Paul Lawless TD

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The Government collected €3.3 Billion in VAT on construction material & services in 2025. The galloping cost of construc...
05/06/2026

The Government collected €3.3 Billion in VAT on construction material & services in 2025.

The galloping cost of construction is a barrier to the delivery of homes.

VAT is adding in excess of €50,000 to the cost of an average home.

There are families in Mayo who have planning permission, mortgage approval but yet can not build due to the cost of construction.

I am calling on the government to reduce the VAT rate to zero on building materials and construction services.

We need to make building viable again.

I will be on Newstalk this afternoon at 4pm to discuss.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Thank you to the Irish Independent for covering this important issue.

The EU Migration Pact is due to comes into effect at the end of this month. It was passed by the last Dáil by just 7 vot...
03/06/2026

The EU Migration Pact is due to comes into effect at the end of this month. It was passed by the last Dáil by just 7 votes. Since then, 40 of the TDs who voted for it have either lost their seats or retired.

Under this pact the EU can dictate how many migrants Ireland must take, or how much we must pay if we don't.

When we in Aontú asked Simon Harris how much this could cost Ireland, he admitted he doesn't know.

This is part of a wider pattern. Ireland faces potential fines of €8–26 billion for missing the 2030 emissions targets. The EU Nature Restoration Law imposes further legally binding obligations, with penalties for non-compliance (while the funding mechanism has been gutted and redirected to Dublin MetroLink.

And now the Migration Pact. The EU looks at our GDP and concludes we're wealthy. They won't factor in our housing crisis or the real capacity of our public services.

The newly elected Dáil should be allowed to vote on this before it comes into effect.

Link in comments to article.

31/05/2026

An eventful evening collecting a bee swarm!

This time of year there is a massive amount of swarms happening across the country. Many will go unnoticed, high up in trees and hedgerows.

If you spot a swarm:

They are generally not aggressive as their bellies are full of honey and they have no hive to defend.

That said stay clear and exercise caution.

Contact your local beekeeping club, they may be able to arrange collection.

Great to be at the Ballyhaunis Summer Festival this weekend. So much happening, something for everyone.Today finishes up...
31/05/2026

Great to be at the Ballyhaunis Summer Festival this weekend. So much happening, something for everyone.

Today finishes up with a Kiddies Day and live music on the street this evening.

A massive congratulations to everyone who made this happen. The organising committee, the volunteers, everyone who gave their time behind the scenes.

A very special well done to this year's Chairperson Evan Fitzmaurice. Wonderful to see young people coming forward and giving so much to their community. The festival is in great hands.

Well done too to Kevin McNamara and all involved in yesterday's Motor Meet. One of the things that struck me most this weekend was just how many young people were involved. Marshalling, volunteering, getting stuck in. That's what it's all about.

30/05/2026

The Fuel Income Support Scheme deadline has been extended to midnight on Tuesday the 2nd of June.

Payments are expected to be c. 20 cent per litre of green diesel covering March to July 2026.

Full details - link.in comments.

I will be working this weekend, if you need a hand with the application send me a message.

If you know a farmer or contractor who might have missed this, send it on.

28/05/2026

Irish households are cross-subsidising the electricity costs of data centres.

Ireland has the highest electricity costs in Europe.

Data centres pay 50–80% less per kWh than you do.

They consumed 22% of all electricity in 2024 — more than every urban home combined.

They will add €1.4 billion to your bill over the next decade.

316,000 households are now in arrears.

If government wants to make Ireland the data centre capital of Europe, they ought to have a plan that does not involve ordinary families picking up the tab.

This week I hosted a briefing in the Oireachtas with Dyslexia Ireland on the need to reform Reasonable Accommodations in...
28/05/2026

This week I hosted a briefing in the Oireachtas with Dyslexia Ireland on the need to reform Reasonable Accommodations in Certificate Examinations (RACE) system.

A review is currently underway, and we need to make sure it delivers meaningful change.

Students with Dyslexia often process information differently. The current system has serious barriers including rigid eligibility cut-offs, inadequate extra time, and technology that isn't fit for purpose.

Reform must deliver:

Fairer eligibility criteria

Time accommodations in line with European norms

Access to assistive technology

Earlier decisions so students can plan

Thank you to CEO Rosie Bissett and the Dyslexia Ireland team for their advocacy and for the brilliant work they do to help students and families across the country.

A special mention to Mayo workshop coordinator Marita Murtagh and her team, who have been running weekly workshops in Castlebar for many years – providing invaluable support to children and families right across Mayo

Brilliant news for Ballyhaunis today. €100,000 has be awarded a Teen Zone at the Friary Grounds.Well done to all involve...
25/05/2026

Brilliant news for Ballyhaunis today.

€100,000 has be awarded a Teen Zone at the Friary Grounds.

Well done to all involved including the volunteers, community groups, Peter Gill of Mayo County Council and his team.

It will be a great addition to the town and the entire young people.

Anne Cunnane
Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns
Ballyhaunis Family Resource Centre
Ballyhaunis Abbey
Ballyhaunis Community Council

20/05/2026

Too rich for social housing.
Too poor to survive in the private market.

Ireland has a new face of homelessness:

- Hard-working people
- Tax-paying families
- Self-employed people

The Government's new rental legislation was supposed to help renters.
Instead it triggered the highest eviction rate since the Famine.
I warned this would happen before the vote.

19/05/2026

The Maritime Regulator have issued Uisce Éireann with an official license to survey Clew Bay and the coastline.

This will allow Uisce Éireann's engineering and design team to collect vital coastal and ocean data.

The data is essential to build a planning application.

Up to this point the project was essentially at a standstill. These delays were totally unacceptable.

The ball is now in of the court of Uisce Éireann.

A sincere thank you to the Newport committee and everyone who has engaged with me on this project.

I have written to Uisce Éireann calling for the surveying works to begin without delay.

Address

Westport Rd, Castlebar
Castlebar

Telephone

+35316184104

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