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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“We have to rely on international law, our sovereignty and our multilateral institutions to guarantee our own security and the security of Europe. When those very principles are being shredded by Russia's aggression, Ireland cannot simply watch from the sidelines. We have to make sure that we are not compromised and that we are compelled to act. If we allow a world where borders can be redrawn by force and where the UN Charter is treated as a footnote, small countries like us will be the first to lose. Supporting Ukraine is not a departure from neutrality; it is a defence of the international order that protects our neutral states in the first place. We must protect ourselves, as Deputy Moynihan said, in protecting our neutrality and in protecting our nation. We are under threat by being a very strong economic hub in Europe.”
“As previous colleagues said, this is more than just a war on Ukraine, or Ukraine versus Russia: this is a war on Europe. It is a war on our moral compass and what we are used to on this Continent. We have to stand tall against it. Some might argue that as a neutral state, Ireland is compromised by taking such a firm stance on Ukraine but we absolutely are not, in the same way we are not compromised by taking a strong stance on Gaza and the horrific genocide being visited on the people of Gaza. Neutrality is not meant for moral indifference. It is not about standing silently when our larger neighbour tries to erase the smaller one. Our neutrality is a military neutrality, not an ethical or political neutrality, and certainly not a licence for inaction. If anything, I believe that our neutral status places a heavier responsibility upon us.”
“Ukraine is a sovereign and independent nation and it has to be afforded the fundamental right to peace, security and full respect for its internationally recognised borders. Justice is not just a luxury: it is a foundation of any lasting peace. We have to remember that. It is a matter of principle that we build a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine. We have to sustain our humanitarian, financial and diplomatic support. There is no backing away from that. We have to push our EU and global partners for more sanctions and for more mechanisms to hold Russia to account. We have to insist that peace negotiations must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and its territorial integrity. A ceasefire based on occupation, fear or forced surrender is not peace at all.”
“The enemy of peace is taking aim at civilians and the civilian infrastructure on which all modern life depends, including educational and health institutions. This is what we are witnessing in Ukraine. It is done unto them by Russia. When international borders can be changed by force and when international law becomes optional, the very underpinnings of our global order is at risk. At the recent fifth Summit of the International Crimea Platform, the Taoiseach stated: "We cannot allow force to be the means by which international borders are defined." As Europeans, we must continue to stand with Ukraine, not just with words but also with deeds. The people of Ukraine deserve the full support of the international community. Their struggle is our struggle. It is a struggle for respect, for sovereignty and for the rule of law.”
“I wish to speak to the gravity of what is happening on our Continent with the war in Ukraine. It continues to inflict devastating human and societal geopolitical damage and change. According to one of the latest briefings, the scale of the suffering is humongous. The bombardment of cities, with its civilian casualties and with its infrastructure under relentless attack, is severe and it must not be ignored. It is not at the top of the headlines in the news anymore but the war is happening still for those citizens of Ukraine. It is over three years since the full-scale and unprovoked invasion by Russia of Ukraine. The conflict stretches back years to the illegal annexation of Crimea. Let us make no mistake: this is not a war of defence by Russia, it is aggression.”
“Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss wandering and malnourished horses in urban areas of Limerick. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the impact of defective blocks. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the NOAC performance indicators 2024 and actions to improve local authority outputs. Deputy Matt Carthy - To discuss the timeframe for delivery of a permanent special school in County Monaghan. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the need for immediate intervention and humanitarian assistance in Sudan. The matters raised by Deputies Ruairí Ó Murchú, Barry Ward, Conor Sheehan, Paul McAuliffe and Louis O'Hara have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Conor Sheehan - To discuss the withdrawal of funding for CCTV in Moyross, Limerick city. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the ban on turf cutting in Barroughter, Clonmoylan and Ardraigue bogs in County Galway. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss provision of an integrated homeless health hub in Cork city. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss challenges to biodiversity in the upper tributaries of the Fearle river in Kerry. Deputy Marie Sherlock - To discuss the requirement for a drive through test lane in light vehicle CVRT centres. Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the urgent need for additional SNA support at Scoil Cholmcille, Skryne, County Meath. Deputies Conor D. McGuinness and David Cullinane - To discuss the Irish Coast Guard SAR aviation service.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss the opening of an additional train station in County Louth. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss lack of critical infrastructure and investment in Kildare north. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss the post for radiographer clinical specialist ultrasound at Louth County Hospital. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the progression of an east-coast naval base in Dún Laoghaire. Deputy Joe Cooney - To discuss the recent court decision regarding the wastewater connection for the Ennis Plaza. Deputy Paul McAuliffe - To discuss ongoing service issues following the roll-out of phase 7 of Bus Connects in Dublin 9 and 11.”
“It is great to hear that Prime Minister Carney is coming to Ireland. We will absolutely open the céad mile fáilte to him. A predecessor of his, Brian Mulroney, was in Carlingford to open the Thomas D’Arcy McGee memorial. We are always welcoming our Canadian and American friends in County Louth. As the Tánaiste knows, investment would honour that shared past and create new opportunities in education, research and innovation, which are areas where Ireland and Canada share real common strengths and values. I look forward to engaging with the Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, and the Department in relation to how we can develop bilateral and cultural relations and support the direction of funds towards County Louth.”
“It is very positive to hear that all that work is ongoing. County Louth has a unique connection. Carlingford is the birthplace of Thomas D'Arcy McGee, one of the founding fathers of the Canadian Confederation, which leaves a legacy of democracy in the shaping of modern Canada. In more recent times, the library in DKIT was named after General John de Chastelain in honour of his vital role in the peace process and the leadership of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. I ask the Department to explore targeted funding and partnership initiatives to deepen Irish Canadian links, cultural and heritage products, academic exchanges and collaborations that will bring our communities closer together, particularly in County Louth.”
“It will come from trust, progress and working with rather than against each other. It certainly will not come from one-upmanship in this Chamber. I believe in an Ireland that is generous, modern and reconciled with itself, an island that faces outwards with confidence and inwards with compassion, accepting our failures and the things we have done wrong unto each other but which we can work on together. That is an Ireland I have always believed in and an Ireland for which I will never stop working.”
“That is why the shared Ireland initiative matters so profoundly. For the first time we are not talking about unity but are instead investing in it. The €2 billion shared Ireland fund is turning aspirations into action. Bridges are being built, canals are being restored and research is being shared. Businesses are connected. Young people North and South are shaping a common future. These are not just gestures; they are the groundwork for reunification in practice. They must be built upon in this term of Government. We all must look at how we can work towards a border poll and how it can be achieved. Fianna Fáil people hold dear our core aim of Irish unity. I hold it in my heart, but we must act respectfully, steadily and in a determined way because unity does not come from slogans.”
“For as long as I can remember, I have believed deeply and instinctively in the reunification of Ireland. It is not a passing campaign. Rather, it is a core value that has guided me from my earliest of memories. Growing up in north Louth, you lived the failure of partition. You saw how communities were split and people divided. Still today the Border holds us all back. Irish unity is not about erasing the difference or rewriting identity; it is about respect, reconciliation and building what we share to make this island stronger, fairer and more successful. The Good Friday Agreement gave us a blueprint for the future. It set out how we move forward together peacefully and democratically. It also sets us a challenge, namely, to break old habits of mistrust and do the hard human work of reconciliation.”
“The message from Louth is clear: farmers are ready to invest, innovate and contribute to our climate goals. What they need is confidence and a policy and a market that will stand with them. I look forward to seeing real growth in our tillage sector in County Louth.”
“We should use that as an advantage to reduce feed imports and strengthen links between the drinks and food industries. There is opportunity, as others have said, to align the Irish whiskey industry more closely with Irish grain. There is no requirement for Irish whiskey to use Irish cereals and that needs to change. If “Irish” is on the label, it should mean Irish grown. The fantastic Cooley Distillery could only be better with more Irish grain. The Food Vision tillage group has set a target of expanding to 400,000 ha by 2030. It is achievable if we tackle land access, ensure fair pricing, create more markets and reward environmental performance. The rewards are real. It is about thriving rural communities and the family farm model surviving.”
“Fianna Fáil has taken real action to support the sector and since 2020, the Government has provided more direct funding to tillage than any before it. The €10.9 million under the protein aid scheme, €15.5 million through the straw incorporation measure, the unharvested crop support and once-off payments for oilseed and cereal crops offered crucial relief after really difficult seasons. Budget 2026 commits at least €50 million to tillage supports. That is a clear signal the Government is serious about sustaining farm incomes and securing the long-term viability of the sector. However, as Louth IFA rightly told me, it is not just about supports but about markets. Irish grain is among the most low carbon in the world. That is an extraordinary asset to have in the economy and we should be really pushing it.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the future of the tillage sector. Recently I met representatives of Louth IFA and they made their concerns crystal clear. Tillage farmers are very proud of what they produce but they are under real pressure. Rising input costs, unpredictable weather, global market volatility and competition for land have all combined to squeeze margins, often to breaking point. Louth may be Ireland’s smallest county, but its contribution to agriculture is in no way small. The grain grown in the Boyne Valley and right up to the Cooley Peninsula is among the finest in the country. However, as is the case elsewhere, tillage acreage is slipping. Nationally, we have seen a 40% decline in tillage area over the past 40 years. It is down to about 334,000 ha. We must buck that trend as it cannot continue.”
“Areas with population growth and housing demand must be prioritised under the new national development plan and budget 2026. Dundalk and Blackrock are ready to grow but are being held back by the outdated wastewater infrastructure. Uisce Éireann has plans to expand the Dundalk treatment plant and transfer load from Blackrock. The groundwork has been done and what is missing is delivery. Every delay risks stalling houses, jobs and investments in north Louth. It also puts the environment at risk as overloaded systems mean overflows, coastal pollution and pressure on rivers and beaches. Will the Government ensure that towns like Dundalk and Blackrock where there is real growth and environmental pressures are fast-tracked under the NDP and not left waiting behind areas where there is less urgency?”
“My ask is that the north east region be looked at in terms of the population growth. Thanks to this and the previous Governments, thousands of homes are being built, particularly in south Louth and north Drogheda. Those houses will be filled by people who will need healthcare. There will be the older demographic along with young families who are moving into the area. Forward planning is critically important. Surgical hubs are in an early phase around the country. This could be an answer to a lot of problems in the north east and I think it is a valuable suggestion that I am glad to have had the opportunity to talk to the Taoiseach about again.”
“Potentially, we could look at Dundalk becoming a surgical hub in the north east. As we know, hubs are being rolled out in Cork, Galway, Dublin and Waterford but there is nothing in the entire north east region. A surgical hub in Dundalk could take pressure off Drogheda. It would allow a focus on acute and emergency care and would provide faster and fairer access to elective procedures for patients. This is a suggestion. The basic problem is that Drogheda does not have the capacity to deal with the patients it has in a growing region. For example, Louth has had an 8% increase in population since 2016. Dundalk south is the most populous LEA in the county, with more than 40,000 people, but the hospital infrastructure has practically stood still. I ask the Taoiseach for a positive and huge investment in our hospitals in the near future.”
“They deliver high-quality healthcare but, because there is an inadequate bed base in Drogheda, we are at a huge loss. Louth County Hospital sits there and is underutilised despite having infrastructure, a footprint and a location that could potentially support regional elective care. I welcome recent projects such as the ENT procedures, the EuroFlow clinic and the new procedure room that is planned for next year. These are steps in the right direction but we can and must go further. Louth County Hospital has succeeded in everything it has been asked to do in recent years, going way beyond expectations and delivering high-quality care to patients. I want to look at every avenue alongside the HSE and the RSCI to see how we can create more capacity in both hospitals to deliver more specialties and more care for people.”
“I have a very clear ask of the Taoiseach. I want further investment in our two hospitals in County Louth, namely, Louth County Hospital in Dundalk and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. As the Taoiseach knows, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda is completely overwhelmed. It was never designed to cope with the massive population growth that has been seen across County Louth, County Meath and the north-east region. Sadly, elective surgeries are sometimes delayed. Waiting lists are growing. Patients are left waiting and procedures that should be routine are being delayed. We need increased numbers of staff to ensure that care can be completed and delivered seven days a week. The staff in both hospitals work incredibly well under the serious pressure they are experiencing.”
“We have a dream in Louth for our home football and none of us will rest until it is realised. I also want to ask about the commitment in the programme for Government on access to sport for schools. For example, De La Salle College and St. Louis Secondary School have plans for their sports development and facilities but they are blocked out of the system.”
“Louth GAA made a successful application under the large-scale infrastructure fund, yet we will find ourselves in limbo on a reserved list or hopeful list - we do not know what it is. If applicants fail to draw down the funding, will Louth GAA have the ability and opportunity to draw down that funding, which it deserves because it has made a rightful application? When can the people of Louth expect the support for the funding? It will be the only stadium built from scratch. The Minister of State witnessed this himself when he was there recently. Our clubs have fundraised and Croke Park supported them. We need the Government funding to get past this critical point in development. The support now would mean it would be delivered in full as opposed to in phases.”
“She is always welcome to my local club, Glenmuir FC's facilities, which is getting an extra two-lane extension on the track and club development because of sports capital. I also have to mention the fact Louth has been waiting decades for a county stadium. The Minister of State will know this project very well. This project is not simply a GAA ground; it is a regional infrastructure that will serve schools, clubs and communities right across the north east. It is about a pride of place, our love of sport and providing a place that is fitting not only for our ladies, who are all-Ireland champions, but also our senior men's team, who are Leinster champions. It will be a facility to deliver much more.”
“It is always great to have an opportunity to discuss the positive impact of Government investment in sport, particularly in Louth. Nobody can dispute the value of sports capital programmes, the large-scale sports infrastructure fund and the major events programme. They have transformed opportunities and outlooks across the country. In 2024, nearly €7 million was awarded to clubs and organisations across Louth, improving facilities and opportunities but most of all creating an ambition in our sports people right around the county to achieve and do the best they can. Look at Kate O'Connor, our local trailblazer, and what can be achieved in a sport that is underfunded. However, soon, with sports capital funding, she will have a choice of tracks to train on when she is home in County Louth.”
“Justice begins in chambers like this and begins by us all talking about it around the world, but with Ireland refusing to look away, standing up, refusing to wash our hands of this, choosing to act, choosing to stand out at the highest level, including at the UN, and speaking about the genocide and the atrocities being rained down on the Palestinian people. We all know history will record this moment. We will all be judged. We will remember where Ireland stood when the Palestinian people starved and bled. The question now is, when will the rest of the world stand with us?”
“Ordinary men and women, including colleagues here in the Oireachtas, are risking their lives to deliver food, medicine and hope where governments have failed, and where the world has failed. They embody our conscience and should not stand alone. The world has to protect and support them. Ireland is limited but our voice is not. We must remember that Ireland is not too small. We were never too small to matter. We were not too small to stand beside Africa, we were not too small to oppose the Iraq War and we are not too small to stand with Gaza now. We must continue to insist on a two-state solution, to insist the people of Palestine have a future and insist that they have their identity and their voice. The people of Gaza do not ask for pity; they want a future and they want justice.”
“If we recognise Palestine's right to exist, we must defend it with more than words. That is why Ireland must, at an EU level, demand sanctions. That means suspending the EU-Israel trade agreement, which rewards apartheid. It means an immediate arms embargo. No Irish company or EU institution should profit from weapons that are raining down on Gaza. It means using every single diplomatic lever we have to push Europe away from complicity and towards accountability. I believe the future of Europe relies on how it reacts and moves on and how it upholds human rights in Palestine. If it fails here, what hope do we have for the European Union in the future? I have to take a moment to commend the extraordinary bravery of the humanitarian flotilla that is sailing to Gaza at the minute.”
“What is most devastating to me is that the world is not stopping this. Countries like Ireland are leading the way but when you think things cannot get any worse, it goes lower. You wonder how bad it can get before the countries of the world stand up and have some sort of morality. I am glad Ireland has led the way. Ireland knows what oppression is, what famine is and what it is to see our land, our voice and our dignity stripped away. The Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, told the UN that peace is not a slogan; it is a responsibility. I absolutely agree but responsibility without action is complicity. Recognition of Palestine means nothing if in the same breath we trade with a regime that starves the Palestinian people. Recognition of Palestine cannot be a symbolic gesture while we continue business as usual with Israel.”
“To be very straight up, Gaza is not enduring any conflict; it is enduring a genocide. More than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed or murdered, with one in three being children. Families are being wiped out. I find it hard to reconcile the number of mothers who have watched their babies die and the number of babies and children who have sat with their parents who have been murdered alongside them. It is irreconcilable in my mind to think of all that horror and what the children of Gaza are bringing into their futures, if they survive this. The starvation that is happening is not a consequence of war; it is a weapon of war. It is what Israel is putting down upon them and is wielding to absolutely destroy and break an entire people. Some 14 hospitals are barely functioning.”
“People who cannot afford to pay for shingles drugs, for example, are getting sicker, spending time in hospitals, spending time out of work, and unable to take part in their communities and their normal lives because of their inability to pay for a vaccine that works, that is effective and cost-effective, and proven so. The Minister of State is only reading off what the Department provided and he is not in the Department, and it shows. It is a prime example of why a Minister from the Department should be here answering the relevant questions.”
“The Minister of State got an answer that was about access to consultants and doctors; it was not about treatments and therapies, which was the question I asked. The Minister of State got an answer to a different question of inequity in healthcare. I reiterate we cannot continue to allow to have two-tier access to oncology drugs and vaccines based on whether people have the ability to pay. I will keep repeating this. The area access pilot programme to oncology drugs has to come in. We have to, basically, cop-on in the Department of Health in the area of running through and reimbursements of healthcare. People are dying in the public health system because they are not getting access to drugs.”
“We also need to look at the principle of equity and to apply it to adult vaccinations, starting with shingles, by negotiating fair prices and including it in the public immunisation schedule. Cancer does not care whether you are public or private. Shingles does not care whether you can pay €480 to the pharmacy or not, and the State certainly should not care either. Healthcare should be based on need and not on your pocket.”
“The irony is that this vaccination is among the most cost-effective interventions in healthcare. International studies show that shingles vaccinations prevent thousands of cases of severe disease and long-term nerve pain at cost-effective levels, well within accepted thresholds. Broader analysis suggests adult immunisation programmes return up to €19 in benefit for every €1 spent. There are savings in hospitalisations, productivity and long-term care. We are creating a two-tier system, at the end of life and in the prevention of disease. For those who can pay out of pocket, they are protected. For those who cannot, they are absolutely exposed. It is neither fair nor financially sensible. We have to commit to establishing the area access pilot programme for innovative oncology medicine as soon as possible.”
“The programme for Government promises quicker access to innovative medicines. The time has come when we must commit to creating an early access pilot programme for innovative oncology medicines, with a budget line in the 2026 Estimates, clear eligibility criteria, a parallel HTA process and real-world data collection to improve value for money. It is not a blank cheque. It is targeted. It is an evidence-based bridge that stops your treatment options being defined by your ability to pay. The same two-tier reality is playing out in prevention of disease. Let us take adult vaccination. People in their 50s and 60 today who want a shingles vaccine must pay privately. It costs almost €480 for a two-dose course. People who cannot afford it have to go without.”
“Irish patients wait on average from 644 days to 694 days. Some data actually shows it is up to 1,000 days between European Medicines Agency, EMA, authorisation and HSE reimbursement for new oncology drugs. Only one quarter of EMA-approved cancer medicines since 2020 are available here, which is the lowest rate in western Europe. Every four-week delay in starting cancer treatment increases mortality rates by around 10%. We are building delays into a system that is, sadly, costing lives. Other countries have acted. They run structured early access schemes that give patients highly governed, time-limited access to breakthrough drugs while price and health technology assessment, HTA, processes continue. Ireland has no such national pathway. Access is ad hoc and clinician by clinician. The system has inequity in it by design.”
“It is good to have the Minister of State here. We pride ourselves on having a health service based on need and not on the ability to pay. Unfortunately, a two-tier system is growing around us, and growing faster than ever before. From lifesaving treatments to basic prevention and, devastatingly, in cancer care, the divide is becoming ever greater. If people can pay privately or if their insurance covers it, people may be able to get access to innovative oncology medicines months or even years before public patients. People who cannot pay have to wait. For people with cancer, waiting is not neutral - it is absolutely lethal. This is not what our State wants. It grates against my core values and I am sure those of the Minister of State and we should not be accepting it. I certainly do not accept it. The facts are stark.”
“Rightly, history will judge us. Our children's health will judge us in years to come. We will be judged not on how convenient we made it for industry to sell these products, but on how strong and high we hold public health. In the legislation that is coming, we need to send a clear message that Ireland will not allow a new generation of young people to be trapped in nicotine addiction.”
“That is a breach rate of 16%. It shows a little bit of progress in relation to checks, but we need far more of those checks. We need a far greater focus on imports and illegal supply. We need to deepen the research into the long-term health impacts of vaping, youth addiction patterns and how best to support those children and people who are already hooked. Children are becoming addicted. I ask the Minister of State to ensure the HSE has the resources to deliver appropriate targeted programmes to help those young people to quit. Some adult smokers, like Deputy Ó Cearúil, have turned to vaping to help them to quit. Regulated products will remain available to them, but it is our moral duty to work on public health and protect children from nicotine addiction and the long-term harms that we already know there are from tobacco and nicotine.”
“The public health (tobacco products and nicotine-inhaling products) Bill will restrict packaging, flavours and advertising. There will be no more bubble gum flavours, no more cartoon branding and no more shop displays aimed at our children. We need to ensure our legislation is robust enough to ban outright alternative nicotine products. Ministers must have the ability to be flexible to create a regulation to automatically add a new product to a banned list. Legislation alone is not enough and will not be. We must back it with strong enforcement, especially in the black market that continues to increase supply to our children and adults. A reply to a parliamentary question I received from the HSE confirmed that by June of this year, 310 test purchases had been carried out and there had been 50 cases of non-compliance.”
“Among school-aged children, vaping rates are higher than smoking rates. More than three quarters of teenagers who vape have never touched a cigarette before. That is not harm reduction; that is harm creation. Fianna Fáil has always led the way on public health. It was our party leader, the Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, who introduced the world's first workplace smoking ban. In government, we have banned the sale of nicotine-inhaling products to under 18s, ended self-service sales and legislated for the licensing system for retailers, but as the Minister of State knows the job is not done yet. The two Bills are being finalised. The public health (single-use vapes) Bill will ban disposable vapes outright. These are devices that entice children and pollute our environment.”
“I thank the Minister of State. It is great to have this debate in this House. I look forward to supporting the Minister of State as she brings forward the urgent legislation that has to come next. The "Vaping Nation" programme on Virgin Media One shone a stark light on what parents, teachers and health professionals have been warning us all about for some time, which is that vaping has become normalised among our children and adults. People believe vapes are harmless, but they are incredibly harmful. What was once marketed as a tool to help smokers to quit has been repackaged into bright disposable gadgets designed to hook the next generation on nicotine. The evidence is clear, as the Minister of State knows. Nearly one in five young people in Ireland between the ages of 15 and 24 now vape.”
“Capacity is a huge problem in rural areas, as are availability of buses and driver shortages. I think everybody in this room would agree that not allowing over-70s to drive a school bus is a ludicrous rule that needs to be changed. I have an awful lot more to say but my time is up.”
“We need to kick off the shackles and actually deal with the problems. In County Louth, we had cancellations of buses in Clogherhead and Collon days before schools started. Parents were getting the word that their children was not getting the lotto ticket for the buses. It leaves children stranded and parents unable to get to work. It puts worry and stress on families to not be able to get children to school. Even when parents have the ability and will to pay, they are not getting their children to school. We must get the reviews and recommendations processed and working straight away. The evidence supports lowering eligibility distances, removing the nearest school constraints and expanding the services. We need timelines. Pilots are grand but we must not be stuck in perpetual trial mode.”
“I am particularly thinking of north Louth. Children in Omeath and Carlingford do not go to their nearest school, or to their second nearest school, which would be in Dundalk. Many go to Bush Post Primary School and there is chaos at that school every morning and evening. It is a nightmare. Most parents drive to collect their children because, number one, there are no buses and, number two, it is unsafe to allow a child to walk to the school. The safe routes to school programme works to a certain degree but for many families the car is the only option. It is the only option I have to send my children to secondary school and indeed primary school. There are pilot projects going on around the country but I agree with Deputy Malcolm Byrne. We need to get rid of these pilots. We know the problems and have been dealing with them for years.”
“It has made a difference but not every problem is fixed. In 2025-26, the scheme is projected to provide transport for more than 180,000 students. This is about 19% of all enrolments. Costs have doubled since 2019 from €219 million to €509 million. Obviously, there is demand. There are fee waivers and growing obligations for contributing but we still have the same percentage of students able to avail of school buses as in 2019. I really want to look at that. If we are spending double and it is still around 20% of students using school transport, we are not doing what we need to do. There are high fees for families. Families are willing to pay them and I acknowledge some fees are paid but the eligibility criteria are very restrictive. The distance and nearest school criteria do not work for every family.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. School transport problems, unfortunately, are an annual event and we can rely on them happening every year. I meet frustrated parents. We all get emails and phone calls about stranded children, no certainty and a remarkably unfair lottery system. The majority of children still do not get access to any bus route. The children of Louth and every county deserve a school transport system that works and is reliable, fair and safe. We have heard many reports this evening, as well as in the media and in our inboxes, of routes not operating, children left stranded and families waiting for promised services. These are not minor glitches; they have a huge impact on families. I thank the Minister of State for working on all our requests over the summer and in the past few weeks on school transport.”
“Everything that is done on laptops for children as young as 12 up to 17 years of age. Has the Department of Education and Youth conducted research? The old pen and paper is disregarded and pupils are now on screens constantly, along with that huge expense.”
“The Government has done an awful lot of work on bringing the cost of education down with schemes like free meals and free books. However, another cost that has been placed on parents trying to get their kids back to secondary school is really expensive laptops for each child. Laptops cost from €500 to €700 and even more, and every child who starts secondary school - in the schools I am familiar with - have this cost now. That is a huge expense on families. Yes, we have taken away one burden but the education system has put another burden on top of that. If you have a couple of children in school, and children are children so laptops break, there will be quite an expensive run on laptops every few years. Will there be research into screen time and using laptops for homework and exams.”