Cormac Devlin
Dún Laoghaire · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“That brings me to the fiscal implications. Members will have noticed that the estimates vary enormously. In 2025, researchers at Dublin City University and Ulster University published the first peer-reviewed study of the cost of unity over its first ten years. They put the cost in year one at approximately €3 billion.”
“There are also gaps that we can start closing now through greater co-operation and engagement. Second, we should build prosperity in the meantime. The Government has announced €377 million in new shared island investment across 12 cross-Border projects.”
“It benefits communities North and South today, irrespective of the constitutional future people choose tomorrow. It is important that we recognise the success of that co-operation today. The third point is that we must keep asking the right questions.”
“I welcome the debate and the contributions from all Members of the House, as well as the varying views. As Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I believe this is exactly the type of debate and discussion that we should be having in this House.”
“The studies make different assumptions about pensions and the UK national debt, and very different assumptions about how quickly the Northern economy could grow and converge with our own. That is the honest position. The true scale of the cost is yet unknown. Anyone who claims certainty on the figure is not being straight with anybody.”
“We should certainly do what we can now, and I am suggesting three things. First, we should build an evidence base. Much reference has been made today to the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, which has published extensive research on two economies, two labour markets, education, health and other areas.”
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“I thank the Tánaiste for his response. Will the items we discussed today, namely, the commissioning, operational timelines, berthing arrangements and twinning with Dún Laoghaire, be actively considered? Will his officials engage directly with me on the next steps? I express my own gratitude to the men and women of our Defence Forces for their continued service and bravery, both at home and abroad. Given today is the 75th anniversary for our Civil Defence, I congratulate it on its service here in Ireland.”
“This is something the town and the wider hinterland would be very eager to support. I would appreciate a commitment to keep me briefed on this matter as it progresses.”
“I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. The strategic positioning of those inland patrol vessels in Dún Laoghaire would allow for increased patrol and coverage, particularly along the eastern and south-eastern coast, and would help address the ongoing pressures the Naval Service is experiencing. I raised this matter consistently in the last Dáil with the Tánaiste's predecessors. Until the former flagship, the LÉ Eithne was decommissioned it had been twinned with Dún Laoghaire throughout her long and distinguished career. I now formally request that the Government consider one, or ideally both, of the new vessels be twinned with Dún Laoghaire Harbour again. This will not only continue a proud, local naval tradition but will also help to cement the harbour's future role as a permanent hub for the Naval Service.”
“Last October the then Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin, approved the berthing of the newly refurbished and purchased inshore patrol vessels, the LÉ Aoibhinn and the LÉ Gobnait, at Dún Laoghaire Harbour. Will the Tánaiste update the House on the timeline for these vessels being fully commissioned and fully operational, and the current status on discussions between his Department and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council regarding the berthing and their long-term presence in the harbour?”
“Frustratingly this is not the first time I have raised this issue in the House and I hope the Minister will work to deal with this culture. At the national level, the HSE must ensure all hospitals have effective oversight of surgical innovations. Consideration should be given to establishing an independent patient safety commissioner as the UK has done. The Minister must also ensure HIQA and the HPRA are properly empowered to intervene earlier. Let us remember the human cost behind this report and all this scandal. Children who were already facing serious health challenges were put in danger. Parents have had their trust shattered. Irish children deserve the highest standard of care. We must rebuild trust in CHI and across our health service through honesty, accountability and excellence in governance.”
“In response to its own scandals, the UK strengthened governance frameworks, empowered regulators like the Care Quality Commission and introduced a patient safety commissioner. Ireland must adopt similarly robust reforms. I fully endorse HIQA’s nine recommendations for CHI and nine for the wider health service. These include overhauling CHI’s governance structures, establishing a clinical innovation approval process, tightening medical device procurement oversight, embedding a culture of safety and ethical practice and ensuring transparency and regular public reporting. The culture of paternalist secrecy in the medical sector also needs to be overturned. Patients and parents must be given access to their information.”
“Furthermore, there were long-standing issues with communication, team dynamics and a lack of a formal multidisciplinary team structure. The environment did not encourage open discussion or questioning and this enabled one surgeon’s ill-considered idea to bypass all institutional safeguards. Tragically, our healthcare system is not alone in facing such failures. In the UK, Great Ormond Street Hospital was recently found to have allowed an orthopaedic surgeon to carry out "inappropriate and unnecessary" operations that left children in chronic pain. These findings are shockingly parallel. Both cases show a rogue element of clinical practice persisting unchecked and families not being fully informed or heard.”
“This amounted to an unethical trial on children, which is a breach of trust and of medical ethics of the highest order. HIQA’s review identified systemic failures at every stage of CHI’s processes that allowed this catastrophe to unfold. Controls that should have safeguarded children were glaringly absent or ignored. There were numerous missed opportunities to catch and prevent the use of these springs. The HIQA report damningly concluded "children were not protected from the risk of harm". The report shines a light on deeper governance issues within CHI where there appears to be a deeply dysfunctional culture. HIQA found CHI’s management structures to be overly complex and unclear. The board of CHI was evidently not aware of what was happening on the ground in Temple Street until it was far too late.”
“In a small number of complex surgery cases involving three children between 2020 and 2022 a surgeon implanted metal springs that were not medically approved. These springs were not CE-marked as required by EU safety regulations and were made of a material known to corrode inside the human body. This was, as HIQA unequivocally stated, wrong and should never have happened. Shockingly, no ethical approval was sought from any research ethics committee for this novel, experimental technique, nor was there any sign-off from senior management for using these implants on children. Families were not properly informed that this was an experimental or new procedure and the request for parental consent failed to disclose the true nature of the surgery.”
“I welcome the opportunity to address the profoundly disturbing findings of the HIQA report published on 8 April 2025 into Children's Health Ireland, CHI. The revelation of governance and clinical failures at CHI, particularly at Temple Street hospital, is beyond comprehension and demands our urgent attention. We have learned that extremely vulnerable children were subjected to unapproved and dangerous surgical practices. It is our duty, on behalf of those children and their families, to ensure accountability for what has happened and to highlight the reforms needed to prevent any such travesty from ever occurring again. The HIQA investigation lays bare a chain of failures in CHI’s governance, clinical practice and medical device oversight.”
“We need to continue to build stronger pipes to allow for cleaner water and a future where Dublin Bay is swimmable, homes are buildable and taps flow freely from Sutton to Sandycove and beyond.”
“Third, we must expedite the reform of An Bord Pleanála so that strategic infrastructure can be approved in a timely manner. Projects such as the WSP and GDD take five to ten years from design to completion. Certainty in planning is critical to cost control and delivery. Fourth, we must review the national development plan to ensure that capital investment matches our revised housing targets and not the other way around. We must also enhance collaboration. Uisce Éireann must continue working with public representatives, local authorities, public health professionals, EPA and communities to align infrastructure with actual growth, not just projections. Let us not use this moment to assign blame or play party politics with water. The issue is too serious for that.”
“It will create a new regional wastewater treatment facility serving north Dublin, Meath and Kildare. The planning decision is now with An Bord Pleanála. We need that decision urgently. Every delay impacts water quality and public confidence. What needs to happen? First, we need to complete and fund the eastern and midlands water supply project, WSP. This €4.6 billion to €6 billion project will source water from the Shannon river, as the Minister outlined, supplying 2.5 million people and freeing up Liffey water for surrounding counties. Second, we must prioritise investment in wastewater networks. Too many communities still discharge untreated water, which is unacceptable in 2025. We must bring all schemes and networks into compliance with EU law.”
“A second critical challenge is wastewater. As the Minister will be aware, Dublin Bay is a natural treasure. It is part of our tourism identity and environmental heritage. It has prided itself on being the biosphere for Dublin, and that is worked on across three local authorities in the capital. However, the Environmental Protection Agency has flagged persistent water quality issues linked to sewage overflows and outdated infrastructure. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, we are particularly sensitive to these issues. Bathing waters like Sandycove, Seapoint and the Forty Foot are regularly monitored, and occasionally closed, due to these overflows during storms. The greater Dublin drainage, GDD, project, with its €1.2 billion budget, is designed to fix that.”
“This is the largest investment ever in our water infrastructure. However, investment alone is not enough because demand is outpacing delivery. Let us take housing, for instance. We have an ambitious Government programme targeted at increasing housing supply. All too often, however, developments are delayed, not just by planning objections but also by infrastructural constraints. We must remember that no pipes equal no homes. Statutory timelines for water connections are being introduced, which is very welcome. We need to go further, however, ensuring pre-planning co-ordination between developers, planners and Uisce Éireann on projects of 100 units or more. The small towns and villages growth programme must be expanded, particularly to unlock infill housing and social development in rural and coastal areas.”
“We simply do not have the supply capacity to meet the demands of our growing economy and housing needs. That is not a forecast; it is a fact. Now, to be clear, progress is being made. Between 2020 and 2024, Uisce Éireann invested more than €5 billion upgrading infrastructure nationwide. In 2023 alone, it completed works on 42 new or upgraded wastewater treatment plants and nine water treatment plants and laid hundreds of kilometres of new mains. The Government has backed this effort. For 2025, Uisce Éireann has received €2.2 billion in Exchequer funding, including €514 million in equity investment from budget 2025. A new strategic funding plan has been approved, with €16.9 billion being completed by 2029, of which €10.3 billion is for capital investment and €6.6 billion for operations.”
“I will speak about the issue that flows through every aspect of our daily lives, that is, our water infrastructure. Water is not just a utility. It is a cornerstone of public health, economic growth, environmental protection and housing development. Yet, across our capital, including in my constituency of Dún Laoghaire and in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area, the very system we rely on is under growing strain, as the Minister has alluded to. Let us begin with the reality that 1.7 million people in the greater Dublin area currently depend on the River Liffey for approximately 85% of their water. This single-source dependency is unsustainable. It leaves us vulnerable to drought, contamination and population pressures. Uisce Éireann has rightly called this a lack of resilience.”
“If negotiations fail, we will stand with our EU partners in defending our economic interests proportionately, firmly and fairly. This is not just about trade. It is about the kind of world we want to build, one where rules matter, co-operation triumphs over compulsion and shared prosperity remains our common goal.”
“Let us be clear that these tariffs will not just land on the ledgers of European exporters. They will also show up in the monthly budgets of millions of American families. They will raise the cost of medicine, squeeze small businesses and pause investment, some of which unfortunately has already begun. They threaten to unravel what has long been a success story, the deeply integrated, mutually beneficial EU-US trading relationship. In Ireland and across Europe, we believe in enterprise. We believe in fair trade and we believe in negotiation, because that is how responsible nations resolve disputes, not with tariffs but with dialogue. That is why Ireland strongly supports the EU's readiness to sit down at the table today, tomorrow, whenever the US is ready to talk seriously. However, while we hope for peace, we must prepare for pushback.”
“I welcome the opportunity to discuss the imposition of US tariffs on Ireland and the European Union. I will echo the Taoiseach. There is no justification for the imposition of these tariffs, none whatsoever. What we are witnessing is not simply a policy misstep, it is a backwards step. These tariffs will hurt businesses, workers and families on both sides of the Atlantic. My constituency of Dún Laoghaire is home to high-value exporters from fintech to pharmaceutical innovators who ship directly to the United States. I know the harm these tariffs will cause. Some 80% of our pharma exports to the US are not finished goods. They are critical components of the American supply chains, parts of the global engine that makes healthcare work. Now that engine is being clogged by policy rooted in protectionism, not partnership.”
“I spoke about Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard. They have been spoken about quite often in this Chamber, but it is worth noting that there has been a step change in the approach in those areas and that this is yielding a benefit, especially for young people. I welcome this discussion. It is important to have it, but the follow-up will be important too.”
“However, what is important in the context of this debate is that the Minister and Department listen to youth leaders and youth development workers on the ground who know the challenges that exist, particularly in some critical areas, when it comes to the need to focus and tailor programmes to ensure there is a response to the communities. Every community has different needs and it is also important for the Government to be able respond to those individual needs. As I mentioned in the context of sport, in some communities there is a need to invest in sport. For those harder to reach groups and children, it is also important that supports and youth diversion programmes are available, be they through An Garda or youth work as they are invaluable in that regard. I commend the work that is being done by the Minister and the Department.”
“It is tailored, localised and grounded in the belief that with the right support, every child can choose the right path. In Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard, as many of us in this Chamber know, the community has faced difficult and high-profile challenges, but it has also shown tremendous resilience. This Government has listened. Through increased Garda visibility, the expansion of youth services and the continued funding of local youth diversion programmes, we are supporting community-led solutions that foster hope and change. Myriad supports exist for youth diversion, and that is welcome. Investment has increased, and that is also welcome.”
“These projects now extend beyond intervention. They reach out to children as young as eight. They engage families, schools, and harder to reach young people. We are also tackling the problem at the root. I will make a brief comment about the Greentown Project, whose early impact has been described by front-line youth workers in Dublin as transformative. By disrupting the power of criminal networks and replacing coercion with connection, it is giving vulnerable children real alternatives. We have also taken strong legislative action in this regard. I particularly welcome the inclusion of Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard in the six pilot areas for the joint commissioning process, a collaborative approach that brings services together around the individual needs of at-risk children and their families. This is not a one-size-fits-all strategy.”
“I agree with colleagues, especially on sport and youth diversions of all different types. Sport plays a huge role in this regard. I agree with my colleague that the council in our county has a lot of capital and that using some of it to fund recreational spaces would help enormously to facilitate the clubs he been mentioned. There is a huge growth in youth sport, but it needs to be supported by the council. In Dublin, where urban pressures often heighten the risk, the role of these projects is even more critical and we are backing that support with serious funding. Since 2020, the budget for youth justice measures has risen from €18 million to €33 million in budget 2025. This is not just an increase in funding; it is a statement of intent. It says to every child, parent and community leader that we are on their side.”
“The Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Act 2024 makes it clear that grooming children into criminality is not just morally reprehensible, it is also illegal and punishable by law. This sends a strong message to gangs operating in Dublin and elsewhere that their days of hiding behind children with impunity are over. Just as we demand accountability, we are modernising how we monitor impact. Through strategic partnership with the University of Limerick and reforms to the Children Act under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, we are building a smarter, more effective youth justice system that ensures transparency, evidence and results. Let us be clear in saying that youth criminality is not inevitable. With the right investment, interventions and intent, it is preventable.”
“That is not how democracy works. We cannot allow reckless disruption to derail this House. I urge all responsible Members to stand for stability, responsible governance and confidence in the Ceann Comhairle. Let us move forward and deliver for the people of Ireland.”
“The amendments to the Standing Orders were passed by a decisive 21-vote majority – 95 to 74. The sole focus of the Members opposite has been obstruction rather than governance. At a time Ireland is facing massive tariffs and potentially an economic war, they have caused chaos here in this Chamber over the past several weeks. The Ceann Comhairle was elected by a democratic majority and has upheld her solemn obligation fairly and impartially. The Clerk of the Dáil confirmed proceedings were conducted properly and false accusations of bias and collusion are completely unfounded. The Government is rightly committed to tackling real issues – housing, health and economic security – while the Opposition fixates on political theatrics. Sinn Féin has yet to introduce legislation in this new Dáil term. The Opposition seeks to rule by veto.”
“At a time Ireland faces significant challenges that demand leadership, stability and vision, it is disgraceful that the Opposition has chosen the path of political theatrics over substantive solutions. The Opposition's motion is nothing more than a political stunt aimed at undermining the Government rather than addressing the real challenges that lie ahead. Its behaviour last week was outrageous, involving bullying and intimidating the Ceann Comhairle along with the Oireachtas staff in this Chamber when they did not get their own way. They respect democracy only when it suits them. Their orchestrated disruption was a deliberate strategy to prevent legitimate Dáil business, not just on the Standing Orders, though, but also on the day the Taoiseach was meant to be elected.”
“I join my colleague Deputy Ryan O'Meara in his words of sympathy and his praise for John O'Meara and his family on taking the case with such persistence. It was not easy, I have no doubt. In memory of Michelle, we should always remember that here.”
“It is about recognising and respecting the reality of modern relationships and ensuring that our laws reflect the principles of equality, fairness and compassion. Fianna Fáil fully supports the Bill and I hope that all Members of the Oireachtas will do likewise. By passing this legislation, we are not only upholding the Supreme Court's ruling but also delivering a vital reform that will make a real difference to the lives of bereaved partners and their families. Let us stand together in ensuring that no grieving partner is left without support. I commend the Minister and his officials on the work they have done in a very short time in bringing this Bill to the House. The Bill will make our social welfare fairer and more inclusive for all.”
“For example, in cases of relationship breakdown or marital dissolution prior to bereavement, entitlement will be carefully assessed to prevent misuse while ensuring fairness for genuine claimants. It is important to acknowledge that extending bereavement benefits to qualifying cohabitants will have financial implications for the State. This is not, however, an undue burden; rather, it is a necessary investment in fairness and social protection. The financial security provided by this pension can prevent hardship, reduce reliance on other social welfare payments and support families through difficult transitions. Ultimately, this measure will contribute to a more equitable society in which all those who suffer the loss of a partner are treated with dignity and respect. This Bill is about doing what is right.”
“It provides for an effective framework for determining qualification, using the existing legal definition of cohabitation. The requirement of either two years with children or five years without is in line with the provisions of the civil partnership Act 2010 and will maintain the integrity of the system. Furthermore, the Bill introduces necessary legislative changes to align other social welfare provisions with this extension, including amendments to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. These updates ensure consistency across the system and prevent any ambiguity regarding eligibility or entitlement. The legislation also provides safeguards to address complex cases.”
“The ruling exposed a gap in our legislation, a gap that this Bill seeks to close. We must acknowledge that relationships and family structures have evolved. Today many couples choose not to marry but still share their lives, finances and responsibilities in the same way as those who are married. When one partner passes away, the surviving partner often faces significant financial challenges, many of which we have heard about today, particularly if they were dependent on their loved one's income. This Bill ensures that the bereaved partners, regardless of their marital status, have access to essential financial support to help them navigate life after loss. The Bill carefully balances fairness with practicality by applying clear eligibility criteria.”
“Contributory pension payments will be backdated to 22 January 2024, the date of the Supreme Court judgment. Additionally, qualifying cohabitants will have access to the bereaved parent's grant and the bereaved partner's non-contributory pension. This approach reflects the legal recognition of cohabiting relationships under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. It aligns our social welfare system with the evolving nature of modern families and ensures that support is provided fairly. The Supreme Court ruling in the case of John O'Meara v . The Minister for Social Protection was a landmark. The court recognised that denying bereavement benefits to long-term cohabitants, particularly those with dependent children, was discriminatory.”
“Committed relationships, where two people build a life together, share responsibilities and in many cases raise children, must be acknowledged in our social welfare system. This legislation will provide financial protection for those who find themselves bereaved, ensuring they are not left vulnerable during an already difficult time. The Bill proposes to extend the bereaved partner's contributory pension to qualifying cohabitants, ensuring they have access to the financial support previously reserved for those who were legally married or in a civil partnership. Under this Bill, surviving cohabitants who lived together for two years or more and had children together will qualify for the pension. Those who lived together for five years or more, irrespective of children, will also qualify.”
“I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025. The Bill represents an essential and long-overdue step in ensuring fairness and equality in our social welfare system. Fianna Fáil welcomes the Bill, which arises as a direct response to the Supreme Court ruling that recognised the exclusion of cohabiting partners from the widow's, widower's and surviving civil partner's contributory pension as unconstitutional. This decision was based on the fundamental principle of equality under Article 40.1 of our Constitution. We know that grief does not discriminate based on marital status. The pain of losing a life partner is not confined to those who were legally married.”
“It has played and can continue to play a vital and supportive contributing role in An Garda Síochána. I am look forward to working with the Minister of State as we deal with the challenges facing our communities and cities, particularly here in Dublin.”
“This has been the subject of many debates in this House and there have obviously been attempts to bring in legislation on it. If there is ambiguity and if it cannot be achieved through the sentencing guidelines then we should introduce primary legislation to deal that aspect of the courts and the legislation that exists. The public have the right to be safe and feel safe as they go about their business in their communities, in the city centre and on public transport. This has been an acute problem for quite some time here in Dublin. The answer is more gardaí out and about in our communities. I welcome the Minister’s confirmation Garda numbers will increase by 5,000 members over the next five years. We also need to see an increase in Garda Reserve numbers.”
“I welcome the opportunity to discuss policing and community safety. I wish the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, well in his appointment as Minister for Justice. He has certainly had a very strong start and I welcome his fresh approach to his very challenging portfolio. I welcome the Minister’s ambition to introduce the new legislation which will support our gardaí and give them the tools they need to carry out their job. I support changes to the stop-and-search rules, reforming bail laws and the introduction of facial recognition technology, which should have been introduced in the last term. In particular, I strongly support the proposal to ensure anyone convicted of a crime while out on bail receives a consecutive sentence for that crime.”
“Finally, while not directly connected with the commission's report, I urge the Minister to consider increasing the thresholds for social housing support and the first-time buyer's schemes to bring them in line with recent changes to inflation. I wish both Ministers well in their work.”
“I disagree with the Housing Commission recommendation to stop some home ownership routes, such as the ending of the tenant purchase scheme for local authority tenants. As I have previously said in this House, home ownership has social benefits beyond underlying cost and it should be supported by the State. I also disagree with the proposals, including those from the Opposition today, to end first-time buyers supports, such as the help-to-buy scheme. These supports are essential. We also need to see an extension to the vacant and derelict home scheme. A new category for extremely derelict buildings is necessary to encourage people to take on these types of properties in our towns and villages.”
“The priority, however, must be on the delivery of affordable housing for the squeezed middle; affordable housing to rent and affordable housing to buy for working people on middle incomes. These households are burdened with the highest rents and significant taxes. They need to be supported by the State. The current situation is not acceptable and it is delaying people settling down and starting families, which has its own social and personal cost. Turning to my constituency of Dún Laoghaire, we have had significant progress on housing delivery, particularly with the 597-unit Shanganagh development in Shankill. We need to see more affordable housing, however, particularly for key workers. Sites are available and I will work with the Minister to see these projects are delivered.”
“We believe home ownership creates a positive social benefit beyond the underlying financial costs of accommodation and as such, should be prioritised and supported by the State. Other parties favour models where families rent indefinitely from AHBs. That may suit some but most Irish people, when asked, aspire to home ownership. Fianna Fáil supports the aspiration and our policies will be guided by this core principle. Housing for All has significantly ramped up social housing with more than 42,000 social houses being delivered since 2020. This is particularly the case where local authorities are engaged with Housing for All schemes, such as in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, where we are seeing lists moving for the first time in a generation. This delivery needs to be continued and increased.”
“As in 2016 and 2020, increasing the supply of housing remains the critical issue. The Housing for All scheme was transformative in creating multiple pathways to housing for people across Ireland. It involved a radical structural adjustment in the housing market, with the State becoming the key player in housing delivery. Many of the legislative changes introduced that are now facilitating housing delivery, were opposed by members of the Opposition. While members of the Opposition are entitled to oppose Government policy, they must be honest too about their own vision for the housing market and the impact it will have on home ownership rates. Providing a route to home ownership has always been a core policy of Fianna Fáil.”
“I welcome the opportunity to examine the report prepared by the Housing Commission. I also welcome Deputy Browne's appointment as Minister for housing. I have no doubt he will carry on the transformative agenda started by his predecessor, Deputy O'Brien. The Housing Commission report is based over two years of deliberation by the commission and includes 83 recommendations, together with hundreds of suggested actions. Clearly, this is a significant piece of work and I thank the members of the commission for their efforts. As noted by colleagues from across the House, the report is very much a benchmark that provides a series of policy options for improving the State housing plan, Housing for All. Many of the suggestions in the report are welcome, and as the Minister noted, the Department is already implementing many of them.”
“The Tánaiste and the Minister of State referred to Irish-Ukrainian co-operation on the parliamentary friendship group. Co-operation is essential to provide support to build bomb shelters in schools. That is quite a scary sentence to say in this day and age but, unfortunately, it is what is required in Ukraine. The EU must also act much more quickly on Ukraine's candidacy, to ensure that it becomes a full, participating member of the EU. Ireland will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine until a lasting, sustainable peace has been achieved.”
“I witnessed first hand the devastation and human suffering wrought on Kyiv and other cities by Russia. Homes, schools, crèches, businesses, community centres and industries were all targeted and destroyed during the Russian invasion. Attacks on civilians have continued through Russia’s drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. A feature of my interactions with Ukrainian people in Kiev, both in my constituency of Dún Laoghaire and here today, has been their thanks to the Irish people for our generosity over the past three years. Irish people have welcomed them into their homes, schools and communities. At the march last Sunday, "Thank you, Ireland" was chanted continuously. We heard that message. We thank the Ukrainian people for their support and their engagement in Ireland.”
“I welcome the opportunity to examine the situation in Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. I acknowledge the presence of H.E. Larysa Gerasko, and the members of the Ukrainian community who have travelled from all corners of Ireland to be here today. You are all most welcome. Three years on, it is more important than ever to stress our steadfast support for the people of Ukraine, and our strong commitment to helping them achieve a just and sustainable peace based on the principles of the UN charter. The terms and conditions for any peace agreement must be in line with these principles. There can be no agreement on Ukraine without Ukraine. It is for the people of Ukraine to chart their own future. I visited Ukraine in August 2022 as part of a parliamentary delegation from across Europe.”
“I turn to my constituency of Dún Laoghaire. I acknowledge the great work being done by people working for service providers such as St. John of God and also everyone working in school communities across my area. However, greater supports need to be provided to these front-line workers. We also need to see movement on waiting lists for assessments and therapies. They are far too long and this is having an impact on children and their families. Finally, I would like to raise the need to increase capital budgets to provide more dedicated residential care settings. The problem is particularly acute in south County Dublin because there is a cluster of families living in the close confines of service providers. I wish the Minister and her officials well as they go about their important work over the coming term.”