Erin McGreehan
Louth · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The Tánaiste might have heard that there is a bit of excitement in Louth at the moment. I do not know if anyone has missed it, but Louth is into its first All-Ireland football semi-final since 1957. This is not just one brilliant season for Louth GAA, however. Louth GAA is on the rise and, thankfully, so too is our stadium.”
“Our stadium is becoming a field of dreams for all of us Gaelic lovers and sports lovers in County Louth. The county board, players and supporters are all doing their part and we ask the Government to finish the job.”
“It is great to have the Minister in the House this morning. I very much welcome the opportunity to have a discussion of a practical nature that will solve this issue and have really positive impacts on patients, staff and the wider health service across the north east.”
“The unit's reputation is such that people regularly travel there from well beyond Louth. There were lots of Dublin accents to be heard in the accident and emergency department when I was there last Saturday. They did not even know that Louth was playing on Sunday. It was all about Dublin.”
“There is one significant limitation, however. That is why I am speaking here this morning. It is slowing down or delaying some of the excellent work that is being carried out. At weekends, the X-ray department only operates from 12 noon until 8 p.m.”
“Every patient who can successfully be treated in Dundalk is one less patient for another hospital to treat. Extending X-ray availability across the entire opening hours of the minor injuries unit seven days a week would improve patient flow, reduce waiting times, enhance the patient experience and further reduce the pressure on the emerge…”
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“In what ways is Ireland working with EU partners and international organisations to ensure trade flows, market access, and regulatory stability are maintained during the global economic uncertainty? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?”
“We need a real plan to start reducing the cost of energy in this country, which is unsustainable, as the Taoiseach knows. Given these global pressures and local challenges, will the Government keep the situation under close review and ensure the supports can be adjusted if it worsens? Can we start front-loading investment into alternative energy sources, advancing our critical infrastructure plan and extending our retrofit programmes to help future-proof these problems?”
“I acknowledge the temporary measures that have been introduced to help address the rise in fuel and energy costs. They will offer some short-term support at the time when many households and businesses are feeling real pain. I have spoken to many Louth hauliers, coach operators and households who are desperately worried about what is to come. This conflict in the Middle East is the latest supply chain shock for energy markets. Uncertainty around supply chains is creating real fears about what lies ahead. In Louth as in the rest of the country, families are already finding it difficult to manage heating and everyday living costs. Small businesses are affected. Coach operators and hauliers along the M1 corridor continue to face fluctuating fuel costs.”
“Survivors must not simply be participants in the process. Their voices must shape it. I know the Minister is thoroughly committed to that. I wish to raise the issue of the timeline for the scoping exercise, which is currently set at 16 weeks. We absolutely agree that progress needs to be made swiftly. We must ensure most of all that it is not rushed. It is incredibly ambitious and a great timeline. However, if additional time or resources are required to properly engage with survivors and to develop robust terms of reference, I ask for them to be granted. After decades of waiting, the victims deserve a process that is thorough, respectful and capable of delivering truth. If I look at the photo of that wee boy again, I want to think we did justice for him in 2026.”
“I thank Dignity4Patients for its incredible work, and congratulate it and the victims who have come forward and have given up so much to get this point. I thank the Minister for her openness to getting this done. I thank the Taoiseach for meeting the victims a few months back. That meeting had a deep and lasting effect on all who were in that office that day. The confirmation of the independent facilitator to begin the scoping exercise for the statutory inquiry is welcome. I spoke to representatives of Dignity4Patients today. They are enthusiastic, anxious and positive. The survivors have said that for the first time in many years they feel genuinely positive that progress is being made. It is absolutely essential that any inquiry arising from this process is victim-centred, trauma-informed and grounded in a human rights-based approach.”
“I saw a photograph of one of the victims when he was a young boy. He was a beautiful wee boy. When I looked at that photo, I saw my own boys. My gut instinct was to reach out and hug him, to scream for him that no one was able to protect that wee child and hundreds of other wee children who had the desperate experience of having Michael Shine as their doctor. When I looked at the eyes of that wee boy, I imagined the horror he must have been living through at that moment. When I looked at the man that the child grew into, I saw the hurt that was still there and the trauma that he carried with him in those wee eyes. That was what brought him to my office that day. I also saw incredible honesty, decency and extraordinary strength.”
“As a child, I knew he was bad but I was never old or articulate enough to understand what that "bad" meant. It was an open secret and open shame that authorities kept it a secret and kept it slammed down. The courage of the victims, many of whom have spent years seeking truth and accountability, cannot be overestimated. I have had the privilege of meeting some of those brave men. Their stories will never leave me. They spoke with desperate honesty and vulnerability about the trauma they carried for decades. They spoke about the years of silence and about the doors that should have been open to them but were instead slammed shut. Instead of being listened to and supported, far too many of them were treated deplorably. A moment from those meetings stayed with me and I go back to it when I think about these horrors.”
“Those are the basic standards that people should be able to expect from any healthcare system. The proposed statutory inquiry into spina bifida and complex scoliosis services will, therefore, be an essential step to understanding what went wrong and ensuring it never happens again. It must be thorough, independent and centred on the experiences of patients and families. I will take this opportunity to acknowledge the significant development this week regarding the victims and survivors of Michael Shine. Being from Louth, this is personal. Michael Shine was a disgusting and despicable paedophile. He preyed on hundreds of boys and young men over decades, using his place of authority and perceived respectability to hide and continue the abhorrent abuse. It was known around Louth. It was known that he was an abuser.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion on scoliosis services and the wider need for accountability within our healthcare system. First and foremost, I must acknowledge the frustration, anger and stress experienced by children and families waiting far too long for spinal surgery. Every child deserves timely care when clinicians determine it is needed. While additional investment, increased theatre capacity and the outsourcing of procedures have helped to reduce waiting times, we must be honest that more needs to be done. It is clear, however, from every action the Minister has taken since she took up her portfolio that she is committed to doing more. Families navigating these services deserve not only treatment but clear communication, transparency and respect.”
“The well-being framework shows the overall national progress on, in particular, incomes, job quality and mental health indicators. However, it makes clear that progress is not evenly felt. Single-parent households, unemployed people, renters and young people continue to experience lower well-being outcomes. We need to have more community-based supports for mental health. I believe in social prescribing. We can do more to support people beyond clinical services. What will be done to provide for initiatives such as social farming and community health projects to support voluntary groups that would reduce loneliness and improve mental health resilience in a practical and measurable way?”
“Across this House we are incredibly impatient and adamant that this committee at the Department of the Taoiseach must deliver for disabled people. Right across the country, every single day, many of us speak to people with disabilities, and families who have children with disabilities who are caught up in not getting access to education, housing adaptations, timely assessments or transport in their communities. There is a cost-of-living crisis as well. There is an incredible number of issues. This committee has to be more than procedural. It has to have real results.”
“The fishermen of Carlingford Lough, Port Oriel and right along the coast of County Louth operate in difficult conditions. They comply with regulations. They contribute to our communities. They are not asking for guarantees but they are entitled to fairness and to proper protection for their industry. I know the Minister of State agrees with all of this, and that we need sustainable and equitable fisheries management. That means protecting fish stocks, enforcing quotas, policing our waters effectively and ensuring that Irish fisheries are not placed at a structural disadvantage in their own waters. We must take advantage of our EU Presidency this summer to secure target supports specifically for our fishing industry. That is not an unreasonable expectation but a basic responsibility of the State.”
“The law cannot be selectively applied. There must also be oversight and management of our harbours and piers. Abandoned or derelict vessels create safety risks, obstruct access and reflect a wider failure of oversight. If we are serious about managing our maritime infrastructure, we must police and maintain it properly. This is not about over-regulation but about enforcing the laws we already have. Irish fishermen and fisherwomen are not looking for special treatment. They are looking for fairness, consistency and a level playing field. They cannot compete if foreign vessels benefit from access while Irish quota shrinks. They cannot plan for the future if enforcement is inconsistent, and they cannot sustain intergenerational business in an environment of uncertainty.”
“They are exhausted and feel incredibly disheartened by what they see going on in our waters. The Minister of State will hear from them in a couple of weeks when he visits Louth. Parliamentary replies have confirmed that landings have, in some instances, exceeded scientific recommendations, and that investigations and prosecutions are limited relative to the scale of the industry. That undermines confidence. It creates a perception and, in some cases, a reality that compliance is uneven. We need far better focus on monitoring and enforcement. We need proper inspection of catches at landing, secure and tamper-proof vessel monitoring systems, and oversight of what is being caught, landed and exported. We also need proper enforcement of crew regulations. All crews must be legally employed. All licensing conditions must be respected.”
“We have seen intergenerational fishing businesses disappear, not because of a lack of willingness to work but because of a lack of fairness, certainty and confidence in the system. Stocks must be protected. That is not optional. Sustainable management is essential. However, sustainability without equity is not sustainable in any meaningful sense whatsoever. Irish fishermen are asked to comply with quota reductions of almost 70% in key species like mackerel. Those reductions are based on scientific advice. They must be respected, but they must be respected by everyone, not just by Irish vessels and the small inshore fleets, but by all vessels operating in Irish waters. The problem is that confidence in enforcement remains weak. I have spoken to many fishermen in Clogherhead.”
“It is great to have this debate in the House. As the Minister of State knows, fishing is a very important industry for County Louth. It is a working industry, from Carlingford Lough right up to Port Oriel and at all the small landing points along our coast. These businesses are employing local people, sustaining families and contributing directly to the regional and national economy. The reality is that, in many ways, we have let down our fisheries in this country, and that is exactly how our fishing communities feel. I understand that sentiment. We have seen Irish boats tied up while foreign vessels continue to fish waters that Irish fishermen have depended on for generations.”
“I would like to ask about this from a cultural point of view. There are a lot of things that we can benefit from that can come out of the British-Irish Council. I see local opportunities, particularly in County Louth, to enhance our Irish language, arts and music between communities. Omeath District Development, for example, has led a project. It is doing incredible work unveiling and celebrating our last Gaelic speakers in north Louth. The last native speaker was Anne O'Hanlon who died in 1960. She was from Lislea in Omeath. We need to celebrate stories like that and celebrate our Irish language. There is an opportunity, particularly when we look at cross-Border co-operation and our history with the flight of the Fadgies from Omeath to west Belfast.”
“The drug has a legitimate clinical role but the evidence shows that it was not just in Kerry that situations like this arose. We need more investment in primary care mental health services to intervene early and to have stronger supports, particularly for children with dual diagnoses, who are falling through too many gaps in the system. Their cases are very complex and the risks are far greater. I want a review of the national prescribing audit, accounting for safety and standards, as the audit has highlighted areas of improvement in processes and monitoring, and to ensure the recommendations arising from the audit result in an improvement to governance, care and medication monitoring.”
“The findings of the north Kerry CAMHS look-back review are deeply concerning. Potential for harm was identified in respect of over 200 children’s files. Behind each number is a child and family who trusted the State. In too many cases, their trust was not upheld. While the review relates to Kerry, the prescribing safeguards must be a national priority. A young man recently came to me about his experience. He was prescribed risperidone at just seven years of age and remained on it for 15 years, with increasing doses and without any adequate clinical monitoring. He experienced significant weight gain and serious mood difficulties. He is now off the medication, thankfully, and his life has improved dramatically but his story raises serious questions about oversight and monitoring.”
“We are building in County Louth at unprecedented rates. Housing development is absolutely accelerating and we are not forward planning. Children are being squeezed into halls. I would really like some action taken on schools in County Louth.”
“I highlight and press an issue in County Louth, namely, the inadequate school accommodation across the entire county. In recent weeks, I have spoken to many principals and school communities in the county. Most recently, I met with St. Mochta's National School and Monksland National School. Their classes are being squeezed into spaces that were never intended for teaching children or learning. These include converted rooms, cupboards, shared areas and halls, as well as temporary solutions that are just not fit for purpose in Ireland in 2026. The Department's responses reference an overall reduction to primary school enrolments. This is not helpful for County Louth. It is not what is happening in our county in areas such as Dundalk, Blackrock, Louth village, Cooley Peninsula, Ardee, Drogheda, Termonfeckin, Clogherhead and everywhere else.”
“The British Government must now confront those findings honestly and demonstrate a genuine commitment to full transparency. I ask the Minister to continue his work and stand firmly with those victims and the survivors, including families in Dundalk and north Louth, across County Louth and throughout this island. All they are asking for is truth, justice and for their loved ones to be remembered in the way they should be - for their life and not their death. They are not seeking vengeance; they are just seeking answers. After decades of waiting, those answers should not be withheld any longer.”
“This accountability is not easy for the Irish Government or the British Government, but if we are going to move on and have a peaceful reunified Ireland, we have to face up to the atrocities that happened across this island. Addressing the legacy of the Troubles is not about opening the past. It remains open because truth has been denied for far too long and because communities like my own, on the Cooley Peninsula in north Louth, cannot move on with partial disclosure. We have to have full disclosure of information. This will be really difficult and hurtful but we have to face up to it. Operation Kenova has shown that independent investigation can uncover those uncomfortable truths. It has exposed the cost of delay, secrecy and institutional self-protection.”
“The Kenova report can also demonstrate that accountability is still possible. It shows clearly that justice can still be pursued. The principle is straightforward. It has to be absolute. There can be no immunity for those responsible for murder, regardless of the passage of time or the institutions involved. The joint framework on legacy agreed between the Irish and British Governments commits both states to reciprocal co-operation, transparency and meaningful information recovery. The credibility of that framework now depends heavily on the actions of the British and Irish Governments. Words and commitments are no longer enough. Victims and survivors require tangible evidence of openness and absolute accountability.”
“The pain of the families has never been diminished. The absence of full truth has prolonged their suffering and will continue to prolong that suffering until answers are heard. While the report states that it found no evidence of strategic state collusion in the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, the British Government still refuses to provide unrestricted access to all relevant documentation. That position is indefensible. Families have waited over 50 years. Any continued withholding of information cannot be justified by appeals to historical sensitivity or institutional protection. The Irish Government has consistently called for full disclosure through independent international judicial examination of all British-held records. That demand remains not only valid but absolutely urgent.”
“For the Oliver family and others like them, such revelations are not just academic. They represent decades of withheld truth and deepened trauma. The findings related to the Glenanne gang network are equally damning. The report confirms collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and members of the British security forces in what it describes as vicious and serious criminal activity, including bombings and murder. The collusion corroded confidence in policing and governance structures and inflicted profound and lasting harm. That network has been linked to atrocities including the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, attacks on Belturbet and Castleblayney and the bombing of Dundalk, the 50th anniversary of which was in December last. Communities in County Louth and across the Border region continue to live with the legacy of those attacks.”
“What is even more unacceptable is the continuing refusal of the British Government to formally confirm the identity of this agent. This refusal persists despite a clear public interest case and the overwhelming demands of victims' families. The continued reliance on the policy of "Neither confirm nor deny" in this context is not about national security; it is about protecting institutions and people from accountability. Victims and families are entitled to ask simple and legitimate questions. Who knew? What did they know? Why were they allowed to act with apparent impunity? Disclosures from State records have suggested that knowledge existed between policing and republican circles about the agent's alleged involvement in the murder of a neighbour of ours at home, Cooley farmer Tom Oliver, years before the information became public.”
“These are not minor administrative failings; they are failures that had life-and-death consequences. The findings surrounding the British Army agent known as Stakeknife are among the most shocking contained in this report. Kenova sets out how an individual strongly implicated in murder, torture and abduction was protected and facilitated by the British intelligence structures because he was considered a valuable asset. Intelligence was withheld. Opportunities to prevent killings were not taken. The report concludes that it is probable more lives were lost as a result of Stakeknife's continued operation than were saved. That is not just a simple historical controversy; it is fundamental moral and ethical failure by the British State. It lives on in communities like my own.”
“It is positive to have these statements in the House. The publication of the final Operation Kenova report forces us all to confront some of the darkest and most painful chapters in our history. It is an extensive, detailed and deeply disturbing examination of violence, collusion, institutional failure and, above all, a prolonged denial of truth for victims and their families. This report lays bare the brutal reality of the Provisional IRA's campaign of terror. It documents in stark detail the abduction, torture and execution of individuals suspected of informing. These were barbaric crimes that devastate families and communities until this day. That reality has to be acknowledged honestly and without hesitation. The report also exposes serious and deeply troubling failures by the British Government and its agencies.”
“Before we move on to the next speaker, I welcome on behalf of Senator Michael Kennelly students from the Presentation Secondary School in Listowel, County Kerry, and their teachers Norma Dowling and Louise McAuliffe. They are all very welcome today and I hope they have a wonderful day in Leinster House.”
“Will the committee specifically address the high number of child protection and welfare cases awaiting the allocation of a social worker in the Louth and Meath areas? Tusla's multi-service performance data continuously outlines that these are some of the worst areas of the country in terms of children not being allocated a social worker. I ask the Government to take action to reduce the numbers of unallocated cases, improve timely intervention and support the most vulnerable children in County Louth.”
“We should have a debate about Thomas D'Arcy McGee in this House. As the Minister of State said, there are a lot of learnings to be taken from the complexities of his life from leaving Ireland as a Fenian to being shot on the steps of the Canadian House of Commons by the Fenians. There is a huge circle there. His legacy is hugely celebrated in Canada. As a son of Carlingford, it is important that we celebrate him too. He created the modern Canada. His spirit and legacy can also help create the future united Ireland that we all want.”
“The Minister of State said that we can support this, but he can do one more little thing with financial support. Public bodies support it but every year that funding is decreasing for numerous different reasons. There are a lot of pulls on the money of other organisations. Considering the huge efforts that the Government and the Canadian Government are putting in together to support those links, a cash funding would be a great way of supporting the summer school.”
“The Minister of State was very welcome to Carlingford on that fateful day in late August a couple of years ago. I wish to highlight the extraordinary cultural and historical bridge that is between Ireland and Canada through the legacy of Thomas D'Arcy McGee. He was born in Carlingford, County Louth in 1825. He was later the father of the Canadian Confederation. His life embodies those shared democratic values, and the people-to-people links between our nations. The annual Thomas D'Arcy McGee event is very well supported by the Department. The Minister of State, many other officials and former officials of the Department have attended. It brings together academics and policymakers from Ireland, Northern Ireland and Canada to examine modern challenges through a lens of McGee's legacy and evolution into a pluralist democracy.”
“I ask for an update on how the Department is developing links with Canada and I request that it provide support for the Thomas D'Arcy McGee summer school in Louth as a way to support this important link”
“People with disabilities face higher living costs every single day due to medical needs, transport and basic accessibility. I want the Government to look at removing carer's allowance and benefit from taxable income. Then we would have a Government that listens, respects carers and values the work carers do.”
“Like my colleague, Deputy Wall, I raise the issue of carers. They recently received correspondence from Revenue outlining tax liabilities on their carer's payments. For many families, that did not land as a clarification but as a complete shock. We know and all accept that it is not a new policy but for us it demands action. The Tánaiste knows carers are not casual contributors to our health and social care system. They are an integral part of it. They provide round-the-clock care, often at the expense of their own income, health and future security. They save the State billions of euro every year yet we continue to treat their support as a taxable income rather than what it truly should be - a recognition of essential unpaid labour.”
“I am really glad to hear there is a lot of work going on. AI can make it collaborative, bring the work together and make that carbon map. For the weekend that is in it, we will think of our nature and heritage and what our plants and trees mean to us. St. Brigid's tree was the birch. It is about fertility, new life and rebirth. If you slap the arse of a cow, you would have a fertile cow and a healthy calf. Trees and nature are entwined with our history and our carbon future. Protecting that history and native Irish flora and fauna is really important. Our farmers know this and have known it for thousands of years. We need to appreciate it.”
“We have a real opportunity here. Louth could lead on this. The use of AI to develop a national carbon map for farmland could be a game-changer, not just for our climate targets but for fairness, accuracy and farm viability. Farmers deserve clear, credible data that recognises the carbon they are already sequestering through hedgerows, grasslands, wetland and soil management. I see the potential in Louth. I live in a rural area. I see the biodiversity highway we have in our hedgerows and what it is producing. We are sequestering carbon every single day. That network of hedgerows and field margins is so important. An AI-driven map would be beneficial for Irish farmers.”
“At the same time, there is the need for a surgical hub in Dundalk and for full utilisation of Louth County Hospital to reduce waiting lists, improve patient flow and deliver care closer to homes. Louth's population is growing. That is expected and planned for. It is not acceptable to allow delivery to lag behind demographic reality such that services are constantly in crisis mode. Housing is not just about units; it is about building communities, as the Minister will agree, with access to healthcare, transport, education, culture and social life.”
“The PANCR route in Drogheda is essential to relieving chronic congestion and enabling residential and economic development. Ardee is another town long overdue a bypass. It remains gridlocked and choking under congestion and fumes. In Dundalk, we need a link road connecting with the Armagh Road, which is critical to relieving the pressure in the town centre and supporting balanced growth. Infrastructure does not stop at transport and utilities. Our health infrastructure in Louth is under severe strain. Bed capacity in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has not kept pace with population growth, leading to overcrowding and unacceptable pressure on patients and staff.”
“Young families are paying the price for years of underdevelopment and slow delivery. Transport is the next major blocker. Our rail infrastructure has not kept pace with population growth, nor has our road infrastructure. We have, thankfully, increased capacity on the Dublin-Belfast line but we are stuck in the middle because we need additional car spaces. People are curtailed from using train services because they cannot get parking. We have to plan for an additional train station in County Louth, whether in Dunleer in mid-Louth or in Drogheda, to create sustainable commutes and unlock housing delivery. High-density housing without transport capacity simply shifts the problem from planning to congestion. On roads, the case is equally clear.”
“All of us in this room are in agreement that the infrastructure plan has to deliver. We have to be absolutely unapologetic about getting our critical infrastructure across the line and delivered for our people. We have to be honest about increasing housing delivery, which is a huge concern for everyone in this House, no more than for the Minister. What is honesty holding it back? In reality it is our infrastructure deficits. It is not lack of ambition. It is about constraints on housing and community development. First and foremost, our water and wastewater infrastructure is at capacity in many places. In Drogheda, Dundalk and Ardee, and across north and south Louth, developments that are zoned, viable and ready to proceed are stalled because the water systems, and indeed the electrical grid, cannot cope.”
“If we are serious about tackling drug-related intimidation, we must fund the services that families trust. I am asking for sustainable, ring-fenced funding for FASN in Dundalk and other similar organisations, because that is real and effective preventative justice.”
“Drug-related intimidation is one of the most cruel and controlling crimes operating in all our communities. It does not just target the person with an addiction. It terrorises families. Parents and children are being threatened, coerced and forced into constant fears. We have heard victims say that fear never leaves them. Over the past five years, as the Minister knows, 2,500 cases have been recorded with 150 arson attacks due to drug intimidation. In Dundalk, the Family Addiction Support Network, FASN, is doing critical front-line work with these families. The network provides confidential support, safety planning and practical guidance for people being exploited by drug dealers, who abuse their vulnerability. The network works hand in hand with An Garda and national response agencies, yet it does so with insecure and limited funding.”
“I want to make sure the cost-of-disability payment takes into account the thousands of people with disabilities in this country who are working, continue to be poor and caught in that poverty trap of not getting access to benefits and the costs still being there for them.”
“We all will herald in the success of that cost-of-disability payment and want that payment to come through. The Minister articulated clearly the increases that have been put forward but there are so many people who are the working poor and who do not qualify for so many of those grants. Whether it is lower employment rates or lower income rates, or higher costs of living for people who need extra heat, who cannot travel work or for whom there is a lack of access to transport, there are extra charges on those people and their households. There are so many working poor but there are far more working poor people with disabilities.”
“I wish to articulate how crucial the work, the review and the engagement with people with disabilities the Minister is doing at the minute is. It cannot happen fast enough.”
“Other Members in the House have articulated the huge pressures people with disabilities and their families are under in relation to paying their bills and surviving. Like the Minister, I have heard from many disabled activists of their devastation. They are feeling very let down about the cost-of-disability payment. I understand all the arguments. Those arguments and the practical reasons there was not a cost-of-living payment or support for disabled people in this year's budget is understandable and logical but practically for people who have disabilities, it is a huge let down. It has a huge impact on their families and lives. I cannot stress enough how disappointed they are but "disappointment" is just a word. These are families who are on the breadline anyway with that grant.”
“There are still 139 students there and 12 teachers - I believe - who are working in conditions that are not suitable. I think there has been a miscommunication or a misunderstanding between the Department and the school in relation to previous applications for works to be done. Maybe we could work on that ourselves and get the officials to reach out to the school and meet those there to make sure that we can iron out where they are on the building work scheme and on previous applications that they feel were approved but then let lapse.”