Anne Rabbitte
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“On Ireland's most popular pornography website, almost two thirds of the video titles indicate content of concern, including sexual violence, extreme misogyny and material that mimics child sexual abuse. This is not on the fringes of the Internet; this is mainstream, free and one click away from every child in this country.”
“I also acknowledge the role of Deputy Cathal Crowe in the Lower House and that of Senator Rónán Mullen whose Bill, which was before Seanad Éireann last week, spoke to this very issue. It is something we should all get behind and support to ensure we have the law to protect our young people. I also wish to bring up Skyclarys.”
“I am wearing sandals today. Good afternoon to everybody. I warmly welcome the Minister for justice's bringing his memo to Cabinet where he seeks to criminalise extreme violent pornography. For too long, this has been a glaring gap in our criminal law.”
“He said that we should not deny his son the chance to hold onto his voice, even if it is just to be able to ask for a glass of water. That is the parent of a child with Friedreich's ataxia, who has already lost a child to Friedreich's ataxia. We have 200 such patients in this country.”
“Where we have rural depopulation - and there are great reports coming from the GAA - the one thing we want to do is ensure a sense of community. That sense of community circles around a few things. It can be the church, school, post office or the pub.”
“The Senator also said, as did Senator Murphy O'Mahony, that if we can be anything in this world, we should be kind, and that is one thing Martin Naughton was, and it is one thing we should always remember. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. We think of him today. Senator McCormack raised the issue of active travel.”
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“That is what is happening. Mullagh had to amalgamate with Kiltormer. Tynagh and Abbey-Duniry amalgamated. That is the trend that is developing. It would be remiss of those of us from rural communities to not speak to that point. Tribalism and community is part and parcel of it. The Minister’s work on this is really welcome. We do not need it to the level they need it in the cities or larger towns. We need the projects of 20 to 40 houses and for there to be the capacity to carry a developer-led project which can come into the likes of Killimor or Portumna. They can connect up 40 to 60 houses until such time as there is the opportunity and capacity in Uisce Éireann to arrive on that site. That is what we are saying. I know I am not alone in that; it is what is experienced right across.”
“As a good sporting Minister who supports a lot of our GAA and football, he knows the worst thing that could happen in Portumna is we would have to amalgamate with the likes of Killimor. I mean that in the best sense but if we did, the game would be over completely.”
“I thank the Minister for being in the House this evening. I, too, support the motion and welcome the publication of the accelerating infrastructure report and action plan. Coming from rural east Galway, which the Minister knows having visited Portumna many times, I stand in solidarity with my colleague Senator Murphy when it comes to the wastewater treatment plant. The largest town in our county, which is outside the constituency of Galway East, is Ballinasloe and after that it is Tuam and beyond that everything is sub-4,000 people. Rural wastewater treatment plants is critical infrastructure that needs to be developed across all our communities. The sign-off on that is really important. Senator Kennelly spoke about the GAA, Marty Morrissey’s report and all that. That is exactly where we will be going.”
“I thank the Minister of State and everybody else for their co-operation. I know I may have cut some people's time short, but I thank everyone for their co-operation and for their very lived and passionate contributions that were brought to the floor this afternoon.”
“Before I go to the next speaker, is it okay if I take off time from the Minister of State's speaking time, so I can give everybody more time? The Senators cannot say it in one minute. They need the two minutes.”
“With that, we will move to Senator O'Loughlin. We have six speakers. If it is agreeable, will we give them three minutes each in order to let everybody contribute. Every voice is important here today. Is that agreed? Agreed.”
“There should be flexibility. We allowed flexibility for a number of reasons during the pandemic. If planning extensions are being applied for now, then it is a classic example of where people should have the opportunity to have their voices heard and to make submissions. In my final 20 seconds, I wish to support everybody this week who has called for statements in relation to special needs assistants. We need to understand the plan and the pathway, have clear communication to the special needs assistants, parents and teachers, and, most importantly, ensure that we have stability of care for our most vulnerable.”
“The Leader allowing me the opportunity to stand here this morning is acknowledging that they have voices and are being heard but unfortunately the process does not facilitate that, even where there are environmental issues. We talk about environmental issues here all of the time. During the Covid-19 pandemic when full planning permissions were granted, people's voices were restricted. Where we are allowing the opportunity for extensions to now take place, that restriction is very unfortunate, particularly when the project is going to make strategic changes in their environment. Also, it is a fact that the battery storage system regulation has changed since planning was granted in 2021. I plea that the local authority take those considerations on board. There is a duty of care in how we deliver policy legislation.”
“It is understood that a section 42 application is not a new application. Rather, it is a request to extend the duration of an extension. Article 29 limits public participation in the matter. It is because the residents cannot make a submission that they feel the need to make a peaceful protest outside. When the original planning was granted in 2021, it was during the Covid-19 pandemic and there were real concerns around the vulnerable karst aquifers. The karst system, as we all know, is highly sensitive, with rapid underground water movement and limited natural filtration. Any contamination, whether from firewater or run-off system failure, has the potential to directly impact groundwater. The residents would have liked to have made submissions. They would like to have had their voices heard.”
“I will raise an issue that the Leader will be aware of. Tomorrow morning at Galway County Council, there is a protest taking place and it is unfortunate that residents from Cregmore, Grange and Ballymoneen find themselves standing outside Galway County Council. It will be a very peaceful protest but they are raising an important issue. It is related to key community concerns around inadequate original assessment, materiel change, proven local risk, homeowners' financial loss and procedural unfairness. The Leader will ask what this is all about and I know he is aware of it. It has to do with the planning permission extension for the storage battery plant that is going before the council. It relates to Article 29 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 and section 42 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.”
“Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome pupils from Scoil Eoin Naofa from Ballymore, County Westmeath, who are in the Gallery. They are guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Troy. Other members of their class were here earlier. It is a big school and a lot of them are here today. They are welcome. We have a Senator and Minister of State here this morning. I have been told to tell them they have no homework for the rest of the week.”
“The fear about the community centre arises from the perspective of the community itself. There is no shop there any more. Other than the church and the school, all we have left is the community centre. We live on the banks of the River Shannon. It is the only place that people will congregate after a funeral or a month’s mind. However, we are going to say to the teacher that they should: put in all the books and take out all the books; put away all the tables and take out all the tables; walk the children up and down the road; supervise all the playing; and carry the risk. At the same time, we are taking one of the hubs of the community out of circulation. The board of management members are from the parish. They want to keep it all working. They will work with the Minister of State if he can give us options.”
“I thank the Minister of State for both his contribution and his leadership regarding how to move to the next phase. With regard to the short-term position, I hear him very clearly. The community centre is about 250 m down the road but, as outlined, there is no footpath. I would welcome it if there were a ray of hope that this was a very short-term solution while we wait for a modular unit to be leased or for planning permission to come through. No doubt there will be a planning permission query, even if we are putting down a rented building, because we are changing the footprint. We accept that and the teachers accept it, so there is no issue arising. What we need is a plan and a pathway to ensure that this happens within a short period. That would bridge the gap.”
“Was it another desktop exercise where someone looked at Tiernascragh National School with its 56 pupils and decided that if the school does not go with the community centre, it will be asked to do team teaching with two teachers in a classroom. There are four teachers in the junior section and four in the senior section, but there will be two teachers teaching in the class. That is like having two housewives in the one kitchen. It does not happen and would not work. A mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law would not happen, so why would we expect teachers to do team teaching? I have no doubt the Minister of State has a response for me because I am on this case, but I am looking for sense to prevail.”
“We talk about inclusive education and integration, and this school is doing it all. It is not right that we would provide funding to allow the kids to walk to a community centre when there is no footpath. If there was an accident and something happened to a teacher or pupils, we would be leaving that teacher open to a health and safety risk. The risk has not been assessed here and common sense is not prevailing. Can we not use the money available to rent the community centre to rent a modular unit? I have a principal who is saying, "Just give me a classroom". Keep the students on site. Let them play inclusive games and engage in inclusive education, but, most of all, let us keep everyone safe. Where, in the name of God, during the accommodation needs assessment was that risk assessment carried out?”
“The Department said that it was moving away from renting modular units. Although the school has two classes and a small room where it provides SEN supports, the Department said that it was no longer renting modular units. The school was told it would either have to wait 18 months for the Department to make a determination on whether it qualifies for a purpose-built modular fix on site or more than six years to put concrete in the ground. The school was also asked to see if there was a community hall available, which the Department of education would rent for it. A little bit like Kiskeam where the Minister of State comes from, Tiernascragh is one of those little parishes. It is so small that there is no connecting footpath from the church to the community centre, which is on the opposite side of the road.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter and I thank the Minister of State for being here to take it. While it is not a Commencement matter specifically on special educational needs, I am delighted I have a Minister from the Department of Education and Youth here. Tiernascragh National School in County Galway has 56 pupils attending. It has grown its numbers over the last number of years. The growth is down to good leadership in the school from the principal, staff and board of management. Most importantly, it is down to the loyal parents who have elected to keep their community school alive. I am disappointed to say that on 16 April last year, the school received a response from the Department of education regarding an accommodation needs assessment.”
“Every expert we have talked to has said rent resets are necessary if investors are to start coming back into apartment building and the best way to stop runaway rents is to boost supply. I commend this legislation to the Seanad and I will be supporting the Minister through all Stages in the Seanad.”
“I completely understand that even the average will be difficult for a lot of people but these changes will ultimately allow us to start bringing rents down by boosting supply. The Bill does three things and it is important to keep saying them over and over again. It strengthens tenants' rights far beyond where they have ever been. It will increase supply of places to rent and ultimately, it will help to bring rents down by boosting supply. I heard Senators talk about incentivising landlords. I have heard it repeatedly now. It is the complete opposite. This Bill introduces far stricter limits on when people can be evicted than existed before. On top of that, we have increased the funding for the RTB by 70% to ensure rules are properly policed. I do not know how the Opposition can stand and watch the supply of apartments dry up.”
“What we did not hear from Opposition speakers was about the 240,000 existing tenancies that will not be affected until the tenants decide to leave their accommodation. Tenants will be hit by enormous rent increases, according to what I heard for the past eight minutes. That is not the case. No one will be able to increase the rent beyond the average rent for the area. At most, people will end up paying the average rent. Rents are high in Ireland. No one denies that at all. There is no doubt about it, but that is why we are only allowing landlords to bring rents up to the average rent. That is not 10% above the market or 20% on top of it. It is just to the average rent.”
“From now on, when tenants sign a lease, they can have far more confidence that they will have their home for at least six years. The days of being evicted on spurious grounds are over. We are putting real protections in place for tenants. Ultimately, the best way to stop rents increasing year after year is to boost supply and that is what the Bill will do by encouraging more investment in the market. These are difficult decisions to take but we are in a housing crisis. We could sit back and avoid making any decisions but that would mean the situation would only get worse and we are not prepared for that. There are a lot of slogans but no real solutions are coming forward. It means there will be new rules and new tenancies from 1 March that offer greater protection.”
“I thank the Minister for being here. It is important, as a Senator who is a member of a Government party, to make a few things clear and straight. I am disappointed that Senator McCormack has left the building because I would like to give her a few answers. This Bill will give renters far more legal protection than they have ever had in the history of the State, while increasing the supply of homes available on the market. It is about striking a balance but it is also a necessary intervention. We are in a housing crisis, an emergency and we have to make decisions that will increase the much needed supply of homes for rent to people. This is the biggest improvement in rental protections in the history of the State.”
“When you have a small rural place it is about the sense of community and of getting to know your neighbours. I am sure I am not raising the case of the only school with such provisions. I compliment the teachers, the parents' association and the board of management for having grown the numbers. The growth of the numbers is down to the fact that people are choosing to come back, live locally and at the same time want to educate their children locally. My ask here is funding for Portakabins in time in order that all children can have access to education on the one site.”
“The local national school I am talking about is Tiernascragh National School in County Galway. The principal asked the Department if the school could rent a Portakabin but said the school would need to be able to rent it straight away because of planning permission and everything else. The answer from the Department of education was "Absolutely not". I am sure the Minister is not aware this is going on. This is the planning unit within the Department of education. What needs to happen here is that the go-ahead needs to be given to be able to rent a Portakabin to keep the children all on the one site for play, learning, education and inclusion. We have moved away from that segregation. It is about the integration of children in the one yard.”
“I give a warm welcome to Lucan Educate Together National School. Today, I am raising an issue to do with national schools. I would like a debate in the Seanad on education but particularly regarding the provision of additional classrooms that are required in rural national schools in particular. I know of a rural national school that has only two classrooms but three teachers and they are expected to teach four classes in each. They are being asked by the Department to do team-teaching and they also have to do the special education down in a very small classroom. What the Department has asked of the school with its allocation of the third teacher is to go and find accommodation in the local community hall. There is no footpath to the local community centre. I am talking about a rural setting here.”
“I know the Minister, Deputy Foley, has to go. I see the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, has arrived. I thank the Minister of State very much for being here. Before we move on, I see Deputy Willie Aird has brought some visitors to the Gallery. They are very welcome to the Seanad.”
“This is a substantial improvement on what existed previously. I know the Minister of State is rushing but it is important that she has the support of the senior Minister to deliver on her ambition and when it comes to capital funding because it is a team effort within the Department of Health and it is wonderful to have two strong women leading within the Department of Health.”
“A key development has been the establishment, and Senator Cosgrove explained this, and expansion of the national postnatal hubs, which provide structured postnatal care in the community, including clinical check-ups, infant feeding support, physiotherapy, mental health screening and birth reflections. All I could think of when the Minister of State was reading them out earlier on was the parliamentary question that is going in for phase 3 to find out where they are going. I have no doubt that is the next question that will be landing in. Mental health supports have been significantly strengthened. Specialist perinatal mental health services are now co-operating with maternity networks, ensuring that women experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy and up to one year after birth can access specialist, multidisciplinary care.”
“I recall the day she visited the Coombe, and how proud she was to be delivering the perinatal mental health supports and to be meeting the physicians and staff and hearing at first hand the lived experience. It is great to think that 3,300 people have responded to the report. What we are delivering is a response, hopefully, to their lived experiences. The national maternity strategy continues to provide a clear long-term framework for delivering safe, high-quality women-centred maternity and postnatal services. Under this strategy, we have sustained investment in staffing, infrastructure and models of care across maternity services nationwide.”
“The principle of ensuring women can access timely, appropriate and affordable support following childbirth is shared across both Houses. In particular, access to mental health supports during the perinatal and postnatal period is critically important. This is an area where we must continue to ensure services are available when women need them. I acknowledge the Year of Care campaign and the advocacy work that has helped to keep postnatal care firmly on the policy agenda. It has contributed to an important discussion about how we structure services and respond to women’s lived experiences after childbirth. However, it is equally important to recognise the significant progress that has been made by the Government and particularly in recent years by the Minister of State.”
“The pressures that can arise during this period are very real and it is right that the State recognises its responsibility to support mothers during this time. It is not just mums, but the family as a whole that needs nurturing at that time. I also acknowledge the work of the campaigner, Ms Gormley, because we always need an advocate to drive things forward. It is important to acknowledge that.”
“That agreement is really welcome, as is the fact we will now have one centre of excellence for mothers and babies in the country. Sandra Broderick is not a woman to be found wanting. It is great to think we have someone looking out for the west as well. Senator Maria Byrne and I, and I have no doubt others from the west, are quite happy to be sitting here knowing both sides are being recognised. I welcome the opportunity to contribute and express my support for the motion and to acknowledge the importance of the issue being raised round postnatal care for women. There is no doubt the postnatal period can be a challenging time for many women, physically, emotionally and mentally. There is recovery from childbirth and adjusting to parenthood.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here this afternoon and for her detailed response and in-depth presentation to us. It was not a whistle-stop tour she has given us, but a really good analysis of where maternity services are at in Ireland. I acknowledge the work of Senator Cosgrove and of the Cross-Party Group of Senators Noonan, Harmon and Stephenson in bringing this motion forward and giving us the opportunity to put the spotlight on the need to have a conversation around maternity mental health supports and services. I also acknowledge the work the Minister of State has achieved concerning capital funding. It is fantastic. It is great to see that the work is being achieved. I acknowledge the work she has done with St. Vincent’s University Hospital to get to that stage.”
“I have no doubt, through the Minister of State’s good leadership and with the office and the team behind him, having secured €76 million in the latest budget and having apprenticeships front and centre, meeting sectoral demands, that is where we will drive innovation and keep our youth at home. Doing an apprenticeship means that these young people are innovators as well. They are agile and willing to change. We need to show that mainstreaming all children one way gives us one result. We need to be open and versatile, and that is what the Minister of State’s good office does.”
“It is fantastic to have the Rose of Tralee here tonight, who has been an ambassador not only for women, but women in apprenticeships. I really welcome that. It was wonderful on the night of her interview that she was able to talk so openly and fondly about her role and how she got into it. We need more ambassadors like that who can promote the role of apprenticeships. I agree with Senator Scahill that we need to bring apprenticeships into every parish and every community where there are ETBs, and where we can ensure access to education. When we look at housing and the cost of transport, we need to ensure we are market-ready for the next steps.”
“What he did have was the opportunity to partake in the apprenticeship and to work in finance and insurance, and it has paid dividends. He managed to earn and learn all the way through it and sustain himself while in college. It gave him that opportunity for independence and build confidence as a person who had to take a second chance. When I talk about second chances in the time that is left to me, there is also wonderful work going on in relation to social work, with the HSE and Tusla, where we have people with the lived experience able to partake in social care and bring their knowledge of the care system and what it is like to be in foster care to engage with young people at their level. Expansion of what is being delivered at the moment through UCC right across the country would be really welcome.”
“I thank the Minister for being in the House this evening and for the opportunity to speak on apprenticeships. As the mother of a son who has qualified with his degree after receiving it through an apprenticeship in finance and insurance through Atlantic Technological University Sligo, it has been an absolutely fantastic opportunity, and I cannot praise it highly enough. The opportunity was as a Covid child of the leaving certificate, who actually said to me at one stage, “I am a sprint finisher, mother”, which meant he did not have enough done when they were doing the grades at the time. This meant he might not have got what he wanted. He went through the college system because he was told he had to do it by his mother, and by Christmas he said it was not working out.”
“It takes the form of children being dressed up as adults in sexually suggestive clothing and being made to pose for pictures and videos to be posted online. This practice should be seen as and considered child sexual abuse material. It should be treated as such in the law, and those creating this content should face harsh consequences. On Internet digital safety day, therefore, I have raised with the Leader two solutions that would help protect our children online. One is the enacting of section 30(6) of the Data Protection Act. The other is to bring forward a law preventing sexual exploitation of our minors. That would go a long way towards protecting our children and ensuring we do not have targeting of algorithms where children have not given consent in respect to their data because they cannot as they are under 16 years of age.”
“This is despite the EU General Data Protection Regulation explicitly stating that, "Processing [of data] shall be lawful only if and to the extent that at least one of the following applies... [that] the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes". The digital age of consent in Ireland is 16. Children under 16 cannot consent to the processing of their data. Therefore, it should be illegal to target children under 16 with advertising or algorithms. I ask that the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration come before Seanad Éireann to address that issue. On the day he is here I would also like sexual exploitation to be addressed. That is widespread online today.”
“I thank the Leader for the opportunity to speak. Today is digital Internet safety day. It is an important day in the calendar because it is a day when we bring awareness to keeping children safe online. It is unfortunate that it is a day. It should be every day that we ensure we are keeping our children safe online. The protection of minors should be a priority for the Data Protection Commission. However, section 30(6) of the Data Protection Act 2018, which would make it illegal to profile minors for the purpose of targeting them with advertising, has never been commenced. This means tech platforms à la algorithms can use minors' data such as their age, gender or sexual orientation to target ads at them. Children and vulnerable adults can be brought to the extremes easily by harmful ads.”
“This means that I can take preventative measures and by using the various levers that the consultant, Dr. Barrett, says that I need, do all I can to ensure that I do not end up in an accident and emergency department and being a cost. As the Senator laid it out earlier, preventative medicine and early intervention is how the Minister can manage her budget, which has so many competing demands. It has taught me that over 7,000 Irish people have heart attacks and strokes every year, but if we tested for the LP(a) gene for those who may carry it, we could support people through an awareness campaign. I am totally supportive and Senator Costello also laid out her reasons why she supports it too. There is good merit in this proposal and we should support the motion. From a cost measure point of view, it makes absolute sense.”
“Staff from the charity Croí recently came to this House. They came to monitor our heart and blood pressure but they also provided the opportunity for blood tests. People cannot get the blood testing service they provide through their local GP because it was to see if they carry the gene of a genetic disorder called the Lp(a). I did not know on the day what Croí's staff were testing on the day, but I do know that my late father died of a massive heart attack and I selected to have the blood test done. Croí provided the blood test but a cardiologist had to review to it. It turns out that I carry that LP(a) gene. I would never have known only for the provision of that blood test. I would never have known only for the Croí staff having staff from an independent group with them who were doing the sample tests.”
“The Minister is very welcome to the House. I support the motion. I really welcome it on the basis that as the Leader said, Ireland is a leader in the medtech industry. When we have created an environment to attract industry, we are educating people to the highest level and we see what the Government has put in place with the research and innovation fund in our third level universities, it makes perfect sense to me that the Minister would explore the opportunities to see how we can ensure we have equity of access and equity of diagnosis on this island. It will support our GPs and our consultants by ensuring we have timely intervention. It will also ensure that we have data kept on one platform and can share that information so that early intervention can happen in a timely fashion. I will share with the Minister one little story.”
“It has a pathway for minor injuries but people must go through the same front door as those with emergencies. If we had a stand-alone minor injuries unit, it would treat not only those who have had trips and falls, of which I have had experience in the past week, but also those with burns. Many can be catered for through a minor injuries unit, so there is a great need for one. The pathway in Galway should be a minor injuries unit. It should be trialled. The emergency department pathway is working, but it should be stand-alone. I would welcome comment from the Minister for Health on this. Maybe this is a matter for a Commencement debate. There is a genuine need.”
“County Galway needs a stand-alone minor injuries unit. It has a population of 362,000. Limerick, Dundalk and Cork all have stand-alone minor injuries units. There are only nine of them in the country. Our nearest one is in Roscommon. While I appreciate the valuable work done in Roscommon, I have no doubt the staff are serving the population of their own county while also trying to support Galway, Mayo and Offaly. In a county the size of Galway, with its population of 362,000, a stand-alone minor injuries unit would meet a great need. Our pathways for accessing primary care for injuries at the moment are Westdoc, which is our local GP service, and the accident and emergency unit, for which one must queue. Tremendous work is being done in the accident and emergency department.”
“I would like her to see this first hand because she is very much a Minister, from what I can see, with boots on the ground, who says, "Let her see. Let me understand it." She will understand clearly, when she sees it, that everything I am looking for is actually outside. I am delighted that Galway County Council is engaging in the whole conversation but the opportunity is there for us to deliver upon.”
“The gardens are outside and there is a coffee area that would be fantastic for training and developing people with additional needs to get them into employment. That is totally not utilised by any manner or means. As for my ask, I not want to disturb any of the inhabitants within the building. Over time no doubt the HSE will have a plan to have the more integrated mental health services mainstreamed within the town's sphere of Tuam. While it is currently working through that process, I am only looking for access to construct, for anybody with farming terminology, a "lean-to" to put the horses into so that we have access to running water to give water to the horses. There are outdoor toilets there already. From an infrastructural point of view, I would welcome the Minister visiting the site.”
“I welcome the commitment of the Ministers of State, Deputies Higgins and Brophy, and all colleagues within government to the Toghermore site. It is important for me, in the few seconds that I have to lay this out, to say that I totally understand the mental health services and supports that are being delivered within Toghermore House. I totally understand the commitment that has been made in relation to the excavation works that are going on in Tuam at the mother and baby home. They are all within the buildings. I am looking to use the grass. I am looking to use the land surrounding the buildings. The horses are needed outside. The stables that we would put up would be outside. The running track is outside. The two pitches are outside.”
“If the people with additional needs who are attending would like to watch the girls play or to participate in sport themselves, we should have an open and inclusive environment. What we have in Toghermore is the opportunity to develop a centre of excellence that would set us apart in the west by ensuring that we have intervention and the people of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon have access to alternative respite and intervention and, at the same time, meeting the strategy of inclusion when it comes to the national disability strategy, with children and adults with additional needs enjoying sports and the environment. Equine therapy is not just good for children with additional needs; it is really good in addressing domestic violence. Women with trauma who can access equine therapy make fantastic recoveries, as studies in the UK have shown us.”
“The Clondalkin site can have one occupational therapist and five children on a horse. They will get the same value from the movements in their hips by being on the horse as having a one-to-one with that occupational therapist. We have finite resources when it comes to physio, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. The Liskennett site on the Limerick-Cork border delivered 6,500 respite interventions last year alone. That was with 20 horses. I am advocating that we prioritise in the capital plan the development of the Toghermore site, ensuring that we have the horses. The land is there. The development should also encompass the pitches and the running track so that people can have a dual experience. It is not just all about equine. Rather, they can actually mainstream.”