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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“Along with that we have the tried and tested tools of propaganda: the shaming about how we should not be freeloading on other countries; the patriarchal approach that Government parties all know best; the use of fearmongering to tell us that we live in a very unsafe world; and the narrowing of the discussion to say "there is no alternative" to this consensus that has been manufactured by the Government. There is then the reduction of it to a simple question encapsulated by Professor Ben Tonra in a recent article in The Irish Times , who told us that the question that will be put is: "Are you with us or are you not?" Where did we hear that type of language before? "Are you with us or agin us?" as it was said.”
“I am going to use my time today and as often as I can to highlight this issue for the people of Ireland who have repeatedly told us that they hold the policy of neutrality very near to their hearts. A carefully choreographed propaganda campaign has been afoot for a number of years that has adopted a multipronged approach, including well-placed articles in the newspapers and the holding of a process that is misnamed as a consultant process. Notwithstanding that, the people of Ireland told us they did not want to get rid of our neutrality.”
“There are many matters I would like to discuss regarding the programme for Government, ranging from housing to climate change but in the time available I am going to zone in on just one discrete item that has huge implications for future generations, which is the undermining of our neutrality, spelt out in black and white. Before I come to that, it is significant that words like "progress", "encourage", "work towards", "support" are used in respect of really important policies and when it comes to the triple lock, set out on page 144, the Government states it "will reform the triple lock". That is a full commitment without any problem. I have the more serious concerns.”
“Is mian liom dul ar ais go dtí cúrsaí tithíochta, go háirithe an scéim a bhí ann chun tionónta seilbhe a chosaint. Tá an dealramh ar an scéal go bhfuil an scéim sin curtha ar ceal nó ar fionraí agus nach bhfuil sí ag feidhmiú. I am returning to the tenant in situ scheme and to the earlier theme of who is actually telling lies. I say this because apparently the tenant in situ scheme has been suspended since the middle of December. This was conveyed verbally to the city council in Galway, which affected other local authorities throughout the country. As I stand here, 15 units with 11 tenants are going to fail if clarification is not given on the scheme. We have the city council being told by the Department it is suspended, a public release from the Department saying it is not and a question telling us it has.”
“We are beyond trading words, taking credit for standing with the Palestinian people or recognising Palestine, which I fully praised the Government for at the time. There is no Palestine left to recognise on the ground. Some 80% to 90% of it has been destroyed. What is on the ground is the resilience of the Palestinian people, who have failed to give up at any stage. As an independent republic and sovereign state with a particular background that gives us an understanding, it is time to make our words mean something.”
“I disagree fundamentally with the Tánaiste on this and I take no comfort that we are ahead in terms of our condemnation of what is happening. We need a lot more than condemnation. We need to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Their country has been destroyed. Genocide, in my opinion, is under way as we trade words across the Dáil. There is a case before the highest court in the world regarding the genocidal actions of the Israeli Government and its army-----”
“This and the previous Governments have had ample time since 2018 to enact the occupied territories Bill. It is a matter of great disappointment to everybody in the Opposition that the programme for Government talks about progressing it. The Government will change the triple lock but it will progress this Bill some time in the future, ignoring completely the reality on the ground and the new reality of President Trump talking about turning it into a Riviera. I wonder what kind of world we are living in when there is a trampling on international law on every level. The Government hid behind the law with its Attorney General and the advice that said this was not possible, then it changed its mind when the advisory opinion arrived, yet still nothing has happened.”
“I welcome the opportunity to ask for an update on the occupied territories Bill, more formally called the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018, which incorporates a ban on imports and services from the occupied areas. I would like a robust and honest exchange on this matter. Slaughter is happening daily in Gaza and the occupied territories. The occupied territories Bill speaks for itself - it is dated 2018. The programme for Government talks about progressing it. When will it be enacted?”
“In using this time that Sinn Féin has provided, my hope is that we would keep the pressure on to get proactive plans in place in relation to making our communities resilient and have a plan that puts the vulnerable first. There was absolutely no indication of that. We have a communications system that is not fit for purpose where people could not even make emergency phone calls. We heard that from everybody, from the GPs on the ground to the ordinary people who could not have dialysis.”
“The photos are quite dramatic. The nearest house was 300 m away, while the road was only 10 m away. This wind turbine project has been up and running for more than 20 years. These concerned residents have written to the Health and Safety Authority and anyone else they can to draw attention to the fact that there is no clarity at all concerning how long a wind turbine lasts, its life cycle, its recycling, the dangers involved and who monitors it. The other project I refer to is off the coast of Carna. To say it is off the coast is misleading because it is very near to the coast and the highest winds during this storm of 184 km/h were recorded there. The figures are all set out.”
“Another thing that has come up for me today, which is significant, in the area of wind energy and renewables is the plan to build extraordinarily high muilte gaoithe off the coast of Carna. The plan is to put more than 30 windmills seven times higher than the Eiffel Tower - and I stand to be corrected on that - has gone before An Bord Pleanála. No hard copy is available for the local people to examine. I say this as someone committed to renewable energy. We want people in the community to come on board with these endeavours and then we have such a big scheme as this going to An Bord Pleanála with no hard copy. I mention this in particular because I have a letter here about an existing wind turbine project that has been there for more than 20 years. During the storm, the wind turbine was knocked to the ground.”
“This report is telling us that we have to stop that and be proactive because not alone will the costs of dealing with the damage be extraordinary but also, more importantly, the costs of not dealing with it will be as well. Research has been done between the Climate Change Advisory Council and the ESRI into the economic costs of not dealing with climate change, in addition to the funding local authorities, being one of the gaps existing. They also highlighted the need for an urgent national coastal strategy. There is not a sign of it. A scoping exercise was undertaken but no national coastal strategy has been rolled out in respect of erosion and the sea level rising.”
“On top of that, we have all the confusion that exists about the schemes. Like with Covid, the Government has done great work in helping, but there is total confusion as to who will benefit from that under the humanitarian assistance scheme or whether businesses will and so on. I read out some of the seven headings that a local doctor kindly put together to highlight what should have been done, the fact it was not done and that it should be done in the future. It is building on the resilience of communities themselves to be able to withstand a storm like this and even worse in the future. If we learned that, I would be happy. My experience in here and of other institutions, though, is that they do not learn. They have to be forced and forced and reactive and reactive.”
“This report, among many others, very helpfully points out as well the cost of not doing something. We are now looking at the cost of this. I have headlines here from the city council in Galway and €15 million is being spoken of to address some of the damage done. The city was badly affected but the county was much worse. That is a very conservative estimate and I understand that the council has also written to the Minister in this regard. We now have a local authority struggling full time in respect of not having enough funding. That is the case with the city and the county councils. They regularly tell us that. Only two weeks ago, they told us they are the worst funded local authorities in the country. Now, they are struggling after the storm and appealing to the Government.”
“I briefly quoted from Annual Review 2024: Preparing for Ireland’s Changing Climate from the Climate Change Advisory Council last week. I will refer to it again because it is extremely important. This report makes observations, very helpfully identifies the gaps and makes recommendations. Following on from my colleague, Deputy Healy, one of the recommendations that jumps out is the inadequate resourcing of local authorities. I could mention many more. It is set out here in black and white for us and it has been set out every year. While this storm was unprecedented, we knew well that storms were going to come and get worse. As I understand it, there were 11 named storms alone in 2023. It was the warmest year on record, followed by 2024. We either make our words mean something in declaring a climate emergency or we might as well give up.”
“Bhí daoine gan cumhacht go dtí inniu agus seo an tríú seachtain tar éis na stoirme. In ainneoin na hoibrithe agus an méid oibre atá déanta ag na heagraíochtaí ar an talamh, tá sé soiléir domsa nach raibh plean ar bith i gceist i ndáiríre. Tá súil agam go mbeidh ciall ceannaithe againn anois as an méid atá foghlamtha againn an uair seo. I have no interest in criticising people and we have set out how much work has been done on the ground. It is clear, however, that this Government and previous Governments have not learned from the fact that we have declared a climate emergency, a biodiversity emergency and that we have also had a pandemic we were ill-prepared for with our infrastructure on every level. What I would like to see arising out of this situation, therefore, is that we will learn.”
“I welcome this opportunity to contribute. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion in its Private Members' time because it allows me a little more time today than I had last week to go back on some of the topics. This is very important. The motion and, indeed, the amendment, in part, are good in that we have acknowledged all the good work on the ground. That has been set out clearly and this is very important. I also acknowledge the latest update we have as of today after 5 p.m, which was that ESB Networks said all the power will be back by tonight. That will be particularly welcome, if the company succeeds in doing that mar tagaim ó chathair na Gaillimhe agus bhí an chathair agus an chontae sin thíos ó thaobh na stoirme seo. Bhí sé buailte go dona.”
“The feasibility study confirmed it is possible. Build public housing on public land and so on. I have my own personal opinions, which I am not shy in sharing, but the serious lack of infrastructure I highlight here today is a major obstacle.”
“This is a city that is struggling. It is a thriving and beautiful city. Is cathair dhátheangach í agus tá a lán fostaíochta inti. Tá baic ann, áfach, ó thaobh infreastruchtúir agus ní inniu ná inné ó bhí na fadhbanna sin againn. We have struggled for quite some time. I am reassured, maybe foolishly and innocently, that the Tánaiste tells me there will be an emphasis on capital infrastructure because I have heard that, but what I am trying to highlight here today is that the city council is openly telling us that if the flood defences do not go ahead in a timely manner and are not funded, other development is off the table. I have a particular view that Galway should be chosen as a pilot city for sustainable development and an integrated public transport rolled out with a light rail system put in.”
“We have a national development plan and a framework telling us that Galway is going to grow. What I am highlighting today is that there are sustainable solutions to this. It breaks my heart to watch what is happening in Galway in terms of traffic congestion and bad planning.”
“On top of that, we have an inadequate wastewater treatment structure. The collection network has been described as inadequate. A recent engineer's report, commissioned by Uisce Éireann, said one of the siphons under the Corrib Estuary was in imminent danger of collapse. We have an inadequate collection network; we have failure to build a wastewater treatment plant on the east side of the city; we have no wastewater treatment plant in Carraroe; and then, in Clifden, we have a treatment plant that is not up to the capacity in the summertime. The Taoiseach is aware of this and I am aware of it but unfortunately there has been no progress. The city and county councils in Galway tell us they are two of the worst funded local authorities in the country. These are major projects.”
“The Tánaiste has described it as an unprecedented storm - it was - but we were well warned about it and that was something I raised this morning. I will use my time now to look at how that has put the focus on the difficulties we have in Galway for further development. At a presentation last week at which the Ministers were in attendance, 11 projects were highlighted but top of the list, not in the way it was laid out but verbally, was Galway city flood defences and the urgent need for them to be progressed. The plan for this started years ago at €9 million and it increased to €50 million. The Tánaiste's ministerial colleague beside him, Deputy Naughton, is very familiar with it. We were told in no uncertain terms that unless that project goes ahead there cannot be development in Galway.”
“Faraor géar, tá orm díriú isteach ar chathair na Gaillimhe arís agus an easpa infreastruchtúir atá ag cur bac láidir ar thuilleadh forbartha. De bharr na stoirme, tá spotsolas ar an easpa infreastruchtúir. Tá sé seo ardaithe go mion minic ach faraor, tá orm é a ardú arís. I raise the lack of infrastructure in Galway that is a serious block to development. The city is one of five cities identified in the national plan to grow. It is one of the five cities destined to grow, to a population of 120,000 by 2040. That is not possible. The results of the storm in Galway city and county, particularly in the county, show it was one of the worst hit. As I stand here today, 2,750 homes, businesses and farms are still without power in Galway.”
“The trend in 2024 was the same. The ferocity of this storm was worse but we knew about it in advance. We need to take action to make our infrastructure resilient, and we have utterly failed.”
“I did not hear any Minister or the Taoiseach discuss the lack of action on those key recommendations and observations in every area. Separately, there is a subcommittee that Professor Peter Thorne sits on. He dismisses the excuse that this was an unprecedented moment because, in a reasonable, worst-case scenario, this should have been anticipated. He goes on to give examples of how that should have been done. I was at a presentation on infrastructure and the lack of it in Galway city last week. Top of the list were flood defences, the cost of which has gone from an estimate of €9 million to €15 million and rising. It is top of the list but no further development is possible without doing this. The storm might have been unprecedented but we also failed to act on previous storms. During 2023 alone, we had 11 named storms.”
“I could not put it any better and I do not think any Minister could put it better. I advise everyone to read that. It contains practical suggestions and absolute dismay at there being no proactive work on the issues. As a human being and as a mother, I cannot identify with a Government that allows somebody who relies on a hoist and electricity to get into a bed and they cannot. They had nobody to call. That is exactly what happened in one case. I will come off the anecdotes because, although the storm was unprecedented, the Government had plenty of warning of what we needed to do. We have a climate advisory council, which quite helpfully does a report every year. There are seven key recommendations and there are key observations.”
“Comhghairdeachas leis an Aire Stáit nua. Guím gach rath air ina ról nua. I welcome the short amount of time I have to speak on this. It goes without saying that I fully appreciate the work of all the workers on the ground. I will use my time to highlight what has been brought to my attention. I have a file here with a range of human experiences. There are 13,000 households still without power as I stand here today. Quite a lot of those are in Galway county and some in the city. I have a letter here that was sent to the Taoiseach and all the TDs in Galway. I am not going to read it out but it is from a doctor in which she sets out in seven paragraphs under the headings communication, health, electricity, water, business, community hubs and the Government's role.”
“We are here today despite Amnesty International in 2018 having issued a report that told us Israel was operating a vile apartheid regime. Whether the Palestinians lived in Gaza, East Jerusalem or the West Bank, they were all being subjected to the same. What did the Dáil do? It ignored it. What did we do when the six human rights organisations were declared illegal? We did nothing.”
“Only that we have a duty to speak here, we would give up. How long can we go on using and misusing language in this manner? At what stage will we make our words mean something? That is what we have been asked for. We have a programme for Government that has turned language on its head. It talks about progressing the Bill as opposed to enacting the Bill. We have no difficulty with language when we say we will change the triple lock but we will “progress” the Bill. I appeal to Members to listen to a former army man from Israel who has turned peace activist and formed a number of organisations. People should listen to what he said today on “Drivetime”, where he could not have been more reasonable and rational.”
“I welcome the time to make my points. I thank Sinn Féin. It is an obscenity that we are here today. In truth, what we know is that 61,762 people are dead or missing. We are here today when the leader of the free world has told us he is going to take over Gaza yet, in a speech of five pages, there is not a mention of what President Trump said last night. I have difficulty calling him “President Trump” given he is somebody who has clearly said he is going to invade and take over Gaza. When Russia did that to Ukraine, we had no problem with condemnatory language, and that went for every single person in the Chamber. It is extraordinary that the language that is used here includes words like “disheartening” in regard to declaring UNRWA an illegal organisation and has no mention of Trump whatsoever when he is about to carry out a second Nakba.”
“I am also extremely concerned that the Taoiseach has adopted and included in the programme for Government the definition of antisemitism. It is leaving us wide open to charges of being antisemitic when I unreservedly condemn the actions of Israel. What Israel is doing is genocide. It is carrying out genocide. Then we have this definition the Government has adopted without discussing it with the Dáil. The Taoiseach did not refer to climate change. The Minister to his right is on record as saying the planet is burning. If the planet is burning, the programme for Government has got to reflect that. It does not reflect it at all. What the Government has done is to normalise homelessness. I am ashamed to stand here today when 15,000 people are homeless in our country. I congratulate the new Minister for Health and wish her the best.”
“While I would love to work with the Government, and I will do so in as far as I can on those issues on which I agree with it, I am extremely concerned that it has utterly failed to recognise that we need fundamental change arising from Covid, climate change and the normalisation of war. I am very concerned about the programme for Government. It smacks a little of artificial intelligence when we look at the wording in it. It is very vague and aspirational but it is then very specific when it comes to reforming the triple lock. It states the Government is going to "progress" the occupied territories Bill, not enact it as a matter of urgency but "progress" it, whereas it will reform the triple lock. It is extremely worrying to see what the Government "will" do as opposed to the other matters.”
“Ar dtús báire, is mian liom chomhghairdeas a ghabháil leis an Taoiseach. Is pribhléid iontach dó a bheith ina Thaoiseach ar an tír - ní hamháin den chéad uair ach don dara huair – dá chlann, atá 100% taobh thiar de, agus do na hAirí nua. Ba mhaith liom mo thacaíocht a thabhairt don Taoiseach ach ní féidir liom mar tá easpa aitheantais ó thaobh na n-athraithe bunúsacha atá ag teastáil go géar ag eascairt as an bpaindéim Covid-19, as an bpaindéim tithíochta agus as na cogaí atá ag dul ar aghaidh go leanúnach. I will not repeat. I recognise and congratulate my super colleagues from Galway West and Galway East, Deputies Grealish, Canney and Hildegarde Naughton. I also acknowledge the new Chief Whip who worked extremely hard in the previous Dáil and worked with everybody.”