We need to have a conversation on this. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, came out with a report recently that outlined there is a minimal difference-----

-----between an A-rated house and a G-rated house in terms of energy consumption and yet Fine Gael councillors in Mayo are seeking to spend-----

-----over €2 million on a council chamber. I heard a councillor last week justifying this-----

It is 40 years this year since Knock Airport opened in County Mayo. At the time, it was thought impossible to build an airport on a foggy, boggy hill but such was the determination and vision of Monsignor James Horan. Since then, it has been incredibly successful and a really key piece of infrastructure for Mayo and the west of Ireland. It is at somewhat of a crossroads at the minute. It is due to exceed 1 million passengers this year, having already handled 950,000 passengers last year. Under the regional airport …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to prevent certain objections to grants of planning permission by requiring, subject to exceptions, that an objector must have a material interest in the development to which the objection relates; and to provide for related matters. I am very glad of the opportunity here to introduce and move the Planning and Development (Material Interest) Bill. This is a very important piece of legislation and I hope it will speed up the planning process across th…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

We are experiencing an energy crisis. The cost of fuel is spiralling out of control. People are struggling. The reality is that the vast majority of what we pay at the pump goes to the Government in taxation. In 2024, the Government took in over €4 billion in fuel tax. In 2024, carbon tax reached €1 billion. Aontú was the only party to vote against the carbon tax because we knew it would drive up the cost of fuel. These energy costs are going to drive up inflation across the economy. People in rural Ireland cannot …

I am grateful to speak on International Women's Day. I take this opportunity to remember the great Dolores Keane, who passed away recently. She was a wonderful woman who was raised in a small cottage in the west of Ireland by her aunts Rita and Sarah. She went on to amazing things. With her unique voice and her charm she represented Ireland remarkably over many years. The likes of Dolores, who had such a special talent, we will sadly not see again. May she rest in peace. I know everyone in the House will join me in…

I have great empathy for the people and citizens right across the Middle East. This morning, I spoke to a mother whose daughter is in Abu Dhabi. For the past number of nights, she has been awoken from her sleep by missiles and bombs. She is located beside a US military base. What is happening is really frightening. It is devastating. Many Irish citizens are out in the Middle East and are really anxious and worried for their safety. Many of those individuals have registered with the Department or with the embassy in…

I acknowledge the great work of the postmasters and all those who work in the post offices across the country. They have done so under immense financial pressure, opening at weekends, opening late providing tremendous value in terms of the social support that they provide so many people, in particular older people and vulnerable people. I also want to commend Catherine Delaney of Tulrohaun post office who gave 70 years of service to her community in County Mayo and who retired recently. She is a tremendous woman wi…

I am very glad to have the opportunity to debate this legislation this evening. Before I get into the specifics of the Bill, I want to talk about the enduring power of attorney, which comes under the assisted decision-making Act and is incredibly complicated. I have dealt with this with a few constituents in my own county of Mayo. Trying to get the power of attorney is very difficult, complicated and unfriendly. The system is very difficult to navigate through. I always tell and advise people to make sure they get …

There is a cost to having a disability, which is in the region of €15,000 per year. Despite this, payments to people with disabilities were cut by up to €1,400 in the most recent budget. I asked the Minister on several occasions why these supports were removed. The answer I received indicated that it was because there are further supports coming. When I speak to people with disabilities, they do not see this happening. It is a very curious form of compassion to make cuts today on the basis of promises of supports n…

SNAs are not add-ons in the education system. They are fundamentally important. They are enablers for so many children. They are the link to allow a student to access education, the bridge to get them over the barriers that so many students face. That is the reality. What the Government is doing, and what the circular and review have outlined, is reducing and narrowing the role of an SNA. The reality on the ground is that SNAs are providing many wonderful learning opportunities for children. To diminish that into j…

I want to say clearly here in the Dáil that fishermen are the backbone of these rural, coastal economies. They are fundamentally important. If we get rid of them, if we lose them, and they are on the brink, what will become of these coastal towns? What will become of our fishermen? What will become of this wonderful intergenerational industry? What will become of the skill sets that we have built up for so many years? The Minister of State knows that this is fundamentally important. With Brexit, the Government sold…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important issue. Flooding is affecting so many lives and property right across the country. In my county there is seaweed harvesting in the coastal areas and an application in to MARA, which is the maritime regulatory agency. Seaweed has a very important role to play in coastal erosion and helps the coastal areas maintain their foreshore, and this is causing huge concern. I have studied in detail this application that has been submitted to MARA and it is incredibly co…

Ballyhaunis is a fantastic town for commerce and trade. Despite the loss of banks and other services, it has remained a very strong town for employment. It is a wonderful town. There is a proposal, however, to move the An Post delivery service unit in Ballyhaunis. It is a fundamentally important resource for the community and local commerce. It allows businesses to trade and export their products. The liquidation of the Fastway company recently has increased the importance of the An Post delivery service unit in Ba…

Climate Action Plan 2025 commits to scaling nature-based strategies, yet the Climate Change Advisory Council of Ireland has warned that we could face €26 billion in EU fines if we fail to deliver adequate protection measures. At the same time, and counter to the plan's commitment, the Government is actually considering licensing over 40,000 tonnes of seaweed to be harvested off the coast of counties Mayo and Galway. Removing seaweed, which is a vital natural buffer against flooding, will put communities at risk alo…

It is good to be able to speak to the Minister about this issue. It is very concerning that bluetongue has arrived in Ireland. It is causing a huge amount of fear and concern to farmers. It is a good thing we have discovered the disease at this time of year as it provides us with an opportunity to try to get ahead of this issue. As the Minister knows, it is the midges that spread bluetongue and it is also subject to the temperature being higher than 12°C. This cold and wet winter has provided us with an opportunity…

The budget promised over 1,700 SNAs and 860 new SETs. I ask the Minister of State about recruitment and delivery so far, and the timelines involved for the roll-out of those SNAs and SETs.

I thank the Minister of State. I asked this question because of the importance of schools and families being able to plan. However, in reality there are families who still do not know what school they can send their child to. They are right across Mayo. A special school in Mayo that does absolutely wonderful work is St. Anthony's School in Castlebar. The management team of Fiona Byrne, Anna Sweeney, Helena Brady as well as all the staff do amazing work but within the first hour of admissions opening for this calend…