Aisling Dempsey
Meath West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I thank the Minister. I appreciate that answer and his commitment in this area. It is obvious it is something about which he is quite passionate. It would be really beneficial if we could get some kind of timeline on that now. We met with Dog Law Ireland and other advocates. I met a lady from my own constituency that day called Alma.”
“Our Lady's Hospital in Navan is extremely important to the people of Navan and County Meath generally. We are proud of the excellent staff who work there and the management team who run the hospital and work together every day to provide good outcomes for the patients in our county.”
“I thank the Minister for his commitment to getting this through as a priority. I am really delighted. I am sure many people will be delighted to hear that today. The caps he talks about are all very welcome. They are more or less in line with what people like Dog Law Ireland and advocates like my constituent Alma want.”
“In terms of the local authorities, I know there was €2 million in funding last year and perhaps a commitment, although I will not prejudge, in the upcoming budget for more dog wardens. Those teams will never be big enough. They have so much to police and so much to inspect. I would like to ask the Minister about that.”
“We know that recruitment and retention remain major challenges and for too long, early educators and care providers have not been recognised as the professionals they are, yet they care for, educate and nurture our children every day, often spending more waking hours with them than we do ourselves. Tonight is a case in point.”
“Throughout this debate, not one person has argued that we do not need high-quality, accessible and affordable childcare. Everyone, including the Minister of State, agrees that we need it and need it now.”
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“I ask the Minister and the Government for continued investment in Navan hospital. It is already a regional hub for rheumatology. Perhaps the Government might consider endoscopy services for expansion.”
“Our Lady's Hospital in Navan is extremely important to the people of Navan and County Meath generally. We are proud of the excellent staff who work there and the management team who run the hospital and work together every day to provide good outcomes for the patients in our county. The opening of the surgical hub in Swords was welcome news, not just for Dublin but for surrounding counties like Meath. It is a dedicated facility that will deal with high-volume, low-complexity elective procedures and day case surgeries. It has the potential to significantly reduce waiting lists and improve access to same-day planned procedures. This investment in Swords will complement and strengthen the role of Our Lady's Hospital in Navan. It may lead to the expansion of services in our county hospital.”
“I thank the Minister for his commitment to getting this through as a priority. I am really delighted. I am sure many people will be delighted to hear that today. The caps he talks about are all very welcome. They are more or less in line with what people like Dog Law Ireland and advocates like my constituent Alma want. The one concern is around the number of bitches that can be in any one of these breeding establishments. We heard stories about 300 bitches being in one establishment with staff having to wear ear defenders because of the noise. The effect that has on dogs is very worrying to really trustworthy and good dog breeders. That might be considered as well.”
“In terms of the local authorities, I know there was €2 million in funding last year and perhaps a commitment, although I will not prejudge, in the upcoming budget for more dog wardens. Those teams will never be big enough. They have so much to police and so much to inspect. I would like to ask the Minister about that.”
“I thank the Minister. I appreciate that answer and his commitment in this area. It is obvious it is something about which he is quite passionate. It would be really beneficial if we could get some kind of timeline on that now. We met with Dog Law Ireland and other advocates. I met a lady from my own constituency that day called Alma. It is not about people like that. There are excellent dog breeders out there. There really are. Alma spoke about bottle-feeding puppies through the night and nursing the bitches back to health when there were any issues. It is not those people I am talking about here today. It is the dog breeding establishments with which we have serious issues. The updates to that legislation cannot come quick enough for those dogs' physical and mental safety. I am delighted to hear there are annual inspections.”
“The Deputy might let me finish. I actually agree with both policies. I hope to see them progress with relevant Ministers, like the Minister for Social Protection. More places for children aged under one is being addressed under schemes such as building blocks already. I hope we continue to make progress on this over the coming years. Parents should have the freedom to return to work as and when is right for their particular families. Unfortunately, I do not support the motion but despite that, I commend Deputy Kerrane on her work on this and her experience, knowledge and contributions to the children's committee on which we both serve. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister for their work in this area and commend their progress to date.”
“In one part, it is claimed that we need more childcare places for children aged under one and in another, the Minister is being asked to provide parental supports to allow parents to stay at home with babies aged under one. I actually agree with both of these policies.”
“I commend the Minister on the amount of reform that has been undertaken in childcare, but she is still seeking to extend existing schemes like the access and inclusion model to children aged three years and under. This model currently in operation can be a game-changer for our most vulnerable children. The earlier we get to our children with additional needs, the better their outcome. I thank the Minister and Minister of State for their foresight in this regard at the Department. I will continue in my role as spokesperson on children to advocate for as much funding as possible in the upcoming budget to achieve this and all our important goals in childcare. Some parts of the motion before the House tonight appear contradictory.”
“Core funding has been lambasted in the House tonight and generally as well as not providing enough funding and supports to our early childhood care providers but the facts do not bear that out. Now at the end of its fourth year, funding has almost doubled and is now a staggering €480 million. At the end of last year, the Department undertook an analysis of withdrawals from core funding over the three years of its existence. Some 592 services withdrew from core funding but 415 of them returned, which is a 70% return rate. So far, only eight services have left core funding this year, with three of them already returning. That is 93% of all eligible services taking part in core funding. That speaks for itself.”
“In saying that, the level of financial support is a clear demonstration of the Government's commitment not just to affordable childcare, but to building a high-quality sustainable childcare system that works for children, parents and those who dedicate their careers to caring for our youngest citizens. We are on the journey to providing a publicly funded State-led childcare model and we should take over private childcare facilities wholesale. We have very fine, educated, excellent private childcare providers out there who should be encouraged to stay within the industry. Running private and public models together gives parents a choice and gives them freedom and that is what we need within the sector.”
“We know that recruitment and retention remain major challenges and for too long, early educators and care providers have not been recognised as the professionals they are, yet they care for, educate and nurture our children every day, often spending more waking hours with them than we do ourselves. Tonight is a case in point. The Government and our Minister recognise that. Although childcare is delivered primarily by private providers, the Department has provided ring-fenced funding specifically to support improved pay for staff despite the State not being their employer. The motion suggests that the Government should step in and take over the obligations of the private employer but that is unworkable. It is too much interference. Employers need to agree via the JLC the appropriate pay for their own employees.”
“We are reducing the maximum fees that parents and guardians can be charged year by year. In 2025, the maximum weekly fee was €295 and from this September, it will fall to €183. That is real progress, real savings for families and real money back in their pockets. Of course, there is more to do. Our commitment is not fulfilled but we are delivering on that commitment step by step and as Fianna Fáil spokesperson on children, I intend to see that work completed. Government investment in childcare has doubled in recent years and unlike in many other areas of public spending, families and providers can see the positive impacts of that increased investment.”
“Throughout this debate, not one person has argued that we do not need high-quality, accessible and affordable childcare. Everyone, including the Minister of State, agrees that we need it and need it now. The question is not one of need; the question is whether it is possible to deliver nationwide, high-quality, affordable childcare for every family overnight. If we are all honest here, the answer would be "No", unfortunately. That is why in our programme for Government, Fianna Fáil has committed to progressively reducing childcare costs to a maximum €200 per child per month over the lifetime of the Government from 2024 to 2029. That is the commitment and that is the published plan and pathway to €200 per month. However, families are not being asked to wait until 2029 to see any benefit; far from it.”
“I thank the Minister for that update. I really welcome the maximum fee cap the Minister mentioned that is coming in September and will cap those fees at €183.70. That is a real tangible step for families to achieving really affordable childcare. Families that are facing those highest fees will see the money back in their pockets. Where are those services that will benefit the most from that? Are there many of those families in Meath that will see a reduction in their fees? The Minister mentioned the €200-per-month commitment in the programme for Government. Like many people, I knew it would take the lifetime of this Government to achieve that. Is the Minister confident that in the next budget there will be more of a positive and significant change that will make childcare more affordable?”
“We must make sure the letter of the law in terms of this circular is not enforced and that the school summer programme team works closely with schools to get them what they need. These schools and parents know the ratio of teachers and SNAs to children that is needed.”
“I raise the school summer programme, which was formerly called the July provision. I have been contacted by numerous parents, school staff and principals who are really frustrated and very stressed. People at St. Michael's school and Scoil Mhuire in Trim, St. Anne's school in Navan and many more schools across Meath West have told me they have not been allocated enough resources and staff by the Department to run the programme this year. The summer programme has been really responsive to me and I know its staff are working with schools. However, I am really concerned that the wording in the relevant circular will trump common sense. The summer programme is not a summer camp or a luxury. It is a really valuable educational programme and an essential support for parents.”
“The village of Ballivor has been without water for over four days now, but Uisce Éireann does not appear to be accountable to me as a public representative nor to this House despite the billions of euro we are giving it to invest in upgrading our water infrastructure. There have been really poor communications, there is no end in sight and the school has been closed for the past two days. In 2019, when I was first elected a councillor, the Ballivor reservoir project was a priority. By 2021, Uisce Éireann told me it was shovel-ready. In 2024, it told me it would be on site by 2025. Here we are in 2026 without a shovel in the ground. What am I supposed to tell the people of Ballivor and the wider Meath West area, where there are issues in Clonard, Trim, Rathmolyon and many other places with frequent outages?”
“I ask that the Department and the city and county childcare committees engage with providers, both community and private. I know a lot of places have identified to me a need for extensions, but some have not yet done so. It would be helpful if they were made fully aware and there was a good advertising campaign and engagement through the childcare committees to make them aware that this funding is available. I understand it is not matching funding for community facilities. It could be hugely impactful in our communities.”
“I thank the Minister. That is positive information and it is a positive scheme. I have had many inquiries over the last while from childcare providers in my area, both private and community-run, as to when it would be announced. It is important that it is for private and community facilities. We need all of our facilities to avail of it. I know people in Trim who are putting their children's names on waiting lists before they are even signing up for antenatal classes. The demand is that strong and this will make a big difference. Aiming the scheme, as I hope we will, primarily at one- to three-year-olds is also vitally important. They are children for whom we are lacking the most spaces. We need to help parents as much as possible to get back into the workforce if they wish to do so. This is a good scheme for achieving that.”
“Boyne Community School is a DEIS school. It is on a fantastic site and is a lovely, historical building, but it is not fit-for-purpose as it stands. The type of building it is causes complexity in design and cost but we really need to overcome that. It was acknowledged 15 plus years ago that this work was needed. I have concerns around the 24 prefabs. Incredibly, having looked at them and the classrooms in the school, they provide better facilities for the students. It is putting some pupils at a disadvantage. It is almost creating a two-tier education system within the one school community. With the new and improved curriculums which focus on continuous assessment and practical matters, we need to provide these much-needed facilities. We cannot continue to disadvantage the pupils in Boyne Community School.”
“I understand emergency school building works will arise and sometimes projects will have to be leapfrogged, but Boyne Community School should be on a transparent, public list with works completed as quickly as possible, in the order it went on the said list.”
“I thank the Minister for that clarification. I will use Boyne Community School in Trim as an example. It has been on the school project building list for over 15 years for works and an extension. Some 24 prefabs have been added to that site which is a recognition that the Department is aware how important extending and improving the school is. The local demand for this school is huge. It is the only secondary school in Trim that caters for boys. Engagement with the Department was lacking for many years, but a full redesign was completed recently. However, it still remains in stage 2(a) behind Scoil Mhuire and our local Gaelscoil which only got onto the list in recent years.”
“I ask the Minister about the school building project list for schools which are either new builds or seeking extensions, and when they get on to that list how they work through the process and what delays they might face.”
“We cannot stop the care with CAMHS today and start with AMHS tomorrow. It is not feasible for these people. Can we change that recommendation to a requirement?”
“Child and adolescent mental health services, or CAMHS as we know it, supports young people up to 18 years of age with moderate to serious mental health difficulties. At 18, they are expected to move to the adult mental health services, AMHS. While, logically, we know that these young people are adults, many still need our help and particularly the ones who are in the care of CAMHS. They can be so incredibly vulnerable, yet they and their parents appear to be facing a cliff edge in care in some cases. When they push for the transition from CAMHS to AMHS, they are put off, in my constituency anyway. They have been told to wait until the person is 18 and then AMHS will get involved. A mother has been in touch with me about her son who is suicidal. Another mother has been in touch about her daughter's eating disorder.”
“I wish to ask about Boyne Community School in my hometown of Trim, which was granted an extension well over a decade ago now. The Department is well aware of the situation and the need for the school to grow. It is so aware that it has granted 24 prefabs over the years to accommodate the growing school community. A few years ago, a site was purchased for the only girls secondary school in the town and the Gaelscoil to co-locate on a state-of-the-art campus. It somehow has jumped ahead. It is at stage 2B, whereas the Boyne Community School languishes at 2A. My question is really about the policy around the school building list. It is not transparent. If a school goes on that list, why it is not done in the order it goes onto it?”
“They should never again feel guilt for trusting medical advice or putting their children into the hands of medical professionals. We owe it to those affected to ensure, not just in words but in swift action, that these are the last scandals of this kind.”
“Professional standards must be robust and oversight mechanisms must be strengthened so that no single individual can operate without effective scrutiny. Most importantly, we must reform the system in a way that will restore confidence. That means independent clinical audits, real-time monitoring of surgical outcomes, protected whistleblower channels and a culture where patient safety is the overriding priority. The Michael Shine inquiry and scoliosis review need to come to swift conclusions. They need to be robust and transparent and bring some sort of closure to those who are so deeply affected. The people of Meath and Louth, and people from across this country, deserve a health service they can trust without any hesitation. Parents should never again have to question whether a recommended surgery is truly necessary.”
“Imagine that, a parent who acted in good faith and from love is now carrying a burden that should never have been hers to carry. The fault does not lie with her or any of the parents. It lies with failures of oversight, governance and accountability. It lies with systems that did not escalate concerns quickly enough and with a culture that is at times too slow to challenge and certainly too slow to listen. As a Government TD, I believe our responsibilities now are immense. We must ensure full transparency. Families deserve the truth and not partial disclosures or defensive statements but the full facts. We must ensure accountability. Where wrongdoing occurred, it must be acknowledged clearly and addressed appropriately.”
“That trust was not honoured in so many cases. In recent weeks, I spoke again to a mother I know in Meath West whose child underwent scoliosis surgery during the timeframe in question. She was anxious when she first heard about the potential of there having been unnecessary surgeries. That soon turned to fear, upset, anger and disbelief - the full range of emotions. As a parent, I can understand and imagine what it was like for her. At the time, she was told it was necessary. She trusted that advice because she had no reason not to. In light of what has come to pass, she is simply wracked with guilt, not because she did anything wrong, which we know she did not, but because she feels she should have questioned that diagnosis.”
“In both cases there was a complete failure of oversight and governance. In both cases there has been very little accountability or indeed answerability. In both cases those who raised questions were ignored or very least unheeded. That there is so much in common despite such a time lapse between them points to a dysfunctional system that will continue to severely disappoint those who depend on it when they are most vulnerable. We have had too many scandals whereby vulnerable patients, particularly our women and children, were failed by the systems that should have protected them. These must be the last scandals. We cannot stand over a health system that fails to learn lessons even after severe harm is done. Parents consented to invasive spinal surgeries believing they were acting in the best interests of their children.”
“I am a TD for Meath West and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda is one of my local hospitals. Like so many Meath people over the years, I was born there and have had many experiences in it. Michael Shine's unspeakable depravity is not an abstract to me. It is personal, it is local and it is still profoundly shocking. There is nearly half a century between his sick acts and the wholly separate issue of the scoliosis scandal of today. It may seem strange to many people looking in that we are discussing these topics together but it is not because both scandals have so much in common despite the decades between them. Both issues have shaken the public confidence in our health service in a way that is deeply distressing. In both cases families who placed their trust in the system have had that trust betrayed.”
“We must recognise and reward the hard work of the mostly female staff who work in childcare and ensure they know how important they are to our society.”
“I thank the Taoiseach for his considered response. It is welcome. I reiterate that we need to expedite delivery on that commitment. We need to alleviate the pressures on our families as a real matter of urgency. The Taoiseach mentioned the workforce. Women tell me they are forced to family-plan on the basis of our high childcare costs and low availability. That is not good for them or for society as a whole. We want to keep women in our workplaces and we need to make that workforce as accessible for them as possible. We need to ensure that childcare is not a barrier to them returning to the workforce after maternity leave. The Taoiseach also mentioned the increase in the national childcare subsidy. In Meath West, it increased by 15% last year. I again call for more subsidies and lower fee caps.”
“The Minister, Deputy Foley, has improved core funding, reduced fee caps and commenced the State-led provision of childcare schemes. Those are all progressive steps in this sector. The Minister and the Government have made great efforts in a relatively short space of time, but we need more. We need a timeline for when the vast majority of our mothers and families will be paying €200 per month in childcare costs. The question I am constantly being asked, and which I am now asking the Taoiseach, is how and when we will achieve €200 per month childcare costs for families.”
“Families heard it and it resonated with them, and they put us into government to get it done. In our programme for Government, we made an even clearer commitment to progressively reduce childcare costs to €200 per month over the lifetime of this Government. I am single-minded in my determination to get this commitment achieved during this term but I do not believe we should be waiting until year 5 to achieve it. We have already passed one of five budgets and childcare costs were not one of its major focuses. This must change next year and the year after. From the most populated towns in Meath West, Trim and Navan, to Athboy, Enfield and Oldcastle, childcare availability is an issue. We know that low supply and high demand equal high cost. That is what I am seeing across Meath West. I acknowledge some of the positive steps already taken.”
“One mother-to-be said: I want to stay at home with my baby until she is one but I cannot afford to because I cannot find affordable childcare that will make it worth my while to go back to work. It is soul-destroying while still being pregnant to focus so much on finding someone else to mind my child. It is a black cloud that is overshadowing what should be the most exciting time of our lives. These are just two of the constituents who have contacted me regarding the need for accessible and affordable childcare, showing the real impact it is having on their lives. They are just two examples of why we committed to affordable, accessible and quality childcare in our manifesto prior to the general election. The clear commitment that Fianna Fáil in government would deliver on this was a major factor in our election success.”
“I want to share with the Taoiseach some experiences of women in my constituency of Meath West. One granny said to me: My daughter welcomed a baby boy, my first grandchild, into the family in 2023. It was an occasion of great joy for us. When it came time for my daughter to return to work after her maternity leave, that joy turned to stress as she tried to finalise childcare. The end result is that myself and the other granny have been minding our grandchild for well over a year now. This is a last resort as I have a debilitating illness and the other granny has only recently retired after decades of service. We have raised our own families and we did not plan on spending these years minding another’s children.”
“I recognise that progress has been made in the last 12 months in relation to the cost of childcare, with the expansion of the national childcare scheme subsidies, improvements to core funding and a lowering of the maximum cap on fees. This has brought weekly costs for childcare to around €200 for families who are paying the highest rates. Many of my constituents in Meath West have told me that there has been good progress in the downward trajectory of their childcare bills. About 15% more families availed of subsidies in Meath last year, so the changes are working but we still have a significant way to go to turn €200 per week into €200 per month.”
“I thank the Minister of State. As I have said, Louth is at the centre of the Dublin-Belfast corridor. It offers scale, connectivity, a strong industrial base and a pipeline of skills. Dundalk is home to the newest university in the country and it will be a major asset to attract and embed high-value research-driven employment. The IDA sites in Drogheda and Dundalk provide a huge opportunity to grow the economy not only in the north-east but nationally.”
“I have a really important question to ask the Taoiseach on behalf of all the parents, carers and children across Ireland, especially my two children at home in Meath, Liam and Hannah. We have had lots of special and important visitors to Ireland throughout 2025 but our most important one will arrive here on 24 December, Christmas Eve. I would like the Taoiseach's personal assurances that our airspace will be clear for Santa, Rudolph and all of his reindeer to allow them to deliver all the well-deserved presents for the boys and girls in County Meath and across Ireland.”
“Realistically, under the current legislation and timelines, the Navan rail line will be delivered in 2036. Can we do better with than that this legislation? The purpose is to remove obstacles, streamline approvals, cut duplicated processes and ensure that key national projects like the Navan rail line move efficiently to delivery. In my very biased opinion, there is no project more deserving than the Navan rail line. Fast-tracking the rail line will ease the pressure on our roads, support housing and jobs, and give families in Meath the reliable and sustainable transport we have waited decades for. I am asking the Minister to apply the full force of this new acceleration framework to the Navan rail line and finally get this project moving at the pace our community deserves.”
“I welcome the new accelerated infrastructure legislation and ask that the Minister ensure it is applied to one of the most critical transport projects in Meath and wider mid-east region, namely, the Navan rail line. Navan is one of the largest towns in the country and is without a rail connection. Every day, thousands of Meath commuters face long unreliable journeys because their transport network has not kept pace with our population and economic growth. The route selection work is under way and public consultation will follow next year, but without targeted acceleration-----”
“The developer does not wish to honour the said contracts, as he can see he would make so much more today selling the houses. He should not be allowed to do this. He is shattering the dreams and futures of these families.”
“Is the Government concerned about a developer's ability, under current insolvency and receivership law, to convert themselves into a secured creditor during the collapse of their own residential project? This is the shocking scenario that homeowners have faced in my constituency in Ringfort, Rathmolyon, County Meath. The developer now ranks ahead of Revenue and the contracted home buyers, which may leave the State at some loss but, more importantly, these five families at a huge loss. Will the Government review the legal framework that enables this practice to happen? Ringfort is a development of 16 houses that these families and others put deposits on in good faith, paid for extras and signed valid, binding contracts on more than five years ago.”
“I thank the Minister. That is welcome news. Trim Family Resource Centre will not be found wanting in the type of projects it will allocate that money to. It is involved in projects such as zero tolerance, which tackles domestic violence, as well as low-cost rental for partyware, which is a relief to many families in my area. My question remains the same. I know the Minister is committed to the programme. I ask her to keep the pressure on in government and keep the funding for and allocation to family resource centres when she can.”
“Parent and toddler groups, counselling and youth unemployment supports are some of the more obvious services it supplies. Lesser-known activities happen, which could be a service user's only outlet in a week or a real help to working parents during school breaks, such as weekly walk and talks, men's musical meet ups and low-cost summer camps. I ask the Minister to continue to review and increase funding for family resource centres when possible and that their value and addition to our communities is always recognised and rewarded by the Government.”
“I thank the Minister for the update on the commitment of the Government and Minister to family resource centres across the country. I welcome the opening of new centres as I know how much they can do and add to our communities. I know how much family resource centres add because there is an extremely active and hard-working one in my home town of Trim. I cannot impress upon the Minister enough how important it is to provide additional supports, not least financially, to existing facilities like Trim Family Resource Centre. We have spoken about this on a previous occasion and I know it is a priority for the Minister. Trim Family Resource Centre is an integral part of the Trim and south Meath community and provides many invaluable services in the locality.”
“Will the Taoiseach and the committee urgently examine the transition process between child and adult disability services to ensure continuity of care and no loss of essential supports for young people and their families?”
“I want to raise the urgent issue of the transition from child disability services to adult disability services. A constituent has told me that her child was not seen by child disability services until he was almost 18 and that was eight years post her first contact. The family had no clarity on what supports they were entitled to when he was a child, let alone what they were facing into from adult disability services. Another constituent - another mother - has told me some therapies her child receives now are not going to be available in adult disability services. Somehow, her adult child will not have the same needs any more. In this case, respite will also be withdrawn when her child ages out of child disability services. This is leaving families feeling anxious, unsupported and fearful for their family's future.”