Ryan O'Meara
Tipperary North · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The postponement of a decision this week while expert opinion was requested by the committee was incredibly disappointing. I do not know, after hundreds and hundreds of days of people waiting for a medication that they desperately need, how a committee that is paid to do a job still has not made a decision.”
“The Minister mentioned labs, which is fantastic because that is my next point. St. Mary's Secondary School in Nenagh has been approved for its science labs. The tender has been done and the proposed contractor is to be appointed. The school sent its information to the Department on 10 June and followed up on 29 June.”
“I thank the Minister for that. On her final point, I will raise one school to begin with. Presentation Primary School in Thurles originally applied in 2016 for works to its car park and school yard in terms of tarring, relining, safer access and drop-off zones.”
“The ask from this budget from the INTO is very important - 1,000 additional teachers - to help us reduce class sizes for every child to give him or her more attention, to support inclusive education, to meet growing pupil needs, to ease the workload pressure and potential burnout for teachers facing those very high numbers within the clas…”
“I want to read an excerpt from an email I got today in relation to Skyclarys for people with Friedreich's ataxia: At 19 years old, I should be excited about my future. I should be looking forward to building a career, travelling, making memories with friends and planning the life I want to live.”
“I acknowledge the work that was done by the previous Government in reducing the pupil-teacher ratio. Good work was done and, to be fair, in the last budget, good work was done in respect of the capitation grants to schools and that needs to be recognised.”
The complete record
Every one of 302 lines we hold for Ryan O'Meara, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 7.
“In cases where children are already settled in their most appropriate school environment, families should not have to go through this rigmarole of getting on to TDs or schools to get letters to fit the criteria and a technical policy. We should be able to examine the policy and get that ironed out while these school places continue to be expanded.”
“I would like to raise a number of cases that have arisen in Nenagh recently regarding school transportation for special classes. A number of new classes opened this year at second level. Three families are in contact with me who, two or three years ago, enrolled their children in the closest available school at the time, which is now their most appropriate school place. However, they are being told by the school transportation section that they are not entitled to school transport because there is a vacancy in a closer school. There seems to be a way to work this out. We are getting letters from schools, confirmation from parents and so on, but we need to examine the policy. We are opening more and more special classes. There are a considerable number opening in north Tipperary this year and we expect more next year.”
“In Cloughjordan, my own village where I live, we have not seen a private development since the mid-2000s. The council cannot build and new businesses often cannot connect. The housing estate that has developer-provided infrastructure cannot be taken in charge by the council because there is no capacity in the system. These are two examples of villages like many others right across rural Ireland. Will the Government commit to ensuring Uisce Éireann will provide a scheme of funding for these smaller towns and villages through national development funding and that it will not just be our larger towns and cities that will be looked at?”
“I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy John Connolly. The issue of wastewater treatment plants in our rural towns and villages is one I have raised with the Taoiseach before. I refer in particular, however, to Ballycommon in Cloughjordan in north County Tipperary, which I know he will be aware of from previous discussions here in this Chamber. With the quite large level of investment coming from the national development plan into Irish Water, I appreciate that cities and large towns will have to take a certain level of priority in terms of the numbers of houses delivered, but I am worried about our smaller towns and rural villages being left behind. In Ballycommon in north Tipperary, 34 houses could be built right now were it not for a lack of capacity in the system. Two developers there would build a plant if they got permission.”
“The answer coming back from the Department is that they have other options, namely, they could go to a Gaelcholáiste or do different things. As the Minister just said, though, the immersive experience is by far the most beneficial. We need to look at offering free fees for summer Gaeltacht courses for post-primary teachers.”
“The Minister has lined up my final point perfectly in terms of immersive experiences. Gaeltacht courses for student teachers are free for primary teachers but are costing post-primary teachers about €2,000 when they have to do them. It has been raised with me numerous times in Mary Immaculate College in Thurles by the staff and particularly by the students there. It is an obstacle for students when they are looking at a course or considering what subjects they would like to teach at the end of their college education. It is an extra financial barrier that they would not have to face if they chose business, maths or something else. I have asked a good few times why the post-primary teachers cannot get that free course while the primary teachers can.”
“When students leave after studying Gaeilge for so many years, they should have a confidence in speaking Irish, similar to the way students who, after five or six years studying German, French or Spanish, would be confident to attempt a conversation in those languages. Enhancing the oral exam on that side would be a very positive thing.”
“After 14 years of education, it seems like the whole purpose is to get to the leaving certificate exam and to get as many points as possible out of it. That is the sense among a lot of students when they leave school. The instant the oral is over and the paper is written, they feel they are finished with Irish and stop practising it. The love of it and the whole point of why they are studying it have not been introduced. I am concerned about the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment proposal to reduce the Irish oral exam to 35% from 40%. It should be going in the opposite direction to 50%.”
“I will touch on the inability of so many Irish people to converse in our national language on leaving secondary school after 14 years of education. This is obviously something a lot of people talk about but I am concerned about whether we are actually addressing it and enhancing the ability of all of us to communicate as Gaeilge. Will the Minister consider introducing a three-week mandatory Gaeltacht course for every leaving certificate student studying Gaeilge?”
“If someone heads across the county boundary to Riverstown in County Offaly or crosses into Laois or across the bridge into Portumna, all of a sudden, the cap is different. That the markets could be so different crossing those county boundaries does not add up for me. The problem for me is the way in which it is calculated. The figure of €350,000 is calculated on the price of a new build. We do not have enough new builds on the market in Tipperary to be able to calculate it but if we look at parity across county councils, we will see a much fairer system. I thank the Minister of State for being here at this hour to answer these questions and for the response he has given me and I hope he will carry these messages back to Government for me.”
“The last point I will make on this concerns the second paragraph of the Minister of State's reply, which states: "I am advised that the board takes into account a range of factors as part of these reviews, including the median price and volume of new builds purchased by first-time buyers in each local authority area." The key message I hope the Minister of State brings back to the Minister and the board overseeing this scheme is that it is very hard to calculate the median price or the average price of new builds in Tipperary compared to other counties when we have so few of them. The market in Tipperary at the moment mostly involves second-hand homes so how the board can justify a cap of €350,000 as opposed to €375,000 on these homes is very difficult for me to understand.”
“I ask the Government to look at raising the price ceiling from €350,000 to possibly €375,000 for Tipperary so that the scheme can be workable.”
“In Kilkenny on the other side of the constituency, it is €400,000 while in Laois and Offaly, it is €375,000. It does not make sense why Tipperary is so different from any of those counties. The clear message coming back from developers to me and the county council is that the scheme is workable, they like it and they can build and provide the houses we need but they are opting to go to the counties next door because of that obvious barrier we face. I have raised social housing, which is being delivered in Tipperary, many times in this House. We need to see more of it along with log cabins and modular homes but affordable housing is key and this scheme helps in this regard. It helps bridge the gap for those of us who could get a mortgage but who cannot reach that final price.”
“I will give the example of neighbouring counties of which there are a lot. In Galway and Limerick, the price ceiling is €425,000; in Kilkenny, which is part of the constituency I represent, it is €400,000; and in Clare, Offaly, Laois and Waterford, it is €375,000. However, in Tipperary, it is €350,000. To get private developments built in north Tipperary in particular, the price ceiling needs to be adjusted upwards so that we have parity with neighbouring counties. Otherwise builders will go elsewhere where they have more certainty in the market. I do not accept the Department's calculations. I will give the example of the area I represent in north Tipperary. In Clare on one side of the River Shannon, the ceiling is €375,000 while across the bridge in Portumna in County Galway, it is €425,000.”
“Close to 3,700 homes have been bought under the first home scheme since it was launched three years ago this month. Thousands of others have been approved under this scheme and it is growing in popularity. It is working. Charlie Weston had a positive piece on the first home scheme or the shared equity scheme recently in the Irish Independent . This quote is important because he stated: Buyers in Dublin, Kildare, Cork, Meath and Wicklow represent the biggest proportion of users of the scheme but the price ceiling in Dublin and Wicklow is €500,000; in Kildare, it is €475,000; and in Cork and Meath, it is €400,000. The average price of homes being purchased under this scheme is €386,000. In early July, the price ceiling under the scheme increased across 16 local authorities but, unfortunately, Tipperary was not one of them.”
“I would like to discuss the first home scheme price ceiling, particularly for County Tipperary. As a young Member, I will highlight yet again that housing is the number one issue affecting my generation. In Tipperary, we are really struggling with privately built housing, particularly affordable housing. The first home scheme is in place to help those of us who could get a mortgage but where the purchase price of the house is higher than our mortgage to bridge the gap. However, the price ceiling in Tipperary is becoming a major issue. According to officials in the local authority, developers or those who would build houses are deciding to go to other local authorities rather than Tipperary because of the price ceiling we face.”
“They either need to be removed or automated to allow trains to move faster to give more commuters a reason to travel along that line and get to places faster, but also more frequently. I wish to bring this line to the attention of this House because I am conscious many Members do not seem to know about it. I would be delighted to welcome the Minister of State to Birdhill, Nenagh, Cloughjordan or Roscrea. The train station in Cloughjordan is only 1 km from my home. He would be very welcome for a cup of tea while he there as well.”
“It has massive strategic and regional importance and enormous potential for the people I represent to connect us far more by rail to Limerick, but also to Cork and Dublin. However, investment is needed. The all-island strategic rail review states lines such as this should see one train per two hours on regional lines. That is the frequency we need to get to for this route. We need faster speeds. To do that we need to reduce the number of rail crossings, particularly manual rail crossings on that line so trains can go faster. The investment has been put into the continuous welded rail, but Irish Rail is limited by the number of manual crossings that are there.”
“I would like to raise the Limerick to Ballybrophy regional line with the Minister of State. Before coming in here, I told one of my colleagues what I was going to speak on and the response was, "Oh, do you have a railway line in north Tipperary?" This railway line is probably one of Iarnród Éireann's best-kept secrets. It services Birdhill, Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Roscrea but it is a regional line within infrequent services that sees a lot of cancellations. To be fair to Irish Rail, it has seen significant investment in recent years, particularly in continuous welded rail. It links County Limerick and rural towns and villages in north Tipperary to the main Dublin-Cork line.”
“Clear guidelines are needed on setback distances from homes, the ability of road networks to take increased volumes of HGV traffic and mandatory community engagement to advise local communities of the plans for these plants. In particular, plants looking for capital funding from the State must communicate with their local areas. We also need to look at the powers of the EPA to regulate these plants. As the plants continue to grow in numbers, so must the regulator's powers.”
“I raise the planning guidelines for anaerobic digesters, ADs, and the regulations of these plants. I acknowledge the need for AD plants to reach our emission reduction targets and improve water quality, particularly in light of the conversation we will have today on the nitrates derogation. However, given the ambition for AD plants to be built across the country under the national biomethane strategy, I am concerned about the preparedness of our local authorities to process such complex planning permission applications. We need statutory planning guidelines for AD plants so that there is consistency across all local authorities. Planning staff also need to be trained as a matter of priority for these complex applications.”
“She put it up and is now under pressure, but it is a perfect family home. The next time a planning Bill is before the House, I hope it will focus on that issue. I will continue to call for that. I ask the Minister of State to continue to work on that and prioritise it. It is not the solution to the housing crisis but it has the potential to be part of it, particularly, although not exclusively, for younger people. I welcome the Bill. I hope it will be progressed as quickly as possible. It is a real and meaningful measure that will result in the protection both of planning permissions and thousands of houses that can be built. I thank the Minister of State for his work on it to date.”
“It is so frustrating, as a young person, to see the potential that is there, particularly in rural areas, where planning would be possible. If utilities, wastewater infrastructure, whether it is a sewerage system or connection to the mains, electricity and water are available, and appropriate planning is possible, those houses should be allowed. They use a new method of construction, at least in this country although not everywhere else, but it is a modern, possible and much more affordable method. I know of so many laneways in north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny I canvassed where such houses are already. I worry for those families, especially younger families. I am dealing with a case, without going into details, where for a young mother with two children, it is the only affordable home she could have built.”
“This Bill will help to ensure those developments are not lost while the legal process continues. I will also focus on other planning issues while the Minister of State is before me. Modular or log cabin-style housing is an area he has taken an interest in and one I have brought to the attention of the House on numerous occasions. I hope the next time a planning Bill is before the House it will be on that exact issue. We are talking about the exemption in respect of backyard developments, but we should go beyond that. I have said it so many times here and I will say it again that we should allow planning permission for those log-cabin or modular-style homes, using modern methods of construction, to be built throughout the country.”
“To give the young, talented educated people abroad at present a reason to come home, increasing supply and the number of houses we are building in this country are also essential. The House needs to take a long hard look at itself and the number of politicians who object to strategic infrastructure and housing developments at a time when we desperately need them, and whether these objections to energy, housing or wastewater infrastructure, or across the board, are appropriate. We need to ask ourselves whether it is the place of politicians to object within the planning system. I do not believe it is. We have seen some members of the public and Members of the House who attempt to act skilfully to frustrate the planning system to prevent developments that we so desperately need from going ahead.”
“I welcome this timely Bill, which has some very reasonable measures, and the clear action that has been taken by this Government to protect planning permissions currently in the system as we strive to increase the number of houses delivered in this country. From my point of view, as a younger Member of the House, it is an absolute priority for me to see the number of houses being delivered by this Government increasing, especially across north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny, which I represent, but also nationally, where they are so desperately needed for young people looking to get a start in life. For working families who are paying very high rents, and struggling to find somewhere to rent or buy at an affordable rate, increasing supply is essential.”
“When we talk about well-being and the benefits to students outside of a purely teaching and learning environment, I believe it would be a good thing to encourage our teachers and to assist them in that. I ask that the scheme be looked at to see if counselling can fall in under the teacher fee-----”
“I am sure the Taoiseach is aware of the teacher fee refund scheme. In 2025, it is aimed at assisting teachers with upskilling and paying for some of their course fees or examination fees. The Department of education has informed me that courses that fall under that with regard to professional development for teachers include tackling disadvantage, discrimination and equality and promoting well-being. I am aware of a career guidance counsellor in a secondary school who has done a counselling course and is not qualifying for the refund scheme. I believe we need to look beyond just the teaching environment to teachers in an example like that, where they are upskilling to be able to help their students, particularly in a counselling or career guidance capacity.”
“We need to see urgent action but we need to go beyond the planning exemption for back-yard dwellings and go to more modular units and log cabins where it is appropriate, that is, where planning is appropriate and we can get connections to utilities such as wastewater treatment and so forth. There is a place for them in the market. I am convinced of that. For young people who want their own homes, those who have a site and home and want to build, the only way it would be affordable is through those and I ask the Minister of State to seriously take that into account. I look forward to supporting this Bill and introducing more measures and protections for renters currently in the market, but also spurring on supply from the private sector, along with all the massive work being done through public investment in housing.”
“The simple fact is that we have a record level of State investment in housing, but State investment alone cannot fix this problem. I recognise that supply has increased but we have a long way to go. A big part of that simply has to be the private market. The State is doing an enormous amount of work. It needs to do an awful lot more, but opening up private investment to come into the market to build, in particular, the apartments we need at scale will be a key component of how we start to reach those targets. While discussing housing, I will go slightly off topic and take the opportunity to again mention log cabins, modular buildings and modern methods of construction. I welcome what has been done by the Government to date and what has been spoken about to date.”
“It is important, as an interim measure, for all tenants to be protected as soon as possible under the current rent increase restrictions that apply to the RPZs. This Bill provides that necessary protection for all tenants until 28 February 2026. It provides for a two-month extension, until February 2026, to the operation of the existing RPZs. It also provides for non-rent pressure zones to become rent pressure zones, including in my constituency, from the day after enactment of the Bill. This is about providing certainty, clarity and stability for the rental market. It is important as an interim measure for all tenants to be protected as soon as possible under the current rent increase restrictions that apply to RPZs. The Bill provides that necessary protection for all tenants.”
“Following last week's approval by the Government of the urgent drafting of the legislation to extend and expand the operation of the rent pressure zones, we are now bringing this Bill to the House today. While the rental measures announced have been necessarily complex for what is a very complex issue to respond to the different situations we are seeing in the rental market, it is important we provide clarity, stability and certainty for the rental sector, including those who rent or let properties. There was a balance to be struck between trying to get more investment into the private market, which is essential, and protecting renters. We have some of the most protective measures in any rental market in Europe and one of the highest levels of regulation in the European Union.”
“I say again that housing is the number one issue affecting my generation. It was the biggest issue by far and away for me on the doors, whether I was speaking to people my own age; getting messages from people on social media saying they would love to be able to come home and afford a home; parents who said when I knocked on doors that their adult children were still living at home, as I am also; or grandparents worried about their grandchildren's future in this country and how they will be able to afford to live here, rent or buy an affordable home. I welcome and support this Bill which is about protecting renters. We are moving swiftly on this as a Government and I welcome the work of the Minister of State and that of his colleagues in the Department on it.”
“The social inclusion stream of LEADER for north Tipperary has been maxed out and no other funding options are coming close to the funding required. Both playground groups have applied for funding through CLÁR and others, but have not been successful to date through no fault of their own. Considering the next Common Agricultural Policy is not due until 2028, I am asking for funding from the Exchequer to go into those empty streams to continue that funding in rural Ireland and get us our playgrounds in Cloughjordan and Silvermines.”
“Both Cloughjordan and Silvermines in my constituency need playground facilities for young children. Both of these local villages have dedicated, skilled and ambitious voluntary committees that have been working on this for a number of years. Both have secured lands, namely, the Thomas MacDonagh Memorial Garden in Cloughjordan and the parish field in Silvermines. Both have considerable sums of money fundraised, both have acquired planning permission and both have detailed designs published. The Silvermines committee has already shown the public its plans. Cloughjordan is doing that this weekend from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in St. Kieran's Hall. Both communities have very excited children who want their own local playground, but both have major problems accessing funding.”
“Cloughjordan, where I live, has been facing major constraints for 15-plus years, waiting for Irish Water at least since its establishment to get its act together and build out the plant to allow us build homes in our village. Similarly, Ballycommon could have more than 30 houses built in a small village. We need the investment in wastewater and water infrastructure going into Uisce Éireann to remove those blockages and allow those houses to be built.”
“Nenagh is the largest town in north Tipperary. There is no capacity in the system at the moment to build any houses, despite the fact that approximately 1,000 could be built in the morning. There are probably other constraints, but there is planning there for them. Social housing and private developments are being held up because of a lack of capacity. We thought there was capacity in Nenagh until the census was done. Even without new houses being built, because population has grown to the extent it has, there is now not capacity in that system. We are looking at 2029 for that to be completed, and that is just not good enough.”
“Every year we see students rush to Thurles to try to find somewhere and it is only putting more pressure on a market that is already ferociously under pressure. We need to see purpose-built student accommodation in Thurles as a matter of priority. I also want to see affordable housing developments built across Nenagh, Thurles and Roscrea in north Tipperary to begin with. Affordable housing is a major issue in my constituency. We are seeing lots of active planning permissions on an issue I will come to shortly - wastewater capacity. However, affordable housing is a must, particularly for younger people and working families who are trying to get a start in life with a home on their own. On wastewater capacity, I name Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Ballycommon as three examples I have raised multiple times in this House.”
“I am not particularly pleased that they have now stopped, and the one-off house in particular has to pay its development contribution and the levy again. People contact me and ask what they are getting in return for it. To be honest, in a rural area, they are getting essentially zero except the privilege of building on their own site. We need to re-establish that waiver to help those people with the cost of building. There is also student accommodation in Thurles in my constituency. Thurles has two universities, TUS and Mary Immaculate College. Mary Immaculate is bursting at the seams, and TUS is continuing to grow now that it has university status. The town desperately needs student accommodation.”
“We need to see planning for those, but furthermore we need to allow planning retrospectively for houses that can meet the planning requirements. I am not saying there should be a free for all. I am saying that where wastewater and water connections, utilities and proper planning can be met, the ban that is there in many county councils should be removed and they should be allowed to be built. They are the only form of affordable housing that many young people in rural Ireland can afford, whether young people trying to take over a farm, or a young person who might have a site from their parents they could potentially build on. It is an option for some. It is not a perfect solution, but it will work, and we need urgency in allowing that to happen. There is also the issue of development contributions in rural Ireland.”
“Housing is the single greatest issue facing my generation. I start with an issue I have raised in this Chamber a number of times, and will continue to raise, which is modern methods of construction, modular homes, log cabins or whatever we want to call them. I recognise the Minister of State's position on it. I welcome the work done to date by Government on planning exemptions relating to backyard development, but we need to go further. I have said repeatedly and say it again that there is a place for these types of homes across Ireland, particularly rural Ireland. I canvassed in the local and general elections last year. There are countless laneways in north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny where I see those modular homes and log cabins. They are working for people who cannot afford a house otherwise, and for a lot of young families.”
“The EU needs to move a lot faster than it has to date. Innocent people in Palestine and Israel deserve to live in peace, free from the threat from Hamas and the Israeli military. The international community must now step up and act to prevent further war crimes, murder, killings and the displacement and terrorising of an innocent people.”
“I have no doubt they will look back with shock and, rightly, disgust at the delayed response from so many in the West - the EU, the current US Administration and others - and ask how this was allowed to go on for so long. Thousands upon thousands of children, women and men have been displaced, murdered, starved, chased from their homes and terrorised. Aid workers and journalists have been killed, hospitals have been levelled and genocide has been committed. Vital aid has been prevented from reaching people who are now being starved. History will judge what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank today. It will not be kind nor should it be. A two-state solution is the only solution to this issue. Those responsible for war crimes must answer for them. We should suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement.”
“Ireland must continue to work with international partners to step up our efforts and achieve this goal. I recognise the stance Ireland has taken from the outset of this conflict in particularly and officially recognising the State of Palestine along with Norway and Spain a year ago this week. For a long time, we were one of few nations in the West that spoke out against the crimes being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. I have just come from the first meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Youth. The young people for whom we are setting policy today will study what we are living through as part of their history.”
“Israel's blockade is pushing Gaza into a hunger crisis. It must be lifted immediately. The UN's head of humanitarian aid said that unless aid reaches the people of Gaza, 14,000 babies could die in 48 hours. It is wrong in principle and in law to inflict hunger and suffering on a civilian population whatever the circumstances. This behaviour clearly constitutes a war crime. It is wholly unacceptable to contemplate the mass displacement of the people of Gaza or to talk about permanent occupation. Not only is it an affront to decency and international law, history tells us it offers no solution. Ireland remains convinced the implementation of the two-state solution is the only way to establish lasting peace and security for Israel and Palestine and the wider region.”
“I strongly condemn in the most certain terms the brutality Israel is inflicting upon the innocent people of Gaza. Equally, I strongly condemn in the most certain terms the atrocious acts committed by Hamas, particularly those of 7 October 2023. The murder, maiming and unjustifiable terror being waged on innocent people on both sides of this conflict have no place in our world yet they continue, to the horror of the world looking in. The continuing Israeli military operations which have brought fresh and unwavering suffering to the people of Gaza are blatantly in breach of the ceasefire, international law and basic humanity. There must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and the resumption of unhindered humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza at an unprecedented scale.”
“We have to be that voice. They have to be heard. Cara Darmody is that voice today in the pouring rain. She deserves the recognition. I do not think for a second that she wants it, but we have to stand up and fight as legislators, as she is doing for her brothers and every one of those 15,000 children who are waiting.”
“They know the system inside out and live the frustrations every day, but they should not have to be advocates for their children to get these services, whether an assessment of need or all the services that should automatically come to their children thereafter. They are supposed to be there to love, protect and support their children, not to be their voice on this issue. The system should be that child's voice. Parents should not have to do it. The voice I want to be heard today in particular is that of children waiting on lists who cannot access services and do not have parents who can be that advocate or that voice to shout and roar for their children and fight for them if they have to - those children who are going unheard. It scares me that there are children whose parent, for whatever reason, is not able to be that advocate.”
“That the place where a person comes from determines whether they get a service more quickly than others, although still in an untimely manner, is completely unacceptable. We need to look at private funding to get these assessment of need waiting lists cleared as a matter of urgency. More than 15,000 was the number quoted today. That is 15,000 children, families and parents who sit in front of us in constituency offices as we try to figure out what we can do to help them in their particular circumstances. Over the course of this debate, we have met so many parents, who are ferocious advocates on behalf of their children.”
“I appreciate that this issue has been given priority by this Government. Deputy Foley sits at Cabinet as a senior Minister with responsibility for this issue for the first time. The area of disability as a whole is intertwined throughout the programme for Government. This will be a defining issue for the Government, that is, whether it can deliver on this issue and provide the assessments of need and services as a matter of urgency for those on waiting lists for years. My constituency, spanning north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny, covers two HSE areas. A small part of north Tipperary is in the south Tipperary HSE area. The postcode lottery is real and scary. It is frustrating and angering to speak to parents who live in a boundary area and to see it myself.”