Conor D McGuinness
Waterford · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Vincent de Paul, both of whom, to be fair, are stepping up but that is not the way it should be. I have also spoken to principals who are told to stretch their ICT budgets, and, in fact, that is the response I got from the Minister of State’s colleague, the Minister, Deputy Naughton, when I queried this. Those budgets have been cut.”
“Every July and August, families steel themselves for the cost of children going back to school, including uniforms, books, and shoes, and, as the Minister of State well knows, school transport. Now, for thousands of parents, there is another bill waiting on the kitchen table. It is one for hundreds of euro for a digital device.”
“It is simply passing responsibility on to families and calling it policy. A child's education should never depend on his or her parents' ability to buy a digital device, and no student should be disadvantaged because they cannot afford the device his or her school requires.”
“I dtaobh chúrsaí Gaeltachta, ní aontaím leis an Aire in aon chor go bhfuil dearcadh nó aighneachtaí na ndreamanna éagsúla atá ag obair sa spás seo iniata leis an gcáipéis seo. Is léir go ndearna an Roinn agus an bheirt Airí sa Roinn tithíochta neamhaird air sin.”
“Today is a very important day because the State has finally and formally apologised to the survivors of Bill Kenneally's abuse. Those who should have been protected were instead failed in the most profound and devastating way. No apology can undo the harm that was done.”
“It is a recognition of the persistence and bravery of you men who are here in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery and those who are not here today. Those of you who refused to give up in your pursuit of truth and justice, I thank you for what you have done. I thank you for your courage and for your power.”
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Every one of 843 lines we hold for Conor D McGuinness, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 17.
“Sinn Féin is calling for a full review of IPAS contracts, an end to profiteering, and proper planning in the siting of accommodation guided by need, capacity and the availability of services. We need to end the policy of handing over more powers on migration to the EU and instead make decisions that reflect Ireland’s unique circumstances, including the outworkings of Brexit and the common travel area. Above all, we need leadership - leadership that is fair, transparent and rooted in the best of our values. That means standing up to racism, tackling profiteering, resourcing integration and managing migration in a way that protects for all our people regardless of their background. That is Sinn Féin's vision and mine. It is a fair, managed and humane migration system, one that strengthens communities rather than dividing them.”
“Decades of underinvestment in housing, health and education have left our public services under severe pressure. Communities that already struggle for GPs, school places and affordable rents are asked to carry the can for the lack of planning at national level. That is unfair to those communities and to those who are seeking a new home here. Government has failed and is continuing to fail and our communities are the ones paying the price. The international protection system is not working. Decisions and appeals take far too long and profiteering by unscrupuous IPAS accommodation providers has been allowed to run unchecked. Billions of euro are being spent on contracts with very little transparency while some private operators enrich themselves. This undermines public confidence and it undermines fairness.”
“Cuirimid luach orthu siúd atá ina gcónaí inár measc agus ag cur lenár bpobail. Sinn Féin is crystal clear that there can be no tolerance of racism or xenophobia. There is no space in our society for violence or hate. We have experienced xenophobia abroad and sectarianism at home. We must be able to talk to one another about migration in a way that is honest, respectful and productive. We must support communities and support integration. We need a proper and adequately resourced strategy that begins at community level and provides resources for schools, clubs and community groups and much-needed investment in community infrastructure across rural and urban Ireland. The Minister must acknowledge that Government failure has created fertile ground for division.”
“Migration has become a touchstone issue in Irish public discourse. Too often, it is used as a wedge issue - a tool to divide communities, to stoke fear, to sow hate and to distract from the Government’s failures. In my experience, people who come to Ireland from abroad make an enormous contribution to our society. They work alongside us in hospitals and care homes, in our schools, in construction, technology and hospitality. They are neighbours, friends, team mates, fellow parishioners, partners, colleagues and carers. All of us, if we think for a moment, can name people from other countries who have given outstanding service to our families, our communities and Ireland as a whole. We are a nation of welcomes and we value them as part of our society. Is tír na chéad míle fáilte sinne.”
“This is part of a litany of failure where children are routinely denied services, treatments, adequate care and their rights by the State in everything from healthcare to social care, education and housing, and where parents must fight the Government rather than being supported to secure what should be automatic. This was foreseeable and it is preventable. It is a direct result of a failure to plan. Let us not see the same failure from the Government next year. The Government must plan now. That is why we are bringing forward this motion: to demand transparency on the numbers and a real plan for delivery of special education places, and investment in SNAs and SETs to meet demand. The time for excuses is over. The Minister must publish the figures, deliver the places, resource schools properly and end this crisis once and for all.”
“This summer, there were at least 260 children without any school place at all and while some have since been offered a place, in many cases there is no room. Children are being put into corners, cupboards and corridors. In other cases, transport has not been provided, which means children cannot even attend the hard-fought place their parents secured after much campaigning. Across the State, parents and guardians have been forced to campaign, protest and litigate just to secure what should be guaranteed, their child's basic right. Educators and school leaders too are doing everything they can to vindicate that right, but they are being left without the resources they urgently need and the political will that is needed to resolve this crisis.”
“Every child with additional needs has a constitutional right to education. That is something my colleague Deputy Cullinane and I raised with the Minister of State at the start of February this year. It is not simply a right to education but to a suitable and appropriate school place. Families are doing everything in their power, but they are being failed by this Government. In Dungarvan and Waterford, it took months of campaigning, public protest, sleep-outs and the threat of legal action before the Government moved to act. Parents and guardians had to fight tooth and nail just to be heard. Not every parent has the capacity to take on the State. Many are exhausted, dispirited and worn down. The Government is taking advantage of that. That is not acceptable and I am not going to stand for it.”
“Let us not forget how far we have come. It has been nearly a decade since the marriage equality referendum. It has been over 30 years since the State decriminalised homosexuality. These gains were not gifted. They were won by people who refused to accept silence or shame. Tá cumhacht ar leith ag baint le saol a chaitheamh le bród, le bheith mar chuid de phobal, le glacadh le daoine eile agus a bheith glactha tú féin. Is é sin croílár an Bhróid. We cannot stop at civil rights and equality before the law. We must keep fighting for full lived equality, and for the right to be seen, safe, supported and celebrated. Pride is protest, solidarity and community. No matter where you live, in a rural area, town or city, Pride belongs to us all.”
“The message from young people, families and older members of the LGBTQ+ community has always been clear: representation matters, and seeing yourself in your community matters. Pride cannot just be about waving a flag or adding a splash of colour to a website. Its roots lie in protest and in Stonewall, where people rose up against discrimination and brutality. That radical spirit still matters because we must not only celebrate the gains, but defend them and challenge the inequalities that remain. From youth homelessness to mental health, we know LGBTQ+ people still face systemic discrimination, especially outside urban centres. Rural LGBTQ+ people deserve the same services, safety and visibility as anyone else. That includes safe housing, inclusive healthcare and properly resourced community supports.”
“Pride is about equality, solidarity and community and as an Irish republican, these principles are fundamental to me. I am very proud to stand here as an ally. Pride is also about love, acceptance and the joy of acknowledging and celebrating every person's authentic self. Tá cearta agus comhionannas ríthábhachtach ach tá sé chomh tábhachtach céanna go dtógaimid pobal inar bhfeictear gach duine, ina gcloistear iad, agus ina bhfuil grá, cineáltas agus meas glactha mar chroílár na beatha. Visibility matters. It matters just as much in rural areas, towns and villages as it does in our cities and the media. Across Waterford, I have seen the power of Pride to build connection and belonging. I was proud to walk this year in Pride of the Déise in Waterford city, and over many years to support local initiatives in Dungarvan and across the county.”
“When will recruitment bans be lifted and proper funding be delivered to restore services in Waterford and across the rest of the State? When will the contract be agreed with dentists so medical card patients can get access to much-needed dental care services?”
“The Government's failure to act on this is hurting families and it needs to end. We know how critical second-, fourth- and sixth-class screenings are for early detection. When children are missed, small problems become major. In regions like the south east, which now has the second highest number awaiting orthodontic care, the crisis is only deepening. The number of dentists providing care to medical card patients has fallen by 200 in just eight years. In Dungarvan in particular, but also in other parts of County Waterford, it is next to impossible for a medical card holder to get a dentist, much less an appointment. The service is being hollowed out and the HSE has admitted it cannot manage the preventative care backlog. When will the Government act?”
“The Minister, other representatives in Waterford and I have met some of the families and helped them to gain access to care, but families should not have to go on radio or to their local TD to get very basic care for their children. The statistics point to why children are left waiting in pain and are missing school. When they can get to school, they cannot concentrate. They are losing out on parts of their education and suffering avoidable health problems that get worse while this issue is not addressed. Half of all children due school dental checks last year were not seen. In Waterford, the situation is much worse. The staff number has halved since 2022. We are without a senior dentist in Waterford and there is no full-time orthodontist in place. Children are waiting in pain while services collapse around them.”
“Over 200,000 children were eligible for school dental screenings last year but only half were actually seen. The other half, amounting to more than 100,000, were left behind. It is not an isolated failing; it is part of a wider collapse in public dental services – a collapse that is hitting families hard, especially those without the means to pay privately. Even medical card holders are struggling to find a dentist, let alone get an appointment. In Waterford, the picture is especially stark. Staffing for children's dental and orthodontic care has halved since 2022, according to figures released to me in response to a parliamentary question. These are not abstract figures; they reflect the reason children are waiting in pain.”
“It was criminal assault. It was not covered under corporal punishment, as backward and brutal as those rules were. What happened in those schools was far beyond what those intolerable rules allowed. That should not be used as an excuse for the State to duck its responsibilities to those victims. That physical abuse caused real and lasting harm to those children well into their adult lives. I urge the Minister to include, either in this commission of investigation or in a separate commission of investigation, physical abuse in religious-run schools and national schools run by the State with a view to bringing about restitution, acknowledgement and a measure of justice and healing which the people affected also deserve.”
“When other instances of abuse, including physical abuse, that happened on the watch of the State, are looked at, I ask that the State and Government are not so slow to make amendments and take action. Anybody who listened to Philip Boucher-Hayes's radio show over the past couple of weeks or listened back afterwards will have heard some of the testimonies of people abused and brutalised in schools. I am talking about physical abuse, the thousands of daily violent assaults against children carried out under a veneer of legality due to the corporal punishment rules that existed at the time. It is important that we are clear that the abuse, brutality and assaults that took place - the physical abuse against children by people in positions of power who were supposed to be caring for them - was illegal, criminal behaviour then.”
“We all welcome this belated move to set up this commission of investigation. We have all heard the stories of family members, friends and constituents and watched documentaries featuring people who had the courage to come forward and tell their stories and, let us be honest, force the Government to set up a means to investigate and somehow reconcile with the past. I hope this commission of investigation will bring healing and acknowledgement and that a measure of justice will be made available to victims of sexual abuse in schools. It is frustrating and hard when every single move has to be fought for. People have to campaign and bare their souls on national media to get any semblance of justice.”
“Caithfidh an Rialtas dul i ngleic leis agus níos mó maoinithe a chur ar fáil sa tslí chéanna ina gcuirtear ar fáil é do na forais chultúrtha eile atá maoinithe ag an Stát, an Chomhairle Ealaíon mar shampla an-láidir.”
“Ní ghlacaim leis an léamh atá ag an Teachta Ó Muineacháin ar an gceist seo. Baineann an ghéarchéim seo le hAire amháin ón DUP san Fheidhmeannas ó Thuaidh atá ag cur srian ar mhaoiniú. Tá gach iarracht á déanamh ag na páirtithe eile san Fheidhmeannas. Mar a thuigeann an Teachta, ní gnáthRialtas é. Ní oibríonn sé sa tslí chéanna a n-oibríonn an comhrialtas sa dlínse seo. Caithfimid dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb seo. Tá sé níos measa ar an bhforas mar gheall ar na ciorruithe a tharla thar na blianta, go háirithe le linn na géarchéime eacnamaíche nach mór deich mbliana ó shin. Tá sé seo ag cur isteach ar líonraí, ar bhailte seirbhíse Gaelainne agus ar scéimeanna Gaelainne fud fad an oileáin seo.”
“However, the Government has to be very conscious of those pay and conditions and the impact lower pay and conditions has on the sector and its ability to do work that benefits society and the State in the long run. That means Government has to step up now and fund and support improvements in terms, pay and conditions for workers in the sector.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I think we all acknowledge the skill and the resilience of those working in the sector. Indeed, it is their resilience that got them through and kept them in their jobs when austerity was tearing the very heart out of the sector. Many of our communities are grateful they stayed the course. However, as I said, it is becoming more and more difficult for community organisations to recruit and retrain staff into these. What we need is an extension of the community development programme. We need more money going into these community groups so that community workers can be out on the ground doing the jobs they need to. The model is that Government does not set pay and conditions.”
“These people by economic necessity cannot enter that sector or stay in it because the salaries and job security are not there. This really comes down to resourcing, certainty about resourcing and additional money. As we move towards the budgetary process, I ask that this be front and centre of the Minister of State's engagement with the Departments of public expenditure and finance.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an gcomhairliúchán sin. It is good that consultation, with a view to arriving at a new strategy, is taking place. However, this comes down to a question of resources and to the level of Government funding. There is a huge amount of training and accreditation going on and the bursaries are very welcome. However, it is about creating a situation and environment where community development workers - people who put time, effort and thought into becoming professionals - enter into that discipline. They are passionate about the communities, understand that process is as important as the task at hand and get the holistic nature of community development work in the result being more than the sum of its part.”
“Baineann mo cheist le hoibrithe forbairt pobail agus na buarthaí atá orthu i dtaobh acmhainní. My question relates to the critical and important role of community development workers and their concerns around resourcing, both pay and conditions, and also resourcing within organisations. The Minister of State will appreciate from his engagement with community development bodies that there are serious concerns now about both pay and conditions and the ability of these organisations to recruit and retain workers in this very important discipline.”
“Tacaíonn sé le teaghlaigh áitiúla agus cuireann sé le líon na ndaltaí sa Ghaelscoil sa cheantar, chomh maith leis an nGaelcholáiste istigh i gCathair Phort Láirge atá taobh léi. Is dócha, mar Ghaeil, tá muid ag iarraidh go mbeidh daoine in ann freastal ar naíonra, Gaelscoil, Gaelcholáiste agus ollscoil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Muna bhfuil muid ag tacú leis sin, tá teip á déanamh ag an Rialtas. The response reinforces the problem and shows the policy is inflexible and out of step with the real world needs. I welcome that the Minister is considering changing the policy. I ask that the message goes back very clearly that it must happen without further delay.”
“Of course it did not apply for a fund for which it was categorically told it would not qualify. I thought I made my point clear: it is that the priority of the Department in regard to the scheme is wrong in that it excludes from funding facilities like Naíonra Philib Barún, other naíonraí and early years facilities that do not cater to one-year-olds and two-year-olds, but start at the ECCE starting age of two years and eight months upwards. Níl ach cothromaíocht á lorg ag Naíonra Philip Barún. Is seirbhís ECCE a chuireann an naíonra seo ar fáil, mar a dúirt mé, a chuireann ar chumas na bpáistí foghlaim trí Ghaeilge agus a bheith in ann freastal ar an nGaelscoil máguaird.”
“With respect, if Government policy excludes a thriving, oversubscribed naíonra providing the only service of its type in a large urban catchment area, that already has secured a site and that has huge community backing, then the policy is not working and the prioritisation is not right. I ndáiríre, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag tabhairt na teachtaireachta seo thar ceann an Aire, an Teachta Foley, ach níor fhreagair sí an cheist sa mhéid sin. I understand the response is from the Minister and is not necessarily the response of the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, but it sidesteps the issue. In one breath, it says that Naíonra Philib Barún did not apply for funding, but in the previous line it says the naíonra would not qualify for it in the first place.”
“It was so weak, I am not sure if it even qualifies as a cop-out. The question is simple: if a naíonra like Naíonra Philib Barún, with its record, capacity, demand and a new site, which is ready to go, cannot access capital support from the Department, then who can? What does it say about the Department of children and the Government's approach to Irish-medium early years education? I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, to relay my disappointment and the long-standing disappointment of those involved in the naíonra to the Minister for children. I ask that she would look again at how her Department chooses the projects it will fund, and that she will make the right call by providing the capital necessary to build a new premises for Naíonra Philib Barún.”
“The service also includes a morning and an afterschool service for children attending Gaelscoil Philib Barún. It is operating out of a single room in an old prefab that has long passed its sell-by date. With an extra room, they could double their capacity since the demand is there, as shown by the waiting list. They have secured a new and better site right beside the Gaelscoil but because they deliver the ECCE programme and do not take children from one year of age, they are blocked from accessing capital support. I raised the matter in a parliamentary question last week and, if I am honest, the Minister's reply did not inspire much confidence. It was a stock answer and simply referred the naíonra to the local childcare committee, suggesting it might be able to point them in the right direction. If we are honest, that is not a solution.”
“It is rooted in the community and, as I alluded, affiliated with Gaelscoil Philib Barún, and it is central to the development of Irish-medium education in the town. Tá an naíonra seo ag feidhmiú i seomra amháin i seanprefab gan an spás ná an caighdeán atá de dhíth nó atá tuillte ag na páistí. Tá sé lonnaithe i suíomh atá faoi úinéireacht na Roinne oideachais. Tá an tseirbhís lán go béal. Tá liosta feithimh ann. Tá suíomh nua ina seilbh acu, ach toisc go dtosaíonn an naíonra le páistí ó dhá bhliain agus ocht mí faoin scéim ECCE, tá siad eisiata ó mhaoiniú caipitil faoin scéim building blocks extension. Tá sé sin míréasúnta agus déanann sé dochar don earnáil Ghaeilge, sna luathbhlianta go háirithe, ar an taobh sin de Chontae Phort Láirge. Twenty-two children attend the naíonra daily.”
“Before I speak on the substantive issue, I commend and thank my colleague, Deputy Crowe, for raising the previous issue and add my support to it. We need to do all we possibly can and more to halt, as best we can, the genocide that is taking place in Gaza. It is truly an affront to our collective humanity. My Topical Issue relates to the provision of a premises in Tramore for Naíonra Philib Barún. We have there a thriving Irish-medium early years facility, full to capacity on a Department of education-owned site adjacent to a Gaelscoil. The Government has failed and is continuing to fail to fund a proper building, seemingly because the naíonra, as the vast bulk of naíonraí do, serves ECCE-aged children. Naíonra Philib Barún has been at the heart of early years education in Tramore since 1983.”
“To every student watching here in the Gallery, we see your struggle, we stand with you and we will fight for you. Tá sé thar am an freagra seo a leanas a thabhairt do na mic léinn taobh amuigh atá ag ágóidíocht: táimid libh, agus tiocfaidh bhur lá.”
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael seem hellbent on waffling their way out of this and blaming others for their own indecision. They are blaming everyone else for the housing, everyone else for the cost of living, but people in this country are seeing through it. Fianna Fáil's argument that this only affects wealthy parents is nonsense. It is classic deflection. Over the past few days, I have heard from parents who are just above the SUSI thresholds, worried about funding this increase for two or three students in their own houses, from student nurses who cannot take on part-time work to make up the difference and from students who are already covering the cost of accommodation come September. Sinn Féin's motion tonight is simple. Give students and families a break, cancel the €1,000 hike, cut the fees and move to permanently abolish student fees.”
“Students were protesting outside the gates earlier demanding answers. Their families are demanding answers. Students are young people trying to enjoy their summer holidays after finishing the leaving certificate and beginning college. Families across Ireland who are sending youngsters back to college and those who may be in their final year and looking to knuckle down to get their degree are demanding answers. They are getting none. They want to know one simple thing: will it be €2,000 or €3,000 they have to pay come September? This Government is refusing to give certainty. We saw Minister after Minister and the Tánaiste last week, and the Taoiseach today, refusing to answer that question. It is a poor showing when a Government cannot even manage a multiple-choice question.”
“Until the Government gets real and accepts its role in this, that Government governs and that it has executive power to solve this housing crisis, I fear we will be going around in circles and will be back here debating the same thing again in another few months.”
“These are focused and reasonable proposals that will strengthen the legislation without causing delay. If the Government is serious about listening, now is the chance to do it. Let us not lose sight of the bigger picture. Planning reform is a tool and not an end in itself. Until the Government starts using that tool to actually deliver affordable homes at scale in every part of the country, we will be back here debating more patches and fixes while the crisis deepens. I must say it is interesting to hear Government backbenchers seeking to blame all and sundry for the housing crisis. We heard the Taoiseach today blaming Dublin City Council for the housing crisis in response to a question from a Deputy on this side of the House.”
“We are proposing to empower the Minister to set statutory timelines for judicial reviews so pauses do not become indefinite delays, to guarantee public participation both during the judicial review pause and the planning extension process in line with the Aarhus Convention and principles of good planning, to require developers to explain why a project has not commenced and to show how they intend to proceed it to avoid speculative land holding, and to reduce the window to commence works after an extension is granted from 18 months to six months to ensure extensions lead to delivery. Government Ministers routinely challenge the Opposition by asking where their ideas and solutions are. Here they are. Those are the four amendments I have just described.”
“What we have is a tidy-up Bill for legislation that was supposed to fix planning once and for all. However, it will not build homes, it will not cut rents and it will not help a single family locked out of housing. The Government asked for constructive proposals. We are tabling them here through our amendments. If it is serious about solutions, it should start by accepting them. Sinn Féin is tabling practical amendments to improve the Bill to make it more effective.”
“Until the Government gets real about investing in infrastructure, it will continue to fail rural communities, villages and towns when it comes to housing. We were told the Planning and Development Act 2024 was a once in a generation reform. Instead, less than a year after its passage the Government is back in the Dáil with a clean-up Bill. That alone tells us the original process was rushed, incomplete and ultimately flawed, a metaphor for the Government's housing strategy and policy. We are not opposing the changes proposed in the Bill, but let us be honest, they will not move the dial on housing delivery and they certainly will not deliver the affordable homes that workers and families so badly need. This Bill will not solve the housing crisis and the Government knows it.”
“This Bill is not in and of itself objectionable. The measures it contains are modest, in some cases necessary, but it will not solve the housing crisis. It is deeply misleading for the Government to present it as anything close to a serious response. The real and immediate structural problems driving the housing emergency in urban and rural areas are being ignored. Today's EPA report shows the serious failure by Government to invest in modern wastewater services. Bunmahon and Lismore in County Waterford are a case in point. In Bunmahon raw sewage enters the river and the sea and families are prevented from building because of a lack of capacity. In Lismore, the town is subject to frequent water outages and much-needed houses and apartments are refused planning permission, including 20 units last week.”
“We are in the middle of a deep and escalating housing crisis. House prices, rents and homelessness are all rising. Social and affordable housing targets are being missed again this year. Tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta ag cur todhchaí na Gaeltachta i mbaol ach fós níl na treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta feicthe againn agus níl faic déanta i dtaobh tithíocht inacmhainne nó tithíocht sóisialta a chur ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta inár gceantracha Gaeltachta. Government buries its head in the sand while rural communities are hollowed out, as young families cannot buy, rent or build homes in the communities where they were reared. An entire generation is locked out of home ownership, stuck in childhood bedrooms or overpriced rentals or forced to emigrate. There is no strategy to address the demographic crisis affecting rural communities.”
“Will the Taoiseach intervene, direct his Ministers to engage for Fórsa and take immediate steps to deliver a fair and just resolution, or will he allow this strike to proceed?”
“School secretaries and caretakers have served their schools and communities for years and, in many cases, decades. They are the glue that holds our school system together and they do not want to go on strike. They just want fairness when it comes to pay and conditions but this Government has shown no such fairness. There has been zero engagement. Fórsa trade union has made numerous offers to talk and every one has been ignored. Forced into a corner, Fórsa has written to 2,000 schools to give formal notice of indefinite strike action at the end of August. These workers seek pay justice and pension parity and a basic recognition of their contribution. Instead of action, they have been met with silence. The Ministers, Deputies McEntee and Chambers, have failed utterly to respond despite knowing what is at stake.”
“Although the percentage of farmers still waiting may be small, they are still waiting and still stretched because of it. What we need is a radical shift, with a Government that puts suckler beef and sheep farmers at the heart of rural policy, not at the bottom of the pile. Viability cannot be a luxury or a pipe dream. It is a basic requirement for the future of these rural communities.”
“The message is out there that TAMS is running low. Let us be clear: the Government has failed to address the crisis in farm incomes and, by extension, rural Ireland family farming. We can talk about surveys and percentages, but families are struggling to make ends meet. There is a cost-of-living crisis gripping communities, urban and rural, all across this State. When we look at farm incomes and the low floor that is there, they need something they can rely on, something that is sustainable, fair and secure. I refer to those rising input costs and the delayed payments. There has been progress, and fair play to the Minister, but it should never have got to that stage and it put so many family farmers under huge financial pressure.”
“This is the lived reality on family farms. I ask plainly, when will we see real targeted income supports that match the reality on the ground for beef, suckler and sheep farmers?”
“The Teagasc survey might show increases in income, but let us not get carried away. We all know that these increases are coming from rock bottom. A rise on next to nothing is still not enough to live on. We have to be clear and truthful with ourselves. The stark reality is that only 42% of farms are economically viable, even after the so-called rebound. Take dairy out of the mix and things are worse again. Suckler farmers are on €13,500 a year and beef farmers are on €18,000. That is far below the minimum wage. It is no wonder that so many farmers have left. They have given up. While we are talking about rising incomes, farmers are still waiting on ACRES payments, they are still being squeezed by sky-high input costs, especially fertiliser, and they are being told there is no money left in the TAMS budget.”
“I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to add my voice to this important debate. The issue of solar farms on prime agricultural land is a critical one in parts of County Waterford. We all see the advantage of solar power, including solar farms and solar on rooftops. Farmers in rural communities are in favour of this and see the advantages and benefits of it. However, we cannot have development of large solar farms on prime agricultural land take place in what is essentially a legislative and guidance vacuum. We need to see guidelines and they need to be based on consultation with stakeholders in rural communities. We need to understand the impact this will have on agriculture as a sector, but also on the family farm into the future.”
“Those concerned have asked time and again for a fuel scheme to help to ease the pressure but the Minister of State’s predecessor refused it time and again. The Minister of State says the door is open and the community has his ear. His engagement is really welcome but we need it to inform not just his work and that of his Department but also that of the whole of government to ensure we will have a sustainable fishing industry.”
“I thank the Minister. To his credit, I know he is engaging with the sector and he has heard from fishermen around the coast. However, the figures still speak for themselves, notwithstanding that some may be disqualified on income grounds. Some may not need the scheme but we know there is great hardship in the sector. This is not necessarily about creating a new subsidy from EMFAF funding; it is about making the existing scheme work for fishermen. The feedback we are getting and the figures released to my colleague Pádraig Mac Lochlainn in response to his parliamentary question to the Department of Social Protection back that up. Fishing communities are on their knees in many respects and fishing activity is under huge pressure. The input costs for fisheries are going up.”