It is a privilege to speak on my first budget in my term as a TD. It is very clear what the budget is about. It is about investing in the future of this country and securing the jobs that fund it and ultimately make it a success. When we talk about investing for the future, we have to be realistic about the investments that needs to be made in infrastructure, energy, grid capacity and the security of the country. Also, we have to ensure we are not unduly exposed to international risks, which pose serious threats in…

What has unfolded before our eyes in Gaza is nothing short of catastrophic. It is a stain on humanity and it demands our unflinching condemnation. Since the war began, over 65,000 people have lost their lives, tens of thousands more have been injured and millions are displaced and starving. Children are buried beneath rubble, hospitals and schools are destroyed and an entire people are being deliberately deprived of food, water and medical aid. This is not just war: this is a systematic assault on human dignity. Le…

I welcome this debate. The one thing I have to say about sports capital funding and the one thing that is heartwarming about it is that it is the most efficiently spent money in the country. When the grant is devolved to our local clubs and teams, we see them go to the ends of the earth to spend the money as efficiently as possible to yield the very best results for their communities. That always needs to be remembered in the context of public spending and how money is being spent. Our local clubs spend it best bec…

Red tape is a huge issue for small businesses. When I am out meeting business people, one thing that comes up consistently is red tape. What is the Minister of State doing to cut through red tape and simplify business regulation?

Go raibh maith agat. I really welcome all that is being done in the Department to try to simplify business regulation. From my dealings with the Department, that is definitely the thinking. It wants to make life better for businesses. It wants to make Ireland a better place to operate a business. To reiterate how important this point is, the IBEC CEO Survey 2025 ranks sensible regulation as the third most important issue that CEOs across our country face. As Fianna Fáil spokesperson on enterprise, I want to make su…

Part of what will make our business environment better to do business in is something that falls within the Minister of State's brief, namely digitisation. Ultimately, the question the Department needs to be asking is whether every grant application, licence, permit, etc., can be processed by it digitally? It is important for every Department to look at this because if somebody cannot easily deal with a Department in person, they will still be able to deal with an official online if they encounter any difficulties.…

The work of IDA Ireland cannot be underestimated. It has a proven, serious track record of delivery right across the country and of bringing in business and creating jobs. Under the current strategy, how has IDA Ireland performed in the west of Ireland, what is the plan for the future and where are we going from here? Ultimately, it is vital that we make a success of the west. I would appreciate it if the Minister could speak to IDA Ireland’s performance under its strategy.

Over 31,000 people are employed by IDA companies in the west of Ireland, as the Minister outlined. I welcome the fact that the ambition is going up, from 76 IDA-backed investments in the last plan to a target of 100 investments over the lifetime of this strategy. I welcome the publication of the strategy. I attended the opening of the Medical Technology Ireland conference yesterday in Galway and saw for myself the talent, business and enterprise that was ongoing in the Galway medtech ecosphere. It is vital that we …

I really welcome that and I assure the Minister that, when he goes to Cabinet with that memo, he will have my full support. We must make sure that site is unlocked and the potential is realised. What is notable about that semiconductor site, adjacent to Oranmore, is its scale. It is going to be huge and the impact will secure the future of the west of Ireland for the next 20, 30 or 40 years. Something like the advance planning permit that the Minister mentioned in his reply is vital. I saw the success of Dexcom in …

Today, I welcome the introduction of My Future Fund. This is Ireland's new system of automatic enrolment into pensions. This is one of the most important social reforms for a generation. For too long, too many workers, particularly in the private sector, have faced the prospect of reaching retirement with only the State pension. We know that only about a third of private sector workers currently have a supplementary pension. Auto-enrolment changes that and it does so in a way that is fair, simple and sustainable. F…

We have a duty and a moral obligation to protect the long-term health of our young people. Right now, too many children and teenagers are being targeted in the context of, hooked on and harmed by vaping. Let us be clear; nicotine is addictive. The long-term health effects of these products are still unknown, and yet an entire generation is being lured in by colourful packaging, candy-flavoured liquids and the false belief that vaping is harmless. Ireland once led the world by introducing the first national workplac…

The programme for Government sets out a clear commitment to bringing in an unsewered villages scheme. In 2022, a fantastic investment of €50 million was announced to bring some of these villages that do not have sewage facilities back into use, such as Craughwell and Clarinbridge in Galway. These were fantastic announcements. Three years on, however, we do not have plans, sites or, ultimately, execution. When is the Government going to bring forward the renewed sewerage investment scheme for unsewered villages? It …

Migration has always been part of Ireland's story. For generations our people went abroad seeking work and opportunity. Today people come here for the same reasons, namely, safety, jobs and a chance to build a life. It is important to say migration is not new for this country and given the current climate of the globe I do not believe it is going away. It is important that we distinguish between what we might call normal immigration - people who come in, apply for a work permit and work and contribute to this count…

When I was first elected to the Dáil just over nine months ago, I was really heartened by the leadership shown by Deputy Mícheál Martin to appoint Deputy Norma Foley as Minister for children and disabilities, to have focus at Cabinet level and to have cross-departmental focus on disabilities. The new disability strategy is a welcome step forward and it is welcome that people of all levels of ability were included in the formulation of this strategy, but the test of this strategy will not just be the words on the pa…

It is great to have a debate on the all-island strategic rail review. One of the key recommendations of the review is the reopening of the western rail corridor and the consideration of same. The Minister of State has been a strong advocate for the western rail corridor since long before I entered politics in 2019. I commend him on that. I will be doing everything I can as a Fianna Fáil representative for Galway East to ensure that this project gets the funding necessary to be a success and gets the necessary backi…

I support the Bill and I will clearly and urgently make the case as to why this legislation is not only necessary but also overdue. We are in the middle of a housing crisis that affects every community in this country. It affects urban and rural, young and old, single people, families, renters and buyers alike. At the heart of this crisis is a basic mismatch. The demand for homes is outpacing our ability to deliver them. One of the core reasons for that delay is an overly complex, inconsistent and drawn-out plannin…

I refer to the issue of specific speech and language disorder, SSLD, classes and the eligibility criteria for same. The Circular 0038/2007 published by the Department of education set out the criteria for enrolment into specific speech and language disorder classes, which precluded access to this service for children who have an identified disability. Essentially, the children with speech sound disorders cannot be treated in mainstream classrooms due to the nature of the specialised support required. A parent repre…

I appreciate the reply. It is also welcome that the IQ measure has been removed but, as I said, the Government has highlighted that bringing therapy back into special schools is a key priority. However, there is a cohort of children with disabilities and speech sound disorders in mainstream education who have a critical need for in-school speech therapy. In 2005, the Department's report noted that the eligibility criteria could not be widened at the time due to a shortage of supply of speech and language therapists…

It is arranged.

I appreciate the update on the Labour Employer Economic Forum. I wish to ask about a separate matter regarding multiple schools in my constituency which have been in contact with me in the past week. National schools spread right across Galway East, including in Castlehackett, Esker, Annagh Hill, St. Oliver's special education school and Peterswell, have raised significant concerns with me around SNA allocations and reviews. A lot of the schools have had reviews and were recommended more SNA support. They have iden…