Evanne Ní Chuilinn
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fine Gael · Ireland
“When we talk about empowering girls and women in sport, putting them on a pedestal and making sure they are in the media and public eye, it is important to differentiate between celebrating Irish women in sport and giving out about what is wrong.”
“Today, we had the funding announcement for the women in sport programme. A total of €4 million is going into it. While this is something that happens every year, it is important to acknowledge it when it comes around because the moment we stop acknowledging and calling for it is the moment it falls off the agenda and no longer becomes a f…”
“Online platforms that say they are trying to promote women need to actually do so, rather than always giving out about what is wrong. I have seen social media companies complain and be outraged about something that happened to a woman in sport.”
“I was encouraged to see some of the detail in the Bill around the 125% increase in funding for offices located more than 15 km from the nearest post office. We have seen a couple of issues with post offices that have closed over the past couple of years. We had one close in Bluebell, in Dublin, a couple of years ago.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad for this very important legislation. It is a very short Bill but a very impactful one. The Postal and Telecommunications Services (Amendment) Bill 2026 amends the 1983 Act to provide a legal basis for increased State funding to support the nationwide post office network.”
“I am encouraged as well to see transactions up by 10%, which does bode well for the viability of the network. It shows that there is a continued use of the services by the public. I fully support this Bill. As was said, it is very short legislation but very impactful.”
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“The plan is projected to have passed all homes in its intervention area by the end of this year, with a take-up rate already reaching nearly 60% in areas the plan first passed in its early phases. On completion, the NBP will provide high-speed broadband access to more than 570,000 premises, including 1.1 million people, 65,000 farms, 44,000 other businesses and 679 schools, with a minimum speed of 5 Mbps and a network future-proofed for speeds up to 10 Gbps, ensuring communities will be connected for generations to come no matter where they live. We are so proud of our many digital exports in Ireland, with leading start-ups in tech across the country and a highly educated workforce in the digital space.”
“This is ahead of NBI's projections for where it would be by the end of 2025. While we have faced significant inflation in recent years, the roll-out of the NBP has not been affected and is being delivered ahead of schedule and on budget, as the Minister has said, despite inflation of almost 22% since its launch in 2020. The plan has also front-loaded broadband connection points in many communities that NBI has not yet passed or connected, ensuring there is still access to high-speed Internet in the area before the full roll-out. This strikes at the heart of what the NBP is all about, ensuring no home, school, business, family or farm is left behind in the digital age.”
“However, delivery on the broadband connectivity must be matched with ensuring network resilience and investment in resourcing for enhancing digital literacy so that no generation is left behind in accessing the Internet. Since the broadband plan was signed off by the former Fine Gael Minister, Richard Bruton, NBI has laid cables for more than 444,000 homes, schools, farms and businesses with more than 157,000 premises now connected to high-speed broadband as a result of the plan. The project has been steadily delivering for rural communities, ensuring the digital divide between rural and urban areas decreases. The project has been backed by Fine Gael at every step from its launch to delivery and as a result, the plan now connects more than 400,000 people to high-speed broadband.”
“It is a project that levels the playing field in the digital era, thereby ensuring that every family, school, business and farm can rely on high-speed broadband utilising the opportunity for connection, commerce and communication. Considering the expertise we have in Ireland in digital technologies and with the opportunities for new technology business startups, access to high-speed broadband cannot be a barrier to entrepreneurship and innovation in the digital space in rural areas. As we become increasingly reliant on digital technologies, not just in our economy and society but as public services are increasingly digitised, it is only right and just that we invest in communities' ability to access these services.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a bheith anseo sa Seanad anocht chun an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a phlé. The national broadband plan, as the Minister said, is the single most significant investment in our telecommunications infrastructure in the history of the State. However, it is not just about providing access to the Internet. It is about ensuring that communities across Ireland are supported economically and socially, that we connect communities and that no town, village or home is left behind as we digitise. The NBP is one of the largest capital investment projects, started and supported from the outset by Fine Gael, targeting investment in rural communities, ensuring that every home in Ireland will be connected to high-speed gigabit broadband.”
“We need ring-fenced funding of €8 million per year and a programme implementation board with an independent chairperson. Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny set in motion the wheels of the very successful north-east inner city, NEIC, task force, which has seen €61 million of well-spent public money. I call on this Government to do the same for the south-west inner city. This is not party political, nor should it be. I know this will be supported by all reps in the area, most of whom attended last week's launch in Griffith College. Our children in Dublin 8 deserve the same access to health, education, community and sport facilities as much as the children in Raheny, Rathgar or Ranelagh. I thank the Deputy Leader. I want a debate on this issue in the Seanad and I intend to bring this request directly to our Cabinet Ministers.”
“Yet, the children of the south-west inner city have nowhere to run around and emulate their heroes. The girls' football team at St. Audeon's has won multiple trophies and they look up to our women's national football team but they have no chance of honing their skills on the postage stamp of a yard I saw at the school yesterday. In fact, half of the primary school students in the area never participate in organised sport outside of the school. That is because there are no facilities in their area. This in turn leads to poor health outcomes and poor social outcomes. Luckily for us here in the corridors in the power, we have an independent report with a set of recommendations. I put on record my support for those recommendations. We need a south-west inner city task force, not dissimilar to the north-east inner city task force.”
“A report launched last week by Sporting Liberties told us the crime rates in the area are double those of the national average, as are drug-related deaths. The research for the report, produced independently by Barra Roantree of Trinity College, told us that four in ten of the children I met will go on to secondary school in the area. Some will leave the area to go to secondary school, but unfortunately many leave school altogether. The progression rate to third level is 36%. Education opportunities are curtailed; health provision, both physical and mental, are negatively affected; and we are back to a postcode lottery. Being born in Dublin 6 does not make you any more worthy of a vibrant community, a local education, a football pitch or a swimming pool.”
“I want to speak about a wonderful group of students I met in my community yesterday. I visited St. Audoen's National School in Dublin 8 and sat down with the children from the older classes in the school. We had a great chat and spoke about life, politics, sport, writing and journalism. We chatted about the importance of democracy and the changes they brought about in their school as a result of their student council. I was delighted to spend my morning with the best and the brightest of us and I am grateful to Principal Geoff and his teachers for inviting me in for a chat. Unfortunately, we are failing those children and their families and teachers because people who live in the south-west inner city of Dublin are dealing with some of the most alarming socio-economic realities.”
“One more statistic I wanted to share is 25% of our pools were actually built before 1990. We are looking at a lot of them that are dilapidated. There is one across the road from my house and it is an eyesore. I think it is council owned and it is just sitting there. Even if we were to reinvest in the existing swimming pools that would make a huge difference. There is a great initiative over in the Seán MacDermott Street swimming pool, where they are bringing children in from the local area for free swimming lessons. That is driven by increased Government funding but we need to look at even more.”
“It is time to have a discussion about ring-fenced funding for swimming pools. There used to be a local authority fund for swimming pools. Swim Ireland is calling for that to be reintroduced. That is a good idea. Of our swimming pools, 57% are actually in hotels. Obviously that causes trouble in lots of different ways. Obviously for hotel guests but also from a health and safety point of view or a child-safeguarding point of view as when having swimming lessons in hotels, you cannot really control who is in the hotel and who is in the vicinity of the swimming pool. It is time for a debate on the issue and perhaps ring-fenced funding in the sports capital funding allocations, for example, for swimming and for swimming pools. It is certainly something that Swim Ireland would welcome I imagine.”
“I want to talk today about something that has come up here a couple of times in relation to swimming, swimming pools and swimming lessons for our young people. Swim Ireland recently launched a report about the provision of swimming pools in Ireland. This is something I know Swim Ireland has been working on for a good few years. It has done an inventory and looked at the provision of swimming pools in Ireland. Unfortunately, at the moment there is one swimming pool for every 81,000 people in Ireland compared to, say, Scotland where there is one swimming pool for every 14,000 people. When we talk about investment in sport we often fall into the trap of talking about the big three or the team sports. However, lifelong activity and lifelong sport really happens in the likes of cycling, swimming and walking.”
“With the conflict in the Middle East, which was referenced by my colleague, there is now an additional uncertainty in energy markets and we are seeing a spike in energy prices already. This further highlights the need to add additional support from April for people whose electricity bills may not decrease as much as they typically would in the summer months. I ask that we look at that increase from 30 to 52 weeks of the year for the people who have already qualified for the fuel allowance.”
“It is paid to people who are 66 or over or to people who are under 66 and in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. There is a weekly income limit of €534 for over-66s. I ask that we think about extending the fuel allowance to 52 weeks of the year. At the moment, it is only for 30 weeks of the year and people are really struggling. There are 470,000 households in receipt of the fuel allowance. At the current rate, it would cost the State €17.9 million to extend it up to 52 weeks. Last week, it was reported that 320,000 people were actually in arrears on their electricity bills. Obviously, it is mostly the type of people whom I met last week who are falling into arrears.”
“You have 68 people living in this very secure environment. They all have their own front doors and two-bedroom apartments. I managed to get a nice, private tour away from all the humdrum of the cameras. It was really nice to see the pride in people when they had their own front door and to share that but also to have neighbours beside them, security on site, a panic button in the apartment and somebody in the Richmond Place location 24 hours a day from ALONE. They are very supported in where they are living. All of these people qualify for the fuel allowance. When I hung around for a couple of hours chatting to them, I found out that they were really struggling with heating bills. A rate of €38 per week is paid, which was increased by €5 in the budget. Alternatively, it can be paid in two lump sums.”
“I want to talk about a place I visited last week. It is a new residential hub in Inchicore village called Richmond Place. We have 68 new neighbours in Inchicore in Richmond Place. It is a great facility. It is a pilot programme that has been in the making for years between the HSE and local government and it is funded by the Government as well. The Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, was out and we met all of the residents who have moved in there in the past couple of weeks. These are older people. Some of them had been living in houses and some had been living in flats and apartments around Inchicore, Ballyfermot, Drimnagh and all around the area. Some of those houses were damp council houses. They have now had the opportunity not just to get out of those less-than-comfortable positions, but meet new neighbours.”
“Most of us women in politics, agriculture, sport or any walk of life would not be here without male allies. It is important to acknowledge that. It is the only way to continue the growth of the women in this sector and other sectors. Regarding inclusion and equality, we need inclusion for all in sport, including disability sport and trans women in sport. These are areas we are going to have to discuss and examine when it comes to the sports landscape in Ireland going forward. Happy International Women's Day, International Women's Week and Women in Sport Week to everybody in the Oireachtas and all my colleagues outside.”
“Senator Comyn mentioned about more women putting up their hands for political life. It is the same for leadership and coaching. We need more women coaching young girls because a girl will gravitate towards a female coach when they are seven, eight, nine or ten years old. When they get their first period, it is the female coach that they are going to want to talk to, not the male coach. We need to have more female coaches, which means coach education, but it also means empowering women to make sure they realise they can do a job and put their hand up for a job, whether it is voluntary or an executive position. In terms of leadership, we need make sure that we do not lose focus that we need female leaders in sport as well. Male allyship is so important.”
“It is really important to remember that if we are talking about equality of opportunity for girls and women in sport, we have to make sure we are talking about the right opportunities. Women will get involved in sport for very different reasons from men. Very often, it is just to have a bit of fun and the social side of sport. Sometimes the competitive nature of sport drives young girls away from sport. We have to make sure that we are putting the right opportunities in place for our girls. Are they into rugby? Great, if they are into rugby. Maybe, they are into baton twirling or acro dancing. If they are, then we have to make sure that those facilities and opportunities are available to girls. Gender quotas have worked very well in sport governance to get that 40%. We women sometimes do not put up our hands.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Nach iontach an rud é gur beirt bhan iad an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Higgins, agus an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, an Seanadóir Rabbitte, agus muid ag plé Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan. I am going to use my few minutes to raise the issue of women in sport. I feel a responsibility to do it. I probably sound like a broken record at this point but we have to keep talking about the agendas that we want to push in the Oireachtas. There is a theme for the International Women's Day and there is also a theme for Sport Ireland's women in sport week, which is the same energy. Again, it goes back to just celebrating women and equality for women and girls.”
“There was disappointment to see very vague comments within the strategy in relation to access to orphan drugs. There was no mention of the reimbursement review, which is needed to identify the problems with the current criteria as they relate to orphan medicines. With regard to the pricing agreement, the Minister mentioned the IPHA. I would point out that there are other industry stakeholders outside of the IPHA that have intimate knowledge of the reimbursement process given that their respective companies specifically and only manufacture and develop rare disease treatments. These stakeholders are very happy to discuss access to orphan medicines with Department stakeholders and the Minister. It is something to bear in mind. Certainly, if it is a 180-day target, that is very positive.”
“I know how busy the Minister is and I appreciate her coming to the Seanad today with that update. The 180-day target is obviously a huge improvement on the 710 days, and even an improvement on European best practice. When does the Minister expect that to be met? It is very easy for us to forget, when we are talking about these figures and price agreements, that a lot of the time we are talking about children, because a lot of rare diseases will present in childhood. The unpredictable nature of these reimbursement processes at times leads to conditions worsening in children and to unsettled times for families. It is important to remember that. The Minister mentioned the rare diseases strategy. It is brilliant that the committee met in February, which is very recent. I thank the Minister for the update.”
“I hope the Minister will work to ensure this review of the drugs reimbursement process is commenced as soon as possible. Delaying the review any further will only add unnecessarily to the delays that people living with rare diseases already face when compared with our European neighbours. There is an opportunity for us to develop a new pathway for access to orphan medicines with this review so that people living with rare diseases can access treatments and in order that the reimbursement process is clearer, more predictable and in line with the guidance of the European Medicines Agency and our European colleagues.”
“This is why I am calling for the Department of Health to begin the review, committed to in the programme for Government, of the national drugs reimbursement process. It should begin soon to ensure it can be front-loaded in the lifetime of this Government and that changes can be implemented in the Government's lifetime. While it is welcome that the new rare disease strategy has been published, I also ask the Minister to give an update on when the implementation oversight group for the rare disease strategy will be constituted. This will show real commitment from the Department to the implementation of the rare disease strategy, reassuring people living with rare diseases that the Government is committed to supporting them in accessing the life-saving treatments they need.”
“They are approving and funding such treatments in under 300 days on average, while Irish patients are waiting an average of 710 days for access to life-changing and often life-saving treatments, that is, of course, if they are approved for reimbursement at all. I welcome the commitment from the Minister to supporting the new rare disease strategy, which is a welcome development that will support early intervention for many rare diseases, particularly expanding the use of the heel-prick test to screen for more diseases and maintaining a national rare disease register. However, while early identification is important, this must be coupled with additional support for reimbursing orphan medicine treatments.”
“The 2018 Oireachtas health committee report on evaluating orphan drugs specifically called for a review of the national drugs reimbursement process highlighting the need for legislative reform to improve the accessibility and timeliness of drug reimbursement decisions. Between 2020 and 2023, Ireland only reimbursed ten of 46 EMA-approved orphan medicines. The barriers these medicines face in getting approval include limited data availability and small sample sizes, among other technical challenges. However, these medicines are approved by the EMA and our European colleagues in Germany, North Macedonia, Cyprus, Austria and Switzerland.”
“People living with such rare diseases are being subjected to unacceptable waiting times for access to European Medicines Agency, EMA, approved orphan medicines designed for rare diseases affecting fewer than one in 2,000 people, with the average delay between EMA approval and availability in Ireland being 710 days. This is time that people living with rare diseases, unfortunately, just do not have to spare. That is why I am requesting an update on the programme for Government commitment to a review of the drugs reimbursement process in line with the 2018 Oireachtas health committee report on evaluating orphan drugs and calling for this review to begin as soon as possible in order that we can deliver on improving access to these life-saving medicines within the lifetime of this Government.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as teacht chuig an Seanad inniu. I welcome her to Seanad Éireann. As she may be aware - I know she is because she put up a video on social media - last Saturday, 28 February marked rare disease day. It was very welcome to see Leinster House lit up in the colours of blue, pink and green in acknowledgement of this important day. While we mark and acknowledge rare disease day, it must not be lost on us that such diseases are not in fact so rare. That is something the Minister has pointed out as well. When we look at them in their totality, it is estimated that approximately 300,000 people, or one in 17 of all people living in Ireland, are living with a rare disease, with a significant, long-lasting and all too often life-limiting impact on their lives and the lives of their families.”
“Is cosúil go bhfuil plé ar bun go mbeadh stáisiún FM don aos óg trí mheán na Gaeilge ar fáil, ach ní gá seirbhís nua a bhunú agus go leor airgid a chaitheamh nuair atá Raidió Rí-Rá, an cairtstáisiún raidió Gaeilge don aos óg, ar bun ó 2008 ar aghaidh le tacaíocht ó Roinn na Gaeltachta. Impím ar an Aire é seo a phlé leis an Aire cumarsáide, an Teachta O’Donovan, agus Coimisiún na Meán chun deis a thabhairt do Raidió Rí-Rá cur isteach ar cheadúnas náisiúnta lánaimseartha ar FM.”
“Tá sé ar DAB i gCúige Laighean go lánaimseartha faoi láthair agus tá sé ar aipeanna freisin. Beidh sé ag craoladh ar FM i Mí an Mhárta chomh maith le linn Sheachtain na Gaeilge, mar a dhéanann sé gach bliain, i mBaile Átha Cliath, Corcaigh, Luimneach agus Gaillimh. Faoi láthair, tá triúr fostaithe go lánaimseartha ag an stáisiún agus tá foireann de thart ar 30 duine ag feidhmiú ar bhonn páirtaimseartha. Faigheann sé deontas, mar is eol don Aire, ar luach €228,704 sa bhliain é ón Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta. Tá sé sin ar eolas ag an Aire.”
“Tá ar na n-institiúidí féachaint ar an éileamh atá ag teacht anuas ón Stát do na poist sin, ní hamháin an t-éileamh ó dhaltaí dara leibhéal, mar shampla. Is é an dara rud is mian liom a lua, agus Seachtain na Gaeilge ag teacht, ná an sárobair a dhéanann Raidió Rí-Rá ar son na teanga agus ar son Gaeilgeoirí óga. Is cairtstáisiún ceoil Ghaeilge é Raidió Rí-Rá atá ag craoladh ar ardáin éagsúla, le tréimhsí ar FM agus DAB san áireamh, go leanúnach agus gan stad ó 2008 ar aghaidh. Tá sé mar mhisean ag an stáisiún freastal ar mhianta daoine óga, go háirithe a gcuid mianta raidió ó thaobh ceoil, cainte agus craice de, agus earnáil ceoil comhaimseartha Gaeilge a thógáil timpeall air sin. Tá an stáisiún dírithe ar an aoisghrúpa idir cúig is 35. Bheadh Raidió Rí-Rá in ann craoladh go lánaimseartha maidin amárach.”
“Bíonn sé fós ag déileáil le cúrsaí gnó. Níl aon chúrsa a bhaineann le haltranas, innealtóireacht, pleanáil nó rudaí eile. Níl ann ach na cinn a bhaineann leis an nGaeilge, nó leis an nGaeilge i dteannta leis an ngnó, le hiriseoireacht nó le cúrsaí cumarsáide. Conas is féidir linn an plean agus na poist sin ar fad a líonadh san earnáil phoiblí faoi 2030? Mar is eol dúinn, beidh sé riachtanach faoin bhliain sin go mbeidh 20% don lucht oibre san earnáil phoiblí in ann feidhmiú trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ní mór dúinn díriú isteach go mór ar an bhfírinne sin idir seo agus 2030. Admhaím go bhfuil ar na coláistí déileáil leis an éileamh, ach gan a dhóthain Gaelcholáistí ní bheidh na daltaí ann ag an tríú leibhéal. Gan daltaí tríú leibhéal, beidh sé iomlán dodhéanta an sprioc sin san earnáil phoiblí a shroicheadh faoi 2030.”
“Tá sé Ghaelscoil sa cheantar sin agus teastaíonn ó thuismitheoirí a gcuid páistí a chur go Gaelcholáiste, ach níl aon rud feicthe acu mar gheall ar an bplean, foirgneamh, múinteoirí agus mar sin de. Níl sé feicthe ag na múinteoirí, na tuismitheoirí nó an príomhoide atá ann anois, nach raibh ann bliain ó shin. Nuair a bhí plé ag comhchoiste na Gaeilge leis an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas le déanaí – bhí an Seanadóir Curley i láthair chomh maith - dúradh linn nach bhfuil ach dhá chúrsa tríú leibhéal ar fáil ar an oileán nach bhfuil bainteach leis an teanga, oideachas nó an t-aistriúchán. Luaigh an Seanadóir Curley é seo freisin. D’fhreastail mé ar cheann de na cúrsaí sin in Áras na Gaeilge in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe agus tá ceann eile in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath a bhaineann le cúrsaí gnó. Ba é an t-ainm a bhíodh air ná Fiontar.”
“Is tábhachtach é a lua agus Seachtain na Gaeilge ar na bacáin. Cé go bhfuil suim agus éileamh ar Ghaelscoileanna ar fud na tíre taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht, níl againn ach 45 Gaelcholáiste, chomh maith le beagnach 20 aonad. Tá 153 Gaelscoil ann faoi láthair, rud a chiallaíonn nach bhfuil a dhóthain scoileanna againn chun an deis a thabhairt do dhaoine óga leanúint lena gcuid oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge. D’fhreastail mé ar Ghaelscoil Osraí. Is cuimhin liom muintir Chill Chainnigh ag fanacht leis an nGaelcholáiste sin agus tá siad fós ag fanacht. Luaigh an Seanadóir Mullen Gaelcholáiste Synge. Faraor, níl ach beirt cláraithe i gcomhair an Ghaelcholáiste sin do Mheán Fómhair 2026 toisc nach bhfuil plean ann. Luaigh mé an easpa plean seo sa Seanad bliain ó shin.”
“Tá fáilte roimh an Aire. Nach iontach an rud é go bhfuil an díospóireacht seo ar bun againn go hiomlán trí mheán na Gaeilge? Cuirim fáilte roimhe sin. Tá Gaeilge an Seanadóra Noonan go breá ar fad agus ba chóir dó leanúint ar aghaidh á húsáid. Aontaím leis go bhfuil athbheochan ar bun faoi láthair leis an nGaeilge, agus is iontach an rud é sin. Tá sé sin le feiscint i bhfianaise an chlú agus cáile atá ar an scannán "An Cailín Ciúin", an podchraoladh "How to Gael" agus fiú an grúpa ceoil Kneecap. Cé cur ceart dúinn na rudaí seo a cheiliúradh – tá siad á gceiliúradh againn – tapóidh mé an deis seo béim a chur ar an méid is cóir dúinn a dhéanamh chun tacú leis an athbheochan sin sna blianta beaga atá amach romhainn. Ar an gcéad síos, labhróidh mé faoin chóras oideachais. Tá sé seo luaite ag roinnt mhaith Seanadóirí tráthnóna.”
“I support the statement the Minister made, that she has tasked the Department with examining options to ensure that access to treatment and support is provided without delay or financial hardship.”
“I voice my support for the premise of the Bill and I put on record my gratitude to teachers, SNAs and all ancillary service providers in all of our schools and education settings throughout the country. We have had a week of miscommunication, confusion and undue stress, all while teachers and SNAs are trying to enjoy a mid-term break. I am really conscious of this and I take the opportunity to say this. Our educators are the best of us and our children's lives are richer because of those people and the work they do. We owe it to them to seriously consider, debate and explore the detail of this legislation so that we can properly provide this duty of care and meaningful leave for injuries.”
“She absolutely loved that work. His mother and my mam are still friends and he is still friends with her as well. She brought him through his school life. That time was so special for both of them. My mam is a qualified secondary school teacher. She was also a qualified special needs assistant. She did not become a lesser educator when she started working as an SNA. It is really important that whatever we do, we have SNAs and teachers on an equal footing. My mam's vocation never wavered, changed or became something less when she retrained as an SNA. One of the most important parts of the Bill is the call for equal treatment under the scheme for teachers and SNAs.”
“I say "education settings" quite deliberately because I believe that teachers and SNAs should have equality of access to any expanded supports that we agree to. I note that in the speech from the Department delivered by the Minister earlier, two separate schemes were referred to, one for teachers and SNAs and another one that was just for teachers. It is important that the outcome of any scheme we debate or develop in this House is made available equally to SNAs and teachers. My mam was a full-time music teacher in secondary school for most of her career. She took some time out to work when my siblings and I came along. When she went back, it was not long before she retrained as an SNA. At that point, she spent a wonderful time working with a young boy right through his primary school and into secondary school. He is now a young man.”
“I promise it will not take me longer than that. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Gabhaim buíochas leis as ucht a bheith anseo. Molaim an obair atá déanta ag an Seanadóir Harmon ar an mBille seo. Is saothar suntasach é agus leagann sé béim ar an dualgas atá orainn mar reachtóirí iad siúd atá ag obair sa chóras oideachais a chosaint ó dhíobháil, bíodh sé d'aon ghnó nó ná bíodh. I commend Senator Harmon on her work on the Bill. She is supported by Senators Stephenson, Noonan and Cosgrove. I also welcome Sophie Cole and our guests in the Gallery, who are the people doing the work we are speaking about tonight. We have a duty of care to the people who are working in our education settings.”
“It is utterly unacceptable that women in Ireland in 2026 should have to recover from labour and delivery ten or 12 to a room, but that is what is happening, much to the regret of the dedicated staff and management at the Rotunda. Then, of course, we have the sick babies. The plan would allay a lot of fears, concerns and risks and probably prevent a lot of deaths of small babies. This has been meticulously planned, refined and updated in compliance with the planning application system. I was really relieved to hear the comments of the Minister for Health and the support she has in trying to get this over the line, and I hope that those who have not yet seen common sense will see it. Common decency should also prevail in this instance.”
“We have the sickest children in Dublin and other parts of Ireland trying to stay alive and infection free. Most of the time, there is a distance of just one metre between them. During Covid-19, the healthy among us were told to stay 2 m apart. That old building has not made sense for an awfully long time and it makes sense to grant planning permission for the new facility. At the moment, the Rotunda cares for 37 babies in its overcrowded neonatal unit. The new development would provide 46 individual rooms to offer the best of care to more infants in modern, well-equipped facilities. It is a brilliant plan. The new extension would also include 19 postnatal rooms, which would relieve pressure on the hospital's postnatal accommodation.”
“I put on record my dissatisfaction, disappointment and shock regarding the news concerning the planned neonatal unit at the Rotunda. I know it has been spoken about quite a bit in this Chamber but the more voices are raised, the better. This is not a political issue; it is a human issue. I wrote of a letter of support for the application and met the master of the hospital, Professor Sean Daly, in September or October of last year, as did lots of people. Letters of support were written. This application was meticulously planned and was reviewed. Most people were of the opinion, and quite rightly so, that it made an awful lot of sense. There are only four level 3 neonatal intensive care units in this country and only one is fit for purpose.”
“There is an emotional tie to this land and it is very important that the local authority understands it is an exciting project on which it can partner. The same goes for the Dublin county board in regard to the handball alley on the site, which is a protected structure. This is an exciting project and something to celebrate for Crumlin. I thank the Minister for visiting. It is really important that Ministers are visible in these areas. Sport is a huge part of life in Crumlin. This is the first time I can remember a sports Minister going out there. I thank him very much for doing so.”
“The Minister visited the Iveagh Grounds in Crumlin, which was bought by Trinity College from Diageo in 2017. It is a 17-acre site with a full-sized GAA pitch, access to a former hockey pitch that is to be regenerated, rugby, soccer, lawn bowls, athletics facilities and more. It is an enormous site but it is not really reaching its potential at the moment. Trinity College plans to redevelop it and I welcome the college's engagement with me over the past four or five months. I also welcome that one of the things the Minister said during his visit was that the local authority will have a role to play in this. That is really important because although this is privately owned land, it has served the community going way back to the Guinness workers in the 1920s.”
“I thank the Minister for sport, Deputy O'Donovan, for coming to Crumlin last week. This is not just a "thank you" to him; it is also an acknowledgement that in 14 or 15 years living in Crumlin, I do not remember previously seeing a Minister for sports around those parts. I am very grateful he came out at my request last week. It is really important that the voices of sportspeople in Crumlin and Drimnagh are heard. As I mentioned previously in this Chamber, the biggest issue in regard to sport in the area concerns playing pitches and access to sporting facilities. It is something the local authority is targeting and working on but there also needs to be some focus on it from local enterprises and other groups. I am glad to be a voice for the issue in the area.”
“I know he is not responsible for this on a day-to-day basis, but there will have to be a meeting between the NTA and Minister to get the bottom of this.”
“It is disappointing that the NTA has not reflected on what was raised in the Dáil last week. There is a reason I am raising this again today and it is that it has not gone away. I will go to a group of people outside Leinster House after this debate who are unhappy and the NTA has decided not to listen. The Minister of State mentioned a meeting, which I attended, and said it was about stakeholder engagement and engagement with public representatives. There was no engagement. We got 24 hours' notice of a virtual meeting and made suggestions which were not accepted. I am not sure whether there is a communications dropout between the NTA and Minister of State. Again, this is not going to go away. It is probably a good idea for the Minister of State to bring as much as she can back to the Minister.”
“I know this is not the Minister of State's portfolio and I appreciate her taking the Commencement matter, but I am really disappointed. I printed something this morning because I was afraid that what just happened might happen. The Minister of State has read, word for word, what was said by a Minister in the Dáil last week in response to questions from Deputy Jen Cummins on the 80 bus route. This means that the feedback, fixes and implementation the NTA says it wants to identify and hear about from public representatives are not relevant. If that is not stonewalling, I do not what is. The Minister of State's reply is, word for word, the same as the response in the Dáil, right down to the turn of phrase such as "that being said" in the second paragraph.”
“That is something I called for at that meeting with public representatives last month. BusConnects should enhance our lives and not make things more difficult but, unfortunately, that is what is happening. I look forward to the response of the Minister of State and I hope she will go back to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, with these concerns.”