Cian O'Callaghan
Dublin Bay North · Social Democrats · Ireland
“Unification presents distinct challenges that need to be carefully planned for and managed. The analysis done by Professor Doyle shows that the cost of pensions would be unlikely to transfer to a united Ireland straight away. Following Brexit, the UK and Ireland signed a bilateral convention on social security in 2019.”
“Ireland spends less than that defending a much larger territory and has decades of underinvestment to catch up on. We need increased investment, particularly in systems and technologies, including sonar and air surveillance radar.”
“I welcome this important discussion on the topic of Irish unity and its fiscal implications. It deserves analysis and fundamentally respect for the people, who will ultimately decide the future of this island. There are real challenges in any transition to unity but there are also very significant opportunities.”
“These are highly skilled jobs with union representation and apprenticeship programmes. They are of fundamental importance to the local economy and community. They should never have been left exposed in this way.”
“The Tánaiste must surely know that these exports are feeding Putin's war machine. Does he not think it is unusual that Ireland is one of the very few European countries where our exports to Russia have increased since Russia invaded Ukraine? That has been driven by the exports of alumina that have more than doubled.”
“We know from the investigation carried out by The Irish Times and the organised crime and corruption reporting project that alumina from Ireland is ending up in Russian owned smelters in Krasnoyarsk. Krasnoyarsk is Russia's only smelter producing high purity aluminium.”
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“On "The Late Late Show" last Friday the Tánaiste said he did not believe weapons are being flown through Irish airspace on their way to Israel. On what basis did he make this claim? Recognising the gravity of what is happening in Gaza, he also said that we have to do more. Specifically what more will he do? He also confirmed that passing a law relating to the occupied territories is going to take place. Yet, the Government did not commit to passing the occupied territories Bill, which was our legislation with the same aims. We are now five months into this Government and no closer to enacting this crucial Bill. There are reports today that the Tánaiste has not yet even sought approval from Cabinet for drafting the legislation and that when he does, he intends to exclude services from the ban.”
“They do not view them as human and they do not care about their suffering. The genocide they are committing is not a secret. It is happening out in the open as world leaders stand by and do nothing. We have seen nearly two years of relentless barbarism by the Israeli state in Gaza. No one can claim to be surprised anymore by the depths of its depravity. What is shocking though is the continued silence, hypocrisy and inaction from those in power. Last week the EU President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU was sending help to the region. This, however, was not to assist children in Gaza who are starving or being burned alive in tents. It was to help extinguish forest fires in Israel. She said that this was EU solidarity in action. There is EU solidarity for forest fires but not for the men, women and children starving in Gaza.”
“The Israeli blockade on Gaza is now in its third month. No food, no water and no medicines have crossed into Gaza in that time. The only things that Israel has sent in are bombs and bullets. As it slowly starves the civilian population, it has continued its relentless bombardment. Yesterday alone at least 59 people were killed in air strikes on two schools. People huddling together in a school, terrified and hungry, were targeted yet again by this murderous regime and still the international community does nothing. Netanyahu and his government have been clear in their words and deeds. Its expressed goal is the annihilation and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, and they are not hiding it. They do not care how many innocent men, women and children are killed in Gaza.”
“Energy prices in Ireland are extortionate. Annual gas bills are €120 higher here than in other EU countries. When it comes to electricity bills, they are €350 higher. These sky-high prices, on top of extortionate and exorbitant housing costs, are causing real hardship for people. As we speak, a whopping 440,000 households around the country are in arrears. The previous Government introduced a tax on windfall profits. A total of €189 million was collected, but it is just sitting there. It was supposed to have been used to reduce energy costs but the Government has not acted. When will the Minister get around to using the windfall profits to reduce costs? Will he reintroduce the tax on windfall profits that has lapsed?”
“A living wage is not just good for low-paid workers, it is also good for the local economy. Money that is put in the pocket of workers gets spent in the local economy and boosts local businesses and jobs. There is a very strong economic case for it. Can the Taoiseach not see that it is an absolute kick in the teeth for people on low pay to hear about Government proposals to increase pay for those at the top while excuses relating to tariffs, global headwinds and economic conditions are cited when it comes to delaying promises for low-paid workers in respect of the living wage? Can he not see that this puts people under huge pressure to see that double standard in terms of the talk the Government comes out with? Will the Government reconsider its position-----”
“People should be able to live a full and dignified life and not just scrape by day to day. How can someone on the minimum wage afford housing costs that are more than double the EU average? How can they afford bills that have increased by 80% since Russian invaded Ukraine? How are they supposed to put food on the table when prices for goods and services are 42% higher than in other European countries? The cost of living is skyrocketing and the Government expects people to get by on €13.50 an hour. Why does this Government believe those at the top deserve bumper salary increases while low-paid workers are thrown under the bus? How can the Government justify this to low-paid workers struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table?”
“Strangely, even though I carefully studied the Minister's statement yesterday, I did not see any reference to economic headwinds, tariffs or global volatility. When it comes to gold-plated salaries for those at the top, it seems these concerns are not worth mentioning. Compare that with how people on low pay are treated and the Government's shameful decision to postpone the introduction of a living wage. Improvement in sick leave for ordinary workers has also been put on the chopping block. In a triple whammy, plans to introduce pension auto-enrolment have also been kicked down the road yet again. While all across the county people are struggling to make ends meet, keep their homes heated, rent paid and bills from piling up, this Government has mounted a despicable attack on low-paid workers.”
“Yesterday, the Social Democrats put forward a real solution to increase the finance available to build affordable homes. I hope the Taoiseach will look at that seriously. Not content with creating a new €430,000 post for the housing tsar, this Government now wants to increase pay for senior executives in semi-State organisations. Yesterday, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, announced plans to change rules, which will see salaries soar. The heads of 30 semi-State bodies, from Horse Racing Ireland to RTÉ, are now potentially in line for massive increases. This is despite the fact that these CEOs received a combined €75 million in pay and perks over ten years, according to Village magazine.”
“The Taoiseach knows well that increasing the funding sources for housing will increase the construction of housing. In fact, he has often said that the reason the Government relies on investment funds is because of a lack of alteratives. The situation is that there are now 15,418 people living in emergency homeless accommodation. There are 4,675 children growing up without a home. Rents have never been higher, house prices have never been higher and homelessness is at record levels. This is causing incredible stress, hardship and anxiety for families across Ireland. The answer from the Government to this seems to be to inflate figures around affordable housing delivery and to cook the books. All of a sudden, it is counting vacancy grants as an equivalent of new build affordable homes, and this is fooling no one.”
“Is it any wonder that an increasing number of people are giving up on the hope of ever owning their own home? People who are struggling to buy homes, living in emergency accommodation or paying extortionate rents are tired of broken promises. What they want is a plan that will actually deliver affordable homes. They want something like the Social Democrats proposal produced by my colleague Deputy Rory Hearne to launch a homes for Ireland's savings account. This would leverage some of the €160 billion on deposit to fund the construction of affordable homes. We clearly need alternatives to investment funds if we are going to deliver housing that people can genuinely afford. There are solutions to this housing crisis. Does the Taoiseach accept that the Government missed its affordable housing targets last year?”
“At this point, any rational government would admit failure and concede what is needed, namely a new approach and a radical reset. Instead, the Government's big idea is another gimmick, namely hiring a housing tsar. The head of the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, which oversaw the fire sale of thousands of homes and billions of euro of development land, is being headhunted for this position. While the Government focuses on spinning its dismal performance, journalist Barry White described what it is like trying to buy a home. A two-bedroom house in Crumlin with an asking price of €375,000 was the subject of bids of €550,000 in a matter of days. These kinds of bidding wars are taking place across the country. This is the reality faced by thousands of people.”
“I was hoping the Government had learned its lesson when it was caught out deliberately misrepresenting last year's housing delivery numbers. I was wrong. When the figures for affordable housing were finally published last week, something was clearly off with them. Cooking the books was the only way the Minister could pretend the targets had been met. The target was 6,400 new-build affordable homes, but only 2,806 - less than half the target - were actually delivered. No amount of spin or attempts to inflate the figures can hide the Government's failure. Continually trying to mislead the public comes at a cost - your credibility. The reality is that nobody trusts this Government on housing. Nobody believes your plan is working. Even your own TDs are telling journalists your handling of housing is a disaster.”
“They have been ringing alarm bells about this for years and feel they have not been listened to. If they had been listened to, we would not be in this situation. What will the Government do to sort this out?”
“Government has a role here when report after report shows that recommendations are not being implemented. Government has a role to ensure that those recommendations are implemented. If that had happened in this case, we would not be in this situation. If the Government will not set up a public inquiry into the cases of the families affected, who are calling for that, what is it going to do to sort this out? I asked the Taoiseach whether the Minister will meet with the families affected, as they have requested. Could the Taoiseach answer that question? I agree that the surgeon bears huge responsibility in terms of their unacceptable actions but in terms of the wider issues, it is the families who are saying that there is a gaping hole in governance at Children's Health Ireland.”
“Last night, Úna Keightley from the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group said she had written to the Minister for Health three weeks ago but had yet to receive a response. Will the Minister meet with Úna Keightley and advocacy groups? Given the crisis at Children's Health Ireland, does the Taoiseach believe that ruling out a public inquiry into this scandal was too rash?”
“In 2024, a follow-up report to the Ivy report revealed that surgery was delayed for Ivy for so long that she was no longer operable. The latest damning report into Children's Health Ireland cannot be viewed in isolation. In fact, we know that two more reports into care at Children's Health Ireland are on the way, one of which will detail that potentially hundreds of children had unnecessary hip surgeries. Can one imagine the devastation felt by parents upon learning that their child has been put through traumatic surgery that was never needed? The extent of the crisis at Children's Health Ireland and its implications for the care of children in Ireland are enormous.”
“In 2013, a report into services for children with spina bifida found major deficits and a lack of co-ordination at national and local level. The recommendations from that report were not implemented. In 2017, a damning report from the Ombudsman for Children found serious and ongoing violations of the rights of children waiting for scoliosis treatment. In response, the then Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, promised that no child with scoliosis would wait longer than four months for surgery. That promise was never kept. In 2023, the Ombudsman for Children published the Ivy report into the care of a child with scoliosis by Children's Health Ireland. That report found numerous failures of governance and communication within Children's Health Ireland.”
“Medical experiments were conducted on children in our major paediatric hospital. Corrosive springs were inserted into the bodies of extremely vulnerable children. No ethical approval was sought for the use of the springs and the families did not give informed consent for these procedures. This was not an isolated incident. The litany of failures raises serious questions about whether Children's Health Ireland is fit for purpose. Despite this, yesterday in this Chamber, the Taoiseach ruled out a public inquiry into the enormous governance failures at Children's Health Ireland. The Taoiseach said previously that all the recommendations of the HIQA report will be implemented but families have heard that before.”
“On child homelessness and the 4,653 children growing up out of home, I want to mention one such young person. Arash is just 14 years old and has spent the last three months in emergency accommodation with his parents and baby brothers. He is 21 km away from school, with no direct links to it. Arash told me that he is 14 years old and should not have to fight this hard to get his family a proper home. What is the Taoiseach doing to help Arash and his family and the thousands of children like him?”
“I agree with those two proposals. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, said that the pre-election promise of 40,000 homes did not damage trust in the Government. That is an incredible statement to make and a slap in the face to the tens of thousands of people looking for somewhere affordable to live. I propose there should be time this week for the Minister to come into the House to make an apology for that.”
“I welcome the Taoiseach's strong condemnation. I agree that all hostages should be released immediately. I also welcome his condemnation of air strikes. However, I asked the Taoiseach about the issue at hand, which is that parts of fighter jets are being transported illegally through Irish airspace to Israel. These fighter jets are then being used to drop bombs on people in Gaza through the air strikes which the Taoiseach has rightly condemned. These are bombs on men, women and children, on paramedics and on aid workers. Is the Government investigating the reports which have been published about our airspace being used for the illegal transport of munitions to Israel? Will it act to stop these illegal transports of munitions to Israel?”
“In just the past week, The Ditch has reported that Lufthansa illegally transported more than a tonne of munitions through Irish airspace to Israel. Facilitating supply of key components to fighter jets that are dropping bombs on Gaza is utterly reprehensible. Have reports that Lufthansa illegally transported munitions through Irish airspace been investigated by the Government? Is the Taoiseach going to act to stop these illegal transports? When is he going to enact the occupied territories Bill?”
“As a signatory to the genocide convention, this country has a legal obligation to do whatever it can to stop genocide. Instead of searching planes at Shannon for weapons, the State is strip-searching peaceful protestors.”
“The Israeli Government is acting with impunity to maim, murder, incarcerate and torture Palestinian people. The Israeli Army is committing war crimes in the full glare of the media spotlight. On 23 March, 15 paramedics in Gaza and their ambulances disappeared. A week later, their bodies were discovered in a mass grave along with their crushed emergency vehicles. The Israeli Army claimed it opened fire on the emergency workers as their vehicles were moving suspiciously without headlights or flashing lights. Mobile phone footage recovered from one of the victims' bodies has proven that was a lie. They were slaughtered without warning on the side of the road. The lies about this massacre from the Israeli Army are blatant and grotesque and the silence from western leaders has been deafening and shameful.”
“I wish Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett the very best in the coming weeks as he undergoes his treatment. He has been a vociferous campaigner both inside and outside this Dáil for many decades. I very much look forward to him resuming that work. Last night, senior UN humanitarian officials released a joint statement pleading with the international community to act on Gaza. For over a month, no commercial or humanitarian supplies have entered; no food, no water and no medicine. Al-Aqsa hospital, according to one report, is a place of concentrated horror and suffering. A constant stream of ambulances rush in loaded with casualties, mostly crushed and charred bodies and dismembered children. Those children endure amputation procedures without any anaesthetics. The number of dead, injured and missing people in Gaza is now approaching 200,000.”
“According to the head of Israeli bonds, these bonds are being used to fund their war campaign, which is genocide. That is a fact. The second fact is that Ireland is signed up to the genocide convention and we have obligations under that to ensure that none of our State institutions are operating in a way to facilitate genocide. We have those legal obligations so why will the Minister not act in line with those legal obligations under the convention to act to ensure our State institutions are not facilitating genocide?”
“The devastation that is happening in Gaza - the attacks on civilians and hospitals we are all appalled by - are being partially funded by the sale of these Israeli bonds. The head of Israel Bonds told investors that purchasing bonds was the best way to help Israel's war campaign. Ireland is a signatory to the Genocide Convention and under that convention, we are obliged to ensure that our State's institutions do not facilitate genocide. The Central Bank of Ireland is a State institution and by authorising the sale of these bonds, it is clearly facilitating genocide. Will Deputy Donohoe, as a Minister with obligations under the Genocide Convention, act?”
“With regard to the EU response, I agree that it needs to be level-headed, and that negotiation is the way to go. I also accept as part of that there is the potential for further actions by the EU. It is not realistic to think that that will not be on the table if negotiations do not work. There is a particular risk for Ireland in terms of the differential trade tariffs between the EU and the UK. We could have a scenario where the EU is taking retaliatory action and the UK is not, which could make that gap even more severe. Is that particular issue being worked on in terms of our interactions with the EU and how that could affect Ireland more than other EU member states?”
“I agree that the priority must be to minimise the damage. A major amount of work will have to be done on that. In respect of support measures for impacted workers and sectors, will anything be done domestically? Will anything be done at EU level? I previously suggested that the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund should be repurposed to support specific sectors during this crisis. In the context of the differential in tariffs between the UK and the EU, of 10% and 20%, respectively, has modelling been done on the potential impacts of this and on the issues that could arise in terms of the effect on cross-Border trade? Is that a particular risk that Ireland faces? What are the Minister's views on that? What can be done about it?”
“There are structural problems with our energy system that contribute to our high prices. We are yet to see the scale of investment that we need in renewable energy that would contribute to cheaper and more secure energy. In the meantime, postponing a return to the full rate of VAT on electricity and gas is a proportionate move given the economic circumstances we are in and the high cost of living that workers, family and hard-pressed individuals are in, and indeed businesses. I welcome this move, and the Social Democrats support it.”
“Of course, they are under huge pressure at the moment, particularly with the impending announcements expected from Donald Trump with regard to tariffs and the severe negative repercussions that will have for some businesses, including some sections in manufacturing. Where it is possible for us to support businesses, help them keep cost increases to a minimum and maintain competitiveness, we must do so. It is not just the Trump announcement. Hundreds of thousands of SSE Airtricity customers will also see their energy bills rise today. The average electricity bill for households is likely to climb by more than 10% while the average gas bill will rise by 8%. That will cost the average user approximately €300 per year, and more if they are heavy users, for example, a large family or household living in a poorly insulated home.”
“In our general election manifesto, the Social Democrats pledged to retain the lower 9% VAT rate on energy to provide support to households and businesses in difficult times. To do otherwise would be to place too heavy a burden on families and businesses of all sizes. It would also be unnecessary. The Minister of State will be just as aware, as I am, of the stories over the past three or four years of businesses facing monthly energy bill increases in the thousands or even tens of thousands of euro, the kinds of numbers that can make businesses simply unviable. It is often the case that the larger the business, the larger the energy bill and therefore the bigger the hit, especially in some areas of manufacturing that are so important to our economy.”
“One of them is the chronic unwillingness on the part of previous Governments to make necessary investments to bring down the cost of living, including for key public services. Whether it is housing, healthcare, transport, childcare or education, people have for far too long been dealing with significant out-of-pocket costs for access to basic services that are free or very heavily subsidised in most other European countries. There have been some welcome initiatives, it is important to recognise, in recent years around public transport and childcare, but notwithstanding those there still remains a very big problem and there needs to be a lot more done in these areas. Government has less control over things like the price of energy, of course, but there are still things that can be done to ease the burden on hard-pressed families.”
“While inflation on many good services has abated compared to what we experienced from 2021 through 2023, it simply would not be correct to say that Ireland's cost-of-living crisis has gone away, as I am sure we all agree. Lower inflation rates do not mean prices are falling; they just mean prices are not rising quite as fast as they were previously. The period of severe inflation between 2021 and 2023 was experienced by a society that did not have much room to manoeuvre in the first place. Ireland was already a very expensive country in which to live in 2021. Compared with EU averages, it is even more so now. With the exception of Luxembourg, we are now the most expensive country in the European Union with prices of goods and services for households 45% above the EU average in 2023. There are many reasons for this.”
“I have not been asking for the Government to wait around in the context of a redress scheme; I am asking what it is going to do when it comes to going after these religious orders. This has been going on for years. We are talking about religious orders with assets worth hundreds of millions of euro, partly financed off the back of incarceration, forced labour, vaccine trials and forced adoptions. They have the resources to pay. Why is the State not vigorously pursuing these orders? Compare this with how the State treats its own citizens. When ordinary people attempt to vindicate their rights in the courts, the State fights them every step of the way. Why is the State failing to flex its legal muscle when pursuing these orders? What is the Government going to do to make these orders pay?”
“Religious orders that made millions on the back of enslaving women and children are walking away without paying a penny because the Government is allowing them to run rings around it. We have report after report documenting the crimes of these orders, not just in mother and baby homes but also in religious-run schools. When will the State finally flex some legal muscle when it comes to these religious orders? Why are these orders not raided by the Garda? Why are their assets not seized? It is unbelievable that the approach of successive Governments to these orders, which operated as criminal networks, is to roll over. What will it take for the State to finally act and go after these orders with more than a begging bowl?”
“This is hardly surprising in view of the fact that we know these orders would much prefer to pay their armies of lawyers than the women and children they tortured and abused. These orders own assets worth hundreds of millions. For decades in Ireland, unimaginable horrors were perpetrated in mother and baby homes. The infant mortality rate in these institutions was five times the national average. There were thousands of unexplained infants deaths, missing children and multiple mass unmarked graves. Women and children were subjected to incarceration, forced labour, vaccine trials and horrific physical and sexual abuse. Families were ripped apart, there were forced adoptions and children were boarded out to act as indentured servants. There has never been any accountability for any of these crimes.”
“The Government has spent years trying to convince religious orders to contribute to redress for the survivors of mother and baby homes. These efforts started in January 2021 when the then Minister, Roderic O'Gorman, first wrote to the orders saying they may wish to consider making a financial contribution to redress costs. His begging letters were ignored. In May 2023, the Government appointed former trade union official Sheila Nunan to negotiate with the orders. She was told to come back with a best and final offer from the orders within six months. Nearly two years later, Ms Nunan has filed her final report. It states that just one order has made a serious offer of cash to pay redress. Going cap in hand to religious orders was not a successful strategy.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He indicated that existing accommodation must be utilised. That is exactly what we proposed – to use the brand-new classrooms. He said that using the existing classrooms designed for students with additional needs would require repurposing and that there are technical issues involved. That would be nothing compared with the work that will have to be done on the prefabs. I have been in those prefabs. A huge amount of expenditure and repurposing would be required, and even then they would still not up to the standard of the permanent classrooms. I again ask the Minister of State to reconsider the position. It does not make sense to put children in prefabs when there is better accommodation available.”
“It makes absolutely no sense at all to accommodate a much-needed special school in Belmayne in prefabs, next door to brand-new classrooms that are not yet in use and that were specifically designed for students with additional needs. Why should children with additional needs be accommodated in prefabs in substandard conditions when a much better option is available? There is a site available in the local area for a permanent special school. It is important that this building is prioritised and that, in the meantime, the school is accommodated temporarily in the new classrooms in Belmayne Educate Together. Will the Minister of State give a commitment that he will not proceed with the use of prefabs and will instead use the brand-new classrooms available?”
“It seems that the humility Fianna Fáil learned after the crash was merely temporary. The hubris and arrogance that helped collapse the economy is back. Even the tax breaks for developers seem to be making a comeback. We need a different approach and a more collaborative and constructive Dáil. The challenges the country faces are too big for things simply to become more and more polarised. How this Dáil works is in need of deep reform. This must be done by agreement on a cross-party basis. I believe the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have made a mistake by going down this divisive route. However, despite this, the Social Democrats will not waver in its belief that in politics we need more co-operation, not less, more constructive engagement and, crucially, more accountability.”
“It is for this reason the Social Democrats, with regret, do not have confidence in the Ceann Comhairle. Ultimately, it is the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste who put the Ceann Comhairle in this position. All their talk about the importance of greater oversight and transparency has been revealed to be a sham. Support for Dáil reform was only ever temporary. It suited Fianna Fáil after the economic crash when it was trying to rehabilitate itself. It suited Micheál Martin to use Dáil reform as cover for the confidence and supply arrangement he did with Fine Gael, which paved the way for the coalition of the Civil War parties. Reform is being abandoned now for a politician found to be profoundly corrupt. Fianna Fáil is back on the top floor with all the arrogance of the past and this, it seems, is all that matters.”
“Since her appointment the Social Democrats have worked with the Ceann Comhairle in good faith. Today I want to stress that we do not want to personalise this but we cannot ignore what happened. A vote was called on the Order of Business but that was ignored. That is a fundamental breach of the democratic process. There have been claims that calls for a vote were not audible given the din in the Chamber. However, there is a vote on the Order of Business nearly every week. Is anyone seriously suggesting that the Opposition looked happy last week with the Order of Business? Anyone simply glancing at the turmoil on the Opposition benches would have known that last week's business was not agreed. This was abundantly clear. Anyone looking back at videos of the Dáil proceedings can clearly hear a very audible "Votáil". This is what is at issue.”
“-----should answer the following questions. What influence will Michael Lowry have in the allocation of public money in the national development plan and the HSE capital plan? How will this influence be exercised? Will there be special treatment for requests from Michael Lowry? This is public money. We need transparency. The public has a right to know. The independence of the office of the Ceann Comhairle was the first on the chopping block as part of the Lowry deal but speaking rights quickly followed. Michael Lowry was clear from the outset that he would get Opposition leader speaking rights and that is exactly what Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have delivered for him. Last week they broke their promise and rammed this through the Dáil. However, we expected fair procedures from the Ceann Comhairle.”
“There should be no ambiguity about this, no nod, no winks, and no deals behind closed doors. The Taoiseach, who has left the Chamber-----”
“The instruction to Government backbenchers to vote for an agreed candidate undermined this important reform and so Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cut a deal with a convicted tax cheat and crooked politician. Incredibly, even now Micheál Martin and Simon Harris deny there is any deal done with Lowry. I accept there may be no written agreement and nothing transparent but clearly a deal has been done. Lowry has stated that he will exercise influence over the national development plan and the HSE capital plan. How public money is allocated in these multi-billion euro plans will have a very real impact on people's lives. Special treatment for one constituency means deserving projects in other areas will not be funded. When it comes to the HSE capital plan this can literally mean the difference between life and death.”
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael should have shown Michael Lowry the door. Instead, within weeks of the election, they identified Lowry as their preferred coalition partner. The first manifestation of this was the election of the Ceann Comhairle on 18 December. The office of Ceann Comhairle should never have been gifted as part of this deal. It undermined years of Dáil reform and opened up the office to charges of bias. The introduction of the secret ballot was to ensure the office of Ceann Comhairle would be truly independent. It was also to ensure that the Ceann Comhairle had the confidence of both the Government and the Opposition. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, however, did not hesitate in scuppering this.”
“This action was notable because Lowry declined to sue the media organisations that published the comments and instead went after Smyth alone in a vindictive attempt to ruin the journalist whose reporting had first revealed his dodgy dealings. Ultimately this attempt failed with the High Court reiterating Lowry's documented tax fraud and the dig outs he received from business friends. Nearly 14 years ago exactly, on the 29 March 2011, Micheál Martin told the Dáil that Fianna Fáil accepted the Moriarty tribunal findings. Back then he called on Michael Lowry to resign his Dáil seat. Today Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are part of the re-establishment of Michael Lowry, putting him at the heart of their Government and bending over backwards to make him happy. Those are the facts. It did not have to be like this.”
“In effect, the Minister of the day was attempting to gouge a State company he oversaw. If this attempt had succeeded it would have doubled the value of Dunne's building from £5.4 million to £12.75 million, which would be a nice little earner. There was also the £34,500 that Lowry pocketed which had been designated by Dunne's as Christmas bonuses for his workers. Judge Michael Moriarty said this was one of Lowry's "most reprehensible" actions. Lowry does not like the findings of the tribunal being reported and discussed. He personally sued journalist Sam Smyth for defamation for stating that Lowry had been "caught with his hand in the till".”
“All of this for a politician who was found by the Moriarty tribunal to be "profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking". Those on the Government benches would clearly prefer to forget the findings of the Moriarty tribunal but they bear repeating. It found that Lowry, then Minister for communications, delivered the State's second mobile phone licence for the businessman Denis O'Brien. It said that O'Brien later sought to confer material benefit on Lowry. It also found that O'Brien transferred £477,000 to various Lowry controlled accounts and supported Lowry in obtaining a £420,000 bank loan. Lowry also tried to use his influence to double the rental value of a building part-owned by businessman Ben Dunne. The building was leased to the then State-owned Telecom Éireann.”