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.”
The complete record
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 5 of 17.
“The Government's hands-off approach is a betrayal of rural Ireland. Post offices are the heartbeat of communities, providing lifelines for older people, small businesses and families. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, backed up by the Healy-Rae and Lowry Independents, have stood by as that network collapses, refusing to implement solutions put forward by the IPU, Sinn Féin and others. It is great to come in here with nostalgia and twee stories and talk about how, if communities only used their post office more, they might be open. However, the reality is that it is not viable any longer under An Post's new contract for new postmasters to take up the business. It is closure by stealth, and it is utterly dishonest to come into this House and pretend otherwise.”
“That is one per fortnight for the past decade that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been in power based on figures my colleague Deputy Cullinane received last year. That is eight in my own County Waterford. The Minister of State might be interested to know that is 15 in the past ten years in County Kerry - 14 rural and one urban.”
“What planet are the Ministers on? Is that really the best they can come up with? The devastating impact of post office closures on all communities, rural and urban, is leaving residents without access to essential financial, social and State services. These are important social services that should be provided elsewhere but are only available in the post office and from that network. What we are saying on this side of the House aligns with the long-standing warnings not just from Sinn Féin, but from the Irish Postmasters' Union and many other people about the systemic failure of successive Governments over decades to address the decline of our office network. Some 257 post offices have closed over the past ten years.”
“Is gá cumhachtaí sa bhreis a thabhairt d’Údarás na Gaeltachta agus plean a chur le chéile ionas go bhfuil gach Ranna agus gach Aire ag obair as lámha a chéile chun dul i ngleic leis sin. Tá an fhreagracht leis an Aire agus impím air beart de réir a bhriathair agus gníomhú anois.”
“Tuigeann na daoine áitiúla go maith nár leor an tacaíocht ón Stát agus is léir go bhfuil Gael óga, na páistí óga sna ceantair seo, á dtógáil le haghaidh easpórtála. I mo cheantar féin, tá siad ag dul go dtí Mainistir na Corann, Cluain Meala, cathair Phoirt Láirge, Baile Átha Cliath nó níos faide i gcéin thar lear de bharr easpa tithe sóisialta agus inacmhainne, córas pleanála nach n-aithníonn na riachtanais shóisialta agus teanga atá ag ceantair Ghaeltachta, agus teip iomlán an Aire agus an Rialtais na treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta a fhoilsiú thar na mbliana. Tá géarghá anois don Aire agus don Rialtas beart de réir briathair a dhéanamh. Má táimid dáiríre mar gheall ar ár gceantair Ghaeltachta a choimeád agus a bheith againn mar thearmann agus mar thobar mar a luaigh mé, tá géarghá dul i ngleic leis an ngéarchéim tithíochta anois.”
“Tá géarchéim thromchúiseach tithíochta ag cur Gaeltachtaí i mbaol. Tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta atá ar fud an Stáit faoi chúram an Aire agus faoi chúram Fhine Gael, Fhianna Fáil agus na dTeachtaí neamhspleácha ag cur pobail ar fud fad na tíre i gcruachás ach tá sé ag déanamh dochair agus ag cur todhchaí na Gaeltachta i mbaol. Tá Gaeltacht na nDéise faoi bhrú ach tá gach ceantar Gaeltachta faoin mbrú céanna. Táimid ag caint faoi phobail bheaga sa Rinn agus sa Seanphobal, i Ráth Chairn, i mBaile an Fheirtéirigh, in Indreabhán agus i nGaoth Dobhair, áiteanna a bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar theanga pobail fós. Mar a dúirt me, an tearmann agus an tobar. Ach gan tithíocht inacmhainne do mhuintir na háite ní féidir leis na pobail seo maireachtáil. Nuair atá moill ar thithe sóisialta a fhorbairt, tá na pobail seo i mbaol.”
“Sin idir trí agus ceithre theach sa bhliain agus ní leor sin. Níl sé sin inbhuanaithe in aon phobal, ach go háirithe i bpobal teanga den tsaghas seo. Faoi láthair, tá daoine óga ag bogadh go dtí áiteanna eile agus tá líon na gcainteoirí laethúla Gaeilge ag laghdú in an-chuid Gaeltachtaí. Fiú sna ceantair Ghaeltachta ina bhfuil fás tagtha ar líon na gcainteoirí laethúla Gaelainne, tá easpa tithíochta ag cur srian ar an bhfás sin agus ag cur todhchaí na Gaeltachta i mbaol. In ainneoin an dea-oibre agus an dea-infheistíochta atá déanta ag comharchumainn, ag comhlachtaí forbartha agus ag oifigigh pleanála teanga, cén mhaitheas na milliúin a bheith á gcaitheamh inár gceantair Ghaeltachta ar phleananna teanga muna bhfuil an chéad ghlúin eile chun a bheith ann ar an bhfód? Ach is é seo an áit ina bhfuilimid.”
“Tearmann agus tobar na nGael: is é sin an cur síos is fearr atá agam ar ár gceantair Ghaeltachta. Is tearmann iad i gcomhar ár dteanga, ár gcultúr dúchais, ach chomh maith leis sin, is tobar as ar féidir le gach uile duine in Éirinn agus gach Gael ar fud an domhain, saibhreas an teanga a fháil agus é a bheith roinnte agus dáilte ina measc. Tá na pobail Ghaeltachta gann ar pháistí chun scoileanna áitiúla a choimeád ar oscailt agus cumainn spóirt - clubanna Chumann Lúthchleas Gael agus uile - a choimeád beo. Tá siad gann chomh maith ar chlanna óga ag teacht tríd agus ag tógaint an chéad ghlúin eile de Gael Ghaeltachta na hÉireann. Le deich mbliana anuas, tógadh díreach 1,200 teach sna pobail Ghaeltachta ina iomlán. Tógadh 36 teach i mo cheantar féin i nGaeltacht na nDéise le deich mbliana anuas.”
“Ní féidir leis an Rialtas seo a rá go bhfuil sé ar son na Gaeilge nuair atá líon na bpáistí sa chóras Gaeloideachais ag titim don chéad uair le blianta fada de bharr a pholasaithe, agus laghdú anois chomh maith ar líon na Gaeilgeoirí atá ina gcónaí inár gceantair Ghaeltachta de bharr easpa tithíochta. Tá sé de dhualgas orainn sa Teach seo an Ghaelainn a chosaint, a chur chun cinn agus a neartú. Caithfimid an Ghaelainn a labhairt, a scríobh, a léamh agus a chanadh. Caithfidh an Ghaeilge a bheith mar chuid lárnach dár saol laethúil, gan dímheas, gan náire agus gan lagmhisneach. Caithfidh an Rialtas seo gach rud gur féidir a dhéanamh ar son gach uile dhuine atá ag iarraidh agus atá ag éileamh saol trí Ghaelainn chun tacú leis an éileamh áirithe sin agus é a éascú.”
“Tá gá ann chomh maith Gaeilgeoirí a choimeád inár gceantair Ghaeltachta trí thithíocht agus fostaíocht a chur ar fáil agus stop a chur le bánú na Gaeltachta. Is é sin an t-éileamh a bhí á dhéanamh taobh amuigh de na Tithe seo ar na sráideanna le linn na hagóide níos luaithe inniu. Is ceist an-dáiríre í sin i mo cheantar féin i nGaeltacht na nDéise in iarthar Phort Láirge, áit ina bhfuil baol ar thodhchaí na Gaeltachta mar gheall ar an easpa tithíochta. Impím ar an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Joch Cummins, agus ar a chuid comhghleacaithe beart de réir briathair a dhéanamh i dtaobh tithíocht a fhorbairt i nGaeltacht na nDéise.”
“Tá an Ghaeilge le feiscint níos mó agus níos mó inár saol poiblí, inár meáin chumarsáide agus inár gcóras oideachais, cé go bhfuil neart dul chun cinn le déanamh ag an Rialtas ar an bpointe seo ach go háirithe. Tá sé in ann dúinn an Ghaelainn a labhairt le bród, a fhoghlaim le paisean agus a roinnt le grá. Tá sinne i Sinn Féin dáiríre faoi teanga agus faoi todhchaí na teanga. Tá polasaithe agus pleananna Shinn Féin dáiríre faoi Éire a bheith in áit sábháilte don Ghaeilge in ainneoin an caith san aer, an neamhaird agus an dímheas a thagann ó dreamanna eile i bhfad rómhinic. Tá gá anois le Gaeloideachas a chur ar fáil mar cheart do dhaltaí atá á iarraidh ar gach leibhéal agus i ngach chuid dár dtír.”
“Is teanga bheo í an Ghaelainn, teanga a mhair tríd na céadta bliain de dheacrachtaí, dúshláin agus ionsaithe; teanga a d'fhan dílis dár n-oidhreacht, dár n-aitheantas agus dár spiorad. Is croílár ár náisiún í agus is í an nasc a mheasclaíonn sinn leis an am atá caite, lenár láthair agus lenár todhchaí. Is é an tsnáithe órga a phósann sinn le glúnta atá imithe romhainn agus a threoraíonn sinn i dtreo todhchaí ina bheidh ár n-oidhreacht bheo bhríomhar arís. Is í an fhuaim a thugann beatha dár stair, dár seanchas agus dár dtraidisiún agus í an teanga a labhair ár laochra, ár bhfilí, ár réabhlóidithe agus ár n-ealaíontóirí. In ainneoin an easa in aghaidh a snámhann sí, tá líon na ndaoine atá ag foghlaim agus ag úsáid na Gaeilge ag méadú de réir a chéile.”
“Tá an Ghaelainn fite fuaite lenár n-aitheantas mar náisiún agus mar phobal. Is teanga bhríomhar bheo í le stair ársa agus todhchaí gheal. I mo chlannsa agus i mo phobal, is í an Ghaelainn ár dteanga laethúil, ár dteanga chumarsáide, ár dteanga thuisceana, ár dteanga ghraidhin agus ár dteanga ghrá. Is fíor é seo i ngach cheantar Gaeltachta agus, ar ndóigh, in an-chuid clann ar fud na hÉireann. I mo chlannsa agus i mo phobal, is Seachtain na Gaeilge é gach seachtain. Tá mé mórtasach agus bródúil go bhfuil mo theanga féin á labhairt agam anseo inár bParlaimint náisiúnta. Molaim gach Teachta Dála, Seanadóir, comhairleoir agus ball foirne a dhéanann iarracht an tseachtain seo agus i gcónaí. Labhair le haon Ghaeilgeoir agus déarfaidh sé nó sí an rud céanna faoin mothúchán a mhúsclaíonn sé ionainn agus sinn á labhairt.”
“We need action and a change in direction from this Government but before any of that will happen, the psychological reality is that it needs to acknowledge the mistakes and harm that has been, is being and will continue to be caused unless it changes its ways, trajectory and policy. The question is: having listened to the statistics and heard the stories, will the Minister of State do that? Will he change the trajectory, listen to the people of Ireland and take this issue seriously?”
“Supply continues to shrink despite what the Government says and fewer than 1,800 homes were available to rent across the State at the start of this month. No credible modelling has been presented to show what this will mean for renters and the likely outcome is clear - higher rents, shorter security and increased risk of homelessness for families. In Waterford, this homelessness crisis has a human face. I have told the Minister of State some of the stories. This does come down to some of the policy choices he and his colleagues in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have made, along with backbenchers and the Independents buoying up this Government.”
“Is toradh ar chinntí polaitiúla Fhine Gael, Fianna Fáil agus na neamhspleáchaigh é an scéal seo, agus tá sé de chumhacht againn agus ag ionadaithe an Rialtais cinntí eile a dhéanamh. Nationally, homelessness has risen by 13% a year, child homelessness is increased by 15% and almost 17,000 people are officially homeless, including more than 5,000 children. At the same time, funding for tenant in situ has been reduced, the scheme that keeps families in their home and prevents them going into emergency accommodation. We see the rent hike Bill the Government is trying to pretend did not happen, does not exist and will not impact renters. Those rents are continuing to rise naturally but they are definitely going to rise in light of the changes the Government has brought in at the behest of the institutional investors.”
“It does not tend to appear in the Government's figures. It looks like a young couple back in a childhood bedroom with their kids, separated parents forced to continue sharing a home long after a relationship has broken down because neither can afford to leave, or people returning from urban areas to overcrowded family homes because there is nothing to read locally. That is homelessness too. Tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta seo le feiceáil go soiléir i bPort Láirge agus ar fud an oirdheiscirt. Tá na céadta daoine gan dídean go hoifigiúil agus go leor eile nach bhfuil san áireamh sna figiúirí sin. Tá páistí á dtógáil i seomra plódaithe i dteach a shean tuismitheoirí agus daoine óga ag codail i gcarranna. Tá daoine scartha fós ag maireachtáil faoin díon céanna mar nach bhfuil aon rogha eile acu.”
“Ultimately, they had somewhere for the Christmas period but we cannot countenance the instability, hardship and stress that caused. James and his family are overholding because they have nowhere to go. He leaves for work each morning unsure whether he will return to the locks having been changed and their belongings and whole life in black plastic bags out in front of the house. Just this week, I met grown siblings who were raising their respective young families in their parents' house. There are three generations under the one roof - multiple families, not out of choice but because the rental market has collapsed. This is happening in Waterford city, Dungarvan and across our rural communities as well. Rural homelessness rarely looks dramatic. It does not make headlines; it is usually unseen and seemingly unacknowledged by Government.”
“It is effectively emergency accommodation under another heading. Behind those figures and statistics are the real stories of people I meet. Just this week, Liam who separated from his partner visited my constituency office. He ended up sleeping in his car and he is still sleeping in his car. He will sleep there tonight. He works, pays tax and gets up early in the morning. He does everything expected of him. He has nowhere to live or to go and no prospect of that changing anytime soon. Emma, who survived serious domestic abuse, secured a private rental but now faces losing it because the landlord wants the property back. This is no fault of her own. She is again staring homelessness in the face. For Louise, two days before Christmas could not tell her children where Santa would be delivering presents.”
“In the south east, there are 330 adults and 113 children officially recorded as homeless. That is 70 families. In County Waterford alone, 110 adults and 37 children are in local authority-funded emergency accommodation. Those are only the official figures; they are the tip of the iceberg. They reflect people in local authority accommodation but they do not capture the hidden homelessness that every public representative in this Chamber encounters weekly - certainly those of us who operate clinics and have a listening ear. In Waterford alone, beyond the 37 children formally recorded, there are another 66 children placed on an emergency basis in vacant council houses with their families. These are houses which are not ready or fit for allocation. They are not secure tenancies or allocated. They have no stability.”
“I ask the Tánaiste to urgently intervene and ask the Minister for foreign affairs to do likewise to secure immediate access for these Irish-funded mobile maternity units? Will he use Ireland's voice at EU and UN level to demand safe humanitarian medical access for mothers and newborn babies in Gaza without further delay?”
“Bailíodh breis is €41,000 i bPort Láirge chun clinic soghluaiste máithreachais a chur ar fáil do mhná i nGaza. Tá an t-aonad seo i gCaireo na hÉigipte faoi láthair mar nach bhfuil cead aige dul isteach i nGaza. Tá mná ag iompar agus ag saolú leanaí i gcoinníollacha contúirteacha, míshláintiúla agus mídhaonna. Over €41,000 was raised by Gaeil ar son Gaza in order to fund a mobile maternity clinic for women in Gaza. This unit is currently stuck in Cairo in Egypt because they are not being permitted entry into Gaza. At the same time, as the Tánaiste knows, Gaza's health system has been devastated and pregnant women are forced to give birth in conditions that are unsafe, dangerous and inhumane.”
“We have parents who are used to fighting for every therapy, support and piece of access they have for their child. They are going to continue fighting and mark my words, this battle is not over. People are going to hold the Minister and this Government accountable to what they have promised and said in the past number of days to ensure that no child is left without the support they need to secure an education.”
“They do not believe Government and what they have been told. SNAs do not believe the Government. We still do not know what September will look like in schools for these children. Will any child lose their SNA in September? That is the question. We need solid guarantees that will not happen. It should never have been a question in the first place. One parent highlighted to me the difficulties with the circular and how it does not reflect the daily work they see done by SNAs for their child and other children in that class. It goes far beyond the narrow definition in the 2014 circular. This moment should be about properly valuing SNAs, understanding their work and updating the framework to reflect what they actually do. Here we have a broken system that needs to be changed.”
“The chaos did not come from nowhere. It came from Government decisions and policy. No matter how Government tries to throw Ministers, Ministers of State, the NCSE, schools and anybody and everybody they can under the bus over this, this is Government decision-making. This is policy writ large. Policy that has to be changed late at night by Government leaders is never good policy. It is the hallmark of bad policy. Schools have been told of impending cuts and now what we have is a reprieve. It is not the reset that the sector desperately needs. While the review has stopped, the damage has already been done. Trust has been shattered. There will be protests outside this place this evening. There will be protests across the State today, tomorrow and Friday. Trust is gone. Parents are still anxious.”
“The first was that it was all a conspiracy crafted by the Opposition. In the next couple of hours, it was that there were not cuts and what were people talking about. After that, it was that there were cuts but they were going to stop them. The Government needs to listen to parents, SNAs and school leaders. If it had done that it would have heard what we in Sinn Féin heard when we had our public meeting. I know other parties in the Opposition have been engaging with SNAs as well. The depth of anger was striking. It was really astounding. The testimonies were raw and moving. The level of anxiety was so sharp. There is a real determination among these parents, SNAs and school leaders to ensure these children have access to an appropriate and proper education. We have to also be clear that there is a context here.”
“Over the past number of weeks, I have listened intently to parents who are sick with worry. I have listened to special needs assistants who are lying awake at night wondering if they will have a job come September. These are jobs that they love and vocations they do with every fibre of their being. I have listened to children and their voices, which are really important in this debate. They simply want to feel safe, supported and included in their own classrooms. What have they been met with over the past two and a half to three weeks? It is gaslighting. There is no other word for what they have been met with. They have been told there is no crisis. They have been told there will be no cuts. Then they were told that it would be paused. In Waterford, Government representatives were out in the space of one day with three different messages.”
“Our approach is really straightforward. We would increase GP training places from 350 to 450, lift the recruitment cap for front-line roles and expand the multidisciplinary primary care teams. Investing in primary care is efficient. It is probably the best way to spend money in the health service, so if we are serious about rural Ireland, access to GP care must be available in every town and village.”
“People in Dungarvan, for example, have to travel a couple of towns away. It is simply not sustainable. GPs work exceptionally hard. They are dedicated and committed. None of this is at their door. It is clearly at the door of the Government. GPs are under huge pressure. They are operating with the lowest levels of practice-based staff among comparable countries. They are increasingly expected to run complex small and medium enterprises while trying to provide front-line care. As Deputy Cullinane said, those GPs who we are talking to, whether here in Ireland or abroad, are telling us that they do not want to be entrepreneurs. They do not want to run businesses, by and large. They want to provide care. That is what they studied. One said to me that if they wanted to run a business, they would have done an MBA, not a medical course.”
“One in four GPs is aged over 60, so there is another crisis coming. Only one in five practices is open to new public patients. In County Waterford, the impact is really clear. In Dungarvan, people struggle to secure timely appointments. In Portlaw, access is restricted during the week and there is no full-time availability. The issue in Lismore with the primary care centre that is now delayed has been mentioned. It is back to the drawing board and the starting blocks, through no fault of the people of Lismore or anybody practising medicine. The Government needs to get to grips with that and expedite that process. Across villages and country areas, older people and people with disabilities are travelling well beyond their own communities for routine care. That is creating an additional burden and barrier.”
“There was a time when every town and village had a family doctor. They were rooted in the community and known to everybody across generations. Today, that model is under real strain in urban areas but particularly in rural Ireland. GPs are the anchor of our health system. They are the gateway into our health system in most cases. They provide long-term, continuous care from cradle to grave, yet successive governments have failed to plan properly for primary care. In 2001, the Future Together report warned about shortages in GP numbers and practice-based staff. Twenty-five years later, we are still playing catch-up. The rate of GPs per head has barely improved in that time and is now moving in the wrong direction. The number of practising GPs fell from 4,583 in 2019 to 4,420 in 2022.”
“We need adequate financial support for fishermen and seafood producers over the coming years. We also need a clear plan to secure a fair allocation of fish under the Common Fisheries Policy or we need to be done with it. We need to draw red lines and talk very seriously with our European partners about this. Crucially, and the Minister of State has heard us on this, we need to back our inshore sector. We support the demand by the National Inshore Fishermen's Association and others for income stabilisation and compensation schemes. It works in agriculture. We see farmers benefiting from similar schemes. We need to see something now as this industry is in crisis. For too long, we have this acquiescence, silence and hand-wringing. We need a new departure and we need it now.”
“It is skilled, dangerous and honest work that underpins processors, hauliers, chandlers and small local businesses right across the south east. It is now dangerously close to the point of no return; some would argue it is long past that. That is why we need urgent action. The task force the Minister of State has established should have been established before now. While we welcome that it is finally in place, it must not become just another talking shop. The terms of reference must reflect what the seafood sector has demanded and its recommendations must be acted on quickly. We need a commitment from the Government that its recommendations will be taken seriously. The Minister of State will understand the cynicism of coastal communities and the industry. Every time they see a task force, punishment generally follows.”
“When our State provides some of the richest fishing waters in Europe but repeatedly sees its own fleets marginalised, people are entitled to ask serious questions. There are plenty of fish in our waters to sustain our industry and meet our conservation objectives but we are not doing that. There cannot be any return to business as usual. An already fragile industry has been placed on a fatal course unless there is a radical reset in Ireland and in how we approach fisheries policy at European level. The Minister of State knows I come from a coastal community and county. I represent communities where fishing is not just an item or economic activity but a living tradition. Families in Dunmore East, Helvick, Passage East, Bunmahon and all along our coast have given generations to this industry.”
“Their Heads of Government pick up the phone, build those alliances and draw red lines but in Ireland, the Head of Government sat on his hands. Let us take one example. Belgium can catch 450 tonnes of sole in Irish waters but the entire Irish fleet is left with just 28 tonnes. Belgium has less than half the coastline of Waterford but it has 450 tonnes of sole in Irish waters, while the Irish fishing fleet is left with just 28 tonnes. This is a recurring pattern across fisheries. It affects mackerel, prawns and other key stocks. This is not just about conservation. Conservation matters and is critical. Stocks must be protected and science must guide us but it is not a conservation crisis alone. It is about fair access and sovereignty.”
“Did the Government even take legal advice on challenging this? That is an important question that has to be put. Was legal advice sought on challenging this? In advance of the December negotiations, I raised this directly with the Taoiseach and urged him to intervene, as Head of Government, at that level with other Heads of Government with national delegations. Freedom of information records show he did precisely nothing. He met with the industry but did not lift the phone. Decades of deflection reached their pinnacle in the political abandonment of the Minister of State, his negotiating team and officials and our fleet and coastal communities by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste in December last year. Other member states fight hard for their fleets.”
“We get acquiescence, silence and hand-wringing. We get Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael politicians offering tea and sympathy, promising to listen but failing to hear, saying something must be done while steadfastly refusing to do anything that would actually arrest that decline. Now, on this side of the House, the industry advocates for coastal communities are reduced to calling for life support. Even that is delayed, negotiated and made contingent. Irish fishermen have abided by the rules. They have tied up their vessels when they have been asked. They have taken the quota cuts on the chin. They have invested in sustainability. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Poland moved to block the invocation of our Hague preferences, protecting their interests and the interests of a number of corporations while ours were exposed.”
“The Minister of State does not need me to tell him that 2,300 jobs, at a conservative estimate, in our coastal communities are in jeopardy because of the quota deal reached in December 2025. The wider economic hit could reach €200 million. In ports like Dunmore East in my home county of Waterford, families are asking whether there is a future for them and their industry. When you step back and look at the decisions and attitudes of successive governments, their actions and, more critically, their inaction, it is impossible not to arrive at a conclusion that what we are witnessing now is the outworking of a managed decline and a slow, steady concentration and then reduction of our indigenous fishing industry. It is the hollowing out, decade after decade, of a noble, sustainable and economically vital way of life. What do we get then?”
“Remote workers spend more of their income locally during the working week when they can work at home, supporting local businesses and keeping them going, sustaining additional local jobs through secondary economic effects. Every 1,000 remote jobs brings €13 million into their local economies every year. This is a no-brainer. Promoting remote work is the way to go. The Minister of State's negativity in response to this Bill is unwarranted and unhelpful and it underlines an attitude from Government that views rural areas as secondary. We need to see remote work become the norm and we need to see Government legislate or support this legislation. It is one or the other.”
“Remote and hybrid working reduces commuting time and increases personal autonomy which is strongly associated with higher life satisfaction, better mental health and improved work-life balance for workers. For every 1,000 remote jobs, over 220,000 hours are saved in commutes every year. That time goes back into people's families and local communities. There has been a lot of research by the Western Development Commission on this, along with the University of Galway and others. Those statistics show that almost 25% of people who work from home for some part of the week volunteer their time in the community. Organisations that benefit include the GAA, other sporting organisations, Tidy Towns, the RNLI, and any number of rural and community voluntary groups.”
“We need to see remote work become a right and not just a perk as it is now. It should be an entitlement for workers for whom it is available and not a norm when it makes sense for all the reasons that have been outlined. It is clear to us that remote working has clear family benefits, social benefits and environmental benefits as well as those benefits to the community that are often unseen and unremarked upon in this debate because, simply put, people have more time. This is about workers' rights. There are health benefits and environmental benefits. It supports economic growth and rural diversification. It keeps our rural communities alive when this is the norm.”
“Now, as Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, no less, it is happening on his watch. This is about power and priorities. Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Lowry and Healy-Rae Independents are protecting their vested interests and we on this side of the House are standing with workers and families. The Minister needs to take action now and ban the bulk purchase of homes.”
“I bPort Láirge, níl aon teach HAP ar fáil agus is rogha polaitiúil é sin. Tá an Rialtas ag seasamh leis na coistí in ionad na dteaghlach. Caithfear cosc iomlán a chur ar choistí infheistíochta ag ceannach thithe teaghlaigh. Homes are for living in. They are not asset portfolios. While a young couple in Waterford saves every cent for a deposit, vulture and investment funds can buy nine houses without even triggering the higher stamp duty rate. While families search in vain for a rental, entire estates are snapped up and rented back at inflated prices. This Government is choosing funds over families and people know it. The Government needs to wake up and take action. It needs to ban the bulk purchase of homes. Simon Harris once wrote that bulk purchasing of homes could not be tolerated.”
“In less than five years, house prices have risen by 47.7%. That is a failure of the Government of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. It is a failure to respond, a failure to intervene and a failure to deliver. Over 2,000 family homes, which is a conservative estimate, have been bulk purchased by investment funds since the Minister's claim they had stopped it. In Waterford today, there is not a single housing assistance payment, HAP, property to rent. House prices are up 10.7% in Waterford across city and country. The average price for a three-bedroom semi-detached house is €345,000. Families are being squeezed out of their own communities, while funds expand their portfolios. Méadaíodh praghsanna na dtithe beagnach 50% ó 2020. Tá na mílte tithe ceannaithe ag coistí infheistíochta.”
“This data is from the start of winter and, undoubtedly, things have become much worse during January and the first two weeks of February. When gas is counted, almost 500,000 households are in arrears. While families are being hammered, the Government seems to shrug its shoulders and play denial, saying it is not going into energy credits. We need to see it happen because families are struggling in my constituency, in the Taoiseach's constituency and in many others across the State.”
“We all accept the transition needed in our energy system. We need renewables and investment and we need to tackle climate change seriously, but we cannot balance climate ambition on the backs of working families. Most countries that are transitioning their energy production to renewable sources are now seeing decreases in the price of electricity. Why are Irish families not seeing that? Why are they still paying the third-highest household electricity prices in Europe? Why are more than 300,000 households now behind on their electricity bills? That is 70,000 more in arrears than this time last year. The difference is that the Government has pulled the energy credits. People are working flat out and still falling behind.”
“Ta géarghá anois le hinfheistíocht ní hamháin sna cheantair nach bhfuil meánscoil lánGhaeilge iontu ach freisin sna meánscoileanna lánGhaeilge atá ar an bhfód cheana féin.”
“Aontaím go hiomlán leis an méid atá ráite ag mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, i dtaobh na háiteanna nach bhfuil meánscoileanna lánGhaeilge iontu. Tá an-chuid de na meánscoileanna lánGhaeilge atá againn faoi bhrú i dtaobh foirgnimh agus spáis. Tá éileamh níos mó ann ná mar gur féidir leo freastal air de dheasca an easpa infheistíochta i bhfoirgnimh, suíomhanna agus a leithéid. Táim ag smaoineamh ar Ghaelcholáiste Phort Láirge i gcathair Phort Láirge, a bhfuil ag feidhmiú as prefabs le blianta anuas agus nach bhfuil baile dá chuid féin aige. Freastalaíonn an Ghaelcholáiste seo ar éileamh ó roinnt mhaith bunscoileanna lánGhaeilge sa cheantar - i dTrá Mhór, i gcathair Phort Láirge agus sa cheantar mághuaird.”
“We need those proper early warning systems, effective emergency responses and, crucially, that much-needed and long-awaited investment in flood relief measures that will protect homes and businesses. Finally, I want to point out the consistent lack of funding for road services and local authorities. It is causing havoc for our regional and local road networks. That is put in sharp relief when we see the emergence of potholes after adverse weather conditions. Areas that are not experiencing the worst cases of flooding are seeing spot flooding and increased amounts of surface water. The roads right across the State and right across County Waterford are in rag order. It is something that needs to be addressed.”
“In west Waterford and particularly in Tallow, Councillor Donnchadh Mulcahy and I have consistently raised the need for funding and delivery of the Tallow flood relief system where existing systems have failed residents. We welcome the start of a detailed flood investigation of West Street and the River Bride in Tallow and the OPW approval of funding under the minor flood mitigation works scheme last year. However, it has taken far too long to get to that point. I know the Minister will shortly receive advanced and updated flood relief plans for Passage East, Tallow and other parts of County Waterford. It is time to now translate those plans into action, with funding allocated and clear timelines put in place, because communities like Passage East and Tallow cannot continue to live with the fear of repeated flooding.”