Conor Murphy
Industrial and Commercial Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Given the complex legal issues the appeals would involve, such as the interaction of legal residency, habitual residency and social housing support, it would have been better to have one single, independent appeals office located within the Housing Agency, similar to how social welfare operates.”
“I move amendment No. 16: In page 16, after line 39, to insert the following: “(i) the household or members of the household were refused access to emergency homeless accommodation provided under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988”. I will speak to amendment Nos. 16 and 17.”
“I move amendment No. 19: In page 17, to delete lines 12 to 16 and substitute the following: “(6) A social housing appeal shall be made to an independent appeals office located within the Housing Agency within 28 days of the notification by the housing authority to the household concerned of the making of a determination in respect of the…”
“In relation to this Bill, the amendment seeks that the habitual residence conditions do not act as a barrier to those who have perhaps not worked here or have been resident here but have worked away for all of their lives and do not have a history of paying into the State or have a history of employment here but are Irish residents but pe…”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(5) Within twelve months of the commencement of this Bill the Minister for Housing shall lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the implications of Part 2 of the Bill for returning Irish migrants, and in particular those Irish citizens returni…”
“The intentions behind this Bill may well have been good but the delivery of it has left a lot to be desired. One of the issues that came up during dialogue has nothing to do with migrants but concerns people from Ireland who have been working away abroad all of their lives and with to come home to retire.”
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“I share Senator Boyhan's view that the great tribute we can pay to his memory is to continue that work on the undocumented and focus on the real challenge that people in America and other countries face. We should try to offer the type of support he did both in a public sense but in many instances in a very private understated sense as well. His contribution to his native city of Galway and his adopted home of Chicago are immense and have been well outlined by those who have spoken before me and rightly acknowledged by many, including the outgoing Uachtarán na hÉireann. Those personal linkages and the connections that were made between people are the cornerstone of how we relate to our diaspora.”
“Any of my Sinn Féin colleagues I spoke to have related many instances where he had quietly and discreetly assisted people from all over the island who are members of our diaspora in America. His contribution there has been rightly recognised. Although he secured US citizenship for himself, he did recognise a thing which is familiar to all of us, particularly those of us who have had the good fortune to travel not just to America but to other countries across the world, that precarious existence of people who are undocumented, that fear of the inability to properly live their lives, and to return home to reconnect with their families at times of great challenge at home. We have met many people who have told us such stories.”
“On behalf of the Sinn Féin group, I extend my sympathies to the wife and family of the former Senator Billy Lawless. I welcome those who have joined us in the Chamber. I am very pleased to see my old friend Ian Marshall back with us again, a very welcome visitor here and long may he continue to engage with us. I also acknowledge Billy's wider family in Galway and Chicago. I did not know Billy Lawless personally. I have only been in this Chamber since the start of this year. I am indebted to Senator McDowell for illustrating the many aspects of his life, some that I was familiar with through my own inquiries but also many that people were not perhaps as familiar with.”
“Real ambition for the future of this place would see active planning through the establishment of a citizens’ assembly on Irish unity, supported by appropriate budgets for the benefit of all who live here. In this time of great wealth for the State, the Government has chosen to concentrate that wealth in the hands of a few, while many will go without. Sinn Féin knows that this is the people's money, not the Government’s money. It should have been used to create a fairer society, one that was promised by the Government parties in their election manifestoes. Unfortunately, we are back to business as usual. Hard-pressed workers and families will continue to suffer from flawed Government policies. It could have been so much better.”
“Many economists have predicted the financial dividend that unity could bring, but the truth is that senior Government figures have set their face against that. They claim the time is not right to begin planning for unity, yet little is done to remove the obstacles to fulfilling the economic potential of our country. In saying that, I recognise today's announcement regarding the Derry-Dublin flight, although it has been a long time coming. Let us imagine the enhanced resilience and productivity of our economy with a single business sector, agri-sector, arts sector and tourism sector, the huge growth areas of retrofitting for the green economy and the development of renewable energy that simply makes no sense to address in a partitioned way.”
“We would have taken a different approach. We would raise tax receipts from banks, landlords and the wealthiest, those who can afford to pay, not hard-pressed families struggling to get by every week. We would abolish the universal social charge on the first €40,000 of income, phase out property tax, cut carbon taxes and increase the renter’s tax credit. We would scrap tax reliefs for landlords, increase the bank levy and introduce a solidarity tax of 3% on individual income above €100,000. These are choices we would make. These are fair measures. Unfortunately, the budget once again misses an opportunity to prioritise planning for the future through all-Ireland economic growth. The Government should really be working towards constitutional change that would turbocharge the national economy.”
“It will not be the first-time buyer looking to get out of their parents’ spare room, the family living for years in a hotel room, or the couple delaying starting a family because they have nowhere to live. No, it will be the developers and the investors laughing all the way to the banks, the same bailed-out banks that the Government refused to tax on their billion-euro profits. Sinn Féin would have made completely different choices. We put forward a €13.4 billion package, €4 billion more than the Government is offering. The vast majority of this would have been spent on providing houses for citizens. The fundamental difference is that this Government uses housing as a commodity, something to be bought and sold or rented for profit. Incredibly, the Government allocated only €1.3 billion for taxation measures.”
“These are just some of the things the Government could have done. Last month, the Government announced a target of reducing child poverty by 3% by 2030. No child in Ireland should be living in poverty. Successive Governments since the beginning of the State have failed to cherish all of the children of the nation. Unfortunately, the budget announced today is the latest in a long line of failed opportunities. Budgets are about choices - who to support and who to burden. For a century, the interests of the rich and powerful have trumped the interests of ordinary citizens and those working more and more just to stand still. However, the developers have not been forgotten in this budget. The Minister of State knows who will benefit from a decision to lower VAT on apartments.”
“In an economy that the Government says is resilient, even buoyant, the cold of the coming winter will bite hard as the Government cuts energy credits that people rely on. Record numbers are already in default on electricity payments. What does the Government think will be the outcome of removing energy credits? We know the pressures that people are under. We hear it all the time. In fact, during the last election campaign, this was the number one topic, yet it has not featured in this budget. In our alternative budget, we have costed a €2.5 billion suite of cost-of-living measures, including €450 in energy credits, a ban on rent increases, childcare fees of just €10 per child per day and a reduction in third level fees by €1,500 in 2026 while working towards complete abolition.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I regret I do not have much of the same sentiment about the budget as I heard in the statements from him or in the Dáil earlier. This is the first budget of the new coalition and it is easy to see from it that the election is very much in the rear-view mirror of the Government. It has managed to cling on with the help of Michael Lowry and his clique, so ordinary families and workers have now been forgotten. As prices at the tills soar, rents get higher and higher, childcare costs cripple families, insurance costs spiral out of control and energy costs face double-digit increases, the Government has not offered any cost-of-living package.”
“I acknowledge the support of Irish Embassy staff during that period. However, the activists on the flotilla correctly want the focus to remain on the plight of the Palestinian people. The vast majority of people support Palestine and want to see an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and full access to humanitarian aid. They want to see an end to the Israeli campaign to expel Palestinians from their land in the West Bank. Over ten years ago, the Dáil unanimously passed a Sinn Féin motion to recognise the State of Palestine, yet formal recognition was only announced in May of last year. If the Government is serious about supporting Palestinians and holding Israel to account, it could and should now fast-track the occupied territories Bill in full. It could ensure that this State never again invests in Israeli war bonds.”
“I will raise the kidnap and release yesterday of our fellow Seanadóir, my party colleague Chris Andrews. I am thankful he has been released. On 1 October, the boat Chris was travelling on, the Spectre , was illegally boarded by Israeli forces. Over the next two days, all boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla were intercepted. In total, 462 people, 16 of them Irish citizens, were illegally detained by armed Israeli forces in international waters while attempting to bring aid to Gaza. The flotilla was a peaceful humanitarian mission carrying food and humanitarian aid. Italy, Spain and Greece sent naval support to the flotilla. There was an observer boat on the flotilla. The Government could and should have sent representatives to help safeguard Irish citizens. Those illegally detained by Israel were kept in hostile and cruel conditions.”
“The flotilla should be allowed to continue its journey to provide much-needed humanitarian aid and that this in some way influences the Israeli Government to do what is necessary to allow humanitarian aid and to stop the genocide in Gaza and the attacks on those in the West Bank as well.”
“Members of the Houses are currently on the flotilla bring much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza. The vessel they were travelling on was attacked and hit four times last night by the Israeli Defence Forces. I ask that the Minister for State raise with her Cabinet colleagues, particularly the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and that they protest the framing of the flotilla by Israel as an aggressive action, which is providing the justification for ongoing attacks on those on the flotilla. I ask that the Tánaiste raise this matter and that the Cabinet speak with one voice on it, particularly given that Members of the Oireachtas are involved.”
“While there is a reference to the need for capital investment to support housing delivery, we need to see a real sense of recognition of some of the challenges that have been present for many years and that need to be taken seriously and addressed when setting the framework for the budget. Energy was not mentioned in the Minister's statement. He referred specifically to housing delivery and future economic growth. Energy costs have been at the heart of the cost-of-living crisis. They are not only an issue for households and families; they are also an economic issue for businesses trying to do business and for investment. Serious investment is needed in energy infrastructure to make sure that we have more access to renewable energy to bring energy costs down for the broad population and also to support economic growth.”
“Michelle Norris, professor of social policy at UCD and a member of the Housing Commission, criticised the Government's approach to spending on social housing as being highly problematic. She said that the boom-bust pattern of spending on social housing is socially problematic because when public spending fails, waiting lists and unmet social needs expand. Figures from last year from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, show that an additional 80,000 construction workers will be required to see through the State's infrastructure deficit. Those are real challenges.”
“Any attempt to frame budgets for this year or the following years needs to be in terms of consideration that need to be front and centre regarding the real challenges that people have been facing and continue to face at this time. The Minister referred to the importance of capital investment in economically strategic areas. I am sure many of those who live in the more rural areas will welcome the news that there will be a certain geographic focus in that. The question relates to supporting housing development, which continues to be well under the required level to assist people who are waiting to get housing built and to try to get access to housing for themselves and their families. At a meeting of the Oireachtas committee on housing yesterday, Dr.”
“I welcome the opportunity to comment on the statement made by the Minister. I notice that like myself, he is moving quickly from one place to another but I welcome the presence of his ministerial colleague. The important matter he raised was setting the framework of the budget and future budgets. There has to be a recognition in doing that, which was not alluded in his statement, of the challenges that families are currently facing, and have been for the past number of years, in relation to a range of matters. The cost-of-living crisis is being contributed to by high energy, food and rent costs and by lack of access to housing, and has only become exacerbated in recent times.”
“I urge the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, to work with the North's Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons, and meet Conradh na Gaeilge in order to understand the issues it continues to face and campaign for, and to support the campaign for those rights.”
“I sincerely hope that, this time, this effort will get it right. As I say, we will be able to make a full judgment on that. For our part, Sinn Féin will study the legislation that comes forward and will work and engage with families, victims' groups and activists in that regard to understand exactly what is being proposed here. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the thousands of people who went on the streets for the Cearta protest last Saturday for the Irish language, organised by Conradh na Gaeilge. It was genuinely a Thirty-two Counties of Ireland approach. People from all over the country protested for recognition and rights for Irish language.”
“If that is done, it will put meat on the bones of what has been produced by both Governments and give a very clear understanding as to whether this will do what the Labour Government in Britain has said it will do, that is, to undo the attempt of a previous British Government whose focus was entirely on its own actors in the conflict at the expense of truth and justice and closure for the very many families who were victims of it. I ask that the Tánaiste encourage the publication of the legislation as quickly as possible. I also ask that he continue to encourage that they engage with families, campaigning groups, lawyers and human rights activists who, for many years, have campaigned on these issues and who were, like all of us, pushed into despair at the approach of the previous British Government.”
“British Governments have continued over the years to frustrate proper inquiries into Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy and the present one is preventing the truth being uncovered in cases such as those of Pat Finucane and Sean Brown. The promise of both Governments in this regard is to return to something that people can buy into. I sincerely hope that is the case. It is imperative that the Leader ask the Tánaiste to ensure that we see the publication of the legislation to underpin this as soon as possible.”
“I echo the remarks on Bridget Doody. We had an opportunity to thank Martin Groves for his service a number of months back. Bridget was very supportive, particularly of us new Senators, and very patient with her advice and guidance. Cuirim fáilte roimh Martin Hughes and I look forward very much to working with him in the time ahead. Last Friday both Governments published a framework to address the legacy of conflict in the North. This was an attempt to undo some of the damage that Tory Governments had done over the previous 13 years. In 2014 all of the parties and both Governments negotiated a framework for dealing with legacy issues in the North. It was undone unilaterally by a British Government.”
“Let the Minister come here so that we can discuss the development plans for the centre of Dublin, the preservation of history, the opportunity which arises in terms of promoting the revolutionary history of the centre of Dublin and ensuring that the problems which we currently experience in our city centre are dealt with by proper, sensitive development which benefits communities and citizens of this country, and the potential for international visitors.”
“We do so because what attracts us to those cities is that they have preserved and developed that and are proud of their history and heritage and make sure it is something their own citizens can visit and understand as well as international visitors who want to come and see what the country is about. The idea that we would take some of the most iconic sites in this country's history and allow them to be developed for commercial entities and turned into what is normal in so many other bland city centres is very concerning. I would like the Leader to arrange a debate with the relevant Minister so that the Seanadoirí can have some input into this discussion.”
“My colleague, Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh, submitted a Bill four years ago which would give effect to such a development. That Bill has not received sufficient support to move forward. It is about conserving and sensitively developing the area around the GPO and Moore Street as far as Parnell Square into a cultural historic quarter for people. All of us who have had the privilege and the pleasure to go travelling around the world and visit other cities do so because we want to see the sites that forged the history and identity of those countries and those cities.”
“Given that just around the corner on Moore Street we are now ten years waiting for a proposal to be developed for a 1916 commemorative centre, it would, understandably, fill you with scepticism about how that would be developed. That is on the back of decision by the Government to support the development of Moore Street by a private developer rather than hand that battlefield site over for development more fitting to the history of that entire area. The regeneration of the centre of Dublin has to be grounded in a vision for progress. The master plan presented by the Moore Street Preservation Trust is worthy of Ireland's revolutionary heritage and one which will drive regeneration, jobs, housing and community revitalisation into the future.”
“I echo the comments of Senator O'Loughlin on the GAA visit. Of course they would like to visit the entirety of the GAA on the island and there is an additional complexity in getting into the North, which I know people are working on. It is hoped they will have success on that. I want to raise the issue of the GPO and the development plans for that. The GPO is one of the most significant places in the revolutionary history of this country. The idea that this historic building would be turned into shopping units and space for office corporations is absolutely shocking. There is a proposal, which I note, in the plans for a museum and a cultural centre at the GPO.”
“The recognition of the difficulty in accessing exemptions and the problems of people in accessing the redress scheme itself shows people who are living in an impossible situation are not receiving the support they deserve. I trust the Minister will engage with that. Property tax is an issue I have had to engage with in a previous position but is not one we have ever sought to support or create. There are better, fairer and more progressive alternative means of revenue-raising. Especially given the situation in this part of Ireland where the resources are there to do that, the Government should look again at the issue of property taxes.”
“Aside from the difficulty owners are experiencing with accessing the redress scheme, the Minister advised yesterday evening that only 1,000 properties have managed to avail of the exemption from property tax. It appears people who are understandably trying to do some running repairs on their homes when faced with the very obvious defects and dangers of the structures they are forced to live in can unwittingly put themselves outside the threshold of that exemption. I hope that is something in particular the Minister will look at. There will be further discussion here next week on some amendments to this. Amendments were put forward in the Dáil as well.”
“Sinn Féin has presented these proposals annually in our alternative budgets but they have yet to be taken up by governments. The exercise we are currently in to satisfy the revaluation process is a consequence of that political choice. Unfortunately, the inevitable outcome of this will be to increase, especially on some struggling families during a cost-of-living crisis, which the Government recognises with some other measures, though they are insufficient. That is more difficult to bear for people when they understand vulture funds, for instance, still do not pay taxes on their rental incomes as well as that rents are going up very significantly and house prices are spiralling out of control. An additional matter, which the Minister addressed in his opening contribution, is homes which are affected by defective concrete blocks.”
“They produced a very substantial report having engaged with all the political parties and a whole range of players. It included the prospect of income tax, among other fiscal powers, being transferred to the Executive. Unfortunately, political unionism does not believe in additional powers for the Executive and that is where the matter remains stuck. Therefore, though property tax is a proposal we have to engage with north of the Border, it is not one we have ever been supportive of and, as I said, we have proactively tried to examine alternatives to it and tried to promote them. The difference on this side of the Border is the Government has the ability and resources to phase out property tax while also funding local authorities with the revenue they would forgo.”
“These policies have crippled public services and restricted greatly the ability of the Executive in the North to provide services. Consequently, 10% of the Executive's income comes from property rates. That income is used to fund schools and hospitals as well as local government and a whole range of public services. While we recognise that placed a burden on householders and businesses, even though the tax was set progressively and there were significant exemptions, it was recognised this was not something we would have come to of our volition had it not been the system that was in place and it being the only option available. In my time as finance Minister I set up a fiscal commission with some very qualified people to look at alternative revenue-raising options for the Executive.”
“I welcome the Minister's presence in the Chamber. This is a challenging issue for any finance minister to deal with, but one that must be faced nonetheless. The political choices involved are undoubtedly helped by the fact of the significant resources currently in this State. I have had this challenge north of the Border as Minister of Finance. I must lay out at the start that it is a different set of circumstances. There are little or no alternative revenue-raising options for the Executive north of the Border except for a property tax, which is known as the rates. The North has operated in a context of austerity policies for the past 14 years and continues to do so, unfortunately, even with the new Labour government.”
“These reports are an invaluable source of credible research which are helping to shape the new Ireland debate, as are the remarks of Leo Varadkar and Wallace Thompson. I ask the Deputy Leader to reflect those remarks to the Government and ask for it to take serious action on supporting the preparation for the discussion on constitutional change. I also welcome the vote in the Dáil last night on extending voting rights to Irish citizens beyond this State in presidential elections. That was something which was recommended some 14 years ago and has yet to be acted on by various Governments since then. I would welcome, as would many citizens, particularly those of us living north of the Border, movement on this in the very near future.”
“He also said that building a new Ireland is the next step on a national journey and the project belongs to all who believe in it. Wallace Thompson also mentioned the importance of dialogue. He said there needs to be an internal discussion and a reaching out; it is a time for conversation. He went on to say the people from his community are not wanted by Britain. In recent years, the Seanad and the Dáil, through the Good Friday Agreement, have demonstrated the central role they have to play in promoting and advancing the debate around constitutional change and the special place the unionist and Protestant community have in that debate. Last year, the Good Friday Agreement committee published two comprehensive reports dealing with women, finance and economics in the transition to a new, united Ireland.”
“He has worked closely with DUP politicians and was a special advisor and speech writer. He is also an influential figure in evangelical Protestantism. I commend both Leo Varadkar and Wallace Thompson on their comments. Both have commented and spoken previously on the issue of a new Ireland and the potential for constitutional change. As before, there was a freshness, energy, openness and optimism in their remarks. At the centre of their views was a call for direct engagement by all those with influence who can inject additional momentum into the debates, the Irish Government and the main unionist parties in particular. Leo Varadkar specifically mentioned the setting up of a forum for parties interested in talking about unity. He hoped that at some point in this term of Government, that decision will be taken.”
“I concur with the views offered by Senators Fitzpatrick and McDowell on events in Palestine and the Middle East in general. Last weekend, two very important events coincidentally occurred which reflect the progress that has taken place with the constitutional debate on this country's future. On the one hand, the vision of a new, united Ireland was presented by the former Taoiseach and former leader of Fine Gael, Leo Varadkar, was presented at an event in St. Mary's University College, jointly organised by Ireland's Future and Féile an Phobail. On the other, a vision of the future was presented by Mr. Wallace Thompson in an interview with Denzil McDaniel in last Saturday's Irish News . Wallace Thompson is a founding member of the DUP and was an ardent supporter of the DUP leader, Ian Paisley.”
“The success she will have in these areas will mean success for a crucial part of our economy that there is a general sense we want to see grow and thrive. It is not just about supporting businesses. I come from a small business family myself and such businesses are critical right across the country. Their importance, however, relates to the stability of the longer term economic future of Ireland and our reliance on our own indigenous entrepreneurship, the need to support it and make sure it grows, and to ensure it becomes more productive in the time ahead. I wish the Minister of State well.”
“We cannot talk about supporting small businesses without discussing key issues, such as infrastructure, housing, sky-high energy costs and the need to build North-South trade on the island rather than using what is an emerging crisis of economic instability to row back on commitments to pensions, the minimum wage and sick leave. We do not need a race to the bottom in terms of wages and working conditions. We need to control those issues and invest in our infrastructure and supports for small and medium enterprises. We must build up that level of productivity and have a whole-of-government approach to supporting small businesses and protecting our enterprise economy. I wish the Minister of State well.”
“As I said, the geopolitical and economic issues we are facing reinforce the absolute urgency of building up this sector. We are vulnerable in that we have a high level of multinationals. We do not know what may roll out in respect of tariffs and further global economic uncertainty. The more we can build up the smaller industrial base in particular, the more stability, strength and depth there will be across the economy. It is good to speak about these issues but we want affirmative action. We have overly bureaucratic and burdensome support schemes, as was referenced by other Senators. That is, time and again, shackling our SMEs and denying them the support that such schemes are intended to deliver.”
“That need was epitomised by the EU regional competitiveness index, which showed that Ireland ranks quite far down the list. There is much work to be done to improve the situation. If we want to match our ambition for entrepreneurship, microbusinesses, SMEs and family businesses, we need the State economic agencies, namely, Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise offices, to be expanded in terms of their roles. We also need greater use of funding for Microfinance Ireland, MFI, and Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, funding schemes so that small businesses can access flexible credit. As I said, the spirit of the motion is correct in giving support to that important sector. However, we need more definitive and affirmative actions.”
“Our high dependency on large multinationals is starting to expose a vulnerability in our economy that needs to be made up by a proactive approach to supporting and growing indigenous businesses, the small and medium enterprises, family businesses and microbusinesses, and ensuring they get to a place of productivity. It has long been recognised that larger companies tend to be more productive because they can afford to invest in innovation and research and development. They can afford to develop the skills of the workforce, which is a bigger challenge for smaller businesses. It is difficult to manage a business and do that at the same time. We need a programme to ensure we can drive productivity in small and medium enterprises.”
“I welcome the motion and the amendment. It is timely that we begin to pursue the conversation about small and medium enterprises and microbusinesses, which, as others have said, make up the vast bulk of economic activity across the country and account for some 90% of employment across the State. We need to move quickly beyond the conversation to more affirmative action. There is, and has been for some time, a need to grow a productive, indigenous, industrial base of microbusinesses, SMEs and family business in high-quality, high-wage and high-productivity sectors. The economy has become unbalanced. That is even more stark with the recent economic shocks we have seen and the tariffs.”
“I ask the Leader to encourage the Tánaiste to lend his weight to immediately gathering all parties around the table to get some momentum into this project at last and get the stadium built as quickly as possible.”
“It has deprived a new generation of sports people in Antrim and Ulster generally of the opportunity to play in Casement Park. I know that the announcement of the amount the British Government will contribute should take into consideration, as the Tánaiste has said, the generosity of the Government here in Dublin. It should also allow the Executive in Belfast to reconsider the inflationary impact of the years of non-development of the site and the GAA to consider what increase it could make to its contribution. This project has been delayed for far too long. The impact the venue's absence on sport in County Antrim, Belfast and further afield across Ulster and Ireland has been keenly felt. The potential economic contribution that such a stadium would make to the city of Belfast and to the island generally should not be underestimated.”
“Unfortunately, this is not unique to Ballymena. It has been seen across Ireland. Accusations and incidents have been used to whip up racial hatred. At one time it used to be sectarian hatred but now it is racial hatred. Nonetheless, it needs to be confronted wherever it manifests itself. On a hopefully more positive note regarding County Antrim, the British Government today will announce its contribution to the Casement Park funding. I ask the Leader to engage with the Tánaiste on this. I know that he has had some engagement with the Government already. It will hopefully be the catalyst that will allow all parties to come around the table with a clear knowledge of what is required to build the stadium, which has been outstanding for so many years.”
“I express my condemnation of the racially motivated violent scenes that we have seen in Ballymena over the last couple of nights. It is very clear that rather than let the justice system run its course and deal with accusations of sexual assault and attempted rape, others have used them to stir up racial hatred in Ballymena and attack very vulnerable communities who are making a significant economic contribution to the town and the surrounding area. It has got to the stage where we have vulnerable people posting their identities on their doors in the hope that their homes and property will not be attacked or burned. It is time for some politicians in the area to dial down the rhetoric and to allow the authorities to deal with this matter and for leadership to be shown in terms of protecting very vulnerable communities in the area.”
“I look forward to seeing the action plan that will emerge in the short time ahead. I apologise that I will not be able to stay to hear the response of the Minister - I have to meet the Minister for Finance again at the finance committee. Like many others, I am jumping into committee duties while continuing my dealings in the Seanad. I know from previous engagements with the Minister that, as has already been said, he is very accessible in regard to these matters. I look forward to continued discussion with him in the time ahead.”
“That investment will undoubtedly be an investment for the future and will assist our overall capacity to improve the infrastructure of the country and provide for our citizens who live here. In that sense - I made the same point to the Minister for Finance earlier - we have to consider the potential of the all-Ireland economy. The growth in that regard has been organic. There has been sevenfold growth since the Good Friday Agreement was signed. The ability of businesses to expand further and be supported could create even more diversity in the economic model and help to sustain us during future economic shocks that might come along by building up our own infrastructure in terms of business on the island and the hard infrastructure itself. These are all challenges that can be met.”