firefighters into line with their full-time colleagues. I call on the Minister to come before the Dáil to discuss this issue.”
“Yet, at a time when we desperately need more of these professionals, the Government is considering a move that would devalue the role and discourage experienced nurse from progressing into advanced practice. What kind of signal does this send to the profession? Will the Government now step back from the proposal and commit to protecting an established ANP-ADON pay link, so we can retain and grow this vital workforce?”
“I want to raise a very serious concern coming directly from front-line healthcare staff, particularly our advanced nurse practitioners. There is growing alarm at a proposal within the Department of Health to break the long-established pay link between advanced nurse practitioners, ANPs, and assistant directors of nursing, ADON. This is a link grounded in a Labour Court recommendation and one that recognises the level of responsibility involved. ANPs are highly trained masters-level technicians. They diagnose, prescribe and manage complex patient care every single day. In many areas, especially across rural Ireland, they are absolutely critical to keeping people out of overcrowded emergency departments and helping to reduce waiting lists.”
“Local businesses in Cork and elsewhere cannot. We cannot create a system that suits big corporations while leaving Irish enterprises behind. The enforcement powers in this BiIl are substantial, including access to data and even source code. These must be exercised in a balanced and proportionate way to maintain industry confidence. There are positives. The regulatory sandbox, AI literacy and the complaints system are all welcome but the key is balance. Ireland should be the best place in Europe for responsible AI innovation, protecting people while supporting enterprise. We support the objective of the Bill but we will press the Government on cost, proportionality and fairness for small businesses.”
“Regulation must send a clear message that AI is not a free licence to mislead, intimidate or waste people's time. There must be accountability when AI is abused. While we support innovation, we must also draw firm lines. AI should serve people, not frustrate, frighten or deceive them. That balance is what we need to get right. It is right, therefore, that we regulate AI. Independent Ireland accepts the need for clear rules, strong consumer protections and accountability. However, supporting regulation does not mean giving the Government a blank cheque. The Bill creates a new State body with significant structures. The public deserves clarity on the cost and on whether we are duplicating existing regulators. We must also be honest about the burden on small Irish businesses. Large multinationals can absorb complex compliance rules.”
“Then there is this issue of fake images and misleading content. AI can now generate highly convincing pictures that are simply not real. These are being used alongside exaggerated or completely false headlines. This is clickbait designed to grab attention rather than tell the truth. It undermines public trust, not just in technology but in information itself. Again, let me be very clear that I have no time for that either. If we are serious about regulating AI, we cannot just focus on high level systems or large corporations. We must also recognise the everyday misuse that affects ordinary people, including the farmer, the small business owner and the pensioner who receives a threatening letter or sees a misleading image online.”
“However, when it is misused we start to see real problems and ordinary people are the ones who pay the price. I am increasingly hearing from people who are on the receiving end of AI-generated communications, messages and letters that look like they have come from solicitors, are dressed up in legal language and are designed to put the fear of God into them. These are automated, often aggressive in tone and sent out in bulk. That is not professionalism; it is intimation by automation, and I have no time for it. We are also seeing AI being used to waste people's time with endless, low-quality content, spam-type material and automated responses that add nothing valuable but create confusion and frustration. People are busy enough without having to deal with that kind of nonsense.”
“I do not think I will take the full amount of time I have. As a young fella growing up, AI had a totally different meaning in west Cork from what it means today. When we talked about AI, we were looking after animals and trying to bring a new type of animal into the world, but now AI refers to artificial intelligence. I do not know what they are going to call the artificial insemination man now. He was called the bull man down my way but they will have to call it some other kind of intelligence. There is another aspect of artificial intelligence that we need to speak about plainly, that is, its misuse in everyday life. AI is a powerful tool when it is used correctly, or so I am told because I do not use it at all myself. It can help businesses to grow, improve services and make life easier for people. No one in this House disputes that.”
“In what world does a 9 cent increase even begin to address inflation, wage pressures, insurance costs, energy bills and the wider cost-of-living crisis? It is completely detached from the reality facing providers on the ground. For once, stop kicking this issue down the road. Stop hiding behind future budgets and long-term reviews. The sector needs action now and not another promise, not another consultation and not another excuse. If the Government does not act urgently, the damage being done to children, families and childcare providers will be felt for years to come.”
“My assessment is not way off the mark. I have sat down with early childcare providers and they are telling me this. They are the people who are on the ground. They know the crisis that is there. This is no longer a crisis but an implosion that is unfolding before the Government's eyes. The truth is that the Government has allowed the sector to drift from crisis into collapse. It is jeopardising the future of thousands of children, particularly those with additional needs, who depend on these services. What makes this even more astonishing is that after years of rising costs, soaring inflation and relentless financial pressure, the Government's response was to increase the base core funding rate by just 9 cent per child per hour.”
“How many more closures, how many more waiting lists and how many more families must be pushed to breaking point before the Government finally acts?”
“The most vulnerable children in our society need support, their parents need support and childcare providers need support. Instead, they have been ignored. The solution is neither complicated nor unreasonable. Providers are calling on the Government to reverse the funding freezes and introduce a sustainable funding model that reflects the real cost of delivering childcare. They are asking to be treated as partners rather than an afterthought, but that respect has never come. Instead, it is the same old story. The men and women who get up early every morning to go to work, pay their taxes and try to provide for their families continue to be squeezed from every direction. Childcare providers are being choked by costs and parents are being left without options. This sector is on the brink. The warning signs have been there for years.”
“Nationally, 977 early years childcare services have shut down in that time. That represents childcare places for between 32,000 and 35,000 children disappearing from communities across the country. At the same time, approximately 40,000 children are now on waiting lists, with rural Ireland being hit hardest. Families in towns and villages are finding that there are no places available. Yet, when challenged on these figures, the Government points to the opening of 579 new services since 2021. What the Government fails to tell the people is that these are predominantly after-school services and do little or nothing to address the collapse in early years provision. Once again, we see the Government massaging figures to suit a political narrative rather than confronting the reality facing families.”
“Instead, providers were left carrying rising costs, increasing regulation, staff shortages and growing financial burdens while Government Ministers sat on their hands. Today, we are witnessing the consequences. Children with additional needs are at risk of losing access to vital services. Parents who rely on childcare to remain in employment are facing impossible choices. Many will have to reduce their hours, take unpaid leave or in some cases leave the workforce entirely to care for their children. That comes at a huge personal cost to families and significant economic cost to the State. This crisis did not appear overnight. It is a direct result of Government inaction. Every week another childcare provider closes its doors. Since 2021, 137 crèches have closed in the Taoiseach's county alone.”
“Is the Taoiseach aware that parents of children with additional needs are now facing the prospect of being unable to access early years childcare services because of the Government's failure to support the childcare sector? In 2021, the Government made two clear promises, namely, that childcare costs would be reduced to €200 per month and that providers would be supported through a new core funding model. The reality is that it has failed on both counts. Childcare providers honoured their side of the agreement. When core funding was introduced, they accepted fee freezes because they believed the Government would work with them to address the mounting pressures facing the sector.”
“It means that if there is any risk in retaining foundations, that risk cannot and must not rest on the shoulders of ordinary, hard-working families.”
“While the physical damage to these homes is bad enough, we can only imagine the toll this is taking on people’s mental health, the stress, anxiety, sleepless nights and constant fear of what lies ahead. On top of all that, we are asking the families to make a permanent decision based on standards where even the science is still evolving. That is not fair and it is not right. Families did not build these homes incorrectly. They did not create the defective materials and they certainly did not write IS 465. The State chooses the standard. The State is asking people to rely on it and, if it is asking them to do that, it must stand over the standard completely. That means that where there is doubt, the benefit must go to the homeowner.”
“I thank Deputy Charles Ward and his group for putting forward this motion. Would anyone in the Dáil like to be one of the people living in the affected homes? That is the reality we are asking families to accept. We all know that buying a home is the biggest purchase most people will ever make. It is the biggest expense they will carry in a lifetime. More than that, a home is supposed to be a place of comfort, a place where, after a long day’s work, one can walk in the door and feel safe, secure and at peace. For many of the homeowners, that is not the case. Instead, they are going home to houses that are literally falling apart around them, with cracks in the walls and floors and shifting foundations. These are homes that no longer feel safe.”
“In 2023, fewer than 104,000 children were screened out of an eligible cohort of 208,000. What we are witnessing today is what professional bodies, such as the Irish Dental Association, have rightly called a poor law service, a regression to an outdated, unequal system where decent, timely oral care has effectively become a luxury for those who can pay and a lottery of charity for those who cannot. The foundation of our public oral health network is crumbling for years. The dental treatment service scheme was meant to guard the most vulnerable, namely, our medical card holders. That scheme has fundamentally collapsed. Private practitioners are withdrawing from State schemes in droves because they are forced to operate under austerity era rules dating back to the financial crisis.”
“Right now, more than 11,000 people, mostly children, are stranded on waiting lists for braces and jaw surgeries in some regions. Families face a six-year wait for public orthodontics. I ask the Minister of State to think about that. A child identified with a severe agonising bite deformity at age 11 might not see a specialist until they are nearly an adult. The data from the Irish Dental Association also shows 979 children waiting in HSE South West, of whom 438 have been on the list for over a year, 277 waiting in the HSE Dublin and South East region, of whom 172 have been on the list for over 12 months, and 81 on the HSE Mid West list who have been waiting over 12 months for a general anaesthetic. Too many children are leaving primary school without ever having had a dental screening.”
“There are 27% fewer whole-time equivalent dentists now compared with 2019 and 25.3% fewer dental nurse whole-time equivalents than there were in 2019, with 7.7% of those in the Cork-Kerry region. The crisis hits no one harder than our children. Our target primary school screening programme, once the jewel of preventative care, is broken. Recent data reveals that over 100,000 eligible schoolchildren were completely denied dental screenings because the number of public HSE dentists per capita has steadily fallen, leaving dozens of vital roles permanently vacant. Only about half of our students are getting checked when they should. What happens when children clear that hurdle and need structural help? They enter the punishing labyrinth of HSE orthodontic waiting lists.”
“If you want to understand the true state of a nation's healthcare system, do not just look at its emergency rooms or its hospital beds. Look at its smiles. Look at the teeth of its children, the stress lines of its working class and the growing bills on the kitchen tables of ordinary families. In 2026, Ireland is celebrated globally for economic prosperity, technological innovation and a soaring population but beneath that shiny surface lies a painful systematic reality. Dental and orthodontic services in Ireland are in state of absolute crisis. There has been a 4% decline in the number of dentists employed by the HSE in the past seven years. There has been a 31% decrease in the number of dental surgeons employed by the HSE since 2005 despite population growth of 32%.”
“A fair distribution of the new gardaí when they are appointed should be spun out throughout Ireland, not just the capital.”
“Sometimes it is to praise them, work with them and be supportive of them, and that is what we need to do. There is definitely a lack of gardaí in west Cork. I am worried about Drimoleague Garda station and places like that which have gone unmanned for months and months because there is a complete lack of gardaí. The Garda cannot squeeze blood out of a turnip. When the appointments are made, no matter where it is, it must be done in a fair manner throughout the country. We cannot have one county like Dublin, which is a big county, with a lot of newly appointed gardaí but west Cork left without. That is something we need to reverse. I have said that to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, when he has been in here. That has to be looked at going forward if we are to make sure that people are living in a protected and safe area.”
“I have often said that. I see in my own area Garda Jonathan McCarthy in Ballydehob. He and his family live there and there is a very protective community there and care for the community. He is a Trojan garda. He knows when to be there and when not to be there, as such. I see also the Garda Youth Awards. I praise gardaí like Don Davis and Damian White and so many gardaí out there who are really pushing the boundaries and are there for their community and for their people. It is great for young people too to see that and to get an award at the Garda Youth Awards. I refer to Garda Brigid Hartnett and all those who are involved in that initiative. It really sends a very different type of message from that which we hear sometimes hear throughout the country that maybe the long hand of the law is the right way to deal with young people.”
“Strong community policing works. People seeing their local garda, knowing they are there - that is what makes a real difference. We will always stand up for our gardaí and the work they do, but I cannot support the ongoing extension of laws like this without proper reform and accountability. When I talk about gardaí, I talk about the lack of garda appointments made to west Cork. I think it has been zero in the past number of years, or there have been very few if any new gardaí into west Cork. That is a very unfair situation we find ourselves in because community policing is all about the number of gardaí in the community. I am a big believer that gardaí should live in the area in which they work, or as close as they can, because they get to know the people, they get to know who is right and who is wrong and they can nip crime in the bud.”
“Our local gardaí are doing Trojan work and deserve the full backing of rural Ireland, including areas like west Cork. They are the backbone of community safety and they are out at all hours dealing with everything thrown at them, often with limited and stretched resources. They know their communities. That is their strength. That is how people keep safe, not just with legislation from Dublin. Let us be honest about this motion. We are again being asked to roll over what are meant to be temporary emergency powers. Year after year it is the same thing. That is not good enough. Of course, there are real threats of organised crime, which is a serious issue, but supporting the Garda is not about giving the State a blank cheque. It is about giving gardaí the resources, the numbers and the visibility they need on the ground.”
“They provide a level of oversight and accountability that is essential in a democratic system. Removing their ability to impose such conditions in future essentially rewrites the rules and we need to be very clear about the implications of that.”
“We cannot put all our focus on expanding capacity in one location. Airports in Cork, Shannon and Knock are vital regional assets. They are engines of employment, tourism and economic activity in their own areas but they need support. They need investment and they need to be part of a coherent national aviation strategy, not an afterthought. There is a real risk here that continued expansion of Dublin Airport could further concentrate activity in the capital, drawing routes and resources away from regional airports. That would be the wrong approach. We should be growing capacity in Dublin Airport but alongside meaningful development in the regions, not instead of it. Another concern in this Bill are the restrictions on further passenger caps throughout the planning system. That is a profound change. Planning authorities exist for reasons.”
“For many years, residents have raised legitimate concerns about noise traffic congestion and the day-to-day impact of airport operations. I have met a lot of those residents. Those concerns cannot simply be brushed aside. They must remain central to any decision. The Bill provides for environmental assessment and that is welcome, but it also allows the Minister to proceed even where the impacts are identified, provided the mitigation measures are put in place. That will raise concerns and rightly so. We have to ensure that mitigation is not simply a box-ticking exercise but something really enforceable that actually protects people's quality of life. At the same time, we must look beyond Dublin if we are serious about balanced regional development, which this Government says it is.”
“Once a precedent like this is set, where a Minister can effectively overwrite planning conditions in the name of economic interest, it raises the simple question, where does it stop? Today it is Dublin Airport. Tomorrow it could be another major project and the risk is that local voices and communities who live with the consequences are gradually pushed further to the margins. That is not a road we should go down lightly. Independent Ireland believes in balance. We believe in supporting growth but not at any cost. We believe in infrastructure but also in fairness, and we believe that communities, whether in Dublin, Cork, Kerry or anywhere else, deserve to have their concerns heard and respected. That brings me to the communities around Dublin Airport.”
“However, the question before us today is not whether something should be done; it is how it will be done. This Bill proposes to give the Minister sweeping powers to override existing planning conditions, effectively allowing a single political officeholder to amend or remove the passenger cap even while the processes are ongoing elsewhere. That is a very serious step. It represents a significant shift away from our established planning framework and towards a model where central government can step in and bypass the usual checks and balances. I understand the frustration with delays. We all do. Communities across Ireland are waiting years and sometimes decades for critical infrastructure. Planning has become, at times, painfully slow and overly complex but we must be careful that in trying to fix one problem we do not create another.”