Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Nov 2024

Vol. 1061 No. 3

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Business Supports

Deputy David Stanton

I thought I was finished yesterday, but I am glad to be here this morning. I thank the Minister of State for being here.

The various grants the Government has made available to support small businesses are extraordinarily welcome and very important. The increased cost of business grant and the power up grant are the two most recent ones. In every scheme, anomalies will always arise. A number of anomalies has arisen here, which I want to draw attention to this morning, and that I ask the Minister of State and the Department to look at. One is the issue whereby a business is running an operation in a property but it is renting the property and the property owner is paying the tax. This happens because sometimes property owners were left with the rates bill in the past if the business was not paying the rates. The arrangements were made in many cases where the rates cost would be included in the rental cost, and the landlord would pay the rates and would ensure that it was paid. What has happened now is, because the business itself is not paying the rates, it is deemed ineligible for the power up grant and the increased cost of business grant. That is quite unfair.

I have been looking through some of the documentation the Department has put together. In fairness to the Department and the Government, they have done great work in this particular area. The Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, stated that "the priority has been to ensure that as many businesses as possible" in the hospitality and retail sectors that are facing great difficulty due to increased costs of running a business "receive the money as quickly as possible". However, these particular small businesses are now excluded. Another frequently asked question is who is eligible for the grant. The eligibility criteria states: "Your business must be a commercially ... [traded entity] currently operating from a property that is commercially rateable." If the rates are being paid, even indirectly, I contend that we can find a mechanism whereby the business can actually receive the grant and it can be kept in business and keep people employed. It should not be beyond the bounds of possibility to do that.

Other issues have arisen as well. Somebody applied for the increased cost of business grant and did not tick the fact he or she was a retailer. The person might be a retailer anyway, but, for example, if the person was involved in art or something else instead, if he or she goes for the power up grant, the algorithm in the computer the person applied through will not allow him or her go any further and he or she is stopped. The person contacts the local authority, which says it cannot talk about that as it is a Department issue, but there is no one to talk to. There is a number of business owners around the country doing the best they could, were honest and straightforward and did not tick the correct box the first time and now cannot go forward for the power up grant. Again, I ask the Minister, and the Department, if it is listening, to have a look at that and see if there is a way of actually sorting that out.

A third anomaly is if somebody was in a rateable property and rates were being paid, and the person moved to a different property during the course of this particular grant being administered. The person is paying rates on the second property as well. That person also cannot draw down the power up grant because he or she moved properties and the property he or she is in now is different. The person has not had the time involved in paying rates through that property in 2023 to claim it back. The ratepayer needs to talk a person, not a computer, in order to fix that. It is unfair on the people if they have paid the rates and did everything upfront, lawfully and so on. I ask that it be looked at and fixed.

The final issue is slightly unrelated to the point this morning is that the Government has also made grants available for businesses to put solar panels on the roofs of its properties to cut down the cost of electricity. If the property is rented, the landlord or property owner cannot apply because he is not the business owner, and the business owner cannot apply because he does not own the premises. Again, there is a lacuna or anomaly there where nobody wins. Perhaps the Minister of State can shed some light on this.

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Deputy Thomas Byrne)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an ábhar seo a ardú ar maidin.

As Deputy Stanton is aware, the power up grant scheme was announced in the budget to deliver a grant of €4,000 to eligible businesses right around the country. The scheme follows the success of the increased cost of business, ICOB, scheme which has paid out more than €244 million to 75,000 SMEs, including 39,000 SMEs in the retail and hospitality sector. The power up grant was introduced in recognition of the difficulties that businesses in the retail and hospitality sector continue to face. Businesses in those sectors that received a second grant under the ICOB scheme are in line to receive an energy grant of €4,000 under power up. Local authorities that are administering the scheme have emailed relevant businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors that received the second ICOB payment with information on how to register. In order to get payments to businesses before the end of the year, the registration period is short, so I would urge eligible businesses to register before the 8 November deadline.

Deputy Stanton specifically asked about landlord and tenants, and the Minister, Deputy Burke, has informed me that the criteria for the power up grant are aligned with the increased cost of business scheme. Businesses that are tenants and received the second payment under the increased cost of business scheme can register as long as they are ratepayers. A tenant who pays his or her rates to the landlord, who then pays the local authority, is not eligible. The person running the business must be the ratepayer. While the Minister is aware that some businesses have entered into arrangements with their landlords whereby the landlord pays the rates for his or her tenants, the legal position is that tenants whose rent incorporates their rates obligation, which is remitted by the landlord, cannot be deemed to be ratepayers.

The Minister recognises the issues the Deputy has raised, however, as stated, there are legal reasons for not including tenants who pay rates through their landlord. The Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate and potentially counterproductive for the Minister to attempt to interfere with existing commercial arrangements between small businesses and their landlords in the context of any business grant scheme. The priority has been and continues to be to ensure that as many businesses as possible in the hospitality and retail sectors, which are facing great difficulties due to the increased costs associated with running a business, receive the money as quickly as possible. Again, I urge businesses which received the second ICOB grant to register by 8 November. Businesses that are having difficulty registering should contact their local authority directly.

Deputy David Stanton

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I understand exactly what is being said here, but I will quote to the Minister of State from the frequently asked questions on the Department website. Under the question "What is the eligibility for the grant?" the response states that: "Your business must be a commercially trading entity currently operating from a property that is commercial rateable." It does not say that the business owner has to be paying the rates. The rates are being paid. I understand the criteria to encourage people to pay rates and acknowledge people who actually pay rates, but these people have been paying their rates albeit indirectly, and now they are being penalised massively because of it. I ask and plead with the Department officials, who I know are listening to this debate this morning, to find a way so that if the rates have been paid, the grant is allowed to be paid to the business owner who is struggling. It should not be beyond the bounds of human ingenuity to allow that to happen.

There is another issue I wish to bring up with the Minister of State and Department this morning. In some instances, people did not for whatever reason apply for the increased cost of business, ICOB, grant. They forgot about it and did not do it or were away and missed the deadline. I understand they also now cannot apply for the power-up grant because part of the criteria is that they must have received a second payment of the ICOB. Again, it should not be beyond the bounds of possibility for the Department to find a way to allow these people to actually do that. The date of 8 November is a tight deadline. Perhaps one thing to do would be to move that and give it another week.

It is hugely important that the Department has some kind of helpline so people can ring up if they run into these blockages. The local authorities are saying it is not their problem and that they are only administering the scheme. There is nobody to talk to, however. The Department could have a helpline people could ring to talk to a human and say they have a problem they wish to discuss to find a resolution. Getting back to my main point, however, if the rates have been paid honestly, fairly and upfront, even though it is indirectly, surely we can find a way to make the money available to the business that actually made the money available, even though it was done through the landlord.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

I thank the Deputy very much. As I said, the reasons I have stated are the reasons the Minister has given. I will certainly forward the issues the Deputy raised directly to the Minister. He does recognise these issues. Any business that is having difficulty registering for the grant should certainly contact their local authority, which has the responsibility for administering this. On the bigger picture, however, I will certainly pass the Deputy's comments to the Minister.

Cúrsaí Oidhreachta

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Ó tharla go bhfuil an tAire Stáit anseo, labhróidh mé i nGaeilge.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

Níl freagra agam as Gaeilge. Tá brón orm.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Glacaim leis go bhfuil an freagra scríofa i mBéarla.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

Tuigim an Teachta ach níl an freagra atá agam i nGaeilge.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Tuigim é sin. Ní raibh aon choinne agam gur an tAire Stáit a bheadh ann. Ní raibh a fhios agam gur mar sin a bheadh. Mar is eol dó, tá na dúnta ar na hOileáin Árann cáiliúil. Tá siad ar Inis Oírr, Inis Meáin agus Inis Mór. Tá go leor acu ann ach is é an ceann is cáiliúla ná Dún Aonghasa. Tá sé os cionn 3,000 bliain d'aois. Is áit an-ársa ar fad é. Tagann na mílte turasóirí as chuile chearn den domhan. Má théann tú go dtí an céibh i gCill Rónáin, feiceann tú daoine ón tSeapáin, ó Mheiriceá, ó chuile thír san Eoraip agus mar sin de. Tá Dún Aonghasa tábhachtach ní hamháin go náisiúnta, ach go hidirnáisiúnta. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach i gceantar an iarthair ó thaobh na turasóireachta de. Ar ndóigh, tá go leor daoine ag brath ar Dhún Aonghasa mar shlí bheatha ar an oileán leis na busanna, na capaill agus carranna agus mar sin de. Tá an dún mar a bhí riamh. Fág mar sin é. Tá Cill Mhuirbhigh cúpla míle siar ó Chill Rónáin agus, i gCill Mhuirbhigh, bíonn tranglam tráchta chuile lá. Níl áiseanna páirceála ag Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí ann don dún. Bíonn idir bhusanna, dhaoine a bhíonn ag siúl, dhaoine a bhíonn ar na rothair, na capaill agus trapanna agus dhaoine a thagann i gcarranna, daoine as an áit nó atá ag obair ann agus mar sin de, ann. Bíonn siad ar fad trína chéile. Níl sé sábháilte. Is fada atáimid ag caint air seo ach is beag atá déanta. Ní mór tuilleadh talún a fháil agus carrchlós ceart a thógáil chun go bhféadfaí cionroinnt a dhéanamh idir na haicmí éagsúla, na rothair, na capaill, na busanna agus na carranna, chun go mbeadh gach duine sábháilte. Tá gá le háiseanna níos fearr freisin. Ba cheart breathnú air seo mar rud náisiúnta. Tá geallúintí faighte thar na blianta. Mar sin, bheadh súil agam go mbeidh sé scríofa san fhreagra atá ag an Aire Stáit go ndéanfar rud éigin faoin gceist seo, go bhfuil sé idir lámha go gníomhach faoi dheireadh agus go gcuirfear deireadh leis an scannal agus contúirt atá ann ar an láthair seo.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

Tá brón orm nach bhfuil an ráiteas atá agam trí Ghaeilge ach déanfaidh mé iarracht. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú ar maidin. Tá an t-ionad cuairteora suite ar an taobh thiar d'Inis Mór sna hOileáin Árann. Tá aithne againn go léir air. Is é sin an pointe rochtana do chuairteoirí do Dhún Aonghasa féin. The site marks the entry point to the reserved pedestrian route. Tá sé sin ciliméadar amháin ón suíomh ársa é féin. Mar is eol do chách, seasann an suíomh sin ar an aill álainn sin, ag féachaint amach ar an bhfarraige. Tá Dún Aonghasa 3,000 bliana d'aois. Is é an dún is mó agus is tábhachtaí ar an gcósta Atlantaigh. Taispeánann an dún stair sheandálaíochta an tréimhse réamhstairiúil. Tagann na struchtúir is luaithe ó 1,100 RCh. Bhí 144,000 cuairteoir ann in 2023. Is méadú mór é sin ó 2021 agus 2022. Tá an t-ionad cuairteora oscailte thar na blianta. Gan dabht, uaireanta bíonn sé dúnta de bharr na haimsire. Aontaím leis an Teachta. Caithfear dul chun cinn a dhéanamh ar na háiseanna atá ann ag an ionad. Mar fhreagra air seo, tá maoiniú faighte ag an OPW ó Fáilte Ireland do na hoibreacha caipitil atá de dhíth. Mar is eol dúinn, tá togra ar an suíomh faoi láthair. Tá súil againn go gcríochnófar é sin roimh dheireadh mí an Mheithimh 2025. The project will be delivered as part of the OPW, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fáilte Ireland capital investment programme. Rinneadh tograí eile sa bhealach seo, mar shampla, an t-ionad cuairteora ar na Blascaodaí agus an ceann ar na Céide Fields i gContae Mhaigh Eo. I will stop doing the live translation because I am not trained in it.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Rinne tú go maith------

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Tuigim an fhadhb.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

-----leis an aistriúchán uathoibríoch.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

A new interpretive exhibition will be there in the visitor centre exhibition space. There will be improved external signage and interpretation at the visitor centre, a redesigned reception and ticketing zone and improved staff welfare and accommodation facilities. As the Deputy mentioned, staff are very important. There will be improved visitor movement and circulation through the centre and on to the monument and compliance with building regulations, health and safety standards and DAC requirements. Other initiatives being progressed concurrently include the creation of a new multilingual phone app to enhance the self-guiding experience and provide extra information and increased online capacity for virtual interpretation of the remoter sites on Aran Mór, Inis Oírr agus Inis Meáin.

The project was put in place to address certain issues. The existing building is in need of investment to upgrade facilities to make it compliant with building regulations and provide ticketing and online systems to manage the flow of visitors. There is a need to refresh the visitor experience. The interpretative exhibition at the centre has not been upgraded in many years and needs to be renewed. There is a need to address the requirement of visitor information and exhibitions relating to a large number of the other national monuments on the three Aran Islands both in terms of static provision and online information. The investment also ensures compliance in a number of areas including visitor and staff health and safety, welfare facilities, operational efficiency and general finishes.

It will be a major boost to the Aran Islands agus tuigim go bhfuil turasóireacht mar thionscadal an-tábhachtach ar na hoileáin, go háirithe ar Inis Mór.

The project was delayed during Covid when the normal construction activity was curtailed and progress was not possible, and works began on site in August 2024.

The Aran Islands, including Inis Mór, are particularly rich in built heritage with in excess of 40 national monument sites across the landscape. A substantial number of these are relatively easy to reach and can be made accessible to recreational visitors.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Go raibh maith agat.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

The OPW is working with stakeholders to consider parking arrangements, which the Deputy mentioned, relating to both bicycles, buses and cars, and the horses and carriages. This is part of an ongoing process around the segregation of motor vehicles and other modes of transports.

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

D'fhág mé 50 soicind aige ar aon chaoi. Tá mé ag díriú ar an ábhar deireanach, is é sin an rud seo faoin pháirceáil, mar tá an obair eile ar bun, rud atá mé an-shásta faoi mar tá dul chun cinn ann. Is í an áit a bhfuil an chontúirt agus an fhadhb ná leis an bpáirceáil. An féidir leis an Aire Stáit a shamhlú, ó tharla gurb as Contae na Mí dó, mura mbeadh aon pháirceáil ag an OPW ag Brú na Bóinne? An féidir leis a shamhlú go gcaithfí páirceáil ar an tsráid agus go mbeadh cóistí capall, rothair – tá an t-uafás daoine ar na hOileáin Árainn ar rothar, mar is eol dó - agus go leor busanna ann? Is é seo an rud is gá díriú air. Ba mhaith liom a bheith dearfach agus breathnú an bhfuil féidearthacht le réiteach éasca a fháil air seo. Ba mhaith liom go rachadh an tAire Stáit ar ais chuig a Roinn le fáil amach cén fáth nach suíonn an OPW síos leis an gcomhairle contae agus leis an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail le féachaint an bhféadfadh siad iarratas a dhéanamh faoin ciste RRDF leis an bhfadhb fhadtéarmach seo a réiteach, talamh breise a fháil agus a cheannach, agus ansin dul ar aghaidh agus forbairt a dhéanamh ar na háiseanna páirceála ansin. D’athródh sé sin chuile shórt. Chonaic muid nuair a rinne muid an cé in Inis Mór. Bhí sé ina sciob sceab ar an gcé go dtí gur tógadh an cé nua. Anois, tá sé an-eagraithe agus sábháilte agus tá áit do chuile shórt ar an gcé. Is é seo an rud céanna a theastaíonn anois anseo. Nach iontach an rud é go bhfuil 144,000 duine ag dul amach ann? Caithfidh muid cuimhneamh ar rud amháin, is é sin, go bhfuil muid ag iarraidh go gcuirfear scéal maith amach gur áit iontach le dul é, le háiseanna thar cinn, agus ar ndóigh, go bhfuil Dún Aonghusa mar a bhí sé riamh, le lámh leagtha air agus é ann don phobal.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Aontaím leis. Rachaidh mé ag caint leis an Aire agus leis na hoifigigh in Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí maidir leis an gcás atá déanta ag an Teachta Ó Cuív maidir le páirceáil. Tá sé ráite againn cheana go bhfuiltear ag obair le Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe ina leith seo. Tá an Teachta Ó Cuív ag iarraidh go mbeidh níos mó déanta. Tá súil agam gur féidir linn réiteach a fháil ar an bhfadhb seo.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Cuív. Tá súil agam go dtoghfar mé arís, ach níl a fhios agam. Ní bheidh an Teachta Ó Cuív-----

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív

Ní bheidh mise ar ais.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

-----sa chéad Dáil eile. Bhí go leor comhoibrithe déanta agam leis an Teachta Ó Cuív le 17 bliain anuas. Bhí mé ag rá leis inné nuair a bhí mé ag déanamh an teastas sóisearaigh, bhí a ainm ar an scrúdú cluastuisceana an t-am ar fad maidir leis na rudaí a bhí á rá aige sa Dáil. Is onóir dom a bheith ag freastal ar an Dáil in éineacht leis. Gabhaim buíochas leis.

Road Network

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Guím gach rath ar an Teachta Ó Cuív fosta agus é ag fágáil na Dála.

Tá mé ag ardú na ceiste ó thaobh mo Dháilcheantair agus mo chontae féin i nDún na nGall agus na fadhbanna móra atá ag daoine cead pleanála a fháil mar gheall ar an bóthar N56. Is bóthar náisiúnta é agus tá polasaí ag TII nár chóir go mbeadh cead pleanála tugtha d’aon duine le teach aonair a thógáil atá ag teacht amach ar an bhealach sin. Is fadhb mhór í sin mar téann an bóthar seo ó bhaile Dhún na nGall fríd go dtí Tamhnach an tSalainn suas go dtí Ard an Rátha agus na Gleannta fríd an Clochán Liath agus isteach go Gaoth Dobhair, thart ar An Craoslach agus amach go Leitir Ceanainn. Is cnámh droma Dhún na nGall é. Tá go leor daoine croíbhriste nach mbeidh a gcuid páiste ábalta tithe a thógáil ar a dtalamh féin ina gcontae féin.

I am raising an issue of importance in national policy in respect of my constituency. It is an issue that we have raised on many occasions down through the years and there is huge frustration in Donegal that this issue is still not dealt with. It is the national policy which restricts the one-off building of homes accessing the N56 national secondary road.

Deputy Byrne may be aware, as Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, that this road stretches right through the heart of the Gaeltacht across a great portion of County Donegal. It stretches from Donegal town, clockwise, right through Letterkenny, and it passes through towns such as Mountcharles, Ardara and Glenties, up through Dungloe, Falcarragh, out to Dunfanaghy and Creeslough, through Kilmacrennan until it reaches Letterkenny again. It is the spine of Donegal.

The policy has caused heartache for those who wish to build on their own family lands, close to the home, close to where they grew up often in small patches of land which people have strived to maintain for years to allow their children to build homes in their own communities. Over the years, they have found it increasingly difficult to do that because of this national policy, which prevents the building of homes that lead onto the N56.

This has resulted in children of people who have contacted me not being able to return home from Australia. In particular, it has resulted in some cases of people who have gone to Australia because they cannot get build in their own county. It has resulted in huge financial issues for others because the land that they have, their family land, is sterilised for the purpose of housing and they have to fork out €50,000, €60,000 or more for a site.

Cuireann sé seo brú fosta ar cheantair Ghaeltachta. Mar a dúirt mé, is é seo an ceantar Gaeltachta is mó sa tír. Téann an bealach seo fríd an cheantar seo agus níl cead ag daoine cead pleanála a fháil fá choinne tithe aonaracha ar an bhealach seo agus cuireann sé sin brú mór ar theaghlaigh atá ag iarraidh clann a thógáil le Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Tá ar chuid acu an Ghaeltacht a fhágáil.

As the Minister of State will be aware, the reducing of speed limits across the N56 was announced recently in legislation. All secondary roads will see the speed limits reduced. This potentially has the possibility to open the door for this national policy to be reviewed, especially in light of the impact that it is having in Donegal. Housing being permitted on an appropriate and limited basis on adjacent roads to the N56 should be permitted now. Cars going slower along these roads make them safer and allow appropriate houses to be built on adjacent roads. I am asking the Minister of State to engage with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and ask it to have this policy reviewed considering the impact it is having on Donegal.

The issue of planning stands on its own two feet. This is not an issue of planning. The Donegal County Council planners, in the main, on many of these occasions have no issue with the houses being built there. The roads section of the county look at the braking distance and the vision lines and those are also being satisfied, but there is a blanket policy within TII which basically says that if you are on the N56 or, indeed, if you are coming out onto the N56, you are not getting planning. It is heartbreaking. It needs to stop. It needs to change and I believe the change in policy, in terms of speed limits, gives us that opportunity to do so.

Deputy Thomas Byrne

In September 2023, the Department of Transport published a speed limit review. This review made key recommendations that the default speed limit on national secondary roads should be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h, on local roads from 80 km/h to 60 km/h and on roads in built-up areas from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. These changes were legislated for in the Road Traffic Act 2024, signed into law in April.

The Deputy will recall that national legislation sets default speed limits for different classes of roads but the final decision will be with local authorities, who can leave them at the default or apply different limits through so-called "special speed limit" bye-laws. This is quite right, because it is the local councillors and local authorities who are best placed to assess the characteristics of each road and apply the appropriate limits, in light of safety and traffic management considerations.

Implementing the changes requires local authorities to review the roads in each of the three classes affected and to consider whether the new default or another limit may be appropriate. This is a large task, and therefore the implementation of the changes is being undertaken in phases, with local roads being treated first. The Department has worked closely with the local authorities towards implementation, and has issued new guidelines to assist them.

In light of the complexity of the work, the Department has agreed that the new local default limit, originally intended to come into effect in late November, will now take effect from early February.

Changes to national secondary road speed limits and speed limits on roads in built-up areas will be dealt with after this is completed.

The Deputy has particularly raised the question of developments along national secondary roads. Luann sé ceantair Ghaeltachta go háirithe maidir leis an N56. TII and the local authorities engage on the setting of speed limits on national secondary roads, with TII having the final say. I expect that the Deputy is considering what the relationship would be between new developments and possible speed limits. We can all imagine scenarios where a new development beside a road will lead to significant increase in traffic, and that will impact on the appropriate speed limit. It might well be necessary to reduce a speed limit in cases of a new development, either because it was actually being built or because it was planned. I assure him that in these cases TIl and the local authorities engage closely in ensuring that the proposed speed limit alterations are appropriate. Formal requests for consent for the making of special speed limit by-laws involve a public consultation phase and are processed by TIl on an ongoing basis. Speed limits are designed to be appropriate to current road requirements, including traffic levels, and can be changed if these requirements change. Local authorities can change the speed limits to fit new developments, and speed limits which may currently exist do not act as a barrier to future developments.

Deputy Pearse Doherty

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit faoin mhéid atá ráite aige. It does not address the issue. This issue has been going on for nearly 20 years. There are TDs across different political divides who raised this issue with the National Roads Authority before it was subsumed into TII. The authorities are not budging. There is a blanket policy here. I understand the rationale for some of it in terms of road safety but we have planners and road sections of the planning division where they look at braking distance and vision lines and decide whether it is safe and appropriate for a house to be built in that area, allowing for access onto a road. TII takes a completely uncompromising approach, which says if a development is coming onto the N56, which is the spine of Donegal, it is not allowed planning. It is sterilising land right across the area. We have major issues with depopulation. I believe in vibrancy in our rural communities and our Gaeltacht communities. I want to see young people being able to build on their own land. We have a policy at national level that is frustrating that and causing serious damage. I am asking Government to reach out to TII and to say that it needs to review its policy. This blanket, sledge-hammer approach is not fair to the people of Donegal. Of course, road safety has to be at the heart of it. We know in Donegal how many people have lost their lives on the road, without a doubt, but blanket approach to this policy is not acceptable.

Back in July, Donegal County Council submitted a proposal to enable what it described as the continued survival of our rural and Gaeltacht communities to TII, to allow where necessary appropriate and limited access to the N56 in respect of planning permissions. TII is not listening. We do have a change in terms of speed limits but that is a separate issue. What we need is a change in policy, a more appropriate policy in respect of TII. It is not acceptable where the whole west and south of County Donegal is serviced by this main road and proximity to the main road does not allow people to build on their own land. It has to stop. Will the Minister of State intervene with TII today?

Deputy Thomas Byrne

I will certainly pass the comments of the Deputy to the Minister for Transport. The speed limit issue has been dealt with and the local authority and local councillor colleagues of the Deputy can engage with TII. An allocation of almost €30 million was provided to Donegal County Council for national roads in 2024. There are six major projects in the county, including Dungloe to Glenties and Mountcharles to Inver on the N56. There has been a lot of investment in roads in Donegal. We want to make sure those roads are safe. I agree with the Deputy. We need to make sure that people can live in their communities, gur féidir le daoine maireachtáil agus a bheith ina gcónaí sna háiteanna áitiúla agus an deis a thabhairt dóibh é sin a dhéanamh, ag meá thábhacht na sábháilteachta ar na bóithre agus an fáth go bhfuil na bóithre ansin; is é sin gur féidir linn naisc a dhéanamh idir bailte móra agus na bóithre sin a úsáid. Aontaím leis an Teachta gur cheart go mbeadh daoine in ann maireachtáil agus a bheith ina gcónaí ina gceantair féin. Gabhaim buíochas.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 9.35 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 9.58 a.m.

Sitting suspended at 9.35 a.m. and resumed at 9.58 a.m.