Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Cork South-Central · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“That is important and the Minister and I share that view, much as we disagree on how it is not right to get rid of the triple lock. We have made that very clear and we think there is scope to deploy on peacekeeping missions elsewhere.”
“As I probably will not get more questions and it is my last contribution before the recess, I wish to take the opportunity to thank the staff of this institution and the Ceann Comhairle's office, who serve us so well.”
“We have all probably been guilty of the offence of going over time at different stages, I am sure. Despite our disagreements in relation to the triple lock, I think the Minister and I agree that peacekeeping missions are important.”
“In the context of the previous question, I submitted another question that was ruled out of order, which is fair enough. I probably did not word my question as precisely as Deputy Gibney worded hers. I record my concern about legal representation in that regard. It is important to say that. This question relates to another welfare issue.”
“The Minister said that she is not pushing anybody to the courts. I am not a doctor and cannot make a clinical decision, but if people suffered negative health outcomes that they believe have a connection to their clinical exposure, and they have never taken a case, how precisely is the Government going to help them?”
“The Minister talks about the need to ensure that Defence Forces personnel have the ability to deploy internationally and are not prevented from participating in rescue missions. I have no problem at all with head No. 7. Actually, most of the legislation is fine. It is just head No.”
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“The Minister of State is likely aware that in the English-speaking world, one of the most prominent journalists drawing attention to this situation is Declan Walsh, a journalist from The New York Times . Mr. Walsh, an Irishman who has written extensively on this conflict, wrote a piece at the start of the month describing the situation in El Fasher. He interviewed a gentleman, Dr. Omar Selik, who cried during the interview as he described "how a pregnant woman had bled to death in his care for want of simple medicines". The article explained that Dr. Selik's lunch consisted of "a plate of lumpy brown mush, animal fodder normally fed to camels and cows." This was the situation. Dr. Selik was killed several days later during an attack on a mosque by the RSF which killed 75 people.”
“Baineann an chéad cheist leis an tSúdáin, that is, the humanitarian situation in Sudan which has been going on for two years now. There are many millions of people displaced and many millions facing severe malnutrition, even famine, particularly in the city of El Fasher in Darfur. This has been laid siege to by the RSF armed group and the Janjaweed. We discussed this in the past, but I am asking today specifically about the situation in El Fasher and the concerns that exist about the humanitarian situation there.”
“It is the natural, most logical form of political organisation on this island. It can lead us to a much richer and more reflective composition of a national identity, which can be enriched by all the strands of our national story. I am eating into time. I am conscious that I lost a bit of time, so I hope the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach might accept that to some extent. With the talk about sloganeering, the motion is about planning and preparing. The position of the Taoiseach, which is not the position of Deputy Byrne or many other speakers, is irrational and illogical. Other organisations, including political parties and trade unions, can do a great deal. Ultimately, only a Government has the weight and heft of resources to properly plan the integration of public services and so on.”
“Go raibh maith agat. Tá súil agam go bhfaighidh mé an t-am ar ais. It is over 100 years since partition. Partition was profoundly wrong and had huge negative impacts for Ireland, North and South. It divided communities. It separated institutions and cultural movements and organisations. It had a negative effect on politics, North and South, with the sectarian orange state that existed for a long time in the North and in some respects having a significant impact on southern politics that did not reflect the full picture of what Ireland was in terms of its various traditions. A united Ireland needs to be about a lot more than just fixing the wrongs of partition; it needs to be about the transformation of our future. I believe that a united Ireland can mean that. It can unleash even greater economic potential in our country.”
“Previously in reply to Deputy Cairns, the Taoiseach raised policy issues with the Bill, as he is entitled to, but the Tánaiste has consistently insisted there are no policy differences between the Government and the Opposition, merely legal differences. Yesterday in the Dáil the Taoiseach said the feedback he was getting was that it was "not just implementable". Aside from the fact this was unlikely to be correct, given similar bans on services have been adopted against other jurisdictions, namely Russia-----”
“We were all relieved at the ceasefire and the reaching of a tentative peace deal last week. The scenes of people held hostage returning to their families in Israel and Palestine in the past number of days were deeply touching. However, we still have profound human suffering, a humanitarian crisis and a fragile situation. Ultimately, peace can only be sustained through a peaceful political solution. One of the contributors to the violence of the past number of years was that Israel continually acted in clear contravention of international law. Caithfear cloí leis an dlí idirnáisiúnta. The Government's stated support for an occupied territories Bill is based on the ICJ ruling on the occupied territories, which made no distinction between goods and services.”
“Returning to the issue I submitted, clearly there is an issue in ensuring that we recruit and retain special needs assistants, SNAs. Some of this pertains to the terms and conditions that apply but it seems that there is an issue in relation to teachers in special schools because maybe there are opportunities available in some other schools outside the special education sector. It can be difficult to hold onto them but ultimately that is having a knock-on effect on the children and their continuity of education.”
“It is also important that parents are a part of that too, in relation to the issues in Carrigaline Community Special School. In many instances, because it is the State's patron effectively, the ETB is very often not in a position to say, "Yes", "No" or whatever. If it is asked to open a special school, it opens a special school and that is the way it is. It is right that it does so but it needs to get the support it ought to get. The lack of access to respite is very hard to comprehend. Parents who have enrolled a child in a special school would have assumed, just because the patron was the patron, that these schools would have the same terms, conditions and supports that any special school would have, and it is right that they should have. That needs to happen.”
“I have the written part of the Minister of State's statement and some of that is useful as well. I am glad he is here today because I appreciate that he is up to date on the issues. It is important that the Department takes this seriously. The NCSE and the Department are taking it seriously but, clearly, we need solutions. While the potential reduced hours did not proceed in St. Gabriel's Special School, there is still an issue. To the best of my knowledge, no additional staff have been allocated since the issue arose on Thursday. Could the Minister give me an update of what is planned over the next couple of weeks to address the issues in terms of the staffing? It is good to hear that there is a discussion happening between the Department and the ETBs.”
“The Department am an ghátair had to ask the ETB to open special schools in Rochestown and Carrigaline but the lack of access to therapies and respite is hugely undermining their ability to do that. This has an impact in terms of staff burnout and turnover. Who pays the price for this ultimately? Who is paying the price of the State being unable to put in place everything they need? It is the children. It is those who are most at the margins so we clearly need a solution to the issues. I would also like an update on St. Gabriel's Special School.”
“Several issues have arisen there, many of which relate to staff turnover but also because of the lack of respite and therapies due to it being an ETB school. There are reports today of one child having three teachers within a relatively short period. These are all interlinked. A child who does not have access to adequate therapies will potentially be dysregulated, not reach his or her full potential and find the experience difficult. The teachers are then under pressure because the child is dysregulated leading to a knock-on impact in terms of burnout. That has an impact on parents, who are frustrated and see turnover. Those parents are not being supported by adequate respite and have to fight for everything. The situation there is not good enough. The focus needs to be on solutions to the issues facing the school.”
“There was a quick enough response from his office and parents were subsequently informed that the proposal to go a reduced week would not proceed and that the NCSE would be engaging with the school to address the staff shortages. I am asking for an update on how the Department and the NCSE will work with St. Gabriel's Special School to ensure there is adequate staff. The concern from the management was that there was insufficient staff to ensure safety and the quality education to which the children were entitled. It is positive that the NCSE and the Department engaged to the extent that they did on Friday to ensure the school re-opened in full but the underlying issues need to be resolved in terms of ensuring adequate staffing. The second issue concerns Carrigaline Community Special School.”
“In respect of this and the other issue, which relates to Carrigaline Community Special School, fundamental to special education and the philosophy that underpins it of ensuring children get the support and education they need to reach their potential is continuity, consistency and predictability. Undoubtedly, had the school introduced three-day-per-week or four-day-per-week provision to children for a period - I think the period being talked about was six weeks - that would have caused enormous problems. A number of public representatives contacted the Minister of State, including Councillor Joe Lynch from our side on our behalf.”
“My Topical Issue concerns the shortage of SNAs and access to respite in respect of special schools in Cork. I have two specific schools in mind and the Minister of State will be familiar with the issues regarding them. I initially tabled this in the context of the news that had just broken to parents of children in St. Gabriel's Special School, Bishopstown, which caused enormous alarm. I spoke to a number of those parents. It was articulated that due to a lack of SNAs, it was proposed that children deemed high risk would be reduced to a three-day week while children deemed at lower risk would be looking at a four-day week.”
“Will the Tánaiste briefly respond? It is unacceptable for Irish citizens or any citizens to be denied access to legal representation and it has to be condemned.”
“Can I bring to the Tánaiste's attention something that he would be interested and concerned by? It has been confirmed to me that those Irish citizens detained have been denied access to lawyers. Adalah, which is a legal firm and civil society human rights organisation that represents people in these situations, stated: Adalah has received phone calls from participants reporting that immigration authorities have already begun conducting hearings on their deportation and detention orders, in the Ashdod port. These proceedings were initiated without prior notice to their lawyers and while denying participants access to legal counsel. This constitutes a grave violation of due process and a denial of the participants' fundamental rights. Adalah will continue to seek access and will take legal action as necessary.”
“-----I just want to take the opportunity to make it clear that I was not aware when I rose to my feet of the appalling attack on the Heaton Park synagogue. I add our party's condemnation of an appalling attack on a holy day for the Jewish community. If it emerges that the motive is antisemitic, antisemitism is a scourge that must be rejected by all. Our thoughts go to those affected.”
“While the Tánaiste has said the first priority is in relation to Irish citizens, at a political level Ireland needs to be leading and making it clear that consequences have to follow for breaches of international law. The Tánaiste is meeting with Maroš Šefčovič later this evening. A key tool in ensuring that Israel does bear some responsibility is the EU-Israel trade agreement. Will the Tánaiste be raising directly with Maroš Šefčovič the need to block and halt the EU trade agreement? It is astonishing that Israel is currently benefiting from favourable trade agreements with the EU. It is disgusting; and it needs to be halted.”
“We touched on the proposal yesterday. We all want to see peace. Arab countries may have been part of the process but the Palestinians themselves were not. The Tánaiste made a point in relation to the genocide. This is a fundamental point. In lots of respects, the flotilla is a symptom. Ultimately, the disease needs to be cured. As long as there is a genocide that continues in Gaza, there will be people who will do what they can to break the blockade and to stand up where institutions and the international order are failing. That will continue to be the case. Israel has in this instance and many other instances acted with impunity because there are no consequences.”
“The Tánaiste will be aware that the next ships that are part of the flotilla are only three or four days away. They contain other Irish citizens, including a colleague of ours, Deputy Barry Heneghan. We are all concerned that the same thing will happen. It is reasonable to ask: what action the Department is taking to prepare for this and what actions will be taken to ensure the welfare of Irish citizens, European citizens and others are safeguarded? If it is a breach of international law for these ships to be intercepted in international or Palestinian waters, what is the international community, including Ireland, going to do to ensure that does not happen?”
“While I would not necessarily advocate that the Government would do something provocative for the sake of it, ultimately the flotilla is a consequence of what is happening internationally. There has to be a firm response from the Irish Government and from the international community. As a follow-up to the previous question, we rightly recognised the State of Palestine. I welcome that other countries have done so too. That has to mean something in practical terms. Does the Tánaiste accept that even if these ships were not in international waters – if they were in Palestinian waters – that Palestinian waters are sovereign?”
“Contact with the families is vitally important. It must be of the highest priority. I urge the Tánaiste to be the first to pick up the phone if there is any escalation or downturn in the situation. The families and people generally are concerned about when these Irish citizens can return home. Does he have any sense of a timescale about how long the process is likely to take and when these citizens are likely to be returned home safely?”
“Has the Tánaiste or the Department contacted the families of those who are confirmed to have been detained, or even those who are expected to be detained? Does he have confirmation on when staff on the ground will have access to those who are detained illegally by the Israelis, and when they might have access to lawyers?”
“Unfortunately, the slaughter goes on; approximately 73 were killed yesterday alone in Gaza. The Tánaiste and the Government have a responsibility to act, both for our people on the flotilla and for the people of Palestine. My leader, Deputy McDonald, and I have been in close contact with the Department in recent hours. I appreciate the work of the Department's staff. The Tánaiste gave a bit of an account of what has been confirmed. It seems from what he says that not all Irish citizens have been accounted for. Could he confirm whether the Department has sight of the whereabouts of the 22 Irish citizens – if that is the correct number? Could he give an update on the current health and welfare of those citizens? Do we know if they are safe and well?”
“They were full of respect for the wishes of the people on the flotilla and their objective in taking part in this. Their feelings mirror the determination of those on the flotilla. They would not be deterred because they understood, as did those on the flotilla, that they did this because of what was happening in Gaza on a daily basis while an international community watches it happen. It is a genocide, the most profound crime in humanity. It is barbarism of the highest order happening in front of our eyes and the international community is doing practically nothing. Their objective was to break the blockade and to break through. It is a noble and high-minded ideal. I salute those Irish people and citizens of the world who stepped in where states and institutions have failed so profoundly.”
“Reports have emerged of a water cannon being used against small crafts and ships being rammed by the Israelis. Given the horrors they have been responsible for, unfortunately, that would be little surprise. Léirigh na daoine ar an flotilla cuid mhaith crógachta agus thug siad inspioráid do dhaoine ar fud an domhain ag cur i gcoinne an tslada agus an chinedhíothaithe in iarracht stop a chur leis an mbac ar chúnamh, bia agus ábhair shláinte. Tá muid ag impí go dtabharfar cúnamh dóibh láithreach. Along with some colleagues, I met family members and loved ones of those on the flotilla on Tuesday. They were anxious. I spoke to Senator Chris Andrews as well. Of course, he was worried. You would have to be mad not to be, I imagine. While they were justifiably very worried, they were also full of pride.”
“What we must bear in mind and not lose sight of is that the flotilla’s cargo was aid, such as baby food, food and medical aid, for a starving, beleaguered population. The flotilla also represented hope for what it said about humanity. Those on the flotilla gave inspiration to people. In many respects, the people on the flotilla represent the very best of us. Facing nigh-on insurmountable odds, they are standing up for the voiceless where the international community and institutions have failed so profoundly. Unfortunately, between last night and the early hours of the morning, the flotilla was intercepted illegally in international waters by the Israelis. This includes Irish citizens, including our colleague, Senator Chris Andrews.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will divide my time between some comments and questions. I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating this debate. It is vitally important that we address this issue today on behalf of our colleagues, the Irish citizens and the citizens of the world. For the past number of years, people have monitored and looked at the situation in Gaza in revulsion, fear and disgust. There is a genocide ongoing before our eyes. It is a war on civilians and children like we have not seen in our lifetimes. For a brief period yesterday and previous days, however, people looked towards Gaza, and more particularly to the flotilla, with a degree of hope. They hoped the flotilla might reach its destination and be able to deliver its cargo.”
“In the vast majority of cases, they are privately provided through hotels, private centres and so on. There are 17 leisure centres in Belfast City Council's area, but only three in Cork city. Belfast is about 70% larger than Cork, but it is not five times bigger. There is a huge discrepancy which I believe is replicated right across the State . We need to examine not only Cork but the situation right across the board in terms of the provision of publicly provided leisure centres. Clubs in Togher and Ballyphehane will be looking at applications for sports capital grants when they are released, but we also need to be looking of the municipal provision of sports facilities because we are way behind other jurisdictions in that regard.”
“Deputy Ward is never happier than when he is following St. Pat's but I hope he is not too happy on Friday night. Best of luck to City. The growth in the League of Ireland is a welcome development in recent years. More and more people are interested in and are going to games. In terms of the League of Ireland and our national team, we need to examine the issue of academies. It is not for nothing that we are not in the place we want to be in terms of international football. The two are connected and we need to ensure the investment happens. There is increased interest across the State in swimming following the success of Daniel Wiffen and so on. The infrastructure in our cities and towns is nowhere near good enough in terms of access. People are waiting a very long time to get swimming lessons for their kids.”
“If there is action against it and if any harm comes to an Irish citizen in the next few hours, the Government needs to say to the world that Israel's days of acting with impunity must end.”
“Unfortunately, past experience suggests that considerable caution is warranted. There have been numerous examples of bad faith on the part of the Israeli Government in breaking previous ceasefires. Mr. Smotrich is already attacking the plan as a whole. It is also crucial that the pathway to Palestinian self-determination and sovereignty is not lost in this. Great strides have been made in recent months towards full and proper recognition of Palestinian statehood. Self-determination and statehood are recognised in the plan as an aspiration of the Palestinian people but no clear roadmap is provided nor is there any mention of the West Bank. Caution is warranted. We will monitor the situation regarding the flotilla with great care.”
“It is also important to express concern regarding attacks on minority groups in Syria, particularly the Druze and Christian communities. I will comment briefly on the proposed deal announced by the US and Israel in recent days. Our priorities for Gaza are an end to the genocide, unrestricted access to aid, the release of the hostages and a long-term peace deal. Any peace deal that will end the wholesale slaughter of tens of thousands of people in Gaza should be welcomed and efforts to that effect must continue on the part of everyone. Of course, our hope is that a deal will bring about an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unrestricted aid to the strip and a long-term peace agreement. However, it should be noted that the details are high level and vague. The implementation details will be key.”
“It is about applying international law. It is about ensuring there are consequences for actions. The advisory decision drew no distinction between goods and services. People deserve to know what will be in the Bill. People right around the country are asking what the Government will do. Some actions have been taken but this one is crucial. It has been spoken about internationally and has led to other countries acting. There should be no arbitrary distinction between goods and services. The Government must show leadership by putting in place a ban without further delay. It would send a clear message that the occupied territories are illegal settlements and nobody should trade goods or services with them. Most of my comments have focused on Gaza but I take the opportunity to welcome the condemnation of attacks on Syria by Israel.”
“Now, on a typical day, there are fewer than 50 or 60. We are seeing famine play out, with tens of thousands of people malnourished and at risk of starvation. Following on from that, of course, is the potential for disease, illness and all the human suffering that will follow. A great deal of the discussion in the Oireachtas on Gaza, Palestine and the Middle East generally has focused on the occupied territories Bill. The people of Ireland, and the people of Palestine, deserve to know what the Government will do on that legislation and what will be in it. The Oireachtas joint committee was very clear in its position that there must be a ban on goods and services. The entire point of the occupied territories Bill, and what it represents, is that it is an extension of the decision of the International Court of Justice.”
“Citing UNICEF, UNRWA has stated that in the past five months of the war, an average of 540 children have been killed every month. We see the footage on almost a daily basis. It hardly bears thinking about what those families are going through, the children left without parents and those maimed for life on a daily basis in what often seem to be deliberate attacks on children and innocent people. The Tánaiste spoke about the famine situation we are seeing. Has there been, for generations, a famine that has taken place within reach of so much food and so much supply? I cannot think of any example. At an Oireachtas joint committee meeting last week, we heard from UNRWA representatives that during the ceasefire, 4,200 trucks entered Gaza in a week. Before the attacks and the genocide, 700 trucks arrived daily.”
“As we sit in this Chamber, the Global Sumud Flotilla approaches ever closer to Gaza. We do not know what the coming hours will bring. We wait with much trepidation and concern for our fellow Irish citizens, citizens of the world and our fellow Oireachtas Members, including my colleague Senator Chris Andrews, with whom I am in contact every couple of hours. Yesterday, along with some colleagues, I met with family members and loved ones of those on the flotilla. They are anxious, no doubt about it, and justifiably very worried, but they are also full of pride and fully respectful of the wishes and objectives of those taking part in the flotilla. They understand, as do those on the flotilla, what is happening on a daily basis in Gaza while we sit here today. What is happening in Gaza is a war on children like no other in living memory.”
“They are not entitled to buy a house without home insurance. These are things that are required. I have not even touched on businesses and community organisations. So many businesses can barely afford to keep going and so many community organisations have decided to cancel events or not go ahead with initiatives because of insurance costs. All these are crippling community organisations and business and, in truth, they are throttling communities and it is all because of this rip-off. It is time for action on this. The carrot approach has been tried. The industry has got most of what it has looked for. It is time to put pressure on them. This legislation is a crucial tool to do so and to put pressure on them to pass on those profits to people who are struggling at a time they are under pressure from every direction.”
“People out there, the same people who are looking at their grocery bills and wondering how they keep going up, feel ripped off and they are right to feel ripped off. They are certainly right to feel ripped off when they are looking at insurance bills that are going up and up from an already high level. The cost of motor insurance went up almost 12% last year at the same time as the sector was looking at profits of 8%. Insurance companies are coining it on the backs of ordinary motorists, families and workers, who are going about their business and have very little choice. This is the other thing about insurance. Sometimes we talk this about this as a private good or service. People are required to have most of these types of insurance. They cannot go on the road without motor insurance.”
“We are at a time of year when families are just coming up for air after paying the back-to-school costs and before long they will be looking at the big costs of Christmas and everything to do with it. Right now, there is very little air for them to get. They go into supermarkets and the grocery bill is higher than ever. If they are renting, their rent is skyrocketing. If they have mortgages, they are likely going up as well. At the same time, many of these people will get a bill for motor, health or home insurance and see it going up again. This has been talked about for six or seven years frequently. I give huge credit to Deputy Doherty for highlighting these issues and pushing the Government. However, what is frustrating is that the approach of the Government seems to be all carrot and no stick and it is not delivering results.”
“Problems have arisen in two nearby areas in the last eight or nine months. Is this a sewerage system in that part of the city that is struggling to cope? That potentially seems to be an issue of capacity but also an issue with maintenance. I have spoken to former contractors who worked for the council in this area and they say the level of checks happening now is not what it should be and is not what it used to be. The big issue here is the timeline. If the Minister of State can try to get Uisce Éireann to give a timeline of when this problem is going to be resolved, the people of Mahon and Blackrock would appreciate it.”
“It is not clear from the answer today or the correspondence I have received that septicity dosing itself causes malodour. I know it is intended to address malodour, but it is not clear whether it causes the problem itself, either for a short or medium time. The fundamental issue here is that this problem is continuing. It has still been an issue in the last couple of days and there has been no indication from Uisce Éireann that it is going to be brought to a conclusion. That is the key bit of information we need. We need a timeline for when this issue is going to be resolved. If it is the case that further infrastructure is needed, then I think that needs to be communicated so people have a sense of when interventions like this are going to be needed. I do think there is a bit of an issue here.”
“I thank the Minister of State. It is important that representations are made from the offices of the Minister of State and-or the Minister to Uisce Éireann in relation to this issue. I say this because the response seems to offer two potential causes for the malodour without necessarily nailing the company's colours to the mast as to whether it is the low water levels and the summer, the septicity, or a mixture of both. I am unclear on that. Regarding the weather, this issue originated in late August. Obviously, there was good weather then, but we have had periods of rain since and I think there was a smell as recently as two or three days ago. There has been rain in that period now, so I am not sure that dry and hot weather alone is the answer to why the issue exists.”
“There are questions as to whether there are implications for public health. People have reasonable concerns in that regard. They need to know that this is going to be brought to a conclusion.”
“To be totally frank, from speaking to former employees of Cork City Council and people who would have worked in the water section there, their contention is that the pumping stations are operating above capacity. They indicate that new connections have been added that the pumping stations were not built to accommodate and that the level of maintenance and checks carried out at these locations is not what it would have been four or five years ago. In other words, these pumping stations are not receiving the attention they would have received in the past. We need to get to the bottom of this. What the people of Mahon, Blackrock, Ballintemple and the surrounding areas are looking for is a clear sense of how this is going to be fixed and when it is going to end. It needs to end.”
“In response to the update I received two weeks ago, I made further inquiries. I have not yet receive a reply.. The fundamental questions people are asking are as follows. First, is the explanation I received satisfactory? I am not sure that it is. The community is not convinced that it is. Would septicity explain the foul smell? If so, how does the relevant process work? More crucially, when will the dosing be concluded and when can the smell be expected to be gone? When is this matter going to be brought to a conclusion? There has not been any communication about this matter. Irish Water has merely told us that it is trying to address it. In the almost two weeks since I submitted my questions, I have not received any clarification on the issues raised.”
“Unfortunately, this is not the first sewage-related issue in that part of the city. Not far away on Monahan Road, there were issues regarding a sewage overflow near the marina earlier this year. The Minister of State may have heard about that. I have been in contact with Irish Water a number of times over the past couple of weeks. The most recent response I received referred to early contractor involvement, ECI, works going on at Atlantic Pond and Ballinure to upgrade the pumping stations there. Part of these works include septicity dosing at Atlantic Pond due to the low flows and high temperature in the network during the summer months. That was basically the nature of the update I received. The concerns that exist seem to relate to the Mahon pumping station and possibly one other station.”
“This matter relates to issues that the communities in Mahon and Blackrock in the south-east of Cork city are experiencing. Fundamentally, the answers people are looking for is how and when the problem that exists is going to be fixed. They have not received such answers. When a resolution will be found is not something the communities in question have a sense of at this point. The main issue is a foul odour that can be smelled in the open air. This has been the case for four weeks. The odour is legitimately and correctly being linked to sewage issues. However, residents can also smell it from their sinks and toilets. It is not so much that there is matter emerging; it is the odour itself. People are quite reasonably concerned about the health implications of this for them and the community in general.”
“It is still the case that people are shelling out significant sums for such items as iPads and tablets, for the so-called voluntary contributions due to the underfunding of schools, and for school uniforms. This Bill would make a significant difference. It would ensure that schools put in place an affordable uniforms policy to ensure there is maximum reuse of uniforms. It would require clear labelling in terms of what is mandatory and what is optional. It would ensure that people are able to buy items from multiple retailers. Some schools make great efforts to try to accommodate parents by ensuring that they have options and that there is flexibility there. Unfortunately, there are schools that go to equal lengths almost to require the purchase of expensive items that should not be necessary at all.”
“The summer months should be a time of respite and enjoyment for families. However, for far too many families it is a time of stress and worry as they try to figure out how to get on top of back-to-school costs. The costs are absolutely enormous, as the research by the Irish League of Credit Unions and others has identified. Many families are getting into debt or struggling with their savings to try to ensure their children, particularly if there are multiple children, have the uniforms they need and to meet other back-to-school costs. I welcome the progress that has been made in recent years due to the campaigning of antipoverty groups and Opposition parties in the area of schoolbooks. However, it is still the case that we do not truly have free education at primary and post-primary levels in this State.”