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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“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 Michael Cahill - To discuss a ban on pair trawling. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the construction of a new school building in Ballyfermot. Deputy William Aird - To discuss GP and primary care services in County Laois. Deputy Sinéad Gibney - To discuss the granting of family reunification visas and visas for medical evacuees and their families from Gaza. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing road safety issues on the Celbridge Road in Maynooth. Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss the exclusion of some section 39 organisations from the public sector pay deal.”
“If that is the starting point, then we acknowledge that reform is needed through HIQA and the HSE. It starts with us considering a move back from the 80% private dependence to a much more publicly-funded and publicly-regulated sector.”
“I have spoken to staff in those settings. They have spoken about their hurt as the weeks and months have gone on. For many, it misrepresented the love, care and compassion they have for the work they do. They have also highlighted concerns in relation to the response and we have seen that now in terms of admissions being stopped. It is said there is an element of window dressing in settings now where we are seeing staff numbers being considerably increased in the last weeks and months as a response. Why it took such revelations is beyond me. Why businesses are allowed to operate relatively free of control is a starting point that we should consider. Profit cannot be the guiding principle for care. The Minister of State will agree with me on that. I think we all agree with that.”
“I thank the Members of the Labour Party for bringing forward such an important motion. I thank the Minister of State for his opening statement, which is comprehensive, but it is unfortunate to see the Government amendment and what is contained in it. We have spent a considerable amount of time speaking about this since the TV programmes aired and the experiences highlighted. Profit can never be the guiding principle for care. If we use that as a starting point when we discuss reform, we will all start to see we agree with each other much more than we differ in terms of ideology. Over the past 30 years, we have allowed the sector to move from being a public good to a profit-making endeavour for the majority. How this manifests itself is in the experiences highlighted by the "Prime Time Investigates" programme and many more.”
“Deputies Paul Donnelly, Ruth Coppinger and Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss provision of places in ASD classes in St. Mochta's National School, Clonsilla. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss the crisis of capacity at University Hospital Limerick. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the need for Cork Educate Together secondary school to have a new building progressed. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss planned changes to roads infrastructure in Killarney. The matters raised by Deputies Malcolm Byrne, Danny Healy-Rae, Eoghan Kenny, Pearse Doherty, Pat the Cope Gallagher and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, and Paul Donnelly, Ruth Coppinger and Roderic O'Gorman have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the urgent need for updated wind energy development guidelines. 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. Deputy Donna McGettigan - To discuss issues affecting students, including fees, the accommodation crisis and cost-of-living crisis. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss making Louth County Hospital a location for a surgical hub for the north east. Deputy Eoghan Kenny - To discuss a review of the policy on the provision of incontinence products by the HSE. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the closure of the tenant in situ scheme in Cork city. Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the current and estimated future shortage of GPs.”
“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 Michael Cahill - To discuss a ban on pair trawling. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the need for all special schools to accept children at different levels on the autism spectrum. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the level of preparedness for a major cyberattack on the State. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing road safety issues on the Celbridge Road, Maynooth. Deputies Pearse Doherty, Pat the Cope Gallagher and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn - To discuss Letterkenny University Hospital being overlooked as a location for a surgical hub. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the flood relief programme for Rathcormac, Castlemartyr, Killeagh and Mogeely in County Cork.”
“I hope the new reduction policy that will come before us really acknowledges meaningfully the stigma and the taboo that survives in Irish society when it comes to us speaking openly about our mental health and showing the opposite of toughness and about being willing and ready to embrace the idea of being supported and vulnerable. In the 30 seconds I have left, while we have already acknowledged the fantastic work of the HSE, I want to acknowledge the many services in our society that might not intend to do such good. I think of the likes of the men’s sheds network, youth services and youth clubs which provide recreation and a safe space to talk and listen in a very informal way but which do unquantifiable good for our society when it comes to men’s mental health specifically.”
“I want to reiterate my thanks to the Minister of State for taking this tonight. I really do appreciate it and I ask that she pass on my thanks to the Minister of State for such a considered reply. I do not doubt for a second the sincerity with which the Ministers of State are approaching this at all. I hope she can hear that I am not here to critique Government policy on this issue whatever but rather to take the opportunity to highlight it specifically when it comes to men and young men in Ireland. I completely accept the point with regard to emergency care and it often being an unsuitable place. I just want to make the point that it is if-and-when they present because it is often the case that men do not present for help.”
“If and when people do seek out such potentially life-saving supports, we must ensure they are there and that Government policy and Government funding ensure they are readily available.”
“My considered concern this evening, however, is for the men of Ireland, be they young, middle aged or older, who feel like they cannot say something out loud about their mental health and who feel like they cannot seek support. In their Journal article, Shane O’Donnell, Noel Richardson and Aisling McGrath contend that conformity to masculine norms within university settings has been attributed to men’s reluctance to seek help for mental health problems. These norms could be described as toughness, emotional control and self-reliance so I raise this issue to encourage anyone who might stumble across it, be they young or old. I wish to remind us all, but especially the eight in ten men, how normal it is to be the opposite of tough, to be reliant on others and to be supported.”
“Research by Queen's University from last year showed that 70% of male victims of domestic violence had considered suicide. Ireland ranks in the bottom half of 42 countries in terms of adolescent well-being, while our youth suicide rate is above the international average. Statistics, however, are not what matters in this debate. I am sure the Minister of State will point to the decreasing number of deaths by suicide in Ireland in recent years. I acknowledge the wonderful work being done by the HSE and by youth workers, therapists, school communities, social workers, volunteers, communities and society and I take this opportunity to commend the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on her commitment to mental health, especially when it comes to capital investment.”
“I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to be here this evening. I am really grateful for the opportunity to raise the very important issue of suicide prevention. I am raising it from a place of concern and from a place of care - care for anyone who is grieving the loss of a partner, a family member or a friend and care for everyone who has dedicated their professional life to contributing to better outcomes when it comes to suicide and mental health in Ireland. The most recent statistics available to us are from 2021. In that year, 512 people died by suicide. For every ten people who died by suicide in Ireland that year, eight were men, yet several studies have shown how less likely men are to seek out mental health supports.”
“I take issue with some of the recommendations of this report, such as the policy-based one regarding the efficiency and timeliness of the assessment of need review. There does not seem to be accountability in terms of a timeframe. The same applies with regards to a roadmap for the inclusive education system that should be developed. When, how and by whom should it be developed? This review was very welcome and I commend the Minister of State on doing it, but we need to know what is next. There is an implication that change is coming, but without a roadmap, we do not know what that will look like.”
“In the best way I can, with the minute I have, I would like to represent the voices of teachers, SNAs, parents, and children I have spoken to, whom I am sure the Minister of State has also spoken to. It is characterised by saying that it always feels like a fight. It always feels like a contest. It feels like parents, children, principals, teachers and SNAs are always scrapping, fighting through bureaucracy and fighting for resources, and that is if they are lucky enough to get a school place in the first instance. I raise with the Minister of State the area of St. Mark's in Newbridge, which is going through that redesignation process. I ask the Minister of State to please reconsider this if he can.”
“I will open with the words of Professor Joseph Travers, who wrote about inclusive pedagogy in Ireland in 2023. He says: Given the exponential growth in special classes and the increase in special schools since Ireland’s ratification of the UNCRPD, a contradiction ... is apparent, which calls for a more radical appraisal of the purpose and role of these classes and schools. He continues: ... we need to envisage a future where all children can attend their local mainstream schools. This may entail creative responses to the use of space, time, human resources and technology. While I commend the Minister of State for this work, and thank everyone who has participated in this review, I am not sure we can characterise this appraisal as "radical".”
“They were detained and abused and used as indentured servants and for medical experiments. Children were stolen from their mothers and sold. There is no justification for refusing redress to so many children who suffered because of the actions of the State.”
“The Government's redress scheme for survivors of mother and baby homes is discriminatory and unjust. That is not my assessment; it is the view of the special advocate for survivors, who has examined the scheme. In her report, Patricia Carey says the scheme has caused anger and distress, retraumatised some survivors and created a hierarchy of suffering. This is all down to a deliberate decision of the previous Government, of which the Minister was a part, to exclude tens of thousands of survivors from redress. Among those excluded are children who spent less than 180 days in an institution, those who were boarded out or fostered and people in institutions not included in the legislation, among others. The State and religious orders perpetrated horrific human rights abuses against vulnerable women and children for decades.”
“Deputy David Cullinane - To discuss funding for capital developments at ports and fishery harbours in Waterford. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss the national childcare scheme for children with disabilities. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the implementation of legislative timelines for assessing and reimbursing medicines applied for by pharmaceutical companies. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the urgent need for updated wind energy development guidelines. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the lack of adequate aid to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss safety issues in Dublin 1. The matters raised by Deputies Donna McGettigan, Duncan Smith, Colm Burke and Séamus McGrath have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the level of preparedness for a major cyberattack on the State. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing road safety issues in Kildare North. Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss the need to reduce interest rates to bring them more in line with EU average rates. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss allowing data centres to put in place their own power lines directly. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the limitations of the supplementary welfare allowance. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh - To discuss the defective concrete blocks scheme. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the flood relief programme for Rathcormac, Castlemartyr, Killeagh and Mogeely in County Cork. Deputy Donna McGettigan - To discuss the need for assessment of needs services in the HSE Mid West area.”
“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 the use of Louth County Hospital in Dundalk as a surgical hub for the north east. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the long-awaited ban on pair trawling. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the need for all special schools to accept children at different levels on the autism spectrum. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - To discuss the design of the entrance to the Rush side of the Rush and Lusk train station. Deputy Ciarán Ahern - To discuss teacher allocations and class mergers in St. Kevin's BNS and St. Kevin's GNS in Kilnamanagh, Tallaght, Dublin 24. Deputy Duncan Smith - To discuss the lack of primary school places in Portmarnock.”
“The Taoiseach has said that a key issue for him in the budget will be child poverty. I agree with the focus, but his words ring very hollow because we have heard all this before. The previous Government made reducing child poverty a priority. What has happened since? The number of children living in consistent poverty has nearly doubled to more than 100,000 in 2024. That is not a blip. Nearly 5,000 children are now homeless and living in emergency accommodation. That so many children are being failed and left behind at a time when the State coffers are overflowing is utterly shameful. The Government's policy is not just failing vulnerable children and their families in the present. What is it going to do in its term to set out a roadmap to end child poverty?”
“Where is that money going? Given the backlog in driving tests for young people, would the Minister as part of the next budget consider putting €100 on the Leap card for anyone on a waiting list for a driving test for more than ten or 12 weeks? This would give people an incentive to use whatever public transport is available, be it rail or Local Link.”
“In 2025, that is no longer acceptable. This is a rights-based issue, and I would like to see something coming from Government with regard to it. Kildare North is a very young and vibrant constituency where young people are trying to socialise, work and access Dublin city using a service like the 120 that finishes at 11 p.m. or 11.30 p.m on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This route is also completely fractured. The Minister might look at whether we could extend the service on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to allow young people to socialise in town without having to worry about getting a bus home or without driving people back into their cars. As part of BusConnects, nearly €9 million has been spent on contactless fares. On the basis of replies to parliamentary questions, this project will not come to fruition until 2028.”
“Regardless of whether it is the C3, which terminates in Maynooth via Leixlip, or the C4, which terminates in Celbridge, what we have here are routes that are completely dysfunctional. I implore the Minister and the Minister for State to ask the officials who drew up these routes for the C3 and C4 to use them. They should use these routes and then tell me they are functional, because there is a difference between what were meant to be joined-up routes and services and people left waiting a serious amount of time for buses to arrive. It is just not working. A total of €660 million had been spent up to May on a project that has disconnected communities. We have some serious questions to answer. I would appreciate hearing the Minister's thoughts on people with disabilities having to give 24 hours notice before they use public transport.”
“This is something we need to reflect on. I will highlight some policy pieces that represent core failings of previous Governments. I hope the Minister will take my comments on board and bring them back to his Department. The first concerns BusConnects. In Kildare, BusConnects has emphatically disconnected communities. It has had the completely opposite effect to that intended. I am speaking about communities in Leixlip and Celbridge, which had quite functional Dublin Bus services that brought them to and from shops and work. They are now completely disenfranchised from the communities they need to access. There are no public transport links to hospitals, including children's hospitals.”
“I thank Deputy O'Gorman for bringing forward this motion. It is certainly a motion that my party and I are very much looking forward to supporting. One of the starkest differences between Ireland and other European countries is our poor public transport system. Under successive Governments, one abandoned or delayed public transport plan has followed another. The Minister will agree that transport policy has generationally focused on moving cars in Ireland instead of moving people. My experience as a public representative over the past number of years tells me that what policy should be doing is moving people away from cars towards what should be reliable, efficient and affordable public transport. Certainly, in commuter belts like Kildare, what we are doing is driving people away from public transport and back to their cars.”
“When we as a State allow our responsibility to be taken over by the private market, we run the gauntlet because what happens is that those whom we trust to care for our most vulnerable, who stand to make a significant profit from it, will treat it as a commodity. What do we ask the Government to do? We are not going to overturn an 80% private system overnight. It is of incredible importance that robust policy and legislation be in place so that elderly people are not failed, staff in the sector are adequately trained and resourced, and when these situations arise, the bodies we trust in the State to react have the teeth to do so with meaning. It starts with fixing the broken policy and the broken legislation, so that we hope to improve the culture and no longer fail those vulnerable people in our society.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his opening remarks. What has concerned me and many others since the airing of this damning and tragic show is that when I speak to those who are working in the sector, and when we speak to families, what I consistently hear is that this is the tip of the iceberg. The fear that is out there in the sector, among the staff and families, is about what we do not know. What is left to be found out about this? It is of real concern and the Minister of State knows this; he does not need me to tell him. When we have broken policy, and when we have a broken system, then we cannot but expect to have a broken culture. What the show has done is put a magnifying glass on a severely fractured elder care sector and system.”
“What is going on in the Department of public expenditure? More aptly, should we be calling it the Department of public mis-expenditure at this stage? That is what we all want to know, because the Department is in charge of tens of billions of euro and now we learn that its own HR agency cannot do its sums right. Senior civil servants and Ministers, current and former, were overpaid huge sums of money. We are told that one retired civil servant owes €280,000 because their pension was undertaxed. How can the Department have allowed this to happen? What does it say about the control and oversight systems in place? A total of 13,000 people are now being assessed. Will it end there or is this scandal expected to grow? Was the assessment that was brought before Cabinet yesterday conclusive?”
“However, I want to be associated with a national Parliament that can say it has done everything in its power to do right by the children and people of Gaza and Palestine.”
“The amendment says that the Government has received advice from the Attorney General that such legislation would not be compatible with our EU obligations. In the interests of transparency, I appeal to the Minister to publish this advice to show us what the legal impediment to progressing this is. Like my colleagues, I appeal to the Minister to allow a vote of conscience on this. We all know what would happen tonight. TDs from across the House would support it. Why? It is the right thing to do. It supports the Tánaiste's "anything that can be done" call to action. The Social Democrats' motion calls for action, while the Government simply offers more words. I want to be clear that I am very proud to associated with the words the Minister and his colleagues in Cabinet have said in recent months and the leadership that has been shown.”
“The Government amendment condemns the renewed Israeli offensive. The Social Democrats' motion tells the Central Bank that by acting as the enabling cog in the fundraising machine, it is putting the State at risk of a charge of complicity in genocide. The Government's amendment urges all parties to return to talks. The Social Democrat's motion insists that the Central Bank immediately ends its facilitation of the sale of Israeli bonds. The Government's amendment tells us that it would progress legislation prohibiting goods from settlements, but not services. It is a much-weakened occupied territories Bill that is not what the Government told the electorate it would do. The Social Democrats' motion asks the Government to enact emergency legislation to explicitly force the Central Bank to stop facilitating the sale of these bonds.”
“There's not a child here who doesn't know someone who's been killed, who hasn't seen the most ghastly ghastly wounds." In Gaza, 95% of school buildings have been damaged. Yesterday, the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, said that anything that can be done to make sure the eyes of the world are fixed on Gaza at a time when the international community is failing to do enough for Gaza and for the children of Gaza is a good and appropriate thing. He said anything that can be done. Here you go. However, on the same day that the Tánaiste said this, the Government tabled an amendment to this motion that completely contradicts the "anything that can be done" call to action. The Social Democrats' motion asks the Government to advise the Central Bank that it is acting in violation of the Genocide Convention by facilitating the sale of bonds.”
“As a spokesperson on children for the Social Democrats I will begin by bearing in mind the 50,000 children and young people who have been killed or injured in this genocide since 2023. To quote UNICEF, "The children of Gaza need protection. They need food, water, and medicine. They need a ceasefire. But more than anything, they need immediate, collective action to stop this once and for all." A total of 1.7 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. Rates of malnutrition continue to rise among the children of Gaza. This week on RTÉ James Elder, speaking from Gaza, said, "There's no exaggeration, every single child in this place needs mental health support. It's night after night of bombardment.”
“The matters raised by Deputies Joanna Byrne, Ruairí Ó Murchú, Naoise Ó Cearúil, Gary Gannon and Ruth Coppinger and James Geoghegan have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss the provision of an emergency works grant to Coolmine Community School, Dublin 15. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the lack of podiatry services in Cork. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the extension of Coláiste Bhríde secondary school, Carnew, County Wicklow. Deputies Pat the Cope Gallagher, Pearse Doherty and Pádraig Mac Lochlainn - To discuss the future of Letterkenny University Hospital and the necessity to provide a surgical hub. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the shortage of school places, particularly for children with additional needs. Deputies Gary Gannon and Ruth Coppinger - To discuss the regulation of commercial drone delivery services in residential areas in west Dublin.”
“Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss the lack of provision of isotope-dependent PET-CT scans. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss Local Link bus services in rural County Waterford. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss making Louth County Hospital in Dundalk a surgical hub for the north east. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the need for redress for the former patients of an orthodontist. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the establishment of a new secondary school in Cork for students with complex needs. Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss funding for Cluain Training and Enterprise Centre in Clonmel, County Tipperary. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for disability services in Lusk. Deputy Claire Kerrane - To discuss the response to recent wildfires in Gortaganny, County Roscommon.”
“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 Joanna Byrne - To discuss the inclusion of a school (details supplied) in Drogheda in the pathfinder programme for retrofit upgrades. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss provisions for footpath and road improvement works in Cahersiveen town on the N70 Ring of Kerry route. Deputy James Geoghegan - To discuss expanding the access and inclusion model, AIM, to support children below the current age of eligibility of two years and eight months. Deputy John Brady - To discuss secondary school provision in Greystones and Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing issues relating to water pressure and supply in Kildare North.”
“There are 4,775 children in homelessness. Today the Children’s Rights Alliance published its annual poverty monitor. It tells us that 100,000 children and young people experienced consistent poverty in Ireland in 2024. This report provides more evidence of the catastrophic impact on children of the failed housing policies of successive governments. I sincerely hope this Government will be better than the previous three but from what we have seen so far, we should fear the worst.”
“Where is the evidence to give anyone assurances that this situation is likely to get better? This Government is the latest Government to get housing and homelessness utterly wrong. The 2011 Fine Gael and Labour Party programme for Government committed to ending homelessness. It failed. The 2016 confidence and supply programme for Government committed to ending homelessness. It failed. The language in the 2020 Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil-Green Party programme for Government changed from eradicating to reducing homelessness and it still failed. Now the 2025 programme for Government talks about supporting people in homelessness. We have gone from an ambition of eradication to support. When did we give up on the ambition to end homelessness? When did the Irish State decide to accept any level of homelessness?”
“So far this Government has said that housing will be its number one priority but it appears that its members are not even talking to each other and continue to think up housing policy on the fly. It cannot even get its story straight on today’s announcement about rent pressure zone reform. So far, we have seen thinking-out-loud policy briefing about sheds in gardens; a housing czar that no one wants, including prospective candidates; record homelessness; abandoning the tenant in situ scheme; and commencement and completion figures miles off the Government's own commitments. I do not have time to talk about the calamitous situation facing our utilities like water infrastructure and grid capacity. Who is in charge here? Who is thinking up this policy?”
“Does the Government intend to publish a timeline for the development of the implementation plan for opportunities for youth, which is the youth work strategy?”
“After the Government was formed, the new Department of Education and Youth brought youth over from what was a very busy Department. In the main, this was met with positive feedback from youth workers on the ground. As the Taoiseach knows, youth and youth affairs have transitioned between many Departments over the years. Let us hope that its new home becomes something of a permanent move. The Taoiseach will agree that youth workers are doing incredibly important work in our communities for young people, be that in terms of personal and social development, building relationships or informal education. If the Taoiseach does not have an answer for me today, he might ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to revert to me.”
“Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing issues relating to water pressure and supply in Kildare North. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss the growing demand for a secondary school in Newcastle. Deputy Matt Carthy - To discuss the provision of disability services in County Monaghan. Deputy Ruth Coppinger - To discuss the issues faced by non-EEA health workers in obtaining family reunification visas for close family members. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan - To discuss funding for the N25 Waterford to Glenmore Road scheme and road safety issues. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the closure of SouthDoc Blackpool, Cork. The matters raised by Deputies Ruth Coppinger, Matt Carthy, Catherine Ardagh, Natasha Newsome Drennan and Brian Brennan 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 Ciarán Ahern - To discuss water infrastructure in Knocklyon, south Dublin. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss plans has for surplus lands/buildings at the former St. Finan's campus, Killarney, County Kerry. Deputy John Brady - To discuss the development of the Greystones Media Campus, which is partly funded by the Strategic Investment Fund. Deputy Brian Brennan - To discuss discrepancies in the rate of housing assistance payment limits between local authorities particularly in neighbouring communities. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss resourcing challenges facing the Loreto Centre, Crumlin. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss look-back review of CAMHS in north Kerry.”
“I again thank the Minister of State and the Government for such a comprehensive reply and for the opportunity to speak on this issue. It is greatly appreciated.”
“What we often have from the Government is a commitment to funding, which is to be applauded, but what is lacking is a vision for the future of childcare. If the Minister of State takes one thing away to the Department on my behalf, it is that the children committee, or even a special committee, could be assigned by the Government to support that mapping piece with regard to a vision for the future of childcare and early years education that is cognisant of all of the factors the Minister of State raised in her response being captured. This could come back again, much like Sláintecare has done with regard to healthcare. If something similar could be captured in the life of the Thirty-fourth Dáil, it would be a real opportunity for us as a cross-party initiative.”
“I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive reply, which I appreciate. I am certainly struck by the piece regarding the forward planning model, which is something I and other colleagues on the children committee will be looking for more detail on. It would add breadth and meat to the bones of how the programme for Government is going to achieve its ambitious targets with regard to childcare and early years education. The Minister of State appropriately summed up that the issues are comprehensive. Since becoming the spokesperson for my party on children, I have met many different stakeholders with regard to childcare and early years education. The theme has been consistent throughout those meetings.”
“The previous Government’s hope of wrapping up the development of childcare facilities in strategic housing developments has failed. There are too many examples of proposed childcare facilities lying idle for months, if not years. For as long as the Government relies on the private market alone to meet what is a public good, the childcare and early years education issues that remain will only continue to worsen, specifically in County Kildare. I ask the Government to row in behind the county council, the LCDC and the childcare committee, and to put in a comprehensive public and community-based response to ensure every child and family has affordable access and an efficient service.”