I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on tourism. Tourism is worth almost €9 billion a year to our national economy. It supports jobs in every county, town and community across this country. Last year, almost 6.5 million visitors from overseas came to Ireland, spending an estimated €5.5 billion. We should, however, be honest about the trend. Visitor numbers in 2025 were down 3% and spend was down 9%. Cost is a factor and access is a factor. We cannot take this sector for granted. In my constituency…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Finance Bill 2026, which gives effect to the cost-of-living package introduced by the Government earlier this year. These supports include 32 cent off a litre of diesel, 27 cent off a litre of petrol and other measures which are not small adjustments. They are part of a significant €750 million package to support families and businesses as we deal with the energy shock caused by the continuing conflict in the Middle East. The Government’s €750 million int…

Skills, training and innovation are the foundation of Ireland's competitiveness and of every young person's opportunity in life. The investment of €1.5 billion in the National Training Fund, including €37 million to SOLAS for construction, manufacturing, healthcare and the green transition, is the single most consequential reskilling investment of this Government. Apprenticeship registrations in construction and related fields have grown by 57% since 2020. I see this on the ground in my constituency, in Dublin Coll…

Funding for the shared island initiative - an initiative brought in by the Taoiseach in 2020 - increased by €1 billion in the last budget, which is very welcome. It has supported a wide range of projects, cultural and community groups and infrastructural projects, which the Taoiseach outlined his reply. As Chair of the Good Friday Agreement committee, I have seen first hand the benefit and improvements it has made and, indeed, the popularity of the funding itself. Some €100 million of the shared island fund is for …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is a short and technical, but necessary, Bill. The purpose is straightforward, namely, to extend the powers the NTA exercises in the greater Dublin area to cities such as Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. It enables the NTA to deliver the infrastructural elements of BusConnects Cork and removes the statutory gap that has held up a major project for far too long. I thank the Minister and his officials for bringing the Bill forward. We are committed to the develo…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. While it is a short Bill, it is a very significant one. I thank the Minister and his officials for bringing it forward. It delivers on a clear programme for Government commitment. It implements a key recommendation of the independent Study on Familicide and Domestic and Family Violence Death Reviews. It does so under a name, Valerie's Law, in honour of Valerie French, killed in June 2019 by her husband, James Kilroy. I welcome David French and the wider French …

I raise again the status of the long-promised primary care centre for Loughlinstown on the existing health centre site. The HSE confirmed last year that the operational lease process for the new Loughlinstown primary centre, along with full planning, collapsed when the preferred operator withdrew for viability reasons. The HSE advised that it was carrying out a service-led review before deciding on the next steps. However, the process seems to be stalled as there has been no consultation with public representatives…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Second Stage debate on the National Treasury Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026. This is, in effect, the Bill that closes the book on NAMA. It dissolves the agency, concludes the special liquidation of IBRC and transfers the small amount of residual activity to a new resolution unit within the NTMA. It is a technical Bill but it deserves a serious debate because behind it sits one of the most consequential interventions in the history of the State. …

I thank the Taoiseach for the update. As Cathaoirleach of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement committee I have seen first hand the value of the shared island initiative from my visit last June with the Taoiseach to Narrow Water Bridge in County Louth, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, to the ongoing restoration of the Ulster Canal. Closer to home, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown chamber and Bangor chamber signed the shared island economic partnership memorandum of understanding in April and p…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to statements on National Biodiversity Week. Across the country this week, hundreds of free events are bringing people into contact with nature on their doorstep. These events include guided walks, photography competitions, scavenger hunts and farm visits. It is a chance to learn, enjoy and be reminded that nature is not a backdrop to our lives but the foundation. Fianna Fáil has an enduring legacy in this area. It was a Fianna Fáil-led Government with Charles Haughey as Taoi…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this legislation. I thank the Minister and his officials for bringing it forward. This is a largely technical Bill. It updates the Industrial Development Acts and modernises the powers of the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. It removes an outdated restriction in the Science and Technology Act 1987 and introduces a number of sensible miscellaneous provisions on consultancy grants, property co-investment and the Health and Safety Authority, HSA. Fianna Fáil supports this Bill. I will …

I join the Minister in welcoming the representatives of nursing who are in the Gallery. They are all very welcome to the House. I thank them for being here. It is important to hear the contributions being made today. I am sure they are not agreeing with everything that is being said, but they are all very welcome. I am very happy contribute to these statements as we mark International Nurses Day, and to join with colleagues across the House in paying tribute to our nurses and midwives. Every family in this country …

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. In August 2022, I travelled to Ukraine and I saw at first hand the damage caused by Russia’s illegal invasion. I saw the suffering of ordinary families. I met people who had lost their homes, livelihoods and, in many cases, members of their family. I will not forget what I saw, and I will not stop saying that this war was unprovoked and is unjustified and wrong. I support this motion, which authorises the establishment of an international claims commission for Ukra…

I welcome the opportunity, like others, to contribute to this debate on football. I begin by acknowledging what we all felt in recent weeks - the excitement, unity and sheer emotion our national team brought to Ireland. An estimated 1.6 million people tuned in to watch the match against Czechia. That figure alone tells you everything you need to know about the reach and power of football in Irish life. The result in Prague was not what we wanted or hoped for but the journey reminded us of something important - foot…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I begin by acknowledging the events of the past week. A lot of people have been in contact with me and my office and I acknowledge their concern. People are understandably worried. The ongoing war in Iran is having real and serious consequences for households and businesses across the country and the pressures of energy costs, fuel costs and supply chains are being felt everywhere. It would be wrong to pretend otherwise. I welcome the Government's €750 million…

I support this motion and will speak in favour of it. Four years on from Russia's brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, Ireland's solidarity with the Ukrainian people remains as strong as ever. The Government rightly played a central role in mobilising Ireland's response to the largest movement of refugees in Europe since the Second World War. While this presented challenges, it has largely been successful. People have been accommodated and integrated into communities right across Ireland. We all hope for a concl…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I thank the Minister and his officials for bringing forward this important and necessary Bill, which I support. It is an important step in delivering on our programme for Government commitment to facilitate and support the Omagh bombing inquiry. It reflects the seriousness with which this State must approach the search for truth and accountability in relation to one of the darkest atrocities of the Troubles. The Omagh bombing took place on 15 August 1998, just four mo…

I welcome the opportunity to examine this motion, which will deliver a measure of relief for hard-pressed families. The conflict in the Middle East is causing an extreme degree of volatility in the price of oil and other essential commodities. In the short time available to me this evening, I propose to focus on the domestic impact here in Ireland. I am sure we all hope the conflict will end as soon as possible, but it is clear a significant degree of disruption to supply lines has been caused and this will have an…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the situation in the Middle East. I am sure all of our thoughts are with the people, especially the more than 20,000 Irish citizens, who have been caught up in this conflict. It is a worrying time for them and their families as they deal with the uncertainty of this situation. I pay tribute to our officials in the Department of foreign affairs who are working on the ground in difficult circumstances to get Irish citizens home and to provide consular assistanc…

I welcome the debate. In my constituency of Dún Laoghaire, we have, unfortunately, lost local post office services in Monkstown and Dalkey. As other Members said, post offices are at the heart of our communities in Dublin and across rural Ireland. They are places people rely on, particularly older residents, people with disabilities and small local business owners who need dependable, face-to-face services close to home. I commend the staff and postmasters who have kept these services and offices going, often under…