Barry Ward
Dún Laoghaire · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I acknowledge all of the factors the Minister of State set out. I welcome them all and it is really important that we spread that message. The second part of the Minister of State's response is really important and that is the EU jobs part. I would not necessarily limit it just to the European Union.”
“Let us not abdicate responsibility for politically unpopular decisions, which are still the right decisions, made at European level with the involvement of Irish people.”
“There is little doubt about the positivity we associate with membership of the European Union. Some 82% of Irish people favour membership of the European Union, the highest rate of approval of any European state.”
“It is really important, not from the point of view of influence but from the point of view of presence, that there are Irish people around the table when decisions are being made so that the Irish perspective is understood and heard.”
“To look at it from a purely economic standpoint, the value of being part of the Single Market is enormous. In 1973, we imported €340 million more in goods than we exported. In recent times, we have had an export surplus. We have exported more than €53 billion more than we have imported.”
“As we hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU and are at the heart of Europe, leading the agenda and setting the tone in respect of our priorities during the Presidency, what is the Government doing to communicate to Irish people just how lucky we are to be part of the European Union?”
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“If Trump thinks he can, he has underestimated Ukraine in exactly the same way that Vladimir Putin did when he started this war three years ago. That attitude is not going to help. The reality is that any ceasefire or deal at this point that consolidates the position of the Russian forces in terms of occupying places such as Crimea must be unacceptable. I am immensely proud of the European reaction and the Irish reaction to this, both in terms of what we have done to help those who fled the war, particularly in eastern Ukraine, but also in terms of the humanitarian response. Communities the length and breadth of this country have shown their compassion and understanding of where Ukrainians are. There is a way to go yet.”
“Rather than being honest about what it is actually doing and that this is a land grab and an imperialistic move by Vladimir Putin - not that that is surprising - it puts this rhetoric out there, perhaps even believing that those of us who know what is happening might actually believe it or subscribe in any way to its apparent justification for what has happened. That baffles me, to be perfectly honest, perhaps not as much as the attitude of the current US Administration does. The notion that there is a solution to this war that can be arrived at without Ukraine's involvement or assent is a nonsense. I do not know how Donald Trump thinks for a moment that that could even hold if Ukraine is not involved and it does not buy into it.”
“It was the first time standing in Kyiv, talking to ordinary Ukrainian people, and our colleagues in the Verkhovna Rada - politicians in Ukraine - that I got the impression that Ukraine actually could do that and that it had been underestimated in terms of its approach to the war. Three years later, I have not changed my view in that regard. I am deeply impressed by the resilience and the commitment of Ukrainian people to defending their homeland and to ensuring they do not again become a province of a state ruled from Moscow. It is astonishing to see the Russian attitude to this.”
“A little over three years ago, when the Russian troops rolled into Ukraine, I think few of us had any confidence that the Ukrainians or the Ukrainian army could resist that attack; barbaric as it was, sudden, yet not entirely unexpected in many quarters, but it was absolutely ferocious. We have been surprised, and perhaps very much impressed, by how Ukrainian forces have managed to not just keep back the Russians, but actually take back land and ground and to assert themselves in the context of a brutal conflict. I visited Ukraine shortly after war broke out in May 2022, along with my colleague, Senator Garrett Ahearn. We were the first parliamentarians from Ireland to visit Kyiv after the outbreak of war.”
“It is important for us to put in place specific measures to create positivity around the work they are doing, acknowledge it, and ensure there is a way they will want to stay in the jobs and continue to provide the valuable service that they do.”
“I acknowledge the programmes the Minister of State mentioned. I welcome the appointment of the assistant national director and I look forward to the strategy that will be published this year. We can all agree that the retention of staff in the sector is something that has more than just a financial impact. People who work in the disabilities sector do an incredibly difficult job. It calls on them in a vocational way to deal with challenges that most of us do not have to deal with in our daily lives. A job done well by people in this sector is something that has a large return for society. Retained staff retain the institutional knowledge, experience and expertise that come with it while also providing a continuity of service for the people they are serving in the sector.”
“Are there measures in the Department that can come at this from more than a financial angle and put in place measures to encourage people to stay in these positions?”
“I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the ambition and achievement in the sector and I recognise the amount of money that has been invested, but retention is very important in circumstances where one in four workers in the disability sector will leave the job within a given year. This is three times the average of other sectors. It is important to invest in this and put in place measures beyond just money to encourage people to stay in the sector. We know the factors involved: a lack of permanent positions; there can be better terms and conditions in other sectors; and the burnout of staff. All of these impact on the availability of staff, who do incredibly important work and provide much more value than the salaries they are paid would suggest.”
“Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire agus leis an Aire Stáit. Go n-éirí leo sna poist nua. Is í an cheist atá agam anocht ná seo: cad iad na tionscnaimh atá i bhfeidhm sa Roinn chun foireann agus oibrithe a mhealladh agus a choimeád san earnáil mhíchumais? What initiatives and research does the Department propose to attract and retain staff in the disability sector?”
“It is all too often easy for those of us who represent urban areas to step back and say, "I do not have many farmers in my constituency," or, "Farming is not a big business in my constituency." Even if that is true, and I do not accept it is true of any constituency, we have a responsibility as Members of this House and representatives of the people of this country to ensure that the agrifood sector is sustained, promoted and supported at Government level, throughout local government and at all the different levels of government within this country . That applies equally to those of us from Dublin and Cork as it does to those from country constituencies.”
“As an urban representative within this House, the responsibility for promoting and sustaining agriculture and ensuring it is viable into the future is a responsibility of every Member of this House, irrespective of whether you live in a three-bedroom semi-detached house in a suburb or an apartment in a city or a farmhouse in the country. Every one of us must take responsibility for acknowledging the importance that agriculture plays in this country's economy, in our individual lives and in the food that goes onto our table. The quality of that food is not accidental. It comes from the hard work of farmers.”
“The real danger is that we forget what this industry sector represents for our country. We may look at other countries and say, "Well they have a much more intensive farming model and it is, therefore, much more efficient and much more economically viable," or whatever it might be. To say that is to forget what small farms deliver for communities all over this country. That is perhaps central. As important as the agrifood sector is to our economy - I mentioned some of the figures at the start - what it produces for communities and for small towns and villages throughout this country is of equal importance from the point of view of its sustainability.”
“When we look at farming around the world, and particularly at our neighbours in Europe - we should remember that much of the agriculture in Europe is supported by subsidies from the European Union - they generally have a much more industrialised style of farming. The Irish model of farming is much more carbon-efficient for starters, with grass-fed beef and so on. It is worth acknowledging the amount of work done by Teagasc in coming up with plans for reducing emissions, particularly from dairy herds, as well as the new swards it has developed that reduce emissions, and the projects it put in place to manage the lifespan of a beast that is going to be slaughtered to reduce its overall emissions. All of these things represent enormous progress in making farming sustainable and less damaging to the environment.”
“Let us remember that the agriculture sector very often involves a family endeavour and not just one farmer. It is all of the people around that person who work on the farm. It is the family and the children of that family who are all engaged in the work of the farm. It is something we can be hugely proud of. The real danger is that we forget how important and fragile it is. As I said at the start, it is connected into communities around the country. Communities survive because of those farming families, because of those small farms and because of all the jobs and revenue they generate in that local community as a result.”
“The important aspect is that we have not just a tremendously vibrant agricultural sector but a sector that delivers for this country across the board. The quality of food in this country is extraordinary. When you go abroad, the comparison with the freshness of our food is noticeable. There are so many farms in this country that are small family holdings delivering extremely high-quality food products whether that is beef, milk or arable or whatever it might be. As we go into next month, we know that from Boston to Berlin to Beijing Irish agricultural products, be they meat, dairy, vegetables or grains, will be adorning the tables not just of embassies but of events throughout the world. All of that agricultural output comes from the hard work and sweat of individual families around this country.”
“Perhaps the greatest application of it relates to the failure to look after agricultural animals, particularly livestock and those protected species. In addition, there is my family background. I am only one generation in Dublin and my family were drystock farmers in east Galway. There are very few people in Dublin who are very far away from the land. Most people in Dublin, or in other cities around the country, come from a farming background at some point in their family and have people in their family who are farming. I am a member of the Irish Farmers Association, which might surprise some people as well. The point I make is that, irrespective of what part of the country you come from, agriculture is your responsibility. Irrespective whether you are an urban TD or a rural TD, agriculture matters and it matters to you.”
“I have no doubt that there are colleagues of mine sitting in their offices in the House today greatly amused at the fact that I am standing up here to speak about the importance of the agrifood sector. There is also the issue that when you are around the country and you tell somebody you are from Dublin they assume you do not know what is beyond the M50. I am sure that is true of some people but it is not true of me. I have worked in agriculture. I have worked on farms here and in France. I worked for a long time within the Department of agriculture as a prosecutor for animal welfare issues under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which was brought in by my colleague, the then Minister, Simon Coveney. It is hugely important legislation that deals with abuse of animals on farms in particular.”
“There are many farms in the south west of the constituency, in particular around Ballyman, The Scalp and Murphy's Lane, which is named after the Murphy farm. There are lots of farms and farmers in my constituency. In fact many people are not just engaged in farming in Dún Laoghaire but working in farming-related industries. The farms may not be in Dún Laoghaire but those workers live in Dún Laoghaire. There is no constituency in this country, even the most urban, that is not affected by agriculture and that aspect of the economy. As a Dublin TD and a person from Dublin there is sometimes a sniggering regard in relation to how much I might or might not know about agriculture.”
“More than 170,000 people were employed directly or indirectly in the agrifood sector in 2022, which is a substantial portion of total employment in this country, across 135,000 farms, and there were 2,000 fishing vessels and aquaculture sites. The gross value added at factor cost in the agrifood sector in 2022 was €18.3 billion. I do not think anyone in this House would be in any doubt about the value of the sector and the importance of the sector to our economy, but also the importance of sector to communities throughout this country. I stand before the House as a TD for Dún Laoghaire, which is not known necessarily for its agricultural output. Although there are farms in Dún Laoghaire, people somehow deny that.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Más féidir liom, i dtús báire, gabhaim mo chomhghairdeas leat as a bheith tofa inné agus tá súil agam go mbeidh gach rud déanta duitse chun meas a thabhairt don Chathaoir sa Teach seo, chomh mór is a bheidh leis an gCeann Comhairle í féin freisin. Ar an ábhar sin, maidir le mo chomhghleacaithe, na hAirí nua, ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil leo freisin, go háirithe mo chomhghleacaí Fhine Gael, an Teachta Martin Heydon. Táim ag tnúth go mór leis an obair a bheidh le déanamh acu, an bheirt agaibh, ach go háirithe ag an Aire, an Teachta Heydon. There is no disputing the importance of the agrifood sector in the Irish context.”
“Let us stop reflecting and let us say this is illegal and, when somebody does this, there will be serious consequences for that person in our courts, including prison time and substantial fines. Perhaps most importantly, there will be a mechanism to stop it. At the moment, if I go to Twitter, Instagram, any of the online platforms or any of the Internet providers, I cannot get them to stop somebody using my image. Let us be honest, nobody wants to use my image, but we cannot stop images from being used illegally because we have not passed the requisite law. Let us pass a Bill. Let us make this illegal.”
“The Minister of State referred to emotional damage and distress and financial loss. Arguably, financial loss is covered by provisions within the theft and fraud offences Act. I am less worried about that, but the emotional distress that is totally unaddressed by the law at present cannot be allowed to go unanswered. The reputational damage the Minister of State mentioned also cannot be allowed to go unanswered. There are arguably defamatory aspects to it, but let us put legislation in place that specifically states catfishing is not allowed. Let us define what it is in legislation and let us acknowledge the damage it does both to the people directly affected by it through being duped online and those whose images are falsely used to catfish. Let us acknowledge that harm.”
“I welcome the acknowledgement of the seriousness of what I said. I welcome the fact the Minister of State and the Department acknowledge that catfishing is wrong. I also recognise that the Minister of State said it is not illegal. I was in these Houses when we passed Coco's Law, but Coco's Law does not stop this from happening. The various legislative instruments to which the Minister of State referred do not stop this from happening. At the end of the day, this is illegal. I welcome the fact he acknowledged that it can cause significant emotional distress, financial loss and, in some cases, reputational harm. These are all serious issues. The Minister of State is right to say this is an opportunity for us to reflect on this issue, but let us stop reflecting and actually do something. Let us pass laws that make this illegal.”
“Notwithstanding the fact it is immoral and patently wrong and that it damages a whole cohort of people, including both those whose images are stolen and those who are fooled online by stolen images, how can we expect to stop people from doing this and how can we expect anything to change if we do not make this illegal and introduce real consequences in the courts and in criminal justice legislation for people who do this?”
“What is extraordinary is that it is not illegal. It is clear that catfishing is not against the law in Ireland. When it goes into the wider realm of fraud and people are defrauded out of money, an offence is certainly committed under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. There have also been attempts in these Houses, particularly by my former colleague, the former Senator, Lisa Chambers, to bring forward legislation to outlaw this practice but, at the moment, it is not against the law.”
“This not only leads to that person feeling foolish and that they have been duped, giving them a fear of bringing the matter to the attention of the authorities, but it equally affects the person whose image has been stolen. It must be remembered that the images used to dupe people online are images of real people, although they have been misused in the context of the catfishing. Those people are also affected by this. On the "Cruel Intentions" podcast, I heard of a young woman whose image had been stolen. She is afraid that, when going into a local coffee shop, she will be approached by someone who thinks they are in a relationship with her because her image has been used online. It damages a whole range of people, even if they are not involved and have done nothing wrong. We can all recognise that this is wrong and immoral.”
“This is, therefore, an area that is ripe for abuse and misrepresentation by nefarious people. This false online presence and duping of other people is now happening an awful lot. As I have said, it was also highlighted by journalist Ellen Coyne in the "Cruel Intentions: Catching the Catfish" podcast. It leads to the people who have been duped feeling foolish and like they have done something wrong. They feel like they have not been careful enough or that they have been stupid when, in actual fact, the level at which this happens is extremely sophisticated and detailed. Listening to Johnny B. and Johnny Smacks on "The 2 Johnnies Podcast", the extent of and detail involved in what they describe as having happened is extraordinary. Any person could be hoodwinked by it.”
“In many instances, it has happened in the context of online dating and romantic contexts but there is also a wider issue in respect of fraud and things like that. In Ireland alone, there has been a great deal of discussion of catfishing. Most people will be aware of the GAA catfish story. In this case, one particular person is estimated to have duped around 40 people online into believing she was somebody else entirely and that she was in a relationship with them even though they had never physically met. For people who are not online and who are not dealing with the online world, this might seem strange but the reality is that people are increasingly living online. They are conducting their business online and conducting relationships online before they ever meet in person.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht teacht isteach chun déileáil leis an gceist seo. At first glance, "catfish" might sound like a non-native marine animal but this is something that has been brought to the fore in the past year or more by people using their power in the media. I refer in particular to the 2 Johnnies and journalists like Ellen Coyne, who have highlighted the practice of catfishing. This is a process whereby somebody uses an image or false identity online to dupe another person into believing he or she is somebody else and uses that knowledge to act against that other person. Catfishing is essentially where a person dupes another person online into believing they are somebody else.”
“That is true on the Rock Road, Merrion Road and on the N11 where the cycle lane immediately deteriorates where Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's area of responsibility ends and one enters Dublin city. These are just a few individual examples. What we have on a nationwide basis is a problem with addressing the fact that people need to be protected, particularly vulnerable road users. We need to ensure that the engineering and the infrastructure is there and, beyond all of that, that we have the enforcement. We need to send out the message that if people are going to break the road traffic laws, there will be consequences for them and that An Garda Síochána will be there and they will be caught and there will be a punishment for them. Only then will misbehaviour stop and lives be saved.”
“It is intimidating if you are on a bicycle and you have a double-decker bus bearing down behind you because, obviously, I am not the fastest cyclist in the country. It is very intimidating sharing a relatively limited space with an enormous and dangerous vehicle. We need to be putting in place proper segregated cycle lanes rather than advisory cycle lanes or ones with those bendy bollards that can be knocked over by cars. We need cycle lanes that provide a separate space for cyclists in order that they can be safe and separate from traffic. For example, when transferring from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council into Dublin City Council, there is a complete lack of continuity in the infrastructure, particularly for cyclists.”
“That has got to be a good thing. At the same time, however, while I praise Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for the work it has done in improving cycling infrastructure, it is far from adequate and far from finished. The junction to which I referred earlier in respect of Greta Price-Martin is one where it put bollards in place instead of a segregated cycling lane. Those bollards have to be routinely replaced because lorries and large vehicles knock them down. The use of bollards is not working. Until we have that adequate cycling infrastructure in place, cyclists cannot and will not feel safe. For example, I cycle along the Rock Road in Blackrock into town. There is a bus lane that has to be shared with cyclists.”
“While I do not necessarily oppose it, one of the difficulties I have with saying all speed limits are going to be reduced from 80 km/h to 60km/h or from 50km/h to 30 km/h is that it abdicates individual motorists from the responsibility for taking action about their behaviour and for taking responsibility for the people around them, such as the vulnerable road users, pedestrians, cyclists and older people. All of that must be taken on board as an individual responsibility by motorists, motorcyclists and cyclists. In my area, the increase in the number of cyclists on the road has improved awareness of vulnerable road users. I welcome the fact that bike share schemes and more individuals taking to bicycles onto roads throughout the capital and in Dún Laoghaire have made motorists more aware of their presence.”
“The answer is not to simply say that we are reducing speed limits on small roads nationally. I have heard other speakers indicate that this all comes down to enforcement. The only time people are actually going to take speed and behaviour on the roads seriously is when they think someone is going to catch them doing it and penalise them. This can be seen on major national routes and motorways or on small country roads and small housing estates in urban areas. Wherever the setting, if people think they will get away it, they will take the chance. Every time it happens and someone dies as a result of it, we hear of the tragedy but what we do not hear is the requirement for personal responsibility.”
“Greta Price-Martin, who was 22 years of age and a student of film at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, was killed there last April. She was cycling on her way to work at an incredibly busy junction where five roads meet. She went straight on and a lorry that was outside her turned left and she was caught under it. Her death was unspeakably tragic. I met her parents at the scene at a vigil afterwards. She was from Louth originally but her parents, Breffni Martin and Vanessa Price, were there. It is incredibly difficult for any of us to understand the grief they must have felt when their daughter was far from home. This, however, is just one instance in my area of hundreds around the country where people suffered similar grief. Anything we can do to stop that is something we must do. We must take responsibility.”
“As everyone in this Chamber knows, one death on the road is one family, one community and one group of friends devastated by the loss of the person involved. Every death is something we need to take seriously and take steps to address. As we work towards reducing road deaths to zero, we do so in the context that they have actually increased in recent times. That is unacceptable and difficult to explain, even though there have been attempts to explain it. The reality is that in each instance, there is someone who did not accept responsibility for the role they had to play on the roads in terms of ensuring the safety of other road users. When we debate road safety, I think of a road death that happened within the past 12 months literally around the corner from where I live, at the corner of Glenageary Road in Mounttown and Kill Avenue.”
“We need to have fully accessible public transport throughout the country. On the issue of Gaelscoileanna, there are only two in my constituency. One is a DEIS school and the other is Scoil Lorcáin, which is a very well established Gaelscoil. We have two excellent Gaelcholáistí in Coláiste Íosagáin and Coláiste Eoin, but what we also have is a dearth of Gaelcholáistí for people in the surrounding area to graduate to after the bunscoil and Gaelscoil level. There is a real problem with the way the Department of Education assesses the need for them. There is a need and the Department needs to be proactive in establishing where there is a need for Gaelcholáistí to make sure gur féidir le tuismitheoirí gur mhaith leo an Gaeloideachas a chur ar fáil dá bpáistí é sin a dhéanamh.”
“We must focus on putting in place facilities to convince people that if they are going to break the law on the road, they will be caught and there will be consequences. That is something I have already raised with the Minister. Equally, in the area of transport generally, we need to be ambitious. I am glad to see ambition in public transport and a metro for Dublin. We need to progress this sooner rather than later. Every year we delay means it will cost more and more. The other issue in public transport is accessibility. At the moment, we have a preposterous situation where people who are mobility impaired and use a wheelchair or other devices must give notice to the likes of Bus Éireann or Iarnród Éireann that they are going to use public transport. In some cases, it is 24 hours' notice. This is unacceptable and needs to be eradicated.”
“I hope the Minister for Justice, when looking at these issues, will consider the establishment of a new Garda station in Cherrywood to serve the new community. We have spent a lot of time and energy over recent years developing the special development zone in Cherrywood which is now beginning to burgeon and grow. There are many people moving into what will be a wonderful community, but we also need to put in place a Garda station to help to police that area and to serve the wider community. We also need to put in place a Garda station to help to police that area and to serve the wider community. It is a good location because of the road infrastructure there and the access to the surrounding areas. Equally, in terms of policing, road safety is greatly important. We have not had success in this regard in the past year.”
“I know we have heard a lot about housing but my own constituency of Dún Laoghaire, is probably the most expensive constituency - or one of them - in the country in which to live. It is a really difficult challenge for a probationer garda or a young garda to come to live in the Dún Laoghaire area. I would like to see us putting in place specific supports, including the provision of accommodation where it is appropriate, for young and junior gardaí to allow them to go to work in any station, whether it is in a rural or urban area. Obviously, it is a particularly acute problem for me in Dún Laoghaire. The other thing is, although the plan does not go into the specifics in this regard, we need to be looking at opening more Garda stations in areas where there is population growth. One of them that occurs to me is Cherrywood.”
“Recruitment of gardaí is really important, but so also is putting in place incentives to encourage people, at a time when we are a victim of our own success because of the success of our economy and the extent of employment in the country at the moment, to take the step towards the selfless act that is becoming a member of An Garda Síochána. It is something that is probably more vocation than job but we need to make it easy for people to make that choice. In that regard, I certainly welcome the targets set in the programme but it is also important to put in place additional incentives to achieve those targets. Some of the difficulties gardaí have in particular relate to housing.”
“That said, I want to address some of the issues that are important within the clár Rialtais. As somebody who practises in the courts as a criminal barrister, crime is something that is front and centre. It is something on which I did a lot of work in the past five years. The targets set for the recruitment of gardaí are hugely important. We cannot possibly hope to address issues of crime, but specifically address issues people have about feeling safe in their communities, if we are not putting in place the gardaí required to deliver on that.”
“I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom a rá go dtuigim díreach an méid oibre atá i gceist chun clár Rialtais a chur le chéile. Agus an obair sin ar siúl, tá daoine ar fud na tíre ag iarraidh polasaithe a chur isteach sa chlár sin agus na rudaí atá tábhachtach dóibhsean a bheith ann agus i bpolasaithe an Rialtais freisin. It is a big job to put together a policy and a programme for Government like this and huge credit is due to those who were involved in negotiating this plan, putting it together and putting in so many things that are so important to communities throughout this country. I do not underestimate the amount of work that is involved in that and I do not in anyway gainsay how difficult it is to put together something that is on the one hand achievable and realistic but on the other also addresses the concerns so many people have.”
“Every single one of them should have an individual emergency backup generator to make sure that, at the very minimum, households have water throughout the country. There is a job to be done to look at what we can do to make sure we are prepared for the next instance because we know it is coming.”
“We should be reviewing whether it is possible, for example, to have much larger-scale undergrounding, if I can use that word, of major power cables, particularly the main lines, the interconnectors with Northern Ireland and, ultimately, the power that is going to come through the Celtic interconnector from France as well. I know that is an expensive project but we should certainly be carrying out a review to see if the investment in that kind of work is worth it from the point of view of insulating the country from what might happen in the future. That viability may well be part of the solution. Equally, with regard to generators, it seems extraordinary that we would ever allow to reoccur that our water treatment and water pumping facilities are simply shut down because the power lines are not working.”
“What are those learnings to be? While I agree with many of the contributors that we must pay tribute to the workers from ESB, and to our European colleagues from France to Finland who came to Ireland to help those workers do the repairs that need to be done, we must also look at what we can do to insulate the country against future damage that might happen in these storms. We know these storms are coming and they will be more frequent and, hopefully not but possibly, more powerful as well. In that regard, the location of electricity cables must be addressed. I certainly think we should be making a decision at this juncture that no new build or new development should come with overhead cables. Clearly, they are vulnerable to storms and we should always locate them underground. Retrofitting creates other problems.”
“Is é seo an chéad deis a bhí agam labhairt sa Dáil ó tóghadh mé anuraidh. Gabhaim buíochas le muintir Dhún Laoghaire as ucht a muinín a chur ionam agus tugaim aitheantas do chabhair mo chlainne, go háirithe cabhair mo bhean chéile, Aoife, agus m'iníon, Robin, agus do chabhair mo chairde, mo chomhghleacaithe agus bhaill Fhine Gael i mBaile Átha Cliath. Ar an dea-uair, i nDún Laoghaire, d'éirigh linn éalú ó na héifeachtaí ba mheasa a bhí ag Stoirm Éowyn. Cé go raibh damáiste agus crainn a tháinig anuas le linn na stoirme, níor fhulaing muid ó na gearrthacha cumhachta a bhí le feiceáil ar fud na tíre. Cé go bhfuilim buíoch gur fheidhmigh an rabhadh dearg ó Mhet Éireann agus gur sábháladh daoine mar thoradh air sin, ní mór ceachtanna a bheith ann ó mhéid na stoirme agus ón éifeacht a bhí aici ar phobail i ngach áit in Éirinn.”