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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“That report was actually commissioned by the Taoiseach party's very own MEP in Dublin. Will the Taoiseach accept the proposals in that report and implement them?”
“Does the Taoiseach accept the evidence that shows the countries in Europe with the largest and most successful rental sectors also have very strong rent regulation? Does he accept the evidence that shows that rents in Ireland are among the highest in Europe? The Taoiseach asked for solutions; I will give him just two in the time available. One would be to introduce specific zoning for affordable housing. That is done in places like Vienna, where you can rent a two-bed apartment for about €750 per month. Will the Taoiseach introduce similar zoning for affordable housing in Ireland? I have a second constructive proposal. Housing Europe published a report in 2023 in which it outlined how there were billions of euro in European Union funding streams that could be used to help build affordable housing in Ireland.”
“Does the Taoiseach accept that the public was misled by him during the election campaign? Will he apologise to the public for this? Why should the public believe anything he says on housing now?”
“I refer to the 500,000 adults who are stuck living in their childhood bedrooms, the couples who are postponing having families because they do not have secure homes and the 4,510 children growing up in homelessness who are missing key developmental milestones because their accommodation is so cramped and unsuitable. Fianna Fáil has been influencing housing policy since 2016, when it entered a confidence and supply arrangement in order to prop up Fine Gael. It has had nearly a decade to sort this out; instead it has lurched from crisis to catastrophe. After all that time, the best it can do is come up with tax breaks for developers. Dusting off Fianna Fáil's Celtic tiger housing plan is not an answer to the housing disaster. We all know where it ended before.”
“Does the Taoiseach think the public would have voted for all of that, namely a housing policy with a singular focus of increasing profits for developers and investment funds at the expense of first-time buyers and renters who are already paying some of the highest housing costs in Europe? The election was just three months ago; we are not talking about the dim and distant past here. Before Christmas, the Taoiseach was spinning a story of success and a plan that was working. Now members of the Government are briefing the media that it is in the last-chance saloon and needs to make drastic changes to have any chance of meeting its targets. In true Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael fashion, those changes are entirely focused on boosting profits for multibillion euro investment funds. What about the people at the coalface of this crisis?”
“Can the public trust this Government? More importantly, why should it trust his Government? I ask because people were misled by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael during the election campaign. They were misled on the issue of the number of homes that were delivered last year. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the former Minister for housing were all adamant that the figure in that regard would be 40,000. It was nowhere near that. The deception does not end there, because there were lies of omission too. At no stage did the Taoiseach tell the public that the Government wanted to get rid of rent pressure zones and drive up rents. At no stage did he tell the public that the Government needed to pivot more strongly to the private sector. At no stage did he tell the public that the Government wanted to introduce tax breaks for developers.”
“Does he think people voted for tax breaks for investment funds? Why did he not mention those during the election and why was he not upfront about those proposals?”
“Does the Minister know that the countries in Europe with the largest rental sectors, the most landlords and the most investors, are also the countries in Europe with the strongest forms of rent regulation? Does he know, as regards constructive proposals, about those in the Housing Europe report commissioned by one of Fianna Fáil's MEPs about how to get billions of euro of funding into affordable house? Does he know about those and why is he not taking on board those constructive proposals? I asked the Minister about the 60,000 homes commenced last year. That is not correct; 60,000 commencement notices were filed but 60,000 homes were not commenced last year. Many of those sites are lying idle. Will he withdraw what he said on that? We do not need more misinformation and misclaims from this Government. Will he answer my questions?”
“It does not have to double down on failure. Does the Minister think people voted for more tax breaks for investment funds? Why were the Government parties not upfront about these proposals during the election campaign? As an alternative, will the Government use the European Union funding streams to finance the construction of housing that is affordable?”
“In fact, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael spent the election campaign misleading them, repeatedly telling people that 40,000 homes would be delivered. They did not even come close to that figure. Now people can see that they were conned. The latest proposals to address this are tax breaks for developers and sweetheart deals for investment funds. This is not the policy reset that he and his Government claim it to be. It is, in fact, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael reverting to type. We are constantly told there are not alternatives to getting this type of finance but there are other options. A report by Housing Europe - commissioned by one of Fianna Fáil's MEPs, by the way - goes into great detail about the billions of euro in European Union funding streams that could be used to build affordable housing. Why is the Government ignoring this?”
“Last Thursday people started sleeping in their cars in Leixlip. Dozens of people, desperate to own their own home, queued for days for the chance to buy one of just 31 homes. These homes were not cheap. They ranged in price from €460,000 to €525,000 but when they went on sale on Saturday morning, they were gone within minutes and scores of people were left disappointed. What happened in Leixlip is a microcosm of the chaos in housing all across the country. Homes priced at €500,000 are not affordable for most people. Still, even when they go on sale, people must sleep in their cars for days to have any chance of buying them. People are increasingly desperate and this Government has nothing to say to reassure them.”
“The Minister is at it again. The Government has just been caught out using dodgy housing data and talking about 40,000 homes completed last year and just now, the Minister told us work commenced on 60,000 homes in 2024, using the same dodgy data based on commencement notices filed and housing sites then lying idle, which has been happening all around the country. Do not take my word for that; Property Industry Ireland, the lobbyist for the investment funds that the Government listens to so much, said at the weekend that the 60,000 commencement notices in 2024 will not, in fact, manifest in completed units. That is the lobbyist for the developers that the Minister listens to all the time saying those 60,000 homes will not, in fact, end up as completed homes. He might listen to them if he will not listen to us.”
“Women need this information. Their lives could depend on it. Why is the creation of a domestic violence register not a priority for this Government?”
“In 2023, Women's Aid received its highest ever number of domestic abuse disclosures in its 50-year history. There were 40,048 disclosures of domestic abuse against women and children, which was an increase of nearly 20% in a year. Among the horrors being experienced by women behind closed doors were assaults with weapons, constant surveillance, rape and threats to life. Much of this violence happens in secret. In fact, secrecy is what makes domestic violence so damaging and so endemic. It is why a domestic violence register is so important. The family of Jennie Poole, who was murdered by her former partner in 2021, have led the campaign to create such a register. Before he became the Minister for Justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan supported the family. However, the programme for Government makes no mention of the register.”
“For example, there have been inexcusable delays in opening up community hubs in many parts of the country. I refer to places where people could do simple things like wash, charge a mobile phone, have a cooked meal or simply stay warm. Basic facilities such as these should have been put in place well in advance of the storm’s arrival. The Minister of State should not underestimate the level of public anger over the Government’s completely inept handling of this crisis. As he knows, we have had experts warning that Ireland is not resilient in the face of climate change. The frequency of storms will increase, so it is time for the Government to seriously up its game.”
“The Government, by not being accountable to the Dáil on this, was missing in action. We need to know from it what proper, concrete plans have been put in place for future storms and other such events, which will occur, unfortunately. Saying people feel forgotten, abandoned and betrayed is not in any way to take away from the incredible work that has been done by the thousands of ESB and international crews and their contractors, who really have been working in extremely challenging conditions to restore power to homes and businesses around the country, and the work done by communities, first responders and local volunteers, who have offered invaluable assistance. We all owe them a debt of gratitude for what they have done. Unfortunately, we cannot say the work has been matched at a political level by the Government.”
“We would have asked what financial supports would be available to households and businesses left for days or weeks without electricity, water or, indeed, functioning mobile phone networks, and how this essential information would be communicated to people with no access to radio, Wi-Fi and so forth. Of course, we now know why no such plan was brought before the Dáil last week: the Government simply did not have one. There was no proper contingency planning. We did not get the information about the emergency funding that had been set aside to offset financial losses suffered by households, farmers and small business owners, nor did we get information about how those living with medical conditions would be able to contact their GPs in an emergency if their electricity and mobile phone networks were cut off.”
“It would have created a sense of reassurance that there was someone in charge of managing this national emergency and that there was leadership at a time of heightened anxiety and uncertainty. It would have allowed the Taoiseach and the Ministers from the relevant Departments to come into the Dáil to explain their co-ordinated response to the unfolding crisis. Important questions should have been raised last week on the areas most impacted and in need of immediate help and on what was being done to identify the most vulnerable, including the elderly, families with young children, people with serious medical conditions and those living alone and left without light, heat and water in some of the remotest parts of the country. These are the things we rightly would have been raising and that are still relevant.”
“On medium-term actions, in case of any future storms like this, we need to have supports in place for affected homeowners, farms and communities. These supports need to be put in place now so we are ready for the next storm. The issue of regulation of forestry and the forestry industry was mentioned. There has to be responsibility and accountability from the forestry industry for their responsibilities in management and maintenance of forestry and the impact it has on people's electricity supplies. The State's inadequate response to the storm has led to understandable public anger. The calls we made for the Dáil to be recalled should have been listened to by the Government. It would not have hurt for the Government to have had the Dáil meet last week, which would have meant accountability on this.”
“When they work it is very useful information, but when people have been given a restoration date three, four or five times, only for it to fall through, at that point that kind of information which cannot be relied on is not helpful for people. It creates false expectations. On measures that need to be taken now, there must be short-term measures for some people for whom this has created a lot of hardship. We should bear in mind that a lot of people have been without electricity for a prolonged period. We are talking about rural communities where there are often many households on very low incomes, including small farmers. Some real hardship has been caused by this. There needs to be targeted support for people who are in hardship.”
“I’m having to pick when I sit in it, which is awful because the cold is making my back and my hips very sore." She went on to say: I don’t think the Government prepared enough, especially for vulnerable people like myself. I do feel forgotten about. The West was one of the worst affected places, being a wheelchair-user and a vulnerable person at the same time on top of that, it’s very annoying ... We’re nearly two weeks without power. This is the huge human impact on people. For some, the incorrect information on restoration dates has added to their sense of frustration. Public representatives in some parts of the country have called on the ESB to stop giving restoration dates that it cannot meet.”
“To be without electricity, which is crucial for all aspects of our lives, for a few hours causes a huge impact. A few days without it is very difficult for people, but to be at this point of almost two weeks causes a massive issue for them. It affects everybody but particularly older people, disabled people, and those with different medical conditions and equipment. It also has an impact on small farmers. We heard very eloquently from a young disabled woman who uses an electric wheelchair about how this has affected her. Emma Ward from Athenry, County Galway, who has been without electricity since the storm said, "My power wheelchair is very heavy and now I’m having to monitor how long I use it. I get about eight hours of battery.”
“On behalf of the Social Democrats, I express our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and all the loved ones of the young man who died in the storm. The heartbreak and pain from having the life of a loved one, a young person, cut off are unthinkable. I wanted to express that sympathy. I also pay tribute to the incredible work done by the ESB and international crews in restoring power. They have put in a massive effort and huge hours. We are all very proud of the work they have done. The Dáil should have met last week. There should have been accountability from the Government on this. It is very regrettable that there was not. There is a sense of abandonment. People feel they have been forgotten about and abandoned during this process.”
“----- or is it when it suits him? For years, no one could trust Fianna Fáil after then Ministers Noel Dempsey and Dermot Ahern could not keep a straight face when they were denying there was going to be a bailout of the banks after the economic crash. The Taoiseach worked hard to try to rebuild trust in Fianna Fáil and he is throwing that away by going into election years and making claims about 40,000 homes that he could not stack up and that the Central Bank, ESRI and CSO were not backing up. I will ask my question again. Does the Taoiseach regret misleading the public on this?”
“Ten out of ten to the Taoiseach for deflection and evasion. Where are the 40,000 homes the Taoiseach promised? Why, as Taoiseach, when it comes to housing completions data, does he accept reports from private entities and reject the data from the CSO?”
“This is about people whose hopes and dreams of affording their own home are being shattered by this lack of delivery. Was the Taoiseach’s claim that 40,000 homes would be delivered last year a deliberate deception? Does he regret misleading the public on this?”
“In a video posted during the election, the Taoiseach said that when the Government came into office, we had 20,000 houses being built a year, and we are now coming close to 40,000. Deputies Darragh O'Brien and Simon Harris likewise made similar statements, and Deputy O'Brien even claimed at times that there was going to be in excess of 40,000 homes delivered. In fact, we got 10,000 fewer homes than the 40,000 promised, which was a 7% decrease on the year before. Let us be clear about this. These claims were made as recently as last November, just ten weeks ago. For those to have stood up, there would have to have been 10,000 additional homes near completion at that point. There were not. Those homes do not exist. This is not just an academic issue about numbers.”
“Can the Taoiseach explain why he does not accept the official data sources from the Central Bank, the ESRI and the CSO? Although the Taoiseach, the then Minister for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, were saying 40,000 homes, all of those bodies were disputing that and the Government was not listening. Why is that? In the run-up to the election, the Government spin on this was relentless. It was said time and again that the housing plan was working and that 40,000 homes would be delivered. The Government did this despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary. It ignored all of the reports from the CSO, the Central Bank and the ESRI that said housing delivery would be nowhere near 40,000 homes.”
“I have watched the Taoiseach's answers in the Dáil Chamber over the last five years. I have to say the answer he gave on housing and the 40,000 homes is one of the weakest I have ever seen him deliver in this House. He said he had a genuine belief that 40,000 homes would be delivered, based on estimates from private entities. Why did the Taoiseach completely disregard the hard data coming from the official State bodies, like the CSO, which were completely disputing his claim of 40,000 homes? Why did the Taoiseach not accept that data from the CSO? Is it only when it comes to housing completions in an election year that he does not listen to CSO data? Is that the case? Is it that for everything else he accepts CSO data, but not when it comes to housing completions in an election year?”
“Seeking international protection is not a crime. The Government must urgently clarify this proposal. It is nearly two months since the people went to the polls on 29 November. The message they sent us was very clear. They want action on the many challenges this country faces, not inertia. The Social Democrats will work constructively with all parties in this Dáil to make this happen.”
“There are risks, not only to our windfall tax corporation receipts but also to jobs and incomes. We need an alternative economic strategy. Donald Trump is not the only threat on the horizon. In Europe right-wing and far-right populists are on the rise on a platform of nationalism and xenophobia. Ireland, as we know, is not immune to the far right and the spread of disinformation. There are those who seek to blame every problem on vulnerable minorities and those who seek to thrive on hate. All of us in this Dáil should stand against these malign actors. Ireland is a country that has always been welcoming. We do not punch down. It is, therefore, deeply concerning that the programme for Government includes proposals to restrict the movement of international protection applicants. This sounds like de facto detention.”
“They and others pretended that one can ramp up spending while slashing taxes. What we did not hear from either Government party, not to mention the motley crew of Independents, was a coherent strategy for continued economic growth and stability. This is needed to facilitate the investment in infrastructure and public services that this country so badly needs. It is simply not credible to plan those investments while massively eroding the tax base. Nor was there any sense of a contingency plan should the global economy take a turn. Donald Trump's inauguration this week brings this risk into sharper focus given his plans to upend trade. His announcement that he will exit the OECD tax deal poses a particular threat. Ireland, as a small, open economy, will be heavily exposed.”
“You have now been found out. There was a shortfall of almost 10,000 homes. Your dismal failure on housing is causing huge levels of anxiety and suffering. The Government is creating a society where only those on the highest of incomes can afford a home. It is dangerous and dystopian. Fewer homes were delivered last year than in 2023. That does not sound like a plan that is working. The Government's housing plan is taking the country backwards, not forwards. Median house prices last year increased on average by €40,000. Who can possibly afford these kinds of eye-watering price increases? We need a radical reset on housing. The recent election had an air of unreality about it. Far from being prudent fiscal stewards, Fianna Fáil and, in particular, Fine Gael threw around tax and spending promises like snuff at a wake.”
“In the article, it was clear that she was relying on the IHRA definition to make these scurrilous accusations and the Government, by endorsing this definition, has opened up the door to these kind of baseless attacks. Does the Taoiseach now regret his decision? Antisemitism is vile and must be opposed in all of its forms. Criticism of the State of Israel is not antisemitic and this country should not endorse a definition that has been used to silence critics of a genocide. In the run-up to the election, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the previous Minister for housing all insisted that 40,000 homes would be delivered last year in the absence of any evidence. In fact, you contradicted forecasts from the CSO, the ESRI and the Central Bank to spin this yarn, trying to massage home-delivery numbers in advance of an election.”
“Where is the new energy that we heard so much about during the election campaign? It seems to have fizzled out. It is now three months since the Dáil sat regularly. The country faces huge challenges that need urgent action. While Government work has ground to a standstill, one unilateral action was taken last week which I want to highlight today. The Taoiseach endorsed the IHRA definition of antisemitism which has been routinely weaponised to smear critics of the State of Israel as antisemitic. We saw examples of this ourselves on the front page of the Sunday Independent earlier in the week. The outgoing Israeli ambassador, H.E. Ms Dana Erlich, accused Simon Harris of being antisemitic and claimed that President Michael D. Higgins is fostering incitement.”
“Does he not think women should have equal representation at Cabinet level? Earlier, I said that the Social Democrats would work constructively with the Government and other members of the Opposition in this Dáil and I reiterate that now. The Social Democrats have always been evidence based and solution focused in our efforts to make Ireland a more equal, sustainable and inclusive society. That will be our approach in this Dáil too. We will also robustly hold this Government to account. As members of Opposition, that is our job. The decision by the Government to prevent the Dáil sitting next week is a brazen attempt to avoid sufficient scrutiny and accountability. Where is the urgency to tackle the challenges that we face in housing, disability, health and climate action?”
“At the outset, on behalf of the Social Democrats, I congratulate the Taoiseach on his election. Today is a special day for you and your family, for your wife, Mary, and your friends. I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the crucial role that families and partners play in supporting all of us in public life, very much behind the scenes. This is rarely acknowledged and it is appropriate to do so. I also congratulate all those who have been appointed to Cabinet. It is a proud day for you and your family and friends. However, this Government is already going in the wrong direction. There are only three women with senior Ministries appointed to Cabinet. That is down, from four in the previous Government. Does the Taoiseach not see anything wrong with this? It is 2025. Does the Taoiseach really think this is acceptable?”
“We will work and co-operate with other Opposition parties, particularly those on the left. However, when parties that claim to be on the left put forward policies to erode the tax base and undermine funding for public services, we will not be silent about it. The Government has not even been formed yet and it is already mired in controversy. The early days have been chaotic, dominated by stroke politics, jobs for the boys, a lack of ambition and vague commitments. It is not too late to change course.”
“In addition, the incoming Government cannot be allowed to renege on commitments to enact the occupied territories Bill. There was cross-party consensus during the election that we needed to enact this crucial legislation. Now the Government is talking about progressing new, weaker legislation. It is totally unjust for Palestinian families to be evicted from their homes and farms to make way for illegal Israeli settlements. We need to enact strong legislation that shows Ireland stands firmly for the application of international law and the principles of justice and peace. The Social Democrats, with an increased mandate and enlarged parliamentary party, will play an important role in this new Dáil. Our role will be constructive, robustly holding the Government to account while also proposing solutions.”
“However, investment will result in a clean environment, cheaper energy and smaller bills. For years, the previous Government used one-off payment to address the cost-of-living crisis. It never worked because it did not address the underlying issue. The best way to bring costs down is to invest in quality public services and climate action. Investment in healthcare, education, childcare, public transport and clean energy would drive costs down and pay dividends in the future. We cannot allow threats, implied or otherwise, from other countries to influence our foreign policy or stop us from standing up for human rights and international law and against genocide. The ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages are very welcome. However, there must be accountability for genocide and crimes against humanity.”
“Previous Governments have repeatedly said that disability services were a priority. If that were true, it would be reflected in the make-up of the Cabinet. There should be a stand-alone, senior Minister for disability, someone with real political power who can focus solely on disability with the resources needed to ensure that disabled people can participate fully in society as equals. On climate, we have no real idea of how this Government intends to meet its targets and avoid up to €20 billion in EU fines by 2030. We need to invest now in renewable energy, public transport and a fair transition, rather than wasting billions in fines in five years' time. We need to see a retrofitting revolution with grant reforms that make it accessible for those on low and middle incomes. Climate action is often presented as a negative.”
“During the election campaign, we were told by the Government that 40,000 homes would be built last year. When the Taoiseach, Deputy Simon Harris, was asked what his source for this information was, he said it was the housing Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The CSO today confirmed that only 30,000 homes were built last year. Disabled people are forced to fight tooth and nail for what most of us are able to take for granted, including the chance to go to a local school, have jobs, live independently and access public services. Disabled people and their families must battle from the day they are born. It is shameful that their biggest battle is often with the State to try to get basic services like an assessment of need, essential therapies or a school place.”
“During the election campaign, I met family after family who were personally affected by the housing crisis. We all did. Every day, I met adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s and older still living at home in their childhood bedrooms. I met parents with tears in their eyes as they spoke about their adult children forced to emigrate to find somewhere affordable to live. I met a mother who broke down in tears when speaking about her son who worked so hard to get a decent education and a decent job, and yet is back living at home in his 40s. The level of anxiety and despair this is causing is unprecedented. More than 15,000 people are now living in homeless emergency accommodation and 4,658 children are growing up without a home. Where is the urgency in the programme for Government to tackle this?”
“The rationale for the deal between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Michael Lowry marks a new low in Irish politics. Last Sunday, Micheál Martin defended negotiating a programme for Government with Michael Lowry even though the Moriarty tribunal found his actions to be profoundly corrupt. Attempting to justify this, the Tánaiste said Deputy Lowry would "not be in government to do any corruption." This is an astonishing remark to make about a negotiating partner and it makes a complete mockery of any claims that this new Government will champion ethical standards in public life. The programme for Government is devoid of new ideas or radical measures. The transformation that we need is nowhere to be seen. This is particularly stark for housing.”
“I wish Micheál Martin well today. It is a very proud day for him and his family, especially now that his family are able to join him today having not been in the convention centre during the pandemic. While we wish the incoming Taoiseach and Government well in their terms of office, the Social Democrats will not be supporting any of the nominations today. As a country, we face huge challenges, most acutely in housing, healthcare, the cost of living, childcare, disability services and climate change. We cannot face these challenges and increase investment in public services on the scale that is necessary while at the same time eroding the tax base. This view is a fundamental difference between the Social Democrats and the three largest parties in this Dáil.”
“It is now almost two months since the election so there has been ample time for people to prepare and so forth. I suggest that if the Ministers are not ready to face the Dáil next week, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste certainly would be.”
“A Cheann Comhairle, I thank you for the work you have done in helping to bring this to a resolution for today. I also welcome the statement from the Government Chief Whip and the engagement with all of the different party leaders this morning to resolve this. It should never have come to this. All of us, on the Government benches and the Opposition benches, need to work constructively together in the future to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the Dáil and to engage properly so these things do not happen in the future. We are not in agreement with the postponement and with the Dáil not meeting again until 5 February. In the past, when there was a break after a new Government was formed, that was in different circumstances when a new Government came together very quickly after the election.”