Catherine Connolly
Galway West · Ireland
“We must zone in on the smaller businesses because that was the problem; the smaller companies and businesses could never avail of the research and development tax credit. This morning, I had the privilege of listening to the organisation, ALONE. It pointed out that older people living alone are €300 worse off compared to last year.”
“Those patients are human beings and they are being left on trolleys. There are some good things in this budget, which I welcome. I welcome the increase in social welfare, but when it is matched with the increase in the cost of living, it is worth absolutely nothing. I welcome that the money for artists has been extended.”
“Maybe the hint for what has happened with this budget is captured in the words of the Minister, Paschal Donohoe, who said, "Our schools, our hospitals and our public services are responsible for so much good in society." They certainly are, but that is not their function.”
“We have given a reduction in VAT down to 9% for developers with absolutely no evidence that this will help in any way and no context given. Today I attended a presentation in Buswells in relation to derelict properties all done on a voluntary basis.”
“There is 2% less funding at a time when we need balanced rural and regional development more than ever. I welcome the commitment to diversifying our economy. It should have happened years ago. Again, it is lacking in detail.”
“I preface my remarks by using a few seconds to talk about the four people who are outside here on the 18th day of their hunger strike. We have passed a budget in one of the richest economies in the world and we have four people who have been 18 days on hunger strike outside. They have survived the industrial schools.”
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“That is very welcome. The meetings that have taken place have been as a result of the previous Minister pushing the whole matter and taking a hands-on approach in relation to it. For my understanding, is it the position that the consultants have been appointed and are doing a preliminary business case all over again regarding this project? When will that preliminary project be ready? You cannot imagine how many times I and colleagues from Galway West have stood up on the floor of this Dáil and then gone to meetings that are utterly frustrating because we do not know where we are going with it.”
“I thank the Minister. The previous Minister took a hands-on approach on this and I am sure this Minister will too because of the utter frustration at the delay. If my frustration is evident, the Minister can imagine what we are enduring on Inis Meáin with business there - a number of businesses - and with the people on the ground. This was to be completed years ago and we are still at it. I welcome the fact there was a public meeting. That was on 19 March of this year just gone.”
“Táimid ar ais arís go dtí na hOileáin Árann agus an uair seo Inis Meáin agus An Caladh Mór. An cheist atá agam ná has the independent consultant been appointed and can the Minister give us details? I will use the 18 seconds to ensure there is no confusion between this question and the last question. It has clearly been reported they are about to start their work on the céibh in Inis Oírr in the autumn. The Minister might clarify that in due course if he can today, ar eagla na míthuisceana.”
“Tuigim an fhreagracht atá ar an Roinn, agus ní mór don Roinn an jab a dhéanamh i gceart, ach táimid ag dul siar píosa fada go 2008. D'fhógair Tuairisc go raibh dul chun cinn iontach déanta. The Minister is now telling me that it is before his Department for a final decision. I understand from the very positive article in Tuairisc that a time has been set out for the work to start and to be completed. I understand that work is now to be completed in 2027 at the latest. There are conditions relating to the innealtóirí, the engineers, having Irish and so on and staying on the island. Is the Minister aware of that detail? An féidir leis tuilleadh sonraí a thabhairt dom ó thaobh an chonartha de? Cén uair a bheidh an obair ag tosú? Cén uair a bheidh sé críochnaithe? Céard iad na coinníollacha?”
“Baineann mo cheist le hInis Oírr, an chéibh atá ansin agus an fhorbairt atá beartaithe di. De réir mo thuisceana, tá dul chun cinn déanta, ach ba mhaith liom é sin a chinntiú ar an taifead, mar fuair an fhorbairt seo cead pleanála in 2008 agus tá sé ardaithe go mion minic agam ó toghadh mé ar dtús in 2016. An féidir leis an Aire an dul chun cinn a shoiléiriú dom agus é a chur ar thaifead na Dála?”
“For the life of me, I cannot understand what analysis was done as regards the request - the order, really - to reduce. April is the deadline for a "Yes" or "No" to the business case, is that it, and then the other steps come in?”
“I welcome that there is a date, but there is the history and the fact that the ETB was twice asked to revise downwards its plan and its vision. We attend regularly meetings on updates with GRETB. I keep calling it the old VEC. In any event, there is cross-party support for this. It looks like the ETB is being forced to accept the 10,000 sq. m, even though it was asked to reduce it even more. There will be a phase 2 sometime in the future. That was never anticipated. It was anticipated it would be all one project. And what is going into phase 2? Apprenticeships, the Irish language and the potential there to upskill people in the public sector because of the Official Languages Act and other legislation and because Galway is a bilingual city and because the Gaeltacht comes under the remit of what I call the VEC.”
“m." Now I am not sure where we are in that regard. I ask the Minister to give some clarity as to when this will be delivered and the reason for the reduction.”
“I thank the Minister for the background. I have the background and I welcome that. My concern is that there is slippage as regards this project. The ETB in Galway is the second biggest in the country. It is unique in that it covers the Gaeltacht area and the islands. It has 19 post-primary schools and two community national schools and a huge amount of buildings rented at an enormous cost in an unsustainable manner for adult education. We were therefore delighted when this was announced. A preliminary business case was submitted and the ETB did everything right in January 2024. Then it was told to come back again. It was told to reduce its 25,000 sq. m to 10,000 sq. m, inexplicably. Then it was asked to reduce it further and it stood up and said, "No. Our vision was for 25,000 sq. m and now you are making us do it at 10,000 sq.”
“I wish the Minister the very best of luck in his new role. I do not know whether Deputy Harkin is taking this question. It relates to Galway and a campus of further education. I was delighted when this announcement was finally made in November 2022. It was announced that there would be an adult campus, a campus of the future. There is a great need for it because so many properties are being rented in Galway. I would appreciate an update on that because I think it is slipping.”
“Bíonn ualach ollmhór orthu agus iad ag iarraidh freastal ar gach saghas cruinnithe laistigh agus taobh amuigh den chomhairle cathrach agus den chomhairle chontae. Tá orthu freastal ar SPCs agus chuile rud gan trácht ar na tuarascálacha atá le léamh acu. Ní dóigh liom i ndáiríre gur féidir an dá thrá a fhreastal. Ar ndóigh, ní raibh mé cinnte faoi sin, ach sin é mo chinneadh i ndeireadh na dála. Dá bhrí sin, aontaím leis an leasú seo.”
“Níl m'ainm leis an leasú seo. Is dócha go bhfeicim an dá thaobh. Arís, tá sé mar mholadh ón gcoiste. Phléamar é seo, agus bhreathnaíomar ar an dá thaobh. Is dócha, i ndeireadh na dála, go bhfuil an leasú seo stuama, ach ní mór dom a admháil go raibh mé idir dhá chomhairle ar feadh tréimhse ag smaoineamh an raibh gá leis. Ceapaim i ndeireadh na dála go bhfuil an leasú stuama. Má táimid i ndáiríre faoi údarás nua le cumhacht, le fís agus le hacmhainní chun díriú isteach ar na fadhbanna atá ar an talamh sna Gaeltachtaí uilig, seacht gcinn acu, is dócha go bhfuil gá le daoine go bhfuil dírithe isteach ar an obair seachas a bheith ar an gcomhairle contae freisin. Tá a fhios agam ó mo thaithí féin go bhfuil an dualgas atá ar chomhairleoirí ag éirí níos tromchúisí.”
“Tá gá le bheith níos sonraí ó thaobh cad atá ag teastáil. Is leibhéal B2, ar a laghad, atá i gceist. Tá píosa i leasú Uimh. 5 a deir nach mbeidh “feidhm ag fo-alt (2D) maidir le cainteoirí dúchais Gaeilge”. Tháinig daoine os ár gcomhar ag rá nach raibh siad chun scrúdú a dhéanamh agus go raibh sé seo maslach do dhaoine le Gaeilge. Tá sé, i ndáiríre. Níl mise anseo chun a mhalairt a rá ach tá gá le caighdeán agus bealach le cur in iúl go bhfuil an caighdeán sin ag duine. Tá freagracht ar an gcóras é a éascú do dhaoine, nach bhfuil an caighdeán sin acu, an caighdeán sin a fháil neart ama roimh an toghchán nó roimh aon sprioc ama. Ceapaim go n-aontóidh an tAire liom leis an méid seo. Is é an t-aon difríocht a fheiceann muid ná go bhfuil rud faoi leith á chur isteach againn, is é sin, an leibhéal is bunúsaí i ndáiríre.”
“Sa chomhthéacs seo, áfach, tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go mbeidh an Fráma Tagartha Comónta Eorpach ar fáil go héasca ionas gur féidir le daoine ar mian leo a bheith ina n-iarrthóirí sa toghchán an deis sin a thapú - roimh aon rud agus roimh toghchán - agus é sin a dheimhniú láithreach go bhfuil an cumas sin acu. Molann an comhchoiste go mbeidh dóthain ama ag na daoine sin é sin a léiriú sula ndúnfar dátaí deiridh na n-iarratas. Molann an comhchoiste nach mbeidh cead ag daoine nach bhfuil an cumas sin léirithe acu roimh na dátaí deiridh sin seasamh in aon toghchán i gcomhair bhallraíocht bhord Údarás na Gaeilge. Cé gur alt sách fada é, léiríonn sé an méid machnaimh a rinneamar sular cuireadh isteach é. Is é sin atá i gceist anseo. Nuair a bhreathnaím ar an méid atá ag an Rialtas ina leith, tá sé róghinearálta.”
“Molann sé go gcuirfidh an tAire córas nua i bhfeidhm a ligfidh d’iarrthóirí a léiriú - is córas a chur a bhfeidhm a ligfidh do dhaoine atá i gceist, in áit a rá gur rud riachtanach é, tá muid ag rá go n-éascófaí dóibh é - go bhfuil Gaeilge fheidhmiúil acu i labhairt, i léitheoireacht agus i scríobh na Gaeilge. Molann an comhchoiste go mbeidh rochtain láithreach ar an bhFráma Tagartha Comónta Eorpach i bhfeidhm, agus ar fáil go héasca. Tá sé seo tábhachtach agus is dócha go n-aontódh an tAire liom go n-éascódh muid an córas do gach duine an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim agus a úsáid.”
“Tá m’ainm ar an gcéad leasú. Arís, tá sé thar a bheith praiticiúil. Tá ciall ceannaithe againn anois agus ba chóir go mbeadh caighdeán anseo. Phléigh muid é arís go mion ar an gcoiste. Ní raibh muid ag iarraidh ualach mór a chur ar dhaoine ach amháin a chinntiú go mbeadh ar cibé duine atá ar an údarás a gcuid gnó a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge, tuarascála a léamh agus mar sin de. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil muid go léir ag foghlaim an t-am uilig agus níl sé éasca. Ag an am céanna, áfach, tá dualgas orainn a bheith in ann ár gcuid gnó a dhéanamh, tuarascála a léamh agus araile trí Ghaeilge. Tá moladh 8 ón gcomhchoiste Gaeilge praiticiúil.”
“Is é sin a dúradh linn agus sin an fáth gur dúradh linn go raibh bord i gceist le saineolas, mar a dúirt mé, ina raibh ailtirí, innealtóirí agus cuntasóirí, ach ní dhearna sé aon difríocht. Bhí rudaí níos measa. An pointe atá á dhéanamh agam, nuair a chuireann tú béim ar shaineolas, agus ní dhearna an tAire é seo, tá an baol ann gur drochmhaslú atá i gceist ó thaobh na cosmhuintire agus na ndaoine a bheidh tofa. Ba mhaith liom cothromaíocht a fheiceáil, ní níos mó béime a chur ar shaineolaithe gan aon fhís acu agus gan a bheith tofa. Just ar eagla na míthuisceana.”
“Is dócha mura ngéilleann an tAire leis sin, díreoidh sé an solas ar an mbaol a bheidh ann nach mbeidh an t-údarás nua iomlán neamhspleách beag ná mór. Níor ghéill an tAire ó thaobh na mball uilig a bheith tofa. Níl an Rialtas ag géilleadh ó thaobh líon na mball a mhéadú. Tá súil agam go bhfuil an tAire sásta géilleadh don rud seo agus go mbeidh deis ag an údarás é féin an cathaoirleach agus an leas-chathaoirleach a phiocadh. Le dul ar ais go sciobtha, ar eagla na míthuisceana, ní raibh mé ag rá, nuair a bhí mé ar an gCoiste um Chuntais Phoiblí, go raibh saineolaithe á dtabhairt isteach againn. Ní hé sin a bhí á rá agam. Dúradh linn, áfach, gur easpa saineolais a bhí taobh thiar den phraiseach a bhí déanta ó thaobh cúrsaí tógála maidir leis an ospidéal nua.”
“Ní mór dom a rá go bhfuil sé beagáinín íorónta, cé go bhfuil neart cainteoirí ann agus nuair a chuireann tú san áireamh go bhfuil 174 Teachta Dála i gceist, go bhfuil cuid acu ar na meáin chumarsáide ag gearán nach bhfuil deis chainte acu ach níl siad anseo anois lena gcuid guthanna a chloisteáil. Ní mór dom é sin a rá. Maidir leis an leasú seo, níl m’ainm ar an leasú ach aontaím leis agus tugaim tacaíocht dó. Tá sé thar a bheith réasúnta agus praiticiúil. Bhí mé chun fanacht le freagra an Aire mar b’fhéidir go bhfuil sé sásta géilleadh leis an leasú. Níl a fhios agam an bhfuil sé. Mar a dúirt mé, tá an leasú praiticiúil agus réasúnta go mbeadh beirt, an cathaoirleach agus an leas-chathaoirleach, tofa ó bhaill bhord an údaráis.”
“Luaigh an Teachta Ó Gallchóir stair an údaráis agus é ag gabháil siar, ach is fiú béim a chur ar an údarás a bhí ann i dtús báire faoin Acht um Údarás na Gaeltachta, 1979, nuair a bhí seisear ball i gceist agus ní raibh aon toghchán i gceist. Ag dul ar aghaidh go dtí 1999, bhí 20 ball i gceist, agus ní raibh aon cheist ag an am sin, de réir mo thuisceana, go raibh mí-éifeacht nó easpa éifeachta i gceist. Bhí 20 duine ar an mbord in 1999, 17 duine tofa agus triúr a bhí ainmnithe ag an Aire. Ansin praiseach a bhí ann in 2012 nuair a fuair siad réidh leis na toghcháin. Táimid ar ais anois. Is é sin an ciorcal. Má bhí an bord in ann feidhmiú le 20 duine, cén fáth a bhfuil 16 pioctha amach, agus seisear ainmnithe ag an Aire? Ní féidir glacadh leis sin.”
“Ní ghlacaim le cur chuige an tsaineolais. Glacaim leis go mbeidh agus go mbeadh gá le saineolas, ach is féidir é sin a thabhairt isteach fad is atá an fhís againn agus an t-údarás tofa. Baineann sé seo leis na baill a bheith tofa agus ionadaíocht leathan a bheith i gceist. Phléamar na rudaí seo go mion, mar shampla, ceist an inscne. Ní raibh muid in ann réiteach a fháil air sin. Tá a fhios ag an Aire faoi sin mar ní raibh sé fiú in ann. Ceann de na fadhbanna a bhí againn ná cé chomh beag is a bhí líon na mball ar an mbord. Ní raibh i gceist ach 16 duine agus bhí fadhbanna. Bhí fadhbanna eile mar bhí sé leagtha amach ag an Rialtas go mbeadh ach ball amháin ó gach Gaeltacht. Chruthaigh sin fadhbanna dúinn i measc fadhbanna eile.”
“Tá easpa saineolais anseo freisin, agus ghlacamar leis an digest ón leabharlann chun oideachas a chur orainn, le cibé saineolas atá ag teastáil uainn. Mar sin, ní leithscéal é sin ar féidir glacadh leis. Táim ag smaoineamh ar an ospidéal nua a bhfuilimid ag fanacht leis le fada an lá: ospidéal na leanaí. Bhí sé de phribhléid agam a bheith ar an gCoiste um Chuntais Phoiblí ar feadh ceithre bhliain. D’ardaigh na costais ansin as cuimse agus an cinneadh a rinne an Rialtas ná bord lán de shaineolaithe a chur ann chun an rud a stiúradh, ailtire, innealtóir gach saghas saineolaí ina measc, mar dúradh linn go raibh easpa saineolais i gceist. Chuir siad bord le chéile chun súil ghéar a choinneáil ar thógáil an ospidéil nua agus ar gach rud, agus cad a tharla? Tá a fhios againn agus an costas atá i gceist anois breis is €2 bhilliún.”
“Ní rabhamar ag iarraidh aon leithscéal a thabhairt don Rialtas agus bhíomar ag iarraidh go mbeadh an Bille ann agus ag feidhmiú roimh an toghchán deireanach. Bhí tuarascáil thar a bheith praiticiúil againn ina raibh 22 moladh i gceist léi. Baineann an chéad mholadh go huile agus go hiomlán leis an leasú seo: "Molann an Comhchoiste go dtabharfaidh an tAire aird ar na bearnaí atá ann sa Scéim Ghinearálta" a bhí ann ag an am. Agus, an rud ba thábhachtaí: "Molann an Comhchoiste é seo lena chinntiú go mbeidh ionadaíocht ar Bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta ó gach pobal Gaeltachta, rud atá an-tábhacht ag baint leis i meon na bpobal sin." Aontaím. Sin an meon a bhí os comhair an choiste. Tá saineolas agus easpa saineolais i gceist.”
“Maithfidh an tAire dom é, ach tá a fhreagra beagáinín lag agus é ag cur in iúl go mbeidh an bord i bhfad níos éifeachtaí más rud é go mbeadh deichniúr tofa agus seisear ceaptha i gceist. Ní aontaím leis sin. A mhalairt atá i gceist sa Teach seo. Tá méadú ollmhór tagtha, 174 Ball, agus ní raibh aon chaint faoi mhí-éifeacht. I nGaillimh tá 39 comhairleoir ar an gcomhairle contae. Is méadú mór é sin le cúpla bliain anuas. Ar an gcomhairle cathrach, tá 18 comhairleoir. Ní ghlacaim leis sin. Ceapaim go bhfuil sé lag. Ó thaobh an choiste de, mar a dúirt an iarChathaoirleach ar an gcomhchoiste Gaeilge, rinneamar ár ndícheall gan mhoill a chur ar an mBille seo. D’oibríomar leis an Rialtas agus as lámha a chéile, in ainneoin nach rabhamar iomlán sásta leis an rud a bhí á dhéanamh.”
“Is é ceann de na réitigh shimplí ná ionadaíocht níos fearr a bheith ar an údarás nua agus go mbeadh, ar a laghad, ionadaíocht ó gach Gaeltacht ar an mbord. Ní dóigh liom gur éileamh an-mhór é sin. Tá íomhá Uíbh Ráthaigh go láidir i m’aigne agus na deacrachtaí atá acu siúd de bharr chúrsaí tíreolaíochta agus an chaoi a bhfuil an Ghaeltacht leagtha amach. Is é an t-aon éileamh a bhí acu maidir le hionadaíocht ná go mbeadh duine ón Ghaeltacht sin ar an mbord nua. Níl tásc na tuairisc air sin. Ní hamháin sin ach tá dhá leasú as ord.”
“Mar a dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, tá sé thar a bheith deacair feidhmiú mar dhuine den Fhreasúra agus leasuithe a chur chun cinn. D’fhreastail mé ar gach cruinniú. Bhí mé anseo, cosúil leis na Teachtaí Dála eile. Déanann muid ár ndícheall a bheith páirteach sa phróiseas ionas go mbeadh Bille níos fearr againn ach, faraor, beidh an Bille seo ag dul tríd. Ar leibhéal amháin, beidh mé sásta de bharr na gcúiseanna a dúirt mé. Maidir le hionadaíocht, áfach, thaisteal muid timpeall na tíre go gach Gaeltacht agus ba é an téama ba láidre, taobh amuigh de chúrsaí tithíochta, ná nach raibh aon rialtas ag éisteacht leo. Ní raibh carthanas ag teastáil uathu beag ná mór. Bhí guthanna láidre acu agus bhí siad ag cur in iúl na bhfadhbanna agus na réitigh.”
“Agus mé ag taisteal timpeall na tíre leis an gcoiste, ag dul siar nuair a bhí mé i mo Chathaoirleach agus nuair a bhí an Teachta Ó Snodaigh ina Chathaoirleach ar an gcoiste deireanach, is iad na téamaí ceannann céanna a tháinig suas arís agus arís eile. Clúdaíonn na trí leasú ceann amháin de na téamaí sin. Bhí réimse téamaí i gceist, cúrsaí tithíochta nó easpa tithíochta go háirithe. Maidir le hionadaíocht, áfach, clúdaíonn na trí leasú sin ionadaíocht bealach amháin nó bealach eile. Faraor, tá an chosúlacht ar an scéal go bhfuil intinn an Aire déanta suas aige agus beidh seisear agus deichniúr i gceist. Ní thuigim an fáth a bhfuil leasuithe Uimh. 1 agus 3 as ord, agus tá leasuithe eile curtha agam, ach amháin ar chúrsaí airgid.”
“Fáiltím roimh an mBille seo agus go bhfuilimid faoi dheireadh na dála ag an bpointe go bhfuil muid ar Chéim an Choiste. Is maith an rud é sin. Mo bhuíochas leis an iarAire, Éamon Ó Cuív, a chuir tús leis an bpróiseas seo. Tá sé tábhachtach é sin a aithint. Lean muidne ar aghaidh, agus seisean freisin. Ní raibh sé ina bhall den choiste ach d’fhreastail sé go mion minic ar na cruinnithe. Ní mór dom é sin a rá go poiblí. Ach táimid anseo anois. Is é an rud is dearfaí ná go mbeidh toghchán ar ais. Is é sin an rud atá ag teastáil go géar. Tá muid, agus an tAire, faoi bhrú chun an toghchán a thabhairt ar ais d’Údarás na Gaeltachta. Tá muid go léir d’aon guth ó thaobh an ábhair sin.”
“I note that the Minister for Justice announced this week that it was to be published yesterday or the day before that, five years after the obligation should have been complied with. If I know that just from my interest in that legislation, how many other pieces of legislation are in the same position? If the Minister of State would clarify that, I would appreciate it.”
“We should know within a reasonable time what legislation has not been commenced and why it has not been commenced. Later tonight we will look at Údarás na Gaeltachta and Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla will come up in the debate. It is only a few years since the Act was passed and some of the sections are still to be implemented. How many pieces of legislation that have been on our books for 10 or 20 years have not been fully commenced, let alone implemented? Then there are the reviews that should be taking place, sometimes as a matter of course and other times as it is written into the legislation, such as in the case of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act that we passed back in 2017. Built into that was an obligation to review that law to see if it was effective.”
“My colleague, Thomas Pringle, who unfortunately is not a Member of this Dáil, did a huge amount of work in the previous Dáil asking questions on what legislation had not been implemented or what number of reviews had not been carried out. I will not be here but I will listen to the Minister of State's answer. Could we get some clarification? Is there a body of work being done by the Law Reform Commission or any other body on legislation that has never been implemented or has been implemented only in part? That is merely a sample of the answers Thomas Pringle, when he was a Deputy, went to the trouble to seek. Every Department had to answer. The former Deputy limited his question to ten years and the answers that came back showed an absence of data on that and an absence of a forum to look at that.”
“We are living in the 21st century where international law is being reduced to terrible terms such as "rules-based order". We do not know whose rules or what rules. It is the rules of whoever is in power at the time as opposed to international law based on rights - rights that should be easy to find and to implement. None of that is happening, of course, in relation to international law and what Israel blatantly is getting away with. We had the OECD report on this in 2010. It pointed out that Ireland has a long-standing issue of needing to simplify a complex stock of legislation. All this has been said and I merely wanted to highlight that and the clarity of the work from the Library and Research Service.”
“However, we should know whether the law is in force and the work of the Law Reform Commission will identify definitively what pre-1922 secondary legislation still applies. The second is reduced compliance costs. The work will reduce compliance costs for businesses, public servants and regulatory bodies who must spend time and more money finding the up-to-date picture of legislation. From a previous life, I am fully aware of how difficult that is and how costly it becomes. Rights and obligations imposed by law should be easy to find. It is very basic. I refer to consolidation of legislation and the digital first policy. I repeat rights and obligations imposed by law should be easy to find. We are going through this process to ensure that and that is welcome.”
“It is important when we have law that it is clear and we should know where we stand with the law, both the ordinary person and business people, as rights-based reason and to save money. This type of reform has been going on since 2005. I thank the Law Reform Commission and the sub-committee that has worked on this for their good work on what is redundant legislation. We are told there will be four main policy-related outcomes as a result of this. The first relates to the rule of law. In a state that follows the rule of law principle, citizens and businesses should know the law that regulates them and whether that law is in force. I will come back to that in a minute in relation to other modern legislation that has never been commenced.”
“That period of time from 1821 to 1861 has already been referred to. It hits all of us. We are talking about Daniel O'Connell and emancipation during this period of time right up to the Famine. It is hard to look at this and realise that we are still dealing with famine in the 21st century. I will come back to the body of this quickly. I will not speak for long on it but there is a feeling of awful frustration that we learn so little. While this is a technical Bill, with statutes and regulations that we do not need any more and that are obsolete, and it is a welcome piece of work, it brings up so many memories from a particular time and yet we are doing the exact same thing all over again. We are doing it in Palestine and the Sudan. We are allowing it to happen everywhere. I will not use my voice on that but I could not but say it.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill and I thank the Minister of State for her speech. I especially thank the Library and Research Service that serves us well and that produced the abstract for us and educated us. The Bill itself is short. The Schedules attached to it are somewhat longer. The context of this Bill is important and previous speakers referred to it. We are talking about a period between January 1821 and January 1861. I was going to say this Bill is going to get rid of spent or obsolete secondary instruments. The correct word escapes me. It will abandon or get rid of them.”
“Will he read the figures for Palestine, Gaza and the occupied territories? Will he look at Sudan? Will he look at what is happening in Yemen as we speak, with American planes flying from England over to Yemen? Who is backing all of this? Who is pushing an open door for the arms industry, for Lockheed Martin and all the other industries? The Minister sits there and shamefully shakes his head. How could anybody stand over 17 pages that shape the narrative to dull us from thinking for ourselves?”
“I am wondering what I can say as I look at the ramping up of the arms industry, set out in black and white in the 17 pages and how we are going to spur the economies of the European countries, including Germany, by ramping up the arms industry, killing and slaughtering people. The Minister of State is shaking his head.”
“What has happened that we need to recall the importance of humanity and giving food to starving people? What has happened to context? What has happened to meaning? I hope the Minister of State is uncomfortable - I really do - because I was more than uncomfortable reading 17 pages and failing to find one reference to Israel or genocide. The two highest courts in the world; one where Israel is up for genocide and the other having issued a warrant for his arrest, yet not a mention of the trade agreement that continues. There is not a mention or discussion of it; not a mention of the occupied territories Bill. Perhaps I missed it in the Taoiseach's speech.”
“I welcome the opportunity - two and half minutes - to speak on this and I will choose words carefully and with focus. We have 17 pages from the European Council meeting conclusions and I have failed to find Israel mentioned in any of those pages. Does that not tell you something? These are the conclusions of the recent European Council meeting and Israel is not mentioned. Genocide is not mentioned. Gaza is referenced regarding the deploring of the breakdown of the ceasefire but it does not tell us who broke the ceasefire and it talks about the return. It recalls "the importance of unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance". What kind of language is this - "recalls the importance of unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance." Is it in a void?”
“The time for the Order of Business was reduced by 50%. The Government took away 22 minutes of Private Members' time to give to the groups. It gave priority questions. On every level, the Government misused the opportunity to deal in an agreeable way with the Opposition. It is a serious issue. Not only that, but the Taoiseach twisted language on its head and put the Ceann Comhairle in a most invidious position.”
“I return to the change to Standing Orders that was rammed through yesterday. I have no doubt it was carefully choreographed and directed by the Taoiseach and the Government. That happened notwithstanding a solemn promise given by the former Government Chief Whip that the Government would work with the Opposition to come to an acceptable solution. The Government did the complete opposite. Instead of coming up with a solution, it used the situation. The change it brought was the result of an Opposition that was as united as I have ever seen in stating that what the Government was doing in giving the Deputy Michael Lowry group time was unacceptable. In the guise of changing that, the Government took away the time for Taoiseach's Questions. That time was halved and the Taoiseach is no longer accountable on the second sitting day of the week.”
“It does not want to be burdened with the responsibility of changing the UN to make it more suitable to the modern age. The Government does not want to work with the all of those other countries that see what Israel and England are doing. Before he leaves, the Minister of State might just listen to the planes that have left from London to Yemen with American money, bombs and weaponry to bomb innocent people on the streets of Yemen.”
“He might also clarify how the Government can rightly decry what Russia has done - and I agree with it - and completely ignore what Israel and America is doing and have done. I have read the speeches of some 5,500 words. They contain no mention of Gaza, except one word. There is no mention of the genocide going on there. There is no mention of our friend, America, funding the genocide. When the Ministers of State put the folder down, we might see their faces because this is a very important topic. They cannot hide but they can try to. They can try to hide behind the misuse of language to tell us that the Government is not doing away with our neutrality but only with the triple lock. The Government does not want to be burdened by international human rights law.”
“Neutrality means a lot more to all of us, as evidenced by the thousands of representations we are getting on a daily basis regarding this proposal to get rid of the triple lock. What it means is that we take pride in the history of our troops who have served abroad since 1958 on UN peacekeeping missions, not peace-enforcement missions. I know it is difficult for the Minister of State to hear that but in my limited time I will ask him to listen to it because people are asking me to speak out. I do not stand here for no reason. Peacekeeping forces are what we want. We passed an Act in 2006 that allowed the Government to send more than 12 troops abroad for various reasons, including humanitarian ones. The Minister of State might spell out what the Government wants to change.”
“This is a fundamental shift in policy and a fundamental twisting of language, where one day, or one year, the triple lock is an integral, core part of our neutrality and the next day it is not. How could anyone trust the Government in relation to the misuse and abuse of language like that? It is a further breach of trust with the Irish people. It was done to us with Nice and with Lisbon. We got a declaration and another document that acknowledged our neutrality and that would always be acknowledged. This change will have profound long-term consequences, not just for our country, but for peace in the world. I do not want to personalise this but I know the Minister of State represents the Government which talks about being "militarily neutral". When it is reduced down to that, that is an insult.”
“I thank the Social Democrats for bringing forward this timely motion, which I support, but it is probably too late. Judging by the Government's behaviour yesterday, when it rammed through Standing Orders, it appears that it will do exactly the same with this legislation. I have no faith in the Government and I say that as a committed democrat in the Dáil. I will quote from the Transnational Institute, TNI, because I could not put the words any better. It stated, "This is a fundamental policy shift that will seriously weaken Irish neutrality. It could see Irish troops being deployed, not to keep peace within a UN mandated mission, but to wage war as part of a military alliance".”
“We must take courage in our hand, use our voice for peace and form alliances with other countries that will not go along with this consensus.”
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to speak out because it has been equated and conflated with antisemitism, which is utterly wrong. Let us look at what we are talking about today, Dáil statements on international security. That is the first half. We heard nothing about what is happening, no condemnation of Israel and no analysis of how this happened and that it did not start on 7 October 2023. There is a whole history. I can say that as someone who has absolutely condemned the invasions by Hamas and by Russia. If we are going to be believed and if we are going to act as an independent sovereign State, a neutral republic, we must use our voice to speak to power and the abuse of power by President Trump, Netanyahu and Russia. However, to have any credibility in the world we must be consistent.”
“Peter Burke very helpfully gave us 2,250 words but nothing was mentioned in that speech about the genocide in Gaza. I stand here and wonder how that could happen, or what is happening. I would dearly love to talk about trade. I know the figures on trade, the deficits in that regard and what goes in and out of the country, but trade pales into insignificance compared to the threat posed by Israel. We continue to trade with Israel. We watch genocide taking place on the ground and we stand by and do nothing. I repeat this despite the Tánaiste's demeaning comments about me shouldering the burden. I certainly do not, but the people on the ground in Gaza who are still alive, the ones left, are shouldering the burden along with those who dare to speak for them.”