Alan Kelly
Tipperary North · Labour Party · Ireland
“I have never, in my time in here, nearly 20 years, seen legislation so mental as regards the breadth and depth of issues. It is an A to Z of issues. Many of them could have been Bills on their own, while some of them could have been grouped together. The depth and breadth of issues here, however, is phenomenal.”
“I will not be opposing any amendments. Most of them are very technical, and a few of them are on significant issues. As I said previously, I believe in miscellaneous Bills. I brought them in myself. I have no issue with them, but this is one of the most mental Bills I have ever seen.”
“This is kind of like a repeat speech from when we previously discussed this issue. The motion is erroneous and mean spirited. The real question for the country is where these people are going to go. The options are not there.”
“It was thought that this would happen later, but so many people I know will be so thankful for and welcoming of this aspect of the legislation. They will be in with us later tonight. The issue in relation to counselling notes is one we really had to have so much discussion about. It was a very difficult discussion.”
“I acknowledge what the Minister said about my colleague, Senator Laura Harmon. She came to the Minister in relation to the sex-for-rent issue. I have to acknowledge the fact that the Minister has always commended her on this issue. She has always been a strong campaigner on this issue given her history of involvement in student politics.”
“It shows that they have worked. I do not see why, in the spirit of where we are and after everything we have said about the war in Ukraine, we are actually going to go and take this away now.”
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Every one of 548 lines we hold for Alan Kelly, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 11.
“Last April, the town of Nenagh and its surrounds were shocked when the HSE announced that, effectively, it would be taken over as a step-down facility and run by a private company. Nenagh had been screwed when a Fianna Fáil Government closed our emergency department and put our hospital down to a different level. The people felt they were being screwed again with regard to the nursing home and went out on the streets to protest it. As a TD and public representative for 20 years based in Nenagh I know of so many families who cannot find elderly care. They cannot find rehab or respite. Here was a 50-bed state-of-the-art nursing home, the best built in Ireland, and it was being taken over. It was a disgrace. To compound this disgrace it was privatised. Residents in St.”
“A year ago, a commitment was given by the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, when he wrote to me to say that the new nursing home in Nenagh would be opened as a nursing home after completion of the 12-month contract signed with a private operator to take over the nursing home in order for it to be used as a step-down facility for UHL. I fought for this nursing home. The Minister of State knows it is badly needed in the mid-west as he is also from the mid-west. I fought for it for years because HIQA stated the old St. Conlon's home was not fit for purpose and I accepted that. We found a site and, as part of the Government I was in, we got funding of €25 million. It was built, fair play to the HSE and those who fought to get it.”
“I have many more issues like those I have just raised, some very serious, to discuss with the Minister again. I will support him if he looks backwards as well as forwards in respect of the challenging issues we have in policing and in An Garda Síochána. I told him this to his face less than two hours ago, but please, Minister, make your own judgements and put fresh lenses on everything that has happened. Do not depend on just your Department. If you do that, I will support you. If you do that, you will be a successful Minister. If you do not, I guarantee on the floor of this Dáil that you will not.”
“Was the Minister alerted by either the Garda Commissioner or the director general of Forensic Science Ireland that, in April 2019, when Forensic Science Ireland, an agency within the Department of Justice was disposing of items, including a locker, in a basement area within the Garda Headquarters complex, those who were brought in from outside, a private company, realised the locker was heavier than all the other lockers, and when they opened it, out fell 8 kg of cocaine. How in the name of God did that happen? How was this possible and what knowledge did the Department have in this regard? Only for the fact the private company was so honourable, that cocaine could have ended up back on the streets. The company obviously dealt with it appropriately.”
“I understand this has been investigated by An Garda Síochána but why was a section 41 on this not put to the Minister on time? It is concerning section 41s are not being put to the Minister on time. I am really concerned about why it took eight months for the Garda Commissioner to report this to the Minister's Department. Why did it take so long? There is a deep concern about this and what else we do not know regarding how firearms are managed, what happened inside that container and if there were any other instances we do not know about. I have several other issues which I will raise with the Minister at another time, but I wish to raise one more. It relates to the discovery of 8 kg of pure cocaine mistakenly dumped by Forensic Science Ireland.”
“I have exhausted how far I can take this and that is why I have raised it on the floor of the Dáil with him. I also want to raise the issue of the 392 abandoned firearms left, inexplicably, in a container inside Garda Headquarters. This is an image of the inside of the container. I will give this image to the Minister. This is how firearms were stored by An Garda Síochána. A total of 392 firearms were discovered, with documentation located for only 102 firearms and no documentation found for the remaining 290 lethal firearms. Of the 392 firearms, only 154 were recorded on PULSE and 92 had no serial number. The Minister must accord the media reports which point out a Winchester pump-action shotgun was taken in by An Garda Síochána, first in 2009 under PID6311647 and, second, in 2023 under PID22772305.”
“Why did the Garda Commissioner not issue a section 41 to notify the Minister of the issues regarding the holsters following two incidents, especially after notices had been put on Garda internal systems? Why did GSOC stop investigating a protected disclosure made in 2019 by someone working in firearms who had concerns regarding the holster? Is the Minister aware it was because of the non-compliance of the Commissioner following a level 4 request? Why did the Commissioner seek to remove a warning notice regarding the holsters in early 2020 when he could not have known whether they had all been handed in and replaced? These are serious questions. I tabled a pile of parliamentary questions to the Minister across several weeks, as he is aware. I would like him to take this on and investigate it further.”
“The holster was labelled as DOL2A, in case the Minister wants to enquire from the Garda Commissioner why the exhibit was not presented to the appropriate section in An Garda Síochána. Why was Detective Garda Horkan's holster not examined by a professional person qualified in the area under the standards required? Why was the safety notice issued to all chief superintendents in July 2020 and put on the Garda portal system in September 2020 not removed until 2023? Why did the Garda Commissioner not use the GNTB to assess the ballistics and other evidence from the shooting and murder of Detective Garda Horkan? Why was there a second report requested into the original incident outside the Israeli Embassy, which, amazingly, contradicted the first report saying the holster was defective?”
“Given what was known about the leather pistol holster removed from the scene of the accidental discharge on 11 June, a week earlier, the question must be asked whether the defective holster should have been investigated for that incident as well. The Minister might ask whether the forensic examination undertaken by the GNTB, as the expert forensic service to An Garda Síochána, showed Detective Garda Horkan's holster was also defective. For reasons unknown to me and the members of the GNTB, however, and this is the critical point, Detective Garda Horkan's holster was never presented to the GNTB for ballistic examination, despite the holster being gathered by GNTB crime investigators, bagged and tagged as a ballistic exhibit.”
“This left the gun open to removal by individuals other than the Garda member carrying the firearm. This critical health and safety risk later became the subject of a warning notice from the acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, given the very real concerns for the safety of Garda members. Unfortunately, approximately one week later, on the night of 17 June 2020, the late Detective Garda Colm Horkan was murdered with his own official Garda firearm following an engagement with a now convicted murderer, Stephen Silver. There is no doubt Stephen Silver was the person who ultimately murdered Detective Garda Horkan. I am now aware, however, that the late detective was wearing one of the defective leather pistol holsters procured from the same equine saddlery in Kildare.”
“I wish for the House to be aware that following an accidental discharge of an officially issued Garda firearm on 11 June outside the Israeli Embassy, which resulted in life-changing injuries to the member carrying the weapon, it was discovered by forensic experts attached to the Garda National Technical Bureau that the leather pistol holster issued to the member was so dangerously defective, the holster could actually engage the trigger and fire the weapon of its own accord. It was further identified by the ballistic experts, who operate under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, which is the legal requirement for all forensic laboratories, that the holster was so poorly designed, the firearm could be removed from the holster with so-called retention strap fully fastened.”
“I asked for clarification from the Minister's Department and, amazingly, we suddenly found out concerns were raised in 2022. I then said that this was wrong, that it turns out concerns were raised in 2020. That is three responses to one letter. With these results, I am concerned about the Minister's departmental functioning. If they were all removed and shredded, as the Minister said in his response to my question, why can I get my hands on as many of them as I want, including the one I am holding in my hand now? These are the defective holsters.”
“In the time I have remaining, I want to raise some important issues and I hope the Minister takes them in a genuine way because they are issues I feel strongly about. As the Minister will be aware, over the past number of weeks I have asked a number of significant parliamentary questions of the Minister's Department regarding dangerously defective leather pistol holsters that were procured in a saddlery in Kildare. They were an issue until 23 March 2023, at which time, I understand, the Garda Commissioner advised the Minister's office that the holsters had been removed and shredded beyond use. I take it the Minister is familiar with these questions. In parliamentary question reference No. 3825/25, I asked whether concerns were raised. The Minister did not respond that any concerns had been raised.”
“Those who have made protected disclosures or speak up often suffer as a result. One of the Minister's predecessors said in the House that what happened to Maurice McCabe can never happen again, and I hope the Minister will bring fresh eyes to the protected disclosures that have been made and their outcomes. I am thinking of John Barrett, the former head of HR, and how he was treated. I am thinking of Lois West, the former senior analyst who did statistics. I am thinking of those people as I stand here because they were treated very badly. I believe GSOC is not fit for purpose. I have to ask a question on the floor of the Dáil. Who is watching the watchers? It is a real issue.”
“The Minister said he will not attend the GRA conference. I believe that is a huge mistake. He should set a new line and attend it. The previous Minister did not attend because the Commissioner was not invited. If the Minister does not attend, I will. Somebody from the House should attend the conference. The Oireachtas should be represented there. Gardaí do not feel that the Commissioner has or that the last Government had their back because they did not feel the last Government or Minister did. I am giving this Government a chance; it is to be hoped it will have their backs. Many questionable decisions have been made regarding how members of the force have been treated over the past number of years. I have spoken in the House about Limerick and issues in Dublin.”
“The age, educational requirements and fitness requirements have been dropped. The Minister will disagree, but despite dropping all of that people do not have to be fully vetted. I believe we are in serious trouble. I will write to every other State agency and Department in the country to see if the precedent set by An Garda Síochána can be used across every other agency as regards vetting. For me, this is non-negotiable. The public does not get this. People should be fully vetted before they enter Templemore. Gardaí lack basic equipment. Sick leave is not being covered. Drugs and community Garda units are being filled, but there is no backfilling. Current Garda divisions, including Tipperary and east Clare, in my constituency, are not working. The 999 call system to Cork is nuts. It is a joke. Simply put, morale is on the floor.”
“We have a lot to get through. The CSO statistics were worrying when it came to the increase in burglaries and many other crimes. Notwithstanding this, I believe the Irish public respect An Garda Síochána and have huge support for it. However, it is a force that is in crisis. I represent Templemore. There are huge issues across the board, primarily recruitment and retention, an area which is in total crisis. Unless there are radical changes, which, in fairness to the Minister, I have spoken to him about very briefly, I do not believe there is a hope of reaching the targets he has set. Trainees are not paid enough. Wages and pensions will not entice people to join. A salary of €40,000 might seem like a lot of money, but coming to live in Dublin from down the country for that salary is not enticing in modern times.”
“How can the Taoiseach's stand over people being taken into the Garda College in Templemore without being vetted? People who were not vetted went into the Garda College towards the end of last year. They are being trained and this is costing a significant amount of money. They have access to all facilities, to guns, to the armoury and to a lot of information, but they were not vetted. This was done in order to massage the figures relating to the intake of gardaí last year. It was done at the very end of the year. Prior to this, all people going into Templemore had to be vetted. We have a ludicrous situation where those who passed everything to go into the college in 2023 are still awaiting vetting and have decided not to join An Garda Síochána because it has taken so long-----”
“As the Labour Party outlined in its recent manifesto, and as was recommended in the report by the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality, there is a need for a commissioner to act as an independent advocate and voice for victims and survivors in the criminal justice system. Victims must be properly informed on how to make complaints about sentencing and we must ensure that supports are available to them in what is an alien environment for most of them. A key point is that cases must be heard quickly. The longer a victim must wait for justice, the more likely it is that a case will retraumatise them. We strongly support the need to implement Valerie's law and Jennie's law. I am aware the Minister for Justice has an ambitious agenda and I hope he will take both of those laws on board and prioritise them.”
“An anticipatory approach could create a vicious circle if low conviction rates produce a feedback effect that influences later police investigations and assessments of the evidence, including the believability of the complainant, and rules out even more prosecutions. As the motion outlines, ongoing public education – particularly about consent – remains key. What every complainant is entitled to from the legal system is that its procedures will maximise the quality of their evidence in terms of its completeness, coherence and accuracy and will enable all witnesses to give their best evidence to a fair and unbiased tribunal. That is the minimum complainants deserve.”
“it is important to know if there is independent evidence which supports the complaint. This could be evidence from another witness, or forensic evidence such as fingerprints or DNA evidence from body tissue. This makes the case stronger than one based on one person's word against another. It is questionable whether this guidance itself is influenced by societal views and myths and merits review. We need accurate information about the influence of myths in judging complainants in sexual offences cases, whether on the grounds that credibility and reliability are doubted by the prosecutor or whether the prosecutor is anticipating the ways that juries and judges will respond to these factors.”
“We cannot point to similar evidence here because we have not commissioned the necessary research. The Minister should resource Cuan to carry out that work. I now move to prosecution decisions. The DPP's guidelines for prosecutors state that a prosecution should not be instituted unless there is admissible, relevant, credible and reliable evidence. The guidelines also state that it is not the practice to operate a rule under which conviction would have to be regarded as more probable than acquittal but "Where the likelihood of conviction is low, other factors, including the seriousness of the offence, may come into play in deciding whether to prosecute". There is then listed a string of considerations which, taken together, may well provide reasons that prosecutions are relatively rare. Paragraph 4.13 states: ...”
“DSGBV is much more than just an issue for law reform, although that may well be needed. Above all, we need more research, evidence and awareness. The motion reflects this when it highlights, for example, the prevalence of rape myths and their impact on the criminal justice system. Myths about rape, and about the criminal justice system's attitude to rape, may well have an impact on a victim's decision whether to report, the attitudes of gardaí who receive a report and the decision whether to prosecute. The English Law Commission published a consultation paper in 2023 on evidence in sexual offence prosecutions. Rape myths and how to tackle them was high on its agenda. The commission was able to point to local and international research on the issue.”
“In addition, we called for increased resources in budget 2025 for Cuan and a commitment to multi-annual funding for rape crisis centres and other domestic, sexual and gender-based violence service providers. Unfortunately, in the six months since then, little has changed and more shocking cases have emerged. Tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms is a core, whole-of-government responsibility. It needs input and co-operation across Departments in areas such as health and education, as well as justice. It requires a co-ordinated and sustained response from a host of State agencies and Departments. We cannot confine ourselves to believing that by rolling out yet another criminal justice measure in this House, the problem can be solved: it cannot.”
“In addition, we sought reforms to the courts system to better protect and support victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, including the provision of effective training for legal professionals and the Judiciary. We called for consistency in sentencing and the provision of access to rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. We sought the introduction of a commissioner to act as an independent advocate and voice for victims and survivors. We looked for a review of Irish Defence Forces regulations in order to deal more proactively with members either accused of, or convicted of, violent crimes. Another ask was for increased funding from the Government for the provision of additional refuge places, in line with the Istanbul Convention.”
“I thank the Independent and Parties Technical Group for tabling this very important motion on gender-based violence. I also welcome the guests who are in the Gallery. This is an important debate that raises a number of issues that need urgent and ongoing examination. Last July, my party tabled a similar motion addressing many of the same calls following the courage of Natasha O'Brien. In that motion we specifically called for a review of the practice of suspending sentences, and the criteria used for applying suspended sentences to those convicted of violent crimes. We also called for increased urgency in the development of sentencing guidelines by the Judicial Council, clear guidelines on the use of character references and a comprehensive database of judicial sentences.”
“Obviously, there is an issue because when this person was off work, the pass rates amazingly came up to the national average.”
“An 18-year-old woman who paid €85 ended up crying because she could not even get the test carried out because the tester to whom I refer, who often does not allow people to do the test on the basis of the state of the vehicle, said the brake light was a slightly faded because of wattage when the indicator was on. This person worked nine and a half hours to earn the money to be able to have a test for which she paid €85 carried out but it did not proceed. People from Nenagh and surrounding areas continually contact my office asking why one tester fails way more vehicles than anyone else. Will the Minister of State ask the RSA to provide pass-fail rates by test centre and anonymised pass fail-rates by tester in order that it can identify anomalies and look into them?”
“I offer the Minister of State my best wishes. I specifically ask him to do one thing. Will he ask the RSA if it assesses the pass-fail rates in test centres and of testers? I am talking about an issue that is raised in my office all the time, including last week and the week before - 30 or 40 times - whereby one tester has a massive fail rate. How is that possible? I have tried to raise the matter but have got nowhere. I have heard of numerous people whose cars failed the test three times. When they drove up the road to Birr, their vehicles passed the test.”
“The critical issue concerns consistency of approach and planning. Planning should be done years in advance because we have the data. I work very closely with the A-Team in Nenagh, an incredible organisation that does so much work. Its frustration level when it comes to this issue is palpable. I am totally with it on that.”
“Since the data exist, why can we not do what is required? That we cannot is beyond me. There is no consistent approach when it comes to the NCSE and SENOs. I deal with a number of those concerned myself. The inconsistent approach is a genuine issue. Some good news was announced recently with regard to two ASD classes in my old school, St. Joseph's CBS, Nenagh, and also with regard to a special school. The principal of Corville National School, Roscrea, was on to me last week. That school, which has two ASD units, was one of the first. It wants a third unit but is being told there is no funding. There is a waiting list for children whose parents wish to place them in the school. Many of the children have siblings in it. For me, what is happening does not make sense because the school should be facilitated after having done all the work.”
“I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, who I know has a very special interest in this area, well. I also wish the Minister, Deputy McEntee, well. In the very short amount of time available to me, I want to make just a few points. When I started off in politics, approximately 20 years ago, the number of people who came to me about this issue was minuscule. Now in my clinics, I must deal with eight stages when it comes to interventions for children with autism. Primary education is around stage 4. The volume of people coming to me, not just in advance when looking for a school place but also all year round, is noteworthy. There is a complete disconnect between the NCSE, the Department of Education and SENOs. Parents should not be ringing schools. There needs to be an holistic approach, planned well in advance, for all the children.”
“I would guess that there will be some changes in it but maybe, as part of the negotiations, there could be a phasing in of it as well. That is something we could propose that would help along the way, given the way the EU supported us through Brexit and the way Britain is so important to us from a travel point of view in terms of shared experiences. We should do whatever we can to support this and ensure it is delivered as quickly as possible.”
“We all know that the bottom line here is that from a UK perspective this is how a Labour Government over there is going to get this through without opening up a can of worms regarding Brexit and the movement of people and the common travel area. It is as simple as that. Hopefully, with our support and acting as we do at a European level in a very progressive way, we will be able to get to a point where the UK will work with us on this. Whether it will set out to be an agreement with a proposed three or four year limit or whether it has conditions on the type of travel that will be associated under this scheme; whether it will be used for longer periods for study and lesser periods for work; or whether it will have some other limitations, remains to be seen. I would guess that is probably going to happen.”
“We also need to be there at the outset of this to show how enthusiastic we are. The fact that there is not this capacity for young people from the UK to share experiences outside of this jurisdiction when they could formerly go to the rest of Europe, is a bad thing. It also works vice versa . More travel and experience, educationally and every other way is very beneficial to everybody involved and it does cross over to us, as a result. When it comes to the latter components of this and we are only signing up to this to start a process, rather than conclude one, it will all have to come back and we will all have to discuss whatever comes up again. There is sensitivity around it. I noticed that the name has been changed. My research shows it used to be called the youth mobility scheme. It is now called the youth experience scheme.”
“This proposal, which we must sign off on before 11 March, is a good one. I think it will be supported by the whole House. The UK has a number of proposals like this with other countries, including Canada. This is very much a toe-in-the-water proposal however. It is really about politics in the UK rather than whether this is a good idea. This is a good idea but immigration numbers in the UK are still on the way up so how this is plays out in the UK will determine the prospects of this scheme, rather than whether the EU will agree to it. The EU will agree to it. Of course it will but it is very important that we are there at the outset. This is because of the fact that as a country, with our common travel area we are seen to be very progressive. We need to protect that.”
“I have already done so informally. He is very capable and very knowledgeable on his subject matter. I look forward to working with him, as does the Labour Party, across a wide range of issues. This is probably the least contentious issue related to the Department that we will discuss in the Chamber. I hope that, starting afresh, the Department will be far more transparent and open and that the Minister will take proposals, ideas and information from myself and other Opposition speakers seriously and in a way that is seen to be for the good of us all. There needs to be a significant change in the way Opposition and the Government works when it comes to justice matters, An Garda Síochána, our Courts Service and immigration. The Minister has the capacity to change that now and I hope he does so.”
“In reply to a recent parliamentary question, the Minister for Health told me, regarding the HIQA review of the creation of a model 3 hospital in the mid-west, that the decision would be made this May. I cannot comprehend why we need HIQA to do this review. It is as clear as the nose on my face we need another model 3 hospital with an accident and emergency department in the mid-west. There is a review of the NDP. Will we have to wait for that review? The reply said a decision will be made in May. Will that be honoured? Both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste said prior to the election it would be honoured. Will the new 96-bed block in UHL be opened in July as promised? As a knock-on consequence, will the Nenagh community nursing home be transferred back to the people when the block is opened in July?”
“These are only the issues I wanted to raise. There are many more. One other issue is rural transport. People often give out about the Green Party. I did when it was in the last Government, but it did not get everything wrong. Progress was made on rural transport. It is important to acknowledge that and to accept, in fairness to the Green Party, it did that. However, we have a real emergency and more of it is required in the area of taxis and rural hackneys. A completely new rural hackney licence is needed for rural Ireland because it is impossible to get taxis across the country, as it is in urban areas.”
“The Government's document says it is looking into separating the functions because many issues are not being dealt with promptly. We almost need Joe Duffy to raise issues before they end up being dealt with by the commission. It is ridiculous. I have sympathy for the staff though. They simply do not have enough resources. In fact, they have said so. It really annoyed me that the last Government and the previous one did not progress offshore wind. Offshore wind is our oil. The fact that the designated maritime area plans, DMAPs, have not been progressed to the level required is wrong. I am delighted that a very capable Minister of State is now in charge of it and will focus on it. However, the timelines around which this is planned simply do not meet our requirements as a State and that needs to be re-examined.”
“An employment order would mean more people would work and more people would stay at home so the taxpayer would not get caught for more people going into nursing homes and more people ending up in acute care which can cost €1,600 per night. I received an answer to a parliamentary question which demonstrated that thousands of people end up spending three, six and up to nine months and longer in acute settings at €1,600 per night who should not be there. This is financially the right thing to do and from a healthcare point of view it is the right thing to do. I will jump into a few more things. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, needs to be completely gutted. First, it needs to be separated into two bodies. It is not fit for purpose.”
“I really wish the Minister, Deputy Chambers, was here to hear this because this proposal will save the taxpayer money as well as being good policy. It is this: we need employment orders in healthcare and, for instance, for home help. Every Deputy in here deals with this issue. A person can get as many hours as he or she wants but it is pointless because the workers are not there. The reason they are not there is that people will not do the work because it is not paid well and it is difficult work at times. However, many people would be willing to do it if the conditions were better. We need an employment order on the rate of pay, travel, meals and other allowances.”
“Until that is addressed, we will not be able to deal with it the crisis I have mentioned. There is also statement in the programme for Government looking at other training facilities across the State. A site of over 200 acres out the road in Clonmore was bought a number of years ago. It is beside the Garda College. That is where the expansion should happen, right beside the college. On health, we have serious issues from a capital point of view on the requirement for elective hospitals, the National Maternity Hospital, the national children's hospital. My colleague Deputy Sheehan and myself will be beating the drum with regard to UHL and the need for another accident and emergency facility in the mid-west. There are some very simple things which can be done. This must be the tenth time I have mentioned one of them in here.”
“That is an issue on which the Labour Party and I will focus minutely with regard to every State agency and Department. In the area of justice, we have a crisis in An Garda Síochána. I represent Templemore and I know all about it. It is the worst crisis we have ever had on Garda numbers and it is getting worse. From recent figures, I know that these numbers are decreasing again and people are resigning. I will not rephrase the whole thing about recruitment and retention but we need a whole new plan on how we will have a functioning Garda Síochána. It is not in this programme for Government. It states 5,000 gardaí. There is not a hope or prayer of that. Gardaí are demoralised. They do not feel that they have the support. Their pay, pensions, entitlements and lifestyle are all at rock bottom.”
“That will be my focus over the term of this Government, over the term of the new capital development plan and over the new HSE plan, in relation to which, coincidentally, Ministers cannot under law direct the HSE. The board of the HSE are independent and separate from the Government. A Minister for Health cannot actually direct the HSE on these issues. They can talk and guide, but they cannot direct. I believe the transparency of decision-making on the capital plan for this country needs to be reviewed. Such a review is always needed from time to time. The way in which that is done and the interaction between the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the other Departments and the relevant State agencies needs to be very transparent too.”
“I will not go through everything in it but I will look at some issues which I feel should be dealt with but which are not in it, or are not in it to a sufficient level. First, there is a lot of good stuff in the programme for Government. There is much where there can be mutual agreement on the issues involved. There is also loads of stuff which we would totally disagree with and there is also stuff where we believe there is simply not enough emphasis. I will go through some of that later. There is also an issue as to how this is going to be implemented given the three components of this Government and the question of transparency regarding how that is going to happen.”
“I will start by wishing our usher, Mr. Tony Maher, the very best for the future in his retirement. I thank him for his courtesy to all of us in the House and in the Labour Party down through the years. I also thank him for his constant help and guidance throughout those years. We wish him the best in his retirement. The real work now starts with the grandchildren. He will be wishing he could come back in here in a couple of weeks time, trust me. The very best wishes from all of us. I am sharing time with my colleague from Limerick, Deputy Conor Sheehan. We will take seven and a half minutes each. I will commence my discussion of the programme for Government by focusing on how it will be implemented.”
“You also said in your letter you got two sets of advice. Which advice takes precedence? Was it the advice you got from the Clerk or the advice from parliamentary legal adviser? When it comes to the functioning of this Dáil, this is a huge decision. We were looking at other parliaments across the Irish Sea two years ago and laughing at the way in which they conducted their business. Let us make sure that this solemn Parliament in Ireland is not made a show of around the world, where we set a precedent where people who are part of the Government are sitting in opposition. What a bloody farce.”