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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“The question that was constantly asked at the housing committee the other day was, why has the commission's work not been implemented? Why has it only accepted to appear before the committee a year after the report was published? There were two and a half years of meetings and hundreds of hours with input from experts, academics and housing bodies, so what have we done with it as an Oireachtas? Have we disagreed with the findings? Were there no immediate recommendations in the findings? I have looked through them, and there certainly seem to be. Was it shelved for other reasons? It looks to me like we are in paralysis and that the way we established the commission and did not deal with it was chaotic. We say time and again that homelessness and housing are priorities but it seems we as an Oireachtas are not behaving in that way.”
“I have in my hand the recommendations from the report by the Housing Commission, which was recently published. The commission was established in December 2021. At that stage, there were 8,900 homeless people, including approximately 2,450 children. Today, nearly three and a half years on - that is, two and a half years of work and a year of a delay - the number of homeless has nearly doubled, with 15,580 homeless, including 4,775 children. This is the backdrop against which the commission's report lands. The report rightly concludes that housing must be seen as a national priority. There are 83 recommendations around providing shelter - not only that, but also providing social cohesion and support our economic future.”
“This is something that would benefit people. Given the challenges we face, it would be of benefit to have such cafés rolled out throughout the country. Members will be aware that I am involved with a charity that deals with individuals with mental health struggles.”
“A Solace Café would serve as a compassionate hub offering warm beverages, like cafés do, but also a quiet environment and access to resources for emotional well-being and mental health. The initiative aligns with our mental health strategy, and it also reinforces our commitment to community-driven solutions. I mentioned similar commitments and establishments in this House previously that have been made in other regions where they have been very successful in reducing loneliness and providing relief to individuals struggling with mental health before it escalates into a crisis. It is about creating a sanctuary and connection. I urge my colleagues in this House to advocate for such an essential place in south County Dublin, working with local stakeholders to secure funding but also to identify a suitable location.”
“I mentioned in this House recently that one in four people experience some form of mental health problem during their lifetime, which is a significant proportion of the population. I am writing today to urge the Government and, importantly, South Dublin County Council, to address an urgent need in the Dublin Mid-West area for a dedicated Solace Café. These cafés have been put in place before very successfully. They are welcoming spaces where individuals can find refuge, connection and support. The absence of such a space in the area is felt by those struggling with mental health problems, social isolation or simply the pressures they experience in daily life.”
“It seems to be a single engineer and an administrator and it is just not enough to get the grants through. As I mentioned, someone having to go through five officials means that there is poor communication and the system, in that case, is just not working. The cost for this grant is not just measured in delays, but also in extra rent and a loss of public trust. Therefore, when I hear of a new Bill, I welcome it. When I hear of new housing initiatives, I welcome them but all I can hear in the back of my head is, "One in 50 is getting paid". We need to improve on getting the grants over the line. Let us turn this into a good news story.”
“Now, I will say that, as of 28 April 2025, the figures had improved, with 12,400 applications and 8,600 approvals. However, there had only been 2,096 payments. It seems that the system is working but it is not working fast enough. Three quarters of the approved projects are still waiting for the money. Every stalled file is a roof over the heads of, let us say, two people. That is approximately 13,000 people who are still without their home because this grant is not being administered properly. Another issue with this grant is that it is only paid after the work is done. Not only do the individuals have to buy the house, they then have to frontload the expenditure. My issue here relates to the staffing of the local authority units that deal with vacant properties.”
“The grant was finally given in July 2024 but, by then, the builder my friend had secured had moved on, the costs of doing the building had gone up and the project therefore became more expensive or perhaps unworkable. I do not think he was unlucky. It is more that he collided with a system that is not working. The press release for the derelict and vacant homes grant is fantastic but the plumbing behind it is not intact. By the end of 2023, the vacant property grant boasted 6,300 applications. Of those, almost 50% were approved, yet at the end of 2023 only 127 payments had been made. That equates to one drawdown for every 50 applications. This means the local authorities were given €30 million but only released €6 million of that.”
“If the Government listens to those on the ground, in local towns, etc., and sets fair, workable standards for people to reach, the kind of urban renewal that my colleagues are putting forward in this Bill is realistic and communities will benefit. A friend of mine recently bought a house in north Dublin, in East Wall. He emailed the vacant property grant section in October 2023 to check that the derelict house he bought would be eligible for the dereliction grant. He received an email reply six days later which stated that, unfortunately, the section cannot deal with specifics and asked him to please have a look at the website. It took nine months and it was passed by five different people within the Department. Each time, those five officials asked for the same documents. It seems that there is no joined-up thinking in this regard.”
“I have spoken before about being involved in housing and homelessness for many years. I have campaigned for housing wherever we could get it. Back in 2016, I was asked to address the Oireachtas joint housing and homelessness committee, as it was called at the time. I was told by the then Minister, Simon Coveney, that homelessness would be eradicated by 2020. Since then, the numbers have tripled. Any measure that is going to improve housing in Ireland is greatly welcome. The Dereliction and Building Regeneration Bill 2025 is a crucial step. It is a success that I want to see happen but it is dependent on realistic timelines, adequate funding and the capacity within Departments to make it happen at local authority level also.”
“Our future competitiveness will not be founded solely on multinationals, but on the local delivery driver, the cafe owner, the removals firm and basically those who are trying to build something that is lasting. Therefore, let us help and fund them and let us believe in them. If we want resilience and competitiveness, we must empower our homegrown SME business with capital, capacity and confidence.”
“As I mentioned, Enterprise Ireland and the Department of enterprise do a fantastic job with trade missions, but they need to include ordinary businesses and SMEs, not just the tech giants. It was mentioned here recently about exporting Irish whiskey to markets such as Taiwan. We need to build bridges to Asia, the gulf and Africa and not just rely on the likes of the US, which this week threatened the 50% tariffs. The next set of tariff threats could knock us off the perch and really affect agrifood and farm exports. Therefore, while I welcome multinationals, I do not welcome our reliance on them. If Intel, for example, was to leave the likes of Celbridge or Leixlip tomorrow, it is the local businesses in the local community that will keep the economy going there.”
“The SMEs are the real economy. If we want real competitiveness in this area, we need to make sure we have real supports. I compliment Enterprise Ireland, for example, with the competitive start-up fund, but that needs to be increased, especially regarding small and medium enterprises. Even the innovation vouchers that are given to tech start-ups could be given to SMEs. We should simplify the grant access for small and medium enterprises, which can take nearly one person's dedicated job in order to fill out all the forms. We need targeted grants, not just for businesses that are starting off or first-time exporters, but for businesses that have proven their time, kept their employees in jobs and need help in crossing a few borders. Therefore, let us cut the red tape when it comes to SMEs.”
“Without exception, they are saying that insurance premiums, rising fuel costs, outdated grant systems and difficulties in trying to find operators for their business are creating serious obstacles. In my own hospitality business - I have a restaurant in Naas - we are battling soaring insurance claims again, energy prices and really chronic staff shortages. Even in that, there are little strategic supports. There were wonderful supports during Covid. There are wonderful supports for start-ups, but for SMEs that are consistently operating, there are not the same supports. In my service business, our people are working tremendously hard, but they are competing in a sort of outdated industry where increasingly the digital global economy is what it is all about and they do not have the digital tools or training to do so.”
“Yet few of them get a chance, and I know this personally, to scale beyond local or regional success. I feel it is because the playing field is not level because we have not put in place the right supports, scaffolding grants or investment pathways for the small Irish business to grow globally. We have done a fantastic job when it comes to larger multinationals. Regarding the transport sector, I literally just had a meeting - we had them in the Gallery a while ago - with the Euromovers group, which is having a conference in Dublin this weekend. I have also just returned from the FIDI, BAR and IAM conferences, all of which are in the transport sector.”
“I thank the Minister for being here. I am a new Senator here, but I am certainly not new to business. I employ just over 40 people across the transport, hospitality and service industries. When we are talking about competitiveness, certainly, I have felt the weight, but I have also felt the potential of running companies in Ireland. We hear much about Ireland being a hub for foreign multinationals and we are always talking about foreign direct investment. That is so important to Ireland, and it has transformed our country. We talk about the Apple millions and things like that. However, I will ask whether we are doing enough for Irish business and SMEs that were born here, have stayed here and are investing their profits here. I believe strongly that SMEs are the backbone of the Irish economy, employing more than 1 million people.”
“Millions of jobs across Europe and many in Ireland rely on the stable, rules-based economy the Minister talked about. As a small, open economy I fully support what the Minister said about a measured response. We must resist the short-term provocations, which seem to be a threat and then they back down and we threaten again. It is all about diplomacy here. History reminds us once again that, as Reagan said, protectionism will lead to higher consumer costs and job losses. The threat of a 50% tariff is not a negotiation tactic. It is like a grenade thrown into the room to get our attention. I agree with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, that we need to stand firm, not to be reactive, to be measured but not passive. Then Ireland and the EU can be seen as voices of reason in this trade war. Let us have rules-based trade.”
“I thank the Minister for being here. I will have to speak fast. When I heard about the 50% tariff threat, I was googling and I came across President Ronald Reagan’s warning on tariffs, how they affect the economy and how, while it may seem patriotic in the early stages and designed to protect industries, history has taught us it carries a steep, long-term cost. High tariffs bring about complacency for home industries and stifle innovation. Businesses grow dependent on the artificial barriers. In the meantime, foreign nations like ourselves retaliate and there is a big trade war, the result of which is markets contract, costs rise and jobs vanish. That has been a pattern since the 1930s. For Ireland as well as Europe, it is a hugely difficult time because we are a small, open economy and 80% of our output is destined for export.”
“I ask that we commit to delivering compassionate, comprehensive care and policies that uphold dignity and care for people at the end of their lives, and also those who are grieving for them.”
“It shows that geriatric care and palliative care must be a huge, important part of our healthcare system. It also shows that where people die impacts the quality of their experience. Some 22% of people die in their home, and 24% of the whole survey expressed alarm that there was not co-ordinated care when it came to end of life. Another issue that was brought up was the financial burden of funerals and bereavement in itself, which can give another layer of difficulty for families, with many people going into debt, and can cause real financial hardship. It showed that lower socioeconomic families that experience grief are spending a lot on funerals and going into debt, and that is impacting their futures.”
“I raise the issue of end-of-life care and bereavement. Last week, I had the Irish Hospice Foundation come in to visit, and they reinforced the urgency of the work they do and the need for a compassionate, well-co-ordinated approach to end-of-life care and supporting individuals. I spoke a number of weeks ago in this House about a friend of mine, Jason, who was confined to hospital and wanted to die at home. After speaking here, the HSE intervened, and it is wonderful that he is now spending his last days with his family at home. The recent end-of-life survey provided critical insights into realities faced by families across Ireland. It showed that cancer, dementia and heart conditions are the top common illnesses leading to death. Some 62% of people who die are aged 80 years and over.”
“Recovery capital is what this is all about. It is not just about survival; it is about transformation. That is, I hope, what Senators will hear today. We do not have to stand on the sidelines. We can move forward and be the ones in this Oireachtas who drive change.”
“Education is central to what we do at Tiglin and we have a partnership with the South East Technological University. In the past year alone, 111 or 114 students have completed the SETU course. An Tánaiste launched a report about the evidence-based outcomes of that educational partnership. It showed that education in recovery was not just an optional extra, but a vital pillar for sustained recovery. We cannot do this alone, though, and agencies such as Tiglin need to be supported. Today at 12.30 p.m. in the audiovisual room, we have service users talking about their own lives and how they have come through rehabilitation. I am calling on my colleagues to attend today, if they can, and support the expansion of services such as Tiglin, particularly in the areas of detox beds and in the areas of education.”
“There is a deepening despair. Often, rehabs such as Tiglin ring families to say they have beds for the families' loved ones only for those loved ones to have passed away due to overdose. The recent statistics on deaths from drugs have been horrendous. I know personally that recovery is possible. I have seen it at first hand, not just from the data, but from the stories of people who have come through Tiglin. I have seen people coming through our Lighthouse café on Pearse Street who are broken by addiction and in trouble and then they leave six or nine months later with qualifications, supported housing, family support and so on. This shows it is not just about getting clean, as people say, but about rebuilding life brick by brick. That involves the community, the Oireachtas and what I mentioned last week, namely, education.”
“I rise not only as a Senator, but as someone who has walked alongside some of the most resilient people who are in recovery in our country, those who have faced not only addiction, but also homelessness, marginalisation and social exclusion. I see them fighting daily for a second chance at life. Most of the Senators know my involvement in rehabilitation. In Ireland today, the need for detoxification beds is nothing short of urgent. Currently, we only have 18 inpatients bed for detoxification. Waiting lists are growing longer at rehabs such as ourselves at Tiglin, Coolmine and Merchant's Quay Ireland, with some individuals waiting nine months to a year. These people are often in chronic addiction. That delay means it is not just a statistic. It is families whose loved ones are losing the opportunity for recovery.”
“If we are talking about serious change, it is time we stopped waiting and mourning at funerals and started acting in this area.”
“Even since Aisling died, 30 more women have been killed. This cannot go on. One life lost is one too many. We must adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of male violence against women. This means more than just words. It means investment, not only in the justice system but also in the education system. We need to look at some uncomfortable truths. In our society, 70% of incidents of domestic abuse involve alcohol. Our alcohol strategy is not geared to making a difference in this regard. Violence against women is not women's problem; it is a whole-of-society problem. It seems to start at a very young age, as we have seen recently with "Adolescence" on Netflix, which was the latter's top downloaded series.”
“Three years ago, our nation was shaken by the brutal murder of Aisling Murphy, a young woman who was taken away when her whole life was ahead of her. It certainly struck a chord all across Ireland. We had hoped it would be a turning point across society when it comes to violence against women by males. We had hoped it would be confronted with urgency, honesty and a lasting change. Women's Aid recently reported that women are no safer today than they were the day Aisling was murdered. Since 1996, 275 women have been violently killed in the Republic. Some 66% of them were killed while within the protection of their own homes and 55% were killed by their partners or ex-partners. In the past year alone, An Garda Síochána responded to 65,000 incidents of domestic abuse. That comes to 1,250 such incidents every week. The statistics are awful.”
“At the end of her speech, the Minister of State said it is a whole-of-population and whole-of-government issue, which was welcome. I thank her.”
“Some €93 million has been spent to outsource to private healthcare in the past year. That is unsustainable for our economy. We need to invest in our own system and not just buy capacity but build it. As has been mentioned, we need to end the shame and stigma that go with mental health issues. We to reframe things so that when somebody is asking for help, it is seen as an act of strength and not of weakness. My point is that we need to bridge the gaps in the area of dual diagnoses. Ireland's mental health supports require an effort on the part of all policymakers, stakeholders, healthcare providers, NGOs and society at large to prioritise integrated care, invest in the service and educate the people. We can then ensure that all individuals in the cohort I have mentioned receive the support they need.”
“The gap I have mentioned hampers recovery but also leads to repeated cycles in mental health institutions and the justice system. That could be avoided. Millions are spent every year to incarcerate individuals with dual diagnosis, which underscores the need for joined-up thinking. From working in the sector, I think we need to treat the whole person. Let us stop treating the mental health issue separately from the substance misuse. We must establish an integrated care system so an individual is treated for both issues at the same time under the same roof. We need to train our front-line staff, including doctors, nurses and carers. They need the tools to deal with dual diagnoses. A full debate is needed in this area as we cannot deal with dual diagnoses on the basis of outdated training formats.”
“I have seen at first hand the many families who have come to me with a son who has been smoking synthetic cannabis for many years, which has played havoc with his mind, and the chap in question now has a diagnosis of schizophrenia or something similar. There are considerable barriers in this area. Rehabilitation centres, such as Tiglin, Merchant's Quay Ireland and Cluain Mhuire Community Mental Health Services are underfunded to deal with the clinical needs that are presented. Hospitals are often unable to help people with their mental health issues because they are presenting with a substance misuse issue. It is in this gap that I believe people are losing hope and families are despairing. I have seen that at first hand. We are also losing people who can easily be saved.”
“A study by Mental Health Reform highlighted significant barriers for that cohort, with individuals saying there is poor collaboration between services, a lack of training of professionals and limited access to a continuum of care for such dual diagnosis individuals. The result is that many people are being turned away from mental health services due to having a substance misuse issue. They are being turned away from rehabilitation facilities because they have a mental health issue and, therefore, fall through the gaps without adequate support. With my experience of setting up Tiglin, nearly 20 years ago now, I have seen people impacted by addiction.”
“That underinvestment is evident in the staffing of areas of mental health. Some 30% of permanent consultant psychiatry posts are vacant at the moment. We have limited infrastructure for mental health. Only 22 acute mental health beds are available per 100,000 of population when the EU average is 70. I know we must cut our coat according to our cloth, etc., but this is an area about which I am passionate. The situation is particularly dire for individuals who are facing dual diagnoses. As the Minister of State knows, dual diagnoses are where mental health issues coexist with substance abuse issues.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on a matter that affects society as a whole and certainly affects the area that I have volunteered and worked in, which is mental health supports in Ireland. A recent study by the European Commission showed that 44% of Irish citizens reported difficulties accessing mental health services. That was the highest rate in the EU. It also found that 63% of our population have experienced emotional or psychosocial problems in the past year. That means Ireland is ranked the third highest among all the EU nations. Despite that, Ireland only allocates 5.1% of its health budget to mental health initiatives. That falls way short of the WHO's recommended 12% and the Sláintecare reform, which recommended 10%. We are way below that level.”
“One thing I learned from talking to the Lyme disease protestors was that it is preventable and curable if caught in the early stages. It is essential that our Minister for Health and the Department invest in early detection kits. There is a new, Covid-type test that is helped by AI, is meant to be very dynamic and comes from Switzerland. One of the ladies outside the gate had taken medical tests with her own tests in Ireland for eight years and was cleared of Lyme disease. She then went to Switzerland and the test showed she had Lyme disease and it was too late to do anything about it. I am asking for investment in tests that will produce the proper results. A total of 5% of ticks in Ireland carry the Lyme disease bacteria. We need to be Lyme-aware and invest in proper testing.”
“I raise the matter of Lyme disease. This month is Lyme disease awareness month. For those who do not know, it is a bacterial infection that can be caused by tick bites. Interestingly, this week there was a protest outside the gates of Leinster House by people who have been affected by Lyme disease. I have had fascinating conversations. It is a disease on which I was not too informed. I met one lady, Anne, who was incapacitated for the past 30 years after getting a bite on a beach many years ago. While I was discussing this with fellow Senators, one of them brought up the point that a person in his own industry, a dynamic individual, received a bite when he was jogging in the Phoenix Park and is now incapacitated too. It is a very serious disease and is something that can affect every one of us.”
“The aircraft has a range of 5,000 miles and it represents a significant investment by Irish taxpayers. Given the willingness of Qatar to provide such high-value assets as gifts, should Ireland not explore similar opportunities? If Qatar is giving out jets, perhaps we should throw our diplomatic hat in the ring. Maybe we could talk them into giving us a Learjet or a Gulfstream or something that is not as flash as the one for Air Force One but has leather seats, decent Wi-Fi and perhaps a microwave for heating sausage rolls. I know the Irish are not flashy, but I am calling on the Minister for foreign affairs to explore these diplomatic opportunities. While we do not need a palace in the sky, such diplomacy could yield a significant saving to Irish taxpayers.”
“The recent revelation that a new $400 million luxury jet is to be gifted to President Donald Trump by the Qatari Government has raised global discussions on diplomacy, influence and expenditure. The aircraft is meant to be the new Air Force One, and no doubt it will have gold taps, marble floors and, possibly, a golf simulator. It is apparently destined to become the main jet for the US President. It demonstrates the extraordinary generosity extended to certain world leaders. While the United States navigates the implications and ethics of this arrangement, it is worth reflecting on our own approach to governmental expenditure, particularly in respect of State aircraft. Last December, the Department of Defence signed a deal for a French Falcon 6X aircraft at a cost of €53 million plus VAT.”
“I also extend my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Garda Kevin Flatley, who sadly lost his life on Sunday. His passing marks a heartbreaking milestone because he is the 90th member of An Garda Síochána to lose their life in the line of duty - to make the ultimate sacrifice - since the beginning of the force in 1922. This figure reminds us of the dangers faced by those who are protecting our roads, enforcing our laws and serving our communities. Having read the papers and listened to the news, it is clear that Garda Flatley's dedication, courage and commitment to public service, never mind the sports clubs around Balbriggan, must never be forgotten. I think we must respect and remember him. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.”
“We must ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need and stand in unwavering solidarity with those calling for an end to violence.”
“The scale of this crisis goes way beyond our comprehension and we cannot turn away from this suffering. The conflict must come to an end. There are no winners in this war, only loss, and we will see generations devastated by this tragedy. We have seen first-hand in our own country with the Troubles in Northern Ireland that peace is the only viable way forward. I call on Israel to cease its military operations and join whatever diplomatic table in order that we can bring peace and stop this humanitarian disaster. I also call on Hamas to release the hostages taken on 7 October. Their continued captivity only deepens the wounds of this conflict and prolongs suffering on all sides. Ireland has stood as a voice for peace, justice and human rights. In this Chamber, we must reaffirm our commitment to diplomatic solutions.”
“I second Senator Keogan's amendment to the Order of Business today regarding the Public Health (Restriction on Sale of Stimulant Drinks to Children) Bill 2025. I also rise to call for an urgent discussion, as my colleagues did earlier, on the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Two nights ago, I was asked to meet the families who have just arrived in Ireland from Gaza. Many of them were carrying unimaginable trauma. There were many children there who have come here for medical intervention. They did not choose where they were born and they are now innocent victims of this horrific situation. Among the young children were many who had lost their limbs - their arms or legs - and many with missing eyes. Their innocence has been totally stripped away from them by this war.”
“A society is only as a strong as its commitment to inclusion. To turn away from this programme would mean turning our backs on the people striving to build a better future. I urge the Minister, who is a good Kildare man, to ensure this programme is funded into the future. I welcome today's motion by my Fine Gael colleagues. I urge Senators to advocate for continued support in the higher education sector. It is not just about knowledge; it is about dignity, community and second chances.”
“I went to the Tánaiste, who was then the Minister for higher education, to present my vision for creating an educational pathway for people accessing Tiglin's Lighthouse Homeless Café. Two of our participants were the Bobinac twins, of whom the Minister is aware. These guys had no formal education when they started. Last month, I attended their graduations at Dublin City University and Maynooth University, respectively, from their second masters degrees. This showed me that education is transformational. In the past year, I have had 114 people from a cohort of homelessness and addiction doing our programme up to master's degree level. Today, the programme stands at a fork in the road, with its funding due to be cut off at the end of this year. Without renewal, we risk halting progress and opportunities for the people who need them most.”
“As I know personally, education can be the greatest equaliser. It is a force that empowers individuals and can transform lives. It offers hope where there once was despair, and opportunities where barriers once stood firm. I highlight a programme that has embodied that very principle by offering educational pathways to those who have faced the darkness of addiction and homelessness. For almost a decade, since 2016, Tiglin, a charity I cofounded, has worked with Springboard and with SETU, which my colleague mentioned, through its faculty of lifelong learning. We have developed educational packages that provide service users with the skills and confidence necessary to reintegrate into society. These courses go way beyond academic learning to serve as stepping stones towards independent employment and a renewed sense of purpose.”
“I thank the Minister for being here today for our debate on higher education. People often mention Nelson Mandela's comment that education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world. Ireland's progress is built on the foundation of education. In debating the tariffs situation recently, the Tánaiste stated that one of the main reasons US companies come to Ireland is our educational prowess. We must ensure the sector is well funded, accessible and forward thinking. Investment in education for the next generation of leaders is absolutely of the utmost importance. We must protect the situation for individuals who will shape policy, drive economic growth, lead communities and perhaps sit in this House. Without proper funding, we risk limiting the opportunities for the brightest minds to develop their potential.”
“I urge the Minister of State to reconsider and push this along. I encourage her to meet Reinhard and Patricia and to visit Teach an Saol. I think she will find a way forward. It is something that works on the ground and excuses will not suffice.”
“I thank the Minister of State. We have done all the heavy lifting. We have been reviewed and have the recommendations from the 2023 report, and we also have the site. That is all done and dusted. I appreciate the Minister of State's response, but we need to move further. I am disappointed we are not at the stage of the funding being in place. If one visits the Teach an Saol project, one will see that it is an essential and life-changing service for people such as Pádraig with severe acquired brain injury. That is why we cannot continue to tell families who are living through unimaginable challenges, as Patricia and Reinhard are, that there is simply no money and we must go through more HSE processes. The cost of inaction, both morally and financially, will be greater as people remain without appropriate care.”
“The project speaks to the very core of what our healthcare system should be. It is not reactive but proactive. It is not only clinical; it is also compassionate. We often speak about inclusion, dignity and equal access to care in this House. An Saol embodies all of that. The values we have spoken about need to be backed up with action from ourselves and that action must be resourced. I urge the Minister of State to act and not only to fund this project, but to implement the core recommendations, to stand with those living with severe acquired brain injuries such as Pádraig and to support families such as Reinhard, Patricia and Pádraig's aunt, Marie, who are here today.”