Recently, Ireland was ranked the second most successful economy in the world for 2025 by The Economist . This did not warrant a mention in any of our media or here in this House. It shows the extraordinary progress we have made but we cannot take this huge success for granted. One of the main factors in future economic success is economic confidence. We must be careful not to run down this country, especially with false claims. Of course we have challenges; every country has challenges, and we must deal with them. …

West Wicklow has no major sports facility. It does not even have a swimming pool. A number of years ago, I successfully proposed a zoning in Baltinglass for a sports centre on council-owned land. A local sports group led by the basketball club have conducted a feasibility study, which demonstrates the need for such a centre in west Wicklow. Will the Minister of State support this project?

Baltinglass is situated in south-west Wicklow and is 38 miles from here. It is the centre of a large hinterland. Currently, there is no sporting facility in the wider area. This project would also align with all the national policies that support balanced regional development, from the national planning framework to the Baltinglass town plan. The project is supported by Wicklow County Council and several local clubs and community groups in west Wicklow. Recent public and club-level consultations indicate significan…

The recreation, leisure and sports audit for Baltinglass municipal district was commissioned by Wicklow County Council to assess the current provision of recreational, leisure and sporting facilities across the area and to identify future needs. Some 86% of participants in the audit said that lack of facilities was the main barrier to partaking in sport and recreation. This would fill that gap. I also know that many clubs in the area have no home. This facility, which would be community based, would allow these clu…

The programme for Government states: Local Government is the beating heart of our democracy. It is responsible for many of the essential services on which we depend – housing, local roads, planning [and many other things]." I wish to talk about my experience of over 20 years as a local councillor before I came here and how the powers of the councillor have been diminished. First is planning. In 2004, I could and did make changes that made a real difference to help rural planning. In 2022, I was told that they must …

I appreciate that the Minister understands and that he has been there. I repeat that powers are far too centralised in this country. We all know the word "subsidiarity". The programme for Government supports it, and it is stated in it, but we do not apply it to councils. They have the local knowledge and must be allowed more autonomy in decision-making. In addition to this, communication between Departments and local authorities must be improved. At the beginning of last year, I asked in the Dáil that the Minister …

For Deputy Brennan, yes. There are four schools in Wicklow under Project Dargle: St. Kevin's Community College, Dunlavin; Coláiste Bhríde, Carnew; Arklow CBS; and Avondale Community College in Rathdrum. These schools are all in need of the proposed development. The areas they serve are growing in population. With the new, hugely increased housing targets for County Wicklow, these developments are needed more than ever. What is the current status of these builds?

With the Minister of State's indulgence, I will go through each of the four schools. First is St. Kevin's Community College, Dunlavin. Demand for places continues to grow. Planning has been in place for over two years. Dunlavin and its hinterland population continue to grow and the school serves east Kildare as well as west Wicklow. There is a plan for four rooms for special classes. The lack of suitable rooms in the current build means students' options are limited. The library is now a classroom. Computer rooms h…

Coláiste Bhríde, Carnew, is a special case. It seeks inclusion of a playing pitch with the building project. The new school will have a capacity for 1,000 students but there is no playing pitch included. The school currently has the land required and planning permission but the key issue is the cost of levelling the site. It put a proposal to the NDFA for pitch groundworks, which was rejected, but it still hopes the Department will reconsider. The current building at Arklow CBS is simply unfit for purpose. There is…

As I am sure the Minister is aware, Erasmus is a wonderful programme that has brought students from all over Europe together and allowed them to experience other cultures. It has increased our understanding of other European countries and, thus, has given Irish people ideas and knowledge that have enriched our country. It has been a huge success and is mostly a positive experience for those who partake in it. Are there plans to vary, expand or deepen the Erasmus programme for third level students?

Ireland benefits more than any other European nation from this programme. Given our geographic location, it is so important that we develop contacts and understanding of mainland Europe. This enriches us culturally. Understanding another language leads us to better understand other peoples. It also helps us think in different ways and develop new ideas. Learning a European language is one of the most enriching experiences one can have. I speak as someone who spent a few years working and living in mainland Europe, …

I note the current Erasmus+ programme ambitions include fostering stronger participation in democratic life, common values and civic engagement. This is more important than ever, given the threat democracy is experiencing in the western world. The ambition to expand well beyond Europe's borders is also commendable. Promoting our European values is a worthy cause. We often forget how fortunate we are to live in a peaceful, democratic and wealthy society, something our ancestors could only dream of and which people i…

Is this country prepared for threats posed by Russia to our national security? These are real threats to the country and must be taken seriously. There was an increase in Russian shadow fleet activity in Irish-controlled waters last week. There were three ships, in fact. Our geography no longer protects us as it once did. We are very dependent on other countries to support us regarding maritime and air defences. We need to take steps to move away from these dependencies. This will help our independence. It will als…

It is important that in all our discussions here, we choose our language carefully. We must not say anything that might inflame situations or give encouragement to any extreme positions. We must stick to the facts at all times. Let us remember that we are talking about fellow human beings. I ask if there is a strategy to spread the location of IPAS accommodation and avoid having large clusters in one area.

I thank the Minister of State for that information. I understand the massive pressures that commenced three or four years ago. The most important thing is that we have open and frank discussions. By having open discussions, we lessen the possibility of false information and extreme positions taking hold. Two years ago, I stated publicly that we should have an open discussion on immigration. Only now is this beginning. We need to discuss this openly and not brush it under the carpet. We have nothing to hide. As a na…

I fully appreciate the great work the Minister of State is doing. I commend him and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on the steps taken. They are very much facing up to the reality because to date in this country the political classes have been out of sync with the views of ordinary decent Irish people. We need to be transparent in how we are dealing with the housing of people who are exiting the IPAS system. Our councils need to inform the councillors of any relevant policies that impact housing allocations. Also…

I offer the Minister my best wishes for his role, which is not so new anymore. His is a very important role, particularly at this critical time. We are in different constituencies but are near neighbours where south Kildare meets west Wicklow. Agriculture in Ireland is ageing fast. Currently, the average age of a farmer in Ireland is 59. Only 4% are under 35. This imbalance poses risk to long-term food security and to this important sector, which exports 90% of what it produces. The programme for Government commits…

I have read most of that document and most of those 31 recommendations are very worthy. I would like to see a lot of them being implemented. On a slightly related matter, I worked most of my life in small and medium sized businesses. The thing that strikes me most about farming is the huge fluctuation in prices from year to year. Most businesses face increases in costs or sales prices in single digit percentage changes. It is not so in farming. This makes it difficult to plan and means people have to build up large…

I bring the Minister's attention to another matter related to generational renewal. I will highlight an unfair flaw in the operation of the fair deal scheme relating to land transfer, for example to a grandchild, which is causing huge financial hardship for families. I will explain how it operates. This rule must be changed. If a family transfers land within five years of the owner entering a nursing home, this land is valued. If the recipients lease the land, they must pay the nursing home 7.5% of the value of the…

I thank the Minister and wish him the best of luck in his new role. I first brought this proposal to the finance committee a few weeks back. To me, it is a glaringly obvious thing to do. It should have been done years ago. Russia clearly should not be part of the FED scheme. What we are proposing here aligns with EU policy and sanctions. I give my full support to the Minister's proposal. I welcome the extension of the FED to the Philippines and Türkiye. Perhaps we should consider other countries in South America or…