Aidan Farrelly
Kildare North · Social Democrats · Ireland
“I thank the Minister. If she will indulge me, it is very rare I get the opportunity to speak about my life experience prior to being in here but I have been a youth worker for about 16 years or the guts of three Dáil terms. The day before the general election I submitted my PhD thesis, which was on professional youth work.”
“In the past year, the number of children admitted to Temple Street with brain injuries from accidents on e-scooters has increased by 50%. I think we have agreement across the House that this is an ever-worsening public health crisis at this point. It is clear that the ban on under-16s using e-scooters has been a monumental failure.”
“It is acceptable that data will be shared with the task force in September but I ask that it be shared more widely once the terms of reference have been agreed. It would be really useful for the academic sector and for those who are in the market of training and professionally qualifying youth workers in the field.”
“Crucially, gardaí must be given the resources and the appropriate training to be able to pursue and enforce what is current legislation. The fourth piece, the bike-to-work scheme, has been an incredible success.”
“Actually, youth work is an occupation and profession that is one of the best jobs to have but we need to make sure the landscape is there for budding youth workers to go through appropriate professional qualification programmes and that the job will fulfil them not just from a rewarding job perspective but also from a financial perspectiv…”
“When the Minister says that advisory group is going to meet in September, who makes up the membership of that? The information the Minister's Department has collected is golden with regard to the sector. Will the Minister publish the findings of that survey? It would be really useful information.”
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“When it comes to housing, is the Government hearing from the same people we are hearing from, the people who cannot cope anymore with the precarity of their living situation? They are either homeless or facing the threat of homelessness. They may be ten years or more on a social housing list. Children and families are in family hubs, which were meant to be temporary solutions, despite it being years on. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, said this morning it is unacceptable, but these policies are accepting it. Not only are the policies accepting the situation, they are also doubling down on it. It is worsening around us, not improving, so it is very disingenuous for the Government to say it is committed to improvement and seeing effects. It is not committed to these because the policy is not changing.”
“I thank the Minister for his comments. What is happening is deeply frustrating. Government policy should not rely on luck. Indeed, the people of Ireland should not have to rely on luck when it comes to housing, but it is too often the case. I believe the Minister will agree with me because we are now starting to see the unravelling of the housing policies of successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments. What has come to pass is that the relationships between the parties are coming apart. We are seeing discontent, tension and thinking-out-loud policy. We are now asking young people to sleep in sheds and we are talking about the eradication of rent pressure zones and tax cuts for developers. I am starting to wonder whether we are talking to the same people in Ireland.”
“We are talking about a sector of acronyms, including SET, SNA, CDNT, HSE, OT, SLT, CAMHS, NCSE and SENO. This Government needs to get to grips with this emergency now. The children and young people at home who do not have an appropriate school place or who languish on waiting lists for months and months need this Government now. The parents who are so worn out need this Government now. The entire school community needs this Government now. If we commit to nothing else but to meaningfully engage in a listening exercise with everybody involved then this motion will have been very worthwhile.”
“What meaningful steps is this Government going to take to address this? If we are in any way serious about inclusion then it is time for this Government to put its money where its mouth is. If we are in any way serious about inclusion we would actively seek to ensure every child in this State has a school place that is appropriate for their needs. We should emphasise that unless it is chosen home tuition should never be the solution. I received answers to parliamentary questions this week indicating close to 15% of children and young people waiting for CAMHS will wait for over a year. How can this be our reality? The system for assessment and service provision is archaic and frankly an insult to the parents, teachers and aligned professionals who are trying in earnest to interact with it.”
“I have heard the message loud and clear from the entire school community, including principals, teachers and SNAs. They believe it boils down to resourcing. I noted the Minister’s opening comments about education being a career choice that is a really positive one and we are seeing that in the numbers. I echo that assertion completely, but there is a gap in research when it comes to retention, welfare and how teachers are in their jobs, certainly when it comes to special education, and we should not under-emphasise the stress and pressure on the resource as it is. There are simply not enough occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, teachers and special needs assistants. We see this manifest in class sizes that are increasing, waiting lists being too long and cracks in the system becoming too wide.”
“They cannot ignore the reality the system is under so much pressure that everyone involved is at the brink of breaking point all the time. I am not trying to sensationalise anything about this issue but these are not my words. They are those of the children, parents, principals, teachers, SNAs and entire school communities I have spoken to. Parents are tired and scared. They are worn out trying to navigate a system of care and education that seems designed to wear people down. Many are confused as to how they can do everything right only for the system to let them and their children down. There are six students in primary school who are due to finish next year and they already know they will not have a place in secondary school that is appropriate for them, and 2026 is 18 months away.”
“I thank my colleagues in Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. I extend my best wishes to both the Minister and the Minister of State. I wish them the very best over this term. It is clear to see, and clear from what we have heard this evening, that they have inherited something of an emergency when it comes to special education. I am here to advocate on behalf of parents, students, teachers, SNAs and the entire school community. I will tell the Minister why we have an emergency in front of us. It is because the people we are speaking about matter. They cannot afford to wait for the latest long-term visionary plan to be implemented. They cannot afford to live in hope a new classroom or extension is built in five to ten years.”
“I would love to engage further with the officials in the Department and I appreciate the Minister of State for his time and effort.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I appreciate that. Like him, I have spent a lot of time in Maynooth over the years as a student and educator. What emphasises the need for Kilcock and south Kildare is that sometimes it is quicker to get from Dublin city to Maynooth than from Kilcock to Maynooth. That is because the public transport might let you down or is not interlinked. That really emphasises the need for this service to be rolled out. I appreciate it is now included in that strategy, but the concern for many in Kilcock and Sallins is that the timeframe for that strategy is potentially 20 years away. We need it urgently. We need it much sooner than that. If there are ways in which we can incorporate those towns into the existing works, it would be appreciated, and there is an evidence base for that.”
“Has this been estimated yet? I understand that a mid-term review of the national development plan was or is to happen. What is the update on this? Last year, the then Minister of State, Deputy James Lawless, announced that funding had been secured to prepare for the future roll-out of the DART to Sallins, Naas and Kilcock. I welcome this wholeheartedly. What does it mean exactly? Are details available? Will the Minister of State confirm that the contingency of the DART extending was and is not dependent on the depot being in Kilcock? When can people reasonably expect to see DART trains in Kilcock, Sallins and Naas?”
“While it is welcome that this is in the greater Dublin area transport strategy, the timeline for the railway order to the end of this is 20 years. That is a generation of more than 100,000 commuters who do not have that option. While the private car remains the most popular mode of commuting in Kildare, we have seen an increase in the use of public transport between the most recent two census profiles. Much of that is down to the increase in provision of bus services and accessibility to existing rail services. I commend previous Governments on their work and significant investment in that, because it has to be noted that there has been a significant increase in public transport services in Kildare. However, we are told that the DART+ project will require additional funding to that provided for in the current national development plan.”
“For months, concerned residents of Kilcock and many other towns spoke about the vitality that this service would bring. It is seen as an essential part of the development of Kilcock and indeed wider north Kildare. All along, we were facing the prospect of the DART+ having its depot in Kilcock but no service in Kilcock. Now that this is off the cards, where will this depot go? It can go to the other side of Kilcock, to Enfield. There are many opportunities for a park-and-ride service. I acknowledge that the delivery of this extension to Kilcock is dependent on the service and delivery of the DART+ West project in general, but some sort of pre-planning can be done in tandem with the existing process that is under way. We are told that an extension of DART+ is an objective of the National Transport Authority.”
“The DART+ West network applied to An Bord Pleanála for a railway order in July 2022. Since its inception, communities in Kilcock and Sallins have campaigned for the inclusion of their towns in the first phase of this roll-out, because it makes no financial or engineering sense to bring these services as far as Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Celbridge without going that extra little bit to Kilcock and Sallins and Naas. I am sure Deputy Ó Fearghaíl would say to bring it to Newbridge while we are at it.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this matter this evening and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for his attendance. I appreciate it. The DART+ West project was touted as the first of the projects of the broader DART+ programmes that would be delivered. It is a much-needed rail line improvement. It is an important project for north Kildare in that it would provide a sustainable and enhanced rail service for users. The project between Hazelhatch and Heuston is expected to increase hourly traffic from 5,000 to 20,000 commuters alone. Kildare commuters have the second longest commute in the State. It is hoped that the project will improve capacity on the Maynooth and M3 Parkway lines into Dublin's existing and to-be-expanded DART network.”
“It is probably the straightest stretch of road of that length in the country. It is straight for the entire 16 km. It takes one through Clane, Prosperous, Allenwood and Derrinturn. All are towns with a significant pedestrian population as well as schools and playgrounds. The road also forms part of the haul routes for the Bord na Móna recycling facility. The council has progressed detailed designs of junctions such as those at Dag Welds and Firmount Cross. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could speak to Kildare County Council about funding for those.”
“Youth work organisations around Ireland support young people to do their driver theory test, but they would not be resourced nearly enough to facilitate lessons or a more thorough educative process. We are aware of the great work being done in schools, but if we are committed to becoming drivers on Irish roads, is there an argument to suggest we should learn from the perspectives of cyclists and pedestrians to ensure we experience those issues before we are granted licences at all? I raise that as an example of some of the many opportunities we have in relation to policy over the next couple of years. Turning to local issues and given engineering solutions will only get us so far, there is a stretch of road in Kildare from Clane to Carbury that is 16 km in length.”
“I am thankful for the opportunity to speak about such an important issue. We have some opportunities to influence significant change in driver culture on Irish roads. The engineering solutions available to make roads safer will only go so far. While we need to see a significant modal shift away from car dependency to public transport, in lieu of a service that is universally efficient and reliable the reliance on cars will continue to prevail. I believe in formal, informal and non-formal education. When it comes to an issue like driver competency and behaviour we could be doing much more to educate would-be drivers and road users in general in a variety of ways. If we want to be pre-emptive rather than reactive in our policy, we need to ensure people have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the issue.”
“As recently as 29 October 2024, a month before the election, former Green Party Minister, Catherine Martin, was making appointments to the board. Why did she not mention anything about this then? Was it because all of her efforts were focused on burying this scandal until after the election? The new Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, has ordered an external review of governance and culture at the Arts Council, which is a nice way to kick it to touch for a while. What about governance and culture in the Government and the Department? When will we see an external review of them and an end to the appalling litany of wasted public money over which the Government has presided?”
“It is truly mind-boggling that the Arts Council could spend nearly €7 million on an IT system and have nothing to show for it. What is worse is that the previous two Governments allowed the council to get away with it. At the outset in 2018, the full cost of the project was not included in the business case. This was a major breach of the public spending code. As the project spiralled out of control, with the budget ballooning from €2.87 million to nearly €7 million, the Department was kept fully informed but no one shouted, "Stop". A review of this fiasco has found that the Arts Council board did not have sufficient expertise to manage the project. Any gaps in expertise are the fault of the Minister who appoints people to the board.”
“Today we learned about the latest example of public waste - in the Arts Council - where €6.7 million of public funds went towards an IT system that will not be used. We learned about it today, but it appears from reports that the Cabinet and the Minister learned about this as early as the summer of last year. The council's annual report has not published yet. What is being done to ensure accountability and to make sure €7 million in public money is spent? How can that go to waste so easily? Will the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media come before the Dáil to answer questions on this very important issue?”
“Now is the time to consider their role a little further, specifically when it comes to the health and welfare of vulnerable people in our communities. I implore the Government to consider the role of community response fora for events such as this that could be stood up and stood down as required but could really focus on that health and welfare.”
“Communities were empowered to take on leadership roles specifically regarding the identification and care of vulnerable people in our areas. The membership of the community response forum had its tentacles in every town and village in County Kildare. The membership represented the key services in our towns such as health, education, welfare, council executive, Kildare Public Participation Network, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and so many more. The sense of collegiality, purpose and support was beyond impressive. I am certain that what became the Kildare community response forum made a hugely positive impact on people's lives in their darkest days and it proved something to me. Communities have the capacity and the competency to play a crucial role in recovery events such as those after Storm Éowyn.”
“An Australian national expert on leading recovery for communities who have experienced trauma, Anne Leadbeater, has published a peer-reviewed paper highlighting the critical importance of locally-endorsed community leaders in complex post-disaster environments. This paper highlighted six themes when considering community-based recovery, namely, time, leadership, relationships, capacity, local knowledge, and communication. While we cannot blame the Government for this storm, what we can expect is leadership in the recovery. When Covid-19 hit, I was privileged to be a member of Kildare County Council on the community response forum. I did this on behalf of the councillors elected in Kildare. Reflecting on those themes I just mentioned, I saw this all in action at the time. We were efficient in our decision-making.”
“I thank colleagues in Sinn Féin for tabling this motion this evening. First, I wish to pay my respects to the family and friends of Kacper Dudek. I also keep in mind those who have been so significantly impacted by the damage caused by this storm. I also join the sentiments of others in praising the dedication on the ground, those working in our statutory and non-statutory agencies, who have worked so tirelessly for many weeks now. However, this evening I wish to talk about the concept of leadership and, more specifically, the role of community-based leadership in the face of adversities such as storms. While I accept the unprecedented nature of Storm Éowyn, we know there will be many more events that require a level of response that is efficient and all-encompassing.”
“He said he refused and that he would not be silenced. Is it the Government's intention to establish an independent inquiry into the matters pertaining to Baldonnel and members of the Air Corps?”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle. Deny, deny, deny. That is how Micheál Martin described, from the Opposition benches in 2017, the Fine Gael-led Government's approach to significant issues of health concern raised by members of the Air Corps. At the time, as Leader of the Opposition, he castigated the then Minister, Simon Coveney, and Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, for their lack of response. He said: The response of the State has been standard and deeply depressing. It has resorted to the courts ... the Government is fighting them very strongly and acknowledging no negligence. Last night, we heard Gary Coll say on RTÉ that he felt he was robbed and felt coerced into making a settlement without admission of negligence. He said the Air Corps tried to make him sign a non-disclosure agreement and that it was insistent.”
“In September 2024, a national strategy for youth work and related services entitled Opportunities for Youth was launched by then Minister Roderic O'Gorman. The Government's commitments should align with that strategy and the established framework set out. I will take the matter up directly with the Minister but I would really appreciate it if the Minister of State were to pass on the message that the commitment in question needs to be amended.. I implore everybody with an iota of responsibility in their briefs for children or young people to come together now and respect the idea of participation, whether it is in childcare, youth work or education. It must be better and it can be better. It is regrettable we do not see that in this programme for Government.”
“I am a very proud youth worker and have been for 15 years. I have spent my entire professional life dedicated to working in youth services, supporting, encouraging and empowering young people to play active and critical roles in their society. In doing so, I learned that Ireland is not a society built to encourage young people's active participation or to encourage them to use their voice, question, make mistakes, have equal opportunity or to achieve. For as long as we consider young people to be a problem for the future, we ignore the reality. They are of intrinsic importance today. This programme for Government lacks ambition and detail when it comes to young people. I highlight the commitment in the programme for Government to a new youth services action plan. It is wrong and requires amendment.”
“Yesterday, I spoke with a family who have been on waiting lists for seven different childcare facilities since April 2024. They told me there are 400 children on the waiting list for one of the crèches. It impacts on people's quality of life. The issue of workforce development is of critical importance. The Department cannot bury its head in the sand. I wish Deputy Foley and her colleagues the very best in what is to be a challenging brief in reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month in the lifetime of this Government. If we take the idea of cheaper childcare as the sole ambition, however, we will fail to address the issues of accessibility, capacity and long-term career prospects for professionals who play an integral role in our society. When it comes to young people in Irish society, we must do better.”
“I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, the very best in her role. I will focus on two aspects of the programme for Government, namely, children and young people. Government parties and some Independents have celebrated the publication of this document as though it heralds some sort of significant societal shift. However, it is impossible to see this as anything other than more of the same. When it comes to the children and young people of Ireland and in our society, we cannot afford more of the same. The issue of childcare and early years education warrants an emergency policy consideration. In Kildare, we know of families travelling upwards of 60 minutes each way, and that is if they are lucky enough to have a place in childcare.”
“There is a generation of children in Gaza and Palestine who know only displacement, familial separation, terror and loss. Yet, they still dare to dream of a future where they can play with their friends and go to school. When I read reports that the Taoiseach and his Government intend to scrap the occupied territories Bill, I was genuinely speechless. Notwithstanding the potential diplomatic consequences of what might come next, it is time to enact that Bill. It is imperative that we do so. It is all too easy to talk about what we cannot change and cannot do. Enacting the Bill is something tangible we can and should do. When the day comes that this genocide ends, when the children of Gaza and Palestine get to dream again and to be children again, they deserve our solidarity.”
“I thank colleagues in Sinn Féin for tabling the motion this evening. During a recent UN Security Council meeting, a humanitarian affairs co-ordinator stated that a generation of children has been left traumatised. I would like to focus my contribution on the children and young people of Gaza and the West Bank. Some 17,000 children have died since October 2023. The entire population of children in County Offaly is 17,000. At the same Security Council meeting, members received reports that children were beginning to allow themselves to dream again. They dreamt of going back to school, playing with their friends and not hearing constant shelling. These simple dreams are made more impossible since 88% of school buildings have been damaged by Israeli bombing.”