Thomas Byrne
Meath East · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We are very proud of the work they do in what are often very dangerous circumstances. Let us be 100% clear: our troops will only ever do peacekeeping, peace enforcement or conflict prevention in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and, of course, as with every action of this Government, in accordance with the Constitution.”
“To be clear on what our troops will be doing, they will be doing peacekeeping, peace enforcement and conflict prevention. That is what the law says; not what the Deputy imagines it to be. We are bound by our Constitution and international law. The legislation changes nothing in that regard.”
“We are bound by international law. We are bound by international law since our Constitution came into force and we continue to be bound by international law and always will be, no matter what happens to this legislation. International law governs what we do as a Government.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 140, 157 and 185 together. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister. A commitment to reform what is known as the triple lock was set out in the programme for Government.”
“-----in accordance with UN principles and, of course, in accordance with our own Constitution, which commits us to peace and friendly relations among nations. The triple lock is a statutory mechanism.”
“Switzerland, the classical neutral country that is not even a member of the European Union and will never join the European Union, it is so neutral and independent, accepts UN, EU and OSCE mandates. I understand the situation is similar in Austria, which is another neutral country. By the way, it is also similar in Germany.”
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“In the case to which the Deputy refers, níor chuir an tseirbhís sin iarratas isteach faoin scéim seo, but I am advised that the Waterford County Childcare Committee has been working with the service to provide them with support and identify opportunities to meet their particular circumstances. The Minister is considering the approach to capital investment in future years within the context of the programme for Government commitments and the revision of the plean forbartha náisiúnta agus tá sé sin ag dul ar aghaidh faoi láthair. The focus will be on the types of provision and the areas where there are the greatest capacity deficits.”
“The scheme is therefore focused on supporting the creation of additional full-time places for children aged from one year to three years through extensions to existing buildings or, in the case of not-for-profit community services, construction or purchase of buildings. Osclaíodh an scéim seo do sheirbhísí a bhí ag cur áiteanna lánaimseartha cheana féin nó a bhí sásta áiteanna nua-aimseartha a chur ar fáil agus a chruthú. I am advised by the Minister that 50 early learning and childcare providers have been shortlisted for funding under this scheme and that these services are working closely with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to deliver more than 1,500 new quality and affordable places throughout the country.”
“Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil thar ceann an Aire leanaí, an Teachta Norma Foley, leis an Teachta McGuinness as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú ar maidin inniu. Is sprioc tábhachtach don Rialtas é rochtain a chur ar fáil do luathoideachas agus cúram leanaí. Tá maoiniú caipitil curtha ar fáil ag an Roinn faoin bplean forbartha náisiúnta chun spásanna nua lánaimseartha a chruthú sna háiteanna ina bhfuil an t-éileamh is airde i gcomparáid leis an soláthar. Tá €25 milliún ar fáil anois chun níos mó spás a chur ar fáil faoin scéim deontais, building blocks extension, ag tacú le tograí tógála de chuid na seirbhísí atá ansin cheana féin. The priority of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has been the delivery of additional capacity for the types of provision for which there is the greatest need.”
“The Government remains committed to the development of the primary and community healthcare services as outlined in the programme for Government and we will certainly take those points the Deputy has raised here in the Dáil back to the Minister.”
“Each of the six health regions and each national service has been provided with a specified number of whole-time equivalents and can replace, recruit and prioritise staff within that number. This gives them more power and control to focus resources where they are needed and informs decision-making at a local level regarding prioritisation and filling of waiting lists. There are challenges, particularly with local vacancies, which the Deputy has outlined and these are impacting on waiting times. Each of the health regions now has its own budget. The leadership team with responsibility for local decision-making continues to work towards the Sláintecare objectives.”
“We fully recognise the frustration of people in the Deputy's constituency with long waiting times for certain services. Much more needs to be done, particularly to fill vacancies, as he has said, to address waiting lists and to ensure consistent, equitable and timely access. As I said, we have a child psychology waiting list initiative alongside a joint Department and HSE programmatic approach. We are committed to building capacity within primary care, particularly by recruiting additional staff numbers, promoting advanced practice roles in the community for health and social care professions and increasing - this is critical and goes to the Deputy's point - the number of college training places for health and social care professions.”
“This approach involves three main workstreams which aim to improve access to primary care therapy services by analysing activity and maximizing capacity, developing national measures to reduce long waiting times, and creating a consistent management protocol for referrals and waiting lists to these services.”
“In line with the programme for Government commitment to build capacity in primary care therapy services, a programmatic approach to address primary care waiting lists has been developed jointly by the Department of Health and the HSE. The aim of this programmatic approach is to put in place considerable standardised infrastructure to support systematic responses to primary care waiting lists and to facilitate a greater understanding of the scale of demand, which we all know about and the Deputy has outlined, as well as the drivers of demand and to allow for more timely access, improved planning, interventions, investment considerations, enhanced productivity and the most efficient use of capacity.”
“In budget 2025, the Government continued its investment in initiatives aimed at addressing long waiting times for children and young people, including in child psychology. This year, funding of €4.75 million to continue this initiative will target the removal from the waiting list of 2,933 people under the age of 18 who have been waiting longer than 52 weeks to access the service, with almost 900 people already removed at the end of the first quarter of this year. The Minister for Health fully acknowledges there is an urgent need to reduce waiting times and waiting lists for primary care services and to improve consistency of patient experience regardless of location.”
“The HSE has advised that increases in the numbers of referrals and an increase in the complexity of presentations requiring more intensive interventions have resulted in increased pressure on primary care services, including primary care psychology. As the Deputy outlined, primary care services are facing staff shortages and ongoing recruitment challenges for health and social care professionals working in general and specialist services in the community. These factors have all contributed to an increase in waiting lists for services across the country, including Dublin North-West. This Government recognises, however, the central role that primary care therapy services play in offering the opportunity for early and cost-effective interventions for children and young people.”
“On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank Deputy Hearne for raising this issue. It gives the Minister the opportunity to update the Dáil on this important issue. What the Deputy has set out is not acceptable. Primary care services, including primary care psychology, play a central role in providing care and treatment to both children and adults in the community. Per the implementation of the national policy on access for children and young people with a disability or developmental delay, children and young people with complex disabilities are seen within the children’s disability network teams, whereas those with less complex needs are seen within the primary care services.”
“I have no doubt it will look at areas where there are no special schools if existing schools in the region cannot accommodate. To be clear, the Department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements are available for children with special educational needs. They will continue to review and monitor the situation in County Dublin, which includes Dublin 1, and nationwide as to where new special schools are required.”
“The Deputy took what I said as bad news. I think I gave constructive news, if she heard what I said, which is that there are 300 new special school places, which it is acknowledged are needed for those who need them, and that the Department and the NCSE in particular have proceeded to decide where they are going. I have no doubt the Department will listen to what the Deputy said in the Dáil tonight. It will look at this, as I am sure the Deputy will understand, taking a holistic and analytical approach to see where places are needed. That is going to happen. I am glad that under the previous Government we restarted the reopening of special schools. That continues apace. We know the demand that is there at the moment. The NCSE will look at where those schools should be located.”
“When looking to provide additional capacity, the Department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools, if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the Department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school. In planning for increased special school places, the Department and NCSE review all the available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand. The NCSE continues to monitor demand for special school places at a local and national level and is committed to ensuring that adequate provision remains nationwide.”
“Of the 399 special classes sanctioned for September 2025, 98 are in County Dublin and these will be added to the existing 602 special classes currently in operation in the county. There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support children with complex needs. The new special schools established in recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas, namely, Dublin and Cork. The Department of Education and Youth and NCSE have already begun planning with regard to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026-27 school year. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year in the coming years.”
“The Government is committed to the provision of additional special school places for children with more complex educational needs. Over 300 new special school places are being provided for the coming 2025-26 school year. Five new special schools are being established in addition to the 11 new special schools that opened over the past few years. Of these 16 new schools, six have been established in Dublin, bringing the number of NCSE-supported special schools in the county to 42. Special school capacity is also being expanded across a number of existing special schools. This means capacity across Dublin city and county will increase to over 2,700 special school places.”
“As outlined in the programme for Government, in response to this the Government is committed to increasing funding and the provision of respite services. Significant investment has been allocated to respite in recent years. It has gone from €6.4 million in 2019 to €12.4 million in 2024, which is an almost 100% increase in a six year period. The HSE advises that further regional respite services are being developed throughout Kerry to meet the needs of people closer to home, in locations that best meet the needs and minimise travel to services. The HSE will continue to work with service providers and families to develop the needs that Deputy Cahill rightly outlines in Kerry.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú inniu. We hear the passion Deputy Cahill brings to this issue. The future use of the site is currently under consideration by a working group. The Minister, Deputy Foley, wants to assure Deputy Cahill that this Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities, which will empower them to live their lives, provide greater independence in accessing their services and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. The Department and the HSE are aware of the demand for respite services in Kerry. The Deputy has outlined that with great passion and vigour, in terms of what the constituents are saying in Kerry, and they are right.”
“John of God Services Limited. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the HSE and St. John of God Services are working on expanding a working group to explore the future use of the St. Mary of the Angels site. The Department The Department, along with the HSE, will continue to work with service providers and families to develop additional respite services.”
“These options ensure that respite is provided in the manner which best meets the needs of people with disabilities, their families and carers. It is acknowledged that while there has been significant additional investment in respite, there remains an unmet need. The Deputy will be aware that St. Mary of the Angels campus, operated by St. John of God Services and funded by the HSE, is currently home to just over 50 people. Day services are also provided there. Furthermore, St. Francis Special School, funded by the Department of Education, is located on the campus grounds of St. Mary of the Angels. The Deputy is no doubt aware that in May 2005, services and ownership of St. Mary of the Angels was transferred from the Franciscan Sisters to the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God. Currently St. Mary of the Angels is operated by St.”
“Thar ceann an Aire Leanaí, Míchumais agus Comhionannais, an Teachta Foley, is mian liom mo buíochas a ghabhail leis an Teachta as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú agus as deis a thabhairt don Aire – is mé atá ag labhairt ar a son – freagra a thabhairt. This Government acknowledges that demand for respite services across the country remains high and is working together with the HSE and service providers to increase provision. Increasing the provision of respite services is a key priority area for this Government and for people with disabilities and their families, as the Deputy has outlined. The HSE advises that a range of respite models for children and adults is provided in Kerry. These include residential respite centres, after school-clubs, in-home support, outreach supports and holiday breaks.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Data Protection Act 2018 (Section 60(6)) (Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry) Regulations 2025; a copy of which was laid in draft before Dáil Éireann on the 2nd July, 2025.”
“A number of my constituents will benefit from this Bill. I pay tribute to John O'Meara for going to the Supreme Court and acknowledge the circumstances in which he went to it. I know the Minister, Deputy Calleary, will take on board what the Members have said today. I sympathise with Deputy Coppinger as well. It is awful. I acknowledge the officials in the Department under the Minister who brought this Bill forward. We would have liked to have had it quicker, but bringing forward a Bill this quickly after a major constitutional case is tremendous work. This Bill will be of significant benefit overall to many families throughout the country.”
“The Department has set out some of the issues it believes it has with the Bill but it does not seem that any of those could not be fixed by amendments on Committee Stage. Those areas would need to be examined to make sure this Bill is proportionate and benefits consumers but also businesses, some of whom can be victims as well-----”
“The Deputy is right that we will never see prices come down again, so we must really work hard on tariffs, energy prices and changing our energy sources to make sure we have a more robust system. Deputy Bacik mentioned the price of coffee, and it has risen. I looked at the market prices of coffee from South America or Africa and it has risen fivefold in recent years. There have been major price increases globally for various reasons and that can include supply chain issues. The Houthis in Yemen have a direct impact on consumer prices. Oil prices have a huge impact, as does general instability in the world. A lot of what we are doing at international level, whether it is ourselves through the UN or the EU, has a trickle-down effect because prices are very sensitive to international instability. I look forward to this Bill progressing.”
“No, she was on the criminal law side, although it is criminal law - it is as simple as that - because you can be jailed or fined and the EU has very significant powers as well for bigger businesses. We all want to see, because if prices go up, and I know tariffs were mentioned being used as an excuse and all of that and some of these are issues, but the reality is, as Deputy Donnelly said, that prices go up but we never see them come down, except in certain products. When it is an input into a product, it is always difficult to see how the price will come down. That is one of the reasons we must stand firm on tariffs because there is no question that they will lead to price increases all through society.”
“As much as anybody, I appreciate the need for really strong competition law, policy and legislation. The Deputy brought me back to my college days when he spoke about defining the market because that was one of the big questions we got in the exam every year. It is also one of the big challenges the competition authority has.”
“We will not be opposing this Bill, so when progressing to the next Stage, these areas will need to be examined to ensure no duplication or overlapping of work and that the additional powers conferred on the CCPC are proportionate and benefit both consumers and business.”
“The Government and the EU have commitments to simplification and reduction of administrative burdens on our businesses. I reiterate that competition law is there to protect consumers as well and to ensure businesses can succeed. Businesses can lose out as well if one business is using its dominant position or engaging in price fixing. The Bill introduces criminal penalties and we believe the introduction of criminal penalties would need further scrutiny. As it stands, the Bill is also contradictory on the proposed new powers for the CCPC in that it requires it to have due regard for commercial confidentiality when publishing studies, analyses or surveys, but the interests and welfare of consumers are stated as the paramount consideration. Balancing these two could be challenging.”
“Any expansion of knowledge and expertise to include such studies would require additional staffing and resources. In regard to the publication of such studies with consumer welfare as a priority, it should be highlighted that all studies the CCPC produces and publishes intend to benefit consumer welfare already, so I believe this does not need to be explicitly called out in the Bill. In addition, the CCPC is responsible for consumer protection and enforcement of legislation in that sphere. The Bill's enforcement mechanisms, such as the power to require information and conduct investigations, may place a significant administrative burden, and this burden could be particularly challenging for smaller retailers, in particular, with limited resources. As currently drafted, the Bill makes no distinction regarding the size of businesses.”
“The CCPC’s existing powers contained in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 are sufficient, the Department says, for the purpose of analysing markets and for requesting information from undertakings to investigate potential breaches of competition law. To this end, it should be noted that the CCPC has recently employed its powers to request information in a number of investigations. The Department believes that the focus on unfair pricing as a stand-alone issue is not necessary because the CCPC can already investigate the issue of unfair pricing. We do not believe this needs to be explicitly called out in the Bill as it is already covered by what the CCPC can investigate. On conducting profit margin analysis and cost-based pricing studies, the CCPC may not currently have the knowledge and expertise to run these studies.”
“I will leave them on the record but they would be factors that would come into a scrutiny process for the Bill. One thing the Department says is that the Bill applies to all undertakings, from sole-trading farmers to large FDI companies, and that would represent a signal change in policy. What constitutes an excessive profit or margin is very subjective. There is no law preventing businesses from making excessive profits nor is there any law preventing a business from being in a dominant position. We do not have the monopolisation laws they have in America; we have laws relating to abuse of a dominant position. The Bill proposes to give the CCPC powers to undertake studies, analyses or surveys and to request information from undertakings when investigating potential breaches of section 5 of the Competition Act, as amended.”
“It can investigate anticompetitive practices, including the abuse of dominance; conduct market studies and enforcement actions; appoint authorised officers with powers to enter premises, seize documents and compel information, and we have seen recent examples of that; co-operate with other national and international bodies; and bring civil or criminal proceedings for breaches of competition law. The Act does not explicitly empower the CCPC to focus on unfair pricing as a stand-alone issue, conduct profit margin analyses or cost-based pricing studies, or require the publication of such studies with a consumer welfare priority. The Department believes the Bill would benefit from additional legal analysis. The Minister goes on to talk about some other issues in the Bill that could be considered.”
“In addition, the Department is also examining the potential to give the CCPC powers to collect, organise and study public procurement data to find and prevent bid-rigging cartels, and I think that is a really important proposal. While welcoming the general tenor of the Bill, it is essential that any proposed legislative or regulatory changes are informed by robust evidence and will achieve the objective of the Bill in a focused way and not give rise to unintended consequences. The Bill will, of course, require extensive scrutiny from a policy, legal and financial perspective to ensure the benefits outweigh the risks. The CCPC already has many powers.”
“The resources for the CCPC have gone up significantly, by 90% since 2020. Its headcount has grown, and as part of the development of the action plan on competitiveness and productivity, this Government has given a commitment that competition and consumer protection enforcement will be strengthened. The Department of enterprise is committed to further strengthening the CCPC’s capacity to deliver in line with these commitments and is actively developing a related miscellaneous Bill to achieve this. Part of this will include changes in the law to give the CCPC the power to impose large fines for serious breaches of consumer law, for example to allow the CCPC to issue fines that are a percentage of turnover.”
“The Consumer Rights Act 2022 makes consumer contract law simpler to understand and navigate, strengthens consumer protections and provides businesses with clearer rules on their obligations towards consumers. The EU General Product Safety Regulations, which came into force in December 2024, modernise the product safety framework and address the new challenges posed to product safety by the digitalisation of our economies. The CCPC has also got a range of other functions in other various pieces of EU legislation as well, and it has taken prosecutions against retailers in 2024 and 2025 under price indications regulations, which is a slightly different thing, and for breaking sales pricing legislation. I also see from its website that there have been a number of raids etc. with regard to the competition law side as well.”
“I think they are totally separate functions but we are all responsible for that. We may have proposed it, and it may have happened then after 2011. I cannot quite remember but consumer protection law is one thing. Competition law, of course, is related to it but they are very different roles. I would love to hear more on the competition law side, to be honest. The mandate of the CCPC has been extended, to be fair. It has more powers, and the 2022 Act was groundbreaking. Breaches of competition law can now be enforced through administrative actions taken by competition authorities, and the fines are significant - €10 million or 10% of turnover.”
“The objectives of the Bill are in line with the Government's policy of increasing transparency, clarity and fairness for consumers. There are points the Minister thinks warrant consideration. A significant amount of legislation has been introduced in recent years that has increased consumer protections when it comes to purchasing goods and services. Competition law has been introduced that supports a fairer marketplace, tackles anti-competitive practices and enhances the enforcement powers of the CCPC. I have to say, we should never have merged the two functions.”
“I thank the Labour Party and Deputies Nash and Bacik for bringing forward this Bill. Before I was ever a politician, competition law was my thing when I qualified as a solicitor so I am very interested in it and generally support what the Deputies are trying to do. The Government is not opposing this. The purpose of the Bill is to confer additional powers on the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to help in identifying and countering unfair pricing that amounts to abuse of dominance. It is important to remember - I think the Deputies do - that abuse of dominance is a criminal offence. I do not think there is enough discussion of that and I do not hear that from some of the authorities. People always need to be reminded that you can go to jail for competition law breaches.”
“Where no alternative solution can be found, mitigation measures will be applied to those designated water bodies to ensure they achieve the best environmental standard possible. Designation as heavily modified is a dynamic process that allows us to continue to with specified uses, such as drinking water and flood protection, while still achieving the best environmental standards possible. It allows us to redesignate and de-designate water bodies in the future if better solutions arise. It does not constitute a lowering of ecological targets.”
“The Deputy says it is in breach of the citizens' assembly, but it is in compliance with EU law and guidance. This is not an exemption. It is defined in the EU guidance as an alternative target that is designed to get the best possible environmental outcome while continuing to provide societal benefits. This is a cyclical process. Water bodies currently proposed for designation are unable to meet the good ecological status objective at this time. As further information arises, alternative solutions could become available. Once a viable alternative is implemented that can allow these water bodies to achieve their natural target, they will not be designated as heavily modified in subsequent cycles.”
“Designation of water bodies as heavily modified acknowledges that there has been a modification for the purposes of a beneficial specified use and that different, more appropriate environmental standards need to be applied. These water bodies will have an alternative target of good ecological potential instead of good ecological status. Official EU guidance on this process outlines that this is not an exemption but is a specific category of water body with its own classification scheme and objective. It is important to note that good ecological potential reflects the best environmental target that the water body is capable of achieving while the modifications to support the specified use are still in place. In itself, the designation does not have an ecological effect but sets a realistic yet stringent standard.”
“It also includes those modified as a result of land drainage, which is carried out under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945. Arterial drainage provides flood protection to thousands of residential and commercial properties, in addition to protecting farmlands. The water action plan 2024 sets out a series of actions to tackle water quality in Ireland. All member states are required to produce such plans in six-year cycles. Action 3.11 of the plan commits to a review of arterial drainage requirements and the underpinning Arterial Drainage Act to inform future land use policy decisions. Until that is complete and irrespective of designation as heavily modified, the OPW has a statutory duty under the Arterial Drainage Act to maintain arterial drainage schemes.”
“The EPA determined, on the basis of expert judgment underpinned by new assessment tools, that these water bodies would fail to achieve the target of good ecological status due to changes in their physical condition. This resulted in a list of 466 water bodies requiring further assessment by the Department to determine their eligibility for designation as heavily modified. These water bodies have undergone significant physical modifications to support various societal benefits, for example, concrete flood protection schemes. As a result, they are no longer in a natural state and cannot achieve the same environmental targets as their natural counterparts. These water bodies have been modified to supply drinking water, provide flood protection, protect towns and villages and create national ports.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and appreciate his concerns regarding this process. The water framework directive establishes the general objective that water bodies be restored to at least good ecological status by 2027. It also makes provision that a more realistic objective for water bodies that have been heavily modified may be set. This applies where restoration would not be technically feasible or would be disproportionately costly, among other considerations. Under the water framework directive, the Department conducted an eight-week consultation on designating heavily modified water bodies, which closed on 23 May 2025. This followed an initial consultation on characterising heavily modified water bodies completed by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in 2022.”
“That is obvious but I am glad the Government and the Government report are saying that because that is the type of advocacy the Deputy has been making to all of us and all his colleagues. It can be reasonably asserted that the ring road would contribute to the lower congestion cost in the period after it is delivered. I agree that is important. There is a wide range of measures relating to public transport that will reduce the cost financially for the Deputy's constituents and make Galway as good a place as we all know it can be. It is a beautiful and important city.”
“I thank the Deputy for bringing the focus to Galway and congestion and for being a strong voice for the city, for the wider constituency of Galway West and for Connemara. It is good he has raised the report in the Dáil because it outlines what congestion costs every man, woman and child in Galway. Galway citizens are likely to experience a much higher cost per capita than citizens of other regional cities. The ring road has been delayed by court proceedings and planning issues and the Galway transport strategy has not been updated since 2016 because of the lack of clarity here. The modelling in this report is based on the transport strategy and includes the ring road. It is not possible to tease out the specific savings the ring road would be responsible for but it is one of the more significant projects included in the model.”
“The report makes clear that investment in public transport, promoting compact and mixed-purpose urban development and encouraging a shift toward sustainable modes of travel should be continued. To address congestion more broadly, support should be directed not only towards infrastructure alone but also toward behavioural changes through public awareness campaigns and incentives that make sustainable transport more attractive and accessible.”
“In transport planning, it is well understood that increased supply will be met with increased demand, known as induced demand. The modelling incorporates projects outlined in the Galway transport strategy published in 2016. The Deputy mentioned some of them. The report further concludes that the planned infrastructure developments will reduce the cost of congestion compared to a scenario where they are not delivered, that is, the congestion projections would be far worse without the planned infrastructure investments. Notably, there is a slight decrease of approximately €500,000 in congestion costs in Galway between 2030 and 2040. This would indicate that the infrastructure delivered during this period will successfully reduce the rate of growth in congestion levels.”
“While congestion is an inevitable consequence of economic and population growth, the results show how these costs will be distributed across different groups. The majority of costs are experienced by personal vehicles. However, the proportion attributed to goods vehicles is expected to increase by 2040. Galway shows a different pattern in the timing of congestion. Unlike other cities, which experience peak delays in the morning and evening, Galway’s congestion costs are distributed relatively evenly throughout the day. This is likely due to the employment patterns and travel behaviours in Galway, including tourists. The report advises that infrastructure provision will mitigate congestion costs, but the mitigation could be temporary.”