I am not rejecting them. I am just about talking about guidelines for where they should be going in.

The cost-of-living is too high but the Government is in complete denial about this reality. It seems to believe that the cost-of-living crisis is over and it is ruling out a cost-of-living package while households struggle. It is clear the Government is totally out of touch. Every week in my clinics, I have people coming in to me who are struggling to make ends meet, with high energy costs, rent and childcare and fuel costs, not to mention the student fees that the Government is now determined to increase. People j…

Following on from the earlier questions, I again ask the Minister whether the fees will be €2,000 or €3,000 for the next academic year. I have had countless people, students and families, in touch with me to tell me that, if the fees are increased for the next academic year, they will not be able to afford them. This is wrong. It is not a position people should be put in. We need clarity from the Minister on this as soon as possible.

The comments the Minister made on national radio caused great uncertainty on this matter. We still do not have clarity on the issue nine days on. I will tell the Minister about the impact this uncertainty and the proposed hike is having on people. He said that he did not understand how people would not be able to afford this increase in fees. A mother in my constituency who has two children in college told me that she literally cried last Sunday morning when she heard the Minister on the radio. She said that findin…

I raised the case of a woman in my constituency, and I ask the Minister for a response to that particular case and the questions that woman has about how she is expected to afford an increase in fees. Students need to be able to plan and budget in advance for the upcoming academic year and they need certainty around this. I want to know because this is the second time in recent weeks that students have been thrown under the bus by the Government. We had the rent reforms recently, which are going to have a dispropor…

The differences are striking when we look at a map of Ireland's current rail network compared to the network of 100 years ago. I refer in particular to the absence of infrastructure from the west, the north west and Border counties. The reality is that we have gone backwards in recent decades. Plans are one thing but we need implementation to progress new projects in a timely manner and to address the imbalance in regional infrastructure. The western rail corridor is critical to the region. It has been talked about…

The General Post Office is one of the most respected sites on this island. It allows us to remember and reflect on the sacrifice of the 1916 rebels. It is our responsibility, as the generations who come after them, to commemorate their sacrifices and to work to realise the aspirations of the 1916 Proclamation. Therefore, the Government's plans to redevelop parts of the building into a mixed-use precinct, which would include retail and office units, are outrageous. Is this really the best idea the Government could c…

I bring to the Tánaiste's attention proposals for the development of Portumna Forest Park in County Galway being led by Coillte. This is a natural and public resource for the local community. The Protect Portumna Forest Park Community Group has carried out an extensive survey in the local community. The results show clear opposition to the idea of building tourist accommodation in the forest park and strong support for protecting and enhancing the park's natural and recreational value, yet Coillte is failing to mea…

The office of President is one of great symbolism and standing and our President is the representative of all the Irish people on the international stage. The Good Friday Agreement recognises the birthright of the people of the North of Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish, British or both, while the Irish diaspora around the world were and continue to be a driving force to encourage international support for Ireland. It is time for the Government to recognise their role, live up to the Good Frid…

Dunguaire Castle is an iconic cultural and heritage landmark in Kinvara on the Wild Atlantic Way but it remains closed off to the public. That is a huge loss for Kinvara and south Galway as a whole in terms of tourism, heritage and employment. This loss is being felt as we enter the summer months. Dunguaire is a 16th century castle with great history, but it has been closed for two years. Huge numbers of tourists pass it in buses every day and while many will stop off, they cannot enter the castle. In the past, the…

The issue is not just the purchase of the castle but also bringing it up to a safe standard. As outlined, Galway County Council estimates that could cost millions of euro. The grant schemes the Minister of State has outlined, such as one offering €100,000, will not be sufficient for Galway County Council to acquire the castle and bring it back into use. The Minister of State mentioned some of the Clare assets of the Shannon Group that were purchased by Clare County Council. Government funding of €6 million was prov…

As the Minister of State is aware, Athenry has been without bus services to Galway city for nine months since the previous operator ended its service in September 2024. This is an unacceptable situation for a town of the size of Athenry. It is an enormous loss that has caused real difficulties for workers, students, people accessing hospital appointments and so on. It has caused particular difficulties for those who work early in Galway city because the first train does not arrive into Galway until 8.10 a.m. The la…

Week in and week out, I have people in my clinics who are distraught because they cannot afford the cost of rent. A woman had to leave her home due to domestic violence and found herself and five kids moving in with elderly parents. A couple have to leave their home in two weeks' time and do not know where they will leave their personal belongings or their pets or whether they will be able to access emergency accommodation. There are countless families with children growing up in hotel rooms. The average rent in Co…

Lives continue to be lost because of the State's failure to provide adequate mental health care. Each year, more than 50,000 people try to access mental health services for the first time through hospital emergency departments. A petition started by the family of the late Adam Loughnane has received more than 17,000 signatures. It calls for alternatives to emergency departments for people in a mental health crisis. Our emergency departments are chaotic at the best of times and are not an appropriate setting for peo…

Flooding has caused significant damage to the properties of and given rise to costs for and anxiety among residents in my constituency of Galway East. I recently met representatives of the Save our Shannon Organisation who represent more than 600 farming families whose livelihoods are severely impacted by summer and winter flooding in the Shannon Callows. Flooding is also causing the destruction of the bird population, biodiversity and wildlife in this area. Over many decades, various Governments have promised to t…

The Palestinian people have been subjected to starvation, occupation, dispossession and genocide at the hands of Israel. This is ethnic cleansing and a human tragedy of unimaginable scale. Israel has shown no restraint in its onslaught on the Palestinian people, and the Irish Central Bank is supporting this violence by facilitating the sale of Israeli war bonds. The Government has said it will do everything in its power to stop this genocide, but the reality is that we are complicit in this genocide for as long as …

Can the RRDF application submitted by Galway County Council in regard to the redevelopment of Gort convent be expedited? It is an urgent project, given the declining condition of the building. It is important to the local community and I urge the Government to approve it as soon as possible.

This application is about progressing plans to transform the convent into a remote working and cultural and community hub. I acknowledge the work of the Gort Town Team and other local groups on this project. There are many active groups in the area that would like to make use of such facilities, including the resource centre, the forge and many more that do fantastic work in the area. This is an iconic building in the town. It has had many uses over the years but has been vacant for some time. It is on the path to …

I welcome the Minister's engagement with the council and the town team. I emphasise the declining condition of this building and its historical significance. It cannot be lost. There is much urgency around this. The plans the council and the local community have would be transformational for the local area. It is an exciting project but, obviously, funding is needed to progress it. I ask that the need to protect the building be taken on board. Is it possible to get any further clarity on the timeline as to when a d…

Carers and front-line healthcare workers are the backbone of our care system, enabling people with high care needs to live with dignity at home. Home care workers and family carers bring significant improvements to people’s health and well-being, reduce pressure on hospitals and deliver enormous savings for the health service but we know that many vulnerable people are not receiving the level of care that they need. It is extremely important that any person who requires care receives it in a timely manner, that the…