Shane Moynihan
Dublin Mid-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Hopefully, we will not need to extend the planning. That is the intention of all. Similarly for Lucan Community College, we need to get the planning right now for phases two and three.”
“Similarly, for Lucan Community College, that is being delivered under phase one through a modular framework and there is now an intention to secure planning for the remaining phase, so that does not delay the delivery of phases two and three of Lucan. I also wish to draw attention to Devine Mercy junior and senior national schools.”
“Thomas's and Scoil Aíne junior and senior national schools in Lucan, they are immediately adjacent to Adamstown, which is one of the rapidly growing areas in the country right now. They are in the same building they were in when the school was opened. That needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. For St.”
“I thank the Minister for her very comprehensive answer. I see first hand the progress that is being made with school buildings across the constituency but there are also buildings that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The Minister mentioned Scoil Chrónáin.”
“The schools I intend to address are St. Thomas Junior National School and Scoil Aíne Naofa in Lucan and Divine Mercy junior and senior national schools and St. Kevin's Community College. What is the current status of the Lucan Community College project and Scoil Chrónáin? I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter.”
“Whatever course of action the Government takes, and I have views on either a total ban or a registration and licensing system, it is clear to me that gardaí will need training in the enforcement and tactical interventions that they will need to undertake to enforce whatever ban or system being put in place, as in taking someone from a sco…”
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“We know there is a patchy record in that regard across the country. This also applies in the context of matters such as Garda stations and Garda numbers. I encourage the Department and the local authorities to engage with bodies at all levels of delivery, whether they be State agencies such as Uisce Éireann or ESB Networks or small developers, to ensure that the urgency required to deal with this crisis is reflected across the country. I also urge all involved to look abroad at some of the reforms that are being pursued in, for example, New Zealand with regard to easing zoning rules and consider whether these are things that we should look at in order to get the supply of houses up to the 50,000 a year that we will need, not only for the next three or four years but, ideally, for the next ten to 15.”
“I do not know if colleagues are of the same view, but sometimes I feel there is a frustration in terms of the speed with which the school building section acknowledges and looks at the demographic projections for a particular area or if the school planning areas are aligned with what is set out in the national planning framework or in county or city development plans. It is important for that to happen. This comes back to my point about the importance of a housing first culture in terms of how we implement the national planning framework and how we deal with issues such as childcare. During questions to the Minister for children last night, a number of Deputies discussed the need to ensure that where provision is being made in developments for the provision of childcare facilities, that these facilities are actually delivered.”
“Ultimately, the aim behind the national planning framework should be to build up large cities which are hubs for their economic regions and the populations of which will ultimately be replaced. These places should not just be home to ageing populations; they should remain attractive to families over time. The facilities necessary to underpin this should be provided. I am particularly keen that the national planning framework would be taken on board by the Department of Education, particularly its school building section.”
“Those projects need to be completed in order to enable the housing delivery which will happen in that part of Dublin over the next five or ten years and which has already happened. It must be remembered that we are playing catch-up in this regard. There needs to be urgency in respect of projects such as the Luas for Lucan, which is listed in the greater Dublin transport strategy, in order to ensure that further development will happen in Lucan. These projects must be completed to ensure that adequate public transport infrastructure is provided in areas where demand for housing will remain high. It is not as if people will not want to live in these in 40, 50 or 60 years' time.”
“I would like to see the NDP being used, in the context of the national planning framework, as the instrument to enable what we need to happen. We are going to have a population of nearly 6.5 million people in five, ten or 15 years, so we need to ensure that the necessary transport infrastructure is put in place. Transport-oriented development needs to be a priority in the context of what we do. In terms of my constituency, the NDP must be seen as an instrument of delivery when it comes to adequate roads infrastructure for places such as Rathcoole, Saggart and Newcastle. Infrastructure projects listed in the South Dublin county development plan, such as that relating to the western Dublin orbital route, need to be advanced.”
“It is almost a case that it is being made difficult for developers to proceed with minor or smaller schemes because they do not necessarily adhere to every letter of every objective. Rather than have a can-do attitude on the part of local authorities in engaging with those developers, it is important that we listen to those who are at the coalface of developments of all sizes, be they small builders or large developers, in order to ensure that we get on top of what is possibly one of the most defining social crises of our generation. I agree with much of what my colleague Deputy Connolly said with regard to the importance of the NDP. In the documents relating to the national planning framework, there are many references to it being aligned with the NDP.”
“It is important that the Department and the Minister extend that agility to the local and regional authorities in terms of how they take direction from the national planning framework and bring it to their elected members for translation into local county and city development plans. It is also important to ensure that there are no gaps and that it is treated with a housing first urgency by all authorities across the State. Like many Members, I have been acquainted with decisions that have been made by local authorities, in and outside Dublin, which seem to fly in the face of housing first and the urgency relating to housing delivery that we hear about on the airwaves and in this House.”
“Such plans, for anyone who is new to politics, are instructive in how the entire planning process and the planning framework are set up in terms of the hierarchy of regional and local needs. They are also quite instructive for those of us who are frustrated with the pace of the delivery of housing in the context of how comprehensive and significant is the overall volume of movement that is required. Making this revision and extending it to local authorities demonstrates the agility that we need to see at all levels across the State in terms of coping with the need for the accelerated provision of housing but when it comes to thinking about how we future-proof the developments we need to put in place.”
“I am delighted to have this opportunity to speak in support of the revised national planning framework. I welcome the revision. It also acknowledges the changed context of the need to accelerate housing construction. It is important to emphasise the equal importance of infrastructure and all the associated services that need to be delivered. The revised framework represents the step-change that we need. I hope that, in tandem with the full commencement of the Planning and Development Act 2024, we will see that step-change in terms of delivery. I come to this debate with a dual perspective, namely as a Member of Dáil Éireann but also, like many colleagues in the House, as a former county councillor who was involved in the formation of a county development plan.”
“The review the Minister has alluded to is important, and I look forward to seeing the results of the evaluation. I also welcome the Minister's clarification today that a body of work is being done on the administrative burden faced by childcare providers, which, compared to the Minister's previous portfolio in schools and so on, there is a bit of difference there in respect of how much administrative work is required of childcare providers versus schools.”
“I recognise the huge progress that has been made in giving stability to that sector and shoring it up. That public investment is extremely welcome, not only because of the relief it gives working parents, but also ensuring full participation in the labour market for men and women, that they do not have to worry about the cost of childcare. One of the hallmarks of how core funding has been improved in the previous four years - which has been very positive and I am keen for it to continue - is that engagement between the Department, parents and providers and that parents who have rightly seen the great progress being made in reducing the cost of childcare are not necessarily left with a provider that will exit the core funding scheme. It is not necessarily that the provider would close, but that it would exit the core funding scheme.”
“I acknowledge the progress that has been made with regard to issues such as pay and so on but I ask that the evaluations that will be undertaken by the IGEES and other bodies will feed into that planned review and give certainty to the provider side of the sector to ensure it can then give certainty to the parents who rely on its services.”
“I thank the Minister for her response. Without a doubt, I welcome the huge progress that has been made in bringing the costs of childcare back down. It was certainly raised with me by parents throughout the campaign and we are keen to maintain that progress and see it persist throughout the lifetime of this Government and to achieve that aim of a monthly cap of €200 in childcare costs for every family in the State. The trick with core funding is - and I fully understand the challenges - about getting the balance right for parents but also for providers. There have been one or two providers in my constituency that have withdrawn from the core funding model. What they have told me is that the financial pressure they are under is real.”
“As a dad of three in a constituency that has one of the fastest growing communities in the country, childcare and the services that underpin our childcare system are crucial to many of the working families. My question for the Minister is regarding the planned review of core funding, the timeframe for that to be rolled out, the process that will underpin it and give certainty to a number of providers who at this stage are starting to leave the childcare system because of the financial pressure they are under.”
“I also ask him to intervene with the Minister for Transport and the NTA to make additional driver training be made available so that it becomes standard practice for drivers to wait until any person using a JAM card is safely seated or stable before the bus moves off. We want to encourage everyone to use public transport, including vulnerable passengers, but we need to strike a balance between efficiency and compassion. I thank Colin Dempsey, a transition year student from Pobalscoil Iosolde in Palmerstown for raising this and educating me on this issue.”
“We know that Dublin's buses operate on very strict timetables and that reliability is a key element of operating a bus service but safety also needs to be a consideration. To keep delays to a minimum, we often hear of cases of bus drivers pulling away from bus stops five or ten seconds after passengers board but for individuals with mobility or balance issues, like those public transport users with cerebral palsy, this can be extremely dangerous and distressing. While I acknowledge the importance of keeping these buses on schedule, I would like the Tánaiste's support in emphasising how crucial that extra five or ten seconds can be for someone with cerebral palsy or a balance issue and to increase awareness of the just a minute, JAM, card initiative, which signals that a person may need a little more time or understanding.”
“I thank the Tánaiste for that commitment and I acknowledge Deputy Carthy's role in moving the motion last year and his support on this particular matter. I have a question later on regarding the commitment from the UK Government to repeal the legacy Act, which I hope we will get to. The victim-centred approach needs to be at the heart of what we do here. I hope the intentions the UK Government has indicated in respect of the legacy Act will be followed through with a commitment, with progress on this particular matter, and with the sharing of those documents with an eminent international legal figure.”
“Notwithstanding the call by a sovereign parliament on a neighbouring government to co-operate with a reasonable inquiry, the moral and legal obligation on the British Government to hand over these documents is quite considerable. As the relatives of those who suffered and lost loved ones in those bombings get older, the least the British Government could do is to recognise that pain and allow for that co-operation. I also ask the Tánaiste to strongly request full co-operation with the Garda investigation into the Belturbet bombings in 1972, in which teenagers Geraldine O'Reilly and Patrick Stanley were killed.”
“As the Tánaiste has rightly pointed out, five decades have passed and no progress on this matter has been indicated by the British Government. To any reasonable person, the passage of time in this instance negates any reasonable excuse for continuing to prevent access to that information. I welcome the Tánaiste's commitment and I hope we will see progress on the need to hand over all files and papers pertaining to this bombing to an eminent independent international legal figure. I note, as the Tánaiste has noted, the resolution of this House on four occasions, in 2008, 2011, 2016 and 2024, seeking the release by the UK Government of the original intelligence and security documents.”
“I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Brendan Smith, who cannot be here this evening. He is a long-time advocate on this particular issue. Next May marks the 51st anniversary of the tragic events of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings where 34 innocent people lost their lives and over 300 people were injured. I ask the Tánaiste about the engagement he has had with the British Government on the very credible allegations of collusion with elements of the British security forces. What sort of reciprocation has there been to that engagement?”
“It would be good to learn from the Taoiseach about how exactly it will be seen as a whole-of-government approach in terms of involvement of Departments that have responsibility for economic functions, such as the Department with responsibility for energy, for example, and so on because those pieces are key to the economic security and energy resilience at the core of maintaining our national security. It would be good to get an indication from the Taoiseach about how other Departments are feeding into that.”
“Like other colleagues, I welcome the adoption of the ministerial committee on national security. I am particularly keen that this would be up and running and meeting as soon as possible given the current debate about tariffs and trade wars demonstrates Ireland's strategic location from an economic point of view but now, also being on the western side of the European Union, very much from a military point of view, notwithstanding the prevalence of subsea cables and other vital infrastructure around our coasts. My question relates to the whole-of-government approach that I hope the ministerial security committee will take. The establishment brief for the ministerial committee refers to energy security and economic resilience.”
“The "children crossing" signs, for example, have battery installations in the back of those signs so there is precedent for using those sorts of technology. Having researched this issue, a large number of Irish companies supply these sorts of beacons so it is worthwhile to engage with them. It enhances the safety of these crossings as well. Notwithstanding this, I ask for the issuing of updated guidance to the council on how to define a low-volume traffic area, and to make sure engineers are examining these crossings when there is no daylight.”
“I have often received responses from engineers that they inspected a crossing, probably at 4 p.m. when it is bright, so they are not necessarily assessing the level of public lighting as well. I appreciate the Minister of State taking on board the issue of solar-powered beacons. It is a cost-effective solution. Drivers are used to seeing beacons that give advance warning to pedestrians, but they also give confidence to the pedestrians who use them as well, as they know a signal to slow down has been given to drivers. I appreciate the Minister of State taking on board the need to think of the advance road markings and I would point out that beacons like this are used in the safe route to schools schemes deployed around the country by the National Transport Authority.”
“I thank the Minister of State for engaging with a number of the points I raised. I will make a number of observations on the guidelines. For areas such as Newcastle and Lucan where there is two-lane traffic, there also areas such as Main Street or Castle Road which are not low-volume traffic areas. In the first instance, I request that updated guidance be issued to local authorities so that they do specify how they are determining that an area is a low-volume traffic area. Certainly, Main Street, Newcastle, and Castle Road, Lucan, would not be areas I would see as having low-volume traffic. As I do not think they would satisfy the points, that updated guidance should be there. It sounds a little trite but I also ask that any inspection of these crossings happens at night.”
“I refer to more advanced markings on the road to indicate to drivers that there is a crossing ahead. I am also interested in hearing from the Department on whether research has been done on how driver behaviour must be influenced and educated to help people to adjust to the new crossings. We must all encourage active travel and safety, but a review of the design standards is necessary to enhance safety for all road users.”
“I understand the rationale of the NTA to move away from these beacons because of the excessive wiring and maintenance costs attached to them but I ask that the Department would consider the installation of solar-powered or battery-powered Belisha beacons, which are economical and do not require the heavy wiring and maintenance costs attached to the original crossings. I fully understand the NTA's position because one of the frustrations I have had with controlled crossings being opened in recent years is that ESB Networks is under incredible pressure, and that leads to a delay with the installation of pedestrian crossings. There is a happy medium. It is worth looking at innovative new technology like the solar-powered battery Belisha beacons that do not require wiring. We could also consider other enhancements for signage-only crossings.”
“Concerns have arisen for pedestrians because they realise that drivers do not notice the crossings or, for whatever reason, they do not react in time to stop. Perhaps it is because they do not see the luminous strip or the signage that is there, either because public lighting in the area is not sufficient, it is obstructed by trees, or there is not enough advance warning given on the roads. Accordingly, there is a loss of trust in these crossings as a safe way for pedestrians to cross the road. However, I believe there are still economical engineering solutions that would enhance the safety of these crossings. We are familiar with Belisha beacons.”
“The reason I raise the matter today is because we have seen the installation of these pedestrian crossings at scale in my constituency, in areas like the Old Lucan Road, Palmerstown, Main Street, Newcastle, as well as Castle Road and St. Finian's, Lucan, where local representatives have sought the consideration of the installation of pedestrian crossings. The local authorities have responded, in adherence to national guidelines, by installing the signage-only crossings. However, in the same breath, I have also been inundated in recent weeks with concerns raised by road users, be they pedestrians, drivers or cyclists, about the safety concerns arising from these crossings. Many of them relate to a lack of visibility for drivers approaching the crossings.”
“When we think of a pedestrian crossing, many of us think of the controlled version or the classic one known as the type A crossing - the one with the flashing beacons - but I understand how we have arrived at the situation where type B crossings are the ones that are being introduced. Recently, I reviewed the results of the 2022 pilot study by the NTA, which evaluated the effectiveness of the signage-only crossings. In the eight pilot schemes, it was found that they were safe, effective and economical. I am aware of what drove the need to consider these types of crossing. It is due to the reduced installation and maintenance costs, but we must also ensure they are safe not only for drivers but pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.”
“I am pleased the Topical Issue matter I raise has been selected for discussion. It relates to safety concerns around the use of signage-only zebra crossings, as are permitted under Department of Transport guidelines from February 2024. Pedestrian crossings are something I often sought as a councillor, as I believe they are key to encouraging active travel, especially for older pedestrians and children. We want the latter to get in the habit of walking to school and crossing roads safely. As a local representative, much like the Minister of State and other Deputies, one of the most common requests we get is to consider the installation of a pedestrian crossing, whether it is controlled or uncontrolled.”
“There is no universal standard requiring a minimal level of training on social, personal or health education, or well-being and sensitive issue management for secondary school teachers. One way in which to do this could be to incorporate SPHE into initial teacher education for secondary teachers in order that they have that foundation to begin to feel equipped and trained to handle sensitive issues as they arise in the classrooms. Mar sin, will the Government consider bringing forward proposals or consider the issue around how to equip our teachers in this increasingly complex world for secondary school students and incorporate training on SPHE in the professional master of education degree?”
“As students navigate increasingly complex issues around mental health, relationships, identity and online safety, the feedback I am getting from teachers in my own constituency of Dublin Mid-West is that they do not feel prepared or trained on how to address and deal with these complex and sensitive issues when they arise in the classroom. The foundation for how teachers can address these things can be found in their initial teacher education which, in the case of secondary school teachers, is the professional master of education degree. We know that most teacher education programmes include some training on student well-being, diversity, inclusion and child protection but this can vary across courses.”
“Finally, on the investment piece, and we should rightly try to achieve a level of ambition with regard to the Defence Forces too but we also need to look in the short term at drone technology and aerial surveillance technology and how we protect the subsea cables around our territories and our cybersecurity infrastructure and how we build up our Naval Service to address just that. I will leave it there. I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for indulging me.”
“I would like to comment on some of the steps identified in the programme for Government and things we need to continue to do to ensure we build in that resilience for the international security challenges that lie ahead. The first relates to the structures we need to put in place. I welcome the announcement by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste this week of the establishment of the ministerial council on national security to give that strategic oversight to how we think of our national security and to ensure there is a constant thought process there as well. I also refer to the long overdue restructuring of the command structure of the Defence Forces as well, embedding in a cybersecurity command function into that.”
“The final thing I will say about neutrality is that as an interest and as a policy proposal of Government, it needs to be aligned with our overall set of interests. Is anyone in this House seriously suggesting that our future economic and political interests are not aligned with those of the European Union? Is anyone seriously suggesting we are going to withdraw from our membership of the European Union? Is anyone seriously suggesting that the things we value as a country are out of sync with the things that are valued by the other 26 member states of the European Union? I do not think so. That is something we need to feed into this debate as well. We cannot treat it in isolation.”
“I do not believe that is something we want to do or something that we should pursue as a policy. I do not think anyone in Government is seriously suggesting that this is a policy we want to pursue. However, we do need to have a debate about our neutrality. Is our neutrality worth protecting? If it is, we need to invest to ensure we have the capability and the capacity to protect it, as Finland and Sweden did when they were both neutral countries. They made significant investment in their capabilities to defend themselves. We also need to be cognisant of the fact that bad actors do not respect our neutrality. The cyberattack on the HSE a number of years ago was very much a clear symptom of that and a wake-up call for us as a country to ensure we invest in our defence and our cybersecurity policy.”
“Much has been made in this House about how we make Europe safer. One thing we have to re-imagine here is that we have a new position now as a country compared to the fifties and sixties in that Ireland is now a strategic location. We are at the centre of the transatlantic economic relationship. We have a very clear role as a transatlantic trading and economic hub. We are a strategic location, not only geographically but economically given the prevalence of subsea cables in our immediate nautical territory. I spoke about energy in this House yesterday. As we embark upon further interconnection of our energy, we are going to increase our exposure to Russian mischief relating to those interconnections and the security of our energy supply as well. We have spoken about neutrality. I do not believe Ireland should join NATO.”
“The decision by the German Bundestag this week to alter its debt rules to enable for increased spending on defence is something we should take note of, given how much that means as an historic moment for the German people that they would make a decision like that. I was in Brussels some weeks ago and one of the issues that emerged during the conversations I had, not only among our own diplomats who are based in Brussels but among officials in the European Commission and other member states on the eastern side of the European Union is a noticeable change in the sentiment and the mentality, especially in the newer member states of the EU such as Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and even Poland, about their relationships with their nearest neighbour and the impact that Russia may have on their independence in the future.”
“This has perhaps meant a different role for the UN than would have been traditionally the case in the fifties, sixties and seventies, as regional blocs start to take responsibility and take a view on what is happening in their neighbourhood and in their own backyards. When we look at the European situation and look níos giorra den bhaile, we see that these sort of debates around this change to the geopolitical climate are not just happening in Ireland. They are happening in Finland and Sweden where there has been a rapid change in decades-old policy that involves military neutrality and their foreign relations.”
“That in and of itself describes the changed geopolitical climate we see around the world today. We rightly have much commentary on the conflict in Ukraine and that in the Middle East but I am also conscious that there are conflicts all across the continent of Africa at this time and in Yemen and Iran, which we need to address as well. The other aspect of international policy is a new and different type of multilateralism emerging across the world. The European Union is one facet of that but there is also then an increased role and an increased prominence being taken by the African Union on the continent of Africa. Across the southeast Asian bloc and in South America, countries are taking a multilateral approach.”
“Le linn dom a bheith ag labhairt tráthnóna, ceann de na rudaí a bheidh mé ag labhairt faoi ná an comhthéacs athraithe sin, céard a chiallaíonn sé don mhéid atá in ann dúinne mar thír ó thaobh na comhráite a gcaithfear a bheith againn, agus ag eascairt as sin arís, céard iad na polasaithe agus na beartais a gcaithfimid a chur i gcrích. I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for inviting me to speak to the Chamber and take this opportunity to contribute to the statements on international security. An inspiration for talking about the geopolitical climate in which we find ourselves comes from unlikely sources on occasions such as this. I think it was Vladimir Lenin who said that there are decades where nothing happens and then there are weeks where decades happen.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach as ucht an chead sin a oscailt suas dom labhairt leis an Teach trathnóna faoi na ceisteanna tábhachtacha a bhaineann le cúrsaí slándála idirnáisiúnta. Mar atá ráite ag Teachtaí timpeall an Tí, is mór againn é labhairt faoi na mórcheisteanna seo agus comhrá aibí a bheith againn faoi céard a bhfuil in ann don tír seo, agus céard iad na cinntí a chaithfimid a dhéanamh mar thír, ó thaobh cúrsaí slándála de, agus an stádas atá againn i leith na tíortha eile a bhfuilimid ag comhoibriú leo, mar aon leis na hullmhúcháin dár gcuid féin atá muid ag déanamh. Níl aon amhras ach go bhfuil an aeráid geopholaitiúil tar éis athrú an-chuid le seachtainí anuas, agus caithfimid aghaidh a thabhairt air sin.”
“The Government must take a proactive role to make sure that micro-level considerations are not necessarily trumped by the macro-level objectives that we need to have to achieve that more abundant supply.”
“As part of that, hopefully the Cabinet committee on energy will play a proactive role in driving forward that plentiful energy supply and removing any planning blockages that exist so that we can fully exploit the potential we have for maximising our renewable energy supply in this country. This is key not only to garnering and protecting our competitiveness but is also fundamental to providing a cheaper energy supply that, in turn, will deliver better living standards for our people. Part of that is equipping the planning system to make sure it has the critical skills in place to ensure there are no logjams where we do want to exploit a more plentiful energy supply.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as ucht an fhreagra i leith cúrsaí fuinnimh agus an coiste comhordaithe a bheidh ag casadh le chéile. Obviously, one of the items that has been raised by the Draghi report on competitiveness is the need for the EU and Ireland to maintain a focus on competitiveness. Does the Taoiseach agree that pursuing an energy policy that prioritises an abundance and an even more plentiful supply and that takes advantage of our uniquely available national assets and our geographic location, will drive that agenda forward, providing a more plentiful and abundant energy supply?”
“Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an tiomantas atá déanta ag an Rialtas seo le níos mó maoiniú a chur ar fáil don fhoras i ndiaidh don chomhréir sin bheith sórtáilte, agus mé ag súil leis na rudaí a thiteann amach as sin. Cuireann sé gliondar croí orm éisteacht le mo mhac, atá ag freastal ar Ghaelscoil anois, ag labhairt Gaeilge liom. Músclaíonn sé an ghrá sin ionam. Tá mé ag súil go mbeidh deiseanna labhartha aige amach anseo i ndiaidh dó an córas oideachais a fhágáil. Is é sin an bealach a n-éireoidh linn an Ghaeilge a chosaint. An rud deireanach a deirfidh mé ná go gcuireann sé gliondar croí orm bheith in ann rannpháirtíocht a dhéanamh ar na meáin Ghaeilge le Teachtaí ó gach aon taobh den Teach seo agus gur féidir linn díospóireachtaí shubstaintiúla a bheith againn trí mheán na Gaeilge. Gura fada a mhairfidh sé sin.”
“Ar an dtaobh eile, tá dualagas orainn freisin féachaint go bhfuilimid ag cur le beocht agus splanc nua na Gaeilge san ardchathair anseo i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus i gceantair uirbeacha eile timpeall na tíre. I mo Dháilcheantar féin, tá gréasán Gaeilge i gCluain Dolcáin. Ba mhaith liomsa fócas nua a fheiceáil ar a leithéid de ghréasáin sin a spreagadh agus maoiniú a infheistiú iontu freisin. Ó thaobh cúrsaí Fhoras na Gaeilge, cuireann sé díomá orm nach bhfuil an DUP tar éis teacht leis agus réiteach a fháil ar an gceist maoinithe sin. Tá a fhios agam faoi chreatlach Chomhaontú Aoine an Chéasta go gcaithfear é sin a chomhaontú idir an dá chuid den oileán.”
“Ba mhaith liom díriú isteach ar ról Údarás na Gaeltachta ó thaobh gnéithe eacnamaíochta, ar nós gnólachtaí nua-aimseartha a mhealladh chun na Gaeltachta. Tá an-dul chun cinn déanta ag Údarás na Gaeltachta ó thaobh an bhunchloch sin a leagan i dtaobh cúrsaí eacnamaíochta. Smaoiním go háirithe ar an obair thar a bheith spéisiúil atá á dhéanamh ag an údarás i dtaobh intleacht shaorga, AI. Tá an cur chuige sin de dhíth ó gach rannóg agus áisíneacht Rialtais i leith an Ghaeilge a chothú agus ardán a chur ar fáil d'úsáid na Gaeilge freisin. Tá an-chuid ráite faoi thithíocht a chur ar fáil sa Ghaeltacht. Aontaím le an-chuid den mhéid atá ráite ag mo chomhghleacaithe ar an taobh seo den Teach. Caithfear gan mhoill na treoirlínte pleanála a chur i bhfeidhm agus cinntiú go bhfuil daoine in ann cur fúthu sa Ghaeltacht.”
“Tá páistí sa Ghaelscoil sin a tháinig go hÉirinn nach bhfuil Béarla mar chéad teanga acu, ach is í an Ghaeilge an chéad teanga oifigiúil den Stát a bhfuil á fhoghlaim acu agus a bhfuil á labhairt acu go laethúil. Is rud inspioráideach agus speisialta é sin a léiríonn dom go bhfuil tábhacht agus beocht nua faoi leith ag teacht faoin nGaeilge. Ag féachaint timpeall orainn ar fad, agus ag féachaint ar a bhfuil ar siúl i leith podchraolta ar nós “How to Gael” agus na seóanna raidió a bhíonn ar súil, ar nós "Splanc" ar Newstalk, is léir go bhfuil cur chuige nua á dhéanamh i leith na Gaeilge. Is é sin an fáth gur chóir dúinn ar fad féachaint ar an ról a bhfuil againn mar Rialtas cinntiú go gcuirtear leis na deiseanna labhartha Gaeilge sin.”