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LAWLESS CALLS FOR GREATER REGULATION OF QUARRIES

James Lawless TD spoke in the Dáil this week on a motion about quarries and their environmental impact.

James said, “While the economic activity associated with quarries can be important to counties such as Kildare and West Wicklow, rural areas suffer disproportionately from the environmental impact and deal with HGV traffic on poor rural roads. Broadford, Kerdiffstown, and Eadestown have all had to endure this. The EPA needs to be more proactive in its regulation of quarries if we are to protect our landscape and amenities such as our water supply.”

You can view the video here

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LAWLESS RAISES ONGOING PARKING CRISIS IN SALLINS IN THE DAIL

Yesterday in the Dáil James Lawless asked the Taoiseach to intervene in the ongoing crisis with parking facilities at Sallins Train Station.

James commented, “The carpark expansion has not been delivered and this week’s board meeting of CIE kicked plans to touch again. The Minister for Transport has refused to take any interest in the issue. The Taoiseach has now requested Minister Shane Ross to respond directly to me on the matter. I am also seeking an urgent meeting with the Chief Executive of CIE. This cannot continue.”

You can view the video here

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O’ROURKE RAISES HOSPITAL OVERCROWDING IN THE DAIL

Frank O’Rourke TD spoke in the Dáil earlier this week on the Fianna Fáil motion on hospital overcrowding and how it affects elderly people.

“Our hospitals are at crisis point. Naas Hospital had 851 people, aged 75 or over, waiting on trolleys or chairs in the Emergency Department, since the start of the year. Delayed discharges are another problem. Proper step down facilities and Home Care supports could resolve this and I call on the Minister to provide extra resources, for both the Housing Adaptation Grant and the Home Care Package, to allow elderly people be cared for safely, and to live independently, in their own homes.”

You can see Frank’s speech here

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LAWLESS RAISES SCOIL DARA PLACES SHORTAGES IN DAIL

James Lawless TD raised the chronic shortage of places for children at Scoil Dara in the Dail tonight
James said, “Tonight in the Dail chamber I raised Scoil Dara, Kilcock and the chronic shortage of places for children applying in September 2020. While a school extension is in planning it needs to be massively fast-tracked and additional accommodation – prefabs – need to placed onside ahead of the new school year.”
” Additionally the patronage of the new school at Enfield must be assigned so that a principal can be appointed and that school can then begin to host some of the pupils in that area. The Minister committed to both above actions and I will continue to work with school management, parents groups and the department to keep the pressure on this.”
“This is an issue I have been closely working with Cllr Paul Ward on”
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LAWLESS : GOVT MUST ADDRESS BROADBAND PLAN CONCERNS

James Lawless TD spoke in the Dáil this week during the debate on the National Broadband Plan

“As vice chair of the Committee on Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, our committee conducted a detailed scrutiny of the plan and found the current tender is massively over budget and overly complex. The department of public expenditure has also found that the cost benefit analysis is not positive. The cost of the plan has been escalating while the number of homes requiring intervention reduced constantly due to ever more installations and technology adaptions by the private sector. Imagine are already offering broadband to 80,000 houses and Eir to 300,000 that were due to be subsidized by the exchequer. Rather than ignoring the concerns surrounding the NBP, the Government should address them before committing billions of euro of public money.”

You can watch James speak here