One hundred and ninety precious lives were lost on Irish roads last year. We have a crisis when it comes to road safety. We also have a crisis when it comes to compliance with existing road traffic legislation. In December alone, there were 26,500 fines for speeding, thousands were fined for not wearing a seatbelt or for using a mobile phone, 765 were convicted of either drink or drug driving, and 3,000 vehicles were seized on the side of the road. That was in December alone. Driver behaviour matters. Enforcement s…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate following the European Council meeting in December. I will focus my remarks on Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the EU and the opportunity that this presents to reconnect European policymaking with people and communities on the ground across the country. Europe is not an abstract concept; Europe is present in every city, town and village across Ireland. It is present in our roads and public transport, water and housing infrastructure, community facilities, skil…

Following the Minister's recent visit to south Tipperary, what is the current status of the IDA-owned lands at Ballingarrane in Clonmel? Can he confirm the extent to which IDA Ireland is actively marketing the site, state whether any expressions of interest have been received for the site and outline the timeline for the delivery of an advance building solution that was recently granted planning permission on the site?

I thank the Minister for his reply. In particular, I thank him for visiting south Tipperary in December, when he got an opportunity to see the strengths of south Tipperary and of our key towns, particularly Clonmel. He also got an opportunity to see our strengths in terms of our strong employment and the really strong presence of medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. All of this is backed up by a strong set of skills, proper infrastructure and, as I said, an established industrial base. As the…

I agree with everything the Minister said. Crucially, balanced regional development must be reflected in outcomes on the ground. South Tipperary, Clonmel and all the other key towns offer everything the IDA is looking for, such as a proven industrial ecosystem that the Minister mentioned. A town like Clonmel has so much potential. The crucial step in this regard was securing planning permission, which was a critical barrier for inward investment. That should translate into momentum. I press upon the Minister to pus…

I heard the Taoiseach speaking earlier about the 180 precious lives lost on Irish roads so far this year. Motorcycle deaths are the highest in more than 20 years. As policymakers and legislators, we have to do more. I am currently working on an action plan and working closely with road victim advocacy groups. Over the next four years during the lifetime of this Government, 500 more lives will be lost. A key priority is the strengthening of our roads policing unit. Back in 2009, that unit stood close to 1,050. We ha…

To what extent has the Department assessed the potential cost implications for public sector pay and pension liabilities that would arise in the event of Irish unification? This is not a political question. It is a simple question of forward planning, good governance and having all the facts in the context of this important debate.

I support the long-term aspiration of Irish unity based on consent. However, if we are serious about this aspiration, we also need to be serious about the practicalities that come with it and the financial implications. Right now, there is little discussion about the fiscal implications of Irish unification, particularly disparities that exist in public sector pay and pensions, social protection systems, taxation, health and infrastructure. This is not a political question. It is simply a question of good governanc…

I am sure the Minister agrees there are huge disparities between systems North and South in public sector pay structures, pension liabilities, welfare supports in particular, and broader public spending. Any future settlement, whenever it might arise, will have significant financial consequences for this State. Ignoring that reality does not make it go away. All I am seeking, and what the public deserves, is clarity on whether the State has even begun to model these implications. If unity is ever to happen, it must…

The warmer homes scheme is supposed to protect the most vulnerable households in our society, including older people, low-income families, people living alone and those wholly dependent on supports like the fuel allowance. Right now the scheme is failing them and it is about to get far worse. I will outline the current reality. On 4 November this year my office contacted the SEAI on behalf of a vulnerable client who applied for the warmer homes scheme in October 2024. Almost 14 months later she is still awaiting a …

I thank the Minister of State for his reply, which alluded to a 21-month waiting time. Correspondence sent to me directly by the SEAI confirmed that the waiting time is somewhere between 24 and 26 months. People came into my office in quarter 3 of 2024 and as of now, 14 months later, the SEAI cannot tell me when these homes will be surveyed. I have people in their 90s who applied in quarter 3 of 2024. They will not be alive when their house is due for a survey. I appreciate the Minister of State's reply, but there …

We are little more than 40 days from a cliff edge that the Minister has just described as a "critical juncture". From 1 January post mortems will no longer be carried out at UHW, a service that carries out 700 cases every year, which are often the most tragic and traumatic of deaths. Behind every one of these cases is a family in shock waiting for answers and waiting simply to lay a loved one to rest yet today, with the deadline fast approaching, there is no clarity on who will perform these examinations, where the…

This is not an abstract policy issue; this is a human one. There are 700 cases every year. Every day that a family waits for a post mortem is a day they cannot hold a funeral, cannot begin the grieving process and cannot find closure. That is the reality that awaits hundreds of families across the south east if this service collapses on 1 January. Coroners, funeral directors and front-line responders still have no guidance. Families deserve reassurance that they will not be left waiting in deep distress for a servi…

The N24 upgrade, particularly the Cahir to Waterford section, is a critical piece of national infrastructure yet throughout all of 2025, the project has remained stalled at the preferred route stage with no movement towards detailed design. At the same time, the Cahir to Limerick section has advanced, creating what is a clear imbalance along a single strategic corridor. In my role as Chair of the Oireachtas committee on transport, I have engaged directly with the Minister and also with Transport Infrastructure Irel…

The message is very straightforward. The N24 is essential national infrastructure and the imbalance in its progression cannot continue. I have engaged with both the Minister and TII. I thank them for that but we now need delivery. The Cahir to Limerick section is moving at pace and will be subject to a significant announcement today. Unfortunately, the Cahir to Waterford section remains stalled. In the meantime, the congestion on the Clonmel bypass shows the cost of inaction. There is pressure on safety, lost econo…

I notified the Ceann Comhairle's office on Tuesday that I would take this question, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Is that in order?

On Monday of this week the High Court quashed a section 5 declaration applying to Dundrum House Hotel. This site is no longer planning compliant, yet we maintain a multimillion-euro IPAS contract with a company whose shady business dealings are before the High Court. There is no accountability, no transparency and no due diligence. This is not about IPAS; this is about the taxpayer and the people of Dundrum. Since we have entered into this contract, we have lost a golf course. Some 780 members can no longer drive a…

The question of greater North-South integration and any future constitutional change carries profound economic implications. It is really important that we approach this debate with honesty and clarity. Further integration will require significant investment, aligning public services, connecting infrastructure, integrating health and education and ensuring social welfare compatibility. If we are to maintain public confidence, we need transparent, independent economic analysis. We need to be honest about the challen…

It will be a very positive day in Templemore tomorrow when 194 new recruits will be passing out. Unfortunately, many of these new recruits will be allocated to the metropolitan cities while in my constituency the key towns of Tipperary, Cashel, Cahir, Fethard, Carrick-on-Suir and my hometown of Clonmel will be left behind. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree that maintaining law and order is not just a challenge for our cities. It is a challenge for every town, village and community across Ireland. I am very proud of…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this important Topical Issue. I raise this issue today because there is an urgent need to finally close the loophole that allows drivers to continue renewing learner permits indefinitely without ever sitting a driving test. Of course, this is not a new problem. It was identified more than a decade ago in the RSA's Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020. Action 33 of the strategy clearly commits to addressing this loophole with a completion date of quarter 1 of 2014. Eleven years lat…