Aubrey McCarthy
University of Dublin · Independent · Ireland
“I briefly mention what my colleague Senator Andrews mentioned about the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, and its proposed reduction for those who are hosting Ukrainians in Ireland.”
“I have travelled to Ukraine and seen first-hand the resilience and dignity of the people. Many of the people I hosted are from Mariupol and have nothing to go back to. They are not just people receiving support but people who have become part of the community here. We should never forget why they came here in the first place.”
“Just as I was coming in this morning, standing on the lawn at the Merrion side of Leinster House it is hard to ignore the ragwort that is growing on the grass. Under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936, ragwort is a noxious weed.”
“I extend the welcome to Emma and Adam. I first met them through our homeless services at the Lighthouse Homeless Café. They came to access services. Adam is a bright lad. He is studying away. He is a fanatic when it comes to basketball and I hope that one day, he will play for Ireland, if not in the NBA in the US.”
“As someone who has spent over two decades in Tiglin, trying to get people from homelessness, addiction and domestic abuse back into employment and education, I can say that the Mr Price model works very well.”
“I hope we ensure that people such as Adam are given every chance to fulfil their dreams. I wish Emma and Adam every success. I thank Emma for volunteering at the Lighthouse with my manager, Mr. Rob Byrne. It is something special. I welcome the Belgian Ambassador to the House. He is a wonderful representative of his country.”
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“Just as I was coming in this morning, standing on the lawn at the Merrion side of Leinster House it is hard to ignore the ragwort that is growing on the grass. Under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936, ragwort is a noxious weed. Landowners have a legal duty to prevent its growth, as do councils, etc., and failure to do so can result of a fine of up to €1,000. This is the House that makes the laws. There is an argument that ragwort should not be illegal and then that would be fine. However, we cannot ask farmer councils and ordinary people to uphold the law if we do not do it ourselves. We are the ones who make the law. Either we change the law or we uphold it; we should not be seen to tolerate it.”
“I have travelled to Ukraine and seen first-hand the resilience and dignity of the people. Many of the people I hosted are from Mariupol and have nothing to go back to. They are not just people receiving support but people who have become part of the community here. We should never forget why they came here in the first place. They did not leave their homes by choice. They fled bombs, violence and a loss of everything that they knew as home. As we review the supports, I agree with Senator Andrews that it has to be fair. I ask that we do so with wisdom and compassion. Let us make the decisions that are financially responsible for the Irish but also recognise the enormous situation the Ukrainians are in. I hope the Minister will carefully consider the concerns raised by the Irish Red Cross.”
“I briefly mention what my colleague Senator Andrews mentioned about the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, and its proposed reduction for those who are hosting Ukrainians in Ireland. I understand that the Government has difficult decisions to make in this regard, and we must make sure that public money is wisely spent, but we also have to consider the human consequences of this. I notice in the last number of months, at our homeless café on Pearse Street, a number of Ukrainians are turning up and that number is starting to increase. The Irish Red Cross warned today that many of the families who are hosting Ukrainians in Ireland will no longer host when the ARP has been wound down. I am speaking from personal experience. When the war broke out, I took Ukrainians into the organisation, Tiglin.”
“As someone who has spent over two decades in Tiglin, trying to get people from homelessness, addiction and domestic abuse back into employment and education, I can say that the Mr Price model works very well. The dignity that comes with earning your own wage, being part of a team, feeling included and knowing that you are valued cannot be overstated. A job changes far more than just giving an income. It changes confidence and independence. I congratulate Ms McSorley and everyone at Mr Price on having the courage to think differently when it comes to recruitment and also proving that inclusive employment is the right thing to do and makes good business sense. I hope that many other employers across Ireland look at this model and ask themselves why they are not doing the same thing.”
“I met a lady in this House yesterday called Ms Edel McSorley, who is one of the directors of Mr Price. Over the past 16 years, it has built 75 stores around Ireland and employs 2,000 people. Some 90% of the staff come through community employment partners rather than the traditional recruitment channels. What impressed me the most is that this is not just a corporate social responsibility project but its model of business. Instead of asking who fits a particular job, it looks at the person and asks how to build a role around them. It replaces barriers with opportunities. It recognises that interviews and certain work environments do not suit everybody and works hand in hand with community partners to make it work.”
“I hope we ensure that people such as Adam are given every chance to fulfil their dreams. I wish Emma and Adam every success. I thank Emma for volunteering at the Lighthouse with my manager, Mr. Rob Byrne. It is something special. I welcome the Belgian Ambassador to the House. He is a wonderful representative of his country. His wife, Mrs. Poy Petklai Nihon, and son, Mr. Ananda Nihon, are very welcome to Ireland. I wish them a happy Belgium Day next week. I want to mention employment opportunities. We hear a great deal in this House about the shortage of staff and the difficulties when people are trying to recruit. Perhaps we do not spend enough time looking at the many thousands of people who are willing to work but remain locked out of employment because of the way we recruit.”
“I extend the welcome to Emma and Adam. I first met them through our homeless services at the Lighthouse Homeless Café. They came to access services. Adam is a bright lad. He is studying away. He is a fanatic when it comes to basketball and I hope that one day, he will play for Ireland, if not in the NBA in the US. Like so many others, his biggest obstacle is not his lack of ability on the basketball court. It is his lack of somewhere to call home. When I have Adam here as my guest, it is hard to allow talented young people to have their future determined by our housing crisis. He deserves the same opportunities as any other young person to pursue his education and follow his dreams. I hope that all of us in the Seanad, as Members of the Oireachtas, are remembered for removing and not creating barriers.”
“The Minister knows we have more than 17,500 people in emergency accommodation and the number has come down by 100 in the last census but in the coming months I know it will possibly increase with the temporary protection being removed from our Ukrainian friends in Ireland. I have put it on record that I want the Minister to be the most successful housing Minister and I want to be such a cheerleader for the housing plan and for the Government but we need a whole-of-government approach to this issue. Otherwise we will have a generation of children growing up in emergency accommodation and that is a problem.”
“Many of those people urgently need a safe place to sleep and if we proceed without the safeguards we risk increasing rough sleeping, even though that is certainly not the Minister's intention. I acknowledge the Government has pointed to a so-called safety net but that provision only allows night-by-night access from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. That in itself does not provide stability, security or dignity. It makes no allowances for winter darkness nor for parents with children. It is not consistent with the modern, housing-led approaches to homelessness. I feel in that it is a step backwards.”
“I hope that while modernising the system, the Bill does not drag us backwards to a Victorian model of night shelters and conditional access to basic humanitarian protection. I know the Bill introduces new barriers to emergency shelter. As the Minister is aware, my organisation has a homeless café on Pearse Street and we see people every evening who are looking for accommodation and help in any way. It is a barrier I hope will not fall hardest on people who are fleeing domestic violence, people who have mental health issues or families who have been recently evicted. I hope the Bill will not affect them and that is the purpose of my amendment here so it is well intentioned.”
“My purpose with the amendment was to safeguard human rights, preventing homelessness and ensuring the legislation reflects a modern republic. The amendment was literally for a human rights and equality assessment to be carried out and a strategy devised to protect people in Ireland under the EU temporary protection directive, ensuring none are pushed into homelessness as an unintended consequence of this Bill. The amendment further requires that the strategy should uphold EU anti-human trafficking laws and include the voices of human rights, immigration rights and homelessness organisations. The purpose of me pushing the amendment was that the likes of Focus Ireland, Tiglin and other front-line organisations have raised serious concerns about this Bill, as the legislation is the first major change in homelessness law since 1988.”
“If the Minister of State remembers back to the IFSC the docklands and the regeneration of Dublin, it did not happen because of a series of disconnected planning decisions. It happened because there was a long-term vision that allowed transport, utilities, commercial development and public investment all to be co-ordinated over a long-term plan. The Canary Wharf principle was discussed in this House before, whereby the likes of Ballymore homes were given a long-term framework. It allowed it to work over phases, but over decades. Anybody who looks at a motorway being built without the housing to justify it, or housing built without a school or a sewer to serve it, knows exactly how much long-term alignment matters. I know that with what we are legislating for now in 2026, this country will look radically different in 2056.”
“The purpose of my amendments was certainly well meaning. I only found out this morning that they were ruled out of order. We put a good bit of work into them. My point was that, even in my own hometown of Naas, without long-term planning, the town would be radically different than it is now. There is an area called Millennium Park. I recall when it was put on a piece of paper about how this would come about. That is 30 years ago and now it is coming to fruition. If we look at areas like Singapore, they operate on a long-term plan looking around 50 years ahead. It prepares a master plan looking ahead ten to 15 years, but there is an overall helicopter view that delivers the next phase of that longer vision. The shorter plan does not replace the long-term, but implements it.”
“I encourage everyone to visit Rise at the Abbey, support this new social enterprise and see for themselves what local authorities can do when they join with tourism bodies, charities and communities. It really works and I commend those involved on that. I also highlight Vision Ireland, which is calling for a national vision strategy. Over 300,000 people live with some form of vision impairment in Ireland. That includes 31,000 with severe sight loss and 70% of sight loss is preventable through early detection and treatment. Ireland has national strategies for cancer and dementia, but it still does not have a national vision strategy. Vision Ireland is calling for a national strategy. This would save the State in costs and also provide faster access to treatment and lead to prevention.”
“Now, however, thanks to the vision of Wicklow County Council, and together with Fáilte Ireland and the Wicklow town team, we have set up a new social enterprise in the grounds of the old abbey in Wicklow town. It is more than just a café. It is a place where people gain confidence, skills and dignity through meaningful work while creating a fantastic amenity for the community. The Taste of Wicklow festival showed exactly what is possible. Brian Gleeson, deputy chief executive of Wicklow County Council, was joined by thousands of people who filled the Abbey Grounds and enjoyed food made by local producers. There were demonstrations by the likes of Rachel Allen and Catherine Fulvio. If it has anything to do with food, I will be there anyway.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Deputy Leader. I hope they are enjoying the wonderful weather we are having. I was down in Wicklow last weekend where I had the pleasure of attending the Taste of Wicklow festival in the Abbey Grounds. I acknowledge this fantastic example of what a local authority can do, as well as the social enterprise that was in action there. As the Deputy Leader knows, Tiglin set up various social enterprises, and we have seen how social enterprise can transform a community. The Rise at the Cove café in Greystones is a wonderful example of how we brought employment and opportunity to people who were simply overlooked before.”
“I move amendment No. 9: In page 15, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following: “(5) In making appointments under this section, the Minister shall ensure that not fewer than 2 members of the Board possess significant knowledge of, and experience in, the development, deployment or commercialisation of AI technologies, digital innovation, entrepreneurship or business representation, including experience gained through service with a recognised representative body of enterprises or industry sectors.”.”
“I move amendment No. 6: In page 14, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “(h) develop, publish and disseminate guidance, codes of practice and other informational materials to assist businesses, public bodies and other persons in understanding and complying with the Artificial Intelligence Regulation and any enactments relating to the development, placing on the market, putting into service, deployment or use of AI systems; (i) facilitate, promote and support access to training, educational programmes, workshops and other initiatives designed to enhance awareness, capability and compliance among businesses, public bodies and other persons in relation to AI systems and the Artificial Intelligence Regulation; (j) provide advice, guidance and technical assistance to the Minister, relevant competent authorities, businesses and other organisations in relation to the interpretation, implementation and practical application of the Artificial Intelligence Regulation and related enactments, with a view to promoting compliance, legal certainty and the responsible adoption of AI systems; (k) advise the Minister on policies, measures and initiatives to facilitate and accelerate the adoption, deployment and commercialisation of AI technologies by businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to support innovation, productivity and competitiveness, reduce barriers to compliance, and strengthen the State’s position as a leading location for the development and responsible use of AI technologies.”.”
“That is how good regulation works; not in isolation but in partnerships with all of us who must comply. Ultimately, success should not be measured by the number of investigations conducted or number of sanctions imposed. Success needs to be measured by how many businesses understand the rules and comply with them, and confidently adopt trustworthy AI. Amendment No. 6, which I have tabled, helps to achieve that goal. It ensures Ireland is not only a leader in regulating AI but a leader in enabling its responsible and innovative use.”
“By empowering the AI office to develop and disseminate guidance to facilitate training programmes and provide technical assistance, we will ensure businesses will receive help before any problems arise. Crucially, the amendment also enhances legal certainty. Many organisations are eager to adopt AI, but many remain unsure how the Act will apply to them in practice. We need clear guidance to reduce that uncertainty and encourage responsible investment and innovation. When businesses know the rules they are more likely to follow them. The amendment also strengthens the feedback loop between businesses, regulators and government. The AI office will be uniquely placed to advise the Minister on emerging implementation challenges, and that will ensure the policy will evolve in line with real-world experience.”
“Most Irish organisations that are going to be affected by the AI Act will not be large multinational technology companies that have a lot of staff and armies of lawyers and engineers. They will be small and medium-sized enterprises, often with limited in-house expertise. They will need clear guidance, a practical code of practice, training and technical assistance if they are to comply with the new legislation and do that confidently. My amendment rebalances the Bill by placing compliance support alongside enforcement. It does not weaken the standard; it strengthens it. Prevention is always more effective and far less costly than enforcement after the fact.”
“I wish to speak in support of amendment No. 6, which seeks to expand the statutory functions of the State's AI office, so that it becomes, not only a regulator but also a genuine centre of excellence for guidance, practical support and training. If we want the AI regulation to succeed, then businesses must understand what is expected of them. Regulation works best when compliance is enabled. At the moment, even on the enterprise committee, I think compliance is feared - certainly among SMEs. As drafted, the Bill contains extensive provisions on investigations, sanctions and enforcement. Of course these are necessary, but what is missing here is the equivalent emphasis on helping businesses, particularly SMEs, as I have mentioned. It is a new territory and they could be helped to navigate this complex regulatory landscape.”
“If the AI office is going to be effective, its board must reflect the breadth of Ireland's AI ecosystem. Including members with recognised industry experience will strengthen the office's credibility. It will improve engagement and it will also ensure that regulation remains practical, proportionate and also supportive of responsible innovation. That is what I hope to achieve with amendment No. 9.”
“They can also anticipate unintended consequences and ensure that regulatory measures are proportionate and workable in practice. That practical perspective will improve the quality, credibility and effectiveness of the office's output. This proposal is entirely consistent with the principle that innovation and business adoption should remain central considerations alongside our regulatory objectives. It does not create an industry majority. It does not compromise the independence of the board. It simply ensures that business experience sits alongside other forms of expertise within a balanced governance structure. Good governance benefits from diversity of experience, and complex AI issues require perspectives from regulators, lawyers, academics and technologists who understand exactly how businesses deploy AI systems.”
“The amendment is not about representing specific sectional interests; it is about broadening expertise, industry experience and technical expertise that will hopefully lead to better-informed and more balanced decision-making. Recognised industry associations engage daily with businesses of all sizes, particularly SMEs, which I have spoken about many times in this House, and they understand the practical challenges we face when implementing new regulatory obligations or adopting emerging technologies. Including board members with such experience will ensure that the office's work is grounded in the realities of what we are experiencing in SMEs, not just in theory or policy. Members with industry backgrounds can provide valuable insight into how codes of practice, guidance and regulatory initiatives will operate on the ground.”
“I want to speak in support of amendment No. 9. It proposes that at least two members of the AI office board possess significant experience in AI development, commercialisation and digital innovation or, in other words, recognised industry representation. It is a modest but important amendment, and it strengthens the governance of the AI office and ensures that its decisions are informed by real-world experience. The AI office will make decisions that will affect every business across every sector in the economy and it will shape how AI is regulated, guidance is issued and compliance is supported. For that reason, it is essential that the board includes members who understand how AI is developed, deployed and adopted in practice.”
“I ask the Acting Leader to ask the Minister for education to urgently revisit this decision before the school year begins. These families acted in good faith. They had a promise and they acted on that. I sincerely hope that the Minister will do the right thing regarding St. Corban's.”
“They had a meeting with the Department's assistant secretary general. Every option has been exhausted but the request has been refused because of a technical staffing rule. The result is that one junior infant class in St. Corban's in Naas will have almost 40 children. These are four- and five-year-olds taking their first steps into education. We cannot say that we are committed to giving every child the best possible start in life when giving a pupil to teacher ratio of 1:40. I acknowledge the professionalism of the principal, John Drewett, his staff and the board of management. They have gone out of their way and done everything possible to appease the situation and to manage an impossible situation. They have been clear that this is not an acceptable long-term solution. Sometimes common sense must take precedence over bureaucracy.”
“I wish to raise an issue that affects that town that I come from, namely, Naas. It is to do with St. Corban's National School. Earlier this year, following engagement with the Department of education, the school was encouraged to open a third junior infant class. On that basis, 25 additional students were enrolled for this coming September. Parents accepted these places in good faith, believing that the necessary teaching resources that were promised would follow. Now, just weeks before the new term begins, the Department has refused to allocate the additional teacher. It is not because the school failed to act. For four months, the principal, the board of management, the parents and the school's patron have all engaged and pursued every possible avenue, including an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board.”
“We are asking for the Minister to look, to gather evidence and to bring that evidence back to this House within a year so that we can then, when we next legislate on aviation capacity, we can do so as a whole country, rather than in respect of one airport in isolation. I have heard it said that regional airports are a legacy issue and that the future of Irish aviation is consolidation around Dublin. I do not accept that. A small island country cannot put all its eggs in one basket when it comes to airports. These other airports should not be an afterthought. The amendment would cost the Exchequer absolutely nothing. It would delay nothing. It asks only that we think properly and on the record about the other airports in the State before the next round of aviation policy is set in stone.”
“A family in Kerry, Mayo or Donegal should not have to drive three hours to Dublin in order to fly out of the country. The second is local employment. Every route based out of a regional airport supports jobs, tourism, logistics, hospitality and aviation. These are jobs that are needed most in places that are farthest from Dublin. The third aspect is to reduce our overreliance on the larger airports. A country that funnels all its air traffic through one hub is a country susceptible to one bad afternoon as a result of power being lost, which happened at Heathrow Airport recently. That would put us in a dreadful situation. I stress that this amendment is modest. It is constructive. We are not legislating for any outcomes here.”
“It is a report on how we can best use our regional airports and how they can be put to proper use that will support regional development, which is in the programme for Government, and also take pressure off Dublin Airport. The Minister knows we have wonderful infrastructure at Kerry, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Donegal airports. Those runways are sitting there today. They are often underused, as we know. At the same time, however, Dublin is straining at the seams and rural Ireland is missing out. The programme for Government advocates for balanced regional development, but what I have outlined is not balance when it comes to regional development. The report we are asking for is not just a box-ticking exercise. Amendment No. 2 is specific and deliberate. We want the Minister to examine three things. The first one is fares.”
“I thank the Minister for being here and I thank Senator Conway for his words even though I did not understand some of them. I am moving this amendment with Senator Conway because I know this Bill is important, but it also risks becoming just a Dublin story when it should be a national one. I know we are debating the passenger cap at Dublin Airport and how many people can move through one gateway in Ireland, which is in Dublin. It is a legitimate and pressing question, but every hour we stand debating capacity at one airport is time we are not asking a basic question: why does so much of Ireland's connectivity have to run through a single gate at all? Even though I live near Dublin Airport and use it all of the time, I think this amendment is asking for something reasonable.”
“I urge the Government to progress the judicial council (amendment) Bill because we need a fairer and more predictable system with proper international benchmarking. It is not about denying people fair compensation; it is about striking the right balance, with which everybody in this House would agree. Ultimately, lower claims must translate into lower premiums but we are not seeing that at the moment. That is what motorists, businesses, voluntary organisations and families across Ireland have been promised and that is what they deserve. I second the amendment proposed by Senator Clonan.”
“As somebody who has run social enterprises in the community - we have a new one opening in Wicklow town this Friday - I know the pressure that insurance costs place on such organisations, like Tiglin, that simply want to serve their communities. In some cases, insurance costs can be the difference between expanding and shutting down. The report also highlights that legal costs continue to drive up claims. The Central Bank has found that claims dealt with through the Injuries Resolution Board are resolved in half the time of those that end up in litigation. Of course, that is better for everyone. It supports the person who makes the claim and the person who pays the premium. Therefore, we need to encourage far more cases to avail of the Injuries Resolution Board.”
“I wish to raise the issue of insurance reform. Progress has been made. My colleague Senator Nelson Murray often raises the matter. We cannot afford to lose momentum in this area. The latest report by the Society of Actuaries in Ireland confirms that the reforms introduced in recent years are working. Since the personal injury guidelines were introduced in 2021, the average injury award has fallen by almost 30%. That is significant and the Government deserves credit for staying the course on this, but we are not there yet. Insurance premiums remain far too high for many people. I hear that from small business clubs, charities and community organisations every week.”
“There is also the changing tactics and colours used to market vapes and our response must keep pace. We also need to continue to invest in helping people who genuinely want to quit whether that is better access to counselling, community-based supports or nicotine replacement therapies. I know that there is a view of changing the colours and things like that. I believe all of that working together will save lives and reduce the long-term costs for the State. I simply ask the Minister of State and her Department continue to keep this area under close review, as the amendment suggests. With the products that cause real harm, particularly to young people - the Minister of State will know that I am involved in the youth sector through Tiglin - we need to ensure that the legislation evolves just as quickly as the challenges that we face.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here and commend her on this important Bill. We should have dealt with vapes before now so it is timely that the Minister of State, as a new appointee, is dealing with it now. Before I continue I would like to welcome my friends in the Gallery, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach has mentioned, especially Gillian who is here with her husband Niall. Gillian has recently graduated with a PhD in psychology from Dublin City University so she is assessing every one of the Senators now as they speak. Congratulations from all of us here and we are delighted to have the couple with us here today. I support the amendment because it adds value to the legislation. Tobacco control cannot stand still as the products constantly change, as has been mentioned by my colleagues.”
“I ask the Government to have a debate on food poverty and on the rising cost of living and see whether anything can be done to support families who are doing everything right but are still getting left behind. I have said before that the measure of a compassionate society is how we treat those people who are not doing so well and who cannot afford to put food on the table. Surely in 2026 we can do better than this.”
“She said was listening to the radio because it is the only comfort she has. With the permission of the researcher, I asked whether I could ring her on the way home and they allowed me to do so. It was a fascinating story about how she is trying to make ends meet. People like Lucia lie awake wondering how they are going to get to the next pay day. We often sit in this House discussing GDP, budget surpluses and economic growth, and these are really important, but think about the Lucia standing at the supermarket checkout and putting food back on the shelf because she has run out of money. The Barnardos report tells us there is a huge concern. Children do not choose the circumstances they are born into but they are experiencing food poverty. I know good initiatives are in place but clearly for too many families it is not enough.”
“I want to raise a report released by Barnardos in the last week of June, which found that one in five families are cutting back on food because they simply cannot afford it. This means 20% of our population. Parents are skipping meals so their children can eat. Others are reducing portion sizes or going without essentials just to get through the week. I find this really worrying. As the Leader knows, for 20 years I have been working with families across Ireland through Tiglin and I have seen what poverty is like. It is often invisible; it is the mother who says she has eaten but perhaps has not so her kids can eat. Recently I was on "The Late Debate" on RTÉ and a woman, whose name is Lucia, texted in. She said she was at home and had turned off all the lights and the heating when the kids had gone to bed.”
“It is trust that when somebody takes the brave step to ask for help that we protect their rights but we also protect their dignity. I hope that in this House we can continue to uphold the constitutional right to a fair trial but also the equally important principle that counselling must remain a place of safety, healing and hope.”
“Applications should be based on genuine necessity and relevance, not speculation or used as fishing expeditions. Judges should continue to act as careful gatekeepers weighing the justice, of course, against the real risk of causing further harm to the victims, as Senator Stephenson said. Over many years, we have encouraged survivors to come forward - that has progressed over recent years - to report abuse and seek counselling. We should not undermine all that progress. If we even have a small number of victims deciding not to help themselves because they fear that counselling records may be later exposed, then we fail and fail badly. This legislation is much more than about legal procedure, it is about trust. It is about trust in the justice system.”
“They are often a record of somebody's healing journey where memories are explored and emotions are expressed and then their trauma is processed. They are written strictly for therapeutic processes and not evidential ones. Of course, the rights of an accused person are fundamental. Every person must be entitled to a fair trial. Nothing should diminish that. Victims, however, such as Paula who has been mentioned here, have the rights. They need the right to dignity and privacy and to recover from that trauma without fearing that the most intimate conversations that they have had with a professional counsellor may later be examined in an open court unless there is a compelling and clearly justified reason for doing so. That is why the threshold for disclosure must be exceptionally high.”
“Since this legislation came to public attention, I have been contacted by many women asking whether it will automatically mean that their counselling notes will be disclosed, whether, if I was in their shoes, I should stop going to counselling and whether what they tell their counsellor is really private. The fact that survivors are asking those questions should concern us all in this House. Counselling notes are not statements prepared for court. It is where somebody feels vulnerable enough to share what has happened to them. It is often the case that when people are vulnerable, they start questioning themselves and asking whether they led that person on, which would not be the case but people start to question in a very protected place with their counsellor. These should not be police reports or forensic reports.”
“If people begin to fear that their counselling notes could routinely become part of a criminal trial, many then will simply stop talking. The Minister knows that I am involved in Tiglin. We have a women's refuge. Some of the women have told me that if this became the case, they would avoid counselling all together. It would involve censoring themselves. That would be a huge tragedy for themselves and not just for themselves for healing from the trauma but also for society. Before entering politics, I spent 20 years working with men and women who have come from a traumatised background.”
“I thank the Minister for being here. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. At the heart of the legislation is a simple question. How do we protect the right to a fair trial while also protecting those who have already experienced trauma? There have been examples given. There are visitors in the Gallery and Paula's own story was given. The legislation must and can do both. Counselling is one of the few places where survivors of abuse, sexual violence and domestic violence get the opportunity to speak freely. It is where they begin to process fear, shame and trauma. They do so believing that what they are saying is confidential except in the most exceptional circumstances, which are provided for by the law.”
“Until fewer children are growing up in hotel rooms and fewer families are turning to organisations like mine, our work will be far from done in this House. We need to focus on getting the numbers to the Government target.”
“The Government is saying that we will have 40,000 houses built by the end of this year. However, the target is meant to be around 50,000. My fear is there is roughly a shortfall of 10,000. I do not want to take from the Minister for housing's progress in getting the numbers up but we still have to up our game. The Deputy Leader will be aware that I am involved with Tiglin and I have worked on homelessness for many years. I see that 17,500 people are now in emergency accommodation. Behind every one of those figures is a person. While I genuinely believe and welcome the figures, I see the number of planning applications that have gone through has decreased. We need to focus on how we can move to homelessness falling.”
“Just before I came up here, I had an interview on Ukraine's television equivalent of RTÉ. There was an overnight attack, which killed 17. I was asked about the European Presidency and Ireland taking up that Presidency, but the focus came back to Aughinish and the alumina plant. I was sent a list of questions and that was not on it, but we cannot be seen to support Ukraine and support Ukraine's war, and also support Ukrainian citizens in Ireland, while at the same time allowing a firm deliver manufactured materials to Russia, which then attacks Ukraine. I know we have an investigation but it needs to be swift and transparent, and then we need to move on whatever the outcome is. I also welcome the housing figures showing more than 7,800 homes were completed in the first quarter. That is an increase of 33%. Every new home is welcome.”