Eileen Flynn
Administrative Panel · Independent · Ireland
“Today, I want to make it very clear that using the platform of a Senator to imply that Traveller problems can be solved by extra patrols and public warnings is not courage.”
“This Senator has years of experience and apparently is all about equality and equality for the Irish people, but obviously not for Irish Travellers. Members cannot use their platform in these Houses to promote hate towards our community.”
“Travellers know what it means when politicians make a habit of standing outside our sites, pointing cameras at our homes and speaking as though true criminality is somehow written in our blood. When a Senator invokes Garda patrols in the same breath as warning Travellers, it does not feel like a concern for safety.”
“I want to bring to the attention of the House that this week is Traveller Pride Week. It runs from 18 to 29 May. Events will be happening up and down the country. We are hoping to have an event in Leinster House in two weeks' time with the Traveller committee. It will be a meet and greet with members of the Travelling community.”
“I welcome this motion and thank the Fianna Fáil Senators for bringing it forward. I notice there are few men in the Chamber. We need men to be part of the discussion of this issue. I want to highlight that. The zero-tolerance strategy committed to delivering at least 280 refuge spaces by 2026.”
“We need protection for women. I have had to put safety measures in my family home where I am trying my hardest to rear two lovely children. I am never going to be the same public representative that I was four weeks ago. The Garda has been absolutely brilliant.”
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“From the bottom of my heart, I thank the Minister of State and the Department for bringing forward their own legislation, which came about as a result of the work of our group.”
“Being a Traveller activist for many years, to a certain extent I do not care who does the work once it gets done. The day that the Minister brings this through the Dáil, I will be there and I will be supporting him from the bottom of my heart and thanking him on behalf of all of the victims of child sexual abuse in this country. We are leaders in this area. I have people such as Ministers in Australia and Canada coming to me looking for our advice. This comes under the UN Convention as well. It is something that the Government has to do. For us, as the Civil Engagement Group, just like with the occupied territories Bill and other legislation, it is still a win, if you want. However, it does not impact on me. I am 36 years of age. It impacts on survivors. It impacts on children of this country today.”
“I thank the Minister of State, the Department and the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan. I know this will be changing after my conversation on the phone yesterday evening with the Minister, who thanked us in the Civil Engagement Group for our work. I thank from the bottom of my heart my three colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group, and all of their personal assistants, as well, for their work in respect of this important legislation. I get what Senator Kelleher said about it not being a question of the Government accepting our work, but, at the end of the day, we worked hard on this Bill for the past three and a half years. The Government would not even be thinking of this Bill if our work had not been done. I repeat that this is not the first time for the Government to run with legislation that the Civil Engagement Group has drafted.”
“We are aware that the Minister of State will not support it and we will call a vote on it. We will again see Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Members voting against what we are trying to do.”
“Sometimes I look at the Seanad as if we are guinea pigs. While the Government will now bring this legislation into the Dáil, taking the work we have done in our offices with the Civil Engagement Group, every other Member of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil here is now on record as having voted against changing the term "child pornography" to "child sexual abuse". It is really important that I say that out loud. I have great friends and colleagues in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. In a few weeks the Minister will take our legislation and make it his own, which again is absolutely brilliant and important. However, for me as a woman who has worked really hard on this over the last three and a half years, I would have loved it to have gone through in our names as four women in the Civil Engagement Group. Amendment No. 2 is a technical change.”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, lines 13 and 14, to delete all words from and including “ “Child” where it firstly occurs in line 13 down to and including line 14 and substitute the following: “ “Child Pornography” with “Child Sexual Abuse Material” within those Acts and other Acts; to ensure legal continuity in prosecutions and proceedings; to clarify the continued application of the Sex Offenders Act 2001; to ensure compliance with international obligations; and to provide for related matters.”.”
“They propose to change the term "child pornography" to "child sexual abuse material”. As a mother of two young children, I would love for my two girls to look back and say, "Mammy was part of changing this" as part of the Civil Engagement Group. It is just like the occupied territories Bill and other important legislation that the Civil Engagement Group has brought forward. For many years, the Government has taken it as its own. I will support the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, in bringing this important legislation through. As a person who has worked really hard with colleagues over the last three and a half years, it is really important that I say this today. As Catherine Connolly rightly said in her campaign, it is very hard for women to stand up and own something. This is our legislation that the Government is taking as its own.”
“I am a member of the Traveller Community and somebody who wants to be a productive, progressive legislator in this House. It is a shame and a pity that my work is being taken. I appreciate and am grateful that it is being put into effect but I want to put on record that this came about from the good work of Jessica Bray, Corey O'Hara and Senators Black, Ruane and Higgins. The Civil Engagement Group cares about this very much. We know that language can have a dramatic impact on any victim, especially someone from the Traveller Community. The Government's position is regrettable. I ask the Minister of State, if at all possible, to abstain in today's vote to allow my Bill to pass through the Houses and allow us to support the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, in bringing the Bill forward in the Dáil. Our two amendments are very simple.”
“It is regrettable that the Minister of State will oppose this legislation. I was speaking to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, yesterday evening and his words to me were, "You kept this Bill alive, you kept pushing and I expect you to nothing more when we have it in the Dáil". My wee girl was 12 weeks old when I come back from maternity leave. My then parliamentary assistant, Jessica Bray, and I sat down and decided this was extremely important legislation. The then Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, said it was not possible for us to change the words in the history books, and we totally accepted that. Speaking to the media yesterday, I asked why the Government was looking to reinvent the wheel and taking and owning the Civil Engagement Group's legislation.”
“It is important I say that because, for a member of the Traveller community who cares about children's rights and calling something what it is, the amendment is like correcting a typographical error, if you will. It changes the term "child pornography" to call it what it is "child sexual abuse material".”
“Today we are considering the main change in this important legislation. The Government supported our Bill on Committee Stage in June and we would love to have its support today to change the term "child pornography" and call it what it is, child sexual abuse by materials. In 2022, the then Minister, Deputy McEntee, said it might not be possible to have this Bill. I thank Corey O'Hara, Jessica Bray, and Colm Gannon in Australia for all their hard work on this legislation. From a conversation I had yesterday with the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, I am aware he has taken our legislation and made it his own. I thank him for that. Today is a win for our office and also for that of the Minister for justice.”
“I brought sweets because I do not have a note in my head but it is a good, uplifting wee hour. I will talk about defective blocks and 100% redress. I know that households are treated differently from services. There are many schools and childcare facilities in County Donegal - I am sure it is the same in Mayo and other counties affected by defective blocks. I am sure Senators would welcome a discussion on what can be done for childcare providers. My two children attend the local crèche in Ardara. It is an amazing service for all the children in Ardara. Next week, that service may not be fit for use because the building is affected by mica. Some services in rural communities are not included in the 100% redress scheme. That is a conversation I would like to bring to the floor of this House.”
“That does not mean I do not value the Irish language and my colleagues, like Deputies Ó Snodaigh and Connolly, make sure to involve me in Irish coffee mornings and the Irish committee. It is really important we support those who do not speak Irish as well.”
“I have very little time to speak about the Irish flag. Before I was a Senator, I used to go to protests for workers' rights, migrant rights and women's rights and feel so proud to stand underneath the Irish flag. Nowadays, our flag is being used to intimidate us by the far right and I would like to have a debate about the Irish flag because there are many people in society who are a bit lost with the conversation about the flag. There is a lot of fear out there as well, so I would like to have a debate on the importance of the flag. Just to say, I do not have two words of Irish. I am probably the only Senator in here who is ridiculous when it comes to Irish. I could not even say "Cathaoirleach" when I first came here.”
“TG4 should be held accountable for not having a debate around the presidential election. I know that Heather Humphreys was a Minister with responsibility for the Irish language for three years. I also know that Jim Gavin was a representative of an Irish festival a few years ago. The three candidates claim to value, respect and honour the Irish language. Some of the candidates do not speak Irish but it is up to TG4 to facilitate that debate. It did so in 2011 and there is no reason it cannot do it again. Many elderly people in our society - many people whose first language is Irish - are locked out of this debate. That should not be the case when the channel is getting €60 million of public money. I urge TG4 to review this and have a debate for people who are fluent in Irish and get their information from the channel.”
“I want to bring to the attention of Members the decision of TG4 not to broadcast a debate around the presidential election. What TG4 is doing is keeping thousands of people out of the conversation. I am a member of the Traveller community. My first language should be Cant but, unfortunately, it is not. Our language was robbed from us and I am raising this issue today because I am afraid that the same thing will happen to Irish-speaking people. A lot of Irish people in Donegal get their information from the likes of TG4, which got €60 million in public money this year. It got €60 million but it cannot or will not host a debate around the presidential election. I urge TG4 to think again about what it is doing to its viewers. If this was RTÉ or Virgin Media, we would definitely have them in front of the media committee.”
“I cannot say I support of this Bill right now because, again, there are approximately 100 amendments that we in the Civil Engagement Group would like to add. However, we know the Minister of State is open and that she wants better changes for people who are on the margins of society. I look forward to working closely with her on this Bill because we do need a mental health Bill. My mother used to always say, "Never take on a job you can't handle." If we are going to implement a mental health Bill and look at the reviews of mental health in Ireland over the past few years, we have to do it right. We have to make sure it is an inclusive Bill and that we support the workers in these institutions as well.”
“I see young Traveller men every single day of the week who are addicted to drugs, barely functioning because of drug and mental health crises. In this Bill, we fail to take care of our most vulnerable. The Bill does not name prison services or look after people who are in prison around mental health issues. We know that a good percentage of people in prison have mental health issues. I know that for a fact. Being on the Traveller committee, we visited a lot of the prisons last year. The majority of prisoners spoke about having few or no good mental health facilities. That is something on which this Bill should focus. We have to look at poverty. Whether we like it or not, it is one of the causes of mental health, and we have to name it in this Bill.”
“This is the Minister of State's second term as Minister with responsibility for mental health and older people. Nothing has changed since I first stepped foot inside this House five and a half years ago. It is absolute torture for the Traveller community when we have a mental health crisis and an addiction crisis. I personally do not believe our mental health services are fit for purpose. We do not have enough services within the country. We do not have enough nurses or doctors in mental health. Why would people stay working in mental health if they earn crap money and they are not getting the financial support to be able to deliver good mental health services? Last year, I took part in a documentary called "Patrick: A Young Traveller Lost" about a young Traveller who at 13 years of age passed away by suicide.”
“When Traveller children are followed by security guards while shopping, when Traveller families are refused services in restaurants and when young people cannot find employment because of their surname or address, this creates trauma that mainstream mental health services do not understand or address. Only 6% of the mental health budget supports services, against a 10% target. As of April 2025, 4,554 children were waiting for first-time CAMHS appointments, a 200% increase since 2020. Over 760 children have been waiting more than a year for mental health care. Working-class families endure months of waiting, while wealthy families access private care immediately. Two-tier systems continue inequalities that this Bill must challenge.”
“I want to bring the Minister of State's attention to the mental health inequalities this Bill must address but currently ignores. This legislation will shape mental health services for generations, but it fails to confront the discrimination that drives mental health crises in marginalised communities. The Traveller community faces a mental health emergency that shames our nation. Our suicide rate is 6.6 times higher than that for people in the general population. They are our children, our siblings, our future, destroyed by systemic racism and exclusion. This Bill fails to mandate culturally appropriate services for the most vulnerable groups within society. Mental health cannot be separated from social justice, discrimination, poverty and exclusion, which drive mental health distress.”
“I know that the far right will run off with some of my statement here today but I do not give two --- about the far right because these are human beings. As a Senator said earlier, we must have compassion. I have so much compassion for black and brown people in this country and for all refugees. The Government needs to up its game. It has been held accountable by the European Court of Justice but is ignoring that ruling. The Government needs to work with migrants and refugees, make Ireland a safe place for them and treat people with dignity and respect. Finally, I ask the Minister of State to provide us with an update on the White Paper.”
“There are also lots of au pairs in this country working in families' homes who are ill treated. We hear talk about migrants coming here and taking but they are not taking anything from an Irish person. They are taking absolutely nothing from Irish people. This Government and previous Governments have failed the people when it comes to homelessness in this country and the provision of safe, appropriate accommodation. We need to be realistic that it is not the migrants' fault. We need to stop the divide and conquer and come together as a State and provide safe accommodation for people and not have people living like prisoners. People are escaping danger, coming here and then feeling at even more risk of being hurt on the streets of our country. We do not want that anymore.”
“The Government used the Ukrainian war as an excuse not to end direct provision. I do not know whether the Minister of State has ever been to a direct provision centre. Has he ever seen the appalling conditions that women and children have to live in? They are treated more like prisoners than human beings. We are seeing the rise of the far right and for me, that is very frightening. Our health system is standing on one leg and it would not even be standing if it were not for migrant workers, including doctors and nurses. Two years ago I was rushed to Letterkenny hospital with a collapsed lung and the doctors who saved my life were not Irish. If any of us is sick or sore and has to go into hospital, we are not going to ask if the staff have their papers to be here. We are going to accept the care they give.”
“No disrespect to the Minister of State, but it suits the Government that the argument is between the foreigners and the homeless Irish, which should not be the case. We have direct provision centres that are not fit for purpose. Children are living in run-down centres and hoteliers are making a lot of profit off the backs of very vulnerable people. Many people who come to this country are escaping political persecution or are moving away from their families because it is not acceptable to be gay and so on. We have to remember that nobody wants to leave their own native land. They are here for a reason, namely for international protection. In 2020, there was a big conversation, led by the former Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on the White Paper on ending direct provision. Where are we with that White Paper now?”
“I know exactly what it is like to face racism, discrimination and hate in this country. I know what it is like to see Traveller accommodation being burned. I know what it is like for members of the Traveller community who experience multiple levels of racism and discrimination. Even when looking for accommodation under the HAP scheme, people are discriminated against because they are members of the Traveller community, they are black or brown or are from the Muslim community. The ill-treatment of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in this country has reached a frightening level. We see a lot of homeless refugees and migrants now but before we had the big levels of migrants coming to this country, we had a homeless crisis and the Government needs to take responsibility for that.”
“I know many young Traveller women who absolutely love boxing but they are not out there as much as the men and do not get the support the men get. We should encourage and support women in the GAA when they want to wear black shorts. I know in Cork, a group of women wear black shorts. That is something we should support as legislators as well. The Minister of State needs to think about inclusivity and what that means throughout Ireland as a whole.”
“When it comes to sports, they want all the supports that men have in this field. I will say, unless we invest in women's sport and in people from minority groups, our sports are not inclusive. The Traveller community loves to play handball. Many members of the Traveller community have kept handball alive within communities and unfortunately, it is not seen by the Department as a valuable sport. It is something that is a part of Traveller culture. We talk about horse racing and unfortunately, many Travellers are denied the right to be able to facilitate horse racing. I urge the Minister of State to look at the inequalities that we have in our Department of sport. Women in boxing are treated as less than men in boxing.”
“I wanted to read that out. More than 40 children were denied access to this country to play sports. We state sport does not have any discrimination and is something that brings us all together but that was not the case for these children. I call on the Minister of State to support these children to come to Ireland to give them that equality of opportunity to play Gaelic football and hurling. I live in Ardara, County Donegal. The Minister of State is a Donegal man himself. I spoke with the women's GAA team in Ardara. I invited them here two summers ago and they got to experience Leinster House, and the girls played a game of football with young women from the Jobstown GAA club. The women in Ardara want proper funding. They want to be treated equally to the men that play GAA in Ardara. They want physiotherapy and counselling.”
“What is wrong with this picture? Israel's citizens can enter Ireland without a visa but Palestinian children living under occupation are treated like threats. That is not solidarity; it is discrimination. These children lost €38,000 on flights they could not use. Hundreds of Irish volunteers worked for months to prepare and all of this was wasted because of the red tape. One child asked, “But the Irish stand with us, why don't they want us to visit?” How do we answer that? When Ukrainian children needed help, Ireland moved fast. We found hotel rooms. We got through red tape. We opened our hearts. Yet when Palestinian children ask for a two-week visit, we treat them like criminals. This is not just about sport, it is about whether our values mean anything. The Minister of State cannot support Palestine with words, it is actions we need.”
“Sports should be for everyone but right now, we see two-tier examples of how Ireland is failing to live up to its own values. First, let me address the 47 Palestinian children who were denied the chance to visit Ireland. These children are aged nine to 16 years. They wanted to play Gaelic football here. They live in refugee camps. They have never seen the sea or been on a train. They live in fear. Ireland calls itself the land of hundreds of thousands of welcomes. We say we support Palestine and our Government talks about solidarity but when Palestinian children want to visit, we say no. The Department of justice stated the children do not have proper documents, but GAA Palestine gave them everything they asked for, including birth certificates, consent forms and financial guarantees; absolutely everything.”
“We can have meaningful participation in society and know what it is like to be a young child who has been institutionalised. We can know there is still hope. The Bill and amendment give hope to every child out there. It will not make any of the services less approachable. It is positive legislation and a positive amendment. It would be a shame if we did not accept it. I thank the Chair for giving me the time. I probably went way over.”
“They need safe refuge, safe services and domestic violence services that understand that all communities do not see it as a way of life. I remember in the early nineties when my mother called the Garda and she wanted a barring order against my father. I remember the garda saying, "That's part of your culture. We don't interfere in family affairs, blahdy blah." It is now 2025 and there are great people in the House and the Dáil. We no longer accept domestic violence as a way of life in this country. Every single amendment, Bill and bit of funding and support we can provide as a country is worthwhile because young people like Senator Ryan grow up and come here. Young people like me can grow up and not just be products of a dysfunctional house with domestic violence.”
“I did not get to hear all of Senator Ryan's speech this evening due to a committee meeting but, having listened to my colleagues in the House, I will listen back to it later. I grew up on a halting site with 73 extended families. Today there are about 20 extended families on the site. It is funny how, in some communities, domestic violence is seen to be part of the culture. I have said in this House numerous times that domestic violence is not part of my culture. It is not part of Traveller culture or our way of life. I spoke in this House about when Mary Robinson came in. I met Mary Robinson when I was six years of age, in a women's refuge in Rathmines with my mother, brothers and sisters. I ended up in the Seanad. Sometimes we mistreat and misunderstand young children in these institutions.”
“Just because you are disabled or have a disability does not mean you cannot make some choices for yourself and, in many cases, all choices. This Bill will provide that people will get to choose what services they want to attend. I would be delighted to hear from the Minister what the difference is between the six months and the 18 months. What does she hope to do within that 18 months? Does that include recesses? Senator Clonan said it will be December of 2026, but if I am looking at the 18 months as a Dáil term, that is nearly half of our term in these Houses.”
“I see this Bill giving disabled people more choices. As someone said to me in the disability matters committee many years ago, disabled people do not see themselves as being disabled. It is society that disables people with disability. I think that is true. I know we will look at this Bill again in 18 months, but if we are any way realistic, that means the majority of the term. If we take in the recesses and the mid-term breaks, it is the majority of the term. What can we not do in the six months that Senator Clonan has proposed? Why do we have to wait 18 months to bring this Bill back to this House with the amendments? Why can we not do it in the next six months? The biggest part of the Bill that I and people who are disabled would support is having choices.”
“I rise in support of Senator Tom Clonan’s Bill. All of the Civil Engagement Group supports this very important Bill. I am here five years this week, and since Senator Clonan has entered the House, his passion and determination around equality for people with disabilities has shown and brought things to the table that many of us would not have thought of in this House. The personalised budget means people will not be told what services they need or what services they should have. They can pick and choose for themselves. This Bill gives disabled people more power and more control over their own lives. Through the work I have done for many years with the Independent Living Movement, every person I have spoken to over the past few years who is disabled would say that having a PA and choices is very important for them.”
“Before moving to the next speaker, I welcome the New Zealand ambassador, Mr. Trevor Mallard, to the Houses and his guests, Mr. Chris Hipkins and Ms Toni Grace. I also welcome Deputy Catherine Connolly and her son, Stephen, to the Public Gallery. I hope they have a nice experience.”
“I move amendment No. 44: In page 3, lines 13 and 14, to delete ""Child Pornography" with "Child Sexual Exploitation Material" within those Acts and other Acts." and substitute the following: "to insert the term "Child Pornography" with "Child Sexual Abuse Material" within those Acts and other Acts; to ensure legal continuity in prosecutions and proceedings; to clarify the continued application of the Sex Offenders Act 2001; to ensure compliance with international obligations; and to provide for related matters.".”
“I move amendment No. 42: In page 6, to delete line 24 and substitute the following: "(2) This Act shall come into operation three months after the date of its passing to allow for necessary training and awareness of the changes amongst the judiciary, law enforcement, prosecutors, and other relevant stakeholders.". I am interested to hear the Minister of State's comments on this amendment.”
“In the past few months, the State was named and shamed in a newspaper article for not reaching its obligations under EU and UN conventions to protect children, safeguard their rights and call this type of exploitation what it is, namely, child sexual abuse material.”
“I move amendment No. 41: In page 6, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: "International obligations 9. Nothing in this Act shall prevent the State from complying with its obligations under international law, including— (a) the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, (b) Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual abuse of children and child sexual abuse material (formerly referred to as child pornography), and (c) the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention)." This amendment seeks to ensure that Ireland is in line with international frameworks on child protection.”
“I move amendment No. 40: In page 6, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: "Evidence and procedure 9. (1) Evidence that was collected, obtained or admissible in relation to an offence involving child pornography shall be deemed to be collected, obtained or admissible in relation to an offence involving child sexual abuse material. (2) Expert witnesses, opinions, evidence or testimony previously admissible in relation to child pornography shall be deemed equally admissible in relation to child sexual abuse material.". This amendment relates to safeguarding victims and is concerned with terminology usage. It is not only a very simple proposal, it is also very effective. I hope the Minister of State will accept it.”
“I move amendment No. 34: In page 6, lines 7 and 8, to delete “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material Act 1998” and substitute “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material Act 1998”.”
“I move amendment No. 32: In page 5, lines 35 and 36, to delete “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material Act 1998” and substitute “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material Act 1998”.”
“I move amendment No. 28: In page 5, lines 24 and 25, to delete “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material Act 1998” and substitute “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material Act 1998”.”
“I move amendment No. 27: In page 5, lines 17 and 18, to delete “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material Act 1998” and substitute “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material Act 1998”.”
“I move amendment No. 26: In page 5, lines 14 and 15, to delete “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material Act 2004” and substitute “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material (Amendment) Act 2004”.”
“I move amendment No. 25: In page 5, lines 10 and 11, to delete “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (Amendment) Act 2004” and substitute “Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material (Amendment) Act 2004”. These amendments update references to the "Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material (Amendment) Act 2004" in the Bill to keep it consistent. Simple language is all we have used in this section and these two amendments.”
“I move amendment No. 24: In page 5, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(c) by the insertion of the following section after section 33: “Transitional provisions 33A. For the avoidance of doubt, any person who, before the commencement of the Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (Amendment) Act 2025 , was subject to notification requirements under this Act in relation to an offence involving child pornography shall continue to be subject to those requirements after the commencement of that Act as if the offence involved child sexual abuse material.”.".”