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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“It might be worth having joined-up consideration of it to see if there is opportunity to get additional benefit from more early intervention classes. Has any consideration been given to the potential barrier there of a need for diagnosis at that stage? These are young children. Related to that is the transition between early years and primary school and primary school into secondary school. We now have the new 1 October deadline for the parent notification system. The criteria for relevant documentation at that stage has been a barrier for some people and there is some concern they will be locked out of the system. Can the Minister give us an update on the new scheme, particularly as it relates to those transitioning from-----”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I think the Minister will agree that those who avail of early intervention classes along with their families reflect on them very positively. Has there been an assessment of unmet need? Is it the case that this is demand-led through the NCSE? If there has been an assessment of unmet need, what are the plans to meet that need into the future?”
“It would make a huge difference to families across the State next September. The approach the Ministers of State have come here with - I do not know whether it comes from themselves, from the Department or from other Ministers - is the same type of mentality that has not made a blind bit of difference up to now. It did not make a difference in 2011, as Deputy Crowe said, or in 2017 when the circular was being drafted. The CCPC, Barnardos, the Irish League of Credit Unions and all of the poverty stakeholders say that not enough is being done. The Government's response tonight is wholly inadequate.”
“The Government wants to throw everything into the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill. When will that Bill actually come into effect? We are talking about an extended period after that before policies are developed. The cost-of-living crisis is now. We are living through it. We want urgent action from the Government to respond to it. What we are getting instead is consultation and engagement. I do not know about the language the two Ministers of State used when they said they do not want to tell schools what to do. That is exactly what we need to do, in a collaborative way for sure. An affordable school uniform policy needs to be developed, after thinking about this in a detailed way, and needs to be put in place in black and white. That is a reasonable ask and I think it would be met with a reasonable response from schools.”
“I thank everyone who contributed to the debate. Deputy Mythen put his finger on it when he said that the Government amendment is an elaborate way to kill the Bill, essentially. It refers to consultation, collaboration, engagement and further review, but the substance of the issue is this: what difference is the Government's approach going to make to parents sending kids to school next September? Zero. None. It will be of no benefit to them at all. If the Government enacted the Sinn Féin legislation, it would make a real difference to the lives of people and certainly the financial position of families across the State. The Government wants to review a circular that people working in the sector have said has not made a blind bit of difference. Rather than being reviewed, it should go straight into the bin. That is the reality of it.”
“It would mandate all schools to adopt a cost-conscious uniform policy ensuring clear labelling of optional versus mandatory items to prevent unnecessary spending; multiple retail options for uniforms allowing parents to shop around for best value; minimal use of expensive branded items such as embroidered tracksuits to avoid excluding students from activities; stability in uniform policies so items can be reused or passed down to siblings; support for second-hand uniforms through swaps or sales; and compassionate enforcement of uniform rules where financial hardship is suspected. Barnardos, the Irish League of Credit Unions, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and others say costs for parents are increasing and that specific new measures are needed to help them.”
“To add to this, this year the Government has decided to reintroduce the State exam fee, leaving parents with yet another expense. In this context of ever-increasing cost to families, we bring forward the Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill for Second Stage debate this evening. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says that restrictive school uniform policies are stifling competition and driving up costs. In short, it says the Minister's 2017 circular is not working. Our Bill would address this.”
“The Catholic Primary School Management Association has warned that parents will face a hike in voluntary contributions to plug funding shortfalls. It estimates that €54 million would be needed from so-called voluntary contributions to subsidise so-called free education. Parents also face new expenses for digital devices. The Minister of State will be aware that one in four secondary schools have moved to using digital devices rather than traditional textbooks. One digital device costs an average of €430 per child. Some parents who cannot afford to pay for the device up-front then pay what the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has dubbed a poverty premium as instalment payments can add up to a higher price. This is pushing those struggling most with their finances into greater debt. Like Terry Pratchett's boots, it is expensive to be poor.”
“Some 27% of secondary and 14% of primary school parents say they have had to use savings while 15% and 8% respectively had to take out a loan or borrow from family or friends to cover the cost of so-called voluntary contributions. Schools have been left short in terms of an increase in the capitation grant called for by teachers' unions. I am sure the Minister of State is aware that the cost of insurance, heating and energy and the day-to-day running costs of schools across the State have increased significantly. The insufficient increase in capitation funding will leave schools struggling to keep up with their bills. There is no doubt that parents will be relied on to try to make up the difference, to try to subsidise what is supposed to be a free education system.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I will be sharing time with colleagues. It is clear that the cost of sending children school is rising and pushing more and more parents into significant financial hardship. Budget 2026 has failed to deliver the investment and vision which our education system so desperately needs. The Irish League of Credit Unions has reported that the cost of sending children back to school this year has increased since last year. It says that the costs often reach up to €1,560 for secondary school students and €1,450 for primary school students, increases of €154 and €364, respectively. These costs are putting extreme pressure on families who are already struggling with the spiralling cost-of-living crisis.”
“I raise a number of important issues, including school buildings for Coláiste Ríoga in Dunshaughlin and Dunshaughlin Community National School, which have been waiting for a long time, despite having planning permission as far back as 2020. However, I will focus on the creaking wastewater treatment infrastructure. There have been numerous reports by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and others on the need for investment in this infrastructure. It is welcome that there is a commitment to investment. How will projects be prioritised? I am particularly interested in the need for investment in the Kells wastewater treatment plant and in it happening as quickly as possible.”
“If the Government will not do that - I do not need a debate on the local property tax - what will it do to protect people from these huge increases in the local property tax?”
“Households across the State are faced with significant increases in the local property tax, LPT. Starting from 1 November there will be very significant increases in some areas. County Dublin and surrounding counties and large urban areas have seen huge increases in property prices. This will put a huge burden on people with very large mortgages and older people on low incomes, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. The promise on the local property tax was that there would be improvement in local services. In truth, that never happened. Right across the State the Government gave with one hand but took with the other. People are handing out money for the local property tax but are not seeing an improvement in local service. Sinn Féin would scrap this unfair tax.”
“In the audiovisual room this afternoon, a briefing organised by Deputy Guirke was addressed by Ciaran Staunton and Kelly Fincham on barriers faced by Irish citizens returning from abroad. They raised a range of barriers, such as access to driving licences and planning permission, but the issue I want to raise that relates to the economy and trade is the dearth of teachers, occupational therapists and other allied health professionals and the recognition of nursing qualifications from abroad. Is that something the Taoiseach can address to allow people to come home and contribute to the economy in the public sector or private sector?”
“Therapies in special schools are due to have started now. Judging by this budget, it looks as though there is a further delay.”
“More than 43,000 Irish pupils are in classes of 30 or more. The EU average is 22.5. The general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO, said recently that Ireland was completely out of kilter with the rest of Europe and was at the top of the league of shame. We will continue to be at the top of that league of shame thanks to this Government. There is a welcome commitment regarding DEIS and DEIS+ but we need to see those plans and we need to see them implemented. There are significant concerns about retention and absenteeism. Regarding the recruitment of teachers, affordable housing is simply non-existent. I mentioned that prime example from last night "Prime Time". When is the Minister ever going to introduce the timebound provision to allow people who qualified abroad and in the North to work here?”
“This is the same allocation as there was last year and will not take account of inflation. In education, this budget fails to address the fundamental challenges. In truth, next year will be worse than this year because of this budget, and this year was bad. There is a welcome increase in capitation but it is not enough. It is not what school leaders or unions had asked for and it is not what Sinn Féin and others had committed. The sum total impact of it will be that schools right across the country will continue to have to look for voluntary contributions, raffles, bake sales and other fundraising measures to keep the lights on. There was a promise to deliver more permanent cost savings in insurance and energy by the Minister. That has not materialised. There is a similar broken promise as regards reducing class sizes.”
“This is a budget in excess of €9 million that has, incredibly, left people worse off. It contains broken election promise after broken election promise. I will focus my comments on the education and youth sector. People can rightly see through Government spin and that was well captured on the "Prime Time" programme last night. We heard a grandparent from Coolock talking about his grandkids who were all planning to leave this country because they did not see a future for themselves. That is are our youth. We also saw a secondary school teacher and a SNA who could not buy their own home, provide for their own future or plan for more children. They too were looking at emigrating. That is the real implication of this budget. The Minister mentioned €8 million extra for the youth sector.”
“That is the sum total of the Government's so-called affordable housing scheme. It needs to change tack and listen to what people are saying to it about these schemes. My follow-up question is about the fact that 79% of private homes that were delivered in Dublin last year - it is the same in County Meath, albeit maybe not to the same extent - were bought by people who had multiple properties. Is the Government going to do something about that? We have situations - I could identify them in my own area - where people have made an absolute fortune out of the Government's IPAS scheme, which is really poorly overseen, only to buy multiple properties in these new developments. It is shameful.”
“I will speak on behalf of every single one of them and tell the Minister of State that the Government is crucifying them for years to come. These properties are not affordable. The Government is crucifying them, and probably their children after them, with a level of mortgage and financial burden that is completely unsustainable. That will impact every decision they make in their lives, from how many kids they will have to whether they will be able to access work and childcare. That is the reality of it. These properties are not affordable. The Government's schemes are not working for people. On the one level, the Government says it is delivering for people but, on the other, it is crucifying them, and the reality is that it is driving many more out of this country.”
“It was a grandfather from Coolock who made that statement on behalf of his grandkids. There are affordable units there, and the Minister of State has referred to them. They are €450,000, all in. That is not affordable.”
“Affordability is the biggest issue in County Meath. The county has met its housing targets. Those targets are too low. They are being increased, but there is a track record of delivering housing without affordable housing. The schemes the Minister of State is talking about do not deliver affordable housing either. We have huge numbers of adult children living at home with their parents - I would say tens of thousands. We heard on "Prime Time" last night - and I think it reflected a sentiment across many areas, including in Meath - adult children saying they could not wait to get out of this "kip" because they did not see a future for themselves, given that affordable units were not there for them. They do not see the prospect of owning a house for themselves.”
“I welcome that the Minister outlined a series of dates for engagement, including today. There is some emerging and serious concern about the scope and potential terms of reference for the external review. One area is how it will specifically relate to Crumlin hospital and surgeons operating there, as well as at Cork, Galway and elsewhere across the State and, related to that, how it will apply to children with complex additional comorbidities or needs. Will the Minister commit to ongoing engagement with advocacy groups and representatives on the development of those terms of reference?”
“I thank the Minister for that update. I have a few follow-up questions. On the initial cohort of 196, does the Minister have an indicative timeline on when that full cohort might be completed? It was a significant number and in excess of 196. Is the Minister close to appointing a lead for the membership of the external review? We are only at the start of the month but there is keen interest in that. There was lots of disappointment that it has taken until January to get the review up and running. Is there a commitment that there will be a six-month timeframe for it to conclude its work?”
“Aid convoys are being blocked, journalists are being targeted and the very fabric of civil life in Gaza is being torn apart. The Government here must follow the lead of the people of Ireland. Words must be turned into action; that is the real measure. There must be an immediate ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access and accountability for war crimes. We must support the Palestinian people, not just with words but also with actions through boycotts, diplomacy and solidarity. Silence is complicity. In the face of such suffering, we must choose courage, justice and humanity. The eyes of the world are on the Global Sumud Flotilla. We wish them safe passage. They must be guaranteed that by their own governments and by the international community.”
“The situation in Gaza is not just a tragedy; it is a moral catastrophe. Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, entire districts have been reduced to rubble and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee under relentless bombardment. Starving children are murdered while they wait for food. We have genocide and we have man-made famine. I say "man-made", but they are not men; they are monsters. Ireland knows the pain of occupation, and the struggle for dignity and for peace. Our history compels us to speak out when others are silenced. What is happening in Gaza is not a conflict, it is a systematic assault on a people's right to exist. The international community must do more, and Ireland must lead. Veto after veto by the United States at the UN is a betrayal of humanity.”
“There is a major issue with the retrofitting schemes that are in place. On the one hand, as the Climate Change Advisory Council states, the funding supports for heat pumps are not sufficient and this locks many people out of access to a heat pump. On the other hand, a heat pump is not a practical or feasible solution for many homes, in particular one-off rural homes. Very many people are locked out of access to a heat pump, but also locked out of low-emission and zero-emission alternatives, whatever they might be. The vast majority still have fossil fuels. There is potential for a significant improvement on what families are currently using, be it dirty solid fuels or kerosine. Will the Taoiseach consider reviewing the schemes to ensure that people can make progress?”
“There is a group of elderly people outside the Dáil at the minute on hunger strike. They are survivors of institutional abuse and have very modest requests regarding access to a HAA medical card and a pension. These requests were refused by Government during the discussions on the recent legislation. There are concerns for this vulnerable group across the political divide but also by the Special Advocate and by the Justice for Magdalenes group. I have written to the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Deputy McEntee, and my party leader has done the same. Will the Taoiseach, as Head of Government, engage with this group of people and encourage the Minister to do the same to come to some resolution?”
“I welcome the fact that clarification has been provided and that schools will be contacted. In my firm opinion, however, the circular needs to be withdrawn. Not only that, there is continuing reference to the 2014 criteria. Those criteria are completely out of touch with reality; hey need to be reviewed and updated. There is a commitment to do this, but it needs to happen before there is any reissuance of guidelines.”
“I have the guidelines in my hand. They need to be withdrawn, because what the Minister of State has said and what we heard at the committee yesterday from the Department are directly contradicted by what is in the guidelines. The guidelines give rise to real concern because they state: NCSE reviews are conducted on a whole school needs-based analysis, To be clear, this can include mainstream and special class allocations. As a result, a review of the SNA allocation of a special class in isolation is no longer operational. This means all SNA reviews will review the total SNA allocation to a school on a whole school basis. That circular needs to be withdrawn. There is nothing there in black and white which indicates that there can be a midyear review. How did the Department end up issuing this circular? It needs to be withdrawn.”
“There is a real fear that this new set of guidelines is about one thing and one thing only: it is about restricting access to SNAs. There is a fear that SNA support will be reduced rather than increased in schools.”
“The narrow definitions of complex needs and level-3 care needs is a very important issue that needs to be resolved. These definitions exclude many children who require support. The dismissal of behavioural care needs is completely at odds with the realities staff face every day. By omitting SNA support for behavioural needs, schools will be forced to push families towards seeking a diagnosis for children in order to access help. This will unnecessarily label children and add to already severe backlogs in diagnostic systems. On barriers to proper implementation, schools must evidence implementation of the new NCSE Relate programme within the six-week review window. As of now, there has been little training or preparation in relation to the Relate programme.”
“There are widespread concerns in relation to this new set of guidelines for the review of SNA allocations, specifically, the narrowed criteria and rigid timelines. The application window now for school-led reviews is limited for a six-week period from 15 September to 24 October and excludes mid-year needs, and there is the issue of unification and redeployment risks. SNA allocations are now unified across mainstream and special classes. This removes the protection autism class resources had while setting up internal conflict and resentment of autism classes within mainstream schools. The level of need in autism classes is often higher and if mainstream SNAs are withdrawn to meet those needs, many children will be left less supported which could breed tension within classes.”
“This is not just a transport issue. It is an issue of childcare, family income, gender equality and children's right to education. The Minister has failed to prepare or to act on and implement the review's key recommendations. This has to change.”
“You literally could not make it up. The consequence of this inaction is children across Meath and the State are locked out of school transport yet again. The promise of the review has been broken. The failure to act by the Minister and her Department has directly resulted in children being denied a safe, reliable way to get to school. This is a conscious choice that has hurt families. To make matters worse, Bus Éireann outright refuses to answer basic questions. This is insult to injury and must be addressed. The impact of all of this is real and profound. It turns family life upside down. Parents are faced with impossible choices trying to co-ordinate school runs that add hours to their day or, in some cases, face the prospect of having to reduce hours or give up their jobs - typically mothers - to make the logistics work.”
“It proposed that from September 2025, the distance would be reduced from 3.2 km to 1 km for primary school pupils and from 4.8 km to 2 km for secondary students. This single change would have been transformative. It would have shifted many children from the precarious concessionary category to secure eligible status. It would have opened the scheme up to additional pupils, finally acknowledging the reality of rural Ireland and modern commuting patterns. What happened? Absolutely nothing. The recommendation was shelved. Instead of a step change, we had a step backwards. We had a tiny number of pilot studies - just 14 on a network of over 10,600 routes. Consultants have been appointed and working groups set up. The Government had a review. Now, it has set up groups to review that review instead of implementing it.”
“The Minister and Minister of State should do something about that. The situation in my constituency of Meath East, which I share with the Minister, is a microcosm of a State-wide scandal. In August, scores of parents contacted my office in sheer desperation. Their children, some of whom had bus tickets for years, were left without seats on buses. Their plans for the new school term were thrown into utter disarray. Why? It was because of this Government's blatant failure to implement the very recommendations of a review it commissioned. That is incredible. The review of the school transport scheme took three long years to complete. It was finally published in February of last year, 19 months ago. One of its central headline recommendations was to reduce the arbitrary and outdated "near a school" distance criteria.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important subject. This year is not just another episode in a long-running saga of Government failure on school transport. This year represents a new low. In addition to the usual annual debacle, never before have we had the situation on such a scale where tickets were issued and routes confirmed but, at the eleventh hour, in some cases the day before school was due to start, services were cancelled. There was no bus, no driver, no nothing. It was and remains a shambles. Responsibility for this lies squarely at the feet of this dithering, inactive Government. It makes no sense, for example, that a bus driver can be aged over 70 and can drive kids to a GAA game at 9.30 a.m. but cannot be over 70 and drive them to school at 9.00 a.m.”
“This Bill is a direct, practical response to provide real relief. It would mandate every school to adopt a cost-conscious uniform policy. It is built on common-sense principles that seek to ensure clear labelling of optional versus mandatory items to prevent unnecessary spending, to provide multiple retail options so that parents can shop around for the best value, and to minimise the use of expensive branded items that can exclude students from activities.”
“This is not just a perception; it is a reality confirmed by new numerous analyses from the Irish League of Credit Unions, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, and Barnardos, among others. The CCPC has made it clear that restrictive school uniform policies are stifling competition, driving up costs and embedding avoidable expenses that are simply unsustainable for households. Barnardos found that back-to-school costs average at €725 for primary school and €1,100 for secondary school. Some 60% of parents are worried about these costs, 27% have used savings to meet them and 15% were forced to borrow to meet them. In relation to school uniforms, just 14% of respondents to the Barnardos survey said their school had an affordable school uniform option, while 92% said their school required crested or branded uniform items.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to make provision whereby the Minister for Education shall make regulations governing the implementation of an affordable school uniform policy in schools; and for this purpose, to amend the Education Act 1998. I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill 2025 along with Deputies Ó Laoghaire and Clarke. I thank both Deputies for their work on this Bill. Throughout the country, parents are being hammered by the cost-of-living crisis. The enormous expense of clothing their children for school is a huge part of that financial strain. For many, back-to-school costs run into hundreds, if not thousands, of euro, turning what should be an exciting time into a period of dread.”
“They do not have confidence in it. We need a system that people have confidence in and that assures them that those who coming here to contribute to the economy or are entitled to protection that the system can provide them with that. We need people to have confidence in the system.”
“That means ending section 5 and other planning exemptions for accommodation, linking accommodation location to services and capacity, and proper community engagement. It means a real integration strategy built from the ground up. It means tying work and student permits to the realities of our housing crisis and wage pressures. We need a system that is fair efficient and enforced, and based on the capacity of our communities. It is in the best interests of everyone to have a system we can all have confidence in that protects us all. It is the only way. I heard some commentary and criticism of a rules-based system. We need a rules-based system. It needs to be such that people have confidence in it because people have a lack of faith in the system. They see it being used by a small number of people to make a huge amount of money.”
“It handed over power on migration and undermines our sovereignty to make decisions based on our unique circumstances. Similarly, the extension of the temporary protection directive without discussion is not sustainable. We need a planned approach that provides certainty and a return to ordinary rules. The Government's failure to plan has stripped communities of agency, stripped them of their voice and created a hostile environment which is exploited by those intent on sowing division. That said, there can be no tolerance for racism. There can be no place for racism in Ireland. Sinn Féin believes in a better way. Migration must be managed in the best interests of all who live here.”
“For too long Government policy on migration has been a story of reaction, crisis and abdication of duty. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have allowed our system to be dictated by profiteers and unchecked market forces, utterly failing communities and those seeking protection alike. Our international protection system, for example, is not fit for purpose. Decisions and appeals still take far too long, enforcement is weak or non-existent and a small number of private operators are making many millions from inappropriate accommodation. There is a complete lack of transparency and Sinn Féin demands a full review of all IPAS contracts to end this disgusting profiteering. The Government's decision to sign up in full to the EU migration pact was a mistake. We said it at the time and we maintain that position.”
“I mentioned FUSS Ireland and the Equality in Education group, but across the length and breadth of this State, parents are fighting for their children. That should be leveraged. The Minister of State should work with them and deliver for them.”
“In every measure that we are calling for, we are asking the Government to leverage the energy of parents and school leaders to deliver solutions and appropriate school places for every child. The bureaucratic barriers that are being put up time and again should be done away with and the energy of parents who are fighting for their children and who are absolutely to be admired should be leveraged.”
“I want to start my concluding remarks by saying that some of the utterances from Deputy Danny Healy-Rae were ignorant, ill-informed, insensitive, offensive and disgusting. He should withdraw them. They represent the height of ignorance. The debate, otherwise, was important. It is incredibly frustrating. I say that on my behalf and on behalf of anyone with an interest in this matter. The term "gaslighting" was used. The Minister of State is taking people for fools. He and the senior Minister continually refusing to answer basic questions or provide information that we know they have is deliberate. This undermines the Minister's bona fides in relation to his job. I ask the Minister of State to withdraw the amendment and look at what we are asking him to do.”
“We demand investment and a commitment to recruit and retain SNAs and SETs with the reformed, needs-based allocation model that centres the voice of the child, parent and school leader. Crucially, we demand a lasting solution and the publication and implementation of a costed, medium- to long-term strategic plan with multi-annual funding to finally guarantee that every child with additional needs has equal access to appropriate education within their own community. The time for deflection and excuses is over. The time for action is now. I commend this motion to the House.”
“We condemn the effective denial of education based solely on a child's additional needs, which is a clear violation of their fundamental rights. We condemn the creation of an environment where parents are forced to resort to the immense stress and financial burden of legal action simply to vindicate their children's basic right to education. Our call to action is clear. We demand immediate transparency and call on the Department to publish the exact number of children awaiting a place and those blocked by building and school transport delays, disaggregated by county and setting. We demand immediate delivery and the establishment of a time-bound task force to fast-track building projects. We demand systemic reform and an independent review of the NCSE and SENOs to restore trust and efficiency.”