Pa Daly
Kerry · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in to deal with this issue when other colleagues were not available. She will be able to bring her experience of this area to this debate. I am slightly caught for time, so I will try to parse it a little bit. I wish to ask the Minister of State about the harmful content on social media platforms.”
“While we know violence against women is a crisis and femicide in Ireland is a crisis, it is overwhelmingly men who carry out these acts. These are men of all cultures, races and ethnicities. However, social media giants have a responsibility and are clearly not stepping up to the plate. They are not complying with their obligations.”
“The Digital Services Act was introduced. It was to ensure a safe, predictable and trusted online environment and to prioritise greater activity and online safety. There is the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 to protect children and the public from harmful and illegal content. There is a danger.”
“We are running over time but I will make one more point. If, as it provides in the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, we are to protect children and adults from online conduct, how does it look as an example to younger people in particular when this content is still allowed to be there?”
“Somebody even said that they hope these comments are not going to be deleted to suit one's ideology, which they misspelt. That is the kind of narrative that is going on. They are mocking her beliefs and her. It is similar to what is being investigated by the police in Britain.”
“Bhíos ag caint le healaíontóir i gCiarraí níos luaithe um thráthnóna. Labhair sé liom mar gheall ar na mothúcháin a bhaineann le AI. Dúirt sé liom it could help to generate ideas, layouts and content more quickly, leaving more time to focus on strategy and working with clients.”
The complete record
Every one of 864 lines we hold for Pa Daly, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 18.
“What measures is the Minister taking to address rent increases in Kerry? We recently saw a three-bedroom house in the town of Tralee with an asking price of €2,400 per month. In the public sector, increased rents are being asked for by local authorities. However, because services have been stripped from the local municipal district, in houses 11 to 16 in Mountain View in Balloonagh Estate in Tralee, sewage is backing up and coming into the houses and the local authority does not even have a jetting machine to allow it to address the issue. It is reliant on contractors who are coming in from other areas to address the issue. That is not fair when people are continuing to pay their rents.”
“In Kerry, the figure is way more than that because there is practically no chance of getting seen by a dentist if you have a medical card. Private dentists will tell you that it is not worth their while and that they actually lose money if they participate in the medical card scheme. This has been going on for years but the Government is sitting on its hands and is doing nothing about it. We need proper investment in public dental services, proper school screening, proper medical card services and a workforce plan for dentistry to get more people into the public service just to meet the needs of children who are going through the system and are not being seen. We also need direct access to hygienists and dental nurses to stop the agony of children across the county.”
“We put down a parliamentary question on it and discovered the number of people in Kerry who are waiting because the medical card system has completely collapsed. In the Killarney and east Kerry area, 600 second class children are waiting to be seen. In Tralee in west Kerry, 912 are waiting to be seen. In sixth class, 466 in the Killarney area and 788 in the Tralee area are waiting to be seen and that is not to mention people in other parts of the county. While the Government is wasting money on one hand, there are children who are literally in agony waiting for dental services. Across the State, we can see that there are 11,000 people on waiting lists. Half of children leave school without ever having received an appointment.”
“When one hears about the waste of Government money and about the people all around the State, but particularly the people to whom I listen in Kerry, who cannot access dental services, it makes one even angrier. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been speaking to people about this. One person told me her 19-year-old son has never been seen, another person said their children aged eight and 15 had never been seen while another told me of three children aged 17, 13 and ten who were never called. They speak of a chaotic dental service that is going backwards and that has been neglected and underfunded with no vision. Another person to whom I spoke said, and this is a common theme, their child had never been seen all the way through primary school and they were forced to pay thousands of euro for proper dental treatment.”
“If the Government thinks it can bulldoze this legislation through without fixing other underlying issues, it is mistaken because it is about protecting communities, supporting workers, delivering regional development and building a real aviation strategy for the future of island. Get that right and this Bill can work. If we get it wrong, we will be back here again dealing with the consequences of short-term thinking and missed opportunities. We will engage and we will propose solutions to work with.”
“While that may be necessary, it must be clearly defined, transparent and limited in scope. I see what the Minister has said about the power to make the order relating solely to a planning condition limiting the number of passengers who use Dublin Airport. That needs to be stated clearly. There is also concern and it must not extend beyond the passenger cap to other planning conditions. There are questions about oversight, accountability and the role of existing regulatory bodies. We need to ensure the powers granted are proportionate, clearly defined and subject to appropriate safeguards. The cap must go. We know it is outdated. We know it is damaging. However, lifting that is not alone a solution.”
“We will be bringing forward amendments that should give the Government the opportunity to take the concerns of the residents into consideration, which have not been heard in a meaningful way. There are also outstanding issues around flight paths, planning compliance and infrastructure commitments that were originally tied to the passenger cap. Many of these commitments, including road improvements, have not been fully delivered. We are now being asked to support legislation that will override planning conditions that exist without adequately addressing the failures. If we are to lift the cap, we must also strengthen protections for local communities. The final key issue I will address is the scope of ministerial powers. The legislation gives the Minister significant authority to amend or revoke the passenger cap.”
“An all-island approach to aviation offers real opportunities for tourism, trade and regional balance. We saw how fragile our transport links were when disruptions hit key routes and yet the Government refuses to think holistically about how people and goods move on and off this island. There is a clear need for resilience and co-ordination across the island. The Bill should be seen in that broader context; not just as a measure for Dublin Airport but as a wider strategy for connectivity across the island. Lifting the cap also requires the addressing of the very real concerns of communities that live around Dublin Airport. For too long, local voices have not been heard in a meaningful way. Residents have raised serious issues but they continue to be rebuffed and ignored.”
“We need strategic investment and infrastructure, support for route development and airline partnerships, integration with wider transport networks and a clear, long-term vision for balanced aviation growth. We cannot continue with the model where Dublin expands without a strategy for the rest of the country. Ultimately, there has been an incoherent aviation strategy, no long-term plan for Dublin Airport, no serious roadmap for regional airports and, importantly, no all-island approach to connectivity. That is not good enough for a modern economy. As part of its focus on regional airports, the Government needs to see beyond the partitionist approach. Ireland is a small island economy and our connectivity challenges do not stop at the border.”
“The over-concentration is not strategy and it is holding back certain parts of the country. Regional airports have enormous potential to drive economic growth, support tourism and create jobs but they are not being given the tools or investment they need. Funding for regional airports remains limited, fragmented and overly focused on maintaining basic operations, rather than enabling growth and expansion. Spread over years and across multiple airports, the sums allocated are not sufficient to transform connectivity or attract new routes. The result is a system that underperforms and leaves regional economies and airports, such as Kerry Airport, at a disadvantage. We need a fundamentally different approach that recognises the role of regional airports as engines of development and not afterthoughts.”
“It is not just about lifting the cap and the problem is solved as nothing could be further from the truth. Lifting Dublin Airport's cap while continuing to ignore the potential of the regional airports will never produce the answer that Ireland needs and will continue to leave large parts of our island behind. Despite what the Government thinks, not all runways lead to Dublin. This Bill presents us with an opportunity to address one of the significant failings of the Government; its lack of ambition when it comes to regional aviation. At present, Dublin Airport handles the overwhelming majority of passenger traffic at about 88%. By contrast, Cork Airport accounts for about 6% and others even less. That imbalance is not inevitable. It is the result of policy choices.”
“However, growth and tourism must also be fair and balanced. Sinn Féin has consistently argued for a tourism strategy that delivers shared prosperity and supports communities right across the island, not just the stakeholders who are involved here. That means linking aviation policy to regional development, sustainability and decent working conditions for those who are employed in the sector. The Government cannot claim to support workers while failing to ensure the benefits reach them by delaying the living wage and leaving low-paid workers carrying the burden. It is about more than just lifting the cap. It is about ensuring that lifting the barrier to Dublin Airport's capacity means Ireland's true aviation potential is achieved in a fair and regionally balanced way.”
“Industry stakeholders have been quite clear that the cap was limiting growth and restricting connectivity, particularly on key transatlantic routes, and creating uncertainty that could undermine Ireland's competitiveness. Nowhere is this more true than the tourism sector, which is so important in my county of Kerry. Tourism supports almost 230,000 jobs across the country which is nearly one in ten jobs. These are jobs in every county, in rural communities as well as cities. Many of them are in sectors where workers are already under pressure. The sector is facing real challenges. In 2025, international trips declined and visitor spending fell. That is a warning sign we cannot ignore. Connectivity is also critical to reversing that trend. Without sufficient capacity at Dublin Airport, we risk losing visitors to other destinations.”
“It was rooted in very specific concerns about traffic congestion and local impacts but the world has moved on. Passenger demand has outgrown the cap and the cap itself has become blunt and outdated. The infrastructure around the airport has changed since 2007. It is now creating uncertainty, not only for the airport authority but for airlines, workers, the wider economy and the stakeholders the Minister mentioned in his opening speech. There are ongoing legal challenges and looming regulatory decisions at European level that could force stricter enforcement of the cap if it remained in place and we could potentially see reduced flight slots or curtailed capacity and possible damage to tourism, trade and jobs. Legal and regulatory chaos could result from it. That is not a risk we should take.”
“From Kerry to Cork, Shannon, Knock, Waterford, Donegal, Belfast, Derry and beyond, Ireland's regional airports are awash with unlocked potential. The Bill must engage with the fact that local communities have felt ignored and overlooked for years. Proper community consultation does not mean preventing progress. When it is done properly, it can enhance it. The Bill presents an opportunity to make the Minister and DAA do a better job. There are amendments that Sinn Féin will be proposing because the outdated airport cap is holding Ireland back. The original 32 million cap, as the Minister said, was introduced as a planning condition at the time of the planning permission for terminal 2. As he said, it was primarily to address the surface access constraints at the time.”
“We in Sinn Féin believe the Dublin Airport passenger cap should be lifted but we are not here just to rubberstamp the legislation. While the cap must be lifted in order that we allow for progress, that does not mean the Government's approach should be given carte blanche . First, the aviation strategy must move beyond the city and county of Dublin. Rather than being treated as an afterthought, the Government must recognise that regional airports are key to unlocking Ireland's potential and to delivering balanced regional development. Therefore, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael must move beyond their current narrow focus on Dublin and expand their horizons, supported by whatever Independent TDs are still currently supporting Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”
“As an island nation, our connectivity is obviously not optional. Our economy, tourism sector, diaspora connections and ability to attract investment all depend on Ireland's connectivity. It is the lynchpin for hundreds of thousands of jobs. There can, therefore, be no question than an ambitious, forward-looking aviation strategy is essential. As Ireland's primary international gateway and a critical piece of infrastructure, Dublin Airport is fundamental. Right now, the passenger cap is being constrained by a rule that no longer makes sense. The cap is outdated and out of step with reality. Some 36 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport despite the cap being set at 32 million. A difference of 4 million between the two is not a rounding error; it is proof that something has not been working.”
“We need to restructure the charges and the public service obligation, PSO, levy and prioritise the use of our grid for the public good rather than unfettered data centre expansion. Families are dealing with soaring electricity bills. Data centres now consume 22% of Ireland's electricity, and that is only increasing. A stall needs to be put on them and we are calling on the Government to act to rebalance the system.”
“Who is footing the bill only ordinary workers and families paying six, eight or maybe ten times more on network charges than data centres are, and double the unit price? What did Eurostat identify in its report as the leading factor in Ireland's extortionate energy costs? Network charges. We must address one of the glaring injustices in our system, which is the imbalance between what households and large energy users like data centres are paying. Households are effectively subsidising the corporations that are driving up demand on our grid and, therefore, prices to boot. The biggest users are paying the least and households are paying the price for these grid upgrades. Data centres must pay their fair share.”
“I see that is in the motion that is being proposed by Deputy Ahern. I commend him on bringing his motion to the Dáil to allow space to discuss this. We wanted the electricity credits to give families breathing space while we fixed the deeper structural problems that have left Ireland with some of the highest energy costs in Europe. To reduce prices long term, we need to address the flaws. We wanted to strengthen oversight of energy companies' pricing and hedging strategies, allow the regulator to investigate and sanction anti-competitive behaviour, and increase transparency. Let us come to the Government's reckless approach to data centres. They consume massive amounts of electricity, drive demand and put strain on the grid.”
“We used to have the lowest electricity prices in the EU and now we have the highest. Fine Fáil and Fine Gael have presided over this change. Not only did they do nothing to stop it, but they reinforced the system. They chose not to intervene and the energy giants are posting about enormous profits, profits that have been driven by crisis, war and instability. There are solutions, though. We believe in transparency and fairness, a just transition, and an energy system that delivers for the public good rather than for corporate profit. We have tabled legislation with commonsense measures to give the energy regulator the teeth it needs to hold energy companies to account, including a prioritisation framework. However, we need immediate action on that. That is why Sinn Féin called for the reintroduction of energy credits.”
“Recent reports from the ESRI and Eurostat show we are paying 40% more than the European average - €480 more than the average bill - and have the third highest increase in costs behind Austria and Romania. There are a record number of households. Their debt levels are higher and lasting for longer than ever before. The ESRI called for an independent investigation and for the regulator to release the data for independent analysis, but the Government and the regulator have refused. One of the key drivers is network costs. The Government has not intervened. It is saying that we must get the balance right, keep our powder dry and there is nothing it can do. It is saying that it is all the fault of the war in Ukraine and the war Iran and that it is too complex and technical to fix. However, that is not the case.”
“The EV scheme, even though there have been some recent amendments to it, has for the main part been nothing more than a wealth transfer to people who can afford cars that are worth €55,000 or more. The retrofitting scheme has been unaffordable for many people in rural areas. Regarding offshore wind, a Minister of State said on Radio Kerry that the Government had been sitting on its hands and navel-gazing on it. I cannot say I disagree with the wise words from that particular Minister of State. All in all, the Government has been failing on climate action. We have huge potential with the hopeful vision of the 540 GW of renewable energy in offshore wind. We can achieve energy independence but we need State investment. As the Minister of State knows, we have the highest electricity prices in the EU.”
“First, I congratulate the Minister of State on her elevation. It is obvious that she has to take one for the team, given that no Minister or Minister of State from the relevant Department has come in to deal with this. Fair play to her. However, I am disappointed with what has been prepared as the amendment by her colleagues in government. The Government maintains that it is acutely aware of the pressure faced by people due to high energy costs and mentions the national energy affordability task force. It has been sitting for over a year but we are still going to have to wait until quarter 3 of this year to have the action plan while families and households are suffering.”
“The HSE needs to forward plan for the day service, housing and respite but it also needs to be co-ordinated at a Government level so that all the various agencies tie in together.”
“I know of another couple who were so disheartened by the paucity of services available in the Kerry area that they sold their house and moved to Dublin where other members of their family reside because they could not be guaranteed the services. These people have grown up in the county, so it was huge for them to have to move away when they retired to try to access better services for their child. People in the HSE are telling me we need continued investment in day services because there is rising complexity and demand for complex disabilities seems to be increasing. We need multi-annual funding so that they can put the proper plans in place to invest in the services required for the best part of 1,000 people accessing the day services, as well as the 80 plus per year.”
“I thank the Minister of State for that reply. He clearly has a fair idea as to the extra challenges there are in a county like Kerry. It is not realistic to go from the very north of the county to mid-Kerry, which is at least an hour each way and would be very tiring for adults and children. Speaking to people working within the services, there are 80 plus school leavers in Kerry who will require these services. I note the Minister of State said at the start of the response that systems should be put in place by the end of May. From what I am hearing, this is not always the case but it should be. The anxieties of the Before We Die group could be alleviated by proper planning earlier in their lives.”
“One parent told me there are very good facilities provided by the Kerry Parents and Friends Association and St. John of God, which provide a busy day structure. A lot of parents feel isolated and experience a huge struggle to access services, whether respite or housing. Housing should be provided by every local authority. Adults should have a place where they can go, backed up by services, and where their parents can be confident they will be looked after, rather than having to wait until the parents pass away. The elements of the overall scheme seem to be very unconnected to each other. I am calling for more adult day service placements, respite and outreach.”
“In the south of the county, in Cahersiveen, there are weekend respite services for adults with an intellectual disability but they are only available on 34 weekends of the year. The facility is there but the funding has not been provided to make it available any more frequently than that. When children with intellectual disabilities become adults, they need a daytime service, confirmation of placement and, as much as anyone else, they need opportunities for social interaction and community participation. I ask that a plan be put in place for day service placements, interim supports, outreach services and an increase in approved respite facilities. More funding is required for all of that, as well as more accountability and transparency in respect of the transition of children to adult services.”
“He has autism and an intellectual disability and he has been treated very well at his school. However, two weeks from his finishing education, there is no confirmed adult day service for him. This boy has a PPSN and services have been aware of him for the past 18 years. It has been a cause of huge upset for his parents that there does not seem to be any pathway or plan for their son. I am hoping that will change. However, I am not here to discuss his individual case but, rather, the options available in County Kerry. I remember meeting a group of parents when Áras na Féile was closed by HIQA. There were no respite services then available in the north of the county.”
“I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle's office for the opportunity to raise this issue at short notice. Most Deputies have received correspondence from the Before We Die campaign. There is a notable lack of planning for the situation of adults requiring residential care as their parents approach their later years. There is huge stress, anxiety and worry for those parents as to what will happen to their children. There seems to be a huge lack of planning. We have moved away from decongregated settings but it seems there has to date been a lack of communication and planning between the various agencies, including the HSE and local authorities. I hope that will change. I recently received correspondence from a couple who live in County Kerry asking for help with their son, who is 18 years old and will be leaving school in two weeks' time.”
“We do not want to see any items or products from Ireland being used to facilitate weaponry directly or indirectly - we are a neutral country - in any illegal war in Ukraine, or anywhere else for that matter. We must be completely confident no products are ending up in the hands of the military. Will the Minister give an approximate timeline for the completion of the review? Has he given the individuals preparing the report a deadline by which he wants to see results?”
“It is important, as I think the Minister will accept, that the Government step in, maybe with EU officials, to diversify this plant's market away from Russia because jobs are needed in the area and must be saved. That will not be an issue if the Russian exports are stopped, so it is a distraction to frame this as a risk to Limerick jobs. There is a huge global market for alumina and aluminium products outside of Russia - in Europe and other stable economies. The main reason alumina is not on the EU's Russian sanctions list is that any sanction would disproportionately damage European industry. This does not absolve the Government of its responsibility to prevent Aughinish Alumina from fuelling the Russia war effort and drone campaign against Ukrainians.”
“The Ukrainian Embassy has expressed serious concern about the continued sales to Russia, including for weapons such as ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles and Shahed drones, the weapons we hear are being used against Ukrainian cities every week.”
“I thank the Minister for the reply. Can he give an approximate time? Will it be by the end of the year, the middle of next year or the end of next year? As the Minister said, there is a question and it is valid. Legitimate questions are being asked about the plant exporting raw material to Russia to fuel the illegal attacks on Ukraine. Everybody in the House appreciates the level of employment the company provides in the Limerick and north Kerry area. At the same time, nobody is saying that its products should be used to assist an illegal war effort. There is a question mark. Society is questioning how it has been permitted to continue and why the Government has been so slow to conduct an investigation.”
“The Minister was recently on the airwaves speaking about the huge volume of exports to Russia from the State and assuring us that the figures presented by the Central Statistics Office were, in fact, incorrect. He is on record saying that the CSO was the gold standard for statistics and that a current investigation of the plant in Aughinish would be carried out by the Department. We all want openness about this. Will the Minister update the House on the investigation and confirm whether it has been completed? Will he publish its findings?”
“By the end of that year, every single hospital in Gaza was either damaged or destroyed, 70,000 people had been killed, families were wiped out and homes and schools had been reduced to rubble. It is incomprehensible that an Irish Government would still continue to use dual licences to export to Israel. While the Government is speaking out on banning the exports of goods, actions speak louder than words.”
“I asked whether there had been any review because no dual licences for export to Israel were granted in 2025 and 2026. Was there some recognition that the technology was being used to facilitate military action across the Middle East, or did something change from 2025 onward? Why did the Government continue to permit dual-use exports in 2024 at the height of the onslaught and attacks? These are questions that need to be answered. Was there a change in tack? Did the Government review it? Did it realise that it had been making a mistake and that parts of the State were complicit? In May 2024, Ireland recognised, finally, the State of Palestine, but in the same year, €20 million worth of technology was sanctioned to the IDF and the Israeli Ministry of Defense to assist them.”
“Crimes Israel committed in Gaza and is continuing to commit are under investigation by the International Court of Justice. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has already found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu, and former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, have arrest warrants against them. The Minister cannot claim he did not know what was happening. Is Ireland going to be complicit in continuing to support the genocide in Gaza because of decisions taken by the Department?”
“I thank the Minister for the reply. Have there been any reviews of the position since 2024? Let us talk through the facts. As the Minister has explained, to export dual-use technology, which is technology with civilian and military capabilities such as computers, chips and software, a licence is required, as the Minister explained. At least 11 dual-use licences were granted for goods, worth €35 million, to be exported to Israel, €20 million of that in 2024 alone at the height of the attacks on Gaza. The Currency reports that the end user of the these goods were the IDF and the Israeli Ministry for Defense. There are severe consequences under international law for exporting dual-use goods to a state sponsor of terrorism or a conflict zone.”
“We have all seen the devastation Israel has unleashed on the Middle East since 2023. Gaza has been razed to the ground, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and 70,000 have been killed. At the same time, in 2024, at the height of this onslaught by Israel, the Minister's Department approved €20 million worth of dual-use technology to the IDF and the Israeli Ministry for Defense. Will the Minister explain to the people of Ireland, and the people of Palestine, why the Government gave approval for this?”
“These workers are not asking for any special treatment but they need the Government’s help to end this six-month cooling-off period, so that they can work again in the same sector, put money in their pockets with a fair redundancy scheme, reform the redundancy procedures to improve their terms and legislate for their right to join a union. It is absolutely scandalous in this day and age that unions are kept out of some of these tech companies. I ask the Minister to intervene on behalf of workers to ensure they are treated fairly and receive what is due to them.”
“These are vulnerable workers. Covalen had turnover of €722 million and a profit of €26.2 million and despite that is offering statutory redundancy, which is an absolute scandal. The parent company works on many other public sector accounts for the Government. An employer that treats employees like this really needs to be looked at when the public sector contracts are up for grabs. Some 20,000 jobs have been cut by the tech sector. This should be a wake-up call for Government. Government and the Department should be meeting them.”
“These are mostly content reviewers, watching some of the most horrific content online so that we and our children do not get to see it. While at work, there are no psychological or mental health supports. Some have been hospitalised from the traumatising impact and what have they been given? They have been shown the door with the bare minimum redundancy package. That highlights the attitude of some of these tech companies. The employer is imposing a six-month cooling-off period which would prevent them taking up employment in similar roles. What are they supposed to do? Many of them are non-Irish nationals on critical skills visas with no family support network, which is all the more reason for the Government to step in.”
“I appreciate what the Minister of State has said about IDA but he will be aware that over 700 employees at the Meta contractor were told that they would lose their jobs which will be replaced by AI. They have written to the Minister requesting intervention. I want to know what engagement the Minister has had. What has the Department done to assist the impacted workers? As the Minister of State is probably aware, last week Covalen workers and the CWU gave a briefing in the audiovisual room outlining the situation facing the 700 employees. I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for facilitating that. These workers explained how they were being asked to train AI systems to do their own jobs, effectively digging their own graves.”
“I am covering the questions for Deputy Conway-Walsh. I ask the Minister to provide an update on any engagement with Covalen regarding recent job losses and redundancies announced by the company and to make a statement about it.”
“I ask the Minister to address those points and to have more of an emphasis on older people and rural areas. As the Minister knows, one third of the money for EVs has up to now been given for cars that are worth over €55,000.”
“I know the Minister has been asked to do that in respect of EV cars and it is good that he is moving towards addressing an issue for which we have been calling for a long time, which is the prioritisation of rural areas. What about second-hand cars? It is still the case that for people who will be selling or scrapping cars, it is a small amount of money. How about a scheme for second-hand purchasers if, for example, it is their first time buying an EV? We need a just transition. We need free or subsidised retrofits for those who need them the most. If you are in a rural area or are an older person, you are unlikely to make that big outward investment to retrofit your home. We also need affordable public transport and more rural connectivity. We need income supports and protections for workers and families through the transition.”
“That money could be invested in communities and workers. Retrofit schemes are still too expensive. Rural communities are still facing rising costs and we have heard about energy prices. Workers and families have to carry this burden without clear, credible income supports and transition pathways. We need a just transition.”
“We accept, and the Minister accepts, that the small amount of money allocated for the new EV scheme, which is commencing on 1 July, is not going to address the issue. The way things are going, those funds will probably have been used up by the end of that month. Even though some money has been ring-fenced for rural areas, the scheme is not going to address the glaring need there. The EPA has made it clear that even if the current measures were to be delivered, they will only cut emissions by approximately 25%. On the EU side, we are heading to approximately 23% when the obligation, as the Minister knows, is 42%. It is a policy failure. The consequence is that we could have up to €28 billion in fines, although the Minister has questioned that. We will have to pay some money towards carbon credit purchases.”