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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“Her 14-year-old daughter has anorexia. She is one of four children. This mother is frantic with worry but there are no supports available to her. The problems are made worse by the fact that the family is living in appalling housing conditions. Their private rental property has a hole in the roof and there is damp and mould in the house. Another parent is from Kinsealy. Their 13-year-old daughter is crying out for help. She has suicidal tendencies and cannot go to school. Despite this parent's best efforts, they have yet to receive any supports for their daughter. These are just a few examples from my own constituency. The healthcare needs of our children and young people are simply not being met.”
“Many of our most vulnerable children and young people have been failed not only by CHI but also by the Government. Families from right across my constituency of Dublin Fingal East have contacted me in desperation, pleading for decent healthcare services for their children. A young mother in Swords who has turned her life around and gone back to education has a three-year-old child who has severe needs. She has been waiting far too long for the medical interventions needed to assist her child. She cannot afford private services but early support is key. In Malahide, there is a woman who has been in care all her life. When she reached 18, she had to leave foster care. She received no supports and no housing plan. She is now homeless and has mental health difficulties. She feels totally abandoned. Another mother is totally distraught.”
“My colleague, Councillor John Smyth, asked Fingal County Council to request a report from Uisce Éireann, which it did. Months later, we are still waiting on the report. There are many other examples of Uisce Éireann neglecting to deal with upgrades, for example, to the pumping station at Knocksedan in Swords where raw sewage was spilling into the estate and the Delvin river in the Naul, which is polluted. It is all due to lack of capacity. I am aware that investment has been promised but our estuaries and waters need protection from pollution now. Will the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, get a timeframe from Uisce Éireann for when it will deal with the major issues relating to water affecting residents in Dublin Fingal East?”
“I got in touch with the constituent. She was delighted and was looking forward to receiving her money but up to today, she still has not been reimbursed. I had to get back on to Uisce Éireann in another attempt to get it to repay the money. This is no way to do business. It is unacceptable. Another important issue in my constituency is the water treatment plant in Swords, which was upgraded a couple of years ago. It was a very welcome development as it had been a source of ongoing issues for residents. Unfortunately, in recent months, foul odours have again been coming from the plant. This has impacted greatly on local residents and the Fingallians GAA club. The club is right beside the treatment plant. When games and training sessions take place the coaches, parents and players are all affected by the smells coming from the plant.”
“Uisce Éireann has to become more accountable to the public it serves. A constituent of mine, an old-age pensioner, is owed money by Uisce Éireann since last November, when she paid Dyno-Rod, a private company, to clear an urgent problem that was the responsibility of Uisce Éireann because she could not wait for it to act. The cost was €190, a substantial amount of money, particularly for an old age pensioner struggling to pay her bills, and it was taken from the savings she had built up for Christmas. The woman was so frustrated with Uisce Éireann's lack of response that she contacted me to try to get the matter resolved. I contacted it on her behalf and it promised that a response would be provided within ten days. I got the response and the refund was approved in writing by Uisce Éireann to my office on 19 March.”
“There was no mention of them in its manifesto and no reference to their introduction in its programme for Government. Now it is time for it to make up its mind. If it is serious about not introducing water charges, I urge the Minister to support this Bill and allow it to progress to the next Stage. If he opposes the Bill, it will be a clear indication that the Government intends to reintroduce water charge. The public will not stand for that.”
“Right2Water was a coalition of trade unions, communities and progressive political parties. Sinn Féin activists were central to its success. We leafleted, marched and picketed until the Government finally paid attention. Now it is time to finish the job. We submitted draft legislation to put water charges in the rubbish bin. This legislation is crucial because the public simply does not trust Government on this. The Minister's Government commissioned a report, so it is looking at introducing water charges. He can say the charge will only be for so-called excessive use, but it is a smokescreen for the introduction of domestic water charges for all households. This is exactly what happened when Fine Gael's Phil Hogan established Irish Water. This Government has no mandate to introduce domestic water charges.”
“Sinn Féin is intent on scrapping water charges once and for all. We have been consistent in our opposition to this taxation. To be clear, water is not free. Households pay for their water. It is an essential service and is covered by general taxation. Consecutive Governments have wanted the public to pay for their water three times - through general taxation, the costs of setting up and running Uisce Éireann and, finally, failed water charges. We are introducing this Private Members' Bill to send out a clear message to the public. We are true to our word. We oppose water charges and now we want to bury them once and for all. When Fine Gael and the Labour Party attempted to impose water charges, they were met with mass resistance and people power. I was proud to play my role in the Right2Water campaign in Swords.”
“Positive outcomes in these areas of young persons’ lives are proven to lead to a reduction in their likelihood of offending or reoffending. Consecutive Governments have wasted opportunities to invest in our young people. Following the most recent budget, the National Youth Council of Ireland said, "NYCI called for a budget to renew the social contract with young people, but this hasn’t been delivered, and young people at the margins have been overlooked." This is a shocking indictment of a Government that applauds itself for record budget surpluses. Once again, those at risk and the vulnerable, especially our younger people, do not benefit from the wealth of this nation.”
“Programmes must be adequately resourced to provide suitable activities to facilitate personal development, promote civic responsibility and improve long-term employment prospects. These projects contribute to improving the quality of life within communities and enhancing relations between gardaí and communities. While gardaí play an important role, it should not be left to them alone. We also need to look urgently at an education programme for youths on the implications, damage and consequences of carrying knives. This is a huge problem. The work of protecting our children from crime is multifaceted. It involves early intervention and preventative work, diversion from crime, improving education attainment, reducing substance misuse and improving use of leisure and recreational time.”
“Our young people are our greatest resource. We need to start by acknowledging that. We also need to support and invest in them. I acknowledge the great work done by the youth services in my area in Fingal east, including Crosscare, Youthreach, the north Fingal youth diversion programme and all the local clubs that work with our young people. Diverting young people from criminal activity must be based on international best practice and in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring young people’s legal rights and safeguards are fully respected. Projects must be community-based, multi-agency initiatives that seek to divert young people who have been involved in antisocial or criminal behaviour or those identified as being at risk of slipping into the criminal justice system.”
“This trade agreement is worth €46.8 billion. It should be reduced to the rubbish bin of history. It is blood money and has no place in a civilised world. All trade with Israel should cease until there is a free and independent Palestine. This Government must take the first step by immediately enacting the occupied territories Bill. There should be no further delays. This will send out a loud and clear message that Ireland stands with Palestine. Saoirse don Phalaistín.”
“At the recent European Council meeting, discussion took place on the Middle East. It was really disappointing to see the subsequent resolution that passed did not mention Israel. Nowhere in the resolution does it mention the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza, or the unprecedented violence being carried out by Israel in the West Bank. It is clear for anyone to see that Israel is guilty of crimes against humanity and carries out atrocities that are in breach of international law. There is no red line Israel has not crossed in its attempt to wipe out the Palestinian people by ethnic cleansing. In light of the genocide and the longest of crimes against humanity, I call on the Minister of State to join me in calling on Government MEPs to demand the EU-Israel Association Agreement be abolished.”
“It is also worth noting that carers save the State €20 billion. Unfortunately, the mean and miserly politics of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, supported by so-called Independents, would rather ignore this fact. I ask the Minister of State to do the right thing by scrapping the means test, increasing the carer's allowance and supporting all care givers.”
“In my own family, my daughter was a young carer for my mother, who she looked after right until the end of her life. This meant that my mother could stay in the family home, living with dignity, close to family and loved ones and never wanting for anything. This situation is replicated in thousands of homes across the State but it is simply not recognised or respected by this Government or previous ones. The Government needs to listen to young carers, in particular. They regularly look after siblings or parents, while trying to continue their education when they can, with little or no support, in many cases. The impact on their health and well-being is well documented. They are dealing with caring responsibilities while others of the same age are developing and living their lives. The work they are doing needs to be recognised.”
“I welcome this motion. The carer's allowance is a hugely important issue that needs to be addressed. The means test must be scrapped. Members of this Government should hang their heads in shame. In the run up to the recent general election, the Government promised to scrap the means test. Four months after the election, absolutely nothing has been done. There is no plan, detail or timeline. The Government is too busy making grubby deals to actually address the real needs of struggling families. We in Sinn Féin were abundantly clear during the general election that we were committed to scrapping the means test and we would have done so by now. Every day I see the valuable and essential work being done by carers and I also see how they are struggling. This is a 24-7 job, with little support or respite.”
“I am concerned that proposed restrictions to the scheme will reduce the ability of the councils to do everything they can to prevent people from losing their home. I am also concerned that the capital allocation for 2025 will be less than the final spend on the scheme in 2024. I understand that the Minister for housing will sign off on the final shape of the scheme before the end of the month and I urge him to provide Fingal County Council with the maximum amount of flexibility on the operation of the scheme and adequate funding to support tenants at risk of homelessness. I could give numerous examples of people who are in a situation where Fingal County Council has not entered into buying properties simply because the tenant in situ scheme prevents it. Many of these are people who are now going to end up in a homeless situation.”
“Some families face homelessness for a second or, indeed, a third time in their lives. Despite what an Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, or Donald Trump think, this is not a laughing matter. There is nothing normal about a housing crisis but as the commission states, "only a radical, strategic reset of housing policy will work." I ask the Minister for housing to stop sleepwalking through the housing crisis and shake off the conservative approach of his predecessors. One important action that the Minister could take would be to reintroduce the tenant in situ scheme, which has played a positive role in preventing hundreds of adults and children from entering homelessness. There is no tenant in situ in place right now.”
“I acknowledge the members of the commission for producing such a detailed and thought-provoking report. It offers a serious critique of the previous Government as well as the current one. The commission's report states that there have been systematic failures and ineffective decision-making in the Government's housing policy but this only confirms what we already know. The report also states that the mandarins were merely reacting to the housing crisis and that risk aversion dominates. As a former councillor for the Swords area and a TD for Fingal East, I spend much of my time making representations on behalf of households across the constituency who are stuck on the housing list or in emergency accommodation. A majority of our constituency office work is focused on housing.”
“Other women who have been through the system say that men get a slap on the hand where they are left with physical and mental scars for the rest of their lives. Tackling domestic violence must become a priority for this Government. Women are still not represented equally here in the Oireachtas or in local government and this situation has a real and immediate impact on women. With a growing representation of Sinn Féin TDs, we intend to keep raising the issues that deeply impact women.”
“It will only change when the very systems that exclude working class women are fundamentally changed. Every day in my constituency office in Swords, I meet women who are victims of abuse, mental and physical. With the housing crisis and lack of spaces in refuges, there is nowhere for women to go. Women flee the family home while the abuser gets to stay in the home. The woman gets punished twice, once by her abuser and again by the system. I am dealing with one woman who has sought a transfer because her abuser lives very close by. She sees him every day, which replays the horrors of her abuse. She has been told by her local council that he is innocent until the case is heard in court. This is just one of many such cases where women have nowhere to escape to.”
“Central to this vision is empowering the next generation - our youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls - as a catalyst for real and lasting change. Before 1995, only 12 countries had legal sanctions against domestic violence. Today, 1,583 legislative measures are in place across 193 countries, including 354 targeting domestic violence specifically. We have made good progress since 1908, but we have a long distance to go until we will have achieved full and total equality between men and women. This Government may trumpet economic growth but women remain the largest group of people excluded from their fair share of benefits in our economy. A clear example of this is the gender pay gap, which is institutional sexism. It is unacceptable and needs to change.”
“I am honoured to speak here today to mark International Women's Day. As a life-long trade unionist and activist, I see a clear link between the struggle for women's rights and the struggle for workers' rights. International Women's Day grew out of the labour movement in the US and workers' struggle for better conditions. It was marked for the first time by the UN in 1975. In December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace, and so it began. This year, the theme of International Women's Day is: "For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment". That is a powerful global message. This year's theme calls for action by us all to unlock equal rights, power and opportunities for all and a feminist future where nobody is left behind.”
“This is welcome but where is the plan to retain the current number? Gardaí are voting with their feet. We are haemorrhaging gardaí to the private sector and emigration. Pay, conditions and morale have to be addressed as a matter of urgency by the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan. In my constituency, Dublin Fingal East, Swords needs a Garda station that is fit for purpose. The current station is there since Swords was a village, not a town. Swords station serves a population of over 50,000. The gardaí provide an excellent service, which I know from experience, but the station is simply not fit for purpose. The public and gardaí deserve better. We deserve a new, fully functional Garda station that meets the needs of our community.”
“Some communities have suffered for years from neglect and marginalisation, brought about and made worse by consecutive Governments imposing cuts from which they have never recovered. Youth services, mental health services, addiction services and drug task forces – I can go on and on – have all borne the brunt of Government cuts. These cuts hurt and cause damage. If we are to create safe communities, the Government must commit to investing in these essential services, not in a piecemeal fashion but through multi-annual budgets that are adequate and sustainable. I fully acknowledge that we cannot simply police our way into safety, but the Garda must be a central part of any community safety plan. Garda numbers in Dublin have yet to return to pre-austerity numbers. The programme for Government commits to recruiting 5,000 additional gardaí.”
“Dublin is a great city. Our people, history and rich culture make it a great place to live. Everyone has a right to feel safe. Every community should be a safe and welcoming place in which to live, work and visit, but unfortunately not everyone feels safe here in Dublin. Every community is different but the challenges are the same. The lack of a visible, accessible, reliable and accountable Garda service has created a sense of fear and desperation in many homes and communities across Dublin. The lack of investment, cuts to essential services, and poor planning, transport and infrastructure all contribute to making neighbourhoods unsafe for residents. Of course, it is not true in all areas of Dublin. These challenges are the preserve of certain postcodes.”
“I was out with residents in Malahide following the storm where a tree had come down on one side of their road and, luckily enough, landed on the far side of the road. They had flagged it as problematic with their local council based on the fact that the trees were too big for an estate. Nobody wants the removal of healthy trees unnecessarily but we need to protect power lines and people. That is a priority. The ESB made €890 million in profit last year. It is shameful that people who have suffered would be expected to pay.”
“The Government needs to step up to protect the lives and well-being of people by putting in place preventative measures. Investment in capital infrastructure is an absolute must. Well before the storm, delivery of power had already failed. In my constituency, in Donabate for example, residents face regular loss of electricity through power outages. In fact, they had a power cut on Christmas Day. Increased development without the necessary infrastructure and amenities as a prerequisite is a recipe for ongoing problems. With growing incidences of storms, we are looking at continued chaos in the aftermath unless there is real investment in capital infrastructure. Prevention is always better than cure. We also need to look at a review of the tree management policies.”
“However, the effects were felt for days afterwards in terms of power and connectivity. I heard from a mother who had a child depending on a hoist and a feeding tube. The power in their home in Swords was out for five days. Close by, an elderly man in his 90s who lives alone without supports was in the same situation, with no connection to the outside world. The most vulnerable people were hit the worst. Many other people contacted me when they could not contact relatives and friends across the country. They were tempted to brave the elements and try to visit them because they could not get in touch by phone or any other means. A local hotel allowed residents in to use their facilities, showers etc., but those with mobility issues could not avail of that because, once again, the most vulnerable people were affected.”
“As this is my first time to speak, I take the opportunity to thank my family for their ongoing support - my daughter Christine, sons Paul and David, grandson Noah, and Mary and Alana. I remember my husband, who passed away last year and who was my strongest supporter. I also thank the people in Dublin Fingal East who came out to vote for me and put their trust in me. I intend representing them to the best of my ability. Finally, I thank my republican family - the volunteers, comrades and friends who worked their socks off in all weathers. Míle buíochas. When Storm Éowyn hit the country, we had 85 trees down across Fingal. Once the red weather warning was lifted, we had all the support services - Fingal County Council, Dublin Fire Brigade, the ESB and Uisce Éireann - out doing their job and trying to do a clear-up.”