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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Every one of 388 lines we hold for Donna McGettigan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 8.
“Irish farmers and their representative organisations have lost confidence in the chairperson, and it is time to listen to them. For Sinn Féin this is about standing with Irish farmers, protecting consumers and defending the integrity of Irish food. The chair must resign, and he must resign now.”
“Yet, we now have a situation where the chair of Bord Bia, an organisation whose own website states it exists to promote Ireland's outstanding food, drink and horticulture to the world, is at the same time importing Brazilian beef that we know entered Ireland with banned hormones. This is an unacceptable conflict. As a consumer this leads me to have a lack of faith in the chair of the board. If he continues in that role, I and many others will lose faith in Bord Bia altogether. Trust once broken is not easily repaired. This conflict must end, and the trust that Irish people place in Bord Bia must be allowed to be rebuilt. The importance of Irish food and drink exports is at risk here. Our reputation is hard won, and it must not be undermined. The Minister has the power to remove this member from the board with immediate effect.”
“The Bord Bia quality and trust mark is something I trust and look for as a consumer. It means something to people. It tells us that what we are eating is safe, meets the highest standards and comes from our land. The fact that I can trace what I am eating back to a farmer or field in Ireland is reassuring and something I value deeply, not just because you are what you eat, but because it allows me to know I am contributing to supporting local farmers and suppliers who work tirelessly to uphold those standards. This is not just a rural issue. This is an urban and rural issue. Transparency about what we are eating matters to every family in every community.”
“The National Youth Council of Ireland has found that accommodation is now the single biggest cost-of-living issue for students and young people and, alarmingly, two thirds of those aged between 18 and 24 believe they would be better off living in another country. That is shameful and it is down to this Government. What protections will students in private accommodation be given? Where is the certainty of fairness? The Government needs to cut rents and introduce an emergency three-year ban on rent increases. Students and families need affordable rents, real protections and public investment rather than broken promises.”
“As a result, the majority of students are now forced into the private rental market and unsecure digs where they have little protection and even less certainty. The figures in reports speak for themselves. The number of student beds delivered is down 54% from 2024, with just 422 beds expected to be delivered this year. That is the lowest in over 20 years. That is a policy failure. The proposed changes will mean that students in private accommodation may now face year-on-year rent hikes with no real safeguards. At a time of spiralling costs, the Government is adding pressure instead of relief.”
“Under this Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, students will be among the hardest hit. At a time when students are already being pushed to the pin of their collar and students’ unions are having to set up food banks, the Government is choosing to turn its back on them once again with this Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael, rip-off rent hike Bill. Under these proposals, student-specific accommodation rents can be reset every three years, opening the door to higher rents and greater insecurity for students and their families. This student accommodation crisis did not appear overnight. Rather, it is the direct result of the Government’s failure to meet student accommodation targets and deliver publicly owned, genuinely affordable student accommodation.”
“I am particularly concerned about those trying to claim independence from their parents who cannot do so because their parents will not give them a letter because they are not talking to each other. It is a big concern.”
“I have the figures in front of me. A total of 4,924 applicants were refused because they were over the income threshold. However, the means test applies to the previous year and does not take into account things like job losses, although I am aware that there is a fund for people to whom that happens. One of the main reasons for refusal is insufficient documentation to confirm eligibility. Within that, many applicants from the North are not able to access SUSI because they do not conform and do not have the right documentation. That is a big concern. A total of 5,373 applicants were in that bracket, up from 5,064. It is a big concern. What can be done for those applicants?”
“They are being unfairly treated because they are being assessed on the basis of their parents' income, despite the fact that they are trying to live independently. What can be done about that?”
“In 2023 and 2024, approximately 22% were unsuccessful. In the subsequent academic year, the figure was 21%. There seems to be a percentage that is common across the years. I am given to understand that SUSI is a demand-based scheme. In other words, whatever moneys are not spent are handed back. Is there a cap on the number of SUSI grants that can be paid out or is the fund indefinite in nature? While I welcome the year-on-year drop in the numbers refused due to the increase in the household income threshold, I am still concerned about the number of applicants being refused due to a lack of documentation and, more generally, the number of refusals and grants not paid out. Mature students who are 23 or older have no choice, due to the housing crisis, but to live at home.”
“Why do SUSI grants show a steady yearly rate of difference between funds awarded and funds paid? Given the consistent numbers being refused SUSI grants annually - with the largest number of refusals being on the grounds of insufficient documentation to confirm eligibility - will the Minister introduce reforms to reduce the rate of refusal?”
“As I said, it is welcome that the rent hikes will be attached to the property rather than the tenants but the Minister is talking in the context of purpose-built student accommodation. What about those in private accommodation such as digs and private homes? Will they get any protection? We know housing is one of the biggest costs in a student's life, and the majority of students are in the private rental market. While rents are already unaffordable, if we continue to rely on private rental supply, rents will continue to increase to the point where they will push young people away from attending college because they simply cannot get student accommodation or afford it. What will be put in place for those in private accommodation?”
“We know the majority of students rent from the private market. What protections is the Minister fighting for to be put in place for these students who, as we know, renew their lease on an annual basis?”
“On 6 February 2025, the Minister announced that a new student accommodation strategy was in development, which would be completed in 2025. We were then told that the much-awaited strategy would be delivered in quarter 4 of 2025. We are now in 2026. While we are told the strategy will be published in the coming weeks, we still do not have a definitive date and the gap between strategies is growing further apart. From March, student-specific accommodation providers will be able to reset rents to market value, and every three years thereafter. Is that correct? While it is welcome that these rent hikes will be attached to the property rather than the tenant, is it fair that students are being unfairly targeted for more rent hikes than others? While I welcome the rise in extra payments to help them, it simply is not enough.”
“When will the student accommodation strategy be released? Will it contain proposals to allow the providers of private student accommodation to hike rents more often than those in purpose-built student accommodation?”
“What kind of way is that for this Government to treat people? I am asking that it does the right thing and supports this motion. People with disabilities deserve dignity, not delay; and certainty, not excuses.”
“Is that really too much to ask? Just before Christmas on a bitterly cold winter day, I met protesters outside this very Dáíl. One protester said to the crowd with devastating sarcasm, "Is it not great the Government is giving us extra fuel allowance? It is giving me enough to buy firelighters for a fire that I cannot even afford to keep lit." That is the reality - a very stark reality. They have told me the extra €10-a-week would not even come close to covering their real living costs. The message of that protest was simple and shameful: eat or heat. I find that utterly disgraceful. Delaying supports does not save money, it pushes people with disabilities into debt, into loans, into financial holes they may never climb out of. Some are spending their days in local libraries just to stay warm.”
“I thank the Social Democrats for this motion. Constituents and disability support groups across County Clare have been contacting me. They are shocked and deeply disappointed that this Government is refusing to call for an emergency winter payment for people with disabilities. They cannot understand how money can be found for developers and for those who are already flush, yet people with disabilities have to make the stark decision to eat or to have heat. The Taoiseach has stated that such a measure is not fiscally sustainable. People have said to me that asking people with disabilities to wait is what is truly unsustainable. They are absolutely right about this. They are not looking for luxuries, they are looking for help to meet essential needs - extra costs for heating and to run specialised life-sustaining equipment.”
“We were lucky to find him before he could do himself more harm. Other families have not been so lucky. To provide a wider picture, in 2023 Clare recorded the highest suicide rate in the State. In 2024, it had the fourth highest. Yet, when my colleague, Teachta Sorca Clarke, received a reply on suicide crisis assessment nurse services, we learned that Clare and the mid-west have not one clinical nurse specialist. Is it any wonder that people feel abandoned by the Government when it comes to emergency mental health care? To make matters worse, mental health presentations at Ennis hospital are not even properly recorded. There is no established process to identify patients who need access to a mental health liaison team. This upsets and angers me. People already feel they have no worth, and the absence of services tells them exactly that.”
“I commend Teachta Sorca Clarke on this very important motion. We urgently need fundamental reform of the State’s emergency mental health services. The failure is being felt in Clare and the mid-west. Let me tell a personal story. A few years ago, my nephew was found hanging but we were extremely fortunate that he was still alive. He was taken down and brought by ambulance to a hospital but, because it was at the time of Covid, his mother was not allowed to travel with him. When he arrived at the accident and emergency department, he was placed on a chair – it was one of the most overcrowded emergency departments – and told he would have to wait for hours to be seen. He was alone, traumatised and completely overwhelmed. He rang his mother, my sister, to say he could not cope and he walked out of the hospital.”
“Allowing exporters to self-certify compliance with the EU standards, while Irish farmers are held to the highest standards of animal welfare, traceability, regulation and environmental protection, is fundamentally unjust. The Government must actively work to maximise opposition to this deal among MEPs and finally block Mercosur for Irish farmers, rural communities, our environment, food safety and food security.”
“Despite numerous warnings over many years from Irish farming organisations, environmental experts and Sinn Féin, it did not do enough. Irish farmers and consumers will pay the price for that failure. We need a full, detailed account of every legal, political and diplomatic action this Government has taken or failed to take in relation to the Mercosur trade deal. I spoke to people in Athlone on Saturday, including farmers from County Clare. They want a level playing field. That does not exist under Mercosur. There is no meaningful regulation and no proper traceability. They do not even tag their cattle. The rebranding of this deal as a so-called partnership agreement is undemocratic. Member states must have the right to debate and vote on this in their national parliaments.”
“I attended the protest in Athlone on Saturday. It was a very powerful demonstration and reflection of what the people think of this deal. People travelled from all across Ireland to be there. It was a clear message that this deal will impact everyone, urban and rural alike, particularly when it comes to food safety, food security and fairness. The day before the deal was agreed, the Government claimed that it was voting against it, but let us be honest: it did it because it knew it was going through anyway. It was safe to say “No” because it had already failed to do the work when it actually mattered. In the programme for Government, the Government committed to building an alliance across Europe to form a blocking minority but it utterly failed to do that.”
“Sinn Féin believes we can and must do better. We must have legislation that is comprehensive, forward looking and focuses on protecting young people, public health and our environment.”
“Vapes contain plastic, nicotine salts, heavy metals such as lead and mercury and flammable lithium-ion batteries. They pollute waterways, hurt wildlife and harm people. In Ireland in 2022, an estimated 12.5 million disposable vapes were sold. With use on the rise, we must ask where these devices are. They are being binned, thrown on the ground, polluting waterways and adding to our growing plastic waste problem. As someone who works with my local Tidy Towns group in Shannon, I see this every time there is a litter pick. Vapes are on footpaths, grassways and parks. Even vape shop owners have shared this concern, with many in Clare reaching out to me directly. According to Clare Parenting, vaping impacts physical and mental health, concentration in school, activities, hobbies, relationships and finance.”
“Yet, according to the Irish Heart Foundation, Irish research shows that teenagers who vape are three to four times more likely to start smoking compared to those who have never used vapes. That is a serious warning sign we cannot ignore. We know the harm is real. According to Professor Eamon Keenan, the HSE's national clinical lead for addictions, children and young people are increasingly falling ill from vaping cannabinoids. The HSE has confirmed that ten people were admitted to acute hospitals for vaping-related illnesses in 2023. Figures from the Health Research Board show that in 2025, 169 young people sought treatment for problems with HCC, hexahydrocannabinol, a drug contained in some vapes and edibles. The environmental impact cannot be ignored.”
“Public policy must be balanced. Vaping should not be made as expensive or penalised as much as smoking. Nor should it be made more attractive to non-smokers, particularly children and young people. We need to see restrictions on flavouring and packaging that target young people and children addressed properly in law. The use of vaping among young people is rising. Among 15- and 16-year-olds, vape use now stands at 18%, with 39% in this age group saying they have tried vapes. That should concern us all. Vapes are brightly coloured and flavourful and are marketed to look cool. I have seen young people with vapes because they think it looks cool or their friends are vaping. Some of these young people with vapes may never have lit a cigarette or ever wanted to light one.”
“This Bill represents a piecemeal approach from this Government. It is the third Bill in three years, with another one on the way. That tells its own story. Instead of this Government using forward thinking and having a modern, comprehensive approach, we are left reacting, catching up and legislating bit by bit. Sinn Féin has sought a ban on single-use vapes for years. They are highly wasteful and damaging to the environment. Yet, this Bill will really only target products that are already being phased out, while failing to deal with the wider and growing problem of vaping. The Government needs to introduce modern and comprehensive legislation on vaping instead of piecemeal legislation. It needs to look forward because new trends and products will continue to come on the market. We cannot be left trying to catch up again.”
“I implore the Minister to give some people hope this Christmas that they will not face the cost of funding for a device that is not a luxury but a necessity.”
“Imagine coming home to find your loved one collapsed or incoherent. You ring an ambulance, and you are asked a simple but critical question, "Have they taken their medication?" but you cannot answer because their blister pack is not there. You do not know if they have double dosed, triple dosed or taken none at all. Blister packs provide answers to those questions that can save lives. Imagine trying to live as independently as possible with a disability only to have a simple lifesaving support priced out of your reach. The loss of independence forces people to rely on others and even they may not have someone to rely on. It is not acceptable. Sinn Féin believes people should be able to live in dignity and safely.”
“We talk about the bike shed and the security hut as examples of taxpayers' money being wasted, but I would not call this a waste of money. It is a lifesaving device. What we are seeing here is all too familiar. The most vulnerable people in Clare and across the State are being given a small rise on one hand, only to have to have it taken straight back on the other. That is not progress. It is not fair. It certainly is not protecting those who rely on these vital lifesaving supports. I have listened carefully to those who came to me. This decision does not just affect those who use blister packs; it affects carers, families and loved ones who depend on this lifeline to keep people safe. These supports help elderly people, people with physical disabilities and those living with cognitive impairment of all ages.”
“When the story first broke about the blister packs, my office was inundated with calls. People contacted me not only asking why but expressing their disgust and anger and a deep sense that once again the most vulnerable in our society are being left behind, forgotten and treated as an afterthought by this Government. Whatever way they get their blister packs, it is not their fault that they were getting them for free and now they may have to pay for them.”
“The potential for massive increases in research and development if professors accounted for 5% of TU staff by 2030 is very significant. This would also increase postgraduate research student numbers and EU Horizon research funding, which could reach €80 million per year. The overall economic impact nationally would be in the region of €2.8 billion. Getting to 5% of TU staff by 2030 would be welcome. Another important focus of the OECD report is on the comparison of various strands of benchmarked institutions with TU Dublin. The findings show greater levels of research activity and available financial resources at TU Dublin and Ireland's other TUs. A medium-term aspiration from the emerging TU sector is there when a much higher one could be available. The timelines are being closely monitored.”
“There is a huge issue with parity of esteem within further and higher education and that needed to be addressed. There should not be this distinction between our institutions and those wishing to pursue their education, whether at Trinity College or a TU. The development of technological universities has undoubtedly been a hugely impactful and positive change for higher education, boosting regions that otherwise would not have the opportunities for regional development. The absence of professorships has been a massive drawback in developing research capacity, crucial to these landmark TUs. Currently, legacy universities employ between 10% and 15% of their staff at professor level while the TUs have none. What percentage of staff will these new professors represent? Will their pay equal their counterparts' in legacy institutions?”
“This question is a bit outdated since the rescheduling of the Dáil last week. A recent OECD report on technological universities identified the exclusion of professorships at TU level as a huge shortcoming that should be urgently addressed. The report states the current TU system cannot fully achieve the expectations set out in the Technological Universities Act 2018. I welcome the announcement the Minister recently made that professors will be coming into TUs.”
“I welcome that there is still ambition for this project. However, ambition is not reality or actual work on the ground. Is the Minister aware of any timeframe for how long the review will take? What happens if we are left with an unfinished site? That site could accommodate 4,000 students. Meanwhile, students continue to struggle to afford extortionate rents in the private market. We are now in a situation wherein the university has paid out millions of euro on a development that is, in effect, abandoned for now, although the Minister says the ambition to progress it is still there. This should not be happening. Hard-working taxpayers have a right to know what has happened. Can the project be taken over by the Department to ensure the site is developed to house students if what is planned does not go ahead?”
“According to statistics provided to the Dáil in May, figures for this year are not in yet but the indications are that there has been a drop-off in the number of students, particularly Chinese students, coming here. Why do our State-owned universities have to scramble for funding elsewhere? Is there not a need for funding contingency in these types of situations?”
“It is no secret that universities are continuing to deal with chronic underfunding for the best part of 30 years and there does not seem to be any let-up on that front. This means many universities have a heavy reliance on international students, who pay costly fees towards the Irish university sector, and potentially this is a factor in this project not going ahead. According to the Irish Examiner, the UCC business school plan was reliant on the expected income to the business school coming from international students. The publication also recorded that during the first post-pandemic year of 2022, 52,000 student visas were authorised in the State. That increased to 60,901 last year.”
“The plans for a business school at UCC have been in development for the past three years, with reports that an architect firm had signed a contract of €3.5 million in 2022. From my understanding, the project was expected to cost over €100 million and was slated to start in 2024. This would have also included the provision to accommodate 4,000 students. The statement from UCC stated the college would provide an update on Cork university business school in the new year. Are we now in a situation where millions of euro of taxpayers' money is effectively down the drain? Will the Minister clarify what the situation is?”
“The only issue there is that they have to accept a placement within seven working days of the notification date. If they start declining, there is a fear that they may not ever get placed on this. It is an absolutely hellish situation out there for student accommodation and there is the fear too that if they do not accept the place they may not get accommodation. This process should ensure fairness for all apprentices. The Minister has said that himself. Is it fair for apprentices, many of whom are paid below minimum wage and are already paying extra rent, to be forced into living in unregulated digs because of their placement? They also may not even find a place to live and instead have to make long commutes. Once again, let us hope SOLAS rectifies all this for them.”
“This means that their responsibilities at home would be severely impacted as they would need to leave for 12 weeks. It is not sustainable. I welcome the fact that the Minister is going to get SOLAS to look into this. It should stop this whole lottery basis and apprenticeships should be closer to home.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I welcome that he has been in contact with SOLAS, as have we on the committee. In some cases, we were finding at the committee that someone in Donegal was going to Cork and someone from Cork going to Donegal, both doing the same apprenticeship. It just beggars belief how that happens so I welcome the fact that SOLAS will review, and also fix, this. During recent committees, we heard directly from apprentices about the challenges for their placements. The situation is affecting all ages of apprentices now within a wider age range as the demographic for apprentices has changed significantly, as the Minister knows. There are now more and more apprentices who have families to support and mortgages in one location.”
“One of the biggest issues for apprentices is placements for educational training. While there is an option to swap placements, sometimes there is not enough time to do this or to find someone to swap with. Apprentices have no idea where they will be placed, causing huge stress as they will need to budget for this added expense. Furthermore, the accommodation allowance for this is only €70 per week. Does the Minister accept that more supports are needed in the current cost-of-living crisis? If we consider the cost of rent in the country, the current system is forcing people into paying double for their accommodation and this is not acceptable.”
“What plans will he bring forward in the time ahead? Can we be assured it will commence within the lifetime of this Government?”
“The Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, spoke last week at Shannon Airport and said he would like to see a rail link built to the airport in the future. However, he failed to give any certainty about the project. When asked about the timelines for the project, he was vague and unconvincing. Given the Minister's interest, it was notable that the project was absent from the national development plan review. This project is essential and would greatly boost the future of Shannon Airport, County Clare and the entire region. I welcome the Minister's interest in it but vague aspirations and intentions are no substitute for plans and implementation. We need certainty to provide confidence in the project. What are the Minster's plans to commence the process for the construction of the rail link? What steps has he already taken?”
“In terms of the purchasing of land, I think the amendment should definitely stand. I would be fearful if there is no guarantee preventing a future Minister from changing that to buy buildings for anything other than upskilling and training. It needs to be clear in black and white that that is what the payments are for, so I will press the amendment.”
“Should moneys for this purpose not be coming from Exchequer capital expenditure rather than the NTF? As the Minister set out when he spoke on Committee Stage and again today, the NTF is to be used "to raise the skills", "to provide training" and "to provide information". We could very quickly go through that surplus if we were to use it for retrofitting and on buildings. In such circumstances, we could end up with no surplus or not enough for training. A lot of jobs are being lost to artificial intelligence. Those employers are going to need uptraining and skilling. The fear is that we could run out of NTF funding very quickly.”
“That is why I have tabled this amendment, which stipulates that any moneys used for the purchase of land, construction or reconstruction only be used for training, upskilling and educational purposes. We may have a verbal guarantee now that it will not happen, but there is no guarantee that a future Minister will not change that. I welcome that this NTF funding will be unlocked and commend the Minister on working on this, but this amendment is important.”
“I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(c) these payments to only relate to training and upskilling and not for any other purpose; these payments to only relate to the construction or reconstruction (not retrofitting) of a premises that is only used for training and educational purposes.”.”. The diversion of a portion of the employer-contributed fund to cover costs typically associated with Exchequer capital expenditure, such as retrofitting or repair of a premises, means a fundamental and unacceptable deviation from the core mandate of the National Training Fund, NTF, to measures other than direct skills and training initiatives and could rapidly deplete the surplus without delivering any impact on skills development.”
“The Government got this wrong and needs to fix it. All homeowners must be treated equally, with no arbitrary dates, no discrimination and no family left behind. 100% redress must mean 100% redress. We do not need slogans or spin, but real support. The people of Clare and other areas deserve fairness, not excuses. It is time for the Government to face reality and deliver a scheme that homeowners were promised and deserve.”