Cathy Bennett
Cavan-Monaghan · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“It is important that we are having this discussion but that we will have many more discussions that must be had if we want to achieve a united Ireland in a planned and structured way.”
“I welcome this debate on the financial implications of a united Ireland. I acknowledge that the Tánaiste and so many other Members in this House see its merits in the future. I would have hoped that in this House we would at least have moved past the time of framing this without casting a value judgment.”
“As a person from a Border county, the North should never have been treated any differently from Cork, Kerry or Dublin. Irish unity is an opportunity to move beyond very real consequences that were inflicted upon the North, by a dysfunctional British State, and one that is totally disinterested in the needs of our people.”
“Most recently, we had a situation whereby the Government's refusal to adequately fund our schools led to cuts being imposed on every Government Department. If the Government wishes to work towards truly free education and to avoid being the cause of stress and financial hardship in the year ahead, there are a few things it should do.”
“The idea that education in Ireland is free at any level is a myth, whether it is the so-called voluntary contributions or a student contribution fee that costs more even though the Government claims it is reduced. It is utterly galling for hard-pressed families who shell out hundreds or even thousands of euro a year.”
“I welcome that we have recently seen progress on a number of important measures relating to domestic abuse, but what is of crucial importance is that we get the legislation and policy right.”
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“I thank the Minister for answering my question. However, my question referred to clinically determined need. For me clinically determined would be the older person as well. Older people need blister packs to ensure safety and to ensure that they manage their medicines safely. It is a cruel move that the Government is not funding blister packs. It is a necessity and it saves a lot of time and effort allowing older people to take their prescription medication in a safe manner. I ask the Minister to reverse this policy and to ensure that blister packs are paid for by the Government.”
“I thank the Minister. I would love to work with her to ensure that people do get the step-down units and be able to use them in Monaghan Hospital. Monaghan Hospital was closed a long time ago but there is so much potential there. There are rooms available that could be used for more step-down units. I will definitely come back to the Minister on that. On the app, is there communication right across the board about patients, hospitals, doctors and nurses? Are they using the app to make sure that patients are being moved on? If there is, say, a cancer diagnosis that cannot be dealt with in Cavan, are they using the app to make sure that patients are being moved on in a timely manner?”
“It is also happening in relation to step-down units. We have a perfectly good step-down unit in Monaghan Hospital. I have brought this issue to the Minister previously in relation to Cavan and Monaghan. More patients could be transferred to Monaghan Hospital to the step-down unit there to free up beds.”
“I thank the Minister. I want to point out that families are waiting. I have dealt with a few patients in my constituency in the past month who were waiting to be transferred to Beaumont and the Mater hospitals in Dublin. It took up to four weeks before they were transferred so they are taking up beds in Cavan Hospital when they could be transferred on. I am wondering about the new HSE system, or app, that is in situ . Is it operating so other hospitals know when patients can be transferred and if bed management in other hospitals is actually happening and that hospitals are communicating with each other to ensure that patients are being moved out? A lot of the time people are taking up beds in hospitals where, in my constituency for instance, Cavan Hospital could not offer them the services they required and they need to be moved out.”
“I recall the famous banner outside Liberty Hall that stated: "We serve neither king nor kaiser but Ireland". In the interim, I will pose this question. If the Taoiseach is so willing to cast aside his previous Government's solemn national declaration to the Irish people on the triple lock, is his Government not the last you would wish to give this power to?”
“What message is the Government sending to EU partners on our neutrality when, to remove the provision, it is citing that protocol as informing it? If the Government wishes to undo the solemn commitment it made to the Irish people during the second Lisbon referendum, it should place its proposals before the people through a referendum. It would have the opportunity to cite others as having abandoned neutrality. There are those who bang the drums for war, act as mouthpieces for the armaments industry and decry Ireland as a defence freeloader. They are the same parties that have overseen what has happened to our Defence Forces and that now, through seeking to gut neutrality, are attempting to grant themselves the authority to deploy Irish soldiers abroad without UN mandate.”
“The triple lock neutrality protection has been a cornerstone. The Minister of State does not have to take my word for it. His own Department's website states that our EU partners understand our policy of neutrality through a protocol of the Lisbon treaty. That protocol outlines the triple lock.”
“In the face of an ever more uncertain global environment, is it right that Ireland considers both how best we can be a constructive force for good as well as what is required in terms of our own security? At a time when the multilateral system is under attack from those who seek to discredit, dismantle or even supplant it entirely, Ireland should come to its defence. It is both the right thing to do and best serves Ireland's interest. The multilateral system and international law are the best protection that small nations such as Ireland can avail of. Our history of colonialism, our peace process, our experience and who we are are crucial to Ireland's credibility and have been central to the many positive contributions Ireland has made to global peace efforts. Our neutrality has been central to our credibility.”
“The Simon Communities have highlighted that hundreds of people over 65 are living in emergency accommodation. Ireland's ageing population necessitates a whole-of-government response, in terms housing, our funding models and care. That is the Minister of State's specific remit. What I ask him take away from this is that the Government is not doing enough and certainly not at pace. For all the announcements, statements of strategy, implementation plans, action plans or whole-of-government announcements, it often seems that we actually get very little done and that something needs to change radically. What is needed now is for access and affordability to be addressed and the Minister of State to outline how the Government intends to address the difference in funding based on need. I would really appreciate if he could do this in his reply.”
“Part of why this Bill is disappointing is not only does it not appear that it is simply one part of a whole strategy in terms of care and housing for people as they age, it does not even appear to be the level of substance needed to address this one area - home care within the home. Facilitating people to age in place reduces pressures on our hospitals. It facilitates people to continue to live in their own communities. I say "facilitates" rather than "allows" because unless it is necessary, people should be entitled to age within their homes or facilitated through appropriate accommodations to age within their own communities as much as is possible. In only the past day, the media have highlighted what has been described as a growing crisis in the number of older people becoming homeless.”
“The Government needs to place a greater priority on supporting people to age in place through home support and adoption grants to ensure healthy age-friendly homes. Long-term residential care needs to be available for those who need or want it but it should not be the default. We should seek to reduce our reliance on nursing homes and re-orientate care to support this. I recently saw an age-friendly home development down the country and it looked like an incredible development. I also commend the work of the team in Monaghan County Council on its age friendly programme, but a greater priority needs to be placed on this issue and more resources directed there.”
“I welcome the Government bringing forward legislation to regulate the private home care sector. What is disappointing is that after five years, all the Government has to show for itself is this Bill regulating the sector. What was promised what a statutory home care scheme, which would be a better and improved version of the nursing home support scheme. Sinn Féin believes that people deserve to live in their homes as long as they can. The Bill falls well short of what is needed. It addresses nothing about access or affordability and more deeply entrenches the privatisation of care. Crucially, it fails to recognise the difference between funding for basic assistance and high-need care with few exceptions. We often talk about the need for issues to be addressed more wholly or holistically.”
“I also appeal to him to ensure that the CRU is adequately resourced because if it lacks the capacity to ensure new regulations, then what should be important regulatory changes to improve safety will effectively amount to naught. Only a year into this Government, there have already been too many areas where that has not been the case.”
“Of the €1.5 billion farmers were promised up to 2030, more than halfway through the decade the Government has delivered not even 10% of that. Speaking of carbon tax, through a baseless increase on 1 January, the Government put upwards of 6 cent per litre on the cost of motoring; a supposed behavioural tax that cannot drive people to make use of services that do not exist. Other methods of transport lack the needed infrastructure in some communities, such as those I represent in counties Cavan and Monaghan. It is grossly apparent that the Government is struggling to translate ideas or sound bites into reality. Safety is not an area where we can afford to play fast and loose with rushing legislation. I appeal to the Minister of State to take on board the concerns raised by representative organisations.”
“We debate these serious issues today against a backdrop where, according to the CRU, this system has to come into effect on 1 January. Yet, this Bill was only published last Friday. It seems this Government lacks the ability to translate announcements, press releases, action plans and a whole thesaurus of other media opportunities into actual, operational policy. At budget time, we saw the Government justify the withdrawal of energy credits for struggling families and workers with a reference to inflation being expected to run to 2% for the year. In the end, it amounted to 2.7% and 4% in the case of food. The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General utterly rubbished claims by the Government that we are using the carbon tax to support farmers for climate action.”
“I think I would be safe in saying that all of us in this House are supportive of strengthening safety regulations. Sinn Féin certainly supports updating the legislation. However, what we have here is a Bill that is emblematic of this Government. We see rushed legislation, despite the Government passing legislation at a slower rate than any other for a century. In the case of this Bill, serious concerns remain. Representative organisations have expressed concerns as to whether the legislation is fit for purpose. We have heard that, if introduced as it stands, it could pose serious safety risks and that there are too many legal ends and loopholes for non-domestic installers. We need to ensure that smaller operators are supported to avoid cliff edges.”
“Not a chance. That is, until the day on which the deal's passage was secured, at which time the Taoiseach said that we would vote against it, secure in the knowledge it would not have a meaningful impact. The Taoiseach is not opposed to the Mercosur agreement. He just thinks the Irish people are fools who will buy his cheap charade. They were working behind the scenes is what an tAire Stáit said. What a laugh. Sinn Féin's motion tonight gives every Member of this House the opportunity to lay on the table exactly where they stand and if there will truly join the fight against a bad deal for Irish farmers. Shame on any Member who backs the Taoiseach's threadbare theatre and believes he or she can take farming families for fools.”
“Sinn Féin and others sought the Government to formally express its opposition to this deal and it refused. Instead, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael spoke of safeguards that we know to be worthless. The following year, the Government endorsed the reappointment of the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. She executed the stroke the Government parties empowered her to use under the Lisbon treaty and stripped Ireland of its veto. Still, the possibility remained that a blocking minority could be formed in Europe of those states not willing to sacrifice their farmers' livelihoods or the environment in favour of German car manufacturers. Did the Government kick into gear then?”
“That the Mercosur trade agreement has even reached this point is a result of political strokes. In the first instance, the supporters of the Lisbon treaty, including Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, opened the door to the European Commission circumventing member state vetoes.”
“While the Government attempts to muddy the water, the fact of the matter is that reimbursement for blister packs was known and has been understood by the Government. The Minister sought to withdraw this crucial support, she got called out for it and she has backed down for now. Vulnerable patients who rely on these packs to manage the dosage of their medication cannot be asked to stump up as much as €50 per month arising from the inept leadership of this Government. Many will not or cannot, and that is a public health concern of the her making. Sinn Féin's motion offers the Minister the opportunity to draw a line under this. I urge her to take that responsibility, accept that she was wrong and implement this motion.”
“The withdrawal of funding for medication blister packs was an ill-thought-out and cruel choice. It is disappointing that the Minister has allowed this issue to fester into the debacle we now have before us. I raised this with the Minister over a month ago, and her response, in effect, was to deny that there was or has been an issue at all until, that is, the public outcry became much too much. Pharmacists are being asked to play an ever more important and front-line role within our communities, and it is time Fine Gael treated them with respect. We had a similar fiasco at the onset of the year, when despite promising a free HRT scheme through pharmacies from January, the roll-out was delayed because the Minister simply could not get the job done on time. That was not a pharmacist issue; that was the Minister's issue, and so too is this.”
“What the people of Monaghan and Cavan need is infrastructure and services, not hectoring or lectures and certainly not capital surrenders while the Government fails to fund the infrastructure our communities need. I ask the Government to consider its carbon tax increases, penalisation of the farmers and an abysmal track record of infrastructure in the Border region.”
“More than half went unspent and was returned to the Exchequer, with just €4 million carried over in the manner we are dealing with today. In January, the Government will increase the cost of petrol and diesel through a hiked carbon tax. The Minister cannot tax people into using public transport options that are not reliable and are simply not there; they do not exist. He cannot credibly continue to mislead farmers promising billions of euro while delivering a meagre fraction. Real vision from the Government is needed. A vision for decarbonisation, economic development in the Border region and north west and increased use of public transportation will not be delivered through carbon tax.”
“I support the Government target of reducing road fatalities to zero by 2050 but we need increased funding for education and communication in the Road Safety Authority and the Garda roads policing resources. We also need capital investment to progress projects that will have an impact on safety, and the funding of these projects in Monaghan can play a part in that in our region. Another area where our Government woefully failed to manage a budget is in relation to carbon tax allocations. In that case, we are not even talking about carryover. Having promised farmers that they would receive €1.5 billion from carbon tax by 2030, in addition to the CAP, halfway through 2030 what has materialised? Not half, not even 10%, just €110 million of the promised €1.15 billion. Of that €110 million, what was the Government's track record?”
“However, these projects have not seen the prioritisation needed from the Government. Works were effectively suspended under the previous Government due to a lack of funding. While the Minister can dispute that if he wishes, "suspended" is the language used by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, yet, its project appraisal balance sheet for this project scored these works the highest possible score for the impact they would have on safety. Following the tragic events of the last weekend, where four people were killed in separate collisions over a 24-hour period, the number of people killed on our roads in this State this year to date is 179, a figure which has surpassed that of last year. This is a crisis level of collisions.”
“While the Government today looks at the capital carryover, the country remains awash with underfunded infrastructure projects in desperate need of Government support. Nowhere is this more so than in the case of the north-west and Border regions. In my own constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, there are a number of such projects with the potential to have a profound impact on communities. Two are the N2 Clontibret to the Border and the N2 Ardee to Castleblayney road projects. I reiterate my welcoming of the shared island funding for works on the A5 in the North, which complements both of these projects. However, the overall benefits accrued can only maximised if works being completed on this side of the Border are actually carried out. The N2 upgrades have potential to play a crucial part in the unlocking of the economic potential of the region.”
“Constitutionally required, a key provision of this Bill relates to capital carryovers. This allows Departments to carry over allocated but unspent capital funding this year. That is straightforward enough. However, a cause of frustration is equally straightforward and that is the question of why. We immediately know that these funds are going unspent because one of the Minister's ministerial colleagues managed to deliver to some works early or under budget. It was the Minister for Finance who oversaw the signing of a contract for the national children's hospital. There have been 16 missed completion deadlines and it is running to around three times the initial estimated cost.”
“Despite years of talking out of both sides of their mouths on this deal, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have net zero to show in terms of meaningfully enforceable legal guarantees. Speaking of net zero, we will not be hitting that if the Government continues to facilitate the deforestation of the Amazon while being incapable of facilitating reforestation at home. Its response to Irish media exposure of the Irish beef production system being potentially awash with antibiotics posing a potential threat to public health is a net zero. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have form for throwing our farming families under the bus to appease Europe. Is it any wonder they are comfortable at this time to do this to the Constitution, the courts, these Houses and every citizen? Shame on each and every TD who supports this Bill.”
“However, not content with attempts to circumvent the Constitution, the Government will not even allow what has become a standing part of the legislative process to take place. The Constitution, the Supreme Court or the procedure of the Oireachtas – the Government arrogantly cannot abide by those or accept they have a role to play. People expect the Government to represent their interests and views at European level but Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael seem to roll over to the whims of the European Commission each and every time, and especially when it comes to trade. The Mercosur trade agreement could flood the European market with upwards of 100,000 tonnes of South American beef and nearly twice that quantity of poultry, which would have a significant impact on my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan.”
“There is no cause or reason for any Irish Government to support this Bill. For years, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael told us we could not pass the occupied territories Bill because Europe would sue us. After this, they will be telling us we cannot implement renter protections, improve workers’ rights or take climate action for fear of being sued. How the Government has gone about this is yet another example of poor parliamentary practice on its part. Having attempted to ride roughshod over the Constitution, as evidenced by the Supreme Court decision striking down the Government’s previous attempts to ratify this agreement, it now attempts to circumvent through legislation the ruling of the Supreme Court that a referendum would be required.”
“That is in breach of Standing Orders. Nowhere is it more apparent than when it comes to trade that gone are the faux collegial deals of how the Dáil began to work in the post-crash years. There will not be pre-legislative scrutiny if the Government cannot be bothered or if it is just worried that scrutiny will shine a light on the impact of the poor decisions it has made. This Bill seeks to enable the worst aspects of CETA. It will open up Ireland to the corporate court systems not available to ordinary Irish citizens. These courts will allow big businesses to sue Ireland for what they call a loss of profit. What could this mean? The answer is vulture funds suing Ireland for addressing the housing crisis, fossil fuel companies suing Ireland in opposition to climate action and the taxpayer picking up the tab.”
“It is incredibly disappointing to see this legislation brought to Second Stage with the Government having refused to allow the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny. It is the unfortunate result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ingratiating themselves with each other producing the worst of outcomes. What we have here is Fianna Fáil adopting Fine Gael foreign and trade policy wholesale and both parties adopting Bertie-era Fianna Fáil tactics to ride roughshod through these Houses. Independent lackeys pretending to be in government and opposition at the same time - check. Funny business with the Seanad doors when votes are called – check. I am not sure a senior Minister has bothered to turn up for a Topical Issue debate in months unless specially requested.”
“We know from our engagements in our constituencies that for some children, the hot school meal scheme represents a significant portion of the food they might be given on a day. We know that one in five parents skip meals and reduce portion size in order to ensure their children have enough to eat. It is an important initiative. However, there have been issues with how the scheme has been administered. This year, we saw a last minute, four-month delay impact hundreds of primary schools. Funding, portions and size remain consistent for infants right through to sixth class, despite children's nutritional needs changing as they grow and traceability is poor. Small local companies have told me they feel frozen out of the tendering process. It then leaves the schools having to use heating equipment to ensure the food is hot.”
“I am relaying the fears of my constituents. LEADER funding was cut in the immediate aftermath of the financial crash, was raided during the austerity years and it was cut further in real terms under the previous Government. The meagre increase is not enough to keep up with inflation. My fear now is the Government is seemingly not that put out about a European Commission proposal to cut CAP by nearly 25%, through which LEADER is funded, and that the European Commission, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will see our local development companies and rural development take the short straw once again. Will the Minister not only rule out further cuts to LEADER but commit at European level to advocating for the full restoration of LEADER funds to pre-crash levels?”
“The LEADER programme has played a crucial role in rural development, especially in addressing and developing the rural community. It has, therefore, been a regressive move that LEADER has faced cuts in every programme for nearly 20 years. Prior to the financial crisis, the annualised budget for the LEADER programme between 2007 to 2013 was €57 million per year, reducing to €54 million post the crash. The annual allocation for the 2014 to 2020 programme was slashed by one third to €35 million. The Government signed off on a transition programme of €35 million to €36 million on average per year for 2023 to 2027. That is not only a cut in real terms. Taking account of inflation, LEADER funding must stand at half of what it once was.”
“LEADER funding, as the Minister will be aware, plays a vital role in our communities and businesses, especially in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. A reduction in LEADER funding would be unacceptable for rural communities that are already struggling. Can the Minister assure us that LEADER funding will not be reduced?”
“Our farming families produce the highest quality food in the world while also adhering to some of the highest environmental and animal health standards in the world. If there is a proposal to reduce the CAP budget, I ask that the Government fill in the vacuum.”
“The Taoiseach does not believe he or his Ministers should be across a protected disclosure made regarding their Departments. In some instances, potentially-----”
“They have lost their homes and livelihoods, all while the Government has failed to protect them. It will waste taxpayers' money. It needs to help the people. Sinn Féin holds whistleblowers in the highest regard. We recognise the positive role many have played in bringing the truth to light. I commend my party colleagues, Sinn Féin spokesperson on public expenditure and reform, Deputy Farrell, and Deputy Buckley, who tried to bring this motion to the Dáil previously. The legislation it proposes would move the onus from the employee to the employer in cases where the employee alleges penalisation as a result of making a protected disclosure. It will also make it an offence to attempt to hinder or penalise people who make a protected disclosure. This is crucial. It is long past time that smears ended.”
“I welcome the whistleblowers to the Gallery. They have done an incredible service to the State. I thank them personally for that. I also thank the Independent Technical Group for bringing forward this motion. It has brought to the State the corruption that has happened within our political and justice systems and opened the door to justice for the victims of abuse. In return, far too many whistleblowers and others have seen their lives ruined. The question the Government must answer is whether this is by intention or design. Even if it is unintentional, the whistleblower framework the Government has overseen should be made fit for purpose because whistleblowers today continue to face the consequences of doing the right thing. They face smear campaigns.”
“The mechanism of the civil protection order is not contentious, given it is already utilised in harassment legislation and, crucially, by allowing for its imposition at sentencing it can alleviate the fear, anxiety or stress that survivors might feel looking ahead to a day when a person who abused them is released back into society. I welcome that the Government is not opposing this Bill. It will not be a solution for the large number of challenges facing us in tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence but it can be one important component in providing some level of relief to survivors. We now need to see it passed through the Houses as quickly as possible.”
“When speaking with survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, one of the most harrowing aspects is the number of instances whereby a person is effectively forced to relive their trauma if they report it to An Garda Síochána, during trial, after trial, after sentencing and when that person is released. If the person who abused them chooses to force them to relive their trauma there and then, in their own community, in their local shop or anywhere at all, they have no recourse available to them. I commend my party and constituency colleague, Sinn Féin spokesperson on justice, Deputy Matt Carthy, and I also commend Senator Maria McCormack for bringing this legislation forward which seeks to address this injustice.”
“I welcome the ladies in the Visitors Gallery and I thank them for having their voices heard. Three years on from the Government launching its zero-tolerance strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence much remains to be done. We still do not have a domestic violence refuge in every county. Though I welcome the Government recommitting to the provision of refuge services in both counties Cavan and Monaghan, we need to see action. We need to accept the recommendations of the Oireachtas justice committee in relation to the ban on the use of counselling notes in trials. We need to see greater investment in the protective service unit of An Garda Síochána and so much more.”
“People pay their taxes and the Government is not delivering a substandard service; it is delivering no service at all. It is leaving people to go private or get private insurance where, again, they are being ripped off. Sinn Féin has outlined our plans to train enough dental professionals to deliver the services people pay for and are entitled to through their taxes. I ask the Minister to reflect on this because the status quo in Monaghan is entirely unacceptable. I appeal to the Minister to accept Deputy Cullinane's amendment to the Bill, so that we can address and end the rip-off insurance that many people across this country are burdened with, arising from the Government's poor stewardship of our health services.”
“There was a vacancy for a consultant post and two specialist orthodontists post. With the current staff comprising two dental nurses, a part-time dental hygienist and a part-time clerical officer, it seems there was no consultant to serve the entire region, including Monaghan. This is utterly scandalous and is happening on the watch of the Minister. We know early intervention delivers better and more cost-effective care. We know developing good habits in terms of oral hygiene at an early age likewise leads to better outcomes and is the most effective for ordinary people and the taxpayer. However, the situation the Minister is currently standing over in Monaghan does not deliver that. The county has been utterly abandoned by this Government in terms of dental and ortho dental care. The Government has ripped them off.”
“The HSE informed me that is due to maternity leave and retirements. That implies it is due to the HSE's poor workforce planning. If the situation is so dire, and no workforce planning could surmount the challenge of delivering school dental checkups in Monaghan this year, then it is the fault of the Government and previous Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments for failing to train enough dental professionals. Families in Monaghan are being ripped off by the Government. They are paying their taxes and the Government is failing to provide their children with the most basic foundational level of dental care. In the years to come, if these children take up health insurance, most ordinary plans will not include dental care. Dundalk services Monaghan for orthodontic care - it is a disgrace that children in Monaghan have to go to Dundalk.”
“This is why I welcome the amendment to the Bill from my party colleague and Sinn Féin spokesperson on health, Deputy Cullinane, mandating a review of the current rate of profit of healthcare providers and an analysis of the potential impact of the removal of private practice from public hospitals on a cost of health insurance. People are being ripped off when it comes to healthcare in the State. They are ripped off by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, who in government have failed to adequately utilise our taxes to deliver a public healthcare system that works. They are ripped off again by private insurers, if they can afford that. One area I want to touch on is dental care. Last year, no child in the 2024-2025 academic year in County Monaghan received their annual dental checkup.”
“We are fortunate in Ireland to have the most highly qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals in the world. Generally, aside from the notable exceptions, when people receive care they give a sterling endorsement of the care they receive. The problem is that access to healthcare across the State is plagued by waiting lists, vacancies in key roles and the State even breaking the law by its failure to provide assessments of need. Despite cross-party reports, Sláintecare commitments or general election manifestoes, unfortunately insurance remains an important aspect of many people's healthcare planning. Even insurance does not work for people in many cases.”
“At the very least, this would go some way towards alleviating the pressure on our hauliers. The least the Government could do is to not actively work to make the situation worse through nonsensical and counterproductive measures such as carbon tax and toll hikes.”
“The hauliers I have spoken to in Cavan and Monaghan have cited increased costs relating to the upgrading of equipment and potential issues arising from the need to pull over to manually enter changes of jurisdiction. As I am sure the Minister of State will appreciate, this is impractical in communities where you cross the Border multiple times in a matter of minutes. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State would engage on and examine these issues ahead of the final date of adoption next year. We all appreciate the challenges facing the haulage sector. We need to see statements in the Dáil from the Minister and from the parties. Action needs to be taken now. We need action to sort everything out, action that is in line with the motion Sinn Féin proposed last week.”