Darren O'Rourke
Meath East · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“It is a statement of fact that in recent years we have seen a reduced number of classroom teachers. Budget 2026 led to the removal of 498 classroom teachers, a net reduction of 381 when one looks at the gains. The year 2025-26 saw a reduction of 290 and 2024-25 a reduction of 237. That has a real impact.”
“It has created duplication, inefficiency and a barrier to our natural prosperity. It has left the North underfunded by Westminster’s austerity and battered by the chaos of Brexit while the South has suffered from a fractured market and a divided island. We are both less than we could be. Irish unity is not a burden; it is an investment.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on statements on the fiscal implications of Irish unity. We hear people tell us Irish unity is a cost we cannot afford but the truth of the matter is partition is the cost we have already paid for for a century and more, and it is a price that is too high.”
“I thank the Minister. She said from November that 97% of posts were filled. In real terms at the same time, 996 teaching posts were unfilled, which is almost 1,000. Figures as recent as last week tell us that over 39,000 primary school students were in classes of 30 pupils or more in the past school year.”
“Again, we have those figures from a briefing we had with the Department as recently as yesterday. It is all welcome progress but the question I am asking today is what is the unmet need as things stand? How many children do not have an offer of a school place?”
“I wish the staff and the Minister all the best for the summer. I know it will be a busy summer but I hope that everyone gets a break. I ask the Minister to state the number of children with additional needs who require but have yet to receive an offer of an appropriate school place for September 2026, based on her most recent meeting with…”
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“They do not include children being homeschooled while awaiting a place, children undertaking excessively long and burdensome daily journeys or children placed in settings that are inappropriate, such as in mainstream while waiting for a special class or in a special class while waiting for a special school. This failure to invest, plan and deliver has left hundreds of children behind. It is compounded by a support system in crisis. The recent EPSEN Act review revealed profound dissatisfaction, with nearly half of parents describing their contact with the NCSE as unhelpful or very unhelpful. The widespread denial of essential SNA support through what amounts to an undeclared cap is causing severe hardships. Delays in clarifying SNA and SET allocations are destabilising schools and causing untold anxiety.”
“The Equality in Education campaign has identified at least 168 children who have an offer but who cannot take it up due to delays in essential building works or school transport. It is an offer on paper that is, in fact, a cruel illusion in reality. Is uafásach é sin. Numerous families, exhausted and abandoned by the State, have been forced to initiate legal proceedings to secure a basic school place for their child, a stressful and arduous course of action that should be unimaginable in any republic. These figures are a significant undercount.”
“The Minister for education has repeatedly declined to provide this House with the exact number of children still awaiting a place for September, despite a clear commitment to do so. I hope the senior Minister joins us for this really important debate. This refusal is an insult to this Parliament and, more importantly, to the parents and families. As of mid-June, an estimated 260 children had no offer of any school place. This number is likely to have decreased significantly by now. The Minister of State should clarify this but, as always, the devil is in the detail. This is not about offers. It is about physical school places with the necessary supports and resources.”
“I welcome the opportunity to introduce this motion on an issue of profound urgency and fundamental justice, namely, the ongoing and shameful denial of appropriate education to children with additional needs in this State. The right to education is a fundamental right for every child, as enshrined in our Constitution and in international conventions, yet this Government has systematically failed to uphold this right. I welcome affected parents from the Equality in Education campaign, among others, to the Visitors Gallery. They are most welcome. In truth, I am sorry they have to be here. Despite two separate Dáil motions earlier this year calling for the provision of appropriate school places, the Government rejected these calls.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the right to education is a fundamental right for every child, as enshrined in the Irish Constitution and international conventions; — despite two Dáil motions in 2025 calling for the provision of appropriate school places for every child with additional needs in their locality, the Government has rejected these calls; — the Minister for Education has, to date, repeatedly declined to provide the exact number of children with additional needs still awaiting a school place for the 2025/2026 academic year, disaggregated by county and educational setting (primary/post-primary, special class/special school), despite a commitment to do so before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth; — as of mid-June 2025, there were an estimated 260 children without any offer of an appropriate school place; — the "Equality in Education" campaign has identified a further 168 children who have received an offer of a place but cannot take it up due to delays in essential building works, a situation which effectively denies them their education; — numerous families have been forced to initiate legal proceedings to secure a basic school place for their child, a stressful and unnecessary course of action; — these figures represent a significant undercount of the total number of children with additional needs without an appropriate school place, as they do not include: — children with additional needs being home-schooled while awaiting an appropriate place; — children undertaking excessively long and burdensome daily journeys to access education; and — children placed in inappropriate settings (e.g., in mainstream classes awaiting a special class placement, or in special classes awaiting a special school place); — the failure to invest, plan, and deliver adequate school infrastructure and supports has left many hundreds of children with additional needs without appropriate education; — the comprehensive Report on the Review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 revealed profound dissatisfaction with support services, finding that 49 per cent of parents and 38 per cent of staff surveyed described their contact with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as "unhelpful" or "very unhelpful", while 41 per cent of parents and 46 per cent of staff reported similarly negative experiences with Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs); — the widespread denial of essential Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, through the effective imposition of a cap on numbers or a narrow reinterpretation of SNA duties, is causing severe hardship; and — delays in clarifying SNA allocations to schools are creating unnecessary stress and anxiety for school leaders, parents, and children alike, destabilising the start of the school year; condemns the Government for: — its abject failure to strategically invest, plan, and deliver appropriate school places and supports for children with additional needs; — effectively denying children access to education based solely on their additional needs, thereby violating their fundamental rights; and — creating an environment where parents are forced to resort to legal action to vindicate their children's basic right to education; and calls on the Government to: — immediately publish the exact number of children with additional needs still awaiting a school place for the 2025/2026 academic year, broken down by county and educational setting (primary/post-primary, special class/special school); — immediately publish the exact number of children with additional needs who have a formal offer of a school place but are prevented from taking it up due to delays in building works, broken down by county and educational setting; — establish a time-bound School Building Delivery Task Force with the mandate to ensure the expeditious and priority delivery of special schools and special classes, this task force must include relevant technical and departmental expertise and incorporate continuous engagement with local school communities and parents; — initiate an independent review of the role, function, and resourcing of the NCSE and SENOs to improve efficiency, transparency, and performance; — commit to a significant investment in the recruitment and retention of SNAs and Special Education Teachers (SETs) to meet current and projected demand; — review and reform the SNA and SET allocation model to ensure it is needs-based, transparent, and timely, and to ensure the voice of the child, their parents/guardians, and school leaders is central in the decision-making process; and — publish and implement a costed, medium-to-long-term strategic plan to guarantee that every child with additional needs has equal access to appropriate education within their own community, ending the crisis-driven approach of many long years.”
“The Minister and I share a constituency. She must be aware of what is happening and she must have been contacted. Earlier, she referenced a school that is moving to digital. I have been contacted by parents with children in that school and by parents across the State who have been part of a consultation but whose opinion is not reflected in the policy of the school. They simply cannot afford new digital devices and they are really exposed. Notwithstanding that they have been pointed towards the credit unions or other financial supports, they cannot afford this additional cost. It is not true to say that the school should provide a loan for them or that the funding the Minister is providing will provide a solution. It is not providing a solution for these parents. There needs to be a recognition of that and dedicated support for them.”
“The Minister has seen the Irish League of Credit Unions report yesterday on the high cost of going back to school. In fact, the cost is increasing. Notwithstanding the positive moves on back to school, there needs to be a bespoke response for the small number of parents who are completely exposed to these costs.”
“I have heard the response repeatedly. There needs to be an acknowledgement by the Minister and within the Department that there are two things happening here. The first is a funding crisis in our schools overall. There is a massive shortfall. There is an expectation, because the Government is saying it will not bring in a cost-of-living package, that next year will be worse than this year. The second is a shift towards digital technology. It is not small money. In some cases, it is €800 over two years. There are parents who simply cannot afford that. The suggestion that the funding the Minister provides, which is wholly inadequate to cover the running costs of schools, can be used to provide a loan scheme for parents is simply detached from reality. We need a bespoke response for these parents.”
“On a related point - and this will be a cause of great frustration and I expect there to be a full scramble again come the middle weeks of August - can this process be commenced earlier next year?”
“We waited a long time for the review. To be clear, it stated that reducing the distance criteria would enable more children to be eligible for transport, increasing uptake and thus facilitating greater access to the labour market for working parents. This is mainly women. There are obvious benefits in terms of the environment, socialisation and meeting our climate action targets. The Government's target is a 30% reduction in private car escort to education journeys by 2030. To meet these targets and deliver on the recommendations, an additional 13,500 children need to be carried on school transport every year. That was supposed to start last year. The Minister of State is not doing this, so he is failing on every measure. Why is that the case?”
“Recommendation 4.1 A) states that the phased reduction of the nearest-school-distance criteria was due to start last year - this was to be matched with investment in the fleet and drivers - and was to be completed this year. The new distance criteria were to apply this year. Will this happen? If not, why? If it does not happen, will the Minister of State accept that children will be locked out of the system?”
“The Minister of State confirmed that 2,242 children were denied places last year. Many thousands more are forced to deal with Bus Éireann and the Department scrambling at the eleventh hour. There were 40,500 calls and 21,600 webchats with Bus Éireann last year in respect of the system. The system needs to be improved. There was a review. The fact is, however, that the Minister of State is choosing to ignore his Department's long-awaited review. The answer to the question I asked is that there will be no changes this year. The major recommendation to encourage people onto school transport related to the distance criteria.”
“Will the Minister indicate the number of children who applied and paid on time who were refused places on school transport in September 2024? Will she outline the specific changes that will be made to the school transport for the 2025-26 school year, in comparison with 2024-25, to ensure that all children who want to avail of the scheme will be accommodated?”
“A second class at the school was suppressed on the basis of the NCSE's assessment that there was no need for it. In fact, there are three children who received recommendations post February and a fourth child who really would benefit from a place in a special class. Will that be delivered by September?”
“I am frustrated on my behalf, as a public representative, and on behalf of parents who are waiting to places for their children. They feel like they are being gaslit because the figures are not being spelled out. They do not know where they stand in terms of the system. It feels like a co-ordinated omertà in the context of the failure to release those figures. There are a number of legal cases against the State regarding children not being provided for. Not all of those cases relate to Dublin. The idea that everyone outside Dublin has been accommodated is not a fair reflection of the situation. The Minister might comment on that aspect. An issue relating to Owenbeg National School in Sligo has been raised with the Minister on a number of occasions.”
“The Minister will guess what my supplementary question is going to be. It will be the same as my initial question. It will be the same question that was put to John Kearney, the head of the NCSE, at the committee's meeting on 2 July, to the Minister of State at the committee's meeting on 18 June and to the Minister at the committee's meeting on 12 June and in the Dáil on the same day during Question Time. The Minister referred to 92% of the 3,275. What is the number? I recognise that progress is being made, but what is the small number for Dublin? In addition, what was the number post February? I can identify - I will raise this in the form of a further supplementary- children who have been identified and who were given recommendations post February.”
“Will the Minister tell the House the number of children who were identified by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, by the February deadline and are yet to be offered a school place for September 2025? What is the total number of children now with a recommendation for a special class or special school place who have not been offered a school place for September? Will the Minister outline her efforts to ensure all children with additional educational needs will have a physical school place and the necessary special education teacher, SET, special needs assistant, SNA, and other resources and supports in place for September and will she make a statement on the matter?”
“On this, redress must be clearly outlined and transparent. If legislation is required to ensure religious orders are held to account, I urge the Minister to bring it forward without delay. A redress scheme for survivors should be established without delay. There have been reports in the media in recent days of pushback to the Minister on this from within her Department. She must resist that pushback. She must think of the survivors. They have waited long enough. The Minister has an opportunity to finally address this terrible hurt, this dark stain on Irish history. Sinn Féin stands ready to work with her constructively and with survivors and all parties to ensure this commission delivers truth, secures accountability and places survivors - their needs, their voices and their right to justice - at the very heart of everything it does.”
“The Minister should "ensure this part of the terms of reference is compatible with provisions of Assisted Decision making Act and presumption of capacity". On reporting, in Part 5, the terms of reference should "Stipulate commission reports must be published in accessible formats". These are important points. I ask the Minister and Minister of State to take note and to act on them. The voice of all survivors must be at the heart of this process. The commission's proposed sampling method, drawing on models used successfully in independent inquiries into child sexual abuse in England, Wales, Canada and Australia, appears sensible. However, transparency is non-negotiable. The commission must clearly communicate how cases are selected, ensuring the process is open, fair and accountable. Fundamentally, this is about accountability.”
“8(a) should include "other mechanisms which will give due recognition to the particular communication needs of individual survivors". Surveying on its own "will not suit people who are non speaking or who have literacy issues". Part 4, No. 11(a) should "include accessible information and communication including but not limited to audio, visual, plain English, easy to read versions of all relevant documents and materials, the inclusion of intermediaries and independent advocates to support the person's participation". Part 4, No. 11(a) "Must include legal representation as a form of support for survivors". Part 4, No. 12(a) should "stipulate how it will be ascertained a person is 'incapacitated'".”
“We welcome the commitment to an interim report after two years and the alignment of the terms with recommendations stemming from survivors' voices during the scoping inquiry. However, we are disappointed by the exclusion of physical abuse from the commission's remit. The Minister might provide a clear explanation for this omission. The success of this commission hinges on the core principle of being survivor-centred and trauma-informed. The failures of the past are tragically exemplified in the Grace report, with survivors describing that process as "re-traumatising" and "adversarial". This cannot happen again. On this, a number of issues have been raised by Inclusion Ireland and others. I ask the Minister to take note. The survey referenced in Part 3, No.”
“We owe particular recognition to David and Mark Ryan, whose courage in the RTÉ documentary, "Blackrock Boys", helped push this issue into the light. Our thoughts are with Mark's family and friends today. We welcome Liam, Seán and David to the Visitors Gallery. It is largely the courage and perseverance of survivors, not Government interest or initiative, that has brought us here. In fact, as is so often the case, the State's role was to deny, delay and frustrate. Every year of delay has meant survivors grow older, evidence is potentially lost and accountability deferred. Any further delay will disadvantage survivors and risks allowing those responsible to avoid accountability.”
“Today, we discuss a painful chapter in the State's history, namely, the systemic failure to protect children from sexual abuse within day and boarding schools. Sinn Féin welcomes the establishment of the commission of investigation. We also welcome the fact that the terms of reference include all survivors, regardless of whether they attended a religious or non-religious school or institution. The establishment of a commission has been called for by survivors for decades. In truth, it should not have taken this long for the Government to act. For decades, survivors carried the weight of their trauma in silence. If they chose to speak out, they were met by a wall of institutional indifference and State inaction. Survivors should not have had to fight this hard for so long to be heard.”
“One of the big issues we face is acknowledged to be water infrastructure. I bring to the Taoiseach's attention water infrastructure challenges in County Meath, namely the water mains in Duleek, where there are repeated outages, including two in the past five days, and the water treatment capacity in Kells. Regarding Duleek, we met with Uisce Éireann a number of weeks ago. There is a commitment to act but things are proceeding far too slowly. We want to see those works advanced as quickly as possible. Attention may be diverted elsewhere to another major project in the county, which is welcome investment, but prioritisation must be given to the new mains in the town of Duleek.”
“The concerns regarding CETA concern the ISDS and the investor court system. Canada has significant investment in the fossil fuel industry in Ireland. I am interested in green energy and the opportunity for research, development and co-operation with Canada. Those are legitimate concerns that relate to Canada and they need to be addressed. What are the plans for co-operation with Canada in research, development and investment in green energy?”
“The Taoiseach's argument consistently has been that we need to wait for the European Union to act in unison as regards sanctions against Israel. It is now clear and widely reported that there is no requirement for unanimity. What measures will the Government take, along with other countries, and what other countries are they, to enforce meaningful sanctions on Israel?”
“The issues of noise, the operation of the airport and, for the residents in east Meath, Ashbourne and the Wotton, Ratoath, the issue of the flight paths being non-compliant with basic planning and environmental law are not going to wash.”
“Really, we are getting a fudge. Nothing is happening. I get a really long answer on DAA-headed paper but in truth nothing is happening. There were access to information requests which confirm that is the case. At the root of all of this is that point I made regarding the sense within the wider community that there is not fair play here. There is one set of rules for one group of people, largely because of their connections, power and influence. It is always that way. All we have to do is look at election launches for that type of connection. As I said, this legislation could have done something to address that. The Minister is not accepting it but the problem is not going to go away.”
“There are really concrete proposals from very well-informed people who are fully committed to Irish aviation and who are employed in Irish aviation but have that novel thing of wanting to see it done in the right way and, at the very least, compliant with planning law. They have put forward clear proposals for how we might get a best fit in terms of the flight paths. Like others, I acknowledge the really hard work of the St. Margaret's The Ward resident group, the group of residents in the Wotton and the North Runway Technical Group. The North Runway Technical Group in particular has done a lot of work regarding the flight paths. At a meeting of the previous transport committee on 19 June 2024, the DAA said it would look at that. I have repeatedly pursued that. The most recent response I have is from 8 April.”
“Another aspect where there is no confidence is the sense that there is protection for and a separate set of rules applying to the airlines and the DAA - maybe because they are really well connected or whatever - than the rest of us, for example, in regard to planning law in this State. I specifically want to raise the issue of the flight paths, the noise ANCA is supposed to be measuring and the fact the flight paths that are being operated were never intended or planned for. Deputy Smith and I sat on the previous Oireachtas committee and in June of last year, the DAA came before the committee and agreed to review flight paths by the end of the year.”
“As Deputy Smith's said, there is no question in terms of the integrity of these individuals or anything like that; it is about the structure and approach ANCA takes and the methodology it applies. It is the issue of modelling versus measuring. An awful lot of what ANCA is doing is not actually measuring noise; it is modelling noise and ANCA gets that information from the DAA and the airlines. That is another issue that is problematic. There is a huge amount to be done to restore confidence. The Minister of State is not accepting this Bill. I ask him to review that position but I do not expect he will agree to do that. Wherever we go from here, these issues will continue unless the Government and the Minister change the approach.”
“There is the potential there for a conflict of interest and there is a sense it is in the wrong place and there is too close a connection with Fingal County Council and the DAA. The point was made about the role of the chief executive and the relationship with councillors, responsibility around economic development and the relationship with the DAA. This Bill was an opportunity to rectify some of that even if it is not perfect. I echo Deputy O'Reilly's point on the argument that there was no pre-legislative scrutiny. We can throw the whole lot out the window on that basis. The Minister of State can run that back to the Department and hopefully it will not come back with that one the next time around. I met with representatives of ANCA.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill and I thank Deputy Smith for bringing it forward. The usual approach from the Government is to delay these Bills by 12 months or let them go to Committee State to die. It is a particular point when the Government opposes a Bill. I would say it was a surprise but it is entirely consistent with my experience of how Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments deal with airport-related issues, Dublin Airport-related issues and airlines, whether Ryanair or Aer Lingus. At the root of that is the issue here because there is a widespread suspicion within the communities of north Dublin and Meath East that there is not fair play in any of these discussions, negotiations or transactions. There is no confidence in ANCA.”
“We want a recognition of this and dedicated support to ensure people are not forced under water because of this additional cost. I ask the Minister of State to take that point on board and to convey it to the two Ministers.”
“I take on board that individual schools can make their own decisions on funding but there must be a recognition by the Department that there is a move towards digital learning, whether in terms of augmentative and alternative communication, AAC, devices for people with disabilities, digital learning plans being developed by schools or the additional assessment components in the new senior cycle redevelopment. Schools are moving in a particular direction, which is digital. That move is causing real financial hardship for a number of people. The system, between the Departments of Education and Youth and Social Protection, must recognise that. We need a fund to support parents. That is what Sinn Féin is calling for.”
“The Minister of State's response is the response we have been getting to the question over the past few months. I want to put a number of things on the record, which I would appreciate the Minister of State conveying to the Ministers for Education and Youth and Social Protection. We have a funding crisis in education. We cannot take from ICT funding that is desperately needed to keep the lights on and deliver ICT in schools to provide a loan scheme for students. The money is not there. We have a cost-of-living crisis. Families very much welcome hot school meals and the elimination of school book charges. However, doing that on the one hand while, on the other, asking parents to come up with €800 for a device is driving people into financial hardship.”
“The suggestion from the Government in the responses I have seen so far is that schools can use the ICT funding to develop a scheme to support families, but the funding is not there to do that. What happens in practical terms is schools look for full payment. They point people towards services like Humm or the local credit union to try to facilitate them. Without a shadow of a doubt, because of these policy changes in individual schools, and I recognise schools have autonomy to a significant degree in relation to these decisions, families are being left in a position where there is no support net at all. They are left completely exposed. I see nothing in the responses I have received thus far that recognises that fact. I am interested to hear the Minister of State's response today.”
“They point towards the role of the board of management in developing digital learning policies, whether these devices are introduced or not, how the ICT funding is used and the need for consultation before any change in policy is introduced. They also point to a circular issued in 2017 that does not deal with the issue at all and is about measures schools should adopt in relation to uniforms and other costs. The real issue here is there are families who cannot afford this. They just cannot bear this cost. They can be part of a consultation. This is just the practicalities of it. They might not agree with the policy but they will have to go along with it or else their child will be left behind. We then have a scenario of children being left behind, excluded or isolated or families being pushed into financial hardship.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue. I am raising the issue of the cost many parents are faced with for digital devices like iPads, tablets and laptops when schools move to a one-to-one digital device policy. It is happening quite a lot and comes at very significant cost to families, many of which have multiple students at school. Devices can cost anything up to €800. At a time when many families were expecting to have the cost of school books taken off them the exact opposite is happening. I have a number of examples of where students entering fifth year are faced with a new policy that demands a device costing €800 for their schoolwork. This question has been asked repeatedly, including by me, and a lot of the written responses point towards Government investment in ICT in schools generally.”
“We need an education system, formal and informal, that informs and empowers people and counters harmful stereotypes, teaching young people about healthy relationships, respect and the dangers of degrading content. We must also confront the attitudes that allow this violence to thrive. Too often, boys are taught to dominate while girls are taught to endure. This must end. We need good men and we need them to step up. We need more than words from Government; we need resources, enforcement and a fundamental shift in how we address this crisis. Ireland must be a leader in fighting abuse online and offline. The time to act is now.”
“When boys are exposed to endless streams of abusive content they risk growing into men who view women as objects. When victims are stalked, shamed or threatened through their own devices, they are left with no safe space. When the justice system fails to keep pace with digital abuse, perpetrators act with impunity. Government must take stronger action. We need strict enforcement of online abuse laws, including immediate takedowns of intimate images shared without consent and tougher penalties for cyberharassment. We need age verification for pornography to stop children accessing harmful material that normalises violence against women. As Deputy Devine said, we need a ban on strangulation porn and aggressive measures against social media companies.”
“Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a crisis shaped by the modern world, one where smartphones, online pornography and harmful attitudes towards women and girls are fuelling abuse. We cannot and must not ignore how technology has become a weapon in the hands of abusers, nor how degrading content is warping minds, including young minds. Revenge porn, coercive control via messaging apps and the harassment of women and girls online are rampant. Meanwhile, the widespread availability of extreme pornography is distorting young people's understanding of sex, consent and relationships. Too many boys are learning from violent, misogynistic material, while too many girls face pressure to conform to degrading expectations. This is not just about individual acts of violence; it is about a culture that permits and even encourages to them.”
“I ask the Minister of State to do everything to ensure Bus Éireann is running a fleet that is fit for purpose. It is incredibly important while we wait for delivery of a 21st century rail service.”
“That is the number one priority for us. I ask the Minister of State to hear that. We want funding in the national development plan for the uninterrupted progress on the Navan rail line, which would be transformational for the people of County Meath. It is certainly a priority for me, Sinn Féin and my colleague, Deputy Guirke. In the meantime, bus services need to work for people. I would like to bring the 103 bus service to the Minister of State's attention. Services were cancelled yesterday morning. The 7.40 a.m. bus was cancelled. The 8.30 a.m. bus broke down. This morning, the 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11.50 a.m. services were cancelled. This affected a huge number of people. They are well used services but are being interrupted and cancelled all too often. There are a shortage of drivers, mechanics and roadworthy vehicles.”
“They know the area very well. They have got skin in the game like myself and thousands of others. We want to see that project delivered. I welcome the investment and progress in it thus far. We heard the public consultation on the emerging preferred route is likely by the end of the year or early next year. It will be an important consultation on that. People will have the opportunity to have their say. This will be transformational for the whole county, including Navan, Dunshaughlin, Ratoath and Ashbourne, which have a huge population. We are repeatedly hearing that we need to push, push, push to ensure there is continual funding to bring this beyond the planning stage. There is funding up to 2027 to bring the project to a railway order, but we need continuous funding to see this rail line delivered.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the all-island strategic rail review. It is an important piece of work. Anyone who looks at the old maps of the railway lines compared to today knows there is a significant job of work to fill the gaps. There are lots of gaps, such as the west and the north-west, but I wish to focus on my area. It is important and I welcome that we have DART+ West at M3 Parkway. We need to go further with that, including up the east coast. In principle, it is fundamental that we invest and expand the rail services. It will deliver transformational change. I wish to specifically address the Navan rail line. The Minister of State will not be surprised. It is a matter I have raised with him on a number of occasions. I attended a meeting with the project leads who are well placed local people.”
“It is really important that these courses proceed and that people be allowed to work their way through the system because we need a conveyor belt of graduates in all courses. There was a reference earlier to reflection on how we have ended up in this place. None of the students or apprentices has dropped out of the sky; they have been in the system. Has SOLAS dropped the ball? Did the Minister’s predecessor, Deputy O’Donovan, do so? What has gone wrong such that we have ended up as we have? I hope that through the Minister’s and collective efforts, we will get out of this, but it is a serious concern. I wonder what is at the heart of it.”
“Is that the case with LMETB or are there specific circumstances in its area? I do not know whether the Minister was going to make a point on that. The figures I have from the service plan for 2025 show further education and training funding was €87 million and that this was revised on foot of a funding letter down to €73.7 million. That is a cut of in the region of €14 million, by any measure. There are genuine concerns in relation to it. The Minister mentioned in an earlier response the possibility of a supplementary budget, which I hope will come soon. Is that his intention? Is it his understanding that the figure for the LMETB area is €14 million or such a sum?”
“The Minister intends to heap €1,000 extra on families at a time when people cannot afford food for themselves, at a time when rents are going through the roof and when the Government is introducing measures to drive them even higher. It is complete detachment from reality. The Minister needs to recognise the financial burden on families. This €1,000 is transformational for people. It is literally the difference between having or not having a future at third level and everything that goes with that in terms of career opportunities and life opportunities. It makes that much of a difference. Those are decisions families are faced with thanks to the uncertainty that the Minister has inserted into this. He needs to be very clear, support the Sinn Féin motion and guarantee that student fees will reduce this year and not increase.”
“The Minister must be completely detached from the reality of the cost-of-living crisis if he thinks it is okay to heap €1,000 on students and families this September. The Barnardos cost-of-living report for 2025 found: One in five families cut back on or went without heating (18%) and electricity (17%) over the past six months. More than two in five families going without or cutting down on basic essentials such as heating, electricity, food and medical appointments. One third of parents (32%) went into arrears on energy bills due to insufficient income. 19% of families had to cut back or go without food over the past six months. 40% of parents said they skipped meals or reduced portion size so their children would have enough to eat... That is the Ireland of today.”