Donna McGettigan
Clare · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“At a time when families should be proudly taking photographs of their children on their first day back at school, many parents are instead lying awake at night, wondering how they are going to pay the bills.”
“This year alone, at least 47 schools have been referred to the financial support services unit. That is a staggering 38% increase. While Government Members will stand up and list the things they have done, some which are very welcome, they will conveniently ignore the things they have done to make life harder.”
“The reality is that a growing digital divide is emerging in our schools, and while the Government celebrates its announcements, parents are being asked to pay more and more simply to ensure their child or children can fully participate in education. So much for free education.”
“I thank the Labour Party for this timely and important motion. Sinn Féin supports this motion because the cost of sending children to school has become an unacceptable financial burden on families across the State.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for this important, timely motion. I want to tell the story of Christina from Clare. Christina is an artist and like so many artists across this island, she spent countless hours creating work. She poured her talent, experience, emotions and imagination into it.”
“As an artist in wool myself, I am lucky that this AI cannot take my creativity and use it. I feel extremely lucky about that every day but across Ireland, artists, photographers, writers, and musicians are seeing their work taken without consent and used to train generative AI systems.”
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“Across Ireland, a huge number of organisations, community groups, sporting bodies, trade unions, public representatives and ordinary citizens have spoken out. They are not doing so because this is easy; they are doing so because they believe there comes a time silence becomes complicity. Genocide is genocide. Moving this match to another venue does not make us any less complicit; it simply makes it out of sight and out of mind. There is no hiding, however, from the reality facing the Palestinian people. We cannot look away from the killing of innocent civilians or the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals and sporting facilities, an infrastructure that should be nurturing the next generation of athletes. Sport does not exist in a moral vacuum. It never has done. When faced with grave injustices, sporting bodies have acted before.”
“To prevent talent gaps and keep pace with rapid change, we need ambitious investment in renewable energy, offshore wind, grid connectivity and innovation capacity. The green transition presents enormous opportunities for skilled employment and regional development, if properly planned. Success in this evolving landscape requires us to forecast future shifts, build adaptable skill sets and actively shape the future instead of reacting to it after the fact. Navigating an increasingly unpredictable global market means our top priority must be future-proofing Ireland and continuously upskilling our talent base. That requires long-term thinking and sustained investment.”
“Linking research facilities on an all-island basis would provide greater co-ordination, stronger collaboration and the potential to accelerate Irish scientific and technological advances for the benefit of everyone who lives on this island. We also need to listen carefully to what industry is telling us. IBEC’s Open for Business campaign has highlighted the urgent need to accelerate infrastructure projects across the State. Concerningly, IBEC’s skills survey revealed that 82% of Irish firms are reporting significant skills gaps in their workforce, and this damages our competitiveness. We cannot build a resilient economy while failing to invest in the workforce needed to sustain it.”
“If we are serious about future-proofing our economy, we must also address the crisis in higher education and research. Third level institutions and their ability to carry out world-class research and development are at a crucial juncture. There has been massive under-investment in research and higher education over the past decade. Targeted all-island intervention is needed to ensure that research facilities are fully equipped to deliver the knowledge skills needed for both multinational employers and indigenous Irish firms. Failure to invest now will have negative consequences for future growth, innovation and job creation. Irish unity would create significant opportunities for greater co-operation between third level institutions across the island.”
“The IMF made clear that we need to better prepare our labour market for the impact of AI. That preparation starts with Government taking skills training and lifelong learning seriously. We recognise the enormous benefits and potential AI can bring by improving public services, increasing productivity and driving innovation, but we do not naively look upon AI as an intrinsic force for good. There is also significant potential for harm, from job displacement and misinformation to abuses of privacy. For that reason, AI must be robustly regulated, with workers and communities protected as technology advances. Alongside investment in digital skills, we need to remove barriers to apprenticeships and trades. Apprenticeships are critical to delivering the homes, schools, hospitals and infrastructure that our country desperately needs.”
“In comparison, countries such as Sweden and Finland reported rates of 35% and 31%, respectively. That is a stark warning signal and emphasises the urgent need for increased investment in lifelong learning initiatives. Workers should not have to choose between paying bills an improving their qualifications. Education and training must be accessible throughout a person’s life and not just at the beginning of it. Sinn Féin believes in building a fairer economy where workers are supported to adapt and thrive in changing circumstances. Just this week the IMF warned that Ireland is more exposed to AI than many advanced economies because of our concentration of information and communication technologies, financial services and other knowledge-intensive industries.”
“Harnessing these opportunities will help create well-paid sustainable jobs, further develop Ireland’s capacity to attract foreign direct investment and strengthen indigenous enterprise while contributing significantly to the economy across the island. However, investment cannot simply be talked about; it must be delivered. An OECD Ireland skills strategy report released in 2023 raised urgent concerns about the readiness of Irish adults to adapt to changes in the world of work. Despite a high proportion of adults holding third level qualifications, the report highlighted a serious lack of essential upskilling and lifelong learning participation placing many Irish workers at risk falling behind. The figures speak for themselves. Only 14% of the adult population engaged in education and training in 2021.”
“I wish the Minister’s grand aunt a happy 100th birthday. It is a great achievement to have. I welcome this debate on ensuring our skills, training and innovation systems are kept up to date in a rapidly advancing world. Technology continues to evolve at a pace that means if, as a country, we are not investing enough in skills, research and innovation, we will be left behind very quickly. The world of work is changing before our eyes. Artificial intelligence, automation, green technologies and digital transformation are already reshaping entire industries and Ireland cannot afford to stand still while other countries race ahead. That is why we need proper investment in these sectors to provide opportunities into the future.”
“It is always about choosing one essential over the other. No one should be forced to continuously make those decisions. No one should have to ration their independence because the Government refuses to recognise the true cost of disability. Disabilities do not wait for people to afford them. The wheelchair battery still needs charging. Transport costs still need to be paid. The personal assistance hours are still needed. Extra heating, therapies, equipment, rent and food are not optional costs that can be parked for better times. People with disabilities need help now. They deserve to be heard, respected and given the means not just to survive, but to live with dignity.”
“It is about what it simply costs to be able to live and participate in society and have independence and dignity. According to the Disability Federation of Ireland, 39% of people unable to work due to disability face enforced deprivation. Think about that. That is nearly four in ten people, yet the Government’s amendment does not even mention deprivation or poverty. By refusing to name these realities, it is enforcing what so many disabled people already feel, that is, that they are not listened to, their struggles are invisible and they do not matter. They do matter, however, and the lived realities behind these statistics are stark. People with disabilities are reporting having to visit food banks. Families are forced into impossible choices between whether to run essential life-saving equipment, keep the heating on or eat.”
“This motion goes to the heart of dignity, equality and basic fairness because the reality is that disabled people in Ireland are carrying a cost that is relentless and deeply unjust. As the Clare Leader Forum said: Disabled People are under sustained financial pressure. These pressures are not confined to one area of life. They arise across transport, housing, employment, independent living, energy, communications, social participation and personal assistance. The Cost of Disability is not marginal, occasional or discretionary. It is structural, ongoing and unavoidable. That is why the Government’s amendment misses the point entirely. It means that the Government is not listening. The cost of disability is not about extras, luxuries or optional spending.”
“Much to the hurt and distress of the family, the new block was then opened without consultation with the family. This was even more distressing for Aoife's dad, James, who was in the final months of his life. The family has been disrespected in every way, and they want to know when or if there will be a statutory inquiry into Aoife's death, as requested by the family. Unfortunately, that will come too late for Aoife's dad.”
“Trolley figures at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, to this point of the year in 2025 were 9,446. To date in 2026, the figure is 9,341, including today's figures. The figures are down 1% on last year, and with the new bed block having little impact. We and the Taoiseach know that more must be done in the mid-west, and in Clare, in particular. Talking of the new block, I will bring up the Johnston family. As the Taoiseach knows, Aoife Johnston lost her life in UHL after waiting for 13 hours for sepsis treatment. There was a proposal that the new 96-bed block at UHL would be memorialised in Aoife's memory. Letters were exchanged with Aoife's family and the family had selected photos and poems to be incorporated in the memorial. There was then radio silence.”
“The Government should be standing up for these renters, banning rent increases and no-fault evictions, and closing loopholes which allow excessive service charges to rise out of control and out of affordability. It needs to oppose rent increases for council tenants, for those in receipt of housing assistance payment, HAP, and the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, and for cost-rental tenants. People cannot take any more; they need a Government that is on their side. They have become numb to the fact that we have more than 5,570 children who are homeless. How can the Government stand over that? How can it say it is doing everything when the numbers on the homeless lists are just going up and up? The Government has failed renters and communities like those in County Clare are paying the price.”
“In our constituency offices we are meeting young couples who are both working full-time but are forced to move back in with their parents because they simply cannot afford these sky-high rents. There are retired people couch surfing. We are even dealing with a couple living in a car who are expecting a baby any day now. This is the brutal reality of this Government's housing policy. Instead of standing up for ordinary workers, families, renters and students, this Government continues to side with institutional investors and big, corporate landlords. It is willingly pursuing policies which drive up rents and facilitate evictions, throwing renters to the wolves while protecting the profits of vulture funds.”
“I thank my colleague, Teachta Ó Broin, for bringing forward the motion. The Government's housing record is not just a failure; it is a disgrace. In County Clare alone, 125 notices of termination were received by the RTB in quarter 1 of 2026, compared with 79 in the same period last year. That number is not just a statistic. These are 125 people and families having their lives turned upside down – families living in fear, stress and uncertainty about where they will sleep next week or next month. At the very same time, the average rent in County Clare has risen to €1,249 per month. That is up from €1,089 this time last year. That is a staggering 14% increase on top of soaring energy bills, childcare costs and rising costs of living. Many renters are paying far more than the average.”
“In a recent submission to the committee on further and higher education, Conradh na Gaeilge called for at least 5% of third level courses to be available through the medium of Irish. Does the Department have any plans to have this? The Irish language is enjoying a cultural revolution, particularly through the music scene. An awful lot of young people now want to take up the language, to learn the language and to continue in their life with the language.”
“The Minister will have to excuse me. Táim ag foghlaim Gaeilge anois. Níor thuig mé gach rud a dúirt an tAire. I welcome any progress made on this issue. My son went through bunscoil and Gaelcholáiste and when he went on to college, there were certain words and phrases he struggled to understand, particularly in science. The Government has set a target that 20% of new recruits to the public service will be able to converse with the public and provide services through Irish by 2020, but currently less than 1% of third level courses are being provided in Irish, despite over 50,000 students attending Gaelscoileanna. Would the Minister agree that this is a bit slow?”
“I hear that but I am still not hearing that the Minister will examine the service charge and the rent section going out together. It is a loophole and it will cause issues for students down the line if service charges can go up. They did in one institution recently where the cost increased by 7%. We need to sit down with students, with the Minister for housing and with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, to discuss this important issue. This loophole needs to be closed to protect students and others in rental accommodation.”
“The Minister said that he does not like to see this happening in reply to me in committee. However, the RTB has said that if the rent is set out at the start with the services charged separately, the charge can stay separate. We have seen in institutions that the increase is around 7%, when we look at the rent rise and the rise of the service charges. I would like the Minister to sit down with the Minister for housing to try to work this out a framework and put protections in place. Otherwise, service charges that are separate to rent will soar high and then students will be ripped off again. This cannot go on. We have already had this in other institutions. I acknowledge the Minister cannot do anything about that because it is already in place but I would like him to sit down with the Minister for housing to discuss this.”
“Would the Minister look at the costings for a temporary free travel scheme for students affected by the current fuel crisis? We are not looking for this to be a permanent measure but, rather, a temporary one to get them over this period. Such a scheme could lift the burden on students commuting long distances to colleges. Any relief on the cost of living would make a significant difference to students. Not only are they trying to afford to stay in college, but their mental health is being affected by this too.”
“I welcome the fact the Minister said he is trying, although the 10 cent reduction has already come and gone and it is still costing students and their families more to travel. Some students have no choice but to live at home and travel because there is no accommodation for them. We are coming into the exam period and there is also uncertainty around the student fees with the current cost of living. I know the Minister can only do so much with the allocation he has, but students are telling me they need this. Students should not be the ones to carry this burden. They should be able to put fuel in their car, but they cannot do so. They cannot afford it and are getting into debt. They have to take on extra time in work just to pay for this.”
“People need relief now, not more excuses or delays, and not more spin. We need the Government to stand with ordinary people. We need elderly and vulnerable people to be able to heat their homes without fear and those with disabilities to able to heat and eat as opposed to having to choose one or the other. We also need to see carers, workers and families able to afford a decent standard of living. The Government should show it is willing to support those who are struggling. It should stop the fact that Ireland has the highest cost of energy and bring it back down to an affordable cost.”
“What has this Government done about this? Very little. The Minister may pat himself on the back and point to extra fuel allowance payments, but I ask him to speak to those people receiving them and ask them if it is enough. The answer from the people I speak to is clear: it is not enough. The Minister should ask workers and families if they can afford to heat their homes, ask them if they are getting into debt to survive, ask elderly people if they are afraid to switch on the heating and ask parents if they are skipping meals so their children can eat. This is the reality of the Government's failure. What is needed now is action. Sinn Féin has put forward solutions. The Sinn Féin mineral oil tax Bill must be enacted and the planned carbon tax increases must be scrapped.”
“This do-nothing Government has stood back and watched while fuel and energy prices have spiralled out of control. Families, workers, carers, pensioners and people with disabilities are being squeezed from every angle while this Government refuses to act. People cannot afford to wait until the next budget to find out whether they will once again be left worse off like workers were in this year's budget or forgotten about entirely like so many people with disabilities feel today. A record number of households cannot pay their energy bills. Carers cannot afford to fill their cars to get to work to care for people. -Parents are lying awake at night wondering how they will pay the rent, buy the groceries, cover insurance, fuel their cars and keep the heating on. People with disabilities are not able to charge their vital equipment.”
“Apprentices are leaving their training to take up better-paid jobs just to survive, or they are leaving the country, their home, altogether for a better life elsewhere. At the very same time, we are told we need more apprentices in construction. The situation simply does not add up. The Connect trade union has rightly described the situation as poverty pay. I am asking whose side the Government is on. Sinn Féin stands firmly on the side of workers. In case the Minister asks about the North, Caoimhe Archibald is introducing a good jobs employment rights Bill to significantly enhance workers’ rights. We believe work must pay and that nobody who goes out to earn a living should be forced into hardship. Workers built this economy and sustain it every day. It is time they are treated with the respect and protection they deserve.”
“It means that if something goes wrong, such as a much-needed car breaks down or medical issues arise, there is no safety net, no contingency fund, and this is the reality for far too many workers. In fact, workers are worse off today than they were at the start of 2022, and were forgotten about in the last budget by the Minister’s Government. We see the same pattern when we look at apprentices. We are being told by apprentices themselves that the supports available to them are not fit for purpose. I have met many apprentices and through our work on the relevant committee we have heard consistently that being paid well below the minimum wage acts as a barrier to participation. It pushes people out.”
“Trade union membership has for many years been proven to deliver better pay, better conditions and dignity at work. Let me bring this beyond statistics, though, to what it means for real lives. I have been contacted by carers in County Clare struggling with the cost of living. County Clare is predominantly rural, so one carer, Jean, travels 44 km between one client and the next. She has no choice but to put fuel in her car, or her clients will be without care. Yet Jean is now at the point where she can barely afford to go to work, never mind work, and she is living pay cheque to pay cheque. Others have told me they are having to borrow money during the week just to make it to their next payday. This is not just difficult; it is completely unsustainable.”
“The cost-of-living crisis is putting significant pressure on workers and families. Bills are rising, rents are soaring and wages are simply not keeping pace. While employment figures are often hailed as good news, they only tell part of the story, because behind those headline numbers is a reality this Government refuses to face. One quarter of jobs in Ireland are considered poor quality, characterised by low pay, insecurity and poor working conditions. That is not a success; that is a failure of political choices, and workers know that. That is why 44% of workers in Ireland who are not currently in a union say they would like to join one. They understand that collective strength is the only real protection against exploitation.”
“At Noel's funeral during Covid-19, we could only have ten people. The sad thing about our story of delayed diagnosis is that we are not alone in this. I hope no other family has to go through this. We need to provide better diagnoses and cancer care for people so that nobody else has to go through this.”
“We were paying for petrol and parking costs. We were in and out of hospital, as well as dealing with the pain and the worry. Noel was told he had cancer and then a week later told he did not. Noel was eventually brought to Dublin where he was opened up and it was then we were told the devastating news that he had stage 4 cancer. It was too late. Nothing could be done for him, but Noel, being mister positive, wanted us to use the six months he was given for us to be happy and get married. I set about arranging a wedding. It was during Covid-19 so we could not have all our family with us. I could not help but cry when it came to the words "in sickness and in health" because I knew there would be no health for Noel. We did not even get to celebrate our first anniversary together.”
“I thank my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, for bringing this motion forward. He has been very vocal on these issues, which hit nearly every home in the State. I was personally affected by cancer when my partner at the time, Noel, was very ill. For 18 months, Noel lost a lot of weight and was in a lot of pain. He could barely hold himself up. Noel was yellow. His skin was yellow. His eyes were yellow. He was a bag of bones, yet he was repeatedly sent home from hospital. Noel was shifted between doctors. None of them seemed to talk to each other and because we do not have digital records, there was a complete lack of communication between doctors. Noel could not keep food down. We knew that Noel had cancer. The dogs in the street knew that Noel had cancer, but we had no diagnosis. We had to fight for a medical card.”
“People in Clare are asking, was this a Fine Gael announcement or a Government announcement? If you look at this announcement on "Reeling in the Years" down the line, you will see it is all Fine Gael elected reps at this. Does the Taoiseach believe that this will solve the issues for those in Clare, particularly those out west and in north Clare, well outside the golden hour?”
“I recently sent the Taoiseach a parliamentary question which he declined to answer. The question was to him and was about the decision-making process behind the recent announcement of a 200-bed hospital unit in Raheen, Limerick, which is option B, part of the HIQA recommendations. People in Clare are asking, when were the Taoiseach and the Cabinet made aware of this? It seems some of his own TDs and Senators in the local area were not aware of this announcement being made. People in Clare were told to stop suggesting sites by one of his Government Ministers. Did this mean it was a done deal? How did the procurement process come about? Did the Government approach the landowner or vice versa ? This plan will not solve the problem in Clare that the Government caused in 2009.”
“No child should be forced to simply live with worsening pain because the Government cannot get its act together. We demand an independent statutory inquiry, with clear terms of reference and transparency. We need accountability and above all, timely care for every child who needs it. These families cannot wait and cannot endure another broken promise. The time for excuses is over and the time for action is now.”
“Families deserve honesty. The HSE has confirmed that the concerns raised were serious enough to trigger a further review. More children's cases are being examined and that tells its own story. While reviews roll on, children remain in pain. At the end of January 2026, 229 children were on spinal surgery waiting lists compared to 230 at the end of January 2025. A total of 75 are waiting longer than three months. Behind every one of those numbers is a child missing school, missing sleep and missing out on being a child. I speak not only as a public representative but as someone who suffers from scoliosis myself. I am extremely lucky that my condition is not as severe as others. I know how to live with and I know how to work through it because I have no choice. It is progressive and it carries a lot of pain with it.”
“Instead, they are getting silence. What about phase 1 of the review into the care of children with scoliosis and spina bifida? The review has been completed and sitting with the HSE since September. The Minister was made aware of this report but families found out through a Sunday newspaper. What way is that to treat families? Families should have been informed in a proper, compassionate and understanding manner, not blindsided in the media. That was absolutely disgraceful. We then learned of the children left without a consultant and almost forgotten when services moved from Crumlin to Temple Street. How could anyone forget those children? How could any system allow that to happen? There must be full truth here, there must be accountability, and there must be no more internal reviews to gather dust and no more defensive briefings.”
“This month marks eight years since the Tánaiste promised that no child would wait longer than four months for spinal surgery. It has been eight years since children and families were given hope, yet children are still left today in desperate, painful, terrible situations. Why? Because it was another promise broken. This is not just about statistics. This is about children growing in pain, families living in fear for their children and parents are forced to watch their child's spine curve further, while they wait in a system that continues to fail them. Parents and advocacy groups are deeply concerned about the commitments to an independent inquiry. We have seen delays and backsliding. We have seen a lack of clarity regarding the role. We still have no terms of reference. Families deserve transparency, certainty and respect.”
“Why does the document relating to the funding announcement to which I refer state that the money allocated is for paving work when it is actually for resurfacing works? Will public lighting and road realignment be included? Why have much-needed road safety measures not been included? When will such measures be put in place to ensure that no more lives will be lost on the road in question?”
“There was a recent announcement of funding for roads in County Clare. An amount of €2.5 million has been allocated for the Drumeen to Darragh section of the N68. It is stated that this is for pavements. Yet, after a back-and-forth, the senior engineer in Clare County Council has stated that it is for resurfacing works on the road in question. A local campaign group has been calling for safety measures on this road. A Garda report shows that there have been 33 collisions on the road and that some of them involved fatalities. In the context of the programme for Government and the road safety strategy, the Government has adopted the Vision Zero strategy with the aim of eliminating all road deaths.”
“We face a shortage of special class places, growing waiting lists, children without appropriate placements and, at the same time, announcements of new classes where there is uncertainty about the infrastructure to properly support them. That makes no sense. The true measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable. On this issue, the Government is failing that test. We know the value of SNAs. Families know the value of SNAs. The question is whether the Minister does. We need to protect SNAs, protect the rights and dignity of our children, parents, pupils and SNAs and schools need to see action, not big announcements when there are still not enough SNAs out there.”
“I have been contacted by schools, teachers, SNAs and students across Clare. They are shocked and angry, and rightly so. The SNA service should be used as a tool to empower children. Who does the Minister thinks builds relationships in classrooms? Who helps regulate and support children so that entire classes can function and learn? It is SNAs. They are not an optional extra; they are essential. Children with additional needs deserve respect and dignity. These are two simple words that have life-changing impacts. Instead, what we have seen is disrespect. It is disrespect to students and to SNAs and an immense strain has been put on parents who already fight every single day for their children.”
“Last night, I attended a meeting of well over 1,000 people. They were SNAs, parents and students. I listened to heartbreaking stories of fear and anxiety but I also heard stories of hope, of children who flourished, found their voice, were full of confidence because they had the support of a special needs assistant by their side. Today, after a brutal decision to cut SNAs, the Minister comes in here talking about no cuts and an extended pause. That is not compassion; that is a rowing back because of the public backlash. The very fact she even contemplated cutting this vital service in the first place tells families everything they need to know about where vulnerable children rank in her priorities. They are people. They are not just a diagnosis. SNAs have said they face job insecurity every year.”
“The Minister has the opportunity now to ban vulture funds from snapping up family homes. He has the opportunity to level the playing field and give those families hope. I hope he does it and, more importantly, those families hope he does it.”
“I ask the Minister to tell me how he can face these families and tell them is doing all he can when they can see with their own eyes that house prices have risen and the number of houses for sale in their price bracket is decreasing. High rents are making it almost impossible for people even to save for a deposit. The Minister is asking people to run a race while he is tying weights to their ankles. In Clare in late 2024 the residential property price register showed the average price paid by new homeowners in Shannon and Ennis jumped by more than €40,000 in a single year. This is not a market functioning for the people; it is market rigged in favour of big investors. Homes are for living in and not for hoarding or for vulture funds circling communities and snapping up family homes in bulk while young couples stand helpless at the gate.”
“I thank my colleague, Deputy Doherty, for tabling the motion. The housing crisis continues to deepen for ordinary workers, families and children. We have children growing up in emergency accommodation and in overcrowded homes while their parents are being outbid for homes by vulture funds. Despite repeated promises to address this issue, the Government continues to allow this practice, meaning those struggling to buy a home have their hopes of owning a home taken away by vulture funds that can buy up to ten houses at a time without even having to pay the higher stamp duty rate and face no restrictions on the purchase of apartments. They can buy ten homes at once while a family cannot even secure one.”
“While we know that purpose-built student accommodation will be reset every three years, we also know that because of the Government's failures to meet its student accommodation targets, most students are going to have to go into the private rental market. They will have no protections and may see year-on-year rent hikes and unsecured tenancies in digs. Where is the protection for those students? Students deserve certainty, they deserve fairness and they deserve a government that stands on their sides, not one that continues to protect the profits of landlords over the future of our young people. This Bill must be amended, and students and other people put first. Otherwise, it will simply be another chapter in this Government's housing failure.”
“As soon as I read the Bill, I knew straight away, going by the data, that students would be badly affected by this. The Bill will have profound and deeply damaging consequences for students and we must call this for what it is: another failure of this Government's broken housing policy. Students are at the very heart of this housing crisis. Young people trying to make their lives better are having their dreams of education dashed because they either cannot find accommodation or simply cannot afford it. Some students are left with long commutes, couch surfing or sleeping in their cars and that is absolutely shameful. Our students are not met with opportunity but with sky-high rents and a market rigged in favour of big landlords and big investors.”
“It strikes at the dignity, safety and fundamental rights of women, men and children and it needs to be sorted now. Violence against women remains pervasive in Ireland and the digital space now plays a central role in enabling and amplifying that violence. AI has become a new weapon of abuse, humiliation and control. Perpetrators of digital domestic abuse, sexual violence and gender-based violence must not be allowed to evade accountability or to hide behind a veil of anonymity because of weak or inadequate rules imposed on platforms and digital service providers. Every day that the Government delays, these images remain available. Every hour of inaction compounds that harm and every failure to legislate sends a dangerous message that protection does not matter.”
“I thank Deputies Devine and Carthy for this very important and timely Bill. Speedy action on this is required now; not next year, not after another review, but now. During the period from 29 December 2025 through to 9 January 2026, Grok is estimated to have generated approximately 3 million sexualised images, including 23,000 that appear to depict children. Let us be absolutely clear on this, these are children. The question that must be asked is very simple: why did the Government not act immediately on this? According to Children's Health Ireland, CHI, these tools pose significant risks to children and young people, including psychological distress, loss of dignity, coercion and long-term trauma. This is real, live harm being inflicted right now. This erosion of basic societal norms cannot be tolerated.”