Duncan Smith
Dublin Fingal East · Labour Party · Ireland
“That is three separate roads that are all in one network and are all closed or heavily restricted because of these works happening at the same time. This is impacting thousands of existing residents, and will do so for a significant period. The works are happening and the homes are being built.”
“We have a very small wastewater treatment plant that has been there for 40 or 50 years and which serviced a much smaller town. It is currently being retrofitted and upgraded, but those works are being delayed.”
“I thank Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, for taking this debate late on a Thursday evening, on the last sitting day of this term. I would like to talk about the town of Swords in north County Dublin.”
“We do not have enough schools and we have a wastewater treatment plant that is absolutely buckling under the pressure. We welcome the houses. There were no mass protests about housing development in Swords. The majority of people who live there moved there, like myself, in the past 20 years and love living there.”
“I know you cannot make an omelette without cracking a few eggs, but there is a disconnect in the planning of these projects that is causing havoc in Swords. We have a massive issue with our bus network, from bus stops to bus services, and again, we do not have a rail link yet.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her response, which speaks to the issue I am raising. Again, she will sense the tone in which I am raising it. There is an awful lot happening and being built, but it is the co-ordination of these works that is the problem.”
The complete record
Every one of 707 lines we hold for Duncan Smith, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 15.
“That is exactly what is happening. The Government needs to reverse, at a minimum, the lack of funding for the tenant in situ scheme to give some hope in this national emergency it has created.”
“When people come into my clinic, Deputy Sheehan's clinic or anyone's else's clinic, we do not have that backstop and fail-safe at the end and we know, in the pit of our stomachs, that it is more likely than ever that these families or individuals are going to be sent into the homeless services. However much the tenant in situ scheme cost, it was way more value for money than shovelling money into the pockets of landlords in Gardiner Street in Dublin, where one tenth of all homeless people in the country are. We have talked to the schools and seen reports in the national media on the impact on local schools. Primary school students living in homeless accommodation are trying to get proper food, concentrate in school and get an education while living in unstable, long-term accommodation, if that is not an oxymoron.”
“At the very bottom of that list, however, the one backstop we had was the tenant in situ scheme where, at the very least, we could begin a process with a tenant in situ purchase. Was it expensive? Yes, but there are two benefits to it. Chief among them was that we would keep a family or individual out of homelessness through the tenant in situ scheme. The second benefit was that the State would acquire a property, which it would then own for public housing. The fact is that this State, which is awash with money, turned its back on funding that scheme.”
“Many years ago, there were perhaps some indications or factors that may have made people more prone to homelessness, be it addiction, familial breakdown or economic background. That is no longer the case, as all of us know. Homelessness is like an illness; it can strike anyone at any time, particularly if they are a renter or renting in this country. If someone came into my clinic or any other Deputy's clinic 18 months or two years ago, we would go through a list if they were on a notice to quit. We would ask whether they were on the housing list, how much time they had or whether they had any medical conditions. All Deputies have done this and asked the questions.”
“A study by the Health Research Board has shown a 121% rise in hospital admissions for eating disorders among children. In real terms, the number of cases rose from 170 to 375 between 2018 and 2022. Will the Government engage with Cared Ireland and listen to its demands, of which there are a number? Can it commit to an immediate emergency plan for those with no access to services, to the full resourcing of eating disorder teams in child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS and adult mental health services, AMHS, without delay, and to a mandatory transition pathway between CAMHS and AMHS?”
“The Tánaiste will be aware that this is Eating Disorders Week. He will also be aware of the relentless work my colleague Deputy Sherlock has done and continues to do in this area. Yesterday, I attended the most impactful presentation I have ever be at in my many years on this campus. The presentation was made by Cared Ireland in the audiovisual room. Cared Ireland is a voluntary organisation that represents parents and carers of people with eating disorders. Those present shared absolutely heartbreaking stories. It is hard to get across just how powerful that hour was. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental health illnesses. One in 20 people in Ireland will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime.”
“Can anyone explain how that works to me, the parents of the children, the children themselves or the SNA whose job was cut? Thornleigh was not the only school in my constituency affected, of course. Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School was told it too was facing a cut to its number of SNAs. From start to finish, the handling of this was total madness. There are also the cases of other schools. I have raised in this Chamber and directly with the Minister of State the case of River Valley Community National School, which had different needs in relation to providing a safe learning environment for children with additional needs. That was put on the back burner because of this absolute shambles. We welcome the backtrack, but there has been an absolute crisis – one of the Minister's making.”
“In September 2025, it enrolled a large number of pupils with needs in junior infants and in other classes, which is exactly what we wanted schools to do. The school identified 15 of the children as requiring significant SNA support. It effectively had to use two SEN teachers in an SNA role as a result. This was intended as a temporary measure while it engaged with the NCSE. That engagement happened and a focus review was carried out in November where only paperwork related to the newly emerged needs was examined. To the school's horror, it received an email at the start of February this year stating not only that it would not be provided with an additional SNA allocation to meet the newly emerged needs but also that its existing allocation would be cut by one post.”
“The chaos this Government has inflicted on SNAs, parents and children countrywide has been absolutely appalling. I, like many, have listened to the Minister in this Chamber and on the national airwaves, but after a week of listening I am still not sure Ministers even know what their position was. Parents do. SNAs do. Schools do. They know that the Government rushed through a review with no real consultation, and seemingly no real understanding of the role of SNAs and definitely no real plan for schools. We know there was no real plan because we have heard this directly from the schools themselves. Thornleigh Educate Together National School, which is in Swords in my constituency, had a full-school SNA review in December 2024, and an increase of 2.66 SNAs was granted in January 2025.”
“The Government previously acknowledged that there was a need for a primary care centre in Donabate and Portrane, and I ask it to revisit that.”
“I raise primary care centres in my constituency. The Taoiseach is aware that Swords has waited for a primary care centre for many years. It is the third largest town in Ireland. After years of campaigning, we finally got news the HSE acquired the Hertz building, which is to be converted to a primary care centre. I ask for an update to be given on when a planning application will be going in for the change of use, and that a firm commitment be given that progress will be happening this year. Furthermore, I ask the Government to make a U-turn when it comes to its abandoning of plans for a primary care centre in Donabate. Donabate has seen astronomical expansion due to huge house building with a population of approximately 20,000 is expected there in the next couple of years. It currently only has two GP practices.”
“We are long overdue a debate on football in this country, not because of what happened in Oriel Park on Friday night, which, I trust, the league and the clubs will be able to handle, but because of the vengeful, over-the-top collective punishment response from the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan to that issue-----”
“All of that needs to be done, but our right to flexible work - the right to work from home or from within one's community at community work hubs - can be strengthened almost immediately. That would have a real impact in terms of improving congestion. The Government is standing still. It is not legislating based on evidence; it is legislating based on vibes and it is letting workers down again.”
“The Government is not looking at the bigger picture. It is not looking at protecting the workers - the people who keep this country going. A defined legal framework, such as that set out in this Bill, would limit disputes and create better workplaces for all. Rather than providing for the right to refuse work from home, as stipulated in the current legislation, we must ensure hybrid arrangements are set down in a proper law. If we look at the impact of flooding on our road networks in recent weeks - car parks in our major commuting towns and the arterial roads coming into our major cities have been affected - we will see that no number of extra lanes on our roads, which is what this Government wants, will work. We want to see a greater improvements in buses, high-frequency rail links and metro links.”
“Yes, Covid-19 turbo-charged this but I remember being in a working group with Deputy Nash when I was a councillor, along with then Councillor Mark Wall and others in the Labour Party. We came up with a commuter strategy in 2017 or 2018 that had working from home as a central plank. We have spent nearly a decade trying to make this into a real right. This Bill would also strengthen equality. Flexible work particularly benefits parents, carers and people with disabilities. Without legal protections, these workers often negotiate from a weaker position and sacrifice career progression but, again, in line with consistent policies from this Government, these groups are left behind. The only people who are disadvantaged by the right to work from home are the owners of office buildings in large cities and large towns.”
“Even IBEC recognises the benefits of flexible work. It says it wants anchor days in the office but it knows there are economic and productivity benefits to flexible work. Let us go even further by looking at the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and Harvard Business School. Neither of them are bastions of workers' rights, but both of them have produced reports stating that productivity increases and improves for companies when there are strong, flexible work rights. This is something the Government should be leading on, based on that alone, but it is not. Its failure to legislate is based on vibes and not on evidence. The evidence is on our side on all levels - productivity, work-life balance, anti-congestion, improved transport and improved climate benefits. The evidence is all on our side.”
“What we have here is a philosophical difference between the Minister of State's Government and the Labour Party and others in Opposition on workers' rights. For a moment, let us set aside all the climate benefits, the work-life balance benefits, the benefits for commuter towns and economies and the anti-congestion advantages. We will set them aside because philosophically, that is something we on the left would say. Let us set aside all the really good, strong evidence that has been accumulated through multiple studies by the trade unions, including SIPTU, Fórsa, the Financial Services Union, FSU, and others. Of course trade unions would say that; they are, philosophically, on the left. Let us look instead at the evidence from agencies that would be philosophically more in line with the Government. Let us look at what IBEC is saying.”
“This is a basic standard in the context workers' rights, and I hope the Minister will make good on the ECSR recommendation.”
“RACO and PDFORRA were reluctant to take this case, but they felt they had no alternative. Perhaps now is the time for a reset in terms of the Department's engagement with RACO and PDFORRA and how we treat these workers, both current and potential workers. There is an awful lot of work we are going to have to do in the next months and years ahead in terms of investing in our neutrality and ensuring we have a proactive and protected neutrality. It is good to see investment in radar. It is good to see investment in a number of other areas. However, all that will be for naught if we do not invest in the personnel who are going to underpin, manage and deliver all the systems that we need to protect our neutrality. The members of the Defence Forces who perform their duties on public holidays deserve these premiums and general overtime pay.”
“The Minister's response sounds positive enough in its outlook. However, when this decision was made, the statement released by the Department of Defence stated: Ireland is a signatory to the European Social Charter and is committed to upholding its principles. The State respects the role of the ECSR and the Minister will examine its conclusions in conjunction with EU and national obligations, while noting that the reports of the ECSR are not binding on respondent states. Those last five or six words seem like a get-out clause from making good on the recommendations of the ECSR. We have had modest increases in Defence Forces numbers, but they are nowhere near where they need to be. We know from speaking to Defence Force members and potential members that pay and overall conditions are still a barrier to recruitment and retention.”
“We have seen a history of those in power, be it politicians, the clergy or police, that investigations can be shelved and victims and injustices ignored. We need to be proactive here at the very least. We need to see some form of action from the Irish State to fully explore what is in those statements and emails alone, and indeed, if there is anything further.”
“Last week, I wrote to the Taoiseach to seek international co-operation for an inquiry into the recent release of a witness statement as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files, in which a young girl was trafficked through Ireland for "politicians and notable men" for the purposes of sex. We heard from Garda Headquarters yesterday that no investigation or inquiry is under way regarding this claim. This witness statement is not the only concerning document released in those files relating to Ireland. Within them is an email from one David Wassong to Ghislaine Maxwell which asks if she will send him "the names and numbers of people to play with in Ireland". Our State has a dark history when it comes to the abuse of children.”
“We need to hold the United States to account on this. At the very least, our Minister should be asking their opposite number where our Irish citizens are.”
“Given the size of the Irish diaspora and our cultural and historic links with the United States and the very real human rights concerns we have for anyone being held by ICE in detention facilities, should we not request formally - I believe we should - from the US Secretary of Homeland Security details of all Irish citizens, documented and undocumented, in detention and where they are being held? We should request that from the United States on the grounds that we have real humanitarian concerns over how our citizens are being held along with other immigrant groups from around the world. This is a manifestation of the creeping fascism in the United States, pulling people off the streets and sending them out of state and holding them for terms of indefinite duration in absolutely deplorable conditions.”
“This is what is happening to Irish citizens, both documented and undocumented. For us to just wait for an Irish citizen to contact for consular assistance is not good enough.”
“Our figure is 65 plus one so that is 66. ICE's figures for January to September last year are 99. That means 33 people, based on those figures, have not sought consular assistance. I believe that is a low figure. We should be doing more to seek out where those Irish citizens are being held, what there status is and how they can be assisted. I do not think it is good enough in this circumstance to sit back and wait to give consular assistance. Look at the case of Donna Hughes-Brown who had been living legally in the United States since the age of 11 and is now 59 years of age. As she had two cheques for low amounts of money bounce, because she was away in Ireland on a break, and which she then cleared, she was detained, taken out of state from Chicago to Kentucky and held in conditions that were absolutely deplorable.”
“The entire world is aghast at the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service, ICE, in the United States. I am asking a question about Irish citizens, not documented or undocumented. It is not to make an exceptional case because all immigrant groups are being targeted. However, given that we are in the Irish Parliament, I am asking about Irish citizens. How many are being detained by ICE? Are their locations known in all cases? Will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter?”
“This is having an impact on recruitment and ultimately on the retention of members of our uniformed services, who, it need hardly be said, perform such vital services in our country. Can this FEMPI measure be unwound as soon as possible?”
“I raise the reinstatement of the supplementary pension for our uniformed services members. As the Taoiseach is aware, the fast-accrual nature of the pensions for our Defence Forces, fire services, gardaí and prison officers was decoupled from the supplementary element during austerity. This is a financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, measure, which the Taoiseach's party made an unambiguous promise to unwind in this term. However, it did not make the programme for Government. I attended the seminar yesterday on pensions for uniformed service members, the coverage of which the Taoiseach will have seen today in the likes of The Irish Times . Aisling Buffini of Dublin Fire Brigade and many others spoke yesterday.”
“Ireland’s provision of non-lethal and humanitarian aid has done much good for Ukraine over the years of war and we heard just that from President Zelenskyy weeks ago in this very Chamber. Our military neutrality is a cherished pillar of our foreign policy that has allowed us to play a unique role on the world stage. It must always be protected from any dilution even as an inadvertent effect of well-intentioned steps to support a friend such as Ukraine. While we in the Labour Party are proud to stand in support of the measures to support Ukraine in the face of this invasion, we need to hear assurances from the Government that the mechanism we are looking at in this motion will be aligned with our policy of military neutrality.”
“Of course, Ukraine’s military needs are also driving its financial deficit. When providing aid directly to Ukraine, Ireland has been able to carefully ensure alignment with our policy of military neutrality. We provide hundreds of millions of euro of non-lethal and humanitarian aid in line with that policy. I note the amendment tabled by Sinn Féin to this motion that lays out concerns about how this loan will interact with our military neutrality. I ask the Minister to clarify how the Government will ensure aid provided by Ireland through this mechanism continues to align with the principle of military neutrality. I have received commitments at the defence committee that we have had visibility downstream on how every euro we have given Ukraine has been spent to ensure it has been spent on humanitarian or non-lethal aid.”
“The loan, apparently, will be paid by Ukraine only when it receives reparations from Russia. Until then the Russian central bank assets are to remain immobilised and the EU reserves its right to make use of them to repay the loan. That is a welcome step. We have long argued for the use of sanctioned Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine. That is not what is being proposed here but the underlying rationale is similar, namely, Russia should pay for rebuilding Ukraine. Ukraine’s financial needs have been well-documented. The IMF estimates will need €135 billion to keep afloat through 2026 and 2027 alone. That money is needed to help the state run and to allow for basic services to continue. In the face of those needs, it is essential we do not allow the likes of Viktor Orbán to water down EU support for Ukraine.”
“It is vital that not only do we continue to make that case rhetorically and diplomatically but that we deliver on it and take real action where we can in support of the Ukrainian people. That means continuing to supply non-lethal and humanitarian aid where we can. It means working closely within Europe to co-ordinate supports and it means ensuring Russia is held to account for its aggression. We in the Labour Party welcome the announcement of additional aid from Ireland to Ukraine when President Zelenskyy visited this Chamber in early December. This motion is asking us to give our approval for Ireland to exercise the option to engage in enhanced co-operation in order to establish a loan of €90 billion to Ukraine. This is following a European Council decision authorising that step earlier this month.”
“We have stood by our values and played our role, whether through financial or humanitarian aid or by opening our doors to the tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have found a safe welcome on our shore. We in the Labour Party have not diminished in our support for those Ukrainian refugees who still arrive. We must continue to remember those values and to deliver upon them. Ireland is a militarily neutral country. We are deeply proud of that military neutrality and we cherish it but we are not politically neutral in the face of illegal wars, war crimes and aggression and we never have been. We must continue to be clear and steadfast in saying this kind of imperialist invasion can never be accepted. Our history has taught us as much.”
“We are approaching the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of that aggression has been a sight to behold. They have managed to hold off the imperialist, criminal advances of the Russian forces and keep going through four long, cold winters as their towns and cities are bombarded. Their bravery and dedication in the face of such devastation has not just kept their own nation’s freedom intact but has protected others from Putin’s vicious expansionism. We cannot take for granted that Putin would stop at Ukraine. Partner states in the Baltics feel their borders are under constant threat from Putin.”
“Will the Taoiseach please divert course in terms of Ireland and lobby within the EU to have the investor courts removed from this CETA trade deal? Perhaps the spirit of Carney's speech might be used to negotiate with him in that regard.”
“In this time of global uncertainty, it is important we diversify and build up relationships with other countries. The Taoiseach's attendance at the EU-African Union summit is one instance of this, as was his visit to Canada to meet Prime Minister Carney. A lot has been made of Prime Minister Carney's speech at Davos last week. While building up relationships is important, it cannot come at the expense of our values. The current CETA trade deal with Canada does so. I am specifically talking about the investor courts aspect of it. The Arbitration (Amendment) Bill will be brought before us in the next couple of months. Canada has removed the investor courts from its renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA.”
“Will he raise that with Donald Trump and ensure, whether it is Irish people living in the United States or other minority groups, that Ireland has their back and we will put pressure on the United States to withdraw its policy in relation to ICE and immigration?”
“The US boycotted the G20 in South Africa on these spurious grounds, further isolating itself from traditional allies. The Taoiseach will go to the White House in couple of months; of that there is no doubt. However, considering what is happening on the streets of Minneapolis, considering the large numbers of members of the Irish diaspora in the United States - that is not to make an exceptional case of the Irish; it is all immigrants and indeed all citizens of the United States who are under threat from ICE - will the Taoiseach use his meeting with the US President as an opportunity to raise the huge human rights concerns we have as a civilised nation, a nation that welcomes immigrants and welcomes asylum seekers, or at least should do, although the Government is rowing back on that?”
“It is absolutely outrageous. Can we have clarity? Have contracts been signed on this? When will the connections be made? Will these people, who have done so much to buy these homes, be able to move in as soon as possible? It is pathetic that this carry-on has been happening for so long.”
“I made a number of points in last week's debate, which I will not repeat except for one. Once again I want to raise the issue of the connection of newly built homes in Knocksedan in Swords. These are not homes that are planned, in the pipeline or which might come. These are homes that have been built. I first spoke to Irish Water about this issue on 21 March 2025. I received a full answer to that question only on 30 October 2025, six months later. However, it was not satisfactory in terms of rectifying the problem. The people who have scrimped and saved and worked hard to purchase these homes have been told time and again that the date for this to be resolved keeps getting pushed back. The most recent date they have been given is March 2026. During all this time they have not been allowed in to view the property they have bought.”
“There are more complicated questions and ever more complicated answers, and we need to ensure we do what is best for Ireland and Europe.”
“If we are in the midst of a trade war, it might be an opportunity to engage and de-escalate. Of course we may be in a position in which to boycott that meeting is the right course of action. All options should be on the table. We are not in normal times but we need to be strong in whatever action we choose to take. Last year seemed like a structural insult imposed upon Ireland by Trump and his Administration and we cannot allow that to happen again. If the United States does indeed move towards Greenland we in this Chamber, and Ireland as a whole, need to decide what part we will play in responding to the consequences of this decision. There are an awful lot of complexities in international conflict at present and we cannot be reductive or simplistic about it. It is not just about whether the Taoiseach will go to the White House.”
“We all could pretend that this was an aberration and that he said more than he did. We can no longer believe that is the case. Unfortunately, in the year and a day that Trump has been president, he has done more than he has said. The lies that spew from his mouth and the reckless actions that actually increase conflict and spread war rather than spreading peace as he so arrogantly and egotistically states have ruptured the world order. In a number of weeks, this Government may be asked to America to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This invitation, if it comes, will be a dangerous and volatile ask. The decision can no longer be about extending the hand of friendship through a bowl of shamrock. Instead, if the Government chooses to accept it, it should be about delivering a message. We must work with our European allies.”
“The instrument, which would allow the EU to take measures, such as import and export restrictions on goods and services in the Single Market and to limit the access of American companies to public procurement contracts in Europe, should only ever be used as a last resort. The reason it should only ever be used as a last resort is this is not an instrument that is without consequence. If this is used, it will hurt people. It will hurt individuals and workers in Europe, America and elsewhere. However, it is an instrument that unfortunately needs to be considered at this time. This so-called trade bazooka is again language that we do not want to be used. It has been framed, and can and will deliver a clear message to those who are taking Europe on and show that Europe is not meek. It was one thing when Trump was elected president in 2016.”
“For example, what are we going to do if Trump looks at the long runway of Shannon Airport and says, "I need that not just to refuel US troops, but I need it for more strategic purposes?" What will Ireland do in that scenario? That is not a fantastical one. A couple of months ago, we could not seriously contemplate what is happening in Greenland. In the past half an hour, Trump has said that he will not use force, but again he caveated that in the midst of his rambling speech. God knows what he said in the past ten minutes. Europe need to look seriously at the anti-coercion instrument.”
“A trade war will damage all and will likely damage Ireland more than others as we have an over-reliance on American foreign direct investment. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has been calling for a number of years to instil more resilience and diversification into our economy and move away from our reliance on American FDI. That is not easy and will not be quick. Going back to Prime Minister Carney's speech, this is something that other states and other power blocs and regional blocs are doing. Ireland must do the same. Trump and his allies have made it abundantly clear that any nation's sovereignty is up for debate and will be disrespected if Trump views it in his interest.”
“The age of pragmatism demands that we in Europe realign ourselves and recommit ourselves and ensure that our sovereignty as a regional grouping, including protecting our own individual sovereignty in Ireland, is something that we must strive for. Europe must again find a backbone. We oppose the Mercosur deal because it currently goes against values we hold dear in relation to workers' rights and climate. The CETA deal needs to remove the investor courts. Canada has removed them from its agreement with the United States and Mexico. There is no reason Canada demands and Europe is allowing the investor courts to remain in the CETA agreement. If it wants movement on that, remove the investor courts. Our economy is uniquely open to turmoil.”
“We need to look at the anti-coercion instrument within the European Union. We need to stand up to Trump and the United States. It means no longer allowing ourselves to be vassals to Trump or the US. It means nurturing innovation at home. If we look at the announcement of EU Inc, a title I am not entirely happy with, but it is calling for investment in innovation within the European Union. This is what we need. It means recognising the world that faces us with our over-reliance on American payment systems, American software and everything. Microsoft, Visa and Mastercard are all American. We need to look at our resilience. We cannot do it on our own in Ireland. We must do it with our European partners.”
“Those values are no longer shared with the United States. The new US national security strategy breaks with decades of American-led multilateralism. What it is doing in relation to Greenland, Venezuela, Gaza with this abhorrent "board of peace", which Ireland should have nothing whatsoever to do with, and Ukraine. It is viewing all of these as opportunities for profit or natural resource extraction rather than opportunities to sow peace and to deliver true security for individuals and communities. It is an indictment of the rot that has set in in Washington. We cannot be complacent to think that Donald Trump and his administration are an aberration. This movement could continue beyond Trump. We need to plan for that, which is why the Labour Party and I have been saying over the past number of weeks that we need to plan for a hard divorce.”