It is hard to put into words the importance of Merlin Woods for the community in which I live. It is one of the only green spaces on the east side of Galway city. It is surrounded by Doughiska and Ballybane, and slightly further on are Renmore, Mervue and Roscam, all of which are areas that have benefited from that green space. To be honest, it is actually hard to understand or fathom in any way why these woods - this local amenity - are being destroyed in the way that they are. Friends of Merlin Woods have campaig…

I appreciate that. I appreciate that the Minister of State is not the line Minister and that it is quite a specific case, but the reason I raise it here is because the people have not been silent in relation to this. The community has not been silent about it. The people who deal with Merlin Woods day in, day out have been saying they feel this is a serious destruction of the habitat, as I have outlined, and of many different species. They have spoken about the serious impact it has on wildlife. The Minister of Sta…

Tonight's motion is about the here and now. This Dáil has an opportunity to cut the price of oil tonight. The facts are very clear. People cannot pay their bills. They cannot afford to put fuel in their cars. They cannot afford to put oil in their tanks. That has happened on the Minister of State's watch. He is from the west of Ireland just like I am. He understands the impact that storms and sudden changes in the weather can have. The Government is telling people that it might do something in a number of weeks, al…

The budget is for next year.

The Minister of State is talking about budget 2027. It is 2026.

Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le PBP agus Solidarity as an rún seo a chur chun tosaigh. I thank People Before Profit and Solidarity for bringing forward this really important motion. The reality is the people are in crisis. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that ordinary people need energy credits and that we need to start putting ordinary communities ahead of data centres. I am actually beginning to think that this Government is making life harder for people on purpose because …

What the Minister and her Government colleagues Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are doing to Irish neutrality is eroding it bit by bit. They might not say it explicitly but we can hear it in their words. They use language to change our position regarding neutrality. We can see it in the amendment they tabled tonight. Previously, Government talked about "neutrality"; now it always talks about "military neutrality". It is a small change, but a change. Previously, Micheál Martin said the triple lock was core to Irish …

Hear, hear.

Céard go díreach atá ag tarlú leis an scoil ar an Tuairín i mBéal an Daingin? Is é an t-eolas is déanaí maidir leis na hoibreacha atá á lorg againn. An bhfuil aon uasdátú ar stádas an tionscnaimh? Is é sin an t-eolas atá de dhíth ar dhaoine. Will the Minister give an update on an Tuairín i mBéal an Daingin?

Is í an cheist ná céard go díreach atá chun tarlú anois. Cad iad na chéad céimeanna eile? Thug mé cuairt ar an scoil Dé hAoine seo chaite agus chonaic mé nach bhfuil go leor spáis inti. Tá sé le feiceáil go soiléir go bhfuil na ranganna riachtanais speisialta agus, ar ndóigh, an seomra ranga breise ag teastáil go géar. Tá an cheart ar fad ag an Aire go bhfuil uimhreacha maithe ag an scoil seo, ach tá an spás ag teastáil. I thank the Minister for that update. I understand what she is saying about the 2b detailed des…

Ar mhaithe le soiléiriú iomlán, ón méid a thuigim, bhí maoiniú curtha ar fáil don tionscnamh seo. Is léir go bhfuil sé seo ag teastáil. Cuirfidh mé chomhthéacs air seo. Is scoil bheag í seo i mBéal an Daingin, ach is scoil láidir í. Tagann daoine ó cheantair éagsúla chun a gcuid páistí a chur chuig an scoil seo. Faoi láthair, áfach, níl go leor spáis inti. Bhí mé ag an scoil agus chonaic mé na seomraí. Tá siad róbheag. Tá go leor páistí ag freastal ar an scoil ach tá na seomraí breise seo ag teastáil. Faoi láthair,…

I really welcome the decision by the Tánaiste and the Government to have these statements on the fiscal implications of a united Ireland. It is crucial that we continue with debates of this type. These are really important and interesting debates and they are about future planning and seeing that we are prepared in the event of a united Ireland. As the Tánaiste and my party leader outlined, the debate around the economics of united Ireland often does hinge on particular figures, namely the big figures that are bein…

The Galway housing crisis is just getting worse. I genuinely cannot believe that it is getting worse year on year. This year, we are not seeing the housing stock that we need coming on stream. I am dealing with a couple in their 60s who have been nine years on the housing waiting list. They have to leave their rental property, and they are being told that the only option available to them is HAP. Anyone who knows Galway city knows that getting a HAP property is impossible. We are now at the stage where we cannot ho…

It is in Galway.

I am not making this up.

Come to Galway.

I am not making it up.

Come to Galway.

I raise the issue of Cuba with the Aire Stáit. The lives of the Cuban people have been devastated by the US blockade, coupled with two executive orders. The impact is incalculable. It has meant that fuel and essential goods are just not flowing into Cuba. The infant mortality rate among vulnerable newborns has now increased to 9.9% due to the fuel sanctions and electricity outages. While some hospitals have generators, it is impossible to gauge when the electricity is going to be switched off. It takes time to get …

Will the Minister commit to the publishing of the efficiency and reform proposals he has requested every Department provide to him by 17 July, in full and as soon as possible?