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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“Their walls are cracking, their ceilings are falling and their lives are unravelling. Let us not forget those in social housing left paying rent for homes that are falling apart, homes the State itself knows are defective. We also want to see an effective scheme for those living in social housing and private rental accommodation. This Government cannot continue to turn its back on them. The message from Clare and other areas is loud and clear: we need fairness. We need a Government that will stop making excuses and start making things right. While Ministers talk about figures and frameworks, the people I represent are living in fear with debt and with the heartbreak of watching their homes crumble to dust. The stress and emotional toll on those homeowners cannot be overstated. These families need some hope.”
“If we take the grant scheme, there are approximately 25 families in County Clare who are trapped in the original scheme, and these increases mean nothing because they are locked out and forgotten. Take Martina Cleary, a woman who only did one thing wrong, which was to believe the promise of the Government. Martina has to pay a mortgage of €14,600 for a demolished home; a pile of rubble in which she has built memories. She will now have to borrow tens of thousands of euro to finish her home. Why? The grant given to her does not cover the costs. All this on a single income, and she is just 12 years out from retirement. Is that fairness? This is not just about bricks and mortar. It is about dignity, justice and the right to a safe home. These are real people.”
“I welcome this motion and commend Deputy Ward on bringing it forward. There are families trapped in homes that are unsafe and that are literally crumbling around them. They put their faith in the defective block scheme. They filled out every form and jumped through every hoop and now some are being punished for being too early, for daring to hope that the Government would stand by them in their hour of need. When this scheme first opened, it was sold as a lifeline, but what has it become? It is a bureaucratic nightmare that is causing inequality and that leaves families stranded on outdated costings that are years out of date. This is nothing short of a national scandal. People have every right to feel abandoned by this Government.”
“In addition, people are going to have to pay extra local property tax on their homes. The Government could have chosen to side with the people who it says it understands are struggling, but it did not do so. People see landlords, developers and banks getting deals on the taxes they are burdened with Is it any wonder there is a lot of anger out there?”
“A total of €100 million was previously allocated in respect of the delivery of 1,016 beds. This was, of course, welcome. Only 116 of those beds have been delivered so far, however. The national student accommodation strategy set a target of 21,000 additional purpose-built student accommodation beds by 2024, but only approximately 14,600 new bed spaces were delivered within that timeframe. That is another target missed. The Government could have added millions of euro extra to help commence the building of more student beds, both for universities and technological universities, but it did not do so. With the ever-rising cost of food, petrol, diesel, rent, insurance and energy, there is no end in sight, particularly as there is no tax cut for workers and an increase in the pension that would not even cover the cost of food inflation.”
“This means that participating can sometimes be on pay that is below the minimum wage for a number of years. I also welcome that grants and threshold levels are up. Once again, time will tell whether they will work. Let us talk about accommodation. The Minister did not mention accommodation. It is not mentioned in the budget either. Accommodation is another massive issue for students. Besides fees, students and their families are struggling with the cost of accommodation, but I do not see much mention of student accommodation coming down the line. The Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, mentioned student accommodation in Maynooth, which has already been delivered, and UCD, which is in the process of being delivered. There was no mention of DCU or the technological universities being able to borrow money.”
“These are students who are struggling to make ends meet as it is and whose families are trying their best to help with college fees, food and transport. Some students have to work long hours in order to help pay their fees, while others face long commutes. There are students who are couch surfing or living in their cars because they either cannot find accommodation or it is just too bloody expensive for them. What are these students supposed to do to meet an additional expense of €500? While I welcome the news that the budget will support an increase in annual apprentice registration towards a target of 12,500, the detail will be telling. As we know, the apprenticeship system has had problems with backlogs and dropouts for years. Some apprenticeships take years to complete.”
“From talking to students and students’ unions in the aftermath of this budget, I have discovered that they feel they are being treated very poorly. Has the Minister spoken with them or heard what they have to say? One students’ union wishes to know whether he is a magician in view of the fact that he is turning a €500 increase into a reduction. There are second and third level students who have never had to pay student fees of €3,000; they have only paid €2,000. Now, however, they will have to pay €2,500. Maybe that would represent a reduction in some type of Narnia fantasy land. In reality, however, it is a hike for students who earlier this year took to the streets to protest against such a hike.”
“The current support system services around tobacco and smoking should be reviewed to ensure they are fit for purpose. Single-use vapes are banned in the North and should be banned here without delay. The Irish Heart Foundation called on the Government to do this when the ban came into effect in the North in order to protect the health of our young people. Vapes are marketed to our young people through the use of catchy product names, imaginative flavour names and strategic packaging. All of these aspects of vapes need to be regulated by the Government. The Government’s record on this issue is one of failure to act promptly. Government Ministers have been issuing statements and expressing intent, but to date we have not seen the necessary legislation enacted. That needs to change.”
“A number of steps need to be taken to reduce the number of children accessing these products and to reduce the harm they cause. An anti-vaping service for young people needs to be established to inform, advise and assist them to quit or, better still, abstain from using such products in the first place. An awareness campaign needs to be brought forward so that everyone is aware of the dangers these products can cause. Parents in Clare have been in touch to say that they are left dealing with their children suffering from addiction because of vape use. According to Clare Parenting’s guide on vapes, e-cigarettes and disposables for teenagers, using these products can have an impact on a person’s physical and mental health, concentration in school, activities and hobbies, relationships with family and friends and finances.”
“To be meaningful, any legislation needs to include disposable vapes, nicotine pouches and HHC vapes. The legislation also needs to be broad enough to include new, alternative products which will become available to replace any products that will be restricted. Such alternative products are already available. We cannot be left trying to catch up again. According to the Health Research Board, we have a situation where young people are reporting for treatment for the effects of HHC vapes at a rate of approximately ten per month. This is absolutely unacceptable and an indication of the lack of Government action. There have been calls from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland for HHC to be banned because of the addiction and serious mental health issues it is seeing in young patients.”
“The Government has been caught napping when it comes to vapes. We all knew this was coming down the line and yet the Government failed to take adequate action to prevent the problems we are now witnessing. I am even after hearing the Minister of State’s Government colleagues calling this out. The rate of vape use among 15 to 16-year-olds is at 18%, with 39% of them having tried it at some stage. This should be a serious concern for all of us. Many vape shop owners share those concerns, some of whom have contacted me in County Clare to express their worries. Responsible shop owners want robust legislation as much as we do. Future-proof legislation is needed as a matter of urgency. The delay in bringing forward legislation before now means that much of what is being proposed is already out of date.”
“This is potentially a huge cash cow being handed to private companies for them to profit from. This will amount to nearly €1 billion in the first year alone and up to €2 billion in subsequent years. We believe that any contributions made by those who can afford to do make them should be invested by the State for the benefit of the people. For example, investment in renewable energy sources would result in lower energy bills for everyone, which would offset the money people have to spend on their pension contributions. We accept that an auto-enrolment scheme will be needed, but this is not the right scheme and, during a cost-of-living crisis, it is not the right time.”
“The Government will be inflicting significant hardship on low-paid workers. Perhaps €20 or €30 does not mean anything to the Minister of State, but it is a lot for the people I know. Workers must be allowed to decide for themselves whether they can afford to pay contributions to a pension scheme. Making it compulsory for any amount of time completely fails to take into account the stress low and middle income earners are under. This also comes at a time when the Government is rowing back on the cost-of-living supports that are vital to keeping people’s heads above water. Another problem with this legislation is that it would hand the money to the private pension industry, whose main priority is profit. It will be left in control of not only workers’ pension contributions, but also those of the employers and the State.”
“There is an unacceptable risk that this auto-enrolment pension scheme will exacerbate that problem. Throughout the State, there are pockets of persistent disadvantage, including in my constituency of County Clare. People are working hard but are still struggling to pay their bills. Rents and mortgages, food and fuel prices and the cost of everything else are increasing constantly. In late summer, there are extra expenses relating to back-to-school costs. During the winter, there are extra fuel costs. Taking a set amount of money from workers’ wages every week could inflict suffering on families. Taking any proportion of their incomes would make their struggle even more difficult. It is unacceptable that workers have to wait six months to opt out and must then wait for a refund of money they could not afford to pay in the first place.”
“We in Sinn Féin agree with the concept of an auto-enrolment pension scheme. There is no doubt that, with an ageing population, provision will have to be made for such a scheme in order to supplement the State pension. However, this is the wrong scheme at the wrong time. It is vital that any enrolment scheme is properly designed and managed for the benefit of the people when they retire. There may be a very good reason why people are not already signed up to the pension scheme. They simply may not be able to afford to do so. For the Government to decide that it can take the money from them at a time of a cost-of-living crisis is outrageous. In-work poverty remains a serious problem in this State and the Government’s policy significantly contributes to this.”
“There was also a promised bus stop outside the school that has not been delivered. Pupils are left on narrow footpaths and this lack of infrastructure and the failure to implement promised improvements has only added to the sense of frustration with this scheme. We are being told this pilot scheme could be rolled out as a national scheme, but how can we trust this when there are so many glaring issues with it that remain unresolved? The bottom line is our children should be able to access a transport system to and from school that is safe and reliable and so far that has not been the case here.”
“Pupils on the first bus arrive almost an hour early for school while those on the second bus are arriving late. This means children are left hanging around or are forced to rush into school without enough time for the basic necessities like using their lockers, going to the bathroom or getting to breakfast club before class. This issue has also been raised several times. I have been sent several screenshots of the bus pick-up times being consistently late. On the Newmarket on Fergus service pupils are consistently forced to wait for up to an hour after school for a bus home. This is simply not good enough and we cannot continue to accept these inefficiencies and delays that put unnecessary pressure on our children. These services also do not have seatbelts, as city buses are being used in rural areas.”
“Parents like Aoife Keogh and Edel Rafferty have been tirelessly monitoring these issues day in and day out since last year and have seen first hand how the pilot scheme has failed to meet basic safety and logistical needs. One of the most pressing concerns is that drivers in the new transport pilot scheme are not Garda vetted. This is a clear and unacceptable discrepancy. All drivers in the dedicated school transport service are Garda vetted, as they should be, given that the majority of their passengers are minors. This issue was acknowledged by the authorities when Aoife and Edel raised it with them yet it remains unaddressed. There should be no difference in child safeguarding standards between the two services. The logistics of these services are also unacceptable. Take the 316 route from Sixmilebridge.”
“I want to talk about a worrying issue that affects parents and pupils in Shannon, Sixmilebridge and Newmarket on Fergus in Clare when they are using school transport and the problems that come with the integration of our school transport system into the public service. Last year, the NTA made a significant investment in public transport in Shannon and the surrounding areas. This was very welcome and a step forward in resolving a lot of issues with the previous service. However, the integration of the long-established, reliable school transport service with this public service has raised alarm bells, especially for the parents who rely on it to get their children to school safely and on time.”
“Clearly, it is because the Government knows that the people would vote against it. The Government knows it is in defiance of the will of the people. We will oppose any attempt to undermine the triple lock by this Government.”
“Sinn Féin supports investing in our military, air force and naval services to overcome the chronic neglect they have suffered under this and previous Governments. We are not a major military power and should not strive to become one. Our standing in the world should rest firmly on our neutrality and independence. We should seek to assert influence from that basis. Any military spending in excess of what is absolutely necessary will produce profits for arms manufacturers at the expense of the people of Ireland. We are suffering through a housing crisis and the last thing we can afford is the military adventurism of this Government. Sinn Féin in government would hold a referendum to enshrine our neutrality in the Constitution. Why has the Government not agreed to do the same?”
“The fact is the Government had to reassure the people that there would be checks and balances on decision making because the people do not trust it. The Government does not want an independent foreign policy but the ability to sign us up to military alliances in which our decision making truly will be abandoned.”
“I support the triple lock and want it retained. The vast majority of us do not want Irish troops to serve anywhere unless it is as peacekeepers under the auspices of the UN. Opinion polls have consistently shown that. It was enacted to reassure the voters of the State that we would not become involved in an EU army, NATO or any other military alliances. The Government is now clearly determined to abandon the reassurances given to the people. Our military neutrality is already being undermined by the use of Shannon International Airport in my hometown as a U.S. military stopover point. That must stop. We want to see ethical investment in Shannon, not a continuation or increase in its use as a military airport. The Minister for Health also said that we have given away our decision making because we cannot trust ourselves.”
“These children get one childhood. As these are their formative years, denying them the chance to thrive to their full potential is scandalous. In many cases, they also have to see their siblings having the opportunity to learn, socialise and thrive that they are denied on the basis that they have special needs the Government is failing to provide for. Alternatively, if given a place, they could be shoved into a cubbyhole. In addition to the urgent need for the Government to provide funding and resources immediately, it must also future-proof the services so we do not end up here again.”
“The Education Act 1998 states it is a function of the Minister: to ensure, subject to the provisions of this Act, that there is made available to each person resident in the State, including a person with a disability or who has other special educational needs, support services and a level and quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person... Families are struggling to try to access facilities and services for their children. They too are being let down by the Government. It is shocking that the Minister is unable to state how many children still lack the special education places they require. We are working off estimates showing it is approximately 260 children. However, as the Equality in Education campaign was able to find an additional 168 children, the actual number may even be higher again.”
“It is clear to anyone paying attention that we have a serious capacity issue when it comes to providing school places for children with special needs. Every child is entitled to the best quality education the State can provide, and this means schooling that meets their needs and is based in their own community. Yet parents in my constituency of Clare are having to place their children on buses or face commutes to bring their children to a school - one the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, visited himself - that meets their needs in Ennis. Some parents simply cannot find places for their children with special needs in their own community or even transport to bring them to those schools. This is a failure for these children and their families.”
“We will not stop until we build an Ireland where LGBTQI+ people feel not just safe and not just tolerated, but respected, not just included, but truly loved and valued for who they are. That is the kind of place that I want for my son and for everyone else so that they feel that they belong. For the moment, Pride is their safe place.”
“We need fact-based, honest conversations in our media, schools and around the kitchen table, because that is how we make real change. There is still too much fear, silence and shame being pushed on the LGBTQI+ community. Too many of our children are made to feel that something is wrong with them, when there is not. As one parent, Karen, so powerfully asked, when our kids leave the house, will they be attacked, and when they stay at home, are they becoming too isolated? These are real fears for real families in 2025, but we are not powerless. Since the 1970s, when the first LGBT+ group was formed in Trinity, to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the 1990s, to marriage equality, we have made progress, but let us be clear that we still have a long way to go. Ní neart go cur le chéile. We are stronger together and we must go further.”
“Even the HSE has said that these delays are unacceptably long and have caused significant distress. Words are not enough. What our people need is action. Let us call it what it is, namely, a disgrace. Some of our young people are being forced to DIY their own healthcare without medical support. That is not choice; that is desperation. This country and Government have turned their backs on them. That is not care, equality or a republic that cherishes all of its children equally. We need an Ireland of equals, one where our public services are shaped by compassion rather than crisis, where no person has to risk their life to get the care they deserve. We need real investment, a fully funded, accessible and compassionate healthcare system which actually serves the people, not leaves them behind.”
“As a mother of a trans son, I wish to say loud and clear that my heart bursts with pride, not only because he is my son but because in the face of social stigma, misinformation, fear for his safety and a world that often misunderstands or fears difference, he has remained true to himself. He is the bravest person I know and, like many in this country, he does not even realise it. He does not even realise how courageous he is because in Ireland today, being true to yourself takes courage. It should not have to, though. The hard truth is that in this State, being brave is not enough because the State is failing trans people. The HSE currently runs just one gender identity clinic in Dublin. As a result, more than 1,500 people are now waiting just to be seen. We are talking about some three to four years for a first appointment.”
“That is another of the Government's failures. Another is chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick, which is also impacting on this problem. Some dental patients require anaesthesia for extractions, and when the hospital is forced by overcrowding to enact surge capacity protocols, it cancels day procedures, including dental extractions. There are no dental anaesthesiologists in Ennis hospital. Failure to treat dental problems promptly can have serious long-term impacts on a person's health. Tooth infections can cause sinus infections, which can be serious. They can also lead to bacteria in the blood and can increase the chances that a tooth that could have been treated ends up being extracted.”
“I first sounded the alarm bell when the number had reduced to 17, so the situation is beyond alarming now. There are no orthodontists in Clare. Patients are referred to St. Camillus Hospital, Limerick, and languish on the waiting list there. Recently, a constituent of mine was told her daughter would have to wait from three to four years to have braces fitted. By then, she would have started college. That girl was in pain and her mother was at her wits' end, and since there was no hope in sight for them, they ended up going private. I had contacted the Department about this. This is just one example of many. In response to the number of constituents coming to me who are unable to find a dentist, I phoned around in Clare and discovered none of the practising dentists was taking on new patients with medical cards.”
“The lack of dentists and orthodontists across the State is a long-running problem that I raised when I became a councillor in Clare County Council and have since raised in the Dáil since my having become a TD. Not only has there been no progress in this time but things have gone from bad to worse, despite the lip service paid to the problem by the Government. There was a 46% reduction in investment in dental treatment service schemes between 2017 and 2021 and a devastating 50% reduction in the number of dentists practising in the scheme in the past decade. These figures have been available to the Government and they should have acted as a wake-up call, but they have fallen on fell on deaf ears, it seems. On the basis of the most recent figures I have received, eight dentists are still practising under the DTSS in Clare.”
“The scoping exercise highlighted how systems had failed children repeatedly, not just through acts of abuse but through the coverups and neglect that followed. I hope the victims of this get what they deserve.”
“They have waited for far too long. Previous inquiries failed them and ignored them. Here we are 11 years later discussing the establishment of a commission of inquiry to provide an effective resolution for victims of sexual abuse in Irish schools. It is appalling that victims have had to take legal action to force the Government to do its job and vindicate their rights. These cases represent a disgraceful dereliction of duty by the State. The findings of the O'Toole scoping inquiry were appalling but not surprising, but one of the most heartbreaking conclusions of the inquiry was that many survivors never felt safe or supported enough to come forward. For years they were met with disbelief, silence or threats.”
“It is not their fault they were too young to know even what was going on. In my county of Clare, there have been allegations of sexual abuse in schools. Those allegations have named six perpetrators, and we can assume that probably more names were added to that. The fact that the scope does not include physical violence means that victims are left feeling they do not matter but also means perpetrators are getting away with victimising children and making it out to be normal to be abused physically. It is essential now that the Government liaise with survivor groups and Opposition parties to ensure the commission is as robust as possible. We must ensure that the failings of past inquiries are not replicated. Survivors' voices and experience must be to the forefront in this inquiry. They need to be acknowledged and listened to.”
“I welcome the establishment of a commission of investigation into historical sexual abuse in schools. I commend all survivors on coming forward. I send a special thought to those who cannot come forward or those who are no longer with us due to this. This is very long overdue. This scandal has damaged countless lives, and for far too long survivors have carried the burden of silence, shame and institutional denial. The failure of successive governments to properly and finally deal with it in a comprehensive way has added to the trauma of survivors. Sexual abuse in young children tends to end up with the child feeling shame and guilt. They do not understand what is going on. They know it is wrong, they know it hurts and often they ask what they have done to bring it on them. They should never, ever feel that shame or guilt.”
“We also need to protect apprentices and make sure that they get through their apprenticeship in a fair and equitable way.”
“I hear the Minister on that but in my recent discussions with Connect, the trade union representing apprentices, I was told that there is great need for quality assurance in all areas of apprenticeships. This must be measured within the employment to ensure the apprenticeship is delivered properly and that the apprentice is given access to all areas of the curriculum which feature on the job. If SOLAS is responsible for employer registration, it should also be in responsible for ensuring that sanctions are imposed on those who fail to deliver a safe, fair and responsible framework of work for apprentices. We all know how important apprentices are. We all know that we need them when it comes to workers. When it comes to building for housing, we need apprentices.”
“It is not fair that they are being asked to do work that is not relevant to them and there is nobody overseeing this. We questioned SOLAS and the ETBs about this last week.”
“SOLAS was at last week's committee meeting, when we were told nobody was overseeing that these things were happening. A percentage of apprentices said that they do not have any access to a training adviser. Some of them are afraid to complain in case they lose their apprenticeship place. Some of them are given an agreed wage through collective bargaining but are not getting that wage or are being asked to do jobs that are not relevant to their apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are an investment in the skills development of an employer's workforce and should not be a cost. The labour costs related to apprenticeships are lower than any other employment relationship, so when they are lowered again, this causes consternation among apprentices.”
“I ask her to urgently reassess this. I hear that she is trying, but she needs to go into this decision deeper and quicker in order to allow these learners to continue with their education, as they deserve that and should not be put in this situation.”
“While Tipperary ETB may have tried to find solutions to avoid this situation, and it claims that "no current learners are impacted, as all students enrolled in these programmes have completed their programme", that is simply not true. I have received all the testimonials from these learners. All are very much impacted and all are now struggling to come to terms with what is next for them. At the heart of communities and smaller towns throughout the country are further education and training, FET, courses that give young people a second chance at education. The Minister of State and I can both acknowledge that conventional classroom education does not suit everyone. Local training initiative, LTI, courses, such as the one in Cashel, offer a lifeline to other opportunities, which allows them to further their education to college level.”
“One student said that it is disgraceful people are being denied education, when it is constantly preached and encouraged that there are no limits to their learning, and that this seems quite limiting. It is also important to acknowledge the role core staff have had in these students' lives. They are now also facing an uncertain future.”
“Not to continue funding really means cuts in funds because the funding is not continuing. As explained to me, these learners in Cashel can do level 4 in Youthreach but cannot do level 5, which is what these young people have set their sights on. Eight distinctions at level 5 are the equivalent of 390 leaving cert points. Even if some people do not get the eight distinctions and get a mixture of pass, merit and distinction, they will get points for every module they undertake. There are no points for level 4 and as level 5 gives them access to college, this is the aim of most of the students. The students were devastated when they were told about this.”
“Could the Minister give me some information on the decision behind the cut of €1.3 million from SOLAS to the Tipperary Education and Training Board which has resulted in the cancellation of a valuable programme for early school leavers at Cashel local training initiative, LTI, which affects 14 students who will be unable to complete their studies and progress to level 5, and if he will make a statement on that?”
“It does not have to be this way. We need to have the backs of students and their families. We will demand better for our young people. The Minister says he will too, but he is not giving them certainty. The Minister is not giving them any hope. The Minister speaks of the future. It has been said previously that fees will be reduced or fees will be abolished, and they have not yet been.”
“At least they have certainty. They know what they are budgeting for. I would also like to mention the pressure on parents now and that households, because of this decision, will struggle to cope. I have parents contacting my office in desperation as they are already paying massive living and grocery costs and are now facing into this payment in September. Students who also work full time are trying their best to meet this cost but for many, this simply will not be possible. What happens then? Do we just cast these young people aside and hope Australia or Canada will offer better opportunities? The Minister says that no decision has been made yet he clearly stated that the fees will revert back up, which means they will go back up to €3,000. That is a decision the Minister made and he said it quite clearly. The decisions can be made.”
“There is a twofold decision coming from the Minister's Department and the Department of housing that offers no support, no protection and no hope to these young people. It is shocking that the Minister has decided to charge students more money for their college education while they are already struggling through this continuous cost-of-living crisis. The Government has shown it is completely out of touch with the pressures ordinary students and their families are facing. A report that will be launched soon by Gearóid Folan of TUS midwest contains shocking statistics. Some 41.5% of students live with their parents, which puts additional strains on households. Some 0.4% of students are in homeless accommodation. While that may be a small figure, no student should ever have to be in a situation where they are not properly housed.”