Cathal Byrne
Cultural and Educational Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I join other Senators in urging the Government, including the Minister for local government, to produce the action plan on local democracy and make it a key priority to work on it over the summer so that the hard-working councillors up and down Ireland can have clarity about what exactly the changes will be as they face into another round…”
“I join colleagues in thanking so many of the staff here who make it possible for us to do our day-to-day work. That includes not only Martin Hughes and the team here in the Seanad, but also the ushers and all those who make the day-to-day life of Leinster House possible, including those who work in the restaurant, the canteen and behind t…”
“The Senator also raised the situation of the artist Emily Conway from County Mayo, who received an Arts Council bursary in recognition of her important contribution as an artist but which has created a scenario whereby her application for a blind pension has run into difficulty. I encourage him to put that down as a Commencement matter.”
“I feel there is also a responsibility on Dublin City Council to allow for that and to support local residents in the area. In fairness to Senator Andrews, he has spoken about this before in the House. I am happy to take it up with the Leader.”
“However, because the consultation with the consultant took place initially in Monaghan, the HSE refused that application. I encourage Senator Tully to perhaps raise this as a Commencement matter. There is an appeal mechanism through the HSE and the ombudsman. Perhaps that is an avenue for her constituent to pursue.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 - Committee Stage (resumed) and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m., with the proceedings thereon, if not previously concluded, to be brought to a conclusion at 3.45 p.m.”
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Every one of 555 lines we hold for Cathal Byrne, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 12.
“I support the motion put forward by my colleagues this evening. I recognise the contribution of the proposer of the motion, Senator Manus Boyle, who is the Fine Gael spokesperson on fisheries, in this area and the work that has been done my colleague, Senator Noel O'Donovan. Wexford is a very proud fishing county with a strong tradition of fishing, particularly in south Wexford, where we have the iconic Kilmore Quay, an area I recently had the opportunity to visit when I attended a mass commemorating those from County Wexford who were lost at sea. This motion makes a number of straightforward common-sense proposals. I urge the Minister of State to do his very best to make sure that each one of the commitments put forward in the motion is recognised and brought forward.”
“The only way we can have access to those two mechanisms is through a shared series of co-operation measures. That is what is proposed here. It is for those reasons and protecting the integrity of our asylum pact system in Ireland that I am supporting these measures.”
“It is important that if somebody applies for asylum in a different member state, Ireland's authorities in the Department of justice and An Garda Síochána understand that the person has put in an application with a different country and therefore should be returned to that country to have their application adjudicated upon there in the first instance. We cannot have a situation where people are able to lodge multiple asylum applications as they make their way across Europe and then subsequently come to Ireland to have a separate asylum application adjudicated upon here. It is also important that Ireland has access to fingerprint, arrest and criminal conviction records of people who have made their way to Ireland across Europe seeking asylum here.”
“It is so important that voices from all sides are heard. Regrettably, here we are today with scarce attendance. On this issue, Ireland has to have a tough immigration system that recognises that there are vulnerable people who are coming from the most difficult circumstances who are justifiably recognised as having a successful asylum claim. It also must recognise the fact that there are people coming to the country under false pretences, perhaps with no documents, whose stories do not match what they are saying and who are successfully through the system process, rejected and then have to be deported. To ensure that we have a viable migration system in this country, we have to have resources. To suggest that it is possible for Ireland to go it alone does not reflect the realities of the situation.”
“I have listened carefully to the debate. It is important and right that these issues are debated in this Chamber. I regret that so few of our colleagues have made their way to the Chamber to discuss this. Immigration is one of the biggest issues affecting the country at present after housing.”
“The residents in the area are terrified their homes will disappear into the sea. I call for an urgent debate on our national coastal erosion strategy with the Minister and for proper resources to be put in place. Up the road from this location, there was successful rock armour protection in Seaview, Kilmore, but the problem has worsened further upstream where it is not protected. We need to get to grips with this issue before it is too late.”
“I am proud to be from County Wexford. We have 260 km of golden coasts but, unfortunately, in an era of climate change that is bringing difficulties for residents living along the coast. Some 211 km of that 260 km are at risk of coastal erosion. Last Friday with local councillor Frank Staples, I visited Ballyhealy, an area now suffering from at least 1 m per year disappearing into the sea. In recent storms that has been exacerbated and up to 5 m of Wexford coastline has disappeared into the sea. Within 200 m of our coast, there are 4,355 properties. All of these are at risk of disappearing into the sea in the next ten to 15 years. Unless there is direct action in places like Ballyhealy, the result will be the loss of businesses, agricultural land and residents.”
“While this is not directly linked to the number of judges, extra resources should be put into the probate system to ensure that the average waiting time to get a grant of probate, assuming all paperwork is compliant, is not up to a year. That has to be prioritised, notwithstanding the increases in resources made available in the most recent budget. Fine Gael supports this legislation, specifically because it will ensure we have a greater number of court sitting days. There is a widespread appreciation that there is an opportunity for people to have their cases heard in a swift and timely manner.”
“This housekeeping exercise tightens up and modernises certain legislation to ensure we have the most effective and streamlined court system possible. The Courts Service needs to progress aggressively to ensure we have a more electronic, digitalised and modern mechanism of filing papers. It is quite strange that in 2025 the court system is still operating predominantly through a paper-based system and has not moved to an electronic system. I encourage the Minister for justice to ensure, as part of the modernisation and reform of our courts, we actually move to that. I am aware that consideration is being given to an e-probate system. In my day-to-day encounters, I encounter many people who still find that the probate system is taking too long.”
“The original legislation which is being amended traces back to a time when it was proposed to ensure that regulations were placed under the Street and House to House Collections Act 1962 on those who seek to collect money door-to-door for charitable purposes, as part of a fundraiser or as a mechanism for a voluntary, community or sporting organisation to raise funds locally. While changes have been made to this area in recent years, under the new regulations there is still an opportunity for any community, sporting or voluntary group to go out and raise money in line with the wishes and needs of the individual sports club or community or voluntary organisation. It is important that the fact that this right still exists is not lost in this legislation, notwithstanding certain amendments.”
“It is appropriate to be cognisant, as I am, of the restructuring that took place recently in the High Court with the incorporation of the new Planning and Environment Court. There are now more complex cases before the courts than perhaps at any stage up to now. This is because some European directives and pieces of environmental legislation have not been incorporated within our own system and we now have more cases before the family law courts than we have ever had before. I want to reference the amendments being made in this legislation to the gambling Act.”
“As a solicitor, I am well aware of the importance of ensuring that when a case is listed, it actually goes ahead. There is nothing more frustrating for somebody who finds himself or herself before the courts in any capacity than to have a date appointed to be the date for the case to be heard, only for it to be adjourned for two weeks, three months, six months or a year. It is expected and hoped that the increase in the number of judges in the Court of Appeal from 18 to 21; in the High Court from 49 to 55, including the President of the High Court; in the Circuit Court from 45 to 51; and in the District Court from 71 to 77 will contribute to ensuring there is ready access.”
“Cosgrave wrote: "There is nothing more prized among our newly-won liberties than the liberty to construct a system of judiciary and an administration of law and justice according to the dictates of our own needs and after a pattern of our own designing." It is very appropriate that in an era of almost 6.5 million people living in the country, we reflect on the legal maxim of "justice delayed is justice denied" and take the opportunity to make sure there is an appropriate number of justices in the country to ensure anybody who wants to go before the courts or anybody who finds themselves before the courts can have his or case heard in a timely manner. I welcome the increase in the number of judges, which is reflective of the fact that there has been an increase in the number of sitting days.”
“The Minister is most welcome to the Chamber this evening. I am substituting for my colleague Senator Garrett Kelleher who is the Fine Gael justice spokesperson. I was preparing for this earlier this evening, reflecting on the evolution that we have seen over the past number of years and in the more than a century of Irish independence. In doing so, I came across a piece on the courts website that I felt was apt. It is a quote from then President of the Executive Council, W.T. Cosgrave, on establishing the 1923 Judiciary committee, which was set up to advise the then Free State on what would be the most appropriate number of judges, a precursor to the Minister's own judicial planning working group. In that correspondence, W. T.”
“Similarly, it was built in 1842 and it used to be a union workhouse as well. It has now fallen into disrepair to the point where the roof no longer exists. It is infested by rats, surrounded by overgrowth and there are trees growing up through the building. The HSE still owns it and to best of my knowledge it has not come forward with a concrete plan on what exactly is to happen that building. There were suggestions that it was going to be brought back into use for office space for the adjoining Wexford General Hospital. I know the local community has many different ideas and initiatives. We urgently need a debate in this Chamber on the issue of the derelict properties the HSE has across the country. I urge the Leader to bring this forward to this Chamber.”
“I want to raise the issue of derelict properties that are owned by the HSE and have been allowed to sit vacant and idle for years. There are two examples in my county, Wexford. First, we have St. John's Community Hospital in Enniscorthy. The original hospital building was built in the 1840s to be a union workhouse that accommodated approximately 600 people. The hospital has been built up around the original hospital and the original building has fallen into disrepair, disuse and dereliction. We urgently need clarification from the HSE on what exactly are the plans it has for that building. There is widespread community support locally for it to be renovated and brought back into use. It is important that this is actioned and we have a clear plan. Further down the road in Wexford town, we have the old Wexford hospital.”
“However, we also have to have regard to the vital jobs in rural Ireland that both industries support. For those reasons, I will be supporting this motion. I am happy to engage with the Minister on any welfare requirements that he sees fit. However, the jobs have to be respected too and the contribution that is made throughout rural Ireland, including in countries like my own in Wexford.”
“Almost 30,000 jobs are directly supported by the horse racing industry. My concern here is that if you pull this funding overnight and it was to disappear and dry up, I do not know whether the industry and those jobs would actually be there without it. It is important that we support both sectors - greyhound racing and horse racing - while at all times having to the forefront of our mind the absolute need to prioritise and do everything we possibly can on animal welfare and animal welfare supports. I recognise the €4 million that has been put into animal welfare supports. I recognise the regulations that have been brought in by the Department of agriculture. I certainly will be supportive of any other measures the Minister for agriculture believes are needed in order to prioritise welfare.”
“Sports clubs and many vital charitable causes avail of the fundraising opportunities that these tracks provide. I acknowledge the fact that we have a Minister in the Department who, like his predecessors, wants to see the highest standards of welfare in both industries. I recognise the contribution that was made earlier about artificial insemination. I certainly have concerns about that. I welcome the fact that the Minister is engaging with his officials on the possibility of regulating that area and I want to see the highest standards of welfare across both sectors. However, what was not referenced in the contributions from the Social Democrats, Sinn Féin and certain Independents was the jobs. The greyhound industry supports 4,000 jobs. There are 6,000 individual trainers, breeders and owners of dogs throughout the country.”
“I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I will be supporting this measure. I am acutely aware of the many trainers and breeders we have for horses and greyhounds in County Wexford. In my home town of Enniscorthy we have the Enniscorthy greyhound track, a privately operated track funded locally. It is run by a voluntary board of directors made up of local individuals. We have Wexford Racecourse, the home of many enjoyable afternoons of racing. There is also a dynamic that has not been raised in the Chamber yet, which is the many fundraising initiatives that take place week in and week out at Enniscorthy dog track and also at the race course in Wexford town. It is important to acknowledge the contribution that is made to local community groups and organisations.”
“I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to this important infrastructure for County Wexford. Given the Government will shortly announce a series of measures on how the delivery of strategic infrastructure projects might be accelerated, can consideration be given to including the Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour motorway when those proposals are published? It is important infrastructure for County Wexford and I cannot stress enough the impact the success of Rosslare Europort is having on local communities there. A lady said to me during the week that the Wexford ring road is now effectively like a car park at times coming up to sailings. As we now have 75 sailings a week, up from 20 pre-Brexit, the Minister of State can imagine the impact that has on local residents.”
“The infrastructure has not followed and there is quite a lot of frustration that, due to the court case relating to the Galway ring road and the knock-on impact of that judgment on requiring active-travel considerations, this had added over a year extra to the time it will take to deliver the motorway. A preferred route has been selected for the motorway. Will the Minister of State provide an update on where things currently stand in relation to the motorway and the commitment from the Government for funding this project beyond the planning stage? When we finally get through the planning stage, is the commitment there from Government to put the money in place to go to tender, CPO and construction?”
“Any traffic that is heading to Rosslare Europort must travel through the village of Oylegate, around the Wexford ring road, into Drinagh, down then to Killinick, to Tagoat and on then to Rosslare Harbour. As a result of Brexit, we have seen a €230 million investment into Rosslare Europort. I was there with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, only a few days ago. The reality for the people living in that area is that the harbour having gone from 20 sailings a week to now close to 75 sailings a week means the volume of traffic making its way to the port is now directly affecting the lives of all those residents living in that area.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in to address this absolutely crucial piece of strategic infrastructure for County Wexford, one of the single biggest projects that the county needs in order to capitalise on its potential. I am aware that the Minister of State will be visiting south Wexford tomorrow. I look forward to welcoming him to Lady's Island. He will travel the same road on which I am looking to get an update on today. I refer to the need for the Oylegate to Rosslare motorway to be delivered and developed. I am seeking an update on that. At the moment, the road travels the whole way from Larne in Northern Ireland all the way down to the little village of Oylegate.”
“It should also recognise the need for English language classes to be made available and that, for a migration system to work, there also have to be deportations, and sufficient investment should be put behind it to ensure that is the case. I am very happy to second this motion to the House this evening.”
“My colleague Senator Kelleher referenced the fact that an asylum seeker who has committed a crime, been found guilty and has gone to prison should be deported after serving their sentence. There is a legitimate debate to be had about whether a person should be deported once they are found guilty, but I would be concerned that those people would not actually serve the full extent of their sentences were that to be the case. I very much support this motion and I recognise the new strategy on migration that will be published next year. I urge that this strategy reflects the fact that we have a vast number of people who have come here legally and integrated, who are providing employment or taking up employment, and recognises the contribution that they make to the country.”
“I regularly hear criticisms of the EU migration pact that are grounded in a fear that it will somehow result in Ireland being forced to take in vast numbers of asylum seekers. I have looked at the legislation, as has the Department. It has been debated and voted on in both Chambers of the House and those fears are unfounded. What it seeks to do is to make sure that anybody who has applied for asylum anywhere else in Europe is actually sent back to that country. If a person has applied for asylum once they have entered the EU and then made their way to Ireland, they can be sent back to the first country they applied in. It is very important that we have this mechanism, combined with other things like access to the European database of fingerprints, so that people who have committed crimes in other countries in Europe are sent back.”
“It is very important that Ireland is not seen to be a more favourable location than the UK for anybody who is seeking to immigrate. At present, the legislation in the UK will require that anybody who has a successful asylum application have their case reviewed after two and a half years to see if the circumstances that existed when the application was successful still exist. Ireland has to follow a similar model. I welcome the fact that the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, has said that he will review these matters. It is important that our immigration system is not perceived to be more favourable than what the UK has to offer, especially given the fact that it is estimated that between 70% and 80% of asylum seekers who come into the country are crossing through the Border.”
“If someone has gone through the process, met gardaí and officials from the Department of justice, and they have come to the conclusion that the asylum application is not valid, then it is only right and proper that the person is deported. I recognise the fact that we now have deportation flights taking off from these shores for people who have been issued with a deportation order who have not followed that through. It is important that we have to see more of that. For the approximately 3,000 deportations that have been issued so far this year, each one of them has to be followed up. An Garda Síochána and the Department of justice have to work together on this. I also want to speak about the changes that have been made recently by our neighbours in the United Kingdom.”
“I recognise the fact that it has reduced this year, but if we go back to the years 2017 to 2019 the figure was about 4,000. It is important that we get to grips with where we actually are on this issue. At the moment, the approximate refusal rate in the first instance for somebody who has come to the country seeking asylum, having been reviewed by An Garda Síochána and officials in the Department of justice, is at 80%. These are just facts. This is where the system is at at the moment. I believe in a system that once an application has been approved, a person should be here, allowed to take up employment and work. The person should be integrated into our country, culture and economy. However, if a person is here under false pretences and their application is one of the 80% that are refused, then they have to be deported.”
“The Tánaiste got a lot of criticism over the last number of weeks from certain quarters when he said that the present system of migration is unsustainable. We have to face up to some of the realities that we have at the moment. The IPAS system that we have has failed. It simply has not worked. When we have a situation in the country where it is costing the taxpayer €30,000 per year to accommodate an individual in private accommodation versus €12,000 per year in State accommodation, it cannot be said that this system has worked. I recognise the fact under the leadership of the Minister of State and of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, that we are moving towards a State-provided model and it is very important that we do so. Last year saw the highest number of applications for asylum the country has seen - 18,000.”
“I visited Wexford General Hospital a number of weeks ago with the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, seeking more investment for the hospital. It is a fact right now in the country that 40% of our doctors and half of our nurses were trained overseas. Some 40,000 people came to the country legally last year and availed of work permits. They came here legally into areas of employment like tourism, hospitality and the construction sector, providing and ensuring that the needs of the economy and the need for housing, infrastructure and investment are actually being met. However, we also have to recognise that for every 10,000 people who come to the country, it is estimated that we need to provide another 3,000 houses.”
“The Minister of State is most welcome to the Chamber this evening. I am more than happy to second this motion on behalf of my Fine Gael colleagues. It is very important that we have this conversation in this Chamber. Too often when the issues of migration, immigration and deportations are discussed, it is shot down by both sides. Extremists on both sides seem to quash any reasonable, logical and fact-based debate. It is important that in this Chamber, representative of the people, we have these types of debates. I recognise very much the contribution that people who have immigrated to Ireland make to the economy. For the 2.7 million people who are in work across the country at the moment, one in every five of them was born outside of the country.”
“They are well laid out, much litigated and there is plenty of precedence that can be relied on, but how in practice is that definition of "such as, delaying proceedings, fraudulent or abusive forum shopping" going to make its way through the system? Is it envisaged there will be further amendments brought into this whole area of forum shopping that were perhaps envisaged when the defamation report was first considered but have not made their way through into this Bill? For instance, if I am somebody who feels I have been defamed by a publication which predominantly is based overseas and which might have a small readership in Ireland but, because of the nature of our laws around defamation, I choose to take the case here in Ireland, is that whole area discussed in the defamation report likely to be incorporated in the future?”
“Second, in respect of paragraph (d), which has been much discussed, on the question of fraudulent or abusive forum shopping, surely if the case has already made its way into the court, the courts have decided this particular court is the right forum for this case to be heard? Then, in and of itself, it is not possible to argue there is fraudulent or abusive forum shopping taking place because, by the very fact the case has made its way into the court as a forum, inherently that has to be the forum. How is that going to operate in practice? At present, we have a very clear set of rules around which forum a case can be brought to.”
“However, regarding the definition, where it says that this "means defamation proceedings or part thereof that pursue unfounded claims" and the specific wording there, does that mean at the very beginning of a court case involving defamation, there will need to be an interim hearing to ascertain whether this is an unfounded claim? How is this going to operate in practice? If it is the case that the barrier and threshold that have to be met in order to rely on this section are that you first must show that you have either a founded claim or an unfounded claim, as the case maybe, depending on which side you are operating on, is that not just creating another procedural threshold that must be first met before this case can continue?”
“I thank the Minister for being here with us this evening. I also briefly want to speak on this section 34A and I have several questions which I would be interested in hearing the Minister's contribution on. Similar to some of the earlier points raised on section 34A, at the very beginning it says this protection is against strategic lawsuits against public participation, which we all understand and which is important is incorporated into our laws here in Ireland and that there is clarity brought to the situation which we all know currently exists.”
“I want to know from the Government where exactly we are at with the new fund, when applications can be made to it and when that funding will become available.”
“I want to highlight the need for urban regeneration funding for Enniscorthy town. Wexford town, which is located in the constituency in which I live, was delighted to receive €18.4 million in March 2021. With the programme for Government containing a commitment to a similar fund under a town and city regeneration process that is to be put in place during the Government's first year in office, I call for regeneration funding to be allocated in respect of my town of Enniscorthy as a matter of urgency. Wexford County Council has produced an ambitious three-strand plan, which includes the regeneration of Market Square and the historic Enniscorthy Castle and castle quarter, as well as the much-needed regeneration in the Templeshannon area, which is the historic part of Enniscorthy town.”
“It appears to me that local authorities, the Department and the ESB could work a bit better to try to speed that process up for local residents living in areas where these large solar farms are, like in my own county in Wexford, particularly in south Wexford, where this seems to be an issue that is coming up again and again. Perhaps the Minister will take an interest in that area.”
“As the Minister is well aware from his previous role, we appear to have an issue in Wexford where it is taking a disproportionate length of time to connect a new build one-off house in Wexford than perhaps we anecdotally hear in other parts of the country in similar rural areas. Second, I want to highlight the need for greater engagement between the Department and local authorities around the length of time it is taking for large-scale solar applications to go through the planning process and get constructed, and the impact that it is having on the local rural road network. There is an issue when it comes to putting in the cables and the wires, and hooking up between the solar farm and back to the grid.”
“The Minister is most welcome to the Chamber. As the Fine Gael spokesperson on infrastructure in this Chamber, I welcome this Bill. I acknowledge the investment of €1.5 billion into the ESB. I thank, most sincerely, the men and women across the ESB for the fantastic work that they do in ensuring power supply to each one of us across the country. I recognise the increase in the borrowing limit up to €17 billion. There are two points I want to highlight relating to my own area in Wexford. The first one is the average length of time it is taking for the ESB to connect a one-off house in the countryside. I appreciate that there are difficulties at times with getting access to power lines, cables and so on to hook up a new-build home.”
“I sincerely hope that, with 100 mm of rain anticipated to fall between tomorrow and Saturday morning, that we will not see another flood event in Enniscorthy. It reiterates the urgent need for this plan,which has been promised for so long but not delivered, to be delivered.”
“In anticipation of the orange weather warning that is affecting some of the counties on the east coast and particularly in the south east in my own area of Wexford, I again highlight the urgent need for the Enniscorthy flood defence project to be progressed. As a local councillor back on Christmas Day 2021 I will never forget meeting residents in the town who had to stop the cooking of the turkey in the over because the water had burst through their front door and into their kitchens. It was a scene that should never be repeated but, in reality, has been experienced too many times in Enniscorthy. I am aware, through the councillors in Wexford, that Wexford County Council is making preparations for sandbags for residents right across the county and in particular in Enniscorthy.”
“County Wexford has approximately 175,000 people, yet it has no inpatient mental health facility and no mental health beds. If people are experiencing a mental health crisis in Wexford, they have to travel out of the county to Waterford, which is their first point of contact. It is so important, over the next number of years, that there is an undertaking and programme of work by the HSE to get us our own 24-7 mental health facility, perhaps located on the grounds of Wexford General Hospital, where there is space. That is a campaign that has been ongoing for many years now. It is something I feel very strongly about. It is important that issue is highlighted yet again.”
“It is a very important symbol in the town because it gets people talking about why the castle is lit up in green and what that is all about. It is simply spreading awareness of people's mental health and the fact it is okay not to feel okay. Councillor Frank Staples in Wexford set up the very successful ASK campaign, which is based around the idea that it is important to ask people how they are doing. I encourage the Minister of State's Department to come down to Wexford to meet with those two groups. I am sure they would be absolutely delighted to engage with him on it. Perhaps it is something that could be rolled out right across the country. I would very much welcome engagement with the Minister of State on that. I will highlight a second issue I have spoken about in the Chamber previously.”
“There are a number of points that I want to highlight to the Minister of State. This is a worthwhile and important debate to have in this House. While mental health is not only an issue that affects rural people and farmers, owing to the nature of their work they spend more time on their own than most other people would. It is important that point is recognised. In my home county of Wexford, there is a fantastic green ribbon committee, which was set up and is organised every year by a man by the name of Patrick Hipwell. I recognise the important work he has done with Wexford IFA, ICMSA and Macra na Feirme. Every year, in my hometown of Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Enniscorthy Castle is lit up in green to mark the green ribbon event.”
“There are fantastic local charities in Wexford, such as It's Good 2 Talk and many others that do great work. However, this is not an issue that should be left to local charities to take up the slack on. Nor should the people of Wexford be forced to travel outside their county to access this important care. The care provided in Waterford is very good. There is excellent staff there, but because of a rising population, we need to have a facility in our county to look after it.”
“I will speak on the need for a dedicated 24-7 mental health facility for the people of Wexford in County Wexford. At the moment, people experiencing a mental health crisis have to make the journey to the facilities in Waterford. There has long been a campaign for a facility dedicated exclusively to Wexford. We have one of the fastest growing populations of any county, with close to 175,000 people living in County Wexford. I support the campaign for a small, dedicated 24-7 mental health bed facility in Wexford. There has been much discussion of this project in recent years, but regrettably we simply have not seen action. I call for the Minister for mental health to come to this Chamber to discuss the possibility of putting in place a small, dedicated facility.”
“It is important that when we reflect on where the post office network is going, it is not too long ago that the idea of somebody purchasing something online and getting it delivered to their door was alien to everybody across the country, but society is changing and the times are changing, and the post office network will change with them. What will not change is the fact that it is rooted in the local communities and that local people right across the country feel very connected to the post office network and to the postmen and postwomen who make it up.”