The issue I am raising with the Ministers of State relates to the distribution of the just transition funding that came from the European Union and the €16 million that came from the State. I have concerns in this regard. It is supposed to be for the former peat harvesting areas. Under EU funding, they are designated as coal regions. The State made the case successfully for funding for the former peat harvesting areas, like the midlands, that are affected. County Laois is one of those areas. I am delighted that the…

I have a record of the projects that got funding. My concern is that the worst affected areas did not get funding. It was not targeted at them. Money was allocated by Laois County Council for tourism, which is good, for example to Emo Court. It is located in the middle of the county. I also welcome funding for The Forum in Mountmellick. It is good news that the Junction 17 business park was allocated €1 million. The Poet's Cottage Community Cafe in Camross also benefited, as well as the business park in Portarlingt…

I thank the Minister of State. My concern is that of the total available fund of €185 million, a reply to a previous parliamentary question shows that approximately €93 million has been spent. The reply to the question was received about a month ago. We are about 50% of the way through the funding. The feeling I get from people who have been showing an interest in the fund is that it is being rushed a bit. If we are halfway through spending the money, which is a lot of money, we must be careful about where the rema…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. On the attacks on the Indian community, I have many Indian neighbours in the housing estate I live in. Most of them are working in the health services and they are doing great work and are very good people. We need to counter these racist attacks on them. We need a fair, efficient and rules-based immigration system. The current system is chaotic and inadequate. Those who are genuinely fleeing war, persecution or famine must be …

I join in welcoming Deputy Holly Cairns back to the Dáil and congratulating her. I also congratulate Deputy Emer Higgins. Life will never be the same again. I wish many years of happiness and joy to them and their partners in the years to come. I raise the situation regarding renters with the Taoiseach and the out of control so-called "rental market" we have. In a lot of areas now, average rents are more than €2,000. Recent reports have shown how they are skyrocketing. The recent Residential Tenancies Board rent in…

Will the Government ramp up the supply of cost rental and affordable housing to purchase?

The concern I have is what is going to happen in towns like Mountmellick, Abbeyleix, Mountrath and Portlaoise. In terms of increasing supply, the Taoiseach was in government in 2004, 2005 and 2006 when supply increased. In fact, 96,000 housing units were built in 2006. He will recall in those years that rents skyrocketed. There is not necessarily a correlation with increasing the supply of housing. The evidence is there to show that. The Taoiseach will remember that, as do I. In relation to vacant possessions and e…

Will he halt his plans and do something to save tenants from March? People leave tenancies for different reasons and-----

-----when properties become vacant, they are faced with a free-for-all. The Government's 2% rent increase cap is irrelevant. It is on paper. Landlords will completely ignore. They can because the legislation says they can ignore it.

That is what the Government's legislation says.

The Government left us with a free-for-all.

Yes, but we-----

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. The State has ratified the UNCRPD and the Government now has a strategy. I welcome all of that but let us see how we are doing on it. The diagnosis of autism has increased. That is obviously because there are more diagnoses being done. That is good, but it is too slow. There is a 16-month waiting list for a lot of families. That is simply too long and must be improved. The convention asked that we promote and protect people with disabilities, so they have …

In the short time I have, I want to raise the issue of special school places in County Laois. The Saplings school in Graiguecullen had to move out of the building it was in. It is now located in the village of Killeshin in prefabs. The construction work started on a new school in March 2023, However, after ground works were carried out and the walls were built on the greenfield site at Fruithill, provided by Laois County Council, work stopped in late 2023. The school was told that work would resume but no details w…

I raise this important issue because 132 workers at Leprino Foods in Portlaoise received the news on 18 and 19 August that the plant will close and will be wound down over this year and next year. This is an important facility. When it opened there were great hopes and I certainly had great hope because at last we had a large, substantial manufacturing plant in the constituency. The record of IDA Ireland has not been good, but more than 100 jobs were being created in the new business park. It was very important and…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. If 145 people are employed in IDA-backed companies in Laois, that is actually a decline of nine from the last figures. It is very disappointing. As question has to be asked about why Laois is being ignored time and again. I know everybody will back his or her own corner but I think if one looks at the map of the 26 counties and at the number of IDA-backed jobs in various counties, Laois is way down at the bottom despite the fact that it has that excellent infrastructure …

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the School dental programme for children is not providing adequate and timely treatment for primary and secondary school students; — children are not seen for their first screening examination in second, or even fourth or sixth class in primary schools and in many areas, they are receiving their first examination in fourth year in secondary school; — in Co. Laois, based on Health Service Executive (HSE) figures of 6,433 are waiting on their first exam invitation, and that is…

I join with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in welcoming the visitors to the Gallery. I welcome Fintan Hourihan from the Irish Dental Association, as well as Pat Fitzpatrick. As a councillor, I met Pat Fitzpatrick a few times in his former role. We are all elected here to be the voice of the people - Teachtaí Dála, Dáil delegates. Not to take any cheap shot, but the Government benches have been empty throughout this debate. Not one member of Government, apart from the Ministers of State, spoke. Maybe they do not see ther…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I will do the easy bit first. I have gone through the Bill and welcome a lot of what is in it. It is welcome that the service plan will be replaced with a performance delivery plan. It is welcome that we will be able to measure things. The Minister for Health is to prepare a strategic direction statement in respect of health service priorities to guide the HSE in preparation of its corporate plan. That is welcome. The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is…

I welcome our guests in the Public Gallery. I have heard similar stories to the testimonies from the last two Deputies, and particularly the testimony Deputy Whitmore read out from a woman who wrote to her. It might not have been as long, but snippets. As a man, constituents have told me similar stories about this problem over the years and particularly in recent years. We have to stop exporting our health issues and people for treatment, particularly women in the case of this chronic condition. Not nearly enough a…