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.”
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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 5 of 7.
“I acknowledge the work the Minister has done to date and the mammoth task in front of her in her new position as Minister for disability, along with the Minister of State. During the general election campaign, this issue arose time and again on the doors in north Tipperary and north-west Kilkenny, as it did in every village, town, city and rural road. My experience of meeting families affected by the waiting times for assessments of need and the services their children need was that it was first parents themselves raising this issue, then grandparents and other family members and then neighbours. By the end of the general election campaign, it was regularly raised on the doors even by people who did not have a close connection to this issue but who felt a sense of urgency and concern for the young people the system is currently failing.”
“I would like to start by recognising the young Tipperary schoolgirl outside the gates of Leinster House this evening in the pouring rain. We are discussing this incredibly important issue because of her. Cara Darmody is an inspiration for the work she has done. She is not doing it for praise or recognition but rather for the love she bears for her brothers and family and the empathy and understanding she has for thousands of children and families waiting on lists for far too long for an assessment of need. I am mindful not to repeat what many of the speakers who went before me said and who spoke passionately about this issue. Many quoted the statistics. It is completely unacceptable that so many families and children are waiting so long for the services, supports and treatments they deserve, but behind every statistic is a human being.”
“There are challenges in north Tipperary at the moment because streams are either drying up or have already run dry. That is a major difficulty because we need funding for many projects that have been waiting years to proceed. We might need to look at a stopgap measure until the new CAP comes into being in order that those community groups or organisations that have waited for years for LEADER funding, which is suddenly gone, will have something with which to drive their projects on. In the time that is left to me, which I can see is not much, I wish to mention the nitrates derogation. This is possibly moving a little bit away from CAP but we absolutely must protect that derogation. Rural Ireland needs it. Finally, we need to get the ACRES payments out.”
“I recognise that we have major challenges in the context of climate change, but I also recognise that we have a unique farming model in this country, namely the grass-based model that produces some of the best dairy, beef and other produce in the world. We have to ensure that Europe recognises that. The family farm model needs to be protected. We need to ensure that we have generational renewal. I speak to young farmers regularly, whether it is about planning permission on their farms or their being able to see a viable financial future for them in the context of taking over their family farms. We will not be able to protect that and our green image unless we can convince young farmers that there is an ability for generational renewal and for them to make a livelihood out of farming. The LEADER programme is important.”
“It is neither environmentally friendly nor economically not viable, particularly for farmers who farm in higher areas. We really need to look at this. When farming is doing well, rural Ireland is doing well. I come from Nenagh, which is a vibrant town that is doing very well. Agriculture is the backbone of our economy there, from the co-op to the mart to the spin-off that we see. The CAP is essential in this regard. It needs to go back to being what it is was originally supposed to be. The idea behind CAP in the European Union, or European Economic Community as it was previously, was to ensure food sustainability and food security, particularly after the war, in order that we could feed ourselves and not rely on others. We need to move back to talking about that.”
“I recognise the passion my colleague has just shown. We might work on our five times tables at some stage. I start by welcoming Francie Gorman, who is the IFA president. We met previously. I recently met the chairman of Tipperary North IFA, Baden Powell, and other representatives. I will speak about the CAP in a moment, but, first, because I know the Minister met the IFA to discuss it previously, I will raise the splash plate ban. This ban is really concerning for many farmers in north Tipperary. It is a national issue. The Minister engaged with the IFA on it during the election campaign. While he is here, I would like him to comment. This is an issue that started in Upperchurch and was driven by the farmers there, but it is now a national issue. What is being proposed is unsafe for them.”
“That application was unsuccessful, as was the application for funding to redevelop the Kinane Stand in Semple Stadium. Will there be a more sizeable large-scale infrastructure sport fund next time around? It is really needed. It was hard on the people of Tipperary and our sporting organisations not to receive funding last time when so many other counties did.”
“I will begin by congratulating the Tipperary under-20 hurlers on their victory over Clare in Limerick yesterday evening. I congratulate Brendan Cummins and his management team, Sam O’Farrell, the captain, and Paddy McCormack, the vice captain, on lifting the J.J. Kenneally cup. I am one of a number of Fianna Fáil TDs who represent Kilkenny. I believe the Leas-Cheann Comhairle would expect nothing less of me than to wish Kilkenny the best of luck next Wednesday against Dublin. We can cross that bridge when we come to it if we get to an all-Ireland together. The large-scale infrastructure sport fund was announced last November prior to my election to the Dáil. Tipperary GAA applied for a multisport complex on the TUS campus in Thurles in conjunction with Tennis Ireland and Tipperary County Council.”
“If we think about older people or those with disabilities who have been on housing waiting lists for years, this is a solution for them. It is a safe, comfortable and warm home to call their own. We need to be ambitious, display a sense of urgency and see to it that serious movement happens quickly.”
“I acknowledge the work done by the Minister of State on that matter to date, particularly regarding backyard dwellings or the equivalent of the 40 sq. m extension planning exemption. We need to go beyond that and allow a wider scale. I am not saying it is the entire solution; it is part of the solution. There is a real place for these dwellings at the moment. I will highlight the example of a site in Nenagh, my home town. It is a serviced site owned by the county council. For many years, the council has failed to get someone in to develop the site. It is ready to go and be built on. Companies around the country produce these modular units. I see the site in question as being ideal for these type of dwellings, particularly for single-storey, one- or two-bedroom units.”
“They would love to be able to build in rural areas, but the price of doing so is just too high. I see the homes to which I refer as a solution for them; possibly not forever, but in the context of getting a roof over their heads and some independence. We really need to look at that.”
“I have said before that housing is the number one issue affecting my generation. Whether we call them modular units, modular methods of construction or log cabins, we know what we are talking about. I am aware of many in rural Ireland up laneways or in yards, and planning permission is a major issue. We need to address that. In a rural area, if it is in keeping with the environment, which so many of these houses are, if the owner is from the area and has a housing need, which all of them have, planning permission should be able to be obtained once the house meets the requirement regarding wastewater and water connections, utilities and so on. We have to be able to provide these people with homes. Younger people in particular are have contacted me.”
“The driver tester has to go back in and wait for the next person to come. Cancellation slots and priority slots are very difficult to get, and it is really frustrating for young people waiting for that. Another example relates to apprentices. A number of people of a younger age are mad to start an apprenticeship. We need them to start their apprenticeships and yet often it is being held up. It is hard to get priority from the RSA to get their test dates moved forward or get them into a cancellation slot. I welcome the chance to raise this here today because it is very important, particularly to the young people I represent, that those concerns are heard and addressed. We need more testers and we need them rapidly. We need to investigate why some centres like Nenagh have such an appalling fail rate compared with others.”
“People aged 17, 18 or 19 in a rural area want that bit of independence. They may have a summer job or a part-time job but cannot get to that because they cannot get their test in time. They are doing everything right, doing their lessons and meeting all of the requirements but then they are sitting and waiting. I am trying to get across that sense of frustration today because that sense of frustration has been brought to me so regularly in my constituency office. I also have an issue with tests that do not go ahead for one reason or another, such as a problem with the tax disc or a problem with the lights. I accept that the car needs to be roadworthy and safe, which is fair enough. However, what happens to that slot when we have such a backlog in Nenagh? It does not get filled.”
“I have a deep sense of frustration with the testing system in the country, particularly in Nenagh. I feel the need to vocalise the frustrations particularly of young people who regularly contact me in my constituency office. Nenagh has one of the lowest pass rates, if not the lowest, in the country. It is well below 40% while the national average appears to be somewhere just about 50% at the moment. Waiting times are excessive and are increasing. It is deeply frustrating for young people in a rural area like the constituency I represent or the constituency the Minister of State represents to put their names forward only to be told to sit back for a few months awaiting an invitation to apply. When they get the invitation to get their date, they have to wait a number of months more.”
“We have to be able to convince young people, particularly with the pressures of the leaving certificate at present, that there are alternative routes to success and alternative routes to education, skills and employment. This will be very important, particularly in terms of challenging the stresses and strains on young people. There are other alternatives out there. I welcome that. The introduction of the Department in 2020 has been key to that and will be key in this battle.”
“We need to constantly move away from the rote learning model of education in this country. It is something that becomes a massive challenge for young people, particularly when they enter tertiary education. The focus must also be put back on schools and the education of young people, and getting them into the mindset that tertiary education does not have to be the be-all and end-all for how they succeed in life. I will give the example of my own case. I am a college dropout. I did go to UCD afterwards but coming out of secondary education in the class of 2014, the entire focus and drive was on going to university. We could look at a level 6 or 7 qualification but only as a stepping stone if we could not get a level 8 qualification. We have moved away from that.”
“I think particularly of the class of 2014, of which I was part, and the class of 2015, when there was essentially no focus or ambition to send young people into apprenticeships or skills. We are paying the price for that today. Higher education or third level education is extremely important but for those who do not have the ability or skill set, there are other options providing incredibly beneficial employment. We need to focus on equipping our young people in this country with the skills they need and the skills that suit them and their abilities. We are seeing an historic reform of the leaving certificate, which is very important and welcome, but it needs to be done right. It will bring enormous benefits. It will bring critical thinking skills and analytical skills to young people.”
“They provide employment but they are also providing education at home where it is accessible to more and more people. Recently, I was delighted to attend the launch of the department of business and accounting in Mary Immaculate College, which continues to turn out more and more teachers for secondary education, whom we so desperately need in this country. With regard to apprenticeship numbers, I am glad to see a renewed focus on this. It is very important. We need more and more skilled employees in our workforce if we are to build the houses we desperately need. I particularly welcome the shift in mindset we have seen in the past decade on apprenticeships in this country.”
“While tariffs will obviously continue to be a challenge for our economy, it is our education and skills that will prove to be the success story in weathering the storm. Our workforce is educated for the companies that have come here and invested billions in our economy. It is continued investment and dedication to our education system and, in particular, our higher education system that will allow us to continue to be attractive to foreign direct investment for many years to come. In my constituency third level education and higher education are very important. We have Mary Immaculate College in Thurles educating teachers. We have TUS in Thurles and in Clonmel in the south of the county, and we have the national apprenticeship centre in Archerstown in Thurles.”
“Our continued social and economic progress relies on a skilled workforce, and we in Fianna Fáil are focused on equipping young people and those returning to education with the necessary tools and skills to achieve this. This is why in 2020 Fianna Fáil established a dedicated Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. It is why we have an ambitious programme for Government. It is a skilled and educated workforce that has allowed our economy to become the success story it is today, while still, of course, facing challenges. It is why we have been so attractive in terms of foreign direct investment. Taxation and our corporation tax were key to this, and so is the fact we are an English-speaking country. Far beyond these basic examples there is the fact we have such a skilled and educated workforce.”
“I welcome these statements on the importance of higher education. A cornerstone of Ireland's economic success has been the availability of a highly skilled and educated workforce. Since we embraced foreign direct investment and enabled access to second level education for all, knowledge and talent have been the pillars of our economic strategy. Ongoing investment in further and higher education is core to our ambition of delivering sustained economic growth. The Government must ensure that investment offers opportunity for everyone while remaining agile to address the key challenges faced by our country as well as the new and emerging technology and work practices. Fianna Fáil has a proud tradition in education. Expanding access and excellence in further and higher education has been a core priority for our party for many years.”
“I ask the Tánaiste to pause this decision, properly review the data and engage with the sector. These people are coming to Ireland to study and to work. They are providing in our economy. People are employed in these schools. They are spending their money here, while also studying. The consequences of rushing are far too great.”
“The Government must suspend the planned increase in the financial requirements for stamp 2 visa students from €3,000 to €6,700. This 120% hike was introduced without consultation, without data supporting it, and with no clear link to inflation, which was between 2% and 5%. Stamp 2 visa students can legally work in Ireland and earn up to €18,000 per year. Schools across the country are reporting that students are financially sound. The system is currently working as it is, but this sudden change is already causing damage to the industry. One school has already announced redundancies and it may have to close next week as a result of this. It is not a distant problem. It is happening now. The wider impact extends to hospitality and home care sectors that rely on these workers.”
“We must look east to our allies across the Continent, acknowledge the benefits we have gained from our membership of the EU, and continue to shape a future EU that remains mutually beneficial but challenges its failings and inability to act with determination, solidarity and a shared purpose.”
“That does not mean the EU is perfect and indeed, it is not. Overregulation and red tape in farming must be tackled. CAP must be refocused on food security and food production, and the historical significance of and need for CAP on this continent cannot be forgotten and taken for granted. The EU stance and inability to act on the genocide in Gaza is deeply troubling. It shows how the machinery of the European Union is far from perfect. While Ireland, Spain and Norway have acted to recognise the State of Palestine and take a stance that the West has in so many ways shamefully failed to take, the EU has been far too silent in too many ways. With the current US Administration under President Donald Trump looking inward and away from its allies, it is clearer than ever that our future is in Europe.”
“We should be proud to celebrate all we have achieved and look forward to the next 50 years. Through the Common Agricultural Policy, the Erasmus programme, the free movement of goods, services and people, the euro, full economic independence from the British empire, the promotion of democracy, the rule of law, a free media and a free people, Ireland has benefited immensely through its membership of the EU, and the EU has benefited greatly from our membership too. The expansion of the EU and the welcoming of new member states, particularly over the past two decades or just beyond, has been transformational for our economy and people. It has brought workers to our shores when we needed them. It has brought new people, ideas and cultures, and it has enhanced and enriched our society in many ways.”
“John Hume described the European Union as "the best example in the history of the world of conflict resolution". From its beginnings as the European Coal and Steel Community, which sought to bind historically warring countries and nations of people, Robert Schuman stated that solidarity of production from pooling coal and steel production would make war between France and Germany "not only unthinkable but materially impossible". From the humble beginnings of the initial single Common Market grew the European Economic Community, which Ireland joined in 1973 under Fianna Fáil's visionary leadership. It later became the European Union. Over the past 52 years, Ireland has made remarkable progress but has also contributed so much in the development of our modern European Union.”
“Housing is the single greatest issue facing my generation. We need to fully embrace modern methods of construction. I will focus on modular-style homes and log cabin buildings or whatever name one wants to give them. I welcome the discussion on planning permission exemptions for backyard-style extensions or developments but we need to move beyond that. Will the Government consider expanding planning permission to modular and log cabin-style homes beyond what is currently being discussed? There is massive scope in that regard. I appreciate it will not be the single solution but it is part of the solution. I ask for consideration of that matter.”
“This is something we have to avoid where possible. I appreciate the diversification that is there in the dairy industry but it is still a threat. Nonetheless, we saw threats to the dairy industry when Brexit rolled around. We saw how we were able to avoid them and, in particular, diversify into edam cheese and out of cheddar cheese. There is a lot of work to be done on this. I do not think further retaliation is the way to go. Negotiations are an absolute must where possible.”
“Where tariffs are imposed, Ireland is supportive of the EU's position. We know this. We have no choice but to take necessary proportionate action to defend the interests of our businesses, our workers and our citizens. However, I believe cool heads are needed now more than ever. I note what is coming from the Commission on the €20 billion retaliation but negotiations have to be the way forward. We do not need to escalate this issue any further. We are seeing escalations between the US and China. We do not need to see the same escalations coming across the Atlantic. I am particularly worried about the dairy industry. It is the backbone of the rural economy. It is key in north Tipperary, particularly in Nenagh. We are seeing reports that the cost of a pound of butter in the US could go to €10.”
“Tariffs are the antithesis of what has allowed our economy to expand, develop and become incredibly successful by any international measure. They drive inflation and hurt consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. Increased protectionism is in no one's best interest. The simple fact of the matter is that Donald Trump's actions in recent weeks and over recent days are arbitrary. They are illogical and deeply damaging to the people who elected him. It is the ordinary person who will pay for this additional tax. It is the ordinary worker and the ordinary consumer who will pay these tariffs that Donald Trump is imposing. They will feel it most in their pockets. It is the Republican Party in the US that will have to answer for this policy position and for these tariffs when the mid-term elections eventually roll around.”
“It is impossible to see any justification for the imposition of tariffs by the US on EU exports. It is deeply regrettable the US has decided to impose 20% tariffs on imports from throughout the European Union. This worry is only compounded by Donald Trump's recent announcement that he will target pharmaceuticals with major tariffs. Every opportunity for negotiation must be utilised. Ireland will be a strong advocate for an outcome which enhances the existing strong transatlantic trading relationship. Ireland, along with other European Union member states, is engaging on an ongoing basis with the European Commission on its wider discussions with the US on this issue. Tariffs are economically counterproductive and disrupt the deeply integrated transatlantic supply chains and trading relationships we have come to enjoy.”
“Some 138 social houses cannot be built in Nenagh at the moment because of the capacity issue, nor can 33 houses in Ballycommon. I really hope we will see progress on this scheme. I welcome the commitment and funding that is being put into it. I hope that we will be able to continue to work on it and continue the delivery of that infrastructure that will allow us to get the houses we so desperately need.”
“Housing is absolutely the single greatest issue facing my generation. There is no doubt about it. I appreciate the Taoiseach acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. While it is so important that we get that increased and record level of investment, the delivery is key and that is where my concern remains, that Uisce Éireann will be able to do this on time and with a sense of urgency. I also take issue with the fact that it is so difficult to get a response to parliamentary questions when we try to put them to Uisce Éireann. I appreciate there are standing orders but it is very frustrating when we want to get an answer. Outside of Cloughjordan, Nenagh, the major town next to it, and Ballycommon face the very same issue.”
“We feel the sense of urgency when it comes to the delivery of housing. These small towns and villages feel it. Will Uisce Éireann also feel that sense of urgency?”
“I am sharing this one case as an example of the dozens of small towns and villages across this nation that cannot build houses until we get capacity in our wastewater treatment system. It is a wider societal and economic issue because of our water quality and because of our rural population decline and rural regeneration, whether it is our schools, our clubs or our sense of community in keeping people in their home area. It is also in relation to our housing delivery. While I welcome these very clear commitments in the programme for Government, I hope we will be able to work through them and deliver on them. It is one thing to write a very large cheque to Uisce Éireann to deliver these projects. It is another thing entirely to ensure that it delivers on time, on budget and with a sense of urgency.”
“No new private housing can be built because of a lack of capacity in the plant. We also have the ecovillage in Cloughjordan which is known nationally and internationally for the sustainable community it is, with dozens of serviced sites, none of which can be sold or built on because of a lack of capacity in the system. In a response from Uisce Éireann, it said this issue was being addressed through the small towns and villages growth programme and was currently progressing through stage 2, preliminary business case of a wastewater treatment plant project. Roughly 15 years after we learned that we needed an increase in capacity in this plant, Uisce Éireann is telling us it is at the preliminary business case stage. To me that is utterly unacceptable.”
“I am going to focus on one local issue today which highlights a greater national issue around wastewater capacity, particularly in our smaller towns and villages. The issue for me is in Cloughjordan in north Tipperary. For the best part of 15 years we have needed an increase in capacity in that plant. This is an illustration of so many small towns and villages that cannot build houses while they are waiting on Uisce Éireann to start developing the plant or to increase capacity in the plant. As a result of a lack of capacity, we have a DPI in Cloughjordan for the Townfields housing estate, which 17 years later cannot be connected to the mains system. New social housing cannot be built. There are over 30 people on social housing lists in this small village alone and no new houses can be built there.”
“Page 41 of the programme for Government says the Government will “support Uisce Éireann in the delivery of key strategic projects in our cities and regions.” It also says we will: Invest additional capital in Uisce Éireann to support reaching our new housing targets. We will prioritise water and waste water infrastructure to deliver the capacity to facilitate housing development in our towns and villages. I have one more very important quote from the programme for Government, which I want to read into the record. It reads: "Ensure Uisce Éireann prioritises the delivery of the Small Towns and Villages Programme." The phrasing of that is very important for the examples I am going to give today, that Uisce Éireann would prioritise that programme rather than continue to prioritise it.”
“Thurles is being strangled by traffic. There is a glaring and immediate need for the inner relief road to progress. The Taoiseach visited the area previously and I was with him at the Slievenamon Road side of the proposed inner relief road, which will link the N62 at the Slievenamon Road to the Mill Road. All the lands are now in place since the Taoiseach last visited and funding is in place for detailed design. I call for the funding for this road to be prioritised and for a sense of urgency regarding its development. It is in the national development plan but we need to see it delivered, from a road safety point of view but also regarding congestion. Thurles, the number one town in north Tipperary, has been strangled by traffic and the people of the town are crying out for this road.”
“It recognises that we now live in a modern Ireland in 2025 where family structures are not always black and white. I look forward to working closely with the Minister and colleagues in this Chamber on this. We live in a modern Ireland now and it is a very positive thing to see this Government progressing such progressive and modern legislation. In relation to intimate and committed relationships, I understand that definition has probably been long-established in case law, particularly in relation to succession rights, but it would be nice to see that clearly defined in this Bill. I again acknowledge Johnny O'Meara and the battle he has undertaken. I thank the Minister for meeting with Johnny and for progressing this at such an early stage. I look forward to working on this Bill with the Minister over the coming months.”
“With this legislation, we will ensure a significant financial support is equally available to grieving partners. Those who lived with their now-deceased partner for two years or more and had children will qualify, and those who did not have children will qualify where they lived together for five years or more. It is welcome that the Minister has introduced that and gone beyond the scope of the Supreme Court case. I noted at the time of the Supreme Court ruling that it seemed to be in relation to children, and to go beyond that is a very welcome and progressive thing to do. I also welcome that the payment will be backdated to 22 January 2024, the date of the ruling of the case. I put on the record that I will fully support this at every stage, if I can help in progressing it. I call for the enactment of this Bill as quickly as possible.”
“I thank Deputy Calleary for taking up this Bill so quickly and starting to progress it at this stage. Many of us are grateful for that. I welcome and support the Bill. We in Fianna Fáil do. It will give effect to the Supreme Court case extending access to the widow’s, widower’s and surviving civil partner's contributory pension to qualified cohabitants for the first time. Once enacted, it will provide surviving qualified cohabitants with access to the bereaved partner's contributory pension. This is an important financial safeguard for individuals and families who are grieving. The loss of a loved one does not discriminate between those who are married and those who live together in committed relationships. The Supreme Court recognised that such a distinction was unequal when it came to the widower's contributory pension.”
“During Johnny's battle in his case, he was extremely determined. He was quite quiet but quite determined in his battle. That he fought his case so publicly has to be admired. He did it all for his children. That is what I really want recognised here today. It takes an enormous act of bravery. When we come into this House, we want to do the best we can for as many people as possible, but what Johnny has done through this case is an enormous amount of good work that any of us, at the end of our careers, would be happy to have done for so many people. I also acknowledge the work done by Deputy Alan Kelly, especially prior to my time in this House, in supporting Johnny. That should not go unrecognised. It is important, as colleagues, to recognise that and the work the Deputy has done with the Minister, Deputy Calleary.”
“I would like to start on a personal note. I acknowledge Johnny O'Meara, his late partner Michelle and their three kids, namely Aoife, Jack and Tommy. Johnny is an O'Meara from Toomevara, north Tipperary. I, too, am an O'Meara from Toomevara, north Tipperary. We grew up as neighbours and family friends. Johnny's dad, Jack, actually owned the farm across the road from us where I grew up and was a fantastic neighbour and friend to our family for many years. I am here today particularly to acknowledge Johnny and the battle he fought in his Supreme Court case, which is now seminal. His name will live forever in the case. The case is seminal because few can say they will have such an impact on hundreds and possibly thousands of lives and families by way of bettering their lives in very sad circumstances for many years to come.”
“We must take all safety precautions and mitigate all risks, in particular regarding 101 licences, which require annual medical tests. However, I do not see why Bus Éireann must continue to enforce a retirement age of 70. We should consider a retirement age of 73 or 75 years. The Government must act now in order to avoid a crisis next September.”
“We need to consider increasing the mandatory retirement age for Bus Éireann bus drivers beyond 70 years of age. This week, I have been inundated with calls from bus drivers and operators regarding this issue. They feel we will face a crisis next September to fill school bus routes in order to get our children to primary and secondary schools. I spoke to a bus operator yesterday which will have to refuse two bus routes next year because the company cannot get anyone to fill them. I spoke to another operator today who has nine mandatory retirements coming this year and does not see anyone who can fill the routes. It is nonsensical and illogical that bus drivers can legally drive from Malin to Mizen Head but cannot operate a school bus route because they are over the age of 70.”
“Local authorities should be given the drive on to deliver the houses we need and not to wade through a bureaucratic mess of report after report and stages where people are not getting the answers we need. We need those houses built, they should be built through a single process and they should be built rapidly by feeling the sense of urgency that we feel in this Chamber to get those houses delivered.”
“We need that affordable housing scheme in place in the likes of Nenagh, Thurles and Roscrea to deliver for those families. My home was originally a council house built in the 1930s. It is an old house on an acre. My parents bought it in the 1980s and built a home for us from that. I fully acknowledge the need for social housing in this country and I would like to see more of it but we cannot continue to forget about those who are caught in the affordability trap, especially working couples and younger families, who do not qualify for social housing but who need assistance through an affordable scheme. Finally, I will touch on the four-stage process. I am aware that some work is being done to try to bring it back to a single stage. We are in a housing crisis. We should not be stage after stage waiting for social houses to be built.”