Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise two very local issues. First, I received communication from some fifth year students regarding leaving certificate 2024 and the fact that they were out of school an awful lot during second and third year. While dispensations are being made for the current cohort of leaving certificate students, it does not look like there will be any for those coming up behind. Those students were missing from school for a long period. I am going to write to the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, but I would appreciate if the Leader could support me in respect of this matter because it affects many current fifth year students.

I welcome that the Limerick to Foynes rail line is being reopened. Phase 1 is being worked on at present. However, a combination of the National Roads Authority, Iarnród Éireann and the local authority went ahead and cut all the hedges at the backs of houses for a distance of 2 km last week and did not inform the residents that this was being done. I was in one resident's house at the weekend. The noise was so bad that you would swear the motorway beyond rail line was inside the bedroom. The trees that were the barriers to noise have been taken away. This has led to people's houses along a 2 km stretch being really affected by loud noise. These people are dealing with the fact that the rail line is being worked on and that the road is now on a higher elevation than their back walls. The latter is a risk in terms of security. In addition, they are going to have trains running past their back walls. There does not seem to be any joined-up thinking on the part of the three organisations to which I refer in the context of sound barriers or looking after residents who paid major amounts of money for their lovely homes. I am going to call the Minister for Transport, but I would appreciate any support the Leader could offer in respect of this matter.