Chris Andrews
Labour Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I want to move an amendment to No. 1 on the Order Paper, proposing an orderly winding down of the accommodation recognition payment scheme in a way that is fair and efficient. I note today is the last day of Dáil and Seanad sittings before the summer recess.”
“The Government can point to housing and claim that there are huge successes. There is only success for the wealthy, the well-off, the developers and the landlords. They are all delighted with Government policy.”
“Government will say, "Look at the positives", but there are a huge amount of challenges. You need not look any further than the housing crisis. Of course, the Government will point to an increased number of housing developments. However, those housing developments are for the very well-off.”
“We supported the development of housing on the Glass Bottle site. We worked hard to ensure to get more social housing. Unfortunately, the Government would not do that. Now it seems that the so-called "affordable housing" on the Glass Bottle site will be unaffordable.”
“I move amendment No. 14: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Annual report 11. The Minister shall, within the first six months of the year, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report outlining the application of this Act, providing an update on— (a) how many successful actions were brought under section 14…”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “ “settlement service” means a service provided in whole or in part within a postal code or relevant occupied territory to which this Act applies;”.”
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Every one of 1,016 lines we hold for Chris Andrews, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 17 of 21.
“This Government’s approach to renters is astonishing. Rents are at an all-time high and have been increasing for years, with no hope in sight from Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. Renters have received next to nothing from this or the previous Government. Tenants are being extorted by their landlords and, in many cases, forking over the majority of their wages to the landlord for the privilege of having a roof over their head. Particularly in Dublin, ordinary people are being priced out of the communities they grew up in. The luxury apartment buildings that have flooded the city from the south inner city over to Ringsend and Irishtown and down to Ballsbridge and Rathmines are completely unaffordable to the vast majority of the population and only exist to store capital for the multinationals and investment firms.”
“Countering this, in respect of the WRC progress, only four members out of more than 20 staff are involved and, as yet, they have failed to reach any satisfactory outcome. It is time the Minister intervened. There is unity in support for the broadcast workers across the political divide in the Oireachtas. A total of 159 TDs and Senators have signed the broadcast workers' letter to the commission, including four Ministers. We cannot continue to talk about workers' rights when we do not have our own house in order. We must address this. It is an important issue that is fundamental to how the Oireachtas operates. We cannot lecture other groups outside of the Oireachtas when we cannot get it right ourselves.”
“The Minister has said the Government will look at the proposed legislation when the report is published. When will the report be published and when will surgical artificial insemination be banned? It is a barbaric and disgusting practice. Delaying this ban is, in effect, giving the green light for surgical artificial insemination to continue. It is important the consultation be published and surgical insemination be banned as a matter of urgency. Another issue I wish to raise relates to the broadcasting unit. The Irish Times recently quoted the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission as having said workers and Pi Communications were in dialogue at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and that it would not be appropriate to undermine the industrial relations process.”
“I have previously raised the barbaric practice of surgical artificial insemination of greyhounds. Senator O'Loughlin was just as outraged and disgusted by it as everyone else. This is a practice where the greyhound is sliced open, the uterus is removed and the semen is inserted. The greyhound is then sewn back up and expected to carry the pups through pregnancy until their delivery, all while trying to recover from that surgery. The Government carried out a consultation into this practice and had submissions, which have not been made public. In the minutes for the September 2024 meeting of the advisory council on companion animal welfare, it was revealed the consultation results had been reviewed and had indicated that surgical artificial insemination should be prohibited in all dogs, including greyhounds.”
“Businesses have been abandoned by the Government and this problem is not of the businesses’ making. They should not have to pay the price. There needs to be some flexibility to allow small businesses such as coffee shops, pizza places and fruit and vegetable shops to be able to function. That is not the case. The State's policy has failed and the small businesses seem to be left to pick up the pieces..”
“Another example is the long-running issue for businesses on Mount Street, which is very close to here. There are barriers still up. Honestly, it looks like a ghetto. These Mount Street businesses have been carrying on. There were tents outside their premises for 18 months. The barriers are still there, and they are trying to run a business. It is almost impossible. Local businesses like Mamma Mia have seen their turnover fall off a cliff but Dublin City Council still expects them to pay rates. They are still being charged. Ultimately, the council waived the fees for the outdoor seating because there was no point in them having outdoor seating. Nobody was going to sit at them beside a tent and a fire. It is very unfair on businesses. The Mount Street residents have been abandoned by the Government.”
“Ernesto's has three or four of those and had to pay €4,500 a year, just for a few tables. For most of the year the cafe cannot use them, given the weather. That means it is paying €4,500 for six months. That is extortionate. That is picking small businesses’ pockets. Ernesto's is a small family business that contributes a great deal to the community and yet it seems like there is an attempt to milk every cent out of these local traders, irrespective of the effect it may have on the business or its customers. Reducing and waiving these fees partially is not just going to support businesses, it will support the city and the community. The council and the State agencies are not supporting local businesses, and they need to do so. That is the reality.”
“One needs not go further than Rathmines to see loads of places that are empty which could have lovely public seating. They were there during Covid, but when the pandemic was over, the council got rid of the free access to these places and it is just too expensive now. These seating areas could add a nice buzz to the local community, and it is the city’s loss. Ernesto's cafe in Rathmines has a few tables for people to drink coffee and have a rest. It is a lovely shop and is very involved in the local community. It does so many positive community initiatives. However, Ernesto's is being robbed and crushed by these extortionate charges. Ernesto's had to pay €4,500 for space to place tiny little tables that you get in Ikea. The tables are hardly bigger than these seats here.”
“To place a table and seats on the footpath outside a coffee shop or restaurant, the biggest cost is renting the space from the council, with fees of thousands of euro and a very drawn-out planning application process that includes putting up a site notice and placing a notice in the newspaper, all for a few seats outside. It does not make any sense. We should bear in mind that outdoor seating is next to useless for half the year, given we are living in Ireland and it rains for half the year. However, traders, businesses, restaurants and coffee shops must pay for the full year. There needs to be more flexibility in terms of how businesses can avail of outdoor seating. Coffee shops simply cannot afford to have outdoor seating or do not want to deal with the hassle, so they scrap the plans.”
“The reality is businesses feel like they are being robbed just to try to comply with the regulations from State agencies and planning regulations. For instance, today is a beautiful day outside. The public seating areas are all jammed, yet outdoor seating is severely limited in Dublin. When one goes through any of its little towns or villages or through the city centre, one can see there are real limitations on the number of seating opportunities in Dublin. This is primarily because of the arbitrary fees and obstacles imposed on businesses by Dublin City Council.”
“Small businesses urgently need support if we want them to stay afloat and contribute to our communities. Likewise, workers need support given the out of control cost-of-living crisis. The average wage is not enough to comfortably live in Dublin and there is a huge level of job insecurity in the service sector in this city. That is a very important point to consider when it comes to supporting small businesses. We need an approach that does not pit businesses against workers but, rather, enables businesses and workers to work together, side by side. Small businesses are facing an inhospitable environment and too often workers are being asked to pay the price. Action needs to be taken to ensure businesses are not unfairly squeezed and ordinary people are not caught up in the crunch.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in and congratulate her on her new role. I think it is her first time to the Seanad in that role. It will probably not be any busier a role than when she was Chair of an Oireachtas committee. It was a pretty hectic committee and she managed it very well, so I am sure she will manage this role very well. The cost-of-doing-business crisis is having a severe effect on small businesses across the city, particularly small independent coffee shops, cafes and restaurants. They have been hit with higher energy costs, higher food costs, higher labour costs and higher rent. As if all of this was not enough, the council comes around and picks their pockets with extortionate rates in exchange for little in terms of services.”
“There are hundreds and thousands of children and parents in the same position. It is important to have the Minister come in and explain when the Government is going to wake up and pay attention to children and make it mandatory that all secondary and primary schools have ASD units, because as much as it might like to avoid or ignore the situation it is not going away. The Government is going to spend hundreds of thousands of euro taxiing children out of their communities to go to schools far away from their homes when they should be going to school with their siblings in their local community. We need to get the Minister in to explain what the plan is and why secondary schools do not all have an ASD class.”
“There are only two schools for boys with ASD units. Coláiste Chú Chulainn has a waiting list of 30 and the De La Salle College did not open registration for this year as it has no space because it only has the one class. St. Brigid's Special School refused Oisín saying he did not meet its criteria. Oisín has been in the unit in Kilsaran National School since infant class and what really frustrates families like his is that the Department of education knows these children will be graduating and still cannot ensure they will have school places available to them when they go into secondary school. These children are the most vulnerable in our society and it is an absolute disgrace that the Government is doing nothing for parents and children with disabilities. Oisín and his family are not unique.”
“I would also like to express my sympathies to the family of Carmencita Hederman. I knew Carmencita, though not very well. I knew her daughter Wendy, who was a councillor in Dublin Bay South. The family is dedicated to public service, the environment and protecting communities, so I wanted to add my sympathies. Annie Callan's son, Oisín, is 13 years of age. Oisín is another example of a neurodivergent child being failed by the State. Oisín is a lovely, gentle child. He is nonverbal but able to work away independently when he has a routine and structure. However, his family are devastated because like so many he cannot get a school place in Dundalk and as a result he will not have the structure he desperately needs. Annie has applied to all the schools in Louth with ASD units and he is on the wait list for all of them in Dundalk.”
“The proposals being pushed through the Oireachtas by the Government this week are another example of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael bending to the will of developers and that they will do nothing to help the ordinary people of this city who need secure homes. Also, last week I raised the issue of Nicola Fox who is an Irish woman in jail in England. The family contacted me and they are really concerned that Nicola has not been given her medication for the past three weeks. It is very important the Minister for foreign affairs, Deputy Harris, contact the authorities to ensure she at least receives her medication. It is really important to her and her family.”
“Likewise, renters across the city are being forced to pick up the tab for the Government's failure to deliver enough social and affordable homes. Last week, I met residents of Pearse House and a group of other residents of flats across the inner city and they said that the lack of hope for regeneration and the setbacks to the regeneration of flat complexes are turning their flats into coffins. They feel with their mental health that they will die in these flats that are in an absolutely horrendous condition. There needs to be an investment and ramping up of the regeneration process for residents living in flat complexes right across the city of Dublin and throughout the country.”
“I bring the House's attention to this evening's Raise the Roof housing protest that will happen outside Leinster House at 6 p.m. I hope all of us who recognise this Government's failure on housing will attend and show their solidarity with renters, tenants and residents from throughout the country. People throughout Dublin and the country are living in completely unacceptable housing with unaffordable rents and inadequate conditions. Flat complexes in the south-east inner city, including Markievicz House, Pearse House, Glovers Court and Rathmines Avenue, are all in urgent need of regeneration and investment. Residents have been crying out for support for years, with their flats nearly collapsing around them, and they have received nothing from the council or the Government.”
“Will the Deputy Leader ask the Minister to confirm whether background screening is taking place of Israeli citizens entering this jurisdiction, whether as tourists, on a work visa or in any other capacity, to ascertain whether they have been involved in any manner in war crimes? Government members regularly say how shocked they are by what is happening in Gaza. We need real action and this would make a difference in ensuring Israel faces consequences and the people involved in genocide and war crimes are held accountable.”
“Given that this contract is up for negotiation, I ask that this issue be brought to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in order that a fair resolution can be agreed and the rights of these workers respected. I also ask that the Minister for Justice come to the House in order that we can ask him if he is satisfied that proactive measures are being taken to identify any former Israel Defense Forces personnel who may have been involved in war crimes or genocide who are entering this State. I recognise that all Israeli citizens are required to serve in that country's military forces.”
“Most of us at this point would be familiar with the contractual issue affecting Oireachtas broadcasting workers. These workers are getting a fraction of the pay of similarly qualified workers elsewhere in the industry and are denied permanent contracts that would give them the rights they are due. At present, they are forced to find additional employment or rely on social welfare to make ends meet when the Dáil and Seanad are not sitting. They perform a vital service, making sure the public is informed of events in these Houses. It is well past time they were treated with dignity and respect. The Oireachtas has a multimillion euro contract with a private company to provide staffing for this service and, yet, its broadcasting employees are only paid, on average, €12,000 annually.”
“She is outspoken and it seems to be that there is nothing else that she can do. However, she should not be punished for speaking out. The Minister for justice must intervene in this case because a mother should not be jailed for months for speaking out on behalf of her son. It is important that the community in the south-east inner city receive clarity as to why the family courts reached their decisions. Above all, Harry needs to be protected. This has exercised people, including the Minister for justice, given Nicola's incarceration for what will be six months or longer. It is just unacceptable and some sort of intervention and clarity need to be brought to this.”
“I have been contacted a lot by family and friends of Nicola Fox. Nicola Fox is an Irish mother who was jailed in England for a month and whose term was recently extended for another five months. Nicola is an Irish citizen. Her crime was trying to bring her son Harry home. She has had supervised access to her son once every two weeks. She has been very vocal and outspoken, which seems to be why she is being punished like this. Harry expressed the desire to stay with his mother, and the English police detained her while she was with her son. There is no allegation that Nicola is not a good mother or that she ever did anything to Harry. She is a broken woman, understandably. It is devastating for her. Imagine that she has to go to a contact centre in a watched environment to see her six-year-old son.”
“I thank the Minister of State. The first half of that reply was exactly the same as the reply I got to a parliamentary question. There was nothing new in it. The Minister of State did not confirm whether the helicopters purchased would have Israeli components in them. I did not hear that. The whole thing is very vague. It is couched in language that is open, yet it is not clear to me. The Minister of State might follow that up. It is not surprising. The Government is saying one thing about how horrifying the situation is, but on the other hand it has consistently been complicit in the genocide. It seems like this is a replica of that.”
“There is clearly something amiss here. Ireland has been complicit in the genocide in Gaza. It has facilitated the flights of military equipment through Irish airspace. Now, the Government is talking about the occupied territories Bill as if it is the same Bill that Senator Black proposed. It will be so watered down that it will not look anything like that occupied territories Bill.”
“We need an ironclad commitment from the Government that we will not have any links - commercial, scientific or otherwise – to the Israeli military industrial machine as long as the genocide of the Palestinians continues. The Minister of State needs to clarify this issue and commit, without reservation, that Ireland will not continue to be complicit in what the Israeli war machine is doing. That will not be done by purchasing Israeli arms as long as the State of Israel continues to deny the Palestinian people their human rights and dignity. Additionally, in relation to these specific helicopters, I would appreciate if the Minister of State would confirm whether any of the components were manufactured or designed in Israel or by Israeli companies. If they were, why was the State's procurement process not adequately followed?”
“While Israel is in the middle of committing a genocide against the civilian population of Gaza, the idea that Ireland would be actively supporting the Israeli armaments industry, or even leaving the door open to purchasing Israeli weapons in the future, is completely unacceptable. Israel has been killing thousands of men, women and children across Gaza and the West Bank, committing crimes on an unimaginable scale. The Irish Government must do everything it can to help the Palestinian people and to build political and economic pressure on Israel to stop the genocide. The absolute most basic and very obvious step in this regard is simply not to buy Israeli weapons or military technology.”
“The Department also said that the State does not currently, and that is the key word, intend to purchase Israeli military technology. However, given that the State is already acquiring Israeli military technology through the avionics systems of these helicopters, I cannot help but doubt the strength of this commitment. In particular, the word “currently” suggests to me that the Government could, at its convenience, decide to buy Israeli weapons if it saw a good deal or if it thought it could get away with doing so because the public was not going to make a big fuss about it. I would be gravely concerned if a single cent from Ireland went to the Israeli state, much less the Israeli armaments industry.”
“Late last year, it was announced that the State would be purchasing four German-built multi-use Airbus helicopters for use by the Defence Forces at a cost of €92 million. In January, The Journal reported that these helicopters contained flight system components manufactured by the Israeli arms company, Elbit Systems, despite the Government stating at an earlier stage that its position was to avoid purchasing Israeli military technology. These helicopters are built with the capability to fire Israeli-built Spike anti-tank missiles. In response to parliamentary questions about these missiles, the Department informed me that these helicopters are future-proofed to allow the integration of guided missiles if the State chooses to have that capability.”
“We need the Minister to come to the House to explain to families like Robert’s why Robert and so many others have been failed by the State and why the care system has failed Robert and his family.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach. I have, obviously, been given permission. On his 18th birthday, Robert was abruptly moved to an adult psychiatric unit, an entirely unsuitable environment for his needs. His condition has progressively become worse within this facility which has been unable to provide the 24-hour, high-level care he needs. Robert remains in this psychiatric unit today, has been in this unit in Tallaght for five years and his condition and quality of life is getting worse daily. His complex condition is now used to justify claims that no suitable placement exists. This is a situation directly caused by the State’s inaction and unwillingness to provide early intervention care. Robert’s case is only one of many. Our lack of mental health and disability services is an absolute scandal.”
“I raise a shocking and distressing case affecting a young man from south County Dublin, Robert Brady, and how he has been completely failed by our mental health and disability services. It is horrendous listening to the catalogue of failures he has faced. Robert first showed signs of psychosis in 2019 when he was in secondary school. His family sought help from the State but were told that early intervention supports were not available, something which is not unusual. He was finally admitted to Linn Dara CAMHS unit in Ballyfermot in 2020 at the age of 17 after a severe and distressing mental health episode. He is diagnosed with autism and psychosis. The family had to fight for his right to access this facility and avoid being placed in an adult facility.”
“We need to make clear that this genocide is not happening in our name, and that we will not stand idly by as Israel tramples over human rights, dignity and international law. Ireland needs to take action against Israel's genocide. Today, the genocide is in Gaza, but I can tell the House that the genocide has already started in the West Bank. We have heard from Senator McDowell that this is the plan. Gaza, the West Bank and the entire Palestinian community are going to be wiped out and Ireland is standing idly by, complicit in that destruction.”
“On Tuesday night, Paschal Donohoe gave disgraceful excuses for why the Government would be opposing Sinn Féin's Bill to stop this, claiming that it was contrary to EU law solely on the advice of the Attorney General it politically appointed. That is the same empty excuse the Government gave for not supporting the occupied territories Bill at the start. Let us not kid ourselves: they are cynical, convenient excuses for the Government to avoid taking a stand on Palestine. Ireland cannot stand by and be complicit in the genocide of Gaza, whether through the sale of war bonds or the well-documented transit of weapons through Irish airspace. As the Tánaiste demonstrated this morning, this Government is happy to speak at length about Israel's many crimes and the immense tragedy and destruction in Palestine, but we need more than just words.”
“A stern glance from Brussels is all it takes for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to drop any notion of solidarity with Palestine. This was plain as day last night. The Government had a clear opportunity to take a step toward stopping the slaughter of Palestinians and it shamefully chose to take the side of Israel and Netanyahu. The Central Bank of Ireland is the only central bank in Europe that provides the permission Israel needs to sell its war bonds anywhere in the EU. It is the central cog in this bloody fundraising machine. Israel has raised $12 billion through these bonds for its genocide fund, and Ireland has been complicit since day one.”
“To me, that perception speaks more of the Government's skill at PR than its determination to show political leadership in support of Palestine. It is very clear that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are well able to speak out of both sides of their mouths on Palestine. They tell the Irish public that they are doing everything they can to stop Israel's aggression and crimes, knowing that the Irish people would accept nothing less. Behind closed doors, however, to their friends and cronies in the EU, in Washington and in big business, they simply fall in line behind the Western imperialist machine. When push comes to shove, this Government will do nothing to support Palestine or to punish Israel for its actions if it believes it may draw the ire of its bosses.”
“In the past week, the Government is patting itself on the back for initiating legislation that would prohibit trade of goods with the occupied territories in the West Bank, as if we do not remember the shameful way in which it played political games with Senator Black's occupied territories Bill for years. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael did everything they could to delay and obstruct this Bill. Now, after introducing their own significantly weakened and watered down version, they are pretending they were champions of the Palestinian people all along. The Government is constantly talking about how the Irish State is perceived as one of the most pro-Palestinian countries in the EU and how it has consistently advocated in favour of Palestine at a European level.”
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are proud of the fact that they recognised the State of Palestine last year, but conveniently seem to forget they vigorously opposed calls by Sinn Féin and others on the left to recognise the State of Palestine since 2014. Recognising the State of Palestine is welcome, but it does nothing to end the genocide or sanction Israel. It was only after months of indiscriminate slaughter of men, women and children in Gaza, and months of pressure by activists on the street, that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael finally decided to reverse course and acknowledge the basic right of Palestinians to their own sovereignty.”
“Last night, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael showed their true colours when it comes to Gaza and genocide. The Tánaiste stands up in front of this House, or on TikTok, to talk about how much he cares about the Palestinian people and how he hopes someone should do something to help them. The Tánaiste speaks about his Government, how it is so committed to Palestine and how it is, in fact, on the international forefront in support of the people of Gaza. The Tánaiste is taking the Irish people for fools. We are now 20 months into the genocide in Gaza. What does the Irish Government actually have to show for its rhetoric? What action has the Government taken beyond words, thoughts and prayers?”
“You could not make it up. There have been so many proposals for Baggot Street Hospital but the State ignored them all. The HSE has an iron grip on that site and will not let it be used. It will probably become a hotel, which is of no use to anybody other than tourists. At at time of a housing crisis, why does the State not use that site for housing? Alternatively, it could give it to Senator McCarthy to develop along the line of the fantastic buildings run by Tiglin. Why not let him use the site for that purpose instead of building another hotel?”
“The Land Development Agency could buy the site, apply for a new planning permission and put housing on it so that local families can get housing in the community. Another example of dereliction is Baggot Street Hospital, a ten-minute walk from here. Everyone knows the site. It is lying there, derelict and rotten. It now appears the HSE is going to sell it off. This is another example of the State selling off its properties in the middle of a housing crisis when communities across the inner city and across the country desperately need housing. What does the State do? It sells it off to a private developer who will, again, probably pay too much for it, will have to refinance it and will leave it lying idle for another few years. In the middle of a housing crisis when local families are looking for homes, this is scandalous.”
“In the middle of a housing crisis, why in the name of God was that site not used for housing? Wrapped around that site are developments like Iveagh Trust Kevin Street, Bishop Street and York Street. All of these areas are in desperate need of housing. What did the State do? It sold off the site when it is most needed. Now it is lying there. It has been developed to just above ground level. It can just about be seen above the hoarding. It is just rotting. For more that a year and a half, the developer could not get refinancing for it and so it is lying there. There are desperate families in Kevin Street, right in the inner city, looking for housing and the site is being allowed to lie idle. The State has made a shambles of it. The State now has an opportunity to buy that site. Why does it not do so?”
“I welcome this important Bill. If enacted, it would make a huge difference throughout the country. It is disappointing that it will be kicked down the road for 12 months. Any issues I have heard being raised here could be addressed on Committee Stage. Why not let it go through the process and iron out the creases? That is what we are supposed to be doing. Instead, the Government is again short-changing the Seanad. The Bill is important because it is about dereliction and regeneration. We do not have to look too far from here to see dereliction and the need for regeneration. Over on Kevin Street there was a site owned by the State. In the middle of a housing crisis, it was sold to a private developer. The private developer overpaid, paying €140 million for the old DIT site on Kevin Street.”
“Enough of the empty promises, enough of the bureaucratic stonewalling and enough of treating survivors like an inconvenient truth rather than human beings who deserve justice. Today survivors demand an immediate public inquiry; not one behind closed doors, but a full transparent examination of what happened at St. John Ambulance and why it was allowed to continue. They need proper support; not just lip service about outreach but fully funded trauma informed care for all survivors. There needs to be safeguarding reform, with a complete overhaul of child protection measures across all State funded youth organisations. It is important we tell the survivors that their fight is our fight, their pain is what matters to us, and their voices are being heard.”
“The preparator may have retired, but what about those who allowed him to continue operating? There is no truth. A total of three so-called progress reports have been issued but none have delivered meaningful change or justice. They are prepared exercises designed to give the illusion of action. There is no support for survivors. The much-touted national safeguarding officer is a hollow gesture when survivors are still fighting for basic recognition of their trauma. This is not how a compassionate society treats its most vulnerable. This is how a responsible Government addresses systemic child abuse. The State's inaction sends a clear message that the pain of these survivors does not matter and that institutional reputations matter more than justice. I say enough.”
“The report confirmed what survivors had been saying for years that the charity was aware of the risks this man posed and yet failed to act. What has happened since? Instead of justice, survivors have faced a new form of institutional abuse, the gaslighting and retraumatisation by a State that continues to fail them at every turn. The Minister, Deputy Foley's refusal to meet with survivors is beyond disappointing. Her Department's false claims about outreach support are misleading. If we just examine the facts, there has been no public inquiry, despite overwhelming evidence and multiple victims coming forward. The Minister has outright refused to establish a public inquiry into what happened at St. John Ambulance. There has been no accountability. Not a single person has been held accountable for enabling or covering up this abuse.”
“I raise the institutional betrayal of Ireland's vulnerable children. I wish to address one of the most shameful failures of our State, which is the ongoing betrayal of the survivors of abuse in St. John Ambulance and the disgraceful response from those entrusted with protecting them. We are here because of the immense courage of Mick Finnegan and other survivors who came forward to expose horrific abuse they suffered as children. These were boys, some as young as 12, who volunteered to serve their communities only to be groomed, abused and raped by a predator that St. John Ambulance knew was dangerous. Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's damning 2023 report left no room for doubt. This was not just the actions of one depraved individual but systemic failure on an institutional scale.”
“While it is not clear whether it is resources, bad management or bad work practice, whatever the reasons are, it is the Minister of State’s job to ensure local authorities work well and respond to the local councillors. They give everything for their local communities. It is very deflating when they are treated so poorly by the management in local authorities. I presume that contributes to a lot of people deciding not to run again in elections. It is about respecting councillors and ensuring that management engages with councillors in a real, genuine and meaningful way rather than just railroading them, which seems to be happening more frequently.”
“In the run-up to that change, the management had almost no engagement with local councillors or meetings with residents. They would not facilitate any information meetings with residents. It is poor that councillors are being treated with disdain. They are the cornerstone of democracy and their role is important. Despite this, in DCC the relationship between councillors and management is increasingly poor. I am not sure if that is the case in all local authorities. While the management says it is a resourcing issue and that it does not have the staff, the staff say it is a management issue. Whatever the reasons are, it must improve. A constituent of one councillor, who also contacted me, had to wait eight weeks to meet a housing adviser. That individual could have been homeless at that stage. It is just not acceptable.”
“While the figure of 32 and a half hours was given, I believe a huge number of councillors do a lot more. It is not a nine-to-five job; they are on call 24-7. They do not get rewarded enough for that. A few councillors have spoken to me about the morale in DCC and made the point that the housing section of the council is not responding to them. The atmosphere and culture within the staff management is increasingly poor. In fact, one councillor emailed the housing allocations section of DCC a number of times and it has been three weeks since a response was received. Equally, councillors have concerns in respect of the traffic management changes throughout the city. The most recent change is the no-left turn onto Pearse Street, which is causing a lot of difficulty and concerns for people.”