Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Save the best for last. Go raibh míle maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Táim thar a bheith buíoch go bhfuil mé ag seasamh arís anseo i nDáil Éireann.

As an Independent Teachta Dála for Dublin Bay North, I am honoured to address this Chamber today regarding the recent programme for Government. It has been a great experience for me and the great colleagues I have had over the past few weeks, getting down and getting to work. This comprehensive plan outlines our nation's path forward. While it presents several commendable initiatives, it is essential to critically assess its provisions to ensure that they align with our todhchaí.

In regard to the programme's ambitious target of the construction of 300,000 homes by 2030, this is a great and positive step but we have to outline our past failures. In 2024, we only saw 30,330 homes built, which is a 6.7% decrease. To bridge this gap we need to explore innovative solutions that have worked elsewhere, such as modular homes, and implement increased taxes on vacant property sites to stimulate supply.

As Members will be aware, I am a passionate climate activist. This Government’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gases by 51% by 2030 and to achieve net zero by 2050 is ambitious. However, to get to these goals we need to invest in renewable energy. Unlike how we dealt with fossil fuels in the past, let us invest. Ireland has a nine-times potential of our land mass in seabed. If any other European country had that potential, it would utilise it to benefit the State.

I will not go on about private wires because I spoke about the issue yesterday. However, the recent storm has highlighted it, leaving thousands without power, underscoring the urgency to enhance our grid’s resilience. On education and employment, throughout the campaign I met thousands of parents who are struggling. The programme for Government outlines various initiatives. There is a need for robust focus on education and employment opportunities for young people. We need to invest in skills and innovation and create pathways that lead to meaningful careers for teachers, special needs assistants and carers. Let our country be a place where our youth are equipped to thrive and adapt.

I want to highlight that, in Dublin Bay North the lack of investment is ridiculous. I am fed up with it. That is why I got involved in politics. For example, in Belmayne there is a clear place where there could be a library and there could be a development on the l-shaped land. I urge that this be developed.

Mental health is a huge issue. We have one of the highest rates of mental ill health in Europe. Some 18.5% of the population is affected. Nearly half of that number do not seek help. We need to expand access to mental health services. I was lucky that I went to a college that provided a free mental health service. Everyone is experiencing this. Please develop it. The young people of Ireland are screaming out for this. One in four young people in Ireland experiences anxiety or depression. With social media nowadays, we are not doing ourselves any favours.

Disability is a huge issue. I am delighted to see that there are key steps in the programme, but there are not the targets. We need to have targets for respite, overnights and personalised projects for people with disabilities. We must not just tackle barriers but remove them so that everyone has the right to thrive.

Another issue that is close to my heart and that has been neglected on the northside of Dublin is Beaumont Hospital. It has been neglected. I can see that there are ambitions to improve healthcare. Beaumont Hospital is the beating heart for healthcare for people on the northside. It serves thousands of people but is operating under immense strain. The front-line staff are heroes working in impossible conditions, stretched beyond their limits. Please, can we see this included in the HSE capital plan? The radiation oncology unit, the emergency department and the 100-bed ward are stuck at the final design phase. We need these to be put into the northside. If all of these projects were expedited for rapid construction, we would be in a much stronger position not just for today but for the future of healthcare on the northside. If we continue down this path of delay, red tape and indifference, we will set ourselves up for failure.

To the Government and decision-makers who I have chosen to support, please make sure this gets done. We cannot ignore the northside anymore. I will not stand by while it is left behind. I will fight for this and demand action. The time for talk is over; the time for action is now. I am supporting the programme for Government. I do so with cautious optimism. It lays a foundation but the true measure of success will be its implementation and its impact on the citizens of Ireland. Let us work together, collaboratively, and hold ourselves accountable to ensure that in the next five years we not only meet our targets but we foster a society in which Ireland can envision and achieve a prosperous future.

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