Forgive me; I understood that the Deputy wanted the State to buy this site.
Sentiment score: 0.27
That was my understanding, so I thought the Deputy would be standing up to welcome this. Two weeks ago, she called for the State to buy this site.
Sentiment score: 0.23
The somersault this morning is interesting.
Sentiment score: 0.40
Either the Deputy is for the acquisition of this site, or she is not for the acquisition of this site.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Regarding the metro, the Minister is not in a position to put a definitive price tag on it right now-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
-----but the focus is on getting the metro built. Again, I presume that is something the Deputy supports.
Sentiment score: 0.18
Again, the Deputy has her perspective or characterisation of the communication between the State and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC. It is not delay, delay, delay. The Government will enter into mediation and will be communicating to the legal representatives of the survivors. The fact it is the day after the Dáil rises is neither here nor there. The issue is going to be pursued.
Sentiment score: 0.15
First, that is not all that is being asked for. We had a good meeting earlier in the week. I am as frustrated as anybody with the inability to get these issues resolved. I articulated that, as did the Tánaiste, at the meeting. I believe these issues can be progressed. The enhanced supports are there and are being availed of by survivors. They are significant. I believe that at the meeting earlier this week, particularly in terms of the unacknowledged, we agreed a process to try to get that resolved once and for all. I do not want to go into any further details at this stage because we have agreed a process. It is our objective and our desire to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible.
Sentiment score: 0.15
Forgive me, but I have not quite read the Bill in its entirety yet. The Minister for Health and the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Mary Butler, are looking in particular at the healthcare needs of trans people more generally. Again, whether the legislative route is the route to go is an issue I would raise with the Deputy. She is correct that, in Ireland, many within the intersex community are coming under a lot of attack, some verbal, some physical. We had a meeting with representatives of the LGBTI+ recently. It was quite disturbing in terms of the different atmosphere out there now compared with would have been the case a number of years ago. We have to give all of these issues careful consideration regarding the protection of people and the creating of space for people. The priority for us-----
Sentiment score: -0.05
First, I think every effort should be made to have balanced and equal provision of staff. I am not aware of the specifics of the area. The Minister stated that she has raised this with the Chief Medical Officer with a view to examining it. If the Deputy can give us the details, we will pursue it.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I think we need to stand back and have a fundamental review of e-scooters more generally, given the level of injuries that have been reported by medical consultants. That needs to be examined in more detail in light of the statements they have issued recently. That level of brain injury among children suggests society has to really stand back and review the entire role of e-scooters, to be frank. It is unacceptable that there would be those numbers. I am informed that gardaí have significant legislative powers to combat the antisocial and dangerous use of e-scooters. The Garda authorities report 754 incidents in which an e-scooter has been seized in the first quarter of this year, compared with a full-year figure of 931 for 2025. Therefore, from what I am being told, there has been a higher number of seizures of e-scooters, which indicates perhaps the bad use of e-scooters in given locations. On the Deputy’s call for regulation, the answer is “Yes.”
Sentiment score: -0.24
The House has been divided on the correct funding and revenue response to public service broadcasting more generally. Various Oireachtas committees in the last number of years have had different proposals. One was for an overall levy on all devices including tablets and so forth, which would create a resource to enable public service broadcasting. We then had the wider issues of accountability and so forth. While all of those issues that the Deputy referenced have to be interrogated, and people held accountable for them, the bottom line is that when we add it all up, it does not come near the more global issue. The general financial requirement of RTÉ is in the millions. The big issue, I believe, is that the licence fee does make a contribution, so this constant undermining of it only makes things worse. People are not prepared to support the universal levy, and there is no consensus on that in the House. We have problems here, but we need to make up our minds on what we want for RTÉ.
Sentiment score: -0.16
It is not actually getting worse.
Sentiment score: 0.37
The number of houses being built is increasing, and the numbers of social houses are at record high levels.
Sentiment score: 0.08
There may be specific issues in Galway. The Deputy needs to talk to the county manager and the city manager in respect of getting projects built more quickly and removing any barriers to getting housing developed.
Sentiment score: 0.24
All the permissions are up in terms of planning permissions for new homes. The number of houses being delivered has gone up, particularly social housing. Close to 10,000 were built last year. The highest number of social houses are being built annually since the 1970s. Some local authorities do better on social housing than others.
Sentiment score: 0.12
The reality is that we are making the allocations to local authorities.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I dealt with this earlier. There has been a substantive body of law enacted in respect of scramblers, in particular. On the enforcement side, gardaí are seizing scramblers and e-scooters. In quarter 1 of 2026, 94 scramblers were seized, tracking well ahead of 2025's full year figure of 159. I gave the figures for e-scooters earlier. About 754 were seized in the first quarter, compared to 931 for 2025. On the training side, we are determined to provide resources to the Garda in terms of equipment and training in all matters pertaining to this issue. Over 38 e-scooters and 17 e-bikes were seized across the three days of Operation Meacán, which is An Garda Síochána's proactive response to the issue.
Sentiment score: 0.19
I want to commend U2 on its recent philanthropic contribution to Music Generation, which is one of the great legacies of U2 that has brought music to many children the length and breadth of the country who would not otherwise have had that experience. Funding has been matched by the Government. The more recent decision by U2 to contribute substantially has been matched by the Government and Ireland Funds. I was at a dinner two weeks ago to announce that. The legacy and heritage of U2 are phenomenal. It has brought worldwide attention to Ireland and Irish music and culture. I am not aware of the specifics of the situation the Deputy raised. I do not know whether the school board of management is building a new hall. Perhaps whatever new facility is being created can in some way capture the magic that led to the emergence of U2 in the first instance.
Sentiment score: 0.12
It is good that it was built. It was committed to 2022. In my experience, when we build nursing homes or facilities, current revenue or annual funding has to be allocated and staff have to be recruited. I will engage with HSE in respect of this to have those beds occupied and provided for families and those who need inpatient residential care.
Sentiment score: 0.39
There has been huge investment in public sector transport. On rail, very good progress has been made on the Navan rail line over the past number of years in terms of funding provision. I do not operate every State agency. State agencies are legislated for in this House and are charged with responsibility to do things. The issue of congestion is a broader one. In terms of the specifics of the tunnel, it is not an area that seems overly congested at times. That is a matter I will take up with the Minister and will raise with TII more generally as to its strategy and whether it will be effective in this case.
Sentiment score: 0.20
I did not cause anybody any hurt.
Sentiment score: -0.53
One does not cause hurt if one tells the honest position. I was not responsible for whoever built up the expectation that it would be on that meeting. It was never said to me. There are a number of ways we can approach this. My only objective, like most Deputies on this side of the House, is to help those who have Friedreich's ataxia. That is all. I do not try to score political points with other people on issues as serious as this. I have to say that now. On the issue of confirming drug accreditation and so on, there is a system in place, whether one likes it or not. My understanding is the next drugs meeting will deal with this issue. I am not comfortable with the approach that is now being taken that every single meeting of that group will have this level of pressure. That is not great either.
Sentiment score: 0.04
It may lead to wrong results-----
Sentiment score: -0.48
I may be familiar with that case. Deputy Albert Dolan may have contacted me about it; I am not sure if it is the same one. I cannot deal with every individual case on the floor of the House. I outlined earlier the broader approach the Government is taking. Each case will have to be examined on a case-by-case basis at the moment.
Sentiment score: -0.05
In the last budget and the one before it, we substantially increased the capitation grants allocation. I think it was by €50 per pupil; that might have been the year before last. There was a very substantial increase for primary pupils in particular and also an increase for post-primary pupils. The Department of housing has always been reluctant in terms of incrementally dropping water charges for different utilities and areas because people would come forward looking for the same for other deserving causes. I am not sure of the impact of water charges on schools' individual budgets. I would have to examine that. I will talk to the Minister in respect of it. The school meals scheme has been fairly extensive, as the Deputy said. It is a huge investment now and it has happened very rapidly across all our schools.
Sentiment score: 0.12
I will ask the Minister to engage with Uisce Éireann on that specific issue. In some areas, it is performing. The €31 million negative finding in terms of leakage is clearly an issue. It is not just to do with leakage. There have also been issues articulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in terms of lapses to do with the operation of wastewater treatment plants in some areas. Overall, however, Uisce Éireann is investing a lot and getting a lot done in respect of the upgrading of our water infrastructure and in terms of newer wastewater treatment plants. Those getting bonuses could be the people who are performing well in achieving objectives the company has set itself. We cannot just juxtapose the two and assume the bonuses apply to those are not performing on the leakage front.
Sentiment score: 0.23
How can we do that?
Sentiment score: 0.00
The Government cannot affect the seedings that will result from doing that.
Sentiment score: 0.00
We see what is happening at FIFA at the moment. Do we think FIFA would really concern itself too much if the Irish football team pulls out and damages its own prospects for the future? I think the world would carry on, unfortunately. I think FIFA would carry on, unfortunately. The Government is doing a lot in respect of this issue. Our view is that we should deal with it from a governmental level and at a political level and not have to ask everybody to carry-----
Sentiment score: -0.06
In my view, the implications for Irish football are serious, given the wider governance of football globally. That is enough said.
Sentiment score: -0.04