Catherine Callaghan
Carlow-Kilkenny · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Quite rightly, as the Minister pointed out, the Presidency has highlighted both the importance of international co-operation and the reality that Ireland cannot currently provide every aspect of its own defence and security requirements. However, let us be fair about that.”
“I thank the Minister and fully support that. Ireland's reputation overseas has been built not only on the professionalism of our peacekeepers but also on the confidence serving personnel and their families have had in the supports and protections associated with overseas UN service.”
“I agree that the maritime security strategy is a great document. One of the lessons of recent years is that threats to national security no longer come solely in conventional military forms.”
“I welcome the Minister's response. As someone who has served overseas, I recognise, as the Minister mentioned, that the future of peace support operations may look very different to those that have shaped previous peacekeepers, like me. Looking ahead, does the Minister see Ireland's overseas contribution remaining focused?”
“With that in mind, what capabilities does Government believe the Defence Forces will require over the next decade to fulfil those missions effectively?”
“While the Minister has outlined some specific capability gaps there in terms of increasing the number of ships and helicopters, technology, etc., does she believe that will help us become less dependent on others and more resilient in our own right? Does the Minister have a timeline for when those capability gaps can be closed?”
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“While the Minister has outlined some specific capability gaps there in terms of increasing the number of ships and helicopters, technology, etc., does she believe that will help us become less dependent on others and more resilient in our own right? Does the Minister have a timeline for when those capability gaps can be closed?”
“Quite rightly, as the Minister pointed out, the Presidency has highlighted both the importance of international co-operation and the reality that Ireland cannot currently provide every aspect of its own defence and security requirements. However, let us be fair about that. There is probably no European country that can completely defend itself alone against every conceivable major threat. We are not an outlier in that regard and that is really important to note. Most European states rely on alliances for collective defence. As we look towards the next decade, does the Minister foresee a greater resilience on that structured partnership with the EU member states and with the UK in areas such as airspace security, maritime surveillance, cyber defence and critical infrastructure protection?”
“Furthermore, has the experience of holding the Presidency highlighted any capability gaps that may require deeper co-operation in areas such as maritime security, cyber defence or intelligence sharing?”
“I agree that the maritime security strategy is a great document. One of the lessons of recent years is that threats to national security no longer come solely in conventional military forms. We have seen increasing concerns around cyberattacks, disinformation, threats to subsea cables, as referenced, attacks on critical infrastructure and vulnerabilities in our energy and communication networks. The Presidency places Ireland at the centre of European decision-making and naturally raises our international profile. Against that backdrop, is the Minister satisfied the arrangements currently in place with our European partners and the UK are sufficient to ensure sufficient deterrence, situational awareness and resilience?”
“As Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, can the Minister outline what formal defence and security arrangements are currently in place with EU member states and the UK to ensure the appropriate security resilience and defence mechanisms are available throughout the Presidency?”
“I thank the Minister and fully support that. Ireland's reputation overseas has been built not only on the professionalism of our peacekeepers but also on the confidence serving personnel and their families have had in the supports and protections associated with overseas UN service. Whether future deployments are UN-led missions in Africa, EU-led peace support operations or other international stabilisation missions, can the Minister assure the serving members of the Defence Forces and, critically, their families that they will continue to receive the same high standards of welfare, support, operational protection, medical care, post-deployment support and recognition that generations of Irish UN peacekeepers have rightly expected?”
“With that in mind, what capabilities does Government believe the Defence Forces will require over the next decade to fulfil those missions effectively? Are we likely to see a greater emphasis on areas such as intelligence, cyber capabilities, drones, force protection, medical support and specialist training, alongside our traditional peacekeeping roles?”
“I welcome the Minister's response. As someone who has served overseas, I recognise, as the Minister mentioned, that the future of peace support operations may look very different to those that have shaped previous peacekeepers, like me. Looking ahead, does the Minister see Ireland's overseas contribution remaining focused? She has already said that it will always be in accordance with Irish law and international law and the principles of the UN Charter. Does the Minister see that these will be on UN missions, particularly in Africa where many peacekeeping and stabilisation challenges are likely to arise or does she envisage a greater role for Ireland in EU-led peace support operations, or maybe a combination of both?”
“As a former UN peacekeeper, I am keenly aware of the proud role Ireland has played in international peacekeeping for almost 70 years. With the nature of conflict and traditional UN missions evolving, what does the Minister envisage Ireland's role in international peacekeeping will look like over the next decade?”
“I believe that this could work well here in Ireland too. Would the Minister support a work-more, keep-more initiative in Ireland whereby overtime earnings could be made tax free up to a reasonable annual limit or maybe have a flat rate on all overtime at 20%? This would allow workers to keep more of their earnings. It would also help businesses fill vacancies, improve productivity and help them to grow. The proposal is a simple one. If people are willing to work extra hours, they should be keeping more of that money in their pocket.”
“Councillor Pat Dunphy and I visited O'Shea Farms in Piltown, County Kilkenny recently, alongside the Minister, Deputy Heydon. On their behalf and following extensive conversations with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, I have a proposal to put forward to help address labour shortages that are affecting businesses such as O'Shea Farms and others across horticulture, manufacturing and hospitality during their peak season. They cannot get the staff to work overtime. This is not because the staff do not want to do the work, but because overtime pushes them more often into the higher tax bracket and they end up with less money in their pockets rather than more. France has recently introduced a tax relief on overtime earnings, allowing workers to keep more of their hard-earned money that they receive for additional hours worked.”
“That means two teachers working side-by-side abroad can be treated very differently on their return with many forced to start again at the bottom of the salary scale despite their significant experience. This runs the risk of discouraging teachers who want to come home from coming home. Will the Tánaiste commit to reviewing this system to ensure a fair and consistent approach to the recognition of teaching experience?”
“With between 4,500 and 5,000 Irish teachers now teaching abroad, it is really important that we facilitate any teachers who would like to return home to do so. I was recently contacted by a constituent who is teaching abroad and wants to return home but has raised serious concerns about how teaching experience is recognised on return which has a direct impact on their salary scales. There seems a clear inconsistency between primary teachers who often have their experience recognised while post-primary teachers do not. Likewise, experience is accepted by some schools but not in high-quality international schools that teach programmes like the international Baccalaureate.”
“Across the country and in my own constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, there is an appetite for similar measures to be considered in this year's upcoming budget. Is further indexation planned?”
“It is really hard to argue with that point of view. Above all, I know that the Government is dedicated to delivering on the commitments made in the programme for Government, which will work towards a fairer, more equal Ireland. One of the key components of the programme is a commitment to progressive changes to personal income tax, which I am glad the Minister has recognised will happen, and to ensure that, as we push forward and grow our economy, nobody is left behind. In budget 2026, the Government lived up to those commitments. It is important that we note that. It raised the 2% USC tax band up to €28,700. This measure meant and means that a full-time worker on minimum wage will not be pushed into the higher 3% tax rate. That allows for a meaningful increase in take-home pay.”
“Of course, it is essential that under this plan, our public finances remain stable, resilient and ready, which goes to the Minister's point that there is a need to decide how exactly we make changes in the upcoming budget. While the USC will play a key role in delivering on this plan, I wonder, as we continue to experience a budget surplus, if there might be room to alleviate the pressure this tax places on certain sectors. For instance, would the Minister consider measures to increase the income disregard for USC or to reduce the amount payable on pension contributions at this time?”
“I acknowledge all the work that has been done to date. I am sure the Minister hears from his constituents as regularly as I do that the fact that the USC was first introduced in 2011 as a temporary measure but is still with us 15 years later has made this particular tax a point of contention. I absolutely acknowledge the reality that there are many major investments into public services and infrastructure projects across the country that were only possible because of this tax, which, as the Minister mentioned, will bring in €5.9 billion this year. The medium-term fiscal and structural plan, which the Minister published in December, is a strong statement of the Government's intent and ambition to achieve key social and economic targets.”
“On behalf of the cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Councillor Tommy Kinsella, I ask the Taoiseach about the funding that was promised to repair the rural roads around Carlow that were damaged by Storm Chandra. In south and east Carlow, many rural roads around Borris, Myshall, Clonmore and other areas were left in desperate conditions after the storm. Due to the delay in the receipt of the €4 million that was promised and is required to repair the damage done, Carlow County Council now has to reallocate the budget it had for its standard maintenance programme in order to repair these roads. That will have a substantial knock-on effect on the entire road network in Carlow and not just for 2026. When can Carlow County Council and its cathaoirleach, Councillor Kinsella, expect to receive that funding?”
“These staff members are dedicated, skilled people who deserve more than the minimum. They deserve a fair, enhanced package that reflects their contribution and supports them through this transition. I am relieved that the campus and buildings are to be transferred to South East Technological University, SETU, so we will see lots of life in those lovely buildings for years to come. That is a positive in the long term. However, for now, my focus remains with the staff of Carlow College. I thank them for all their service and dedication to third level education in Ireland. Could the Minister support these workers who are losing their jobs?”
“This week, in Carlow, we received the news that Carlow College will wind down operation as a third level institution over the course of the next two years. This came as a tremendous shock to the 87 members of staff who went into work on Tuesday only to find out that they are losing their jobs. While consultation is under way, staff need clarity and they need it now. One staff member said to me that this is not just a job to us; it is their life's work. They have given years and, for some of them, decades to this college and now they are being asked to walk away without knowing how they will support their families or what comes next. I would like it placed on the record of the Dáil that it is my strong view that statutory redundancy alone is not enough in the case of Carlow College.”
“At at time some of the most developed countries in the world are slashing aid budgets, I am heartened, as we have mentioned, by the principle role Ireland continues to play in funding humanitarian causes. Is this something the Minister of State intends to build on going forward?”
“That is very welcome news. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Latest figures show that almost 7 million people have been displaced by fighting in Sudan; the largest number of internally displaced people globally. Neighbouring countries impacted by this emergency such as Chad, Egypt and South Sudan, are hosting large numbers of refugees and internally displaced people on insufficient levels of humanitarian funding. To compound the problem, there is the downturn in aid funding from other countries. I acknowledge that Ireland has continued to increase funding, and the Minister of State mentioned contributed €21 million towards Sudan and towards aid this year but the overall downturn we are seeing in the international community means that dealing with displaced refugees will only become more difficult for these countries in the region.”
“That is why it is imperative that we, as members of the EU, use every lever at our disposal to not only advocate for financial and humanitarian supports to be made available, but to call for a negotiated and enduring ceasefire. How does the Department intend to utilise its position as Chair of the EU Foreign Affairs Council during Ireland's Presidency to ensure peace in Sudan remains firmly on the agenda?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit for that response. It is harrowing to hear that level of violence towards women and girls. I commend the principled and robust measures Ireland has undertaken in this conflict. The increasing used of armed drones in Sudan and the targeting of civilian infrastructure such as the health facilities and Khartoum's international airport, are indicative of a conflict that is widening at an alarming rate. While the fighting rages, it is becoming more and more difficult to tend to the dire humanitarian needs of the Sudanese people. Just under half of the entire Sudanese people, as the Minister of State said, or some 21 million people, are facing crisis levels of hunger because of this conflict.”
“Listening to the debate today it is very clear, even in the modern world, the one thing that remains is that man's inhumanity to man is quite staggering sometimes. I ask the Minister of State for an update on the level of support that is being delivered by his Department in response to the humanitarian crisis that is currently unfolding in Sudan.”
“Missions will not be approved unless they are in line with Ireland's values, including our policy of neutrality. There has never been an incident where a Government has gone against military advice about the suitability of a mission for Irish personnel. This is our autonomy and sovereign decision of the State. Ireland was neutral long before the triple lock. We will be neutral after the triple lock is amended.”
“The triple lock describes the three-step process we use to come to a decision as to where we deploy our peacekeeping troops, but the real truth lies in the fact that the decision as to which UN missions are suitable for our troops is decided in the first part of the triple lock. It is decided in line with our policy of neutrality and the commitment to obeying international laws. When deployments are being considered, the first step for the Government is to seek the advice of senior and experienced members of the Defence Forces, the men and women I mentioned at the beginning of my contribution, who are beholden to obeying international law, alongside the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is at this stage that a peacekeeping mission's suitability is established.”
“Before I go any further, it is important to be clear about something fundamental. Neutrality and the triple lock are not the same thing. Sinn Féin seems to constantly roll words like "triple lock", "neutrality" and "protection" off its tongue as if they are the same thing. This is false and misleading. The triple lock does not guarantee our neutrality. We are neutral as a country because we choose to be neutral. There is no desire, discussion or intention of changing our neutrality and any assertion to the contrary from the Opposition benches is unfounded. Neutrality is a long-standing policy of independence about how Ireland chooses to conduct itself in the world.”
“I stand in this Chamber today as the only person in the Thirty-fourth Dáil who has served in Óglaigh na hÉireann and the only current Deputy who has signed the oath of allegiance, the same oath of allegiance that all members of the Defence Forces sign. When we sign, we say we will only obey lawful orders. Lawful orders are orders that are fully and wholly in alignment and accordance with international law. I have also served as a UN peacekeeper in southern Lebanon, protecting the citizens of southern Lebanon, the very same citizens who will still need protection once the UNIFIL operation ceases at the end of this year and Ireland's involvement with peacekeeping in the region ends due to the lack of a UN mandate. There has not been a single UN mandate sanctioned by the UN Security Council since 2014. The system is broken.”
“They need to fundraise in the community to meet these costs. Can the Taoiseach review the eligibility for the current REE scheme so participation in the nursing homes support scheme ceases to be a requirement or introduce a separate funding scheme that supported care homes can avail of to help meet the financial costs of upgrades to their premises, improve resident comfort and meet regulatory standards?”
“I am asking for increased State funding for supported care homes in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. Supported care homes like Mount Carmel Supported Care Home, Callan, St. Fiacc's House, Graiguecullen and St. Lazerian's House, Bagenalstown, to name just three across the constituency that I have visited, provide a vital service to their communities, helping to prevent social isolation in elder years while maintaining an older person's independence. Without doubt, they truly are a home away from home. Supported care homes, even though they are subject to Health Information and Quality Authority inspection and operate under HIQA standards, are, unlike nursing homes, deemed ineligible for funding through the previous residential safety improvement scheme and the current residential environmental enhancement, REE, scheme.”
“There are a number of schools around Carlow train station. If that was possible, we might consider putting solar panels on our car parking spaces, as happens in many other European countries.”
“I really welcome that very positive response and the proactive and ambitious plans for the future for rail networks through Carlow and into Kilkenny. I attended a meeting in Mullinavat this week. This is kind of separate from my question, but while I have the opportunity, I will mention that there is an disused train station in Mullinavat. It would be very interesting to explore whether we could recreate a stop there to help alleviate the pressure that has been experienced due to the reduction in the service of Expressway route 4. When we talk about car parking spaces in train stations, will the Department consider multi-storey car parking for train stations like the one in Carlow or in Bagenalstown that are short on space and that do not really have the capacity to expand into the surrounding area?”
“What is happening is that commuters are arriving at Carlow train station with the desire to take the train and there are no car parking spaces available. In that light, this is an immediate and urgent call I am making.”
“The Minister of State is correct. Carlow is a thriving university town. I have also been calling for increased train services from Carlow - actually from Waterford all the way through Kilkenny to Dublin and vice versa . We need to have a change of focus. I welcome the report that has been done by Iarnród Éireann and the desire to have park-and-ride facilities throughout the country. However, in the current geopolitical environment, the Government as a whole needs to have a greater sense of urgency. While I appreciate all the measures it has brought in so far, in Carlow and Kilkenny there are approximately 7,000 people who commute by car and whose journeys to work and back home last more than 60 minutes.”
“Is the Minister considering providing funding for increased car parking spaces in Carlow and Muine Bheag train stations in County Carlow, particularly in light of the ongoing fuel crisis in Ireland as a result of the war that shows no sign of abating, to try to give 7,000 commuters an alternative to taking their cars to work?”
“They do not have any option or any other avenue whereby they can supplement the income they have. In fact, I sat with a lady last week who was in tears because she is dipping into her savings - money she thought she would be able to give as an inheritance to her children and grandchildren. Now she is utilising it for everyday cost-of-living expenses. I appreciate the work the Minister is doing, but I would love it if we could have some communication to allay the fears of our older generation, the people who helped to build this country.”
“I welcome the Minister's focus on the fuel allowance. It is a very good scheme but is not agile enough to cope with the increases that are going to happen. The Minister said, "if this ... [war] continues". It will no doubt continue into the winter and it might still be with us this time next year. That is what I understand and feel, and our State pensioners are feeling that too. They would like more communication and a chance to know what measures might be possible to alleviate the worry and anxiety they are feeling. Bear in mind that said worry and anxiety are then passed on to their adult children, which means that entire families are concerned about this. It is also really important to recognise that these State pensioners, and pensioners in general, are on fixed incomes.”
“They paid into the pot in the hope that they would be able to sustain themselves in their latter years, not in the context of living any kind of extravagant lifestyle but just so they would not have to worry about paying household bills and everyday expenses. If it is not going to be possible to increase the pension, what will it be possible for the Department to do?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire for that response. I absolutely welcome all the measures he outlined that were contained in budget 2026 and that had a good impact on the State pension and those in receipt of it. However, what I really need to stress is that we are not living in ordinary times. There is a war raging in the Middle East. It is affecting everyone across Europe and in Ireland. There is no end in sight. What I am hearing from State pensioners in Carlow and Kilkenny is their worry and anxiety about what the winter is going to bring and how they are going to manage. We are all aware that people who are in receipt of the State pension, be it contributory or non-contributory in nature, have contributed to this country.”
“I have spoken to my party leader about this matter, but I want to ask the Taoiseach directly if the Government will commit to prioritising a significant increase in the State pension in budget 2027. Will it prioritise a targeted support package for the duration of the war for, in particular, State pensioners in order that they can enjoy their later years?”
“I would like to speak on behalf of those in Carlow and Kilkenny who are in receipt of the State pension. As we all know, State pensioners worked hard their entire lives. They paid into the pot to ensure that they have in income to help them sustain not an extravagant lifestyle in retirement but to have enough in order that they do not have to worry unnecessarily about household bills and everyday essentials in their later years. Bearing in mind that their income is fixed and in light of the ongoing war in Iran that is looming large on the horizon, many of the State pensioners I have spoken to in Carlow and Kilkenny over the past couple of weeks are genuinely worried about how they are going to manage in the winter time.”
“I would like employers who have remote-capable roles allow people to stay at home and work from home, thereby easing the pressure on commuters. I would like an SEAI retrofit blitz for Carlow-Kilkenny and an expansion of Local Link, demand-responsive transport in rural areas with little or no bus service. Farmers, agricultural contractors and hauliers are paying higher diesel costs now so we need to ensure that the fuel subsidy support scheme that has been introduced will be paid out quickly. From speaking with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, I understand that will happen.”
“That is not something Ireland caused but it is something that this Government has acted in targeted ways, on a sector-by-sector basis, to help to offer some much-needed relief to the citizens of Ireland. To manage expectations, there is no government in the whole world that can insulate an entire country from the financial impact of a global war. This war is showing no signs of ending so we need to focus on longer-term thinking. That is why, as a backbench TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, I am asking, in particular, for the Government to look towards giving further relief to householders by providing a targeted emergency fuel allowance for people who do not currently benefit from the fuel allowance to assist in the increasing price of kerosene.”
“I acknowledge on the record what people are feeling across the country right now. I understand that families are anxious. Older people are worried about heating their homes. Farmers and small businesses are watching costs rise, week by week. Their concerns are genuine and they deserve to be treated with seriousness, respect and empathy. The war in Iran has destabilised global energy markets. This is a reality that none of us in this House can change but what we can control is how we respond at home. The Government has responded with the largest and most comprehensive support package in the EU to help cushion the impact of the conflict in the Gulf. The fuel disruption we are seeing is a direct consequence of that war in Iran and the disruption of global supply routes.”
“Patients in Carlow and Kilkenny deserve nothing less than the best that modern medicine can offer. The blood test will help us deliver exactly this. Today my thoughts are with a friend of mine in Thomastown, without whom I know for certain I would not be standing in this Chamber. As long as I am in this Chamber representing the great people of Carlow and Kilkenny, I will fight for better cancer care outcomes for those people. I look forward to working with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.”
“I want to be associated with the expression of sympathy to Deputy Roche and his family. My proposal to introduce a publicly available blood test for detecting multiple cancers at once is scientifically sound, economically sensible and morally necessary. Every delay in adopting this technology represents a missed opportunity to detect cancers early, to treat them more effectively and to save lives. As the Tánaiste has outlined, we have the strategy, the structures and the investment almost ready. I am looking forward to working alongside the Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to see this genetic testing progressed in the next strategy. I urge the Government to commit to the nationwide roll-out of NGS in the HSE to ensure every patient, no matter where they live, benefits from the most advanced cancer diagnostics available.”
“This strategy emphasises improved disease prevention, better diagnostics and more targeted treatments for patients and families across the country. To deliver this vision the HSE then established the national genetics and genomics office in 2023 to build national capacity for genomic testing and to ensure Ireland can retain and expand accredited testing. We can see that a lot of the ground work has been done but to deliver fully on the promise of genomic medicine we must now make NGS the standard platform for cancer testing.”
“This game changer will only happen if we choose to integrate NGS fully in our public health service. This blood test would allow us to reduce delays, improve accuracy, provide equitable access to patients regardless of geography and guide targeted therapies that depend on understanding the genetic profile of tumours. This is precisely the sort of early detection and precision medicine our national cancer strategy envisaged when it set out its outcome goals of detecting cancer earlier, reducing inequalities and improving patient outcomes. In 2022 the HSE launched Ireland's national strategy for accelerating genetic and genomic medicine, which sets out a clear vision for bringing genomics into routine care.”
“As somebody elected to represent these people and their families, I find this quite upsetting. This is why today I want to make the case for a decisive and necessary step in Ireland's fight against cancer. This is the introduction of next generation sequencing, NGS, testing as a core part of cancer diagnostic and treatment services. While traditional NGS relies on tissue biopsies, blood-based NGS is a critical tool in modern oncology. In other words, it is a simple blood test that is capable of detecting more than 50 types of cancers simultaneously. To quote a medical consultant I spoke with recently, a publicly available blood tests to detect multiple cancers simultaneously and to detect inherited cancer risks will be a game changer for cancer care in Ireland.”