Ann Graves
Dublin Fingal East · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“These costs, details of which were provided by the Irish League of Credit Unions and Zurich, are forcing many parents into debt. Added to them are growing digital costs. According to Barnardos, the average cost of digital devices for second level has reached €430. That is up from €221 a couple of years ago.”
“At this time of year and with the great weather we are having, families should be planning holidays or spending days at the beach or elsewhere. Instead, for a growing number of families, this is a time of stress. They are already worrying about the cost of their children going back to school in September.”
“The Government has reintroduced State examination fees, increased school transport fees, cut the back-to-school clothes and footwear scheme and removed the cost-of-living payments for schools and the double child benefit payment. Many schools still do not provide hot lunches for kids.”
“I strongly support this motion which seeks to provide clear, identified and funded pathways for people with intellectual disabilities to move from home to a suitable residential placement and which supports the campaign by Before We Die, a family-led advocacy group seeking urgent ring-fenced Government funding for residential care and hou…”
“This fear is very real. Over 2,000 adults with an intellectual disability live with parents aged 70 or over, with 500 of those over 80. Some parents are providing full-time care into their 90s.”
“Ireland has committed to protecting the rights of people with disabilities through legislation and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This convention recognises the rights of people with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.”
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“It is important that we have a publicly run healthcare centre for Dublin Fingal East, providing a full range of health services to Swords and all of the surrounding communities. I know the staff are currently moving into the premises, which is great news. It is now essential that the Department of Health delivers the project on time. I will be working tirelessly and contacting the Minister regularly to ensure the health centre is fit for purpose, fitted out and open on the target date in 2026. This Bill is an opportunity to provide a fit-for-purpose health service for all. I hope the Government will use that opportunity to deliver for the people.”
“This would ensure that the State responds to drug use as a health issue and not a criminal issue. A comprehensive health-led response diverts people towards health services and away from the criminal system. The health-led response would greatly reduce or eliminate the prospect of people being charged and convicted. Funding for local and regional drug and alcohol task forces must return to pre-recession levels to ensure that sustained and appropriate funding increases every year to continue service development. I welcome the commitment to open a primary healthcare centre in Swords. I have campaigned for it for years so I am delighted it is now going to happen. It is long overdue.”
“Those scandals are all happening while we wait for the opening of the €2.24 billion national children's hospital. This is no way to run a healthcare system. It is not good enough. Sinn Féin has a plan to deliver a truly all-island national health service for Ireland, fitted to the Irish context and learning from the best across Europe. We would introduce a healthcare for all Act to set out a phased expansion of entitlements to commit the State to full public health cover by 2035. Tackling the causes and consequences of addiction is central to developing a comprehensive healthcare system. Addiction needs to be seen as a public health issue and not a criminal issue. The Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use supported a comprehensive health-led response to drug use and addiction.”
“One of the most frustrating aspects of the current healthcare system, which I am dealing with at the moment, is the volume of cancelled appointments. A constituent of mine last week spent his sixth week in hospital with major heart problems. He was discharged with the promise of an early emergency appointment for heart surgery. He cancelled his family holidays. So far, his preoperative appointments have been cancelled twice. We also have so many scandals in the health service, including in respect of endometriosis and the Government's disgraceful amendment to the Sinn Féin motion last night, hip dysplasia surgeries and vaginal mesh implants. Children are waiting for years for assessments. There were also scandals in respect of surgical cancer and nursing homes. Those are just some examples. The list is endless.”
“I acknowledge the staff in our health services. Every one of them should be proud of the excellent service they provide despite the challenges they face every day in our hospitals, healthcare centres and community programmes. The health service is challenged by growing waiting lists, longer waiting times, an undersupply of key workers and low morale. Almost every part of the health service is attempting to muddle through in the absence of an overarching strategic plan. This Bill is a great opportunity to change all that but it fails to provide for multi-annual frameworks. Sinn Féin would implement multi-annual funding frameworks to provide funding certainty and improve accountability. This would enable more effective public service delivery once the health regions have assessed their population-based care and capacity needs.”
“They are deeply disheartened and outraged by the Department of justice’s outright refusal to allow these children to travel. I am pleading with the Taoiseach on behalf of the Palestinian children to use his office to ensure the visas are granted for them. Let them come to Ireland and play.”
“Our hearts are broken at the sight of Palestinian men, women and children being targeted and killed while queuing for food and drink. In the West Bank, families are forced to endure unprecedented levels of violence from the Israeli state and illegal settlers. The GAA in Palestine has been working with local clubs across Ireland to provide Palestinian children with much-needed respite from the trauma of war. This week, we received the heartbreaking news that the Department of justice had refused the visas to facilitate their trip to Ireland. This was devastating for the children, who were so looking forward to a trip to Ireland and a break from the atrocities in their own country. I know first hand the work that has gone into this by the community services in Fingal County Council and local GAA clubs, including Fingallians and O’Dwyers.”
“There are other airports that also need to be utilised and Deputy Daly mentioned a lot of them. We have a great road network, particularly from Shannon. We can use those airports and it will reduce the number of flights into, and the dependency on, Dublin Airport, and help to rebuild our more rural areas.”
“All of the local representatives have attended them but the Minister has never shown his face at any of them. He is not discussing or consulting or communicating with the residents. He may be talking to Kenny Jacobs, Michael O'Leary and other key players but he is certainly not talking to the residents in the areas affected. The way to achieve a good relationship with the DAA is effective regulation and, to this end, an appropriately resourced and independent regulator is a priority for Sinn Féin. I have and will continue to support the regionalisation of the Irish aviation industry to address regional imbalances in the sector and drive much-needed economic growth to different parts of the country. I am delighted to see there is an increase in the number of flights in and out of Cork, which is another DAA airport.”
“As a former councillor in Fingal County Council, I consistently questioned the breaches of the planning conditions by the DAA, particularly in regard to the deviation from flight paths and the impact this has had on residents. No one wants to stand in the way of progress. I recognise the DAA is a major employer in the Fingal area. I have in the past and will continue to champion strategic but also responsible development but the DAA is not a good neighbour. We need to strive for balanced development along with addressing the impacts on local residents. It is interesting the Minister of State noted the Minister for Transport has been communicating with people. We have had multiple public meetings throughout the area. Each of them has been a sell-out with full houses at every single time.”
“Deputy Smith spoke about cardiovascular disease, sleep deprivation and broken sleep patterns. That is a regular occurrence for people who live there. If the number of flights at night-time people's health will deteriorate. Looking at best practice, many airports in Europe and internationally are now reducing their night-time flights because they acknowledge their impact on the mental and physical health of those living in areas where aircraft noise is an issue. ANCA, in its role as a regulator of aircraft noise, ruled in January 2024 that the applications in relation to passenger caps require an assessment of the need for noise-related action.”
“The conditions were set to manage noise, traffic and environmental impact. The conditions also included delivering on the infrastructure deficits, including the road network, which have not been addressed. For anybody living in the area, trying to get in and out of Swords is impossible. We were supposed to invest heavily in the roads around the airport and that has not happened. The DAA acknowledged the airport will exceed 32 million passenger numbers both in 2024 and 2025. In fact, the DAA has breached many of its planning conditions from the outset. Of major concern is the deviation from the agreed flight paths and the proposed changes to night-time flight times. These will have a major impact and repercussions on the health and well-being of residents living in the areas affected.”
“Sinn Féin submitted amendments to the 2019 Bill, proposing taking a balanced approach: incorporating the International Civil Aviation Organization's agreed hierarchy of measures designed to reduce the impact of noise, and the WHO's night noise guidelines for Europe. Sinn Fen's amendments also proposed the Commission for Aviation Regulation should be the regulator and that the average noise exposure would be reduced to below 40 decibels at night and that an assessment of the impact on the well-being and health of local residents be undertaken. These amendments were defeated by the Government, which included the current Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, who is a TD who represents the people of the area, so Sinn Féin voted against the Bill. Changes to planning conditions require planning applications and an approval process.”
“This link between Fingal County Council and ANCA, whose role is to monitor and regulate where necessary for the management of aircraft noise in the communities around Dublin Airport, remains a real concern for local residents and groups representing those affected by aircraft noise, in particular, St. Margaret's and The Ward group and Fingal Organised Residents United Movement, FORUM. They represent more than 30,000 people across Fingal and Meath. This is not an issue that just affects Swords, the airport and its surrounds. I represent the people of Fingal East and each of the areas - Swords, Malahide, Donabate, Portmarnock and Portrane - are affected by aircraft noise. It is not just the areas in close proximity to the airport.”
“I acknowledge Deputy Smith for bringing forward this legislation. For a resident and somebody who is representing people in the affected area, it is a matter of dire importance that some regulation is put in place. Sinn Féin has always had concerns on the potential conflict of interest with ANCA as the noise regulator. This is not least because of ANCA's and Fingal County Council's financial dependencies on the DAA. ANCA is based within Fingal County Council. The Minister of State should do a quick Google of the executive staff within Fingal County Council. There he will see the director of ANCA listed among the other members of staff in Fingal County Council. There are questions on conflicts, which diminish ANCA's capacity to act independently.”
“The NTA and Fingal County Council are starting major works on the R132 to introduce cycle and bus lanes, reducing each side of the road by one lane, starting in October. I have spoken to local bus companies. This will cause major traffic problems and should only be done in parallel with metro works. It may be more deliverable and cost-effective to look at other options, like a rail link between Clongriffin and the airport and on to Swords, as an interim measure while we continue to wait. The Government's lack of public transport plans affects ordinary people going about their daily lives. The bus services in Swords are inconsistent. Disappearing buses cause hardship, and the ludicrous practices that drivers are instructed to follow just do not work. The 33 bus from Donabate regularly does not turn up.”
“Unlike the Government, Sinn Féin has a plan to deliver an affordable, reliable and safe public transport system. This is key to building sustainable, connected communities. I moved to Swords 35 years ago. When I moved there, the population was 17,000; now it is almost 48,000. Unfortunately, the transport system has not kept up with the demands of the growing population. The then Fianna Fáil Government promised to deliver metro north. Thirty-five years on, it may have been rebranded as MetroLink but it has still failed to deliver. Consecutive Governments have flip-flopped on the metro and now the Government cannot agree on when construction is likely to start. You could not make this up. While the Government dithers, people are being denied decent public transport. Traffic jams remain a reality for people commuting every day.”
“People's incomes have not risen at the same pace, however. I will give some examples from Fingal. The average price of a house in 2021 was €320,000. Today, it is €445,000. That is the increase over four years. Properties for sale in a new development in Swords went on the market last week. A two-bedroom terraced property costs €485,000 and a three-bedroom semi-detached house is €595,000. That is absolutely shocking. It puts buying a house out of the reach of young couples and the average family. Ultimately, the aim of this Bill is to raise an additional €45 million through the local property tax. We will continue to oppose increases in the local property tax at council level until we are in a position to reduce this household charge to the rubbish bin of history. We will call on other parties to support us.”
“On paper, that appears to be beneficial to the local authorities. If a council decides to increase the home tax by 25%, it does not get to keep and spend the extra revenue raised. This funding remains only a small fraction of the overall council budget. Local authorities are starved of funding and no amount of tinkering with the property tax is going to change that reality. One of the central faults of the property tax is there is no ability-to-pay clause, which is very punitive for those on social welfare or low incomes. People can defer the payment of the local property tax if they meet certain criteria, but this is not an exemption and the bill eventually has to be paid, with interest. According to the Central Statistics Office, property prices have increased by a national average of 23% since November 2021.”
“As a councillor on Fingal County Council, every year I tabled a motion looking for the full 15% allowable rate reduction, while also arguing that the LPT should have been abolished. Unfortunately, the ruling group in Fingal County Council, including Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and some Independents, did not support this. In government, Sinn Féin would abolish the property tax and replace it with direct funding for local authorities. We would phase out this unjust tax and we have always accounted for this move in our alternative budgets. We are committed to taxing wealth in order to reduce the burden on ordinary workers and to using this money to deliver quality infrastructure and local government services. This Bill provides for local authorities to vary the property tax upwards by 25%.”
“The local property tax is an unjust tax on the family home. It should never have been introduced. A home should never have been turned into a financial asset. It should be treated not as a source of wealth but as a necessity. The original household charge was brought in during the crash when the troika came to town. Like many other measures from the time of austerity, it was supposed to have been temporary. Unfortunately, for struggling families, it has remained part of Government policy and has become part of the cost-of-living crisis for many working families. Pensioners and single parents are expected to pay the same tax as millionaires, simply because they have the same postcode. Sinn Féin has been consistent in its opposition to this regressive tax.”
“This scheme was a homelessness prevention tool. Now, families do not know where they will go once their notice to quit has run out. It is shameful when there are 2,500 vacant council homes in the State. In Fingal alone, 126 council properties lie vacant. There is growing anger and frustration with the Government which has abandoned communities and failed to deliver on every housing promise. People will bring that anger to the gates of the Dáil. I call on members of the public, unions and housing groups to support the Raise the Roof rally on Tuesday, 17 June at 6 p.m. outside Leinster House to stand up and fight back. It is time for this Government to listen to people.”
“I am dealing with a family of six in a two-bed duplex in Swords who have been on the housing list for 24 years and a senior citizen living in Malahide looking for a transfer due to serious antisocial behaviour. He has been on a transfer list for two years but Fingal County Council has nowhere to move him to. I am also dealing with a 71-year-old man renting in Portmarnock who worked for 50 years, retired last year and can no longer afford the rent. He told me it is either rent, food or heat - he cannot do all three. I am also familiar with a woman living in Donabate with her severely autistic child who cannot get housing despite being on the housing list for ten years. These are just a couple of examples. The Government's decision to cut funding for the tenant in situ scheme has made things worse.”
“The housing emergency is the biggest challenge facing people in Ireland today. There is no leadership or strategy from the Government. Its response has been flip-flopping, chaos and confusion. This has a direct impact on public services with teachers, gardaí, firefighters and nurses unable to afford rent and unable to get a mortgage. It is time for this Government to wake up to the damage its policies are doing to our communities. My office in Fingal East is inundated with housing queries. Every day, I deal with people languishing on housing lists, families in overcrowded conditions and those constantly living with the threat of no-fault eviction.”
“We have gone beyond the stage of debate and discussion on the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza. Gazans are now being subjected to forced starvation. We see evidence of the crimes against humanity being carried out every day on our television screens, social media and right across all networks. There is no hiding from the evidence. Israel must be held to account for these actions. We all have our part to play in highlighting and opposing Israel's crimes against humanity. Ireland's support for Palestine is recognised across the world. We know about occupation, colonisation and forced starvation. The time for talking is long over. Statements of condemnation are not enough. When will the Government enact the occupied territories Bill? I urge it to do so before the summer recess.”
“She brought me to appointments, of which I have many, she did some housework and looked after my showers. She got me up and dressed and put on some make-up to make me feel good about myself daily and this has taken a toll on me the last couple of weeks without her help. I appeal to the Minister of State and the Government, on behalf of all the Collettes out there, to please support this motion.”
“It should be respected, supported and adequately funded. Sinn Féin would abolish the carer's allowance means test, introduce a pay-related carer benefit and increase social protection supports for people with disabilities and carers. Abolishing the means test would have a positive and immediate benefit for people. A constituent of mine has been refused carer's allowance because of the means test. Collette had a carer who went above and beyond the call of duty. She was Collette's lifeline to the outside world. Unfortunately, she was denied the carer's allowance in March this year. This has had a devastating effect on Collette who said: I am legally blind and have Parkinson's disease. She was not just my carer; she went above and beyond to help me.”
“Carers and front-line health workers are the backbone of our care system. I want to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of home carers in Ireland who are our unsung heroes. Carers enable people to care and to live independently in their own homes with dignity for as long as they can. This is hugely important for people's quality of life and it greatly reduces the pressure on our healthcare system. Home carers in Ireland are estimated to save the Government €20 million annually through caregiving work. This amount is equivalent to the cost of building numerous hospitals, MetroLinks, building projects and houses. More than 500,000 family carers in Ireland provide this essential service. Their unpaid work is crucial for the functioning of the healthcare system. This essential work should not be taken for granted.”
“It is anticipated that by the end of 2025, there could be almost 25,000 children whose assessments of need are due to be completed. The solution lies with the Government. The Minister must take emergency action and make funding available to clear the backlog and provide these children with assessments, which they are legally entitled to. Longer-term, the Government needs to deliver a sustainable solution, including an urgent workforce plan to recruit, train and retrain enough staff to finally end this serious breach of children's rights.”
“He will be six years old before he sees a speech and language therapist. That is four years. James contacted my office in Fingal East. His son has been waiting for 18 months for an appointment for an assessment. I tabled a parliamentary question in an attempt to draw attention to this serious matter. The response from the Department confirmed that his son will not get an appointment until October 2025. I met a woman during the general election campaign who is a mother of twins, one of whom has additional needs and is waiting for a psychological assessment. He is non-verbal and awaiting a speech and language assessment. They both start school in September. The mother just wants the best and most equal chance for both her children. I met her again in my office yesterday and nothing has changed.”
“This Government has once again failed the most vulnerable. A total of 15,296 children are overdue for an assessment of need. It is nothing short of a scandal. It is a priority for Sinn Féin. We and the combined Opposition have come together to table a motion during Sinn Féin's Private Members' time, demanding that the Government moves urgently on this matter. Children are entitled to an assessment of need within six months under the Disability Act. The reality is different, however, and the Government is breaking the law. A young four-year-old from Swords, identified as having speech and language difficulties, had a check-up as a two-year-old. He was referred to Swords Health Centre. Eighteen months later, he received an appointment, for 1 February 2025, only to be told that he was number 26 on the list to see a therapist.”
“Passing this Bill will go some way towards meeting our obligations under the new EU directive. While the Bill is welcome, it does not go far enough. We need a whole suite of measures so the trade unions can do their job and increase living standards for workers and their families. I have been a trade union member since the day I started to work, which was a long time ago. I have been a local representative and a sectoral representative. Everybody should have that right.”
“Collective and consecutive Governments have consistently denied them this right, hiding behind the so-called voluntarist model of industrial relations. This simply allows employers a veto and they can refuse to engage, as many of them do. Strong trade unions are the greatest driver of economic equality, and the more equal the country is, the better it does in a whole range of areas. The EU adequate minimum wage directive recognised the benefits of trade union organisation and collective bargaining. These benefits include tackling poverty and declining wages and providing social cohesion. From the 1960s to the 1990s, Ireland had a collective bargaining coverage rate in excess of 70%. Since then, it has declined to around 34%. The new directive effectively implies we need to increase the number to 80%.”
“We should be working in partnership with trade unions to modernise industrial relations and ensure that workers' voices are heard. Key to this is legislating for the right to organise and ensuring workers have access to unions and information about their rights from day one on the job. A strong trade union movement is essential for economic productivity and the fair distribution of growth benefits, and it would provide for an increased resource for the WRC and HSA and for the legislative right to collectively bargain. Workers want to join and be represented by a trade union of their choice, so why can workers in Ireland not avail of what is a human right, that is, to be represented by a trade union?”
“I thank the Deputies for introducing this Bill. It goes to the core of how workers can defend and improve their pay and conditions of employment. Workers need a Government that is on their side. For far too long, workers and their rights have just been an afterthought. Right now, Ireland, disgracefully, has what is among the most restrictive trade union legislative regimes in the developed world. The implication of these restrictions has been a decline in working conditions, living standards and real incomes, along with the marginalisation of trade unions and workplace democracy. It is time for workers and their rights to be at the forefront of the political agenda. Giving workers the tools to bargain for themselves will lead to better lives.”
“At present, we have four Gaelscoileanna but we have no meánscoil for the children to progress to. Children have to commute outside of the area to attend secondary school in Irish and the school transport system does not pay for them to do so. The Minister needs to look at progression from Gaelscoileanna into meánscoileanna.”
“It is deeply concerning to parents that this target was dropped from the 2025 programme for Government. We need to see some real progress. The Government should improve the pilot programme intended to facilitate the transfer of school patronage in cities, including Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. There must be greater engagement with stakeholders and the community. The process relating to divestment must be established to retain the confidence of all stakeholders. Students must also have the right to be educated through Gaeilge. It is hugely important that the Government provide full access to education through the medium of Irish. I applaud the Sord Mullach Íde Gaelscoil campaign. It is striving to provide education through Irish in Fingal east, Swords and Malahide.”
“We need a timeline for when this will happen. It needs to be rolled out as a matter of urgency. The Government has not delivered on previous commitments. The Minister must ensure adequate availability for students seeking to attend a multidenominational or non-denominational school. Engaging with parents, staff and pupils has to be a priority. The results of a recent INTO survey show that our education system must evolve to reflect Ireland's diversity and multiculturalism. Teachers urge the Government to speed up the divestment process and to actively invest in the growth of inclusive schools. The Government must immediately expand the number of non-denominational and multidenominational schools to reach its previous target of having 400 such schools by 2030.”
“The education of our young people is hugely important. We need to ensure it is carried out in a supportive and inclusive environment. Sinn Féin has a long-standing policy on choice and diversification in education. In our manifesto in 2024, we committed to developing a new strategy to support existing and emerging demands for diversification of patronage in school. This includes State co-education, multidenominational and community schools based on the provision of high-quality and inclusive education. The Government has said it will conduct a survey of parents on their preferred ethos for schools. In a recent response, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, indicated she intends to launch a survey of primary school communities shortly and that further details regarding the survey would be announced in due course. We need to know the details.”
“I was proud to stand with the Alliance for Public Early Childhood Education and Care, which is made up of more than 40 organisations and trade unions and led by the National Women's Council, at its campaign last week demanding that the Government honour its commitments to early education. Parents, children, providers and staff cannot wait any longer. We need immediate Government action on childcare provision. Sinn Féin will continue to campaign for an early years model of childcare that is affordable, high quality, accessible and inclusive. What has happened to the promise by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael during the general election campaign to provide childcare at a cost to parents of €200 per month? Their promise must be honoured.”
“One parent summed up her frustration as follows: "This crisis is placing an unjust strain on parents, especially mothers, who are often forced to either compromise their careers or accept inadequate childcare arrangements." This crisis is not merely a matter of inconvenience but a significant obstacle to gender equality, economic participation and the overall well-being of our children. Sinn Féin remains committed to a public model of childcare. We would deliver childcare at a cost of €10 a day by giving subsidies to providers to bridge the gap between the actual cost of the care and the €10 cap on fees parents would be charged per child.”
“The early years education sector is in crisis. It is not serving the interests of parents, children or providers. It is in serious need of investment and adequate funding. Parents are paying the equivalent of a mortgage for services. In some cases, they cannot access childcare even if they could afford it. My office in Swords responds every day to people caught up in this crisis. David from Malahide, an early years education provider, says the cost is now unsustainable for families. Jessie from Swords, who has just had a baby, is already stressed about having to quit her job to look after the baby and being unable to meet her mortgage payments next year. Nadia, a parent of a one-year-old child, is deeply concerned and anxious about the alarming lack of childcare services and the fact waiting lists are now extending into 2027.”
“Projects speak with one voice and seek an input into the decision-making. What will the Minister do to ensure communities are fully consulted when drafting the national drugs strategy, what model of consultation will she use, and what is the timeline?”
“Tackling the causes and consequences of the drug crisis has to become a political priority. The new national drugs strategy is the opportunity for the Government to do this. To ensure success, those at the heart of the drugs crisis need to be at the core of the process. Ignoring them is simply not an option. The Government must commit to working and engaging with families, communities and community-based drug projects. I have visited projects right across Dublin, including Frontline Make Change in Bluebell, Ballyfermot Star, and SAOL in Dublin’s north inner city. I have had round-table discussions with projects, academics and community representatives, including on drug-related intimidation. They feel abandoned by consecutive Governments. I refer in particular to services for women.”
“This issue has led to severe hardship and poverty for low-income workers. It is also being used by some unscrupulous employers as a union-busting mechanism. One practical step the Minister should take to improve the life for workers in Ireland is to transpose the EU part-time workers directive into Irish law. Workers have waited 20 years for this to happen. This would enable part-time workers to access full-time hours when they become available. On this International Workers' Day, I urge workers to ensure they are members of a union and I urge the Minister to transpose this directive into Irish law as soon as possible.”
“A trade union organiser or official must be allowed to enter the workplace and meet their membership without threat or intimidation. We must have the full transposition of the EU directive into Irish law. This must include strong incentives for collective bargaining and the publishing of a roadmap on how to achieve the 80% trade union coverage outlined in the directive. To date, the Government has failed to show how this will be achieved. Instead, relying on current legislation has led only to 30% coverage. This clearly shows that the Government is treating the EU directive as some sort of add-on. It is not an add-on and we cannot accept this nonsense. In 2018, the Government promised that it would review its own decision to not allow workers to access extra hours at work. The review has never happened.”
“We urgently needed an active and vibrant housing campaign demanding an end to the housing emergency and homeless crisis. I carry two very important membership cards, my union card and my Sinn Féin membership card. Both have represented me very well. The needs of working people continue to change from the Dublin Lockout in 1913, the Irish Glass Bottle workers strike of 2002 and the Debenhams lockout of 2020. We are still in battle with the powers that be, both inside and outside the Dáil. The European Union directive for adequate minimum wages is a step in the right direction. It will require action from Government to make it a reality for workers in Ireland. It is also key for workers to have access to their trade union representatives at work.”
“Sonas Lá na Bealtaine oraibh. I am very proud member of SIPTU and have been a union member and representative all my working life. I commend the unions represented in Leinster House today promoting the benefits of union membership. I was also happy to stand with the early years childhood groups in calling on the Government to honour its pre-election promises to the sector. Trade unions pay an important and progressive role in Irish society. They are to the fore in defending the interests of working people and their communities. They played a central role in many political campaigns, including the campaign for divorce, marriage equality and a woman's right to choose. They took the lead on the right to water and the Raise the Roof housing campaigns. I urge the unions to work with political parties and reorganise the Raise the Roof campaign.”
“Some 13 years after it was originally deemed a priority by the HSE, members of the public are still no closer to walking through the doors. This is highly worrying. It is another example of how publicly funded infrastructure never appears to be completed on time or on budget. I have seen correspondence from the HSE in recent weeks highlighting plans to develop a primary care centre in Donabate through an operational lease model. Like Swords, Donabate is in desperate need of investment in infrastructure. There is genuine concern that this project will become just another broken promise. On behalf of our young people, I appeal to the Minister to ensure that the public primary care centre in Swords is made operational as a priority. This would take much of the stress off other health services.”
“A major step forward would be the delivery of the long-awaited public primary care centre for Swords, a town with a population of almost 41,000. I welcomed the recent HSE capital plan for 2025 but I am bitterly disappointed that it fails to deliver the long-awaited primary care centre for Swords, which would take the pressure off Beaumont Hospital and serve the wider area. Fingal has seen one of the highest rates of population growth in the State. This rapid population growth has resulted in a significantly high youth population. The glaring omission from the plan is the badly needed primary care centre. The public needs and deserves this. In 2022, I had it included in the Fingal development plan. There was a lengthy process with the HSE, which stated that a facility in Swords would be built and operational by 2025.”