Barry Heneghan
Dublin Bay North · Independent · Ireland
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an bPáirtí an Lucht Oibre. This highlights what many families are experiencing right now. Many people have been in contact with me. Even today, I met parents who were under enormous pressure because of the cost of uniforms, books, transport and school activities.”
“I refer to the hundreds of vacant spaces over shops in Dublin, the capital city in which I grew up. I welcome the above-the-shop grant but could we re-examine it in terms of microcompanies or SMEs availing of that grant? It can be difficult for them to avail of the above-the-shop grant.”
“They deserve to know how that supplier was selected, whether public procurement guidance has been followed and why students cannot use an equivalent device that they may already own. Technology undoubtedly has an important role in education. I do not dispute that fact. I came through education while the technology was developing.”
“Anois sa choiste fuinnimh táimid ag caint faoi plug-in solar. In 2024 there was a consultation done by the Department in which Bord Gáis Energy said that plug-in solar systems should be mounted on roofs where possible and hardwired into a dedicated circuit.”
“That contradiction leaves parents and students whom I represent caught in a middle ground. On one hand, the Department is saying they are not mandatory and, on the other, schools are telling parents that they must purchase one. I understand that the Minister of State was in north Dublin.”
“My granny drank raw milk and she lived to 98. We need to look into alternative ways to have locally sourced food. In that regard, I will point to what is happening at EU level and how it ties into this.”
The complete record
Every one of 861 lines we hold for Barry Heneghan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 18.
“When that happens we will have people in a single government on this island of Ireland. However, when it comes to the interconnectors, we are seeing repeated cases of nimbyism where local politicians object to an overhead cable. I understand Deputy Tóibín referred to undergrounding the cables but induction means it will not be viable for long distances. I understand that it might be used in parts and it might be brilliant in some cases. Farmers should have the right to ask for the cables to go underground on their land rather than above it. We were told this reserve is needed to bring about energy independence but I would again ask how adding one more single point of failure brings more energy independence and security. Surely multiple points of failure would bring that?”
“Our grid was very old and they had to do everything they could but, as the Minister of State knows, in this House we rarely congratulate people. It is something we should do more in politics. The CRU has approved up to €18.9 billion in green investment, which is a genuine step. However a recent article said it would not be able to take on external staff. It needs to take on external staff because it needs to be a regulator and to do its job. I welcome the engagement I have had with it and the Department. I said I would not go over five minutes but now I have got going. Serious engineers are doing serious work. Deputy Tóibín mentioned the interconnectors. We are on an island which is politically divided, sadly. That is something I would love to see change during my time in this House.”
“I know a plug-in solar system cannot power a hospital but an on-site best battery system which was charged up at night rate from the grid, stored for those emergencies at multiple locations in these systems, is another option we should be examining. We could also store HVOs for hospitals and use them for generators if there was to be an energy disaster. We are putting ourselves in a clear demand response. LNG cannot be stored for long periods in this system. It needs to be used. I welcome the work that has gone in by the Department. I also want to acknowledge EirGrid and ESB Networks - I generally do not do so but they do deserve some credit - as renewable sources supplied 49% of Ireland’s electricity. I know the hard-working men and women in these companies are doing the best they can.”
“I read the five reviews – I think it was EIA, Bord Gáis, ESB, EirGrid and ESBN and the Electricity Association – and a lot of them were very happy with it so I do not understand why the Department was saying it would be dangerous. The UK made a recent announcement on plug-in solar. We should run a pilot scheme and allow people in Fingal or Dublin City Council or any other county council with new-build social and affordable housing to have plug-in solar installed and show the savings to the State and the council through these systems. Some 3% or 4% of German electricity is generated from plug-in solar systems. That is no small feat for a system that can cost €300 or €400 from a Lidl or Aldi and the person can take it with them if they move. That is something that can really help. There is €900 million for this project.”
“I welcome the recent announcements on storage and how it is being looked at. I held a meeting in the audiovisual room with Energy Storage Ireland which was attended by a lot of Deputies and Senators. It was looking at changing the current regulations in the area. I second what a lot of Deputies have said about data centres paying the same price as domestic energy users. Possibly, they should pay more. One way they could reduce the cost would be by using on-site renewable-generated electricity. I hope my Bill will enable them and other high-energy users to do so. The €900 million cost of building the facility could be put into more renewables or enabling people to use plug-in solar. I thank the Department for publishing the consultation on plug-in solar from 2024.”
“It is funny, for all the talk about speaking rights, to see a lot of Opposition not turning up to speak. This is a giant infrastructure project. I am not here to wreck this Bill - energy has always been a priority for me, having studied it before I had the honour of being elected – but we really need to look at it. I understand we need energy security. If, God forbid, there was an issue with one of the interconnectors or there was an energy disaster, critical services, hospitals, homes and people who really need it would lose access to power. That needs to be addressed. A more accurate cost-benefit analysis of this project should be carried out and compared with the option of decentralising our grid with more distribution system operators, DSOs, energy sharing and battery storage.”
“That is something that needs to be funded but ahead of this weekend, the Coast Guard team will be responding in Dublin Bay. These people are working with everything they have and they deserve proper resources. A total of 3,000 parts per million of E. coli in water is six times the safe amount. It is not acceptable for my constituents or anyone's constituents to be forced to swim in that water. Níl sé maith go leor. Le linn an ordú dianghlásála, bhí daoine ag athrú na rudaí a bhí á ndéanamh acu, cosúil le snámh agus na rudaí mar sin. Caithfimid an infhestíocht a chur isteach.”
“I am delighted to outline my three key asks. I am delighted that the Tánaiste has asked. It is good to see he was in Raheny with Deputy Ó Muirí. Will the Government provide direct funding to DCC and Fingal County Council to extend lifeguarding cover? I was a swimming teacher for five years. I know I do not look like it now. This is something that we need to do. The summer is here and the warm weather is coming. Will he commit to real-time water quality testing? It is done in Denmark. As Deputy Ó Muirí will know, I am very fond of Denmark's energy system, but I am also fond of how they cleaned up the port and made it safe for swimmers. Will the Tánaiste properly fund the Coast Guard and emergency services? These repair crews also worked hard this week when there was an issue on the northern DART line and they worked overnight.”
“An enforcement officer needs to be on site who can give a fine. It is not acceptable when someone brings down rubbish to a protected area with endangered species and leaves it there without any consequences. I hope that the Tánaiste will meet these heroes from my constituency but I also hope, ahead of the weather across Ireland, he will bring in proactive measures to fund councils and give preparation for these swimmers.”
“We are relying on water testing that is days old. However, real-time monitoring is standard across Europe in countries like Denmark. We need to be proactive rather than reactive. That cannot be a political soundbite. It needs to be put into action. Thousands of people will go to Howth this weekend. The Tánaiste saw the recent videos of people queuing outside the DART station. It was like they were queuing to see Santa. There was a giant line. I went in it myself. It took 40 minutes to get out of Howth. While we are talking about beaches and preventative measures, I raise the issue of litter and dumping in Dublin Bay. An enforcement officer needs to be present on hot days. If someone can bring cans of Coke down to a beach, they need to be punished if they are littering on a UNESCO heritage site.”
“Tragically, last month, there was the loss of the life of a teenager on Burrow Beach in Howth. There was not a lifeguard on duty as they are not funded. We need to have more reactive lifeguards across Ireland and to be better prepared. There were 80 drownings in 2025 and there have already been 33 this year. The UK, a country with 12 times our population, recorded 193. That is not comparable. It is not acceptable but it is fixable. A thousand swimmers and families across my constituency signed a petition last year calling for better services. We have seen a lot of investment but we need more. With water safety comes water quality. Yesterday we had statements on it. The issue is that the EPA's report is showing that urban wastewater incidences are frequent and are causing bathing water closures.”
“As we are all in here in our suits, sitting on these leather chairs, the weather outside is gradually getting better, and people in my constituency will be going to the beach. Four young people from my constituency, 17-year-old Aoibheann Conlon, Laura Daly, and brothers Oisín and Gavin Weadick, Clontarf Sea Scouts, saved the life of a swimmer recently who was struggling to swim. I asked the Taoiseach to meet them and I am asking the Tánaiste if he will meet them because these young people represent an issue, the uncomfortable truth that they were better prepared than we were to save someone's life. We know we are going into the best weather. We have the data to show that it is coming. The current swimming period is set monthly by the councils. When we know the weather is going to be good, we need to have lifeguards on the beach.”
“Any upcoming legislation on clerical institutional abuse must have a cross-Border dimension. Catholic dioceses like Clogher span the Border and so do their school networks. We have evidence of clergy being moved between jurisdictions because of abuse concerns. Survivors of abuse in this State who sought refuge in the North found that the abuse continued there, and they are now dealing with both An Garda Síochána and the PSNI. Will the Taoiseach commit to engage with the Executive in Belfast, or is he already doing so, to strengthen co-operation between the two criminal justice systems so that abusers cannot use jurisdictional gaps to escape accountability?”
“I was swimming in Dún Laoghaire this morning, so I am very worried. I have raised this multiple times. In the north Dublin coastal communities of Clontarf, Bayside and Howth, swimmers constantly get swim warnings. Seán Dublin Bay Loftus, a former Independent TD in my constituency whose family endorsed me, fought to protect Dublin Bay from pollution. Other countries have cracked this. The Netherlands has restored millions of seagrass plants along its coasts, as well as oysters which can use natural means to clean the water. However, that is treating the problem. At the end of the day, we need to get to the root cause, which is more water treatment plants. The water treatment plant in north Dublin proposed under the greater Dublin drainage project needs to be brought in faster.”
“As someone who was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and as chair of the Oireachtas cross-party group on ADHD reform, I acknowledge the work done by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. Continuing on from that, we had the ADHD Ireland strategic plan last week. I was lucky to have supports growing up when I had not been diagnosed with ADHD, but there are people in my constituency and across Ireland who do not have the family supports I have. When someone has ADHD they are more likely to engage in crime or experience addiction. Will the Government commit to ensuring the strategic plan is matched with real improvements in assessments, treatments and support for children and young adults living with ADHD?”
“What happened in my constituency, and as too often happens, was that developers and construction companies walked away, leaving areas that could not be taken in charge by the council and houses that were unreliable from a fire safety perspective to fall into degradation. After going into liquidation, such companies reopened under another name. It is not acceptable that these developers are off the hook while Irish families are paying the costs. Those responsible for the defective building work must be held accountable and stronger protections must be provided. I looked at the amendment to the motion. It refers to a review, but a review has been done. This is not new. I urge that the review come into action. I welcome the Minister of State's work on this issue.”
“Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Teachta Ward. Bíonn sé i gcónaí ag caint faoin ábhar tábhachtach seo. Bím ag éisteacht leis agus cloisim an bród atá aige as Tír Chonaill. I have visited some of them in my own capacity since we last spoke about the issue in this Chamber. Some of the houses in the northern part of my constituency have faced concrete defects and other issues. I welcome the Deputy's motion, particularly in respect of IS 465:2026. Irish standards were set to protect Irish people. They should not be punishing them. We must also ensure full and fair redress and ensure that it keeps happening.”
“I simply do not accept that a semi-State company cannot communicate with the service users of our national postal service. The people I represent are not asking for this not to be done; they are asking for the basic respect of being told the plan as to where they will collect their post, before the move is made as opposed to afterwards. I will continue to pursue this matter. The petition is still open and more people are signing it every day, because this was thrown at this community. We and the people of north Dublin need to know what is going to happen. I appreciate the Minister of State's engagement so far.”
“The only thing that has changed is that the timeline has shifted from very much in the future, which was given to another Deputy in my constituency three weeks ago, to quarter 2 of next year. The Government cannot keep saying it has no statutory function, even though I accept that is the current legal position. However, a shareholder does have influence. Every shareholder has influence and the Government of Ireland should have influence over An Post. The idea that the company is a semi-State body but yet the State has zero influence on it makes no sense. Talk to my constituents before their services are uprooted. I hope the Minister of State will relay this to the Minister and that he, in turn, will relay it to An Post. An Post needs to speak to my constituents.”
“I appreciate the response. As I said, An Post is a semi-State company. This is one of the most frustrating things that has been done. I know it has been done across the globe. When it happens, a Minister can offload the issue to the regulator. That is done with the HSE and the NTA. I would love if that could be revoked in order that we could actually elect people who can make decisions rather than having unelected officials in every Department making them. I was in the Chair when the reply was given. I am not having a go at the Minister of State. I welcome the work he has done. I know he is covering for the Minister and is reading out the response that An Post supplied. The other two responses that An Post gave were nearly identical.”
“What I am asking is that the Minister of State seek a clear answer from An Post as to where the people I represent will collect their post when the sorting office in Harmonstown is gone. They need that answer before the office, which is already up for sale, is relocated. The community needs to know what will replace that service, upon which they rely. I spoke to many people on the doorsteps who were visibly upset about this. The office has been there since they bought their home. It is not acceptable for An Post to say this is an operational matter. It has been done in other areas across the country and has been shown to fail. I would love an answer as to how they will get back to the Minister of State.”
“How can a community be okay with losing a vital amenity when the detail of what will replace it has not been given? An Post is owned by the people. Since the foundation of the State, it is has been one of the best-run public services. I know a lot of the workers, who are brilliant. They not only do their job; they have a chat with the people who come to collect their parcel. The sorting office is a community asset. I am not asking the Minister of State to collapse An Post and set it right as to its operational needs. The engineers and others working there, when discussing their plans for the day, are trying to react to the changes in how the postal service is being used.”
“My understanding of what is currently proposed is that people in the Harmonstown area will have to go to Finglas to collect their parcels. That is a problem when traffic is already bad enough, we are looking to decarbonise our energy system and we are examining the idea of a 15-minute city. Some 2,000 people responded to my petition. That includes only the people I could reach. This is the community that I represent having its say. The sorting office is already up for sale. All we are asking for, as set out in my petition, is that An Post guarantee the community that there will be enough locations from which to collect their parcels. An Post has told us that local collection will remain in the area but there is no detail on that. It is not good enough.”
“I have asked the Minister of State to think back to why he became involved in politics. As public representatives, we need information to represent the public successfully. I have been asking An Post what alternative arrangements will be implemented for the elderly and for people with mobility issues and other disabilities to enable them to collect their packages. Currently, if people are not home when an attempt is made to deliver, their package will go to the sorting office for storage until they collect it. An Post has said people will be able to go to the other post offices. However, we have seen the issues arising from the increasing numbers of parcel deliveries. Anyone who works Monday to Friday will miss their parcel.”
“The issue I raise has been raised by other Deputies in the Chamber. It is something that is happening across Dublin. I was in the Chair last week when colleagues asked about the closure of the sorting office on Griffith Avenue. The response from the Government was, I understand, the one it received from An Post. Before the Minister of State reads out the response he has been given, I ask him to recall why he got involved in politics and the passion he has for his area. Within two weeks of starting a petition on the proposed relocation of the sorting office in Harmonstown, I had collected 2,000 signatures from the people I represent. More than 300 people contacted my office by telephone after I dropped leaflets in Harmonstown, Artane and the other affected areas.”
“This is one of the first opportunities I have had since being elected to the House speak on this important issue. We, as legislators, have an obligation to make the lives of the people of Ireland better. I welcome the work the Minister of State has done with special education in my constituency. With regard to rare diseases, it needs more attention. When errors in the system pop up, they need to be dealt with as quickly as possible. We are not just dealing with a leak in a tap. Rare diseases affect people's lives and development. It is something that we need to fix.”
“I will always acknowledge when work has been done successfully. The former Minister for disabilities, Finian McGrath, got me into politics and worked tirelessly on the provision of a cystic fibrosis unit in Beaumont Hospital. I recently attended a meeting of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and met service users and people currently attending treatment centres. A lot more can be done for those with cystic fibrosis. I welcome the 20-bed unit in Beaumont Hospital and the installation of other units. People with cystic fibrosis cannot be in close contact with others. There needs to be more public awareness of the difficulties facing those with cystic fibrosis and the other rare diseases mentioned by Members of the House today. I would encourage us to speak more about this issue.”
“I urge that every effort be made to progress this as quickly as possible because every time there is a delay in the treatment of a rare disease which is brought to the attention of the media or this House by successful campaigners, it shows that there is clearly a systematic error in how we deal with the new medicines and treatments that become available. I also want to highlight something multiple constituents have raised with me, namely Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I thank Stephanie for meeting me. It is a devastating and progressive condition but she was very strong and said she would be watching the debate. I want to welcome the positive recommendation from the HSE drug group. I thank it for the work that has been done on that. There is a lot more to be done and I will continue to engage with the Minister's office.”
“Emily put it very simply to me, namely that every delay has real consequences for her independence and function. That is why the opportunity to have this debate really matters. For these families, this is not simply an administrative process. Every week and month that passes can mean further deterioration in not only their physical health but also their mental health and quality of life. They want an opportunity to live independently as most young adults do. I welcome that the Minister and Taoiseach have engaged directly with the Italian manufacturer to encourage an application. I appreciate the response the Minister shared with my office on 27 May.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this very important issue. I acknowledge all of the groups that have reached out to me and to my office. We all have a responsibility to do everything possible to ensure that all the people of Ireland can get the best treatments, medicines and supports available. I want to highlight specific conditions which have already been mentioned. Members of the Friedreich's ataxia group are still awaiting approval and access to a drug. There has been some movement on that, which I welcome. I welcome the opportunity to meet the group and the extraordinary individuals who are advocating, including Emily. The group travelled to Leinster House and successfully highlighted the unacceptable and prolonged wait they continue to endure.”
“I hope those record numbers continue to rise with the quick roll-out of contactless payment and better accessibility. I welcome the engagement on those matters. I also welcome the increase in the upper age limit for school bus drivers. The community bus service in Dublin has been lost. The No. 88 bus used to be a feeder bus service for Howth and Sutton DART stations. It did a constant loop of Howth Peninsula. Restoring that route would offer safe and convenient transport for families, for children travelling to GAA and football games and to school and for people going to the graveyard in Howth. I ask that the Department give consideration to that. It should also look at providing small-scale bus links within the BusConnects system. In such local micro-systems, the bus is a community service where users see the same people every day.”
“However, we now have a lot more money and we have the ability and manpower to do this. A concern is that even with MetroLink being rolled out, residents in north Dublin will still not be able to easily access the airport. The Minister of State will be well aware of the proposals for a monorail or a two-way system to connect the DART line to the airport, in conjunction with the metro, as an alternative solution. Will he comment on that?”
“My frustration with the current situation of ghost buses and infrequency of DART services certainly is one of the issues that got me involved in politics. I spoke this morning to a Clongriffin resident who had to run to the end of the platform and squeeze onto the train like a sardine to get to work. I understand there are restrictions on the lines in terms of the size of platforms and how many carriages can be installed but can the frequency of the service be increased? I know there is an unsolvable problem at Connolly Station but I have seen how efficiently run the transport system is in London. I do not have my head in the sky; I acknowledge we have a smaller population, that our country only recently became much wealthier and that we do not have the same infrastructure the UK has in place.”
“I want to highlight the urgent need for increased investment in public transport, specifically in north Dublin. I have raised the roll-out of contactless payments and how it has been delayed until 2028 and the need for accurate live updates for when lifts are unavailable for people with mobility or disability needs. I want to ask the Minister about more frequent services, more carriages and the timeline for the roll-out of contactless payments.”
“The Bill is 18 months in development, it has an Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA, stamp and it answers all of the 47 pre-legislative scrutiny recommendations from the climate and energy committee. It is compliant and it is ready.”
“One independent regulator in the CRU, one clear process and a mandatory timeline would increase FDI, increase job security and benefit the Irish people and SMEs. Communities in Austria share energy, reducing energy bills with multiple distribution system operators, DSOs, while we are limited here. The valid concern that I have raised about the community benefit fund, which we see with wind energy, would be addressed directly. I know that more can be done on this Bill and I look forward to working constructively with members of the Opposition, as I am a solution-focused TD with a firm intention to address matters constructively on Committee Stage. I will not let my ego get in the way of benefiting the Irish people.”
“Under the current system, there is no legal mechanism to run a direct connection between them. My Bill enables it to be done safely. A school with solar panels on its roof, which during the summer months does not have as much of an energy demand, could directly link them to a nearby nursing home or community hub that would benefit from lower electricity costs. Private wires and direct lines can change this situation and the significant issue we have with data centres can be tackled by allowing them to easily connect to renewable energy. The CRU should be the single sheriff in town, but to do so, there will be a monetary cost and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, will have to get more staff and more powers, which is covered in this hefty Bill.”
“Meanwhile, on another point, we are still making providers install 100,000 analogue remote terminal unit, RTU, boxes which rely on electronic dispatch logging, EDL, and manual dispatch systems. An engineer knows that is absolutely ridiculous. In comparison, operators across Europe and the UK have already moved to secure digital application programming interface, API, systems. We have not. People are struggling with energy costs and we need to act faster to tackle them. While we have been waiting, other countries across the EU have legislated and allowed homes and businesses to reduce their bills. They have increased their FDI and guaranteed investment into their country. A small manufacturer in a rural town in Ireland is paying crippling energy prices while there is a solar farm built two fields away.”
“The solution to that is with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, and that is what my Bill hopes to provide. These networks need tools and resources to manage and my Bill gives them that. I have raised this issue repeatedly in the House and probably sound like a broken record at this stage, talking about private wires. I have raised it at Leaders' Questions, in committees and directly with the CRU three weeks ago, when it confirmed to me, on the record of the committee, that private wires or direct lines will facilitate more renewables which otherwise could not happen. We are trying to run a modern, renewable system on tools that belong to another era. Countries like Germany are reducing bills by allowing plug-in solar and easier battery roll-out by allowing renewables, and they have safe standards for it.”
“We are switching off wind farms, solar installations and renewable sources because the grid cannot absorb what it is generating. At the same time, Irish families and businesses are paying some of the highest electricity bills in Europe. These two facts should not co-exist. The reason they do relates to energy policy failure, and my Bill is trying to fix that. I welcome the constructive work the Government and the Minister have done on this Bill. As the Ceann Comhairle knows, our grid is under enormous pressure but demand is rising and will continue to do so if we look to projected figures across the globe. Connection queues are growing, and the ESB and Eir Grid networks do great work and have great standards but need more resources.”
“I thank my team at the office, who have listened to me tirelessly, and my professors in DCU, who were patient as I developed in my developing years in engineering. One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Section 37 of the Electricity Regulation Act has been on the books for 27 years and allows for direct connections, but in practice it has delivered practically none. The conditions are so restrictive that in a quarter of a century, this provision has been rendered entirely meaningless. With development in our grid and of energy infrastructure across the globe, we need to act. My Bill repeals section 37 and replaces it with something I believe actually works. The scale of the problem we face at the moment is significant. We are curtailing clean energy on a massive scale.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to provide for the regulation of direct lines; and to provide for related matters. Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom míle buíochas a ghabháil le gach duine a bhí ag cabhrú liom. I wish to briefly acknowledge the people who helped me get elected to the Dáil and also helped me bring this Bill to where it is today. I thank the team at the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA, who met me multiple times, and the Bill’s Office for its guidance. I thank my colleagues in the Independent Technical Group and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and Department officials for engaging constructively with me.”
“The problem is not that data centres are here but that they are running on the wrong energy. Today I will introduce a Bill that is trying to fix this, and I welcome the Minister's engagement on it. It would give data centres, SMEs and community energy the ability to use renewable energy more easily. I will welcome the development and progression of the Bill. While we are talking about the cost of living, thousands of apartment dwellers are waiting for solar plug-in to be legalised. I know there is an ISO standard that needs to be removed. Will the Minister do a pilot scheme for new-build social and affordable housing, whereby solar plug-in can be installed by Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council, in conjunction with an inverter and battery, and save people money immediately?”
“Deputies in favour of the motion really need to tell their constituents that they are against section 7 of the Critical Infrastructure Bill. What would happen to the hospital in their ward, the housing development that needs a wastewater connection and the water treatment plant that every home and growing town needs? Without section 7, every one of these will be exposed to legal challenges, which we are all aware have cost the State billions. The existing legislation is consistent with the climate energy pact because the EU climate law still applies in full and the environmental impact assessment directive still applies. What section 7 does is remove the legal uncertainty. Removing section 7 will not help the climate but it will help lawyers, which I know some Deputies may have been in a previous life.”
“I want to be clear from the outset that I agree with the sentiment of what the Labour Party is trying to do and I believe the frustration is real. The Minister is well aware that energy is one of my key priorities. Irish families pay too much and it is very clear that data centres are consuming an ever-increasing share of our electricity. These are facts and they do deserve to be addressed. However, I will not support the motion and there are several reasons for this. The moratorium on data centres would cost Irish jobs and the development of our country. These are real jobs, real wages and real families in my area. We cannot simultaneously say we care about the cost of living but then vote to put people's jobs at risk.”
“Lovely. The O'Shea report spoke about what was given to it. Three years on, women are still living with it. I would like to say to all the women across Dublin Bay North who financially would not be able to go the UK or to have an alternative means for abortion that we will be standing with them. We hear them. I spoke to a lot of these women at the doors. I represent Dublin Bay North. We had over 500 campaigners and it was the largest "Yes" turnout in the country. Those voters were promised change. They were not promised a review that would sit on a shelf. I welcome the engagement so far with my office on this. Removing the waiting period improves access for women and it will end the postcode lottery.”
“Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine a labhair faoin ábhar tábhachtach seo. I welcome the Bill and I thank Sinn Féin for bringing it forward. I voted recently with the Social Democrats on its Bill. I suppose when it comes to anything what I always do is ask for advice from my team, my family, my sisters and my mother. I stood up in the Chamber and made a very clear point as to why the three-day wait should be abolished, particularly for a fatal foetal abnormality. I meant every word I said then and I still do. The main issue for me is whether we trust women. That is still the question and the answer for me is still "Yes". I recognise that Sinn Féin has taken a different approach. I respect everyone's opinions. I will set that aside. The legislation is for the women it is meant to serve and I commend Sinn Féin on that.”
“At the end of the Minister of State's response, which I realise the Department officials wrote for him, he said the appeal was unsuccessful. Who made it unsuccessful? I would love, with all the Deputies present, to invite the them to Priorswood and Darndale and show them the children and the teachers, who are working as hard as they can. The cost of an extra teacher compares favourably with the foreseen disadvantage that will affect the children's lives. The loss of one pupil should not determine the educational outcome for the entire school.”
“St. Francis Junior National School in Priorswood is short just one pupil. All five local TDs attended a meeting there. I am very proud when Dublin Bay North TDs come together on educational issues. While we differ politically, we have one passion, and that is representing north Dublin. The fact that all the constituency’s TDs are here shows this. A total of 40% of the pupils attending this school are from the Traveller community. Many of them are arriving in this school and need this support. The school is short one pupil and it is losing a teacher. There is a precedent for an additional teacher to be allocated. When a school misses out by just one pupil and loses one teacher, the system is wrong and it needs to be changed.”
“The Minister mentioned continuing to increase the participation levels for young women and boys and ensuring they continue to play sports. We need to give them all-weather pitches and nearby toilets. It makes it easier for parents and the hard-working coaches coming down on a Saturday night. I appreciate that.”