Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:1. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [46936/26]
Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
Martin Daly
Question:2. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [46937/26]
Malcolm Byrne
Question:3. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [28399/26]
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Question:4. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [28400/26]
Liam Quaide
Question:5. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. [48681/26]
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:6. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [49336/26]
Brendan Smith
Question:7. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [49735/26]
Jen Cummins
Question:8. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [51502/26]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:9. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he had discussed the situation in Gaza with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, during his recent meeting with him. [51504/26]
Paul Murphy
Question:10. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he had discussed the situation in Gaza with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, during his recent meeting with him. [51507/26]
Barry Heneghan
Question:11. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [51514/26]
Ivana Bacik
Question:12. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [51515/26]
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:13. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [53272/26]
Sinéad Gibney
Question:14. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. [53688/26]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 14, inclusive, together.
I had a bilateral meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, on 10 March at which we discussed plans and priorities for Ireland's EU Presidency, international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, and bilateral relations, which are excellent. My visit to Madrid was the first in a series of visits to European capitals to meet my counterparts as part of preparations for our EU Presidency. I also visited colleagues in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Finland and Greece.
In my meeting with Prime Minister Sánchez, we discussed areas where Ireland would work to make progress during our term. I explained our particular focus on competitiveness and we agreed the need to take further action to simplify regulation, deepen the Single Market, embrace the green and digital transitions, widen our trade relations and make energy more affordable for our citizens and enterprises. We also agreed that Europe needed to do more to ensure its future security, including in the context of new cyber and hybrid threats.
We agreed that to achieve its goals, the European Union needed a budget that both protected existing successful policy areas while also providing for new areas of focus, including security and innovation. Advancing negotiations on the multi-annual framework, MFF, budget will be an important task for us in our Presidency and we will work closely with the President of the European Council, António Costa, with a view to securing agreement by the end of the year, if at all possible.
Prime Minister Sánchez and I also agreed the need to make headway on enlargement. We also discussed global issues, including the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine. Spain and Ireland are very like-minded on the Middle East, including in our support for a two-state solution. We both recognised the Palestinian state together in May 2024 and we have worked together in support of suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of egregious breaches of human rights in the Palestinian territories. Prime Minister Sánchez and I discussed the dire situation in Gaza and, indeed, the West Bank, including the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and prospects for a meaningful political process that could deliver peace to both the people of Palestine and of Israel. We agreed to continue our work together at European Union level on the issue. Support for Ukraine is a central focus of our Presidency.
Prime Minister Sánchez and I agreed that work to achieve a just and lasting peace should continue, including through the work of the coalition of the willing. This aims to ensure that when peace comes, there are robust security guarantees in place to protect Ukraine in the future.
We reflected on the strong bilateral relationship between Ireland and Spain, built on strong historical links as well as a close cultural affinity. We discussed how we could work together to further strengthen these links, including in areas such as trade, investment, energy, education, research and culture.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
We agreed to develop a joint action plan in this regard.
As Deputies will be aware, our Presidency began on 1 July, with a ceremony in Dublin Castle that day marking the occasion, attended by Presidents Costa and Zelenskyy. On 2 and 3 July, members of the Government met with their counterparts from the European Commission in Cork where we exchanged notes on the important issues we will work on together. On 7 July I presented Ireland’s Presidency priorities to the European Parliament. In our engagements to date, it is clear that colleagues have placed their trust in the Irish Presidency and want to see it succeed. For our part, we have been clear that we will do our utmost to advance the Union’s agenda between now and the end of the year.
Based on the number of Deputies present, I propose one minute each and that will give the Taoiseach time to answer.
The relationship between Ireland and Spain is hugely important with €15 billion in total in trade, including €10 billion in goods and services from Ireland to Spain, a country that is in the European Union and has shared our values, culture and history. It was a hugely important meeting and is a hugely important relationship. I ask the Taoiseach to comment in particular on the memorandum of understanding in relation to the electricity interconnector, which will help our energy security and improve our access to a broader supply of renewable energy.
While yesterday was Bastille Day, I think in the soccer it was certainly Spain's day.
I should have congratulated them.
It was an excellent evening in the French Embassy last night, particularly with Michel Barnier, the Taoiseach and the ambassador. Notwithstanding that, further to the Taoiseach's meeting with Prime Minister Sánchez, it is exciting that there will be an Ireland-Spain joint action plan. When does the Taoiseach plan on finalising this? I know he mentioned that it will include trade, investment and education. When can we start acting on an action plan?
I congratulate the Spanish on their victory last night at the World Cup.
I welcome the Taoiseach's report. In Spain the price per MW hour for electricity is €14 and in Ireland it is nearly ten times higher, at €130. Pedro Sánchez has been more vociferous in his criticism of inaction against Israel than this Government has been. He passed an occupied territories Bill before Ireland did so, including a ban on advertisement of services. He has denied the US access to Spanish territory for operations in the Persian Gulf. My question is simple. What could the Taoiseach learn from the Spanish Premier and from left wing politics?
I welcome the Taoiseach's engagement over recent months with his counterparts in relation to Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. I am glad that he discussed with the Spanish Prime Minister the multi-annual financial framework. Within that multi-annual financial framework, the proposal by the European Commission in respect of CAP is totally inadequate. We have to have a properly funded CAP. In my experience, the Spaniards were always good supporters of the Common Agricultural Policy and having it properly funded. The Common Agricultural Policy was the first common policy of the European Union. By and large it has been very successful. Its aim has been to ensure a secure supply of safe food for the citizens of Europe. There are many challenges for our farming sector, for our food sector and also for our rural communities, and there will be huge challenges ahead as well. Under no circumstances can Ireland tolerate or countenance a reduction in CAP funding. It is very important that the Taoiseach enrol the support of all like-minded Heads of Government in relation to the need to ensure that we have a properly and adequately funded CAP post 2027 which is critical for our country.
More than 1,000 people died in Spain due to heat-related causes in June of this year alone. By early July, Spain had 14 major forest fires and 50,000 ha of land had been burned. Across Europe, more than 10,000 excess deaths associated with the recent heatwave were recorded in a single week. These warnings have to be taken seriously. I am really worried that, rather than using his time at the helm of the EU over the next six months to bring Europe together and really fight against climate and nature breakdown, it would appear that the Taoiseach is either going to ignore the issue or indeed to row back on climate action and sustainability measures. Can he not see the shortsightedness in that?
The Taoiseach is right that the bilateral relationship between Ireland and Spain is very important, as is our partnership in the EU. Following on from that point, my sister lives in Seville and every summer she travels back. She takes the ferry from Bilbao to Rosslare with my two young nieces. The challenge is because of heat. It is becoming increasingly difficult to live in parts of Spain where temperatures regularly exceed 40°C during the summer months. I fully expect that more tourists will come to Ireland to escape continental heat. While it is very pleasant here, the impact of climate change has to remain at the top of the EU's agenda. I would like the Taoiseach's assurances that that will be the case.
I raise the case of Fergie Chambers, an American activist and heir to the Cox family fortune, who has spent millions of euro supporting progressive causes, in particular assisting Palestinian people. On Friday, he was arrested in Ibiza on foot of an extradition request from US authorities. According to the indictment, he has been charged with international money-laundering, riot and conspiracy to riot. It alleges that he transferred approximately €7.5 million out of the country in order to seek opportunities to provide material support to Hamas. In reality this is money spent on humanitarian projects. It is an example of the long reach of the US Administration and an attempt to crack down on any pro-Palestinian solidarity, for which he potentially faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Will the Taoiseach call on the Spanish authorities to stand up to Trump and refuse to extradite Fergie Chambers?
Anois sa choiste fuinnimh táimid ag caint faoi plug-in solar. In 2024 there was a consultation done by the Department in which Bord Gáis Energy said that plug-in solar systems should be mounted on roofs where possible and hardwired into a dedicated circuit. The whole reason for plug-in solar is for people living in apartments who do not have access to rooftops to be able to install a system that costs €500 and has a payback period of two years. If there was a Government grant, it could be less. When a semi-State company gives a submission to a consultation process, does the Department send back a reply if it is misleading the Department, as Bord Gáis Energy did in the 2024 consultation?
It has been quite a good week for Pedro Sánchez and Spain. Regarding his interactions with the Spanish Prime Minister and others, the Taoiseach mentioned discussions on the EU-Israel Association Agreement. I think we can all agree that the European Union has been disgraceful in facilitating this beneficial deal for Israel at a time when it is engaged in increased illegal settlements, ensuring there is no possibility of a two-state solution. That is before dealing with the genocidal mania over the last number of years. Do we see this as viable? Has there has been enough interaction, enough of a lobby across Europe, to see movement from those that have given far too much support to the Israelis in recent time? I ask the Taoiseach to give an update on that.
I thank all the Deputies for their comments. At the outset, I congratulate Spain on an emphatic win last evening against France, our nearest neighbour in the European Union. I attended the French Embassy last evening and wished them the best. Thankfully there was not a Spanish function afterwards but they did spectacularly well and we eagerly look forward to the final.
Deputy Daly raised the issue of the memorandum of understanding on the electricity interconnector. In my discussions with Prime Minister Sánchez, we discussed this. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, earlier had discussions with his counterpart. The first interconnector between France and Ireland should land next year and that will be a significant factor in helping our energy situation. Ultimately, given the very strong penetration of renewables in Spain, it makes sense that we would have a connection there. It will cost a lot and there is a lot of work to be done in teasing it out.
Part of our European Presidency is to get approval for the European grids package that has been approved by the Commission. Interconnection across the European Union is absolutely key in reducing dependency on fossil fuels and avoiding the kinds of crises that we have repeatedly seen if there is a war in a given part of the world which then leads to massive inflationary pressures as well as security-of-supply issues.
This is something we are taking seriously and we want to progress with Spain. The Deputy is correct that the economic relationship is very strong and Spain is growing economically as well.
In response to Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil, the joint action plan will be comprehensive, covering all aspects of our bilateral relations, including trade, energy, cultural and people-to-people relationships. We have an extraordinary historic relationship with Spain, particularly because back in earlier centuries we were Catholic countries and Spain came to our assistance when our neighbours invaded and put their governments in charge, etc. When I was there last, I was struck by the tip of the iceberg that we can explore in terms of that cultural and historic relationship. There is a lot more we can mine in respect of that, and particularly archives and so on that we could access and enable people in Ireland to access more generally. The action plan will be very comprehensive and similar to ones that we have with other countries.
I think Deputy Hayes was being a bit petty, if that is the word I am looking for, in what he said about Spain. Well, using the word "petty" might be a bit uncharitable today. It is more a Spain is more vociferous than us kind of thing. We have worked very well together on the Middle East. It is a very serious issue. I have worked well with Pedro Sánchez. He is a very constructive leader and he is a strong leader at the European Union table as well. He does not pull back from advancing his views across the board. Spain has military bases that the US has used; not in this war but the one prior to it. We have to bear that in mind. Spain is a member of NATO. We are not members of NATO, and I do not think anyone is asking that we would follow Spain or learn lessons from Spain in that regard. I do not think that is what Deputy Hayes meant.
Certainly not.
Exactly, but we can always learn. I am always open to learning. Every day is a new day.
On the electricity charge, the issue there was the preponderance of renewables in Spain and on the Iberian Peninsula which they did during the Covid crisis because they felt gas was completely distorting their price, given the fact that they were overwhelmingly renewable. They got a carve-out from gas being the determinant price-maker in their situation. They have had challenges with renewables in terms of the grid overall. The Deputy will recall the major outage recently, or some time back, for which there was never a full explanation, but it is important to bear it in mind. We will continue to work with Spain on the Middle East in particular, particularly now in Lebanon when it looks like UNIFIL will expire and that will create serious issues for south Lebanon. We will not be in a position to replenish that unless there are changes to the triple lock. We will not be in a position to send any troops, any CSDP mission from the European Union, for example, which could be used to support the Lebanese armed forces in terms of training and so on, or to keep a monitoring role in south Lebanon. There are discussions under way by other member states in respect of that at the moment.
Regarding Deputy Brendan Smith's question, absolutely there are issues. In our discussions we are the honest broker now, but in all those meetings I have had I would say there is a preponderance of view wanting retention and strengthening of CAP, and also cohesion. A lot of the countries on the eastern flank in particular are strong on cohesion, but they also want defence now in, or protection of the eastern flank because they feel their situation is existential in respect of Russia. In the Baltics, in particular, and Poland and also obviously some of the Nordics, they genuinely believe Russia is coming for them next. The problem will be to try to get agreement on a budget. It is like endeavouring to reconcile the irreconcilable. Even though we are net contributors we are not looking for a cut in the overall budget because we believe Europe has to be ambitious in terms of making sure we can grow our economy, making sure we can avail of the digital transformation of AI and making sure we can do the decarbonisation of European economy and society. That will cost. That will need investment. Some countries want to cut the overall budget. Some want to increase. Some want to reduce the competitiveness funds and try to get more for CAP and cohesion. A lot of people support CAP and cohesion. The challenge at the moment is there is more demand for a limited budget. Our view is that, overall, the European Union budget is about 1% of European GDP. It is not a huge sum in the overall context of output within the European Union. Europe has a lot of ambitions and different member states have a lot of ambitions, but you have to have a budget to realise those ambitions. A lot of people have spoken favourably about the Common Agricultural Policy being a key part of our security architecture in terms of food security for Europe. That came across strongly from quite a number of member states. We have to factor in food security. It was very interesting in the early stages of the Ukraine war, with the whole issue about grain and the Black Sea grain initiative, there was a real fear that would have repercussions across Africa - sub-Saharan Africa in particular - and could cause famine in those locations.
There are five more questions from Deputies.
Food security is very important.
I know that, and I am very hungry.
(Interruptions).
I did not realise there were five more.
In response to Deputy Whitmore, there will be no retreating or withdrawal from climate change during our Presidency. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is very committed to this. He will be taking a leadership role in respect of Europe's presentation at COP. There have been different perspectives across the European Union. People in some member states want to reform and revise the EU ETS, for example. However, the evidence is overwhelming, as the Deputy very articulately narrated, in terms of what is happening in Spain. It is quite shocking in terms of the number of people dying because of excess heat, the forest fires, the hectares of land burned - all of which, by the way, is having a compounding effect on climate. These are not without consequence in terms of climate.
Deputy Malcolm Byrne was at one with Deputy Whitmore. He said we can enjoy the weather here but it is in Ireland now. The levels of heat we are experiencing are unprecedented. We are breaking heat records in Ireland. We had a terrible fire in Crosshaven in my own constituency on Monday evening. We have to be very vigilant. We need to invest more in adaptation because climate change is here. It is happening. It is having real-life impacts as we speak, and we do have to deal with that. Deputy Byrne illustrated this when he related how his sister leaves Seville in the summer to get out of the heat. It is extremely difficult. We are not retreating from it in terms of the European Presidency. It will be top of the agenda.
In response to Deputy Paul Murphy, I am not familiar with the specific case of Fergie Chambers. We do know the Spanish authorities are resilient. I have no doubt the Spanish Government will take a fair and honourable approach to the case the Deputy has raised. I am not familiar with the background to it, if I am honest, so therefore I cannot comment in any great detail on it.
Deputy Heneghan referred to plug-in solar. He is plugged in himself on that issue; there is no doubt about that.
Most of the time.
He has raised it with great consistency. I have raised it with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, who keeps telling me the Department is on the case. There are some issues in respect of making sure of safety and so on in houses. I will check that with Bord Gáis. The Deputy was saying it was misleading. I do not think Bord Gáis would deliberate mislead but I will point out the point he has made to it.
On Deputy Ó Murchú's question on the Middle East, I think I dealt with this earlier. It is difficult to get unanimity. It is difficult to get agreement even in qualified majority voting, QMV, on this, but we are working on the occupied territories. We would like to see, at Foreign Affairs Council level, an agreement, or a majority at least, to vote in favour of banning trade with the occupied territories as a significant signal to Israel. The economic impact of this is not huge but at least it sends a signal in terms of European member states being very annoyed, frustrated and angry at what is going on in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.
Urban Development
Séamus McGrath
Question:15. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Taoiseach when the Cork city task force will be established. [24952/26]
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:16. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach when the Cork city task force will be established. [24953/26]
Paul McAuliffe
Question:17. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [24954/26]
Tom Brabazon
Question:18. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [24955/26]
Mark Ward
Question:19. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [49325/26]
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:20. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [49337/26]
Liam Quaide
Question:21. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach when the Cork city task force will be established. [50817/26]
Peadar Tóibín
Question:22. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cork city task force will be established. [50895/26]
Peadar Tóibín
Question:23. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [50896/26]
Cormac Devlin
Question:24. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [51116/26]
Shane Moynihan
Question:25. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [51126/26]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:26. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [51499/26]
Jen Cummins
Question:27. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [51503/26]
Barry Heneghan
Question:28. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [51513/26]
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:29. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [53273/26]
Sinéad Gibney
Question:30. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Taoiseach for an update on the implementation of the Dublin city task force report. [53689/26]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 30, inclusive, together.
This will be a long answer because there is one task group and one futures group. In May 2024, the Government appointed a task force to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin city centre, north and south, making it a more thriving, attractive, and safe cityscape, and a desirable location to live, work, do business and visit.
Following the task force's report and recommendations, as agreed by Government, the Department of the Taoiseach convened an interdepartmental group to develop the recommendations.
The group produced a report with a ten-year roadmap for delivery and comprehensive implementation plan. Central to this will be: a special purpose vehicle to drive delivery and to support the specific capital developments relevant to the project. Dublin City Council is progressing the establishment of this new legal entity, in line with the timelines laid out in the roadmap; a ten-year integrated area strategy for Dublin city centre to optimise funding and investment and tackle vacancy and dereliction; and accelerated delivery of landmark capital projects in the city centre through additional funding in the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, under the national development plan, NDP, review; and redevelopment of the GPO complex as an ambitious and historic flagship project, which will be managed by the OPW.
The roadmap for delivery of the Dublin city task force also creates an enabling environment designed to build confidence with business, landowners and investors to get involved in achieving a new vision for Dublin city centre and to drive private sector investment.
An oversight board, comprising all of the relevant Departments and agencies, has been established to oversee and provide strategic direction for delivery of the roadmap. It is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. The board has been meeting regularly since its establishment in July.
The Government recently agreed to the assignment of Mr. Robert Watt as CEO-designate of the SPV being established by Dublin City Council to drive implementation of the roadmap. The newly appointed interim advisory board to the SPV met on 15 June. In line with the roadmap, Dublin City Council has recruited staff for an interim programme management unit, which will drive delivery while work is advancing to set up the SPV.
The Government agreed the process to redevelop Dublin's iconic General Post Office complex last month. Its ownership will transfer to the Office of Public Works from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. The OPW will prepare design proposals, which will be subject to Government approval. Before that happens, a wide-ranging public consultation process will begin later this year to seek the views of all stakeholders.
The Department of the Taoiseach will chair a steering group which will guide and oversee the non-statutory public consultation and engagement process.
Concurrently, as part of the consultation and engagement process, a temporary meanwhile use proposal will also be developed. Changes to the living city initiative announced as part of budget 2026 will also support regeneration and efforts to tackle vacancy and dereliction in cities: Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford, and from 8 April 2026, also in the following towns: Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny, and Sligo.
The Taoiseach's time is up.
Can I talk about Cork at all? Give me one minute on Cork.
No, that is the end of Cork.
Give me one minute on Cork.
The Deputies will, I am sure.
A dedicated body, to be known as The Cork City Futures Group, will work to unlock the city’s full economic, cultural and academic potential, alongside further investment, innovation and infrastructure. I think people are familiar with the terms of reference. The group is comprised of members representing academia, business, An Garda Síochána, the arts and culture sector, tourism, transport and the community and voluntary sector. Mr. Brendan Tuohy, who is a former secretary general, has been appointed as the independent chair. They have met at least four times and are due to publish an interim report shortly.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The programme for Government commits to applying the Dublin city task force model to other cities, towns and regions in need of revitalisation, starting with Cork city. At the beginning of April, the Government approved the establishment of the Cork city futures group to guide development of Cork city for the future.
The following terms of reference were approved: review the Cork City Centre Development and Operations Action Plan 2025-2030 and report back to Government on progress, barriers to progress, and to identify what needs to be done at local or national level to ensure action plan delivery; make recommendations to Government on how Cork city can fully realise its potential for sustained foreign direct investment, domestic business development and innovation, and serve as a regional hub aligning educational and intellectual property assets with local and international enterprise; to maximise Cork city’s potential as a university city given the strength of UCC and MTU; assess how the city can bolster the wider economic and social development of the hinterland, the region and nationally; consideration of how Cork city’s arts and culture offering could be strengthened as part of the national offering.
On 23 June, Government approved the preliminary business case, PBC, for the Cork city docklands enabling infrastructure investment programme. The PBC was reviewed by the major projects advisory group and KPMG, as well as the approving authority, which is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as required under the relevant external assurance process. When URDF funding for the project was originally approved in 2021, a construction cost estimate of €595 million was provided. The programme now has a total estimated cost of €1.063 billion. The price increase in the meantime has been generated by a combination of tender price inflation and the development of the design of some individual sub-projects, in particular the eastern gateway bridge project. An increased contingency allowance has also been included in the new estimate and another key driver of the increase.
The costs associated with the progression of the programme will be carefully monitored by the approving authority directly as well as through strengthened governance arrangements, such as the addition of additional key stakeholders to the steering group for the project. There will be regular reports to Government on developments in both Dublin city and Cork city initiatives.
I would say Deputy McGrath will do a fair job on Cork.
I thank the Taoiseach for the update about the Cork city futures group. As he mentioned, transport is a key theme within that reference. As the Taoiseach probably knows, I have been calling for a strategic integrated transportation office to be established in Cork. It is critically important that we have all the State agencies under one roof, such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, the National Transport Authority, NTA, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and the local authorities, driving the key projects for Cork. As the Taoiseach knows, we have multi-billion euro projects in the pipeline, including BusConnects, Luas Cork, the commuter rail projects, as well as road and sustainable travel projects. We need to see delivery at the earliest possible opportunity. To do that, we need local decision-making in a powerful transportation office established in Cork which can engage with the relevant stakeholders at a local level. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, seems positive about this idea. I ask the Taoiseach to try to support it. I am sure he would, given that it is Cork. An additional point relates to Cork Airport. It has issues with its transportation and connectivity. Having a locally based, integrated transportation office would also assist in ensuring that Cork Airport gets the transport services it deserves.
I welcome what the Taoiseach said in respect of the Dublin city task force. Us Dubs agree that the city centre certainly requires a lot of TLC. Speaking with many constituents in Dublin Bay North, they have fond memories of travelling into town to go shopping in the Talbot Street area. However, over recent years, they have begun to feel that the area is becoming unwelcoming due to litter, vagrancy, drug-taking and an overall menacing feel to the area. This has a knock-on effect on local businesses and ratepayers where there is reduced footfall. That also reduces passive surveillance in the area. As a northsider, I am very proud of our city, its culture and its history. However, I cannot but agree with the sentiments expressed by many of my constituents. Areas in the north side of the city have seen increased Garda patrols but we need to see much more. We need to see areas like Talbot Street cleaned of litter, antisocial behaviour to be rooted out, and open drug-taking dealt with.
I thank the Taoiseach for his update on the future of the GPO. As he knows, the GPO is a historic building in the centre of our capital city. It is where our Republic was declared. It was the central location of the Easter Rising. I know the Cabinet committee met to discuss the future plans for this historic building. I welcome that there will be a public consultation on the future use of the GPO but I want to know what the Government will do to make sure that this consultation process is accessible to everybody. Will the Government consider Moore Street and the potential historical quarter that surrounds the GPO and Moore Street as part of that future consultation about the GPO? As the Taoiseach knows, our republican history is important and it simply cannot be paved over.
In 2024, 1,000 incidents of antisocial behaviour were recorded on Dublin Bus. That was nearly double the figure recorded just a few years earlier. Unfortunately, this is not just limited to Dublin. We are also seeing instances of this in my constituency, Wicklow, on Go-Ahead services. I have constituents who are unable to take some routes because of the antisocial behaviour that is happening, particularly on the top level of some of these buses. There is drug-taking, harassment and fighting. We do not want a situation where people are afraid or uncomfortable to take public transport. I know the Taoiseach plans a transport security force. What is the progress update on that? When will it be rolled out? Will it be for areas outside Dublin such as Wicklow?
Lonely Planet said recently that-----
Who?
Lonely Planet. It did a review of Dublin and stated, "Once Dublin’s grand boulevard, O'Connell St has struggled with decline". It stated that vacant buildings, derelict upper floors and long-stalled redevelopments leave this part looking neglected while retail has shifted elsewhere and been replaced by fast food shops that dilute its character. Moore Street, right beside it, was promised to be redeveloped by 2016, and here we are ten years later. It is a site of drinking, drug-taking, urination and defecation. It is part of the national monuments battlefield sites. Is there a move by the Government to buy Moore Street from Hammerson in a similar fashion to how it bought the Carlton site on O'Connell Street? That is my first question.
My second question is about Cork. Cork is now one of the most congested cities in the world. A global study by TomTom indicated that it is the 38th most congested city globally, behind cities such as London, Toronto and Rome. The task force indicated that the Cork Luas system would be built. That Luas system is in planning and that planning is taking a long while. Can the Taoiseach give an update on when exactly the Cork Luas system will be built so that people can actually get around the city of Cork in a timely fashion?
I thank the Taoiseach for his update, especially with regard to the Dublin city task force. This week, the Garda Commissioner has been in front of two Oireachtas committees, speaking about the issue of e-scooters, and has given his thoughts about the enforcement side of things.
I was pleased to hear this morning that the Garda Commissioner is also of the view that e-scooters are propagating drug supply lines in my constituency and are devastating communities across the country. Whatever course of action the Government takes, and I have views on either a total ban or a registration and licensing system, it is clear to me that gardaí will need training in the enforcement and tactical interventions that they will need to undertake to enforce whatever ban or system being put in place, as in taking someone from a scooter or pursuing that scooter.
The Garda Commissioner also asked us to support any sort of legislative requirements required to back An Garda Síochána when it needs to make those tactical interventions. If we are to make reports like the Dublin city task force's successful, encouraging Dublin to be a safer place, dealing with e-scooters being used unsafely and illegally has to be at the heart of that. I ask the Taoiseach to support any legislative requirements to back gardaí in doing their job.
I have often spoken about the need for multi-agency action to be taken in relation to dealing with the issues of security, safety, antisocial behaviour and criminal activity in real terms, whether in Dublin, Dundalk or anywhere else. I agree with what Deputy Moynihan said. We were all taken by Grace Lynch's parents in relation to the issue scramblers. We heard from the Garda Commissioner about the fact An Garda Síochána would need a framework to operate in, even if it had the training, the drones and all the other pieces. A particular issue needs to be dealt with. Grace's mother, Siobhán, spoke about the fact threats had been made to her on TikTok. She spoke about the need for a greater reaction from An Garda Síochána. It is a particular issue that would need to be brought up with the social media companies.
I refer to the hundreds of vacant spaces over shops in Dublin, the capital city in which I grew up. I welcome the above-the-shop grant but could we re-examine it in terms of microcompanies or SMEs availing of that grant? It can be difficult for them to avail of the above-the-shop grant. The jump between what can be given for the first, the second and the third floors is not acceptable. If we are trying to bring people into the city for passive surveillance and into a liveable city, we need to examine making it easier for people to convert vacant above-the-shop spaces, especially if they are going to do three floors at the same time. It makes more sense. The builder is already there. It is something that should be re-examined.
Deputy Séamus McGrath raised the issue of the need for a strategic integration transport office in Cork. There are multi-billion euro projects on the go at the moment. The biggest one is the docklands. On 23 June, the Government approved a preliminary business case for the Cork city docklands enabling an infrastructure investment programme. That was reviewed by the major projects advisory group in KPMG, as well as the approving authority, which is the Department of housing. Construction cost estimates, when URDF funding was originally approved in 2021, was about €595 million. The programme now has a total estimated cost of €1 billion plus. It is a combination of tender price inflation and development of the design of some individual subprojects, that is, when you get down to designing these projects. That is the eastern gateway bridge project, in particular. An increased contingency allowance has also been included.
We need strategic co-ordination. I would be slightly worried if we set up a new office to run it all. I do not think that is what Deputy McGrath is proposing. We could be there for another couple of years. To be fair, there has been a fair degree of co-ordination in Cork city in the docklands. The LDA and Cork City Council are working well together in terms of housing and residential developments in the city and in the docklands, in particular.
I take Deputy McGrath's point about Cork Airport. There is a need to factor Cork Airport more into some of the proposals in terms of access and egress. There are a lot of queues near the Kinsale roundabout. Different voluntary groups had been formed. We have been asking. The NTA, in particular, should have a presence in Cork with TII and others. Working from the same office would make a lot of sense and a lot of complementarity would be developed in terms of the relationship between BusConnects and Cork Luas and so on.
Deputy Tóibín raised issues in terms of Cork. I would point out that the Cork Luas project is not in planning. It has been in public consultation. There are a lot of issues around that. This is communicating with the public. Sports clubs have articulated real concerns about the proposed route. We have to get the route right first and we have to get it agreed. That public consultation has ended but issues have arisen arising from that consultation. It will be some time before it gets into planning but we are committed to it because it is an important project.
In terms of the congestion of the city, big improvements have been made, in particular in the city centre. A lot of traffic bypasses it. Historically, because of the link road system, we were far ahead of other cities. We have to do a northern area distributor road, a northern ring road and so on. If BusConnects and Cork Luas happen, that will be radical and impactful in terms of the congestion question.
Deputy Brabazon raised the Dublin city task force. He articulated what a lot of people are saying to me that some time ago, people looked forward to shop in the city centre. He said there was a menacing feel about the place. I accept we have to deal with antisocial behaviour on the streets. Open drug taking should not be accepted. It should not be something that is normalised. We need to clean up areas within the city centre. Security and a visible police presence is vital to that.
The transformation of O'Connell Street is key to all of this. The purchase of the Hammerson site will unlock a lot, not just for the metro but the wider possibilities in terms of the redevelopment of O'Connell Street, which is a fantastic boulevard. As Deputy Tóibín said, Lonely Planet described it as such. It has never reached its potential as a major street. Because of the task force, we are on the cusp of doing something significant now, particularly in terms of the GPO.
Deputy Mark Ward raised the issue of the GPO. The Government was always going to do a public consultation. I think that public consultation will be accessible to everyone. It is important because the GPO site is a huge site. It is not just the front building and so on. We need to concentrate on that and get it right. We are also working on Moore Street. A lot of work is under way by the OPW, particularly as it is designated under the National Monuments Act.
Will the Government buy Moore Street-----
Deputy Whitmore has now left the Chamber. I understand she probably has another committee to go to. I take her point on antisocial behaviour on buses, particularly Dublin Bus. That is a serious issue. We do not want situations where people are afraid to go on a bus, or are discouraged from doing so, because of antisocial behaviour. I will talk to the Minister for Transport in respect of where we are in terms of security on our buses and the proposals for that.
Deputy Tóibín raised Lonely Planet and O'Connell Street. I think I have dealt with that. I also mentioned the Moore Street situation. We do not talk about any potential purchases and so on in advance, even if we were considering it, because these are commercially sensitive issues. TII took a big decision in terms of land required for the metro but additional land that will facilitate the construction of the metro and that will ultimately be part of a wider refurbishment and rejuvenation of O'Connell Street.
I take Deputy Shane Moynihan's point about e-scooters. The Deputy stated that he has an open mind regarding between regulation and an outright ban. There is a real issue in respect of how the use of these scooters has evolved and how there was no regulatory framework in place when they arrived some years ago. People did not anticipate the uses that they are now being put to by drug gangs and for other criminal activity. The latter is proving very problematic for An Garda Síochána, as the Garda Commissioner has told the Deputy. There will be legislation to support An Garda Síochána. I do not like gardaí being investigated on the basis of their pursuing someone in the line of duty. There can be issues arising from that, but they should not suffer in their civilian lives subsequently. Do not get me wrong, there are issues around pursuit. It is not the only answer, particularly as it creates its own dangers down the line. Pursuit can lead to death and injury, so we have to be careful of the health and safety of gardaí as well as that of the general public when pursuit operations happen. I will convene a meeting with relevant Ministers on this next week in order to focus on the issue the Deputy has raised.
I fully support what Deputy Ó Murchú said about inter-agency action. Such action is absolutely essential. I also met Siobhán and Martin Lynch. I was appalled by what they have had to endure online. They already suffered the most traumatic of shocks in their lives when they lost their daughter, but then to have very callous people post online about them in the way they have done is beyond human comprehension. What is wrong with people? What is wrong with our society that individuals can do that to a family that has suffered and endured so much? This is something we need to reflect on as a society more generally.
Also the social media companies.
The social media companies as well, absolutely.
Deputy Heneghan referred to the living city initiative. This initiative, in the context of the changes that have been made to it, is a game-changer. The old living city initiative seemed to be something that civil servants in a certain Department created to make sure that it would not have any impact. They succeeded, because it did not have an impact. In the most recent budget, we dramatically enhanced what is available to people living in city centres. We have extended the initiative to Drogheda, Athlone and elsewhere. I am told there will be significant progress arising out of what we did in the budget last year. I pushed very hard for it. I do not understand the conservatism that has existed in officialdom for far too long on this matter. We need to provide every incentive we can in order to encourage people to live in our cities and towns.
That was the final Taoiseach’s questions until we come back in September. I thank the Taoiseach for his co-operation with all the Members. I wish him a very successful recess, particularly as he will be very busy with EU Presidency business and his normal business.
Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 2.13 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 3.13 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 2.13 p.m. and resumed at 3.13 p.m.