Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Carlow-Kilkenny · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We can tell a great deal about the strength of a rural community by the services that remain at its heart. If the school is open, the local shop is trading, the GAA club is thriving and the post office is still there, that community has a bright future. That is why this Bill matters.”
“Fianna Fáil has always believed that people should not have to leave rural Ireland to enjoy the same quality of public services as those living elsewhere. Balanced regional development means investing in the infrastructure that allows people to live, work, raise families and grow older in the communities that they love.”
“It recognises the pressures created by declining mail volumes, rising costs and changing consumer habits, while giving An Post the opportunity to continue modernising and developing the network for the future. However, this should not simply be about maintaining what we have.”
“For many older people, those living alone and those who are less comfortable with digital services, the post office remains their most trusted connection with the State and that role should never be underestimated. Rural Ireland has faced enormous changes over recent decades.”
“For people living with Friedreich's ataxia time is something they simply do not have. Every delay means more mobility lost, more speech lost and more independence taken away.”
“Like previous speakers, I raise the issue of teacher losses. I am asking for the intervention of the Tánaiste regarding Our Lady of Lourdes National School in Slieverue, County Kilkenny, where the incoming junior infants class for September 2026 is expected to consist of 34 children taught by a single teacher following the loss of a teach…”
The complete record
Every one of 379 lines we hold for Peter 'Chap' Cleere, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 8.
“We also have to ensure that future support is targeted towards genuinely active farmers - those who are directly involved in the day-to-day running of their farms, take on financial risk and earn their livelihood primarily from agricultural activity. Supports should prioritise individuals who are clearly identified by national authorities as commercial farmers with adequate experience or training and who contribute to the delivery of public goods. The issues surrounding generational renewal were also raised earlier. This needs to be treated for what it is, an existential threat to food security and the sustainability of rural communities around the country, including in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. It is one of the greatest challenges facing EU agriculture.”
“We need to make that as simple as possible for our farming community. Securing a resilient agriculture sector and transitioning to a more sustainable food system will demand an increasingly significant CAP budget. This investment should not be optional. It is absolutely imperative for the survival of our farming community. Supporting small and large farms is not an either-or choice but it does require tailored approaches. Productive farms, whether they are large or small, have to be prioritised for income support, particularly those with the potential for long-term viability. Every farm has a role to play in our food system but it is time for the CAP to be refocused to ensure public money supports those who are truly active in farming.”
“We need to make sure CAP is simplified post 2027 to ensure simplified payments for farmers along with balance and proportionate controls. We have to ensure the administrative burden and red tape that farmers currently encounter is reduced significantly. We have to make sure there is flexibility in the design of schemes and that there is stakeholder input at all times. We also need to work at EU level to secure new funding streams, which are separate from CAP, to support farmers in meeting environmental responsibilities. We have to ensure access to a farm capital investment scheme. At local level, we also need to accelerate IT capabilities in the Department to enhance systems and avoid payment delays. We were in Naas during the week and there was lengthy discussion of the delays in ACRES payments.”
“At national level we are trying to support the suckler, beef, dairy, sheep, pig, poultry, tillage, horticulture and organic sectors along with providing vital farm schemes. At EU level, this Government must prioritise protecting farmers in the new CAP. Ireland will hold the European Council Presidency in 2026, and we have to use every lever available to ensure vital farm payments are protected and expanded beyond the CAP period 2023 to 2027. The agrifood sector is by far our most important indigenous industry, providing more than 170,000 jobs and accounting for more than 10% of exports. A strong CAP will keep the sector strong and allow Ireland to be a world leader in innovation, sustainability and value. As a Government, we must fight as hard as we can at EU level for a fully supported CAP with an increased budget.”
“Chap on CAP is the correct term. As Fianna Fáil spokesperson on agriculture, I welcome these statements on the Common Agricultural Policy and Ireland's CAP strategic plan. Fianna Fáil believes the Irish family farm is the social, economic and cultural pillar of our rural communities and that is why we are committed to ensuring CAP remains strong. The current CAP provides €9.8 billion to Ireland for the period 2023 to 2027 but a strong, well-funded CAP supports farm incomes and food security while contributing meaningfully to wider EU objectives, including, as previous speakers said, climate, biodiversity and innovation. Strengthening incomes for our 130,000 family farms continues to be an absolute priority for me and for Fianna Fáil.”
“Yesterday I spoke with a young woman who has been promoted in her job. She is absolutely delighted but as part of her new job and her new role she needs to be able to have access to a full driving licence. It is a requirement for work but she is prevented from advancing her career. She is on a waiting list to get a driver test and it is just not acceptable. Young apprentices in my constituency are on to me regularly with the same thing. They need the licence for work and there is no priority given for work purposes. It just needs to be improved and sped up dramatically.”
“I was astonished recently to learn of the low number of driver testers throughout Carlow and Kilkenny. There are only five testers between the two counties. We cannot tackle the long waiting lists such as we have with only five testers. I am informed there is a process ongoing to hire and train more testers to the highest possible standards. I welcome the RSA approach to tackle these waiting lists and lack of testers. I believe that last September the Department sanctioned the recruitment of an additional 70 driver testers, bringing the overall driver tester headcount to 200, which is double the 2022 number of 100 but it is not enough. I understand that recruitment campaigns of this size can take time but I look forward to new driver testers being assigned to help tackle the backlog. Carlow and Kilkenny need to be prioritised.”
“In the last month alone, I have spoken to people, mostly young people, from Piltown, Mullinavat, Stoneyford, Graiguenamanagh, Callan, Thomastown, Kells, Ballyhale, Kilmanagh, Ballyragget, Conahy, Paulstown, Saint Mullin's, Borris, Rathanna, Ballinakill and Bagenalstown, all of whom are waiting patiently to sit their tests. It is particularly unfair to our younger people, some of whom are desperate to get their driver's licence, perhaps for health or work reasons. It is just not acceptable. In Kilkenny, to get a new test, you are looking at 23 or 24 weeks depending on the test centre. In Carlow, it is either 24 or 26 weeks, depending on whether it is done in the Carlow centre or the centre at the Talbot Hotel Carlow. These exponential waiting lists are unacceptable for learner drivers and they are just not fair.”
“Like previous speakers, I have serious concerns about the significant delays to driving tests across my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. A solution to this issue needs to be accelerated as soon as possible. We have to allocate new testers to locations throughout the country that are experiencing long delays. The delays drivers in Carlow and Kilkenny are facing are just not acceptable. People spend months and months learning how to drive. It costs a lot of money but they are then met with a long waiting time for their tests. We have to do better.”
“It will provide for the future skill needs of local industries and create a talent pipeline of graduates available to live and work in Kilkenny. Kilkenny needs this new campus. It will provide a growing range of specialist courses and apprenticeships which will have long-lasting benefits for Kilkenny, Carlow and the south-east region. I am looking for the Minister of State and the Government to support and fast-track this development to ensure Kilkenny gets its FET campus as soon as possible.”
“Government funding to the tune of tens of millions of euro will be required to drive the development of the site and create a new state-of-the-art education and training campus for Kilkenny-Carlow ETB. The purchase of the 15-acre site has been signed but we need urgency to see this become a campus that will deliver so much for the learners, staff and community of Kilkenny-Carlow ETB. At the moment, further education and training provision in Kilkenny is scattered around 15 locations in the city but we need FET to be brought together in one modern high-spec facility where learners will have the opportunity to progress in the best possible facilities. This proposed new integrated FET college has been a key strategic priority for KCETB and will transform the learning opportunities available in our communities.”
“I was a member of Kilkenny-Carlow ETB for over ten years, seven of which I was fortunate enough to spend as chairperson. It was confirmed with huge excitement recently that a new state-of-the-art flagship education and training campus in Kilkenny was finally going to become a reality after it was announced a site had been purchased for the new college. It is important to note that delivery of this project for the region has been the ambition of the executive team and board, and a personal ambition of mine, for a number of years. A site was purchased on the outskirts of Kilkenny city which will cater for up to 5,000 students. This, together with the decision to proceed the project to the design and planning stage, marks the next step in delivering a new third level college campus in Kilkenny city.”
“I welcome the opportunity for statements on the importance of higher education. I am a huge advocate of lifelong learning. A cornerstone of Ireland's economic success has been our highly skilled and talented workforce. Since we embraced FDI and enabled access to second level education for all, knowledge and talent have been the pillars of our economic strategy and have served this country very well. Ongoing investment in further and higher education is core to our ambition to deliver sustainable economic growth. The Government has to ensure investment offers opportunity to every person in this State, while remaining agile enough to address key skills challenges faced by our country and embrace new and emerging technologies and work practices.”
“The project is listed in the NDP and we cannot justify its pause any longer. We need an investment of €2.4 million over three years to get to construction. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment that this funding will be provided as soon as possible to show we have heard people's stories of loss and pain and are responding in a meaningful way?”
“The N25, a critical artery that runs through Kilkenny and the south-east region, has long been plagued by an alarming number of traffic collisions. It has seen 11 fatalities, four of which happened since the proposed upgrade was suspended or paused in 2022. The volume of traffic on the route has increased significantly to almost 15,000 vehicles per day. Kilkenny County Council has progressed the necessary upgrade to stage 2 of the project approval process at an already significant cost, but we need to show the people of Kilkenny and the south east our commitment to making the region safer and recognising the pleas of people who have lost loved ones on the road. The only way to do that is to commit to the completion of stages 3 and 4 of the project approval process.”
“As a Government, we need to prioritise the acceleration of accreditation by the Veterinary Council of Ireland through the inclusion of the new programme in the CAO listing in the 2025-26 year to provide for an annual intake of 40 students, commencing in September of next year.”
“Kilkenny is also open for business. Last year, we got great news in the sunny south east region with the announcement of a new veterinary medicine programme to be established in the campus of Kildalton agricultural college in Piltown, County Kilkenny, a venue the Taoiseach visited with me last year. It brings with it a multimillion euro capital expenditure for Kildalton, which will be a huge boost to south Kilkenny, including Kilkenny's agri and education sectors, and a game-changer for veterinary students who no longer have to leave the region, and in many cases their country, to study veterinary medicine. There is a large shortage of qualified vets for farm animals and pets and a high demand for existing veterinary courses.”
“Implementation of the increased pay rates is essential for building capacity in the sector. We need that €45 million to be allocated to support further increases to the minimum rates of pay for the childcare sector.”
“What impact does the Minister foresee if her Department is prevented from passing on the pay increase to childcare staff? I know the money is ring-fenced but if the Minister is not in a position to do it, what impact would that have? More importantly, would it be unlikely that future budgets would provide for pay increases in the sector? The provision of €45 million in 2025 is fantastic, but if we cannot get that allocated, what impact will that have on future budgets? To ensure every child has the best possible start in life, we must guarantee the availability of affordable, accessible childcare to all families. I hear this week in, week out. I welcome the Minister's earlier comment that the ambition is to have a cap of €200 per month on childcare for all families. That is very welcome.”
“I encourage the Minister to do everything she can to support every stakeholder to reach an agreement and to ensure the €45 million allocated under budget 2025 is used in full for its intended purpose, which, as the Minister said, is to support the costs of increased pay rates.”
“I appreciate the Minister's comments and her clarification and confirmation that the money is ring-fenced. Does the Minister agree that for children to achieve their full potential, they need opportunities for care and education, that key to ensuring the availability of these opportunities is the retention of qualified staff and early educators in the childcare sector, and key to this is increased rates of pay for the staff? Reports of the talks on the employment regulation order, which is necessary to implement the increased rates of pay, having stalled are concerning, both for those employed within the sector and, in particular, for parents, many of whom I have met in recent weeks in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny.”
“What are the Minister's views on the €45 million allocated under budget 2025 to support further increases to the minimum rates of pay in the childcare sector, a measure which will ensure providers can continue and improve the pay for staff of the childcare providers?”
“It offers a wide range of specialised services, including paediatric surgery, emergency care and outpatient services, but we need to make sure that our children, our State's children, can get quicker access and that when they do come into care, it is safe. All every parent wants for his or her children is for them to be safe and protected. When you entrust your child into the system, you need to make sure that that child will be looked after with the best medical practices that are there at any moment in time.”
“They are able to play their soccer and their sport in the summer and in the winter and it is fantastic. We need to protect our younger people and give them the opportunity of not putting one against the other. They should be able to coexist. It is really important. I call on each county to decide what is best for the younger people in its area because our younger people should not have to choose one sport over another. There should be participation for all at all levels. I genuinely believe that CHI is dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare services to children and young people across Ireland.”
“Most importantly, we need to involve the community. We need to encourage community programmes that focus on children's health such as nutritional workshops and health education initiatives in schools, but in particular sport leagues. I want to talk briefly about the possibility of the changing to calendar soccer in Ireland. I have four daughters. They all play with Highview Athletic in Graiguenamanagh and they absolutely love it. They love playing their camogie as well. The under-12 team had their last match of the year last night. They are a fantastic group of girls. There are 19 on the panel. They were asked, if they had to choose between soccer and camogie, what they would do. Seventeen of the 19 said they would pick camogie ahead of soccer. At the moment, the two coexist beautifully.”
“Luke's hospital in Kilkenny, a fantastic hospital, any child who is in there who has type 1 diabetes does not have any access to any sort of counselling or psychiatric help at all. The diagnosis of something like that is absolutely massive and life-changing, yet those services are not there. That is one small example where we could do something very quickly to make a difference to those children and their families. I mentioned earlier the importance of screen time and limiting it. As a country and a Government, we need to establish guidelines for screen time. Obviously, we need to encourage our children to engage in more interactive, outdoor and creative activities. Some 1.3 billion children in the world have access to a smartphone. That is a huge number, and we need to make sure we are involved in that as we go along.”
“There are huge issues with our younger people and their accessibility to mobile phones and tablets. That age is crucial for their development. As regards routine health check-ups, we need as a Government to ensure regular visits on time and on schedule to all healthcare providers for checkups, vaccinations and screenings. They are essential for monitoring health and preventing illnesses. This leads me nicely on to mental health support. We need to continue to foster open communication about feelings and emotions. We need to provide additional resources and support for mental health, including counselling, if needed, for our younger people. I will give the House an example. In St.”
“There is a specific item in the programme for Government to increase participation among our young people in sport. I spoke recently about the importance of participation in sport. Yes, we need to cater for our elite athletes - I am 100% for that - but we have to encourage participation. We have to participate in sport for enjoyment, not just winning. It is really important. Often, when parents come home and their child has had a match, the first question they ask is, "Did you win?" As a country, we need to change the whole narrative as to how we look at participation in sport. The question should be: "Did you enjoy it?" We have to do that as a country and we need to lead from the front on that. We need to ensure that our children get sufficient sleep according to their age group.”
“As we all know, improving children's health involves a combination of good practices, education and community support. Healthy eating is really important. I welcome the roll-out of the school meals programme and the schools that have been added, many in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. I particularly look forward to seeing the improving nutritional composition of meals going forward. That is to be welcomed right across the country. We all know that regular physical activity is so important and we need to promote at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. We should encourage our children to engage in fun activities such as playing sports, dancing and biking to develop a love for movement. It is all about participation.”
“The use in children of non-surgical springs which were not clinically approved was wrong and should never have happened. HIQA, as we all know, found that the controls in place within CHI did not provide the necessary or adequate safeguards at every single stage of the process and, as a result, children were not protected from harm. The Government must commit to implement the HIQA report. Children's Health Ireland has advised that a quality improvement plan is in place to address the recommendations made in the report. As of the end of March, however, there were 137 children on CHI's active waiting list, 67 of whom were waiting over four months. That is way too many and it is something that needs to be addressed immediately.”
“First of all, I congratulate the victorious Kilkenny minor camogie team on winning the all-Ireland on Sunday, a fantastic achievement. I pay tribute to all the players, the panel, the backroom team, the management, the executive and, in particular, all the parents who go above and beyond in travelling and bringing their children around the country. To get that reward is fantastic, and the whole of Kilkenny is very proud of them, so massive comhghairdeas to all involved. I welcome the opportunity for statements on Children's Health Ireland. The findings of the recent report are very serious. The Taoiseach has already expressed how horrified and appalled we all are by what has happened to the children involved, but it is extremely hard to comprehend what has happened.”
“The biggest challenge I see at the moment is that we have certain towns and villages in Kilkenny and Carlow that have the capacity to develop and grow way above what their communities can absorb. We have other towns and villages which are hamstrung and choked and there is no development. That is massive issue for us for schools, GAA clubs, shops and pubs. It is strangling them and we need to do more to help those small rural towns and villages right across the country.”
“Bringing stability to the planning system by progressing and enacting legislative amendments, finalising the reform of An Bord Pleanála and enabling it to make timely, impactful decisions around strategic priority projects, are essential to constant, cost efficient and structured development. There are welcome steps being taken to address some of the issues that exist within our planning system but we need to do more. Finally, continuing to grow investment in water service infrastructure is essential to keep up with and adapt to change and to ensure Ireland meets its economic, social and environmental obligations. I am a passionate rural person from a small place called Skeaghvasteen in the parish of Graiguenamanagh.”
“We need to get the infrastructure in place to allow these smaller towns and villages, such as Graiguenamanagh, where I am from, which are the heartbeat of rural Ireland and rural communities, to grow and prosper and to get the best out of themselves. It is absolutely crucial. We have a project in Paulstown and Gowran at the moment which is under construction. That will make a huge difference when it is completed in terms of enabling capacity there. Public water underpins all of the basic needs of an open, thriving and global competitive Ireland. There is much for us to do to modernise our water infrastructure. Infrastructure is expensive and containing costs relies on certainty, consistency and efficiency.”
“In my constituency, Kilkenny city has received fantastic investment of €33 million for the upgrade of the infrastructure in Troyswood water treatment plant. That is future proofed and is only at two thirds capacity at the moment. Kilkenny city has the capacity to grow and add an additional 20,000 businesses and homes under the current plan. That is fantastic. The infrastructure is there and we need to roll it out, in particular, to smaller towns and villages around the country. We are now in a situation whereby some of the towns in Carlow and Kilkenny have the capacity to grow. They are growing at a fantastic rate and will well exceed their targets under the national planning framework. The challenge we have is that other towns do not have a hope of reaching their targets because the infrastructure is not there.”
“As I mentioned earlier, 15 wastewater projects are required in Kilkenny and the first project will not be under way until 2029, which leaves the other 14 vulnerable in terms of how quickly we can get them over the line. We need to ensure that Uisce Éireann expedites and expands the small towns and villages growth programme to deliver wastewater services to rural towns and villages. As the Minister knows, Uisce Éireann is responsible for the delivery of secure, safe and sustainable public water services that will enable the Irish economy to grow and communities across Ireland to thrive. From 2020 to 2024, Uisce Éireann invested over €5 billion in upgrading water and wastewater services infrastructure to improve the quality of life of the people of Ireland, protect our environment and grow our economy.”
“We need to establish a new procedure for large developments of more than 100 units whereby a developer can meet local authority planners and Uisce Éireann onsite to iron out any issues at the preplanning stage. We need to invest additional capital funding in Uisce Éireann to support reaching our new housing targets. We must prioritise water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver the capacity to facilitate housing developments in our towns and villages. We want that development of towns and villages spread evenly across the counties. We need to ensure that Uisce Éireann prioritises delivery of the small towns and villages programme.”
“I am most interested to hear that further funding will be considered as part of the NDP review due to be completed this year. I encourage and implore the Minister to get additional funding to ensure that small village and town schemes, in particular, are completed as soon as possible. We need to support Uisce Éireann in the delivery of its key strategic projects in our cities and regions. Security of water supply is critical to delivering our national housing and economic priorities. We need to introduce statutory timelines for preconnections and water, wastewater and energy connection agreements to ensure that large developments can proceed without the delays they are experiencing at the moment.”
“The Government is delivering a sustainable funding path to further enhance the ongoing significant improvement to our public water and wastewater services. However, given the legacy of underinvestment in water services infrastructure in Ireland, the scale of remedial work necessary in our water and wastewater systems will take a number of years and a number of investment cycles to fully resolve. We must take action now. I note the Government has acknowledged and recognises that our wastewater networks require ongoing and sustained investment to bring them to the required standard of treatment, to deal with population growth and to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Significant investment in wastewater infrastructure continues and is provided for in the 2025-29 strategic funding plan.”
“While it is important that we get the increase to a record level of investment, the delivery of that investment is more important. That is crucial and that is where the challenge is. Uisce Éireann must be able to do this on time and with a sense of urgency and relentlessness we have not seen before. In the past ten years, we have ramped up capital delivery capability for water services. In 2014, €300 million was available. In 2024, the relevant figure was €1.3 billion. I acknowledge there has been a significant increase in investment and record funding was allocated between 2020 and 2024. That investment will continue under the new strategic funding plan. However, there is much more to do.”
“It is, however, imperative that the investment is tied to new supply so we can enable housing and infrastructure development around the entire country and, in particular, in towns and villages across my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. We must also look at the regulatory framework to get a proper balance between EPA compliance, new development and new wastewater treatment plants in areas to facilitate more housing and get those numbers up, which we all want. As the Minister knows, housing is the number one social issue and crisis facing this country at the moment. Enabling infrastructure such as water and wastewater would enable us to get more houses built quickly and evenly across the country. We could get an awful lot more done if the infrastructure was there.”
“That, in turn, means that all the other towns and villages that are further down the priority list, including the likes of Fiddown, Glenmore, Windgap, Dungarvan and the the Rower, may face even longer delays in the delivery of this vital water infrastructure. Where water infrastructure has reached its limit, new housing development stalls, forcing locals to relocate, which is not what I want. That creates a ripple effect on all our schools, shops and GAA clubs as families move and demographics shift, which is a hammer blow to rural Ireland. The Government has made a commitment to increase the level of capital investment in Irish Water for the next while, which I welcome.”
“I am sure that people across the House will agree that there is a significant issue in respect of the capacity of Irish Water and the investment, in particular, in small towns and villages. If they had the water infrastructure, it would enable small housing schemes to happen more quickly than has been the case. I recently travelled around my constituency to places such as Mullinavat, Inistioge, Glenmore, Ballyhale, Paulstown, Kells, Kilmanagh and Piltown where the infrastructure is not there to help these towns and villages to grow and prosper. The former Minister for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, created the small towns and villages scheme, which is good, but to date it has been slow in its delivery. For example, work may not start on Bennettsbridge, the number one priority in Kilkenny, until 2029.”
“His horses came first, second, third, fifth and seventh. It was huge. I know there was a fantastic celebration and homecoming last night in Closutton and Leighlinbridge. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend as I was in Dublin. It is an achievement that needs to be acknowledged formally in the House. He is a fantastic ambassador and like me, has strong Kilkenny connections, being originally from Goresbridge. I acknowledge Willie Mullins, Patrick Mullins and the whole team for everything they have done. It is magnificent. The programme for Government commits to investing additional capital in Uisce Éireann to support reaching our new housing targets. In addition, it states that the Government will prioritise water and wastewater infrastructure to deliver the capacity to facilitate housing development in our towns and villages.”
“I will take the opportunity to congratulate Willie Mullins on his fantastic achievement. This is the first time I have spoken in the House since his incredible achievement in the Grand National last Saturday.”
“It will not realise its full potential without improved east-west connectivity. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to invest in all road projects in the current national development plan, with multi-annual funding clarity for road budgets so that agencies can plan accordingly. The N24 Waterford to Cahir project is listed in the NDP and, therefore, will be funded under the programme for Government. I require an assurance from the Government as to when the project will be funded and how quickly we can get it over the line.”
“All development indicators, such as population, jobs and infrastructure, show Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick cities developing at a much faster rate than Kilkenny, Waterford, Carlow and the south-east region. If we continue to focus on growth in and around Dublin without addressing the specific development challenges facing other regions, such as the economic underperformance of the south east, this will have negative consequences that could further add to growth pressure in the wider Dublin region and inhibit more peripheral parts of Ireland, like my own constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, from realising their full potential. We need to improve accessibility between centres of scale along key east-west and north-south routes. Belview Port, for example, is a significant piece of national infrastructure based in south Kilkenny.”
“If people want to cycle, they can do so. That is not a problem. In Kilkenny, we are proud of our heritage, history and culture. The continued investment in Kilkenny Castle is most welcome. As stated, over the course of the summer, I would love to welcome the Minister and the Ministers of State to Kilkenny city. We will take a tour of the castle. They will be able to explore everything that is brilliant about our wonderful city.”
“I encourage everybody to get into their cars this summer and go down to Kilkenny and enjoy everything that is great about it.”
“I welcome the significant investment in Kilkenny Castle in recent years. I look forward to continued investment being made in the years ahead. Kilkenny Castle is a jewel in the crown of the south east. Visitor numbers are absolutely through the roof every year. The castle is a fantastic asset on our doorstep and is worth a huge amount to the local economy. The Minister and Ministers of State are always welcome to Kilkenny, especially if they bring the cheque book. We will welcome them any time. Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to visit Kilkenny city and the castle itself. The crowd of people there was absolutely unbelievable. To have a state-of-the-art facility like Kilkenny Castle in the middle of the city centre is quite unique, not only in the context of the south east but across Ireland in general.”