Micheál Carrigy
Longford-Westmeath · Fine Gael · Ireland
“People with Alzheimer's and their families throughout the country deserve to be supported by the State. Statutory home care is in the programme for Government. It is something we have been working on for a number of years. I look forward to progressing that over the term of this Government so that we can have it in place.”
“We also need to continue to invest in research to stop this condition being so prevalent. Some programmes are in place in the UK and some families from Ireland are travelling to the UK to take part in studies. I would like that research to take place here in Ireland as well.”
“I look forward to working with the group led by George and Fiona under the tutelage of their new chairperson, Cathy Reynolds, another proud Longford woman who has done so much in this area in memory of her late mam and her dad, Albert Reynolds. Earlier we were looking at the portrait of Albert Reynolds in the Taoiseach's gallery.”
“I acknowledge Jordan and Cian for coming here for the statements. Helen is here also, along with Jordan's wife Agnes and their dad who has been such a major part of the journey so far. Deputy Sherlock said they are an inspiration.”
“I still vividly remember during the Covid pandemic when I went to visit her with my son and, for the first time, she did not recognise me. That was a difficult day, but she got the best of care in St. Joseph's care centre in Longford.”
“We should put in place financial supports through the budget to support companies to do the research here to find the drugs that can stop this disease which takes so many of our loved ones away. Once again, I use the word inspiration. That is what Jordan, Cian, Helen, Agnes and their dad have been to people in this country.”
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“We should put in place financial supports through the budget to support companies to do the research here to find the drugs that can stop this disease which takes so many of our loved ones away. Once again, I use the word inspiration. That is what Jordan, Cian, Helen, Agnes and their dad have been to people in this country. We are here to support them on the journey as it goes forward.”
“We also need to continue to invest in research to stop this condition being so prevalent. Some programmes are in place in the UK and some families from Ireland are travelling to the UK to take part in studies. I would like that research to take place here in Ireland as well. In the budget we need to provide tax breaks or incentives to incentivise companies to invest the necessary resources in further research so that we can stop this disease or give longer life and a better quality to anyone who may acquire the condition. We want to get to a point where we will have a drug available and that nobody will get FTD. We need to get to a point where we have a drug for dementia that will provide a quality of life. That needs to happen sooner rather than later. I ask the Government to support the ASI in its demands.”
“People with Alzheimer's and their families throughout the country deserve to be supported by the State. Statutory home care is in the programme for Government. It is something we have been working on for a number of years. I look forward to progressing that over the term of this Government so that we can have it in place. I also acknowledge the carers who look after our loved ones at home. I know we have had a big jump in the carer's allowance only in the last number of days with the change to the income disregard. It is in the programme for Government that we will get to a point where we will financially look after those who care for our loved ones. We also need to look at the area of research. We need to put the supports in place. We need to support families, persons with dementia and the dementia organisations.”
“I look forward to working with the group led by George and Fiona under the tutelage of their new chairperson, Cathy Reynolds, another proud Longford woman who has done so much in this area in memory of her late mam and her dad, Albert Reynolds. Earlier we were looking at the portrait of Albert Reynolds in the Taoiseach's gallery. I look forward to working with the group. I also think today of Mary Brazil in Ballinamuck who is Cathy's mam's cousin whom I know quite well. We think of her and her family. I know two of her siblings and her dad both died at a very young age. I ask the Minister of State to support the ASI, and I know he will. We have a briefing document and that has been spelled out. I will not repeat the requests made but they are needed.”
“I still vividly remember during the Covid pandemic when I went to visit her with my son and, for the first time, she did not recognise me. That was a difficult day, but she got the best of care in St. Joseph's care centre in Longford. When we were hit with the news as a family, I chatted with my brother and sister and the first phone call we made was to Breda Dunne, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland representative in Longford, Eileen Kilbride and everyone there. We got comfort from talking to someone who knew it, lived it every day and worked in that area. I will always be grateful for their compassion. I also thank the members of the ASI in the Gallery today for all the work they do.”
“I acknowledge Jordan and Cian for coming here for the statements. Helen is here also, along with Jordan's wife Agnes and their dad who has been such a major part of the journey so far. Deputy Sherlock said they are an inspiration. They have been an inspiration to us in Ireland, in bringing the area of dementia to the floor of our national Parliament. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for making sure these statements happened prior to the summer recess. When I think of dementia I think of my mother, Eilish. It was mentioned that about 30 cases are diagnosed per day. My mother was one of those 30 cases and I remember the day, a day I will never forget, when we were told.”
“These incentives that are being put in place are about activating the development of the 30,000 to 40,000 apartment planning permissions that have not been developed. In the housing committee, of which I am Chair, we recently had some of the largest developers in the country before us. "Developers" and "investors" are not bad words. We need them or we would never build. We would never get building the houses and apartments that we need if we did not get the investment either. What is being put in place by the people who are on the ground is the bricks and mortar to develop and build these properties. They said these incentives will work and will bring down the prices of apartments. They have stated that clearly in the committee.”
“I want to raise a query on behalf of a constituent about sarcoidosis, a disease that affects the lungs, heart and nervous system. We have one of the highest rates of it in the world in Ireland, even higher than cystic fibrosis, but it is not very well known. It is not on the long-term illness list. Not everybody suffers from it long term, but some do. There are extremely high costs associated with it for those who will have it for the rest of their lives. I would ask that the system and the long-term illness specification be looked at and that it be considered that those who suffer in the long term benefit from the long-term illness scheme.”
“The first meeting of the board of trustees of the new family resource centre in Longford takes place next Monday. I put on record my thanks to Veronica Brennan, the chair, and the rest of my fellow members of the steering committee who worked on this project for the last couple of years. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use recently published its final report containing a wide-ranging series of recommendations on how Ireland should respond to drug use and addiction recovery, including proposals on decriminalisation, treatment services, prevention, family supports and community safety. Understandably, there will be different views on some of these recommendations. Will the Tánaiste outline how the Government intends to respond to the committee report?”
“I would also support further research and development incentives for our pharma industry to do research into producing new drugs that may give an improved quality of life to our citizens and work in tandem with the managed access programme so that when these innovative drugs are developed, they are accessible and can be used by our citizens. I thank the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, for her engagement with me on this. It is important that we come to a conclusion shortly to make sure that our citizens and those who are suffering, particularly from Friedreich's ataxia, get the treatment they need to give them an extended quality of life.”
“However, it is essential that specific consideration be given to innovative and orphan medicines as part of this review. I have recently learned of the managed access approach, which is used in other countries such as France. This model allows patients to access new treatments immediately while data is gathered over a defined period. A formal review takes place, with negotiations continuing in parallel. It is a pragmatic solution that prioritises patients' care while ensuring robust evaluation. We need to be more innovative and flexible in how we approach access to medicines. There are critical conversations and they must continue if we are to ensure that patients receive the life-changing care they need when they need it.”
“In recent weeks, I have met with Biogen, the producer of Skyclarys, on a number of occasions to urge efficiency and urgency in its negotiations with the HSE. I have also engaged with the HSE and the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to push as strongly as possible and to make sure that we get this drug, within the constraints of the proper negotiations that have to take place on behalf of the State. These discussions are progressing, albeit slowly, but we must examine our wider approach to rare diseases. A recent paper from the Alliance of Rare Disease Companies Ireland highlights the need for reform, noting that the current one-size-fits-all model for assessment and reimbursement is not fit for purpose. The programme for Government includes a commitment to review the drugs reimbursement process.”
“For those who are unfamiliar with this disease, it is a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder that can cause progressive damage to the nervous system and the heart. There is a treatment that has the potential to slow the progression of this and it offers life-changing benefits and, crucially, more time for those living with the condition. Approximately 200 people and their families are affected by Friedreich's ataxia in Ireland, and ensuring early access to this treatment would make a meaningful difference to each of them. This issue highlights the broader challenges around access to innovative medicines for rare diseases. We must adopt a more responsive and flexible approach in Ireland to ensure that patients can access new, potentially life-altering treatments in a timely fashion.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. While some conditions are more widely known than others, both common and rare diseases have far-reaching impacts across our society. In recent times, awareness and advocacy campaigns have brought these issues to the forefront of public and political discourse. We have seen this through initiatives such as the FTD brothers' campaign raising awareness of dementia and through the courageous efforts of families affected by Friedreich's ataxia who have spoken publicly about the urgent need for medical intervention. In my home county, there are a number of families living with Friedreich's ataxia. I think particularly of Liam and Kiara Lynch and Theresa Kane and her two young children.”
“The next slot is for the Independent and Parties Technical Group but there are no Members from that group present. Therefore, we will move on to the Independent Technical Group, with Deputy Gogarty up first.”
“It is incumbent on the Government and the Department to put strong measures in place to support families in the same way we ask landlords to support their tenants. I fully support the Bill. It is the right measure to create certainty for tenants into the future. It will bring in investment. I ask that consideration be given to ensuring returning Irish emigrants have certainty that they will have entitlement straight away and not have to prove it. If people are Irish citizens, they should not have to do anything else at all to secure that entitlement. I also ask that where people spend time on a housing list in another county and then return to their home county, the time spent on the list is carried forward with them. I refer only to the particular circumstance where someone is returning to his or her home county.”
“The State, through our local authorities, is a landlord with a large number of tenancies. If we are putting in place strict requirements for private landlords, the State must likewise ensure it provides housing that is to a proper standard, including safety standard, for local authority tenants. Committee colleagues and I visited the Oliver Bond flats this morning to meet with residents. I ask that their situation be looked at again. The proposals put forward by Dublin City Council, which is the local housing authority, should be reviewed in terms of what is right for the residents. It is about building communities and homes for families, not units. Going out and seeing what is being proposed locally is the right thing to do.”
“An issue that is not dealt with in the legislation is where a person from my county of Longford, for example, who moved to Dublin and was on a housing list there for X number of years without being allocated a house now wants to move back to Longford. The period in which people are on a housing list in another county should be taken into account when they move back to their home county. Will the Minister of State ask his officials to look at that issue? It is only right that people who return to their home county having not been made a housing offer in the county where they had been living should not go back to day one. The length of time they were on the housing list in the other county should be taken into account. The legislation introduces requirements on landlords in respect of the RTB.”
“Detailed provisions are set out in regard to this mechanism, stipulating that each local authority will appoint an appeals officer to decide on cases and ensure they are fully independent. It is important that these appeals officers are based within every local authority rather than at a national level. There is a streamlining of enforcement of RTB determination orders through the courts, allowing Garda members and housing authority officials, if required, to give evidence in RTB cases. The RTB is empowered to issue 28-day fixed payment notices for certain offences, to hold hearings in the context of an adjudication tribunal and to sanction cases to be held in public. This is about giving more certainty for both tenants and landlords.”
“It is considered appropriate to ensure social housing support recipients are, in fact, resident in the State. We discussed with Department officials the need for a provision, which was included in previous programmes for Government, to ensure this requirement does not mean returning Irish emigrants are at a disadvantage. People who hold Irish passports, if they have gone abroad for work purposes or whatever it might be, are still Irish citizens when they return to this country and should be entitled to the same rights as those who remain here. The Bill puts in place a new statutory appeals mechanism in respect of local authority decisions relating to housing eligibility and assessment in general.”
“I have always believed this will take a number of months to settle but in the long term, it is the right thing to do. As a committee, we will be looking at the effects of it and the figures after 12 months. The Bill is about creating statutory arrangements for residential requirements, eligibility for social housing and including a new habitual residency requirement. There is also a number of other technical amendments. These legislative reforms build on the existing policy and procedures that define social housing as a long-term housing support. The legislation sets out residents' requirements for Irish, UK, EU, EEA and non-EU-EEA applicants. It also adds a new requirement that applicants be habitually resident in the State. The addition of that requirement is consistent with the approach taken by social protection legislation.”
“I welcome the Bill. As Chair of the housing committee, I am disappointed that some of the cross-party recommendations that were put forward by the committee have not been included in the Bill. The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026, which came in on 1 March of this year and which I supported, is about giving certainty to tenancies but it is also about creating an environment where we will see further investment in the market to try to unlock all those tens of thousands of planning permissions for apartments that have not been built and ultimately provide new housing units. Deputy Stanley made a point with regard to that Bill. This is something I have said publicly as Chair of the committee as well. As a committee we will be looking at the Act after 12 months.”
“Colm Croffey has had that role in Longford but they are in place throughout the region. We did not have support for a long number of years until the Hidden Heartlands brand was launched some years ago by people in the region, including me. The counties wanted their own brand. We were not on the Wild Atlantic Way or in Ireland's Ancient East. We have a unique beauty in the midlands and we want to make sure we get that support. Through the just transition fund, we have funding but we need continued support to make sure we can drive the tourism product, working with everybody involved, including local authorities, stakeholders, people in the business and the tourism committees and tourism officers throughout the region.”
“People will be able to walk from Spencer Dock here in Dublin all the way down to the Shannon in Cloondara, and ultimately link up across the bogs into the west of Ireland out to Strokestown Park House. It is a fantastic project. The State has made significant investment in it and it is important to acknowledge the huge amount of funding that has been provided to make it a fantastic project. It will bring a further increase in tourism into our county. I ask that the Government take away those issues. We are working hard on the ground with industry. We have all the stakeholders together. We just need support. We were delivering product through the just transition fund. I ask that support from that fund be continued, particularly through the tourism activator roles.”
“We have the fantastic Corlea trackway and its unspoiled beauty. It is undiscovered. That is the word I used earlier. I want to see further investment in that site. It goes back to 3,000 BC. It needs more investment to make sure more people come to see it. I ask that it be prioritised and we see significant investment in that project. The Royal Canal project started in Longford, with the length from Cloondara out to the main line, and back into Longford town. It cost €300,000. In conjunction with Longford County Council, a group of seven of us on the committee secured LEADER funding and started that project with an 18 km section. We worked with other local authorities in counties Westmeath, Meath, Kildare and Dublin and shortly that project will now come in as far as Spencer Dock.”
“I ask that they continue for the just transition areas, which have suffered economically as a result of the shutdown of the power plants and the reduction in peat production. We should continue those roles. We need them because we have grown the product and the businesses in our region and we need that support for those businesses to make sure they are maintained in future. I compliment our tourism officer, Denise Canavan, who is doing fantastic work since she took over the role, increasing the numbers of people, improving the product and working with all the communities in our county. The Minister of State knows Longford very well, from the Maria Edgeworth Centre in Edgeworthstown and the Knights and Conquests Heritage Centre in Granard. I look forward to seeing the sod turned on the Norman heritage village on that site in 2026.”
“We have been working very closely with Visit Westmeath where we were picked for one of the seven sites for the Home of Hallowe'en, which was a fantastic first year. We are looking forward to this continuing to be a successful festival. Longford is an unspoilt county. We have fantastic waterways, walkways and forest walks. We pride ourselves on the unspoilt beauty that we have and we want people to see that. On Monday next, the Minister will be at the launch the new visitlongford.ie website, which is being worked on and is funded by the just transition fund. That fund had been transformational for our county by bringing in significant investment on the back of what was a negative story. The roles of the activation officers who were appointed to the various counties in the just transition area will finish at the end of this year.”
“The Minister is very welcome. As he probably knows, I have been the chairperson of Longford Tourism for 12 or 13 years. When I started, County Longford probably had the lowest visitor figures in the country. We grasped that negative and we worked with the local authority and stakeholders to build the tourism product in our county. Last Christmas, we launched a new tourism network to drive the future of tourism in Longford. Our statement at the launch noted the following: Longford’s rich and often untold story forms the backbone of this vision, from ancient archaeological sites dating back to before the Egyptian pyramids, to revolutionary history, Celtic mythology, literary heritage and iconic love stories, all set within an unspoilt and undiscovered landscape. That is what we are. We are unspoilt and undiscovered.”
“The Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has completed its consideration of the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026, made amendments thereto and amended the Title to read as follows: AN ACT TO AMEND THE GUARDIANSHIP OF INFANTS ACT 1964 TO PROVIDE FOR THE RESTRICTION OR REMOVAL OF GUARDIANSHIP OF A CHILD IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES BY ORDER OF A COURT IN PROCEEDINGS FOR THAT PURPOSE, IN THE RESOLUTION OF WHICH THE COURT SHALL REGARD THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD AS THE PARAMOUNT CONSIDERATION; TO AMEND CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF PART VA OF THE CHILD CARE ACT 1991 IN RELATION TO THE APPOINTMENT OF, AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR, GUARDIANS AD LITEM; AND TO PROVIDE OR RELATED MATTERS.”
“The Independent Technical Group has 12 minutes. Deputy Collins has three and a half minutes; Deputy O'Donoghue has three minutes; Deputy Tóibín has three and a half minutes; and Deputy Gogarty has two minutes.”
“It has received lots of scrutiny, recommendations, attention and discussion. It is ready to be passed and to strengthen the transparency, accountability and governance of RTÉ, TG4 and public media organisations and platforms more generally. Legislative measures supporting this Bill include the Media Regulation Bill 2026 and the European Media Freedom Act, which aims to strengthen the internal market for media services and protect media pluralism and independence throughout the EU. In conclusion, this is about ensuring that our media are transparent and accountable and taxpayers receive high-quality journalism, Irish-made television and increased content through our native Irish language. I thank Members for their attention and commend the Bill to the House.”
“Online safety is a serious topic and we need to do everything in our power to make the online world as safe and beneficial to users, particularly vulnerable users and our children, as possible. This Bill will ensure we achieve that goal. The Bill has been brought before the Government. The Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport discussed it and made 85 recommendations. The Minister has replied and 65 recommendations can be and already have been addressed, including in existing legislation and by incorporation into this Bill. The Bill accepted in principle recommendations, published by the Government, of the Future of Media Commission. The Government published the independent review of the governance and culture of RTÉ, prepared by an expert advisory committee.”
“If not, the Minister reserves the right to go to Coimisiún na Meán to impose a levy. Ultimately, we do not want a levy put on consumers; they are paying enough as it is. Rules and standards currently applied to broadcast content will apply to podcasts and written content on both stations. There will also be a complaints pathway through Coimisiún na Meán. The Bill also clarifies the Netflix levy. That will only be introduced following a ministerial direction, with impact assessments required before and after implementation. That will happen unless the likes of Netflix purchase Irish content, keeping people in jobs in Ireland. The Bill provides Coimisiún na Meán with additional information-gathering powers for supervising Ireland's online safety framework.”
“RTÉ and TG4 will face strong reporting requirements, including anonymised pay reporting and annual reports on commissioning decisions and spending, heightening transparency and oversight. The Bill goes even further than that. It outlines a new framework for RTÉ, TG4 and public service content in the wider media sector. There is also planned support for independent productions and provision for payment by RTÉ of at least 25% of its annual public funding into the RTÉ independent programmes account for the purpose of commissioning programmes from the independent sector. The Minister has withheld a charging levy at this point but has not said it will not happen. We will wait and see. We want to see Netflix, etc., purchasing independent content in this country.”
“The Bill is about ensuring publicly funded organisations provide content related to the democratic, social and cultural needs of our society that is free at the point of consumption. It is about ensuring that people who receive taxpayers' money are accountable and adhere to good governance, and that public organisations are transparent in how they handle taxpayers' money. In the case of RTÉ, that is €725 million over three years, as well as the TV licence, which amounts to over €100 million, paid by people throughout the country. We have seen scandals arise and it is important that the correct legislation and structures are in place to prevent their recurrence. The Bill will give greater accountability by strengthening the audit and governance rules surrounding the board and director general.”
“It extends media service duties and codes to all non-broadcast content published by RTÉ and TG4 and strengthens the independence and authority of the audience councils. Given what we dealt with in the past week in the media committee, that is extremely important. It is about strengthening transparency, accountability and governance while widening support for public service content across the media sector. It is about ensuring our public media provide accurate, factual news content on all platforms and provide high-quality media that is free and accessible to all of Ireland. It is important to say that RTÉ provides a fantastic service. It provides trustworthy content and news, and that is something that is not provided across all platforms. We need to address that.”
“This Bill is a media governance and transparency reform package for public service media, designed to restore trust in RTÉ, strengthen oversight, support independent production and ensure public money delivers value. It heightens accountability and governance by assigning the Comptroller and Auditor General as auditor of RTÉ. Also contained in the Bill is an enhancement of the statutory framework from which Coimisiún na Meán assesses the performance and funding of RTÉ and TG4. It includes strengthened provisions relating to the duties, appointments and dismissal of the directors general of RTÉ and TG4 and provides for greater transparency in the anonymised reporting on remuneration of employees and contractors.”
“I want to raise the issue of the lack of services for rail commuters from Longford travelling to Dublin. In the evening time in particular, there are only three trains - 4.50 p.m., 5.50 p.m. and 6.57 p.m. - that service Longford and beyond. There is no rail service from Longford to Sligo after 7 p.m. We have a growing number of commuters travelling to Dublin. We want to take cars off the road, but that means we need to put services place. However, when I contact Irish Rail, it acknowledges that it is purchasing 285 new carriages for the greater Dublin area. We need to look at investment across the entire network. If we are going to look for more people to use public transport, we need to put those services in place. On that route in particular, there is no service beyond Mullingar for the rest of the north west of Ireland after 7 p.m.”
“I have also seen the support we were given when we went looking for it, particularly from the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, to help us through that. I would ask people across the country, and Members, to look up where the marathon is taking place in their county and support these men who are looking to highlight dementia. On Thursday, 28 May, they will finish in Merrion Square. I ask that Members please be there to support them.”
“I acknowledge the good work in the area of dementia supports. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has done a huge amount of work over the years, as has the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. At the weekend, I happened to be watching the London marathon and saw a young guy by the name of Jordan Adams running it with a fridge on his back to signify the weight that he carries, given that he has a gene that means he will develop frontotemporal dementia, FTD, which will shorten his life. His mother was of Irish heritage and 11 members of their family have died from this. Having started in Antrim, he and his brother are running a marathon in all 32 counties in Ireland. This is particularly personal to me. My mother Eilish passed away from dementia during Covid and I have seen what that did to her and to us as a family in trying to deal with it.”
“We are coming up to Euro 2028 and we are talking about a legacy from that, which has to be proper infrastructure, academies and proper facilities, particularly for ladies'. There are limited facilities for ladies' football. That legacy also has to be making sure that men and women have the facilities and opportunities to maximise their potential on the football field and give us far more memories in the future.”
“We have seen the significant investment by the Government in the academies. If we want a strong future for Irish soccer at an international level, we need to continue to invest more. I am supportive of us increasing that investment over a number of years to bring it up to a level equal to that in other countries to make sure we have success. We need more 5G pitches to be available for the clubs that feed into our league clubs. It is important we identify areas where there is a lack of facilities and make sure we have enough facilities to play underage games. We got information from the FAI about our stadiums. Some of the infrastructure in some areas is probably some of the worst in Europe.”
“Football, like all sports, gives us great memories and we need to praise the work being done by the FAI, in recent years in particular, in bringing footfall. I think of Longford Town FC. I had not realised I could not wear a jersey here, but I am a proud supporter of Longford Town Football Club, which has strived in difficult times in a small county to make sure we stay in the League of Ireland. We have had our successes down the years of winning cups and getting into the premier division. I pay tribute to Jim, Caroline and everyone involved in the club for the work they do to keep the fantastic facilities. A wall was blown down in a storm last year. The club came together with some funding from the FAI and made sure the wall was built. It was great that supporters got involved to make sure that facility got back up and running.”
“I welcome this discussion with the Minister of State. The comments by Deputy Clendennen brought me reminders of years ago. The World Cup in 1990 was after my first year in college. I flew to Germany to work for the summer. We arrived where we were due to work for the summer and the first thing we looked for was a place to watch the match before we even went to where we were staying. I recall the quarter-final game against Italy going to extra time. I was meant to go back to work at the hotel. I was doing a split shift. I remember ringing, trying to talk in German and explain to them that I could not come back because I had to watch the penalty shoot-out. Luckily enough, I kept my job for the rest of the summer. I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak.”
“However, we need investment into a new station. I am looking for a commitment in the capital budget for 2026 that we will secure funding to deliver that new station to the people of south Longford.”
“I wish to refer to the capital investment programme for fire stations throughout the country. I highlight the work of over 60 firefighters, both full-time and part-time, throughout all the stations in County Longford. I thank them for all their good work. They are highly trained and committed to keeping us safe in our communities. I am seeking investment for a new fire station in Ballymahon. There is a population of over 3,000 in the town and the station serves over 10,000 people in the wider community. It is home, as the Tánaiste will know, to Center Parcs, a €230 million tourism investment. I spoke with the general manager in the past couple of days. By the end of this year, another €100 million will be invested. Hundreds of thousands of people will come to stay in the over 500 lodges in that area.”
“With the new developer-led proposals that went through Cabinet in the last number of days, we will see a significantly increased population. We want the services in those towns to service that population level when it comes in. Therefore, I would welcome an opportunity to sit down and meet that HSE team to make sure we progress and secure the funding to deliver these much-needed projects. I thank the Tánaiste.”
“I thank the Tánaiste once again for his support, along with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, in respect of significant investment in St. Joseph's Care Centre. I would welcome a meeting with the HSE capital team to speed up this service needs assessment, which has been dragging on over the last 12 months. The people of Longford need first-class facilities, the same as every community in our country. My priority is to make sure we get those facilities in the towns of Ballymahon, Granard and Edgeworthstown. As the Tánaiste said, we are going to see a significant increase in population in those areas, where planning permissions were turned down previously on the basis that there was no capacity in the wastewater treatment plant system.”
“I acknowledge and thank the Minister for Health for the significant funding in the capital plan for 2026 for St. Joseph's Care Centre, a project announced by the Tánaiste a number of years ago. It is a multi-million euro investment into a state-of-the-art centre. However, we need state-of-the-art primary care centres in our satellite towns. With the announcement regarding wastewater treatment plants that can now be used for planning permission, we will see expanded development in a number of those towns with those wastewater treatment plants being put in ahead of the capital infrastructure in years to come.”
“Given the length of time these projects have been discussed and raised repeatedly by me in parliamentary questions and in the Oireachtas, can we outline what the current plan is for delivering primary care centres in these towns and their communities? When can we expect to hear progress on their delivery? The Edgeworthstown, Granard and Ballymahon projects are stalled with tenders submitted. All we get in replies now is that we are reassessing our options. These have been discussed for years. The people of Longford and the people of these towns deserve first-class facilities. When will I see the delivery of first-class primary care centres in the towns of Ballymahon, Edgeworthstown, Granard, their surrounding areas and more importantly their surrounding communities?”