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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“We have heard that housing is a priority, disability is a priority, child poverty is a priority and climate is a priority. They are all priorities until they are not. For this Government today, we have seen that, in fact, big business and protecting its profits are the Government's priority. The headlines in the run-up to this budget were consistent: an end to successive giveaway budgets. There is no election looming, after all. Despite the Social Democrats consistently appealing for investment in services that will outlast the impact of any universal payments, the Government has so disappointingly reverted to type because this is a giveaway budget. It has chosen to give to fast-food outlets and property developers and chosen to let the ordinary man, woman and child continue to struggle.”
“There have been many contributions today. I ask the Minister of State to take note of the issue of the public swimming pool for north Kildare, which has been promised by many Governments to the communities in Celbridge, Leixlip, Maynooth and Kilcock, as he is aware. Can we get an update in writing at some point in the next couple of weeks as to where he and the Department see this project as currently standing? We are talking about tens of thousands of people without access to a public swimming pool. If the Government can invest, I guarantee that people will participate.”
“Investment in services like this really pays off. However, I would be lying to the Minister of State if I did not say it is imperfect. What is happening is that there is a hierarchy in communities whereby some clubs have been on the receiving end of grants and others do not seem able to tap into that service. Prosperous United soccer club is one of those that has a burgeoning population of members and needs to upgrade its facilities. It would be remiss of me not to highlight this. I acknowledge that we need to report and go through the processes. However, quite often, applying for grants in itself requires a workload that many volunteer boards just cannot take. It is worth mentioning. I do not have an answer for the Minister of State. I just want to highlight that this can often be a barrier to accessing this fund.”
“I often stand up here to debate the challenges facing Government Ministers. I am on the record in conversation with the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, and I again commend him and previous Governments on their investment in sports facilities. I know of a number of pockets of County Kildare where the population has doubled in 20 years. The county has one of the youngest populations in the country. We have seen investments coming from the Government in a number of sports facilities. I take the opportunity to thank the Minister of State and the Government for that investment. It is paying off tenfold in the participation rates of children and young people in sports that they previously would not have had the opportunity to engage in. Whether it is in GAA clubs or in Prosperous Lawn Tennis Club, for example, it works.”
“We need to know how this Government intends to break the cycle of structural inequality and poverty in Ireland. It is his commitment to abolish the means test for carers. Carers deserve the rightful acknowledgement of the value of their role in our society. In the Minister's words again, the media attention given to the Department of Social Protection needs to reflect its importance in government, and more importantly, the lead role it and the Minister can play should they choose in rebuilding society. We are back to that word "choices". We firmly believe in it and are offering constructive proposals about how we could abolish the means test for carers now. If not now, why? If not now, when?”
“Back in 2011, the Minister said: "[t]he coverage of social welfare is frequently reduced to soundbites and slogans targeted at particular audiences, depending on the speaker's particular political view." He further said: "The Department, as one of the most important Ministries in expenditure terms, should be the lead Department in breaking the cycle of poverty." I have no doubt the Minister meant those words at the time and given the opportunity he would say and mean them again. However, now the big difference is that he has the opportunity. This Government has the opportunity to meaningfully address structural poverty. I appreciate that the Minister mentioned child poverty levels and different stresses on his Department in terms of costs.”
“I thank the Minister for being here and for his contribution. We are starting to see a trend across the House in the words we are using about carer's allowance. It comes down to choices. The Minister has spoken about the idea that he cannot abolish the means test now. I take issue with that. The Government can do it but it chooses not do. As he will agree, family carers make an invaluable contribution to our communities and society, providing full-time care to family members with disability, chronic illness and age-related care needs, often at great personal, financial and emotional cost.”
“Deputy Eoghan Kenny - To discuss the roll-out and funding of DEIS plus. Deputy Paul Murphy - To discuss the case of a school in Rathfarnham and the need to reduce class sizes. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the crisis in youth services in the north inner city. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss vacancy and dereliction in city, town and village centres. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the 23% rise in thefts in Cork city in the second quarter of this year. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the need for an increase in funding for the LauraLynn children's hospital. The matters raised by Deputies Ó Murchú, Carthy, Ó Cearúil, Gould and Gannon have been selected for discussion”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss the failure to provide an SNA for a primary school child. Deputy Matt Carthy - To discuss the impact of delays of SNA allocations on pupils and families in Cavan-Monaghan. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the progression of the Sutton to Sandycove, S2S, cycleway. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss paediatric surgery waiting lists affecting families in Kildare North. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss the north Kerry CAMHS review. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss ongoing human rights abuses against the Uyghurs. Deputy David Cullinane - To discuss the development of a youth mental health centre for the south-east.”
“The school community has done what it can. The State needs to step in radically in order for those 18 children in three special classes to get the service they need in an expanding population in north Kildare. I appreciate the opportunity to raise this matter with the Minister of State. The follow-up will be really appreciated.”
“Will the Minister of State highlight the following complex issue to the Minister? Kildare County Council has come to a dead end. This parcel of land right beside Scoil Mochua is the perfect location. Nobody owns it. It is beside a housing estate that was finished decades ago and it has it in writing that the developer does not see itself as owning that land. The developer has divested itself of ownership of that land, yet the council cannot take it in charge because Tailte Éireann no longer accepts a deed of waiver, which is where an owner divests. Instead, it needs to be 40 years of adverse possession. The school maintains it has had possession of this land for so long but in order to build, it will need agreement from Tailte Éireann. I ask the Minister of State to bring this to the Minister. Kildare County Council has done what it can.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. I appreciate the update with regard to the review by the NCSE and that it is being taken as a priority. We will feed that back to the school immediately. It has potential but the worry is the criteria for the review. We do not know what the criteria are and if the same criteria are maintained from the first review, it would be unreasonable to expect any change. There are 48 children documented for this review in a population of 700 children. We are told these children would not go to school without their SNAs, with whom they have a relationship. They have highly complex medical, emotional and developmental needs. Simply put, three SNAs in that school is not enough. I ask the Minister of State again to appeal to the Minister. I would appreciate it.”
“Tailte Éireann has said it cannot accept a deed of waiver for any land beside the school. The school has been maintaining land for 40 years but it is at a complete juncture. It cannot go any further with it. There are two clear asks on which I will come back to the Minister of State with regard to follow-up from this. The first was just the opportunity to raise the problem: 700 children and three SNAs. I think he will agree with me there is something wrong there. Can he instruct the NCSE to evaluate this school again? The second thing is that we need a meeting between Tailte Éireann, the school community, the Minister or representatives from the Department, and Kildare County Council to move this forward in the long term. We have opportunities for three more special classes.”
“I have three children who have all gone through primary school education. My wife is an SE teacher. I have good insight into what should be provided, and one SNA for 220 children is simply not adequate. I have spoken to the principal today and spoken to many parents on this issue. Frustration does not even begin to describe how they feel. When I get to come back in, I will be able to speak to the Minister of State a little more about expansion at Scoil Mochua. The school has worked with Kildare County Council. Land is available. Short-term, rooms are also available to address this. However, the NCSE has been told that the Minister has met the targets so it will not do any more. We have probably the only school in Ireland that wants to open these classes and it is being told "No". We have planning problems.”
“We have a very vibrant county, a wonderful county to live in and to grow up in, but it does not mean we are immune from any of the consequences of that. That manifests itself in service provision, including GP services and public transport services, but specifically school services and education. Certainly, in communities like Leixlip, Maynooth and Celbridge, where the population has increased greatly, we have not seen the services keep pace with that at all. I will raise the issue of one school in particular with the Minister of State, if I may, and that is Scoil Mochua in Celbridge, a school of nearly 40 years and of 700 children, who have just gone through an evaluation process with the NCSE. The NCSE has told the school that three SNAs for 700 children is adequate. I do not know the Minister of State's situation.”
“Whether I am sitting in the Chair or sitting through Topical Issue sessions right throughout the year, we are seeing that it is very rare that a line Minister is here to answer questions and engage in a constructive debate about issues. Again, I emphasise that that is not directed at the Minister of State personally. I am grateful that he is here to take this. The Minister of State might be aware that north Kildare, and indeed the county of Kildare, has experienced a doubling of the population since 1991. We are now over 220,000 people in the county, from pretty much just over 100,000 in the early 1990s. That is significant growth, and the manifestation of that growth, how it impacts our communities, is very positive in most ways.”
“I mean this with the greatest of respect to the Minister of State, but this is the fourth Topical Issue raised with no relevant line Minister or Minister of State here to debate it and to engage in the conversation on it. I am not directing this at the Minister of State. He is here and I appreciate the opportunity to speak to him about this issue, but I cannot expect he will know anything about this specific issue, given his brief. I ask him to take that back to the Chief Whip. It is disrespectful at best to colleagues right across the House that we are not being given the opportunity to raise these issues directly with line Ministers. At half ten on a Tuesday night, there is no prior commitment clashing with this.”
“Will he acknowledge the root cause of antisocial behaviour and outline the services available if and when children and young people become engaged in criminal activity?”
“This week the Government supported calls for the implementation of curfews on children and young people, for fines for parents and for a mini criminal assets bureau to be established to confiscate PlayStations, Xboxes and mobile phones. It was in a motion in the name of Deputy Gogarty. The Government allowed it through with no amendment. Tonight, RTÉ has a “Prime Time” show about antisocial behaviour which seems to continue to conflate such behaviour with criminal activity. Will the Minister confirm categorically that the Government has no intention of implementing curfews for children and young people or of introducing a mini criminal assets bureau for children and young people?”
“I look forward to supporting the campaign of Deputy Catherine Connolly, who did get the required signatures. I have spoken to many parents in Kildare about a lack of childcare facilities. I have a question. In many new housing developments in Kildare, we are seeing empty-shell units of childcare facilities. It is no problem if the Minister does not have an answer now because I can follow up later. However, what are the Government's intentions in this regard? If and when a private unit is left empty for a significant period, whether that is 12 or 18 months, and it is not going to be a financially feasible private enterprise, how is the Government going to intervene to roll out its programme for Government commitments regarding a public model of childcare?”
“I am not here a long time, but I have learned that we cannot expect the people who caused a generational failure with regards to policy to try to fix it. What does it say about Ireland that children and families must fight, appeal, persevere, go public and fight again simply to navigate a system that seems hell-bent on keeping them out? That tells me that our State has given up on children, young people and their families.”
“For the thousands of children who woke up in emergency accommodation this morning, the Minister’s sentiments and my thoughts mean nothing. For the tens of thousands of children who are languishing on waiting lists for medical care, childcare, disability assessment, child or adolescent mental health services, speech and language therapy or physical or occupational therapy, the Government’s track record and even weaker commitments mean nothing. It now has the audacity to seek to amend a motion that states facts. Last week, it allowed a motion from another Opposition group, calling for curfews on children and young people, for a mini-CAB to confiscate PlayStations and Xboxes and for fines for parents, to go through the House. It did not amend that motion but it is amending this one. That is shameful.”
“What does it say about our State that it cannot ensure every child has an equal, just, flourishing and fun childhood? What does it say about our Government that it refuses to ensure every child has a bed to call their own? What does it say about our Cabinet that it is doubling down on its so-called attention to the issue of child poverty, rather than facing up to the facts before our eyes? Ireland is fast becoming a worse place to grow up for too many children. When I was preparing for this debate, I wondered if any of us would be here if the children who have been plunged into poverty had been the people who voted in last year's general election. I doubt it, because for the nearly 250,000 children who are experiencing poverty right now, my words and the Minister’s words, respectfully, mean nothing.”
“Deputy Eoghan Kenny - To discuss recent fish kill on the Blackwater river in County Cork. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the issues in Mahon, Cork regarding the sewerage system. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss the promised restoration of the 9% VAT rate along with the need for targeted supports for rural pubs and the proposal by the VFI for a 40% reduction of excise duty on draft products for rural pubs. The matters raised by Deputies Frankie Feighan, Pádraig O'Sullivan, Eoghan Kenny and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the expansion of access to Irish-language medium primary and secondary schools. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the closure of the local training initiative in Youghal, County Cork. Deputy Sinéad Gibney - To discuss funding challenges for LauraLynn and the lack of children's palliative care nationally. Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the new guidelines for SNA reviews 2025-26. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss capacity issues at University Hospital Limerick. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the need for outdoor sports facilities in Dublin 1. Deputy Cathy Bennett - To discuss the rising cost of third level education. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss the reopening of Rattoo round tower. Deputies Louis O'Hara and Claire Kerrane - To discuss maternity services at Portiuncula University Hospital.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the delays businesses and potential employees experience while applying for work permits. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore - To discuss issues with public transport in Wicklow. Deputy Frankie Feighan - To discuss wheelchair accessible transport for cancer patients based in the north west. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the national planning framework and the sustainable rural housing guidelines. Deputy John Connolly - To discuss the proposal by Inland Fisheries Ireland to close the Cong Salmon Hatchery at Lough Corrib. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss waiting lists for speech and language therapy in CHO 9.”
“There are some children who have tickets for buses while their siblings do not. There is a real issue with school places. If children cannot get into their closest schools, they might have to travel 10 km, 15 km or 20 km to get a place in another school. However, they are not eligible for school transport. If we can join matters up, the scheme has the potential to work. Right now, however, it is quite dysfunctional.”
“The Government knows that the system is deeply flawed. This is the manifestation of making announcements without the ability to back them up. Other speakers listed town after town. It is safe to assume that every school community in Kildare has been affected by this issue. We have communities right throughout the county that are impacted. I am not going list them off.”
“That is simply because, overnight, an announcement was made that there would be free transport for everybody. That led to children who had been using the system day in and day out for years losing their tickets to those who successfully applied for tickets and who have not used them. I cannot overstate the frustration of people whose children do not get tickets and who, when they go to collect them from school, see ghost buses that are either half or one third empty driving by because other students are not using their bus tickets to the extent that their children would. If there is a possibility of carrying out some form of check of the scheme, I implore the Minister of State to do that. If people are not using their tickets, there are many others who will use them. We must do better. The Minister of State knows that.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. There is probably very little I can say that is going to be news to the Minister of State at this point. Many Members have covered, quite comprehensively, the structural flaws facing the transport scheme as it stands. It is probably difficult to comprehend any sort of acknowledgement that the scheme is getting better when it is a problem that the Minister of State and the Minister have inherited. This is a problem of the previous Government's making. When the Government announced free school transport for all without having the ability to back that up with capacity or the infrastructure to deliver it, what happened was that demand was created. Other Members have spoken about the level of increase in the use of tickets over the past couple of years.”
“They will tell him they are sick and tired of being stereotyped, sick and tired of this rhetoric. They are paid a sub-minimum wage and cannot access mental health services. These are the issues that matter. I cannot believe the Government is not amending the motion. I am shocked.”
“I am beyond disappointed to see the Government and some in opposition supporting the idea of curfews, fines for parents and seizing PlayStations and Xboxes, as if that would achieve something. Frankly, it is utter nonsense. Who is Deputy Gogarty trying to represent when he comes up with this? He does not know what he is talking about. He has, on purpose, chosen to conflate antisocial behaviour and crime. If someone commits a crime, there is a clear statutory process; however, if passed, the Deputy's motion would simply reduce young people's rights and freedoms. I dare him to volunteer in his local youth club or youth service and to spend some time with children and young people rather than talk about them like he knows what he is talking about.”
“I will pick up where Deputy Gannon has left off. For nearly 20 years, I was a professional youth worker and a hoodie was my uniform. I thought today would be a very important day to don that uniform again. In the same way that I have tried to defend and advocate on behalf of young people who are all too often on the receiving end of negative stereotyping and rhetoric, it feels right that I wear this hoodie. If Deputy Gogarty had spent with children and young people throughout this country a fraction of the time I have spent with them in the last 20 years, he would never have considered putting pen to paper to produce the biggest heap of nonsense I have seen.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle. We have record levels of child poverty and child and youth homelessness. We have really worrying waiting lists for children who require life-changing and life-saving medical procedures. We now also have 40,000 children on child waiting lists for crèches and early years education. Despite the Social Democrats offering constructive proposals, we are seeing an ignorance of the facts facing the Government with regard to children. There has now been a U-turn on a second tier of child benefit. Can the Taoiseach explain to us why there is a U-turn when the Government said in June that it was being considered? Why has it been ruled out when we need targeted measures in the budget to bring children out of poverty?”
“The Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland study in 2024 found that young people in this community experience twice the level of suicide ideation, five times the level of suicide attempts and three times the level of severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress of the general population. These levels have increased since the last time this research was done in 2016. We know that online the hate that is fuelling this discrimination continues to grow among that small minority. That is why I use my 30 seconds to say it as many times as I can: youth workers in this country are doing a phenomenal, untold good for our society, for the young people who cannot find that space, whether they are in BeLonG To, Youth Work Ireland, Foróige or any of those small independent organisations. They are a haven.”
“Today, with a small but loud minority trying to roll back on LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion, we're still fighting to make this a reality. Young people and the ... community cannot achieve this on our own. Ms Griffith continued: For the majority in Ireland today, we know that the values of compassion, openness and inclusivity are core. That is who we are as a nation. That is why BeLonG To marched under both the progress Pride flag and our Tricolour, because Ireland remains a loving, caring place and that flag belongs to all of us. However, the current situation for young people is very difficult in Ireland.”
“I thank the Minister and the Ministers of State for the opportunity to speak on this issue this evening. In doing so, as a very proud dad and youth worker, I want to maintain my focus this evening on the young people of Ireland. Professional youth workers in Ireland are doing a phenomenal job in working with young LGBTQI+ people to ensure they have a safe space to learn, share experiences, have fun and develop a critical social analysis. Speaking after this year's Dublin Pride, the CEO of BeLonG To, an organisation doing some of the most important work with young people, educators and policymakers, Moninne Griffith, said: This year marks 10 years since the marriage equality referendum. At that time, Ireland told LGBTQI+ young people it was safe to come out and to be who they are.”
“The House might join me in welcoming our Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition winners in the Public Gallery: Ciara Murphy, Saoirse Murphy and Laoise Murphy and their parents. We wish them well in making their presentation to the health committee at 12.30 p.m.”
“The matters raised by Deputies Erin McGreehan, Brian Brennan, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Catherine Ardagh and Eoin Hayes have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss escalating child homelessness in Cork city. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss the provision of SNAs at Rampark National School, County Louth. Deputy Eamon Scanlon - To discuss issues related to rural planning decisions for residential properties. Deputy Emer Currie - To discuss the inclusion of commercial bus operators in the planned expansion of free travel to children under the age of nine. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the dog breeding national register and compliance with standards. Deputies Barry Heneghan, Naoise Ó Muirí and Cian O'Callaghan - To discuss the lack of community infrastructure in Clongriffin and Belmayne. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the proposed 30% US tariffs on imports from the European Union.”
“Deputy Eoin Hayes - To discuss the growing impacts of housing insecurity, particularly on older people. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the urgent need for updated wind energy development guidelines. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the levels of State support available to amateur drama and musical theatre. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss water and wastewater infrastructure in County Waterford. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss the ongoing crisis of capacity at University Hospital Limerick. Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss reciprocal driver licence arrangements and renewal options for Irish citizens living abroad. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss water infastructure provision in Kildare. Deputy Donna McGettigan - To discuss the need for increased investment in Shannon international airport.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss overly burdensome application forms for medical cards. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the need for all special schools to accept children at different levels on the autism spectrum. Deputy George Lawlor - To discuss facilitating the treatment of individuals at the specialist Bardet-Biedl unit in Birmingham Children's Hospital. Deputy Brian Brennan - To discuss the progress of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (prohibition of importation of goods) Bill 2025. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the anomaly that exists in respect of staff and workers at Valentia Community Hospital in County Kerry.”
“I return to this State's commitment to evacuate seriously ill children from Gaza because we all want to know what is going on. It is nearly a year since the Government promised to evacuate 30 sick children from Gaza and since then, just 12 children have been evacuated. We now hear that petty bureaucratic concerns about visas are delaying the evacuation of other children. The Taoiseach has been clear today that visas are not the problem. What is the problem? What is the delay? Why, if paperwork is not the issue, have the remaining 18 children not been evacuated? Eight children were approved for treatment in the past month but their travel has been blocked or delayed. What is going on? When will these children be evacuated and why is there a delay?”
“This motion offers the Government the opportunity to do more - to listen to the CCPC and the people who are struggling so much. We can do more and empowering the CCPC would be a really welcome first step.”
“Can she tell me the CCPC is wrong when it says we need more substantial penalties for breaching consumer protection law? Concerns have been raised with my office almost weekly since the election in relation to so-called loyalty schemes. These are schemes where it appears prices are lowered for loyalty card members on items such as dishwasher tablets, nappies and other regular household items but when one looks at the price per unit, per litre or per kilo it shows the standard price has been raised and the loyalty scheme price is just par to the usual price. There are no laws in place to restrict different pricing structures for loyalty customers. This is an area that merits significant legislative scrutiny. As my colleagues have said, successive governments have not done enough.”
“The CCPC has been calling for, and needs, legislative changes to give it power to impose larger fines for serious offences, for example, allowing the CCPC to issue fines that are a percentage of the business’s turnover. This would improve compliance with consumer protection laws almost immediately. In 2024, the CCPC took legal proceedings against Tesco for failing to include unit pricing on club card promotional shelf-edge labels. A company which posted sales of €3.4 billion in 2024 in Ireland had to make a donation of €1,000 to a charity as a consequence of breaking consumer law. The Minister of State will have to agree that there is something legislatively wrong when that is the consequence of such a significant breach.”
“I will build on my colleagues' comments by setting out some brief context. My office recently engaged with the Competition and Consumer Protection Authority on price setting and loyalty schemes operated by some of the larger supermarket companies. While I acknowledge the safeguards that the CCPC provides to customers, it has been calling for more substantial penalties for breaches of consumer protection law for some time. Will the Minister of State respond to some of that in her response to us this morning? What feedback is she getting from the CCPC in this regard since one of its roles is to make recommendations to Government? In this jurisdiction, when businesses break competition rules, they can be fined by the CCPC but they do not face the same fines for breaking consumer protection laws as they do in other European countries.”
“The matters raised by Deputies John Connolly, Catherine Connolly, Séamus McGrath, Pa Daly and William Aird have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Alan Kelly - To discuss the regulations in place for the importation of firearms, ammunition and related materials by An Garda Síochána. Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss the role of whistleblowers making protected disclosures on health-related matters. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss funding for playgrounds that have been subject to antisocial behaviour and vandalism. Deputy John Connolly - To discuss the omission of a priority bus lane from development along the Western Distributor Road in Galway. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss outpatient mental health services moving from Cahersiveen to Kilorglin. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss issues around food security and production. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the treatment of thalidomide survivors.”
“Deputy Brian Brennan - To discuss why certain genres or sectors of performing arts are not eligible for Arts Council funding. Deputy Catherine Connolly - To discuss the need for a policy on trawling within Ireland's six-nautical mile limit. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss an update on medevac assistance for ill and injured children from Gaza. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the levels of State support available to amateur drama and musical theatre. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the need for updated wind energy development guidelines. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss social welfare supports for separated parents who co-parent. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss the need for a national nursing home care policy. Deputy David Cullinane - To discuss funding for capital developments at ports and fishery harbours in Waterford.”