Noel Grealish
Galway West · Independent · Ireland
“In this regard, the FAI has strongly represented the views of its membership that Israel should be excluded from international football competitions, including bringing a motion to UEFA to this effect last year.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton. I will outline to the Dáil the current position on investments in school infrastructure in County Waterford. Waterford county is broken down into five school planning areas.”
“We will also continue to use our influence to persuade the international community to take appropriate action and stop this conflict. However, we should not reduce this issue to one or two football games or events.”
“Should the first fixture take place in Dublin, which again is ultimately a matter for the FAI and UEFA, I am fully confident that An Garda Síochána has the expertise and resources to police the game properly.”
“Of the total €7.55 billion investment, it is envisaged that approximately €5 billion will be used for project roll-out to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the large-scale, additional accommodation, modular and annual September accommodation needs programmes.”
“Ireland had taken a strong stance in respect of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including recognising the State of Palestine, and the Government stands ready to play our part in working towards a sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine, through the realisation of the two-state solution.”
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“The Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, mentioned a few initiatives the Government is undertaking to address business costs and the measures we brought forward to improve working conditions. In 2024, the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Social Protection published a report examining the impact of such measures as auto-enrolment retirement savings, parent's leave and benefit, statutory sick pay, an additional public holiday, a living wage and remote working. The report highlighted that there will be cost impacts on firms from these measures but with significant differences by sector. In particular, the impacts on the likes of the accommodation, food and retail sectors were highlighted, especially arising from the transition to the living wage.”
“Recent analysis by the International Energy Agency, IEA, and Nevin Economic Research Institute, NERI, has outlined the importance of progressing the programme for Government's commitment to "commission an independent review into the speed and level of passthrough for wholesale prices to retail prices, with an additional assessment of the overall price dynamics and an overall focus on the competitiveness of the Irish economy." At the request of the Government, the CRU will lead this independent review of the relationship between wholesale and retail energy prices. That work will be completed in 2026. If we want to tackle high prices, we need to examine costs to business.”
“The fuel allowance increased by €5 to €38 per week, which is a 15% increase well ahead of inflation. For the first time, families receiving the working family payment qualify for the fuel allowance. This change will benefit an additional 43,000 households across the State. The formation of the energy affordability task force will ensure that a whole-of-government approach is taken to continue to tackle this issue. While the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has carried out extensive monitoring of the Irish retail energy market before, during and in the aftermath of the energy crisis, it found no evidence of market failure.”
“The Government is deeply aware and concerned about the pressures placed on both households and businesses by high energy costs. Providing supports to alleviate this pressure has been a priority for this Government and extensive work has and will continue to be undertaken across government to address these challenges. As outlined earlier, the Government has clearly demonstrated its commitment to supporting households to meet energy costs. It has delivered significant investment in energy infrastructure and energy efficiency measures. The increased targeted supports provided through budget 2026 confirm our ongoing commitment to support households and businesses to meet energy costs. The budget package provided significant supports to help householders with the cost of heating and other energy bills.”
“The Low Pay Commission when making its recommendations for a national minimum wage has a statutory obligation to have regard to and report on several factors, such as changes in earnings, income distribution and the likely economic effects of any recommendation. The Government carefully considers the recommendations of the commission, and of course closely monitors labour market developments and cost-of-living concerns. There has to be a balance between a fair and sustainable rate for low paid workers and one that will not have significant negative consequences for employers and competitiveness. I fully expect the national minimum wage to continue to increase over the coming years. I also listened to contributions on the effects of high energy costs on households.”
“We have to make sure we strike the right balance between decisions and actions that are fair and sustainable for our workers and our economy, and ones that will not have significant negative consequences for employers and competitiveness. I understand the arguments Deputies have put forward on costs and wages. The Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, earlier outlined the sizeable increases in the national minimum wage over the past few years. Just last month, the minimum wage increased again by 65 cent. This is an increase of 4.8% and is projected to be well ahead of inflation. Our current rate of €14.15 an hour means that Ireland has the second highest minimum wage in the EU, second only to Luxembourg and is among the highest in the world. When adjusted for purchasing power standards, we have the fifth highest minimum wage in the EU.”
“The annual rate of inflation was 2.2% in 2025, relative to 2.1% in 2024 and 6.3% in 2023. We are aware of the challenges posed by inflation here and we are monitoring price developments very closely. I note that the Central Bank recently revised up its outlook for inflation in 2026 reflecting pressures on the services and energy sides. My colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, earlier outlined how many of the issues raised here this evening are being addressed through the likes of budget 2026, the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity and other fora. With any decisions, whether that be tax changes or wages, there are trade-offs.”
“I recall the dark days of the 1980s when Ireland was scourged by joblessness, long-term unemployment and emigration. That is not the case today. The latest CSO data points to a record number of persons in work at over 2.8 million people with rising participation and sustained jobs growth. The labour market remains close to full employment with record rates of activity and very strong net inward migration. While the labour market has cooled down, we still expect to see further employment growth this year and in 2027. Forecasts from the Central Bank and the Department of Finance point to solid slowing employment growth in 2026 and 2027, with close to 50,000 jobs added per annum. Ireland's unemployment rate also remains far below the European average as we continue to create jobs at rates that are multiples of our European peers.”
“I thank the Deputies for their important contributions to this debate. I acknowledge that they are genuine in bringing concerns about the cost of living to the floor of the House. These are really important issues - emotive but with very real impacts on our people. I am committed, as are all my colleagues across government, to improving living conditions for all. That is what we are doing and what we will continue to do. Fundamentally, our economy is sound and robust. The data shows we are performing very strongly, particularly when it comes to jobs and income. This is further evidenced by today’s unemployment numbers. I see unemployment and incomes as being intrinsically interlinked. The best way out of poverty is through employment. The best way to raise living standards is through employment.”
“Roads policing is one of many competing priority areas. Numbers applied on roads policing remain consistently higher as a percentage with over double of the entire organisation compared with other priority areas. This has been a very useful exchange of ideas and thoughts today on this important issue. The road safety strategy combined with a robust enforcement strategy provides us with the basis to deliver better outcomes on our roads. Behind every statistic, there is a life, family, friends and a community. It is beholden on all of us to make better choices for safer roads and to protect ourselves, our loved ones and all others who use our roads, particularly vulnerable road users. I thank all Deputies for their contributions on this important issue.”
“While significant numbers of gardaí are assigned to roads policing units, all front-line gardaí contribute to policing our roads. Around 65% of drug driving and drink driving checks are carried out by regular gardaí. Of course, it is not just about personnel numbers. Technology will continue to play an increasingly important role in enforcement. Increased numbers of gardaí and enhanced gardaí visibility will form an important pillar to help deliver the Department of justice's action in supporting the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. Managing deployment of resources in a large organisation, such as An Garda Síochána with competing priorities that include roads policing, economic crime, drugs and organised crime, cybercrime and managing front-line policing, is a complex process.”
“The plan includes a commitment by An Garda Síochána to strive to reduce the numbers of fatal and serious injury collisions on our roads through robust national education, local enforcement and proactive detection of lifesaver offences, which will increase by 10%. This will be supported by local performance monitoring and strategic collaboration with key partners to improve road safety. Progress towards achieving this service goal will be reported to and assessed by the Policing and Community Safety Authority. At the end of December 2025 in the latest data for the which figures are available, 647 gardaí were assigned to the roads policing units across the country. As gardaí recruitment continues and accelerates, more gardaí will become available to be deployed to priority areas.”
“Details for 3 million vehicles and 5 million drivers are provided daily to identify vehicles being driven without insurance. In addition, since May 2024, An Garda Síochána now conducts mandatory drug testing at scenes of serious collisions. The publication of the Crowe report highlighted that while most roads policing personnel are committed to their roles, further improvements will enhance enforcement activity on our roads. I welcome the ongoing commitment of the Garda Commissioner to deliver on the recommendations contained in the Crowe report. To that end, I welcome the fact that road safety and collision reduction is included in a strategic commitment up to 2028 under An Garda Síochána Strategic Plan 2026-2028.”
“Interception poses significant risks, not only to the drivers and passengers of these vehicles but also to the members of the public and local gardaí in affected communities. These difficulties would remain irrespective of any legislative enhancements. In this regard, it should be noted that gardaí have other enforcement options open to them, including investigative expertise to locate and question suspected persons after the fact, which would pose less of a risk to public safety. In recent years, An Garda Síochána has been given significant new powers and tools to enable it to fully enforce road safety laws. Since November 2023, the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland, MIBI, has been providing insurance details to An Garda Síochána.”
“There were 128 seizures in 2024; 67 in 2023; 63 in 2022; and 65 in 2021. These figures are indicative of the Dublin metropolitan region's robust and operationally active policing response to this issue. A new Garda spontaneous pursuits policy was introduced in 2024. This policy aims to provide direction to gardaí, who in the course of their duties, use pursuit tactics and pursuit management to reduce the risk associated with pursuits and stopping of subject vehicles. This applies to any vehicles, not just cars, motorcycles or scramblers. Gardaí must operate within the law and have to be mindful of the dangers to members of the public, themselves and the rider and the issues involved with a pursuit of this type, which could have fatal consequences.”
“The regulations will explicitly prohibit the use of vehicles such as scramblers in any place where the public might be present, such as private car parks. The regulations will make the mere use of vehicles such as a scrambler in these proscribed locations an offence and significantly increase the charges that accrue each day after a scrambler has been seized, to reduce the number of seized vehicles that are released and end up back on our roads. An Garda Síochána has at its disposal significant enforcement powers and these powers are being used. Between 1 January and 30 January 2025, a total of 449 scramblers, quads, e-bikes and e-scooters were seized in the Dublin metropolitan area. This marks a steady rise in effective performance in this particular area of policing when compared with figures from the same period in previous years.”
“It is illegal to use a scrambler dangerously in any location and An Garda Síochána has powers of seizure for a vehicle being driven dangerously or which lacks registration, insurance or motor tax or where the driver does not hold the relevant driving licence. In short, outside of appropriate use in appropriate off-road settings, scrambler use is already illegal and enforcement powers exist. As outlined by the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, the Government is now moving swiftly to introduce new regulations that will help to bring additional legal clarity to the existing position that scramblers are banned for use on the road in almost all cases. I fully support the introduction of these new measures.”
“I want to increase public awareness and crack down on dangerous driving. As outlined by the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, earlier, the phase 2 action plan under the road safety strategy will run from 2025 to 2027. The actions in this plan have the potential to be transformative. Work is continuing on implementing this plan. I welcome the progress to date on implementation of the recommendations under the speed limit review, the tackling of multiple learner permits and the work under way to deliver on significant legislative priorities, such as a national vehicle driver file Bill and the next road traffic Bill. To be clear, across provisions and powers set out in the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Road Traffic Act 1994 and the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, it is illegal to use an unregistered scrambler in a public place.”
“Ongoing enforcement is a very important aspect of road safety strategy, be that by gardaí, mobile, static and average speed cameras or other technology being deployed. Investing in better, safer roads, continued enforcement of the law and increasing the allocation of gardaí to front-line duties will assist in significantly improving road safety. That is why all uniformed gardaí are directed to undertake 30 minutes of high-visibility roads policing on each tour of duty. This, along with increased Garda numbers, improved technology, additional speed cameras and enhanced data sharing is helping to ensure a multifaceted approach to road safety enforcement in Ireland. I assure the public that we are committed to supporting the implementation of Ireland's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.”
“We, in this Chamber, acknowledge the tremendous work they do and I thank them for coming in. I am sure that every Member has, in some way, been impacted by a fatality of our roads. Setting aside party politics, road safety is an area where we all want to see improvements, and most importantly, a reduction in the number of deaths on our roads. While we may not always agree on the exact policies for doing so, I thank Deputies again for their contributions. The Government and the Garda Commissioner take road safety very seriously. Successful road safety strategies requires us to consider several matters that taken together can allow us to save lives. These include technology, road design, driver behaviour and education, severity of penalties, speed limits and enforcement.”
“I would like to thank Deputies for their contributions to the debate. I would also like to join with all Deputies and offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Grace Lynch on their tragic loss. I am also aware of the incident in Dublin city centre earlier where there was a loss of life and a number of people injured. Our thoughts are with them. As other Deputies have said, I also want to acknowledge the tremendous work of the first responders. I concur with Deputies Mark Ward and Heneghan and I ask people not to share images of the incident online. I hope that people would pay heed to that request. I also want to acknowledge the members of the Order of Malta who are in the Gallery. We all know the tremendous work they do all around the country. I am delighted that they got the opportunity to visit Leinster House.”
“-----work tirelessly every day to ensure Ireland continues to deliver excellence to international markets. I acknowledge the leadership and professionalism of the board and chairman of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin, in whom I have full confidence. Their strategic guidance and wealth of experience have been instrumental in promoting Ireland's reputation globally and supporting the long-term interests of the agrifood sector. As we look ahead to 2026, our focus remains clear to strengthen existing markets, open new ones and ensure Ireland continues to be recognised worldwide as a provider of high-quality food and drink. Working together - Government, Bord Bia and all the stakeholders — we can continue to deliver growth, stability and opportunity across the entire agrifood sector.”
“-----South Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia and major European markets, including Germany and France. On each occasion, I witnessed the high regard in which Irish food is held and the strength of the relationships Bord Bia has built on the ground. The foundation of this sector’s success is, and always will be, the people who produce our food. Our farmers, fishers, processors and food and drink producers-----”
“Only last week, I led a trade mission to the United Arab Emirates, delivered in collaboration with Bord Bia, that was centred on the Gulfood exhibition, the largest food and beverage showcase in the world. Similar engagements last year brought me to Mexico, South Am-----”
“Bord Bia has the ability to find and sustain new markets, supporting Irish producers by strengthening existing trading relationships while also opening fresh opportunities across the globe. Over the past year, we have seen considerable success in new market access. Irish beef secured entry into Libya, Thailand and Vietnam, while access for duck meat was achieved in Malaysia following extensive negotiation. Access for Irish beef into Japan has also been expanded to include cooked beef products. These developments greatly extend the global reach of Irish food producers. In my role, I have had the privilege of supporting this international work directly.”
“Yet, the Irish agrifood sector has shown resilience, with notable improvements in output prices, reduced input costs and better family farm incomes over the past year. To strengthen our position further, the Government’s action plan on market diversification is deepening our engagement with existing partners while targeting emerging markets. Throughout 2025, my Department maintained an intensive programme of bilateral engagement, technical negotiations and certification inspections to secure new market openings. Bord Bia has supported this work by sustaining current trade, identifying opportunities for innovation and seeking openings where Ireland has not traditionally traded.”
“Through comprehensive quality assurance programmes and extensive market expertise, Bord Bia provides confidence to international customers and strengthens Ireland’s standing as a reliable supplier of high-quality food and drink. The strength of this work is evident in the performance of our sector. While the final CSO figures will not be available until later this month, my Department estimates that total agrifood exports reached €21 billion in 2025, the highest figure on record and an extraordinary rise from €10 billion in 2011. While these results are positive, the global trading environment remains complex. Geopolitical issues, supply chain pressures and market volatility have challenged exporters in recent years.”
“I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the vital role played by Bord Bia in the continued success of Ireland’s agrifood sector. Agriculture and food are at the heart of our national economy and rural and coastal communities. The agrifood sector is our oldest and largest export sector, delivering high-quality produce to more than 190 countries worldwide, accounting for almost 9% of all goods exported from Ireland. The scale of our export orientation cannot be understated. Around 90% of Irish beef, sheep meat and dairy produce is exported each year, meaning our global trading relationships and reputation are essential to the sector’s continued success. In this context, Bord Bia’s role is absolutely central.”
“I thank the Deputy for bringing this Bill forward; it is a very important one. I hope the House and the Government will be able to bring something forward fairly soon.”
“I know Deputy Whitmore is very passionate about this, and I know her party is very passionate about it. It is an area that has to be addressed, and it has to be addressed soon. I know the Deputy is anxious that something be brought forward before the 12-month period. We will push to do that, but I will ask that the officials meet with Deputy Whitmore and brief her on where everything is at and make sure she is consistently contacted and kept informed on what is happening. I would like us to work together. I know the Deputy is very passionate about reducing the time. I cannot give a commitment on that now, but I will ask the officials to meet with her and see if we can reduce the timeframe on that. I will get back to her on that. If I can get back to her before 12 noon, I will.”
“The Minister hopes and trusts that Deputy Whitmore will accept his modus operandi when he asked me to relay that this timed amendment put forward by the Government is less about the merits or demerits of her Private Member's Bill, as proposed, and more about the Minister acting in the future upon processes that this and previous Governments set in train. The Minister has indicated he is very happy to consider the need for legislative change in this space and will engage proactively with all interested parties in doing so. I want to compliment Deputy Whitmore. I heard her outlining the purpose of her Bill on "Morning Ireland" this morning. She has a lot of support on this side of the House. I am an avid dog lover myself. I take in rescue dogs. In the little area where I live, there are more dogs than people.”
“The Minister is awaiting the deliberations, report and recommendations of the group, which has been meeting quarterly to consider numerous issues in the dog control and breeding space, including, but not limited to, legislative change. The Bill set out by Deputy Whitmore focuses on the specific aspects of policy that have formed part of the deliberations of the dog-control stakeholders group, and in particular the work of one of the sub-groups which, as part of the process, has spent significant time specifically focusing on dog-breeding establishments.”
“He went on to say that as the bar in respect of animal welfare continues to rise, he wants to hear opinions and how his Department's next animal welfare strategy can put Ireland on a best-in-class footing with comparator countries, while maintaining the progress, as evidenced by our achievements to date. Moving on from the second deliberative process, the Minister asked me to highlight, with respect to the policy specifically on dog control and breeding, that a high-level dog control stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider policy and legislative matters in dog control, breeding and welfare areas, which includes consideration of legislative provisions under the dog control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The report and recommendations of the dog control stakeholder group are anticipated in early 2026.”
“Coming back to the proposed 12-month timed amendment to Deputy Whitmore's Bill, the rationale for this is to allow for sufficient time for the Minister and his Department to consider the outcomes with respect to two deliberative processes that are ongoing in this area, both of which will inform policy and legislative considerations from public, stakeholder and expert perspectives. The first is a public consultation process, which is ongoing, to inform consideration of the next Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine animal welfare strategy for the period 2026 to 2030. At the launch of that public consultation last month, the Minister indicated that animal welfare is a topic of enormous and growing importance, both to farmers and to the broader public in respect of how society values and treats all animals, including dogs.”
“The Minister asked me to reference near-term funding initiatives in the animal welfare space, including the provision of the now annual tranche of funding to qualifying animal welfare charities, which include several dog charities. Furthermore, the Minister was also pleased to recently confirm that local authorities will continue to be resourced into next year, to the tune of €2 million overall, with respect to the retention or appointment of additional dog wardens in 2026.”
“In this respect, it is positive to be able to report and confirm that policy responsibility for dog control was transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, with effect from 1 June 2025, and for dog breeding establishments on 1 August 2025. It is important to note that local authorities retain responsibility for all operational and enforcement matters. They have the power to appoint dog wardens, provide dog shelters, seize dogs, impose on-the-spot fines and take court proceedings against owners. The Government's commitment to this area is exemplified by the enhanced funding across a number of streams.”
“The timed amendment allows time for the deliberative processes relevant to the area we are discussing, and that are already in train, to reach their conclusion. The Minister is confident these processes will come to a landing zone that will be well aligned with many of the principles of this Private Members' Bill, as introduced and clearly and passionately articulated by Deputy Whitmore. Before I reference those processes, I will provide some background information and context with respect to the issues at hand. Deputies will be aware it was a programme for Government commitment that the somewhat disjointed approach to dog control issues be addressed by ensuring all legislation and policy in relation to the control of dogs, dog welfare and dog breeding establishments rest with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.”
“I thank Deputy Whitmore for bringing this Private Members' Bill before the Dáil. As an avid animal lover, I agree with a lot of what is in her Bill. I hope we can work together to implement it. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Heydon, has asked me to relay his apologies for being unable to be here this morning, and to clearly state that the area of animal welfare broadly, as well as that of dogs specifically, is of utmost importance to both him and his Department. On behalf of the Minister and the Government, I am putting forward a 12-month timed amendment to the Dog Welfare (Amendment) Bill, a Private Members' Bill, the reasons for which I will outline. The Government fully recognises the significance of this policy area.”
“I will bring back to the Minister the urgency of what the Senator said. Tá tú ceart. Tá go leor Gaelscoileanna i nGaillimh. Tá one in Órán Mór, Gaelscoil de hÍde agus ceann i Renmore, Gaelscoil Dara. Tá Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh agus Coláiste na Coiribe ann freisin. Tá siad an-tábhachtach le haghaidh na Gaeilge. Bhí go leor Gaeilge agam ach tá sé beagnach caillte. I will let the Minister know the importance the Senator has placed on this matter and ask her to keep him notified about what is happening and to contact him when the school is notified.”
“As the Senator knows, I am only reading out the script that has been given to me by the Department of education. I will read from the last page. I would like once again to thank the Senator for giving me an opportunity to outline the Department of Education and Youth’s position to the House. I understand the application from Scoil Gharbháin for additional accommodation is currently being considered and the school will be contacted directly once a decision has been made. I will ask the Minister to keep in touch with the Senator and that, when the school is contacted, he be kept in the loop. I can only seek to assure the Senator that the Department will advance this matter as quickly as possible and that it is very conscious that, where additional accommodation is required, a significant lead-in time is necessary for a variety of reasons.”
“This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money and meets functional needs.”
“As part of this NDP allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project roll-out for large-scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026-30 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. The Department of Education and Youth is now preparing an NDP implementation plan. which is due for publication later in the autumn.”
“Since 2020, the Department has invested over €6 billion in schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by the Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for the Department of Education and Youth to €1.6 billion. In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan.”
“The Department of Education and Youth is in receipt of applications under the additional school accommodation scheme from Scoil Gharbháin and approval was given in 2019 to rent two mainstream modular classrooms. In 2023, the school received approval to rent a room locally to provide one mainstream classroom. An application to purchase additional lands was submitted by the school in 2021 and the acquisition of a 2.765-acre site was completed at the end of May 2025. In 2024, Scoil Gharbháin submitted a revised ASA application to meet the school’s accommodation needs and officials from the Department of Education and Youth have been engaging with the school on an ongoing basis with a view to making the most appropriate provision possible for the school and for its current and future students.”
“Tá an-áthas orm a bheith sa Teach seo ar maidin le haghaidh an ní seo a thógáil ar son an Aire. I think this is the first opportunity I have had to speak to the Senator here in the Seanad and I am delighted to take this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, who is unfortunately unavailable. I want to thank the Senator for raising this matter, as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the House a report on the progress of an application for extension to Scoil Gharbháin, Cootehill, Abbeyside, Dungarvan, County Waterford. Scoil Gharbháin is a co-educational primary school in Dungarvan, County Waterford, with teaching being carried through the medium of Irish. There are currently 320 pupils enrolled in the school.”
“The Department of Transport recognises the importance of funding our active travel network, including the Sutton to Sandycove cycleway, to provide safe, interconnected networks that facilitate and encourage sustainable transport in people’s everyday lives. I trust this clarifies the current position with regard to this particular cycleway. I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to discuss the matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport and I will convey his points on this issue to the Minister.”
“Continued support will be provided to local authorities to advance these projects, subject to the availability of funding and alignment with national transport and climate objectives. Once completed, the route will serve as a landmark amenity for residents and visitors alike, offering a unique opportunity to experience Dublin’s coastline in a safe, active and environmentally conscious way. Realising this vision has required, and will continue to require, collaboration across Government Departments, local authorities, community groups and political representatives. Public support for the project is strong, reflecting a growing appetite for high quality active travel infrastructure and a more liveable urban environment.”
“I definitely hear the Deputy's frustration. I am delivering the script that was handed to me. I know that active travel and these greenways are very important for people's health and everything. In this context, I want to say that over €360 million of grant support for the active travel and greenways networks for next year was committed in the recent budget. This funding helps support projects like the Sutton to Sandycove, S2S, cycleway, which I recognise is very important to the local residents on the route as well as the wider community. As outlined, this cycleway has seen significant progress through a series of schemes delivered under the active travel programme. The NTA, working in close partnership with local authorities, remains firmly committed to completing the outstanding sections of this strategic corridor.”
“While timelines may vary depending on funding, statutory approvals and local conditions, it is anticipated that most of the route will be completed by 2030. This target reflects both the ambition and the complexity of the project, which spans multiple jurisdictions and requires co-ordinated action across agencies and sectors. This cycleway represents a transformative opportunity for Dublin’s communities. It will enhance local and regional connectivity, support modal shift away from private car use, and contribute to the creation of vibrant, liveable public spaces. As the project continues to evolve, collaboration between local authorities, transport agencies and community stakeholders will be essential to realising its full potential.”
“From Strand Road, the trail transitions onto Merrion Road, which is scheduled for upgrades under BusConnects, before reaching the recently completed two-way cycleway along Rock Road. This section, delivered by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, leads into Blackrock Park. At Blackrock DART station, the Deepwell section of the cycleway is currently in design. Its delivery is contingent on ongoing discussions with landowners. Continuing southward, the route follows a quietway along Idrone Terrace, leading to a contraflow lane on Maretimo Terrace. This connects to the coastal mobility route. The outstanding sections of the alignment are active projects and are being progressed through various stages of planning, design and delivery.”