92. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on his Department's investigation into overflights of munitions to Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51973/25]
Sentiment score: 0.01
I am seeking an update on the Department's investigation into overflights of munitions to Israel? Will the Minister commit to upholding Irish law under the Air Navigation Act and to concrete actions to stop Israel transporting weaponry and munitions it is using to commit war crimes in Palestine?
Sentiment score: -0.28
I presume the Minister is talking about the draft report submitted in March this year.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Will he commit to publishing it or give us a reason for refusing to publish it? Will we be here again in seven months or seven years demanding answers from a Government that is still not publishing it? There is a perception, of which I think the Minister is aware, that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been turning a blind eye to some of the most egregious crimes against humanity. I would also like to express my solidarity with the humanitarian fleet of 500 civilians, including our own Senator Andrews and 20 other Irish citizens. They are doing what the Government has refused to do while Israel is acting with impunity and attacking the ships with drones. In the past, it has attacked ships like them. There is a carnival of distraction by Israel from what it has been carrying out - the genocide - on which we all agree. My concern is the Government is allowing-----
Sentiment score: -0.10
-----these arms to travel through our airspace, that is, the same arms that are systematically targeting children.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I have raised this issue before. As the Minister has said this evening and on the previous occasion, under Irish air navigation law, the carriage of munitions is prohibited on any civil aircraft and failure to comply carries up to three years' imprisonment. The operators of these flights seem to think the Government has zero intention of upholding the law, unlike the Belgian Government, which opened a criminal investigation following the reporting of it. Why is the Government not doing the same? Seven months in such a serious situation is far too long. What is the Minister's view of what the then Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said to the public accounts committee when the issue was brought up? He said the Garda was not made aware of these flights and that it had no information that could lead to checks on the airline involved. Does the Minister believe that is the case and that the Garda had no information? If so, will he talk to his colleagues in government in relation to it? The email, I am told, was acknowledged at the time.
Sentiment score: -0.17
94. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Transport the measures he is taking to ensure balanced regional development of transport infrastructure following the review of the national development plan. [51974/25]
Sentiment score: 0.13
What does the Minister plan to do to address the critical infrastructural deficits that cripple Ireland's transport networks the length and breadth of the State? What is he doing to address the fact the national development plan includes concrete measures only for the Dublin MetroLink, a project that has been in the pipeline for decades? The feeling is that he is leaving rural Ireland behind. What efforts will he make to ensure there is balanced regional development rather than referencing only one project in the NDP, which is the MetroLink in Dublin?
Sentiment score: 0.05
As the Minister said, it is about delivery at this stage. All the projects he mentioned are projects that were previously announced. The NDP review did not bring anything new to the table. It was also scant on any real substance or detail. Most of the projects were on the books for years and some of them, like MetroLink, for decades. MetroLink, on the books for decades, is the only transport project the NDP review mentions. The Government is talking about new announcements but the people do not want announcements; they want project deliveries to happen across the island rather than being concentrated in Dublin. How many times has MetroLink been pushed out as an example of Government ambition when we have yet to break ground on it and there is still no plan to do so? The only thing that has changed over the years is the spiralling cost, which is now probably up to €23 billion. That is an astronomical amount of money. While an investment of €2 billion is substantial, it barely scratches the surface. Will the Government identify and deliver key projects? Will the commitments made in budget 2026 be part of that process?
Sentiment score: 0.02
According to reports, the Government is set to hike public transport fees in this year's budget. We have heard that there is a €250 million funding gap and, as a result, commuters who are already crippled by rising rents and the cost of living are going to face fare hikes. I want the Minister to commit to retaining the reductions in public transport fares as part of this year's budget. Earlier this year we were warned by officials in the Department of public expenditure that key infrastructure projects would not be delivered without increasing fares, but now we hear that services will be cut also. If the Government is trying to reduce carbon emissions and get people onto public transport, it cannot hike up the fares in this year's budget. We need an affordable, sustainable and reliable public transport system across every village, town and city on the island if we are serious about a modal shift and reducing our transport emissions.
Sentiment score: -0.03