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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“The decision of the Minister’s Department and the Department of housing not to step in and offer urgent protection for students is seriously misguided and out of touch. Students are already at breaking point and now must face this cost that many cannot afford. Can the Minister not see that this is a deterrent and not an incentive to continue their education?”
“Certainty is what students and parents are looking for. Is it €2,000 or €3,000? That is what they want to know. They cannot go into a bank tomorrow and say they want to borrow €2,000 or €3,000. That is not the way it works. Our proposals are fully costed by the Department of public expenditure. I know that because I have put in the questions. A Government Deputy earlier put forward the idea of blaming Fine Gael because they are the ones who promised this. Let me tell the Minister something. The two parties are both in government together. They both wrote the programme for Government. It is in black and white that they are going to reduce fees, not raise them. I will tell the Minister once again. We are behind the students who are here tonight. We are behind their families.”
“The Minister cannot say that those students in the Gallery are all wrong. They are all telling us that they are struggling. They are all telling us that they cannot afford an extra €1,000, and their parents and families are telling us the same story. I spoke to secondary school students two weeks ago. I asked them if they saw a future for themselves in Ireland and they said “No.” Not one of them said they could see a future for themselves in Ireland. That is shocking and very sad. One of the deepest conversations I had was with a 15-year-old. She said that it is not education that will get you somewhere in Ireland; it is luck and circumstance. For a 15-year-old to say that just shows us how things have gone wrong. We are not saying that the Minister is not doing anything. We know that he is providing help but it is not enough.”
“Does the fact that we have to repeatedly bring forward this motion not show the Minister how important it is to us? It repeatedly has to be brought forward because of repeated broken promises by the Minister and the Government. That is why we have to come here, year in, year out, and that is why the students in the Visitors Gallery have to come here to watch us do this again. I was the oldest of six children. When I was growing up, higher education was for the privileged. My mother could not afford to send me to college so it was a pipe dream. It was somewhere I might have wanted to go to but I could not. I could not afford to. I was stuck at home. I had to go out and work. Now, it looks like that is the way it is going to be again, where education is only for the privileged.”
“We also call on him to reduce fees by a further €500 meaning the maximum student fees this year will be €1,500 instead of €3,000. We ask him to commit to abolishing student fees entirely within the next two years. Higher education should be an opportunity for all, not a privilege reserved for the few. The young people of this nation deserve better. They deserve the right to education without the shackles of debt or financial worry. It is time to stand up for them and not push students further down the road of inequality. I urge the Minister to do the right thing. He should row back on his fee hike, support our students and support our future.”
“One student asked why SUSI's motto is "supporting you all the way", when clearly it does not. Why is the Government turning its back on the very people who need it most? The Minister has seen the backlash and heard the anger of hundreds of students gathered outside this House and many more right up there. He needs to answer them. Why is he targeting them? Why is he attacking the future of our country? How can the Minister say that education should be for everyone when he is actively building barriers that stop students from accessing the education they deserve? He cannot claim to stand for equal opportunity when his policies are creating a system that benefits only the wealthy. It is time to act. We call on him to support our Private Members' motion to introduce a cost-of-living package that cancels the scheduled €1,000 fee hike.”
“Is this the future the Minister wants for Ireland, a future which prices young people out of third level education? One parent shared their concern with us. They pointed out that while more students may qualify for the €500 SUSI grant, it does not actually put them ahead if the fees go up. In fact this parent still has to pay €10,000 to cover rent on top of student fees, food, travel and other living expenses. There are parents of multiple children in third level education and this fee hike will force them to make the decision about whether they can afford to send their children to college at all. Let us talk about SUSI. The Government has long touted SUSI as a solution for students in financial difficulty, but for many SUSI is a distant dream. It is way out of reach for far too many students.”
“One student nurse from UCD pointed out that any increase to student fees will be detrimental not only to their mental health but also to their learning experiences. Nurses and midwives who are holding up the healthcare system on their shoulders are facing a myriad of hidden costs throughout their degree. These include additional travel and costs for mandatory clinical placements. They are already burdened by a level of debt which is forcing countless numbers of these graduates to emigrate in search of better opportunities. Ireland is not a country for young people. Gearóid Folan, vice president of TUS students' union has been unequivocal in saying that students are on their knees financially. This proposal will push hundreds of students out of higher education and even worse it will discourage many more from even considering it.”
“It was a calculated attack. It landed right before the CAO change-of-mind deadline and just as student union officers were changing across the State. This was a deliberate attempt to push through an unjust fee hike knowing full well that the impact on students and their families would be devastating. We cannot ignore the consequences of this decision. According to recent USI studies, 38.4% of students are experiencing extremely severe levels of anxiety. Some 29.9% are battling depression and 17.3% are dealing with overwhelming stress. These are staggering figures and the fee increase will add an additional weight on the shoulders of those who are already struggling to make ends meet.”
“I ask the Minister to have a look at those in the Gallery. These students are the future of our Ireland. They are the people who not only deal with the issues students face, but were also once students. Some still are. They are the people the Minister has turned his back on, as have the Tánaiste and the Government. It is safe to say we all agree that education plays a crucial part in anyone's life. It is a right and not a privilege. It is the cornerstone of who we are, yet the Minister has chosen to hike the fees by €1,000 at a time of a cost-of-living crisis. Bryan O'Mahony of the USI has been crystal clear in his assessment that students are being treated as political pawns - used in pre-election sweeteners and betrayed post-election. The Minister's announcement of the raising of fees was not only poorly timed.”
“has made clear that it will not be possible to provide a specific protection for students in the mainstream private rental sector which is where a majority of students rent; — it is also not clear what protections, if any, will actually be provided for students in Student Specific Accommodation as this issue was not addressed in the Government's initial proposal and is only now being considered on foot of concerns raised by Sinn Féin, students' unions and others; and — the cost of living is impacting on every aspect of student life and this increase to fees will heap further financial pressure on young people and their parents; and calls on the Government to: — introduce a cost-of-living package which cancels the scheduled €1,000 fee hike and reduces fees by a further €500, meaning the maximum fee this September would be €1,500 instead of €3,000; and — permanently abolish student fees within two years.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes: — comments by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless T.D. on RTÉ where he indicated that in the absence of a cost of living package this year student fees will rise; and — the Minister's statement coupled with the refusal of Government to provide a cost-of-living package this year means student fees this coming September will be €3,000 which is €1,000 higher than they were last year; further notes: — students will be disproportionately impacted by the ability of landlords to reset rents to market rates between tenancies as most students only rent for nine months of the year; — Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne T.D.”
“It was recently reported in the media that the remediation scheme will not come into effect until 2027. Will he give an assurance that this is not the case and that the scheme will actually commence in 2026? We cannot have a repeat of the defective blocks scheme fiasco, the details of which we do not need to go into. Will he guarantee there will be 100% redress for all apartment and duplex owners? Will he guarantee there will be a full refund scheme for anyone who has had to undertake remediation works at his or her own expense while waiting for the scheme to commence? The latest update we received on this was that the Government had agreed in principle to give 100% refunds. Will he confirm that this will definitely be the case? I will also take the Minister up on his offer of giving me an update along with Deputy O'Gorman.”
“What is the latest estimate for the number of apartments and duplexes that will require remediation in total? Will he provide an estimation of when all of the work on all affected apartments and duplexes will be completed?”
“We know this is a crucially important matter, given that defects were first detected in 2011. The scheme is intended to cover apartments and duplexes built between 1991 and 2013. I accept that an interim remediation scheme was introduced, but this was for the first of the fire safety defects, which still leaves thousands of apartments in need of remedial works. Families are being raised in some of these apartments. Many of these homeowners are in my constituency and have been in touch to express their concern. I am sure the Minister has heard from a lot of the homeowners himself. Children are being raised in substandard conditions with problems such as water ingress, less serious fire hazards and structural defects. Will he confirm how many apartments have had remediation work carried out under the interim scheme?”
“We have an opportunity to build a system that reflects our values, where no child is left behind, where education is a right and where rural communities like those in County Clare are given the support they deserve. Let us not waste it.”
“They also show that children are not treated as individuals and provided with the specific services they require, but instead are forced into a one-size-fits-all system. Parents also say they are very worried about the lack of facilities for their children when they grow up and leave school. For parents, every step of the process is a struggle, one that they should not have to go through. The fact is that children and their parents are all too often ignored, yet these are the very people at the coalface every day whose insights and inputs should be considered essential. Given that every step of this process is a struggle for parents, we must ensure there is a serious change of ethos.”
“This is two-tier education and a postcode lottery. That is not acceptable. Sinn Féin believes in a fully resourced, inclusive education system, rooted in fairness and equality. This means the right to timely assessment, delivering real supports in the classroom, and properly funding special education. It also means expanding teacher training, supporting SNAs and ensuring rural schools are not left out of the conversation. The assessment backlogs must also be addressed as a matter of urgency. I have raised this before, both in this House and in parliamentary questions, and the answers I received have been wholly inadequate. The findings of the focus groups in this report clearly indicate there is a lack of appropriate school facilities.”
“The 2004 Act was supposed to guarantee access to assessments and supports tailored to each child's needs, but across this State, parents are battling for months, sometimes years, just to get the basic supports. Teachers are stretched beyond capacity and are frequently utilised to replace missing teachers in other classes. Let us talk about rural communities. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, visited County Clare. I visited rural schools there with him. Rural Ireland is always an afterthought. I am aware of a case where a whole family moved from another county to rural County Clare in order to access barely adequate services for their child. They are now facing longer waiting lists and further distances to specialist services, as they live in west Clare and all the services seem to be centralised.”
“I welcome the publication of this report. However, there is nothing new in it and without political will to implement its recommendations, it will be another report that is left to sit on the shelf. The fact is that the issues and shortcomings in the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs have been identified in the past, and spoken about in this House on numerous occasions. We now need to see implementation of the solutions. This review must be more than a box-ticking exercise. It must place the rights of children with special educational needs at the very heart of our education system. Children are not statistics; they are our future, and every child, no matter his or her ability, deserves the same opportunity to thrive, to learn and to be respected.”
“I ask the Minister of State to provide some hope to parents struggling daily to cope without the services they so badly need. Can he outline how this appalling state of affairs can be ended and the waiting list backlog cleared quickly? I remind him that there is a legal obligation on him to do so and plans should have been put in place long ago to recruit and train the staff required to do this. I also ask the Minister of State to ensure that clearing the backlog of assessments will not simply move the bottleneck further along, and that an adequate number of school places for children with special needs, suitable services and supports required by them will be available when they have had their assessment of need.”
“That requires action from the Government to ensure that the proper regulatory framework is introduced for psychologists. However, this is an emergency so in the short term the use of private assessment with reimbursement for parents must be expanded dramatically and as quickly as possible. I understand that even without the required regulatory framework, there is an informal list of reliable psychologists with a proven track record. Since 2021, the waiting list for assessment has gone from 500 to over 15,000. That is a shocking indictment of Government inaction. Judging by the responses I have received to representations made on behalf of constituents, it is likely to get worse. The lack of intervention to meet the needs of children is nothing short of scandalous.”
“I already gave these cases to the Government and they were referred to the HSE, which is where we got the answers that reliance on the private sector is not working in the HSE Mid West region. While I appreciate that there are difficulties in the system, especially around the need for robust regulation of psychologists, just 7% of assessments were completed within the six-month timeframe required by law. CORU was established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, and part of its remit was the regulation of psychologists. This problem has been rumbling on for years now and far too little action has been taken by Government to date. We in Sinn Féin want to see the building up of strong public services accessible to all on the basis of need.”
“This places additional burdens on already overburdened specialist services. Can the Government provide a date for the full implementation of the 2004 Act? Can the Minister of State provide a target date for when the Government will be compliant with the six-month rule set out in the Disability Act 2005?”
“They have been waiting for three years for an assessment and without it, the child has not received the supports they need. This mother received much the same response as we did to our inquiries, that a private provider was unable to recruit the necessary staff, a different provider is in the process of attempting to recruit staff and the HSE is awaiting results of its efforts. What is the point of repeating the same failed strategy? Parents should not have to spend their lives fighting to get the services their children are entitled to. The Government's failure to implement the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 has resulted in the education system and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, not being able to deliver for children in school environments.”
“Will the Minister of State explain why the previous process involving private providers failed but this one is expected to succeed? As the process has just commenced, we could not even get an expected date for when the service will be provided. Can the Minister of State provide a target start date for the service? The nearest thing we got to reassurance was being told the child would remain on the waiting list and would be seen in chronological order regardless of how long they would have to wait. This is simply unacceptable. Their childhood is wasting away and they will never get that time back. Another parent of a nine-year-old child described the enormous strain it places on her and her family who are struggling to help the child.”
“However, we were also told that an assessment service is not currently provided by primary care services. A private provider was commissioned to provide the service but later found it could not recruit the people it needed and this arrangement was scrapped. We were not told, however, how much time had elapsed between the beginning and end of that process. How long was wasted waiting for a private provider to reach the conclusion it could not provide the service for which it had been commissioned? I was told by one parent that it took two years to realise the process would not work. We were also told that in an effort to address the unacceptable waiting times for children on the primary care register, the HSE was engaging with private providers to outsource multidisciplinary assessments.”
“In the meantime, the child has developed further symptoms and complications and is struggling with their mental health because they cannot understand why they are so different from everyone else and have difficulty with everyday interactions. The family's GP has been very supportive but can do little more. The child is now on antidepressants and receiving some counselling from Pieta House. That mother has been pushed from pillar to post. She is constantly having to fight, even to talk to someone about the possibility of her child receiving an assessment. In more recent years, she became concerned her child would be considered an adult and have to start again on a new waiting list. In response to inquiries I made on her behalf, the HSE acknowledged the child was referred to primary care services and was on the primary care register.”
“Throughout the State, more than 15,000 children are currently overdue an assessment of needs. Under the Disability Act 2005, children are entitled to assessment of their educational and health needs within six months of being on the waiting list, so each of these 15,000 children represent a breach of law by the Government. In my constituency in Clare, parents who are at their wits' end are contacting me. They are watching helplessly as the childhood of their son or daughter passes by year after year with no intervention to improve their quality of life. It is shameful that these parents have to fight every day to try to get the services their children badly need and deserve. I have been helping a mother whose child was originally screened at the age of seven and referred to CAMHS. That was more than ten years ago.”
“In May, the Stormont Assembly passed a motion supporting the call for the extension of presidential voting rights to citizens in the North. This would have been unthinkable a short while ago and indicates the strength of the momentum for change. It is well past time for the Government to call a referendum to enact the expressed will of the people, North and South.”
“To put this in perspective, if I were to stand in a presidential election, many of my family members and friends in the North would not be able to vote for me. This is nothing new. When Martin McGuinness stood in the presidential election of 2011, he raised the issue repeatedly. Mary McAleese was elected President in 1997 and represented the entire Irish nation despite the fact that Irish citizens in her hometown of Belfast had no say in her election. This is not an academic question but an issue that has arisen in real life in presidential elections for decades and nothing has been done about it. The fifth report of the convention on the Constitution formally recommended extending voting rights to Irish citizens in the North in November 2013. Despite supportive statements from Government parties, almost 12 years on nothing has changed.”
“Everyone in this House opposes partition, or at least they pay lip service to that position. Partition was a disaster for our country and the sooner it is ended, the better. That is the viewpoint from which we should approach this debate on presidential voting rights. Irish citizens are denied the right to vote for the President simply because they live in the North. This seriously undermines their fundamental rights - rights this House is supposed to protect and uphold. It arises from the forced partition of our country and the imposition of a border by the British Government of the day. However, continuation of the denial of Irish citizens' rights is happening under this Government. It is way past time to end it.”
“Will the Minister of State tell the House what cohort of people is guaranteed under these changes to rent pressure zones not to have its rents raised in the next couple of years?”
“Children who grow up in emergency accommodation can be deeply impacted. Their sense of security and of belonging can be deeply affected. Parents are made to feel like failures because they cannot get a home for their children, when in actual fact it is the Government that has failed them. It said it has put billions of euro into housing and yet our homeless figures continue to climb each month, now reaching over 15,000. The Government did not meet its targets last year and reports are now saying it will not meet them this year. Will the Government tell those young people who have had to leave our shores it is doing a great job and they should come back and pat it on the back? One question needs to be answered.”
“While some digs and similar accommodation are great and help with the accommodation issue, some shocking and disturbing reports are coming from students of having no choice but to avail of these digs. The Minister for further and higher education said yesterday that students should not be inadvertently disadvantaged and he wants exemptions to the new rules to be considered for students. Then this morning, the Minister for housing conceded it would not be possible for students or other short-term tenants to have special exemptions. This half-baked, makey-uppy type of measure, therefore, is just not good enough. Children in hotel rooms need stability in their lives, not a Government that will leave them high and dry to grow up in hotel or hostel rooms. Three generations of families squashed under one roof need homes of their own.”
“Students are among the most mobile of all renters and will be disproportionately and negatively impacted by this new measure. I questioned the Minister for further and higher education in a committee meeting to ask what measures would be put in place to protect students against the impact of these changes. It was clear that students had not even been taken into account when the changes to rent pressure zones were considered. It was not reassuring that this point had to be raised at the committee and I felt students were never thought of in the first place. Students are also dealing with the accommodation crisis and they have to compete in the private rental market. Some end up in insecure and unregulated digs.”
“According to the Child Poverty Monitor, the rate of consistent poverty among children has almost doubled, from 4% in 2023 to 8.5% in 2024. This shows the clear need for these schools to be brought in under DEIS.”
“I welcome that. Hopefully, the expansion of this scheme will come in, especially for those in need and those in disadvantaged areas. We have seen a dramatic rise in the number of children in child poverty in the past year. It now exceeds 100,000 children, according to the Central Statistics Office. That is certain to mean that the deprivation profile of some of the schools that did not qualify in 2022 has deteriorated to the point where they may now qualify. While the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 pledged to reduce consistent poverty to 2%, it was at 3.6% in 2023 and has actually increased to 5% in the latest figures. These are households that our school pupils come from. It is no wonder, therefore, that child poverty has increased even more dramatically.”
“I urge the Minister to order a new review to ensure those schools turned down for this DEIS expansion are able to appeal and are able to apply again for inclusion in the DEIS programme. It is extremely unfair for those pupils coming from DEIS primary schools not to receive the same supports in their secondary schools.”
“Go raibh maith agat. Some secondary schools receive pupils from DEIS primary schools but they are not classified as DEIS schools themselves. In my constituency, St. Patrick's Comprehensive School is one of those schools that receives DEIS pupils. All of a sudden, there is a cliff edge for those pupils suddenly missing out on supports they badly need. These pupils are often from households suffering deprivation, so receiving extra help with learning, subsidised schools meals and help with the cost of schoolbooks, etc., is essential for the entire family. Payment rates for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance are slightly higher this year but a far cry from those of 2011.”
“I acknowledge that there was an expansion of the DEIS programme in 2022. Given that we are in a cost-of-living crisis, will the Minister consider ordering another review and expansion of the programme? Will she also order a review of the qualification criteria with a view to broadening them out so more schools can be included in the programme? Can she also confirm that the period to appeal the 2022 expansion closed that year and will she consider an open-ended appeals process?”
“CERN’s director for international relations, Charlotte Lindberg Warakaulle, recently told the Minister that Irish industry already has a strong footprint at CERN, even before we join as associate members. That is a powerful indication of the potential that lies ahead, but it also highlights the disadvantage our physicists have faced up to now. Many have had to emigrate to do leading research. That is not right and it is not sustainable. With this agreement, we must begin to change that, but we must follow through with action, support and a shared commitment to ensure that CERN benefits the many, not the few.”
“This partnership must deliver North and South, urban and rural, fairly and equally. We already have excellent cross-Border scientific collaboration, such as the partnership between the Dunsink Observatory and the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. Together, they have launched the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland, highlighting our shared legacy in astronomy. This CERN partnership must now build on that legacy and expand it. Through associate membership, we can create even more opportunities for all-island education, research and innovation. Students, researchers and businesses, regardless of where they are from, will work together in world-class scientific programmes. That means more shared growth, better education outcomes and stronger links across our island. We must ensure this becomes a reality.”
“We must use this opportunity to break down barriers to bring working-class communities, rural communities and disadvantaged students into the fold. CERN’s open, collaborative approach aligns with our vision for an Ireland that is fair, equal, and innovation led. Just as the world wide web brought the world closer together, CERN can be a tool to bridge gaps within our own society. Students from disadvantaged areas deserve to see what is possible. Visits to CERN, hands-on experience with global science and the chance to work shoulder to shoulder with world-class researchers - these are powerful motivators. They can inspire the next generation to dream big and achieve more. Sinn Féin believes that talent and potential exist in every part of Ireland, from Belfast to Cork, from Derry to Donegal, and in every rural parish in between.”
“Our businesses can enter competitive procurement processes. That is excellent value, but we still need clarity on key details. We need these clear answers. How exactly will Ireland’s financial contribution be managed? Are there costs associated with future CERN projects, like the future circular collider, that we are expected to shoulder? Are these costs in line with other international research partnerships we have joined? Sinn Féin supports research and innovation, but the public deserves transparency and assurance that this investment delivers for the whole island. This is central to our vision because CERN must be for everyone, not just the few. The potential of this partnership cannot be limited to those already privileged to access science and tech careers.”
“These are not abstract ideas; they are real pathways for young people here to gain top-tier skills and experience. Importantly, this membership allows students to work in international teams, learn to solve global challenges and develop the collaboration and problem-solving skills that are so highly valued in today’s economy. Indeed, this is not only about academia. CERN is also a major economic opportunity. Irish SMEs will now be eligible to bid for high-tech procurement contracts worth hundreds of millions of euro each year. This creates scope for jobs, innovation and investment in Irish industry. For an annual contribution of €1.9 million over the next five years, Ireland gains access to CERN’s scientific programmes. Our researchers will become eligible for fellowships and staff positions.”
“This was a revolutionary idea created by Tim Berners-Lee to share files, and now it is one of the greatest tools for global communication and information exchange. This is the kind of innovation that CERN is known for, and now Ireland has a seat at that table. We believe in making the most of what CERN has to offer for our students, our scientists and our future workforce. This partnership opens doors to training, internships, fellowships and cutting-edge research. CERN provides world-class training in physics, engineering, computing and data science, fields that are critical to Ireland’s future economy. The summer schools, the fellowships and the technical programs will help us retain our brightest minds and grow our STEM sector.”
“I welcome the recent signing of the associate membership agreement between Ireland and CERN. It is a long-overdue step and Sinn Féin will support it. We commend those who have worked to bring it to fruition. Let me be clear, however: this membership is more than symbolic. It is a game-changer. Sinn Féin believes firmly in the transformative power of science and education. This agreement with CERN will unlock real opportunities, not just for our universities and institutions but for our students, researchers, SMEs and communities across the island, North and South. CERN is a global centre of excellence. Its contributions to science and technology are world-renowned. It is where the world wide web was born in 1989.”
“This stands as a monument to the Government's failures. If the Government cared about the plight of children growing up in hotels or of families trying to cope in one room or in hostel rooms, it would be treating this as the emergency it deserves to be treated as. Young people are emigrating to try to find a better chance of life, make a decent start in life and raise a family in a home of their own. Students who cannot access accommodation are either not taking placements or are led down the road of insecure and unregulated digs. We will be joining the Irish Congress of Trade Unions at its Raise the Roof protest. In my case, that will be the Munster rally on 21 June at Grand Parade in Cork. These will be major demonstrations of people's anger and disappointment in this Government and they have my full support.”
“How many missed targets is that? I am starting to lose count. My colleagues in this Chamber have been condemning the Government for its failings for years and receiving platitudes, promises and reassurances, none of which are coming true. Blaming local authorities or anyone else is just scapegoating and avoiding responsibility for the Government's failings. Along with previous governments, this Government is simply not providing enough funding to maintain homes for people on waiting lists and is not providing enough new builds to cope with the demand that is out there. It is not rocket science. It is an ongoing failure of the two main Government parties spanning years. In Clare, we have families in desperate need of housing and yet homes are left empty. We know these homes can attract antisocial behaviour and illegal dumping.”