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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“Now try to think of telling this to an employer. The World Health Organization published a paper recently that stated, "Whatever the circumstances surrounding the loss of a baby, every single woman deserves respectful and dignified healthcare that acknowledges her loss, provides support for any psychological issues she may face, and empowers her to make future decisions about having a child." This is an important point to raise and discuss regarding this Bill. If you have suffered the loss of an infant, you are not sick, on holidays or on annual leave but you are most certainly not fit to attend work. When I experienced pregnancy loss I was admitted overnight due to complications so I accessed time off. Sick leave or annual leave in these instances is wholly inappropriate.”
“I firmly believe the statistics we hear are incorrect. They are, of course, gathered and reported in good faith. Due to the nature of these losses, however, I believe the one in four figure we hear to be a misrepresentation. I wish to speak today on behalf of all the men and women who have suffered pregnancy and infant loss and who have not been able or have not felt able to tell anybody, those who have been in such a vulnerable place to begin with that the loss of a much wanted baby was too heavy a burden to even speak about. Sometimes, even to acknowledge that loss by sharing the news with family or friends is to deepen the wound and to lengthen the time it takes to cope or to move on, in as far as anybody can ever move on from the loss of an infant following a distressing miscarriage or tragic stillbirth.”
“I also believe, though, that these stories show just how many people in Ireland are affected by this kind of grief and tragedy. The World Health Organization, and other organisations, tell us one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, for example. The very nature of a miscarriage before 12 weeks, though, is that it is shrouded in secrecy. Many women lose babies in the privacy of their own homes, pregnancies they may not even have shared news of with their families. I know at least one woman in my life who has lost two pregnancies and not one other soul knows about it. This means healthcare facilities were not informed, and so her losses do not form part of the one in four pregnancy statistic. How many deeply private individuals are there out there who have suffered multiple losses and not reported them to anyone?”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá muid fíorbhuíoch go bhfuil sé anseo chun an t-ábhar ríthábhachtach seo a phlé. I join my colleagues in commending Senator Ryan on her work on this Bill and for the courage of her convictions that she has taken with this matter and other deeply sensitive and personal issues. It is not an easy thing to do to speak out publicly about something so private and past trauma and pain. I put on the record my appreciation for the Senator's willingness to be a voice and an advocate for herself and our communities. This is a very sensitive discussion. We have heard from, and will continue to hear, from colleagues across the House about their own personal experience of pregnancy and infant loss. Again, this openness is to be acknowledged.”
“Tuigim go mbíonn moill i gceist uaireanta leis na scéimeanna seo agus an glanadh suas a thagann ina dhiaidh ach tá sé riachtanach go dtugaimid tacaíocht cheart do na múinteoirí atá ag múineadh sna scoileanna Gaeltachta seo agus ag coimeád ár dteanga dhúchais agus an cultúr a bhaineann leis beo beathach sna Gaeltachtaí. Ba mhaith liom díospóireacht a bheith againn mar gheall ar an scéim sin agus an liúntas atá de dhíth ar roinnt mhaith múinteoirí Gaeltachta.”
“An fhadhb atá ann anois áfach ná go bhfuil múinteoirí a thosaigh ag múineadh sna scoileanna Gaeltachta ó 2012 ar aghaidh nach bhfuil an liúntas á fháil acu, agus múinteoirí i scoileanna eile a dhiúltaigh leis an bpróiseas aitheantas ach a bhí ag múineadh roimh 2012 á fháil. Go simplí, tá éagóir i gceist. Tá múinteoir amháin atá ag obair i scoil Ghaeltachta a dhein obair na gcapall chun aitheantas oifigiúil a fháil mar scoil Ghaeltachta nach bhfuil ag fáil an liúntas, agus múinteoir eile b'fhéidir míle nó dhó síos an bóthar atá ag fáil an liúntas go fóill cé gur éirigh an scoil ón scéim aitheantais agus tá sé ag feidhmiú anois mar scoil lán-Bhéarla. Tá sé mícheart agus éagórach.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Ba mhaith liom aird a tharraingt ar chúis imní agus fearg i measc roinnt mhaith múinteoirí Gaeltachta. Aontaímid ar fad sa Teach seo go bhfuil géarghá le tacaíocht agus aitheantas dóibh siúd a bhfuil ag coimeád ár dteanga beo bríomhar. Déanann múinteoirí Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí an-chuid oibre ina leith, ach ba mhaith liom labhairt inniu mar gheall ar mhúinteoirí atá ag obair agus ag feidhmiú sna scoileanna Gaeltachta. Táim cinnte go bhfuil an Ceannaire ar an eolas faoin liúntas a bhíodh ar fáil do mhúinteoirí i scoileanna Gaeltachta. Cuireadh deireadh leis an liúntas sa bhliain 2012. Idir 2017 agus 2018 bhí sé mar dhualgas ar scoileanna Gaeltachta glacadh nó diúltú le scéim aitheantas mar scoil Ghaeltachta ionas go bhféadfaidís stádas oifigiúil a sholáthar ón Stát.”
“None of those global superstars can claim the tax rebate on sponsorship earnings even though they can claim the rebate on prize money, but the prize money in those sports is far less than the prize money in racing or golf. I would love to have a debate on this. It is an anomaly and it could be discussed at greater length.”
“Sponsorship, unfortunately, is often the only way for our Olympic or Paralympic athletes to make a good living from their sport and they have to pay tax on sponsorship earnings during their careers, which also incurs bookkeeping costs. What has happened, by accident rather than by design, is that in the male-dominated sports such as rugby, soccer, golf, motorsports and horseracing, retired athletes fare significantly better than our swimmers and sailors, who have been sustaining themselves on Sport Ireland funding and sponsorship. This has also inadvertently affected female athletes negatively. Think of national treasures such as Rhasidat Adeleke, Ciara Mageean, Mona McSharry, Kellie Harrington, Ellen Keane or Annalise Murphy.”
“If a 100 m sprinter, for example, who has been chasing the Olympic dream probably from the age of 17 or 18 is talented and lucky enough to be awarded Sport Ireland funding and remains on that funding until retirement at the age of about 30, he or she will be on a grant and will not be an employee or PAYE or PRSI worker, so tax credits do not accrue. The maximum annual grant available to our highest achieving athletes is €40,000 per annum. By contrast, a rugby player might play at an academy, which is a different model. It is a contract model through the province or the IRFU. The sprinter gets a grant from Sport Ireland, while the rugby player, soccer player or jockey is on a wage. Golfers also benefit because prize money is included in the rebate, but what is not included in the rebate is sponsorship money.”
“I ask for an opportunity to have a debate in this House about the sportsperson’s tax rebate. On retirement, Irish athletes who have lived and trained in Ireland are entitled to claim tax back on 40% of their earnings from their sport. The then Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, first introduced sportsperson's tax relief in 2002 and, at the time, said the measures were being introduced as a reward for the contribution our sports stars make, as an acknowledgement for their relatively short careers and as an encouragement for them to stay in Ireland. It was and continues to be a welcome addition to the suite of supports available to Irish athletes. However, I want to highlight an anomaly.”
“I appreciate the Minister's considered response, however. I am glad there is actual news in it and that we have six whole-time equivalent public health nurses beginning work in September. I thank her for that.”
“I thank the Minister. That piece of information on the six additional whole-time equivalent nurses is new. If they are beginning in September 2025, that will significantly impact in a positive way in the Dublin areas the Minister mentioned. If she has an opportunity to pass word back to the HSE and the managers in the area, it is important that, as part of that workload in September, they would look at trying to catch up on what has been missed because babies continue to be born and continue to need their newborn checks, six-week checks and six-month checks, but there are three- and four-year-olds who have had maybe one heel prick test and that is it. It is, therefore, really important that, as part of their work programme when they begin in September, they look back at what has been missed over the past few years.”
“Most importantly, I and other parents in Dublin 12 need to know how soon we can expect the full complement of key developmental checks to be reinstated for our children.”
“Public health nurses have also contacted me since I raised this issue. There are not enough public health nurses. I know the Minister knows that. It appears in Dublin in particular that there has been a dramatic decrease in staffing numbers due to transfer requests out of the area. This means children born in the greater Dublin area are at a geographical disadvantage in relation to early life care and development. I have also been contacted by early childhood educators who are now enrolling children in their education settings who have never been seen or assessed by a public health nurse of professional. Granted, most of the parents and healthcare professionals I have spoken to are in Dublin. I would like to know how widespread the crisis is. I would also like to know what is being done to tackle the staffing shortages in the HSE.”
“In another case, the mother of a preschool four-year-old was told their final sign-off before attending primary school would not happen due to the HSE-Government restrictions and staffing challenges. The backlog of missed appointments was said to be a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. The HSE is sending letters to the families of babies, toddlers and preschool children asking them to perform developmental checks themselves. This is deeply concerning. No parent could or should feel qualified to check the dental health of their toddler. No parent, especially a new parent, knows the difference between speech delay and selective mutism. We know the importance of early intervention in autism, ADHD and other conditions. No parent is trained to identify the early signs of a behavioural struggle in their three-year-old.”
“I have a three-year-old who was seen at two weeks old and once at 24 months old when I raised a concern about his speech; that is it. Since then, parents in my locality and I have been sent official HSE letters to say our children cannot receive checks for the foreseeable future. I raised this issue in the Seanad in March and April and I have been contacted by parents in the Dublin 12 area. I have since come to learn that developmental checks are routinely postponed or cancelled in various parts of the country. It is a Dublin problem but it is also in other pockets of the country. In one case in Dublin 12, a parent of a two-year-old was told there were too many older people in the community and that they had to be prioritised.”
“[they] will also check your child's general health. This includes: dental health, general physical [health] and growth ... Your child will get two more checks between the ages of 3 and 5 ... At 46 to 48 months ... eyesight .... posture and large movements .... fine movements ... speech development ... cognitive development ... social, emotional, behavioural and play development ... [Finally, at age four or five] ... a public health nurse will check your child's [learning and eyesight] ... That is just to give an idea of how much great work these public health nurses do in the best-case scenario. A conservative estimate of the number of checks from newborn to age five, based on the HSE's advice, is eight checks by a trained professional to ensure our children are healthy and developing normally.”
“Some will be slower than others but then catch up over time. Others may have an underlying problem ... Every child gets free health and development checks from 0 to 5 years. This is to make sure they are healthy and developing normally ... All checks are free of charge and provided by the HSE ... In their first six months, your baby will have health and developmental checks immediately after birth, during their first week at home with you, at 2 to 6 weeks [old] and at regular intervals up to 6 months ... At 6 to 12 months, your PHN will check your baby's physical, social and behavioural development ... At the 21 to 24 month developmental check ... your public health nurse (PHN) will talk to you about your child's development and any concerns you may have ... At the 21 to 24 month developmental ...”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter and making time for it in the schedule after last week's mishap. I thank the Minister for making time this morning. I know she is very busy as we approach the recess. I appreciate her coming to the House today to discuss an escalating crisis in early life healthcare. Our HSE public health nurses do important work. I want to acknowledge that from the beginning. A worrying trend is developing, however, in some parts of the country whereby babies, toddlers and children are not receiving critical developmental checks. To explain the importance of the checks, I will quote from the HSE website: How your child develops up to the age of 5 sets the groundwork for learning, health and behaviour throughout their life. All children [as we know] develop at different rates.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhach. I understand agus níl an locht ort ná ar an Aire Stáit atá anseo inniu. I do want to say I am disappointed. I have raised this issue twice in the Seanad. It has been submitted a couple of times as a Commencement matter. It was finally chosen today. On behalf of the one-, two- and three-year-old children in Dublin 12 who have never had a developmental check, I do hope that, when the Department does take the Commencement matter, the response is considered.”
“Just down the road from Limerick, in Ennis, a councillor recently suggested setting up another club in Ennis, but there was no point in reinventing the wheel if current clubs and academies are operating on such an ad hoc basis as what we are about to see in Limerick. It is a real shame this situation has transpired. What can be done to salvage this playing season for these teenage boys from Limerick, Kerry and the surrounding areas? There must be a way for the club and the FAI to take an athlete-centric approach to this. One parent I spoke to this afternoon said his son is broken and is contemplating giving up soccer. There are 44 elite teenage players with no prospect of playing summer football this season. It is not good enough.”
“The same coaches and parents would do anything that is required to make it happen, including contributing to the costs. These players did not commit to sport or football today or yesterday. They have been building toward a spot on a League of Ireland underage squad for the best part of ten years. Family occasions, birthday parties and commitments to other sports have been sacrificed by these young athletes, all with the end game of signing for a team and playing for a League of Ireland club. We all know the benefits of young people being involved in sport. Young men in particular stand to gain so much from an involvement in sport and the discipline and resilience acquired in a high-performance sports setting. The FAI is currently designing its new academy structure, with plans for academies around the country for both boys and girls.”
“I want to speak about a group of 44 talented footballers who were signed a number of months ago to play for Limerick FC under-15 and under-17 League of Ireland teams. This was obviously a moment of great pride for players and families, as were their successful campaigns in phase 1 of this season. They have qualified for phase 2, the first games of which took place last weekend. However, the club's owner very suddenly withdrew both squads from their respective leagues just before phase 2 began. The teenage players and their parents do not know why. All they know is that a summer of great excitement, pride and celebration has been utterly tainted and destroyed by the powers-that-be at the drop of the hat. Their coaches and parents have reached out to the FAI to intervene, but to no avail.”
“Improved HG care needs to be part of the next national maternity strategy to reduce the burden on patients, their babies and the health system. HG has multiple effects on the physical and mental health of the woman during and after pregnancy but also on babies born after a HG pregnancy. Much of this suffering and its associated costs to the health system is preventable with proactive, standardised and equitable access to HG treatment. I would welcome a debate with the Minister to get clarity on a timeline for the publication of the updated clinical guidelines, and to ensure that improved hyperemesis care is included in the new maternity strategy.”
“The next focus for those campaigning on behalf of women suffering from HG is the publication of updated clinical guidelines for medical practitioners to help improve and standardise treatments. This report was due in the first quarter of 2024 and has not yet been released. At the moment HG patients are navigating a system where early and appropriate access to care can depend on where you live and which doctor you happen to meet rather than how sick you are or what treatment you need. We have some excellent and, indeed, world-leading HG care in Ireland but this should not be restricted to just a few maternity units. It should be available no matter where and how a HG patient needs treatment. The updated clinical guidelines will help with this.”
“Recent research strongly suggests that HG is a genetic disease caused by an unusual sensitivity to the growth hormone GDF15, which is produced by the placenta in pregnancy. Physiologically, it is very similar to the extreme nausea and vomiting caused by platinum-based chemotherapies. Yet women, with the same levels of sickness while pregnant are often told it is normal and that is due to inconsistencies in care. Cariban is one of the most common medications used to treat HG. Since August 2024, it has been available on the medical card and drugs payment scheme, which is a welcome development. That is due in large part due to the #HG2costly campaign by Hyperemesis Ireland.”
“Today, 15 May, is Hyperemesis gravidarum awareness day. Hyperemesis gravidarum, HG, is the medical name for extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, which affects approximately 2% of pregnancies, so 1 in 50. Unlike typical pregnancy sickness, it is highly debilitating with women often unable to work, look after their other children or leave the house or bed. It results in frequent hospitalisation and lasting physical and psychological effects. Some women choose to terminate their otherwise wanted pregnancies as a result. Without treatment, and in severe cases, it can be life threatening from a range of causes, including organ failure, venous thromboembolism, VTE, brain damage and suicide.”
“While that has not happened, there is still time to rebuild trust, claw back some of the reputational damage done in recent weeks and derogate from the mandatory wearing of skorts ahead of this weekend's senior and intermediate Leinster camogie finals. It should give notice today of a special ard comhairle meeting on Saturday morning and take the spotlight, pressure and decision-making away from elite camogie players preparing for a match.”
“Do they refuse to play a Leinster final, thus denying themselves a proper run at their all-Ireland series preparation or do they play the game in skorts and, by doing so, take a different stance from that taken last week by their Munster colleagues? Antrim and Derry, it should be pointed out, played an Ulster final last weekend and wore skorts under protest, but if Kilkenny and Wexford, two senior teams, do the same, will they be inadvertently causing division in the ranks of inter-county camogie players and the GPA? Unfortunately, this headache is what consumes the players five days out from a championship final. This is the headache I called for the Camogie Association to alleviate yesterday.”
“Yesterday, I called on the Camogie Association to take the decision-making out of players' hands ahead of this weekend's Leinster finals. As things stand, it is against the rules for women to wear shorts while playing camogie matches. However, while we await the outcome of a special Congress vote on 22 May, there is a way to avoid any further distraction for players and managers regarding protests and playing gear. As per the rule book of the Camogie Association, today is the last chance for President Brian Molloy and members of the ard comhairle to call a special meeting that could see a derogation from the skort rule put in place by Saturday. Five days' notice is required, so time is almost out. In the meantime, crucially, Kilkenny and Wexford are in an almost impossible position.”
“Cork and Waterford players want to wear shorts on Saturday in The Ragg for the Munster final, and given that the Camogie Association has acknowledged the glaring lack of voice and choice, I hope it will allow the game to go ahead in that spirit. On Tuesday night, I went to a local club game at which the players from St. Jude's and Na Fianna wore shorts. That game went ahead because the Dublin county board allowed it. I hope the powers that be in Munster will follow suit and take a commonsense approach as we await the outcome of this month's vote. Ní neart go cur le chéile.”
“They and I now realise that many people in Ireland did not previously understand the rules governing the game of camogie or the fact that the game is not governed by the GAA. Players from Waterford, Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork have contacted me to say they are grateful for the support of the Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. I am delighted to see so many Members take a stance on the skorts issue and I look forward to seeing the same Members at camogie matches, watching on TV or talking about the great players, whose voices deserve to be heard and whose exploits deserve to be seen and celebrated.”
“Players at both club and county levels have said they were not contacted by delegates for their opinions on skorts, so I now urge all players to speak to their club secretaries, and club secretaries to make representations to their county and provincial boards, so members of the ard chomhairle who do not play camogie anymore and do not wear skorts know exactly what the playing population wants, in case it has not been made clear this week. It is important to highlight the fact that votes are anonymous, so the appetite for change really needs to be in the room on 22 May. The work is not finished yet. I am aware that players have felt very supported and encouraged by the positive public sentiment towards them.”
“Maidin mhaith, a chairde. I welcome this morning's announcement by the Camogie Association that it will convene a special meeting of its ard chomhairle to discuss the issue of playing gear. This, of course, follows last weekend's strike by the Dublin and Kilkenny players, who were forced to change out of their shorts in order to play a Leinster semi-final. What has followed since last Saturday has been an awakening by many to the game of camogie, the long-standing traditions of the game and the difficulty players have had in being heard. The Camogie Association is to be acknowledged here for reconsidering its initial proposal for a 2026 vote but the calling of a special congress in two weeks' time is only half the job of work left to do. Delegates of the ard chomhairle voted down more than one motion in favour of skorts just last year.”
“I encourage all Members to support our motion to ensure young people can receive their education, that the cost is reduced and that alternative opportunities and avenues of higher education are invested in and encouraged.”
“It can be alarming for students when they hear the Minister is seemingly considering the opposite, that is, abandoning the current reductions in contribution fees that are in place and which serve as an essential lifeline for struggling students. We need to ensure the students' voices are not forgotten in this debate. Many youth organisations, like the National Youth Council of Ireland, the Union of Students in Ireland, Fine Gael's own youth wing, Young Fine Gael, and many more groups have been campaigning for reductions in the cost of higher education. We must not ignore their calls. I call on the Minister to listen to and engage with students on this issue. Youth organisations and the voice of students need to be heard.”
“I thank the Minister for coming in. I know he has been listening keenly. I support the motion. We have heard a lot in recent days. It was great to see Members wearing shorts to acknowledge the struggle by the camogie players. That is about listening to players. I wanted to make sure we are listening to young people in this debate. It is vital we do not forget the voice of students and young people. Youth organisations have long been campaigning for a reduction in the cost of education. The Government has committed to continuing to reduce contribution fees, expand additional supports for students such as placement grants for students on mandatory placements, and increase financial supports for postgraduates to ease the financial burden on students.”
“The assessments exist to identify potential issues before children start school, when early intervention can make the greatest difference. The oversight needs to be addressed urgently. I have raised it before and would like to invite the Minister in to help explain why children in Crumlin and Drimnagh, and maybe elsewhere although I am not sure, are not being seen by their local public health team, and how the Covid-19 pandemic is still affecting this area of Dublin but perhaps not other areas of Dublin and of the country.”
“The letter also stated that unless she was to raise a concern herself, the child’s health record would be closed on the active register within two to three weeks. As you can imagine, the language used regarding a time limit has caused a certain amount of alarm among parents. More to the point, parents do not feel equipped to make the assessments, or to look at their children and make clinical assessments. Developmental checks are not a formality; they are a key opportunity for trained professionals to assess the critical aspects of babies', toddlers' and children's development, whether it is in respect of speech and language, vision or hearing, or fine-motor, gross-motor or even just social development.”
“It has come to my attention that an issue I raised several weeks ago, on the provision of public health nurses in Dublin 12, has continued to escalate. I have been contacted by a number of parents of children aged between two months and four years who are not being seen for developmental checks. In one instance, the mother of a four-year-old boy was in touch to say her son's final sign-off before starting school will not be provided. She received a letter from the public health nursing team in the HSE in the past three weeks informing her that her four-year-old son would not be receiving his routine final developmental check due to what the letter describes as staffing shortages, Covid-19 and HSE or Government restrictions and guidelines.”
“We all remember the tragic loss of teenager Emma Sloan from Drimnagh who died on O'Connell Street after going into anaphylactic shock. Emma mistakenly ate a sauce containing nuts while out for dinner with her family. Had an EpiPen kit been available in the restaurant, or anywhere on one of the busiest thoroughfares in our country, there would likely have been a very different outcome on that day. There is a company in the UK rolling out kits and specialist training by way of an annual subscription. The kit is monitored and replenished if and when pens go out of date. It can be made available to schools, sports clubs, restaurants, public parks and playgrounds. I invite the Minister with responsibility for food safety to a debate on the possibility of rolling out a similar public health campaign here in Ireland.”
“EpiPens must be kept in a cool place away from sunlight, so summer camps and sports can be a real problem. The parents of these children live in fear they will eat something they are allergic to or that the EpiPen itself will not function correctly when it is needed. What can be done? One practical solution would involve the roll-out of EpiPen kits in busy public spaces such as schools, restaurants and playgrounds. We have seen the increased awareness and visibility of defibrillators in public spaces. Anaphylaxis kits could and should be every defibrillator's next-door neighbour. Each kit would contain adrenaline auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, and clear usage instructions ensuring accessibility, even for untrained individuals during emergencies.”
“I want to raise the difficulties faced by nut and other allergy sufferers in Ireland. Allergies are very common in Ireland with about 29% of people suffering with an allergy, but those numbers are rising. The rates are similar to those found in other European countries. Roughly 15% of the population has complex allergy problems requiring specialist care, typically a dose of adrenaline using an EpiPen where the nut is ingested or even airborne. Parents of allergy sufferers are campaigning for additional support and practical solutions to the dangers faces by children whether at school, matches or in playgrounds. A parent, teacher or coach will not always be on hand with an EpiPen and the EpiPens may not always be in date, which is another issue.”
“It is not relief that they are feeling this morning but just a sense of trepidation about what might be coming their way at a later date. I know it is very early days and we all appreciate the call for continued calm by the Tánaiste in the last 12 hours. Does the Minister of State or his Department have a read of what might be coming down the tracks for pharma companies, big and small, that produce finished products and full products here in Ireland? I was encouraged to hear in the Tánaiste's remarks that Ireland and the EU will work together to mitigate the effects of what might be to come. Could the pharma industry here be looking at non-tariff barriers such as taxes or regulations?”
“I dtús baire, I echo the remarks of Senators Andrews and Daly on the passing of the great Mick O'Dwyer. I send my condolences the O'Dwyer family and his wider family in the Gaelic games community. Laoch ár linne a bhí ann. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Táimid an-bhuíoch den Aire Stáit as a bheith sa Teach inniu agus bhíomar buíoch den Tánaiste a bhí sa Teach níos luaithe freisin chun deis a thabhairt dúinn cúrsaí trádála a phlé. In his speech President Trump said that US pharma companies will come roaring back. The Tánaiste mentioned the many people going to work this morning with a sense of unease and he is right. While the pharma companies here have "escaped" the tariffs so far, this morning I spoke to someone who works in a pharma company in Kimmage in Dublin.”
“If we want a functioning system where all of these waiting lists for assessments of need or therapies are reduced, we need to allow the people who are skilled in those areas to go back to work. That begins with making the childcare system public.”
“The private model is broken and we need to move to a public model. I am encouraged to see movement in that direction. We need a model that will facilitate our workforce by facilitating both parents. Some people say they do not want their taxes paying for other people's children to be minded. The economy, workforce and tax revenue of this country will all be bolstered by the influx of parents who are highly skilled and qualified but cannot go back to work until their children are at least of school age. Some 85% of mothers leave full-time employment within three years of having their first child. Many women who are highly skilled in speech and language and other therapies are not going back to work after maternity leave.”
“The providers are struggling to remain in business and the parents are struggling to pay for the cost of the childcare. The system is paying people the lowest wages in the country but it is unviable for the services to stay open. They are definitely not profitable but at the same time, the general public cannot afford to pay for places. Demand is increasing because the number of places is dwindling as operators close. Senator Clifford-Lee mentioned the unmet need in north Dublin. It is everywhere. The situation is the same in south-central Dublin. I have sisters in Kilkenny and Tipperary. We all have babies and it is hard. One nearly has to sell one's soul to get a place in the local crèche. Even then, places are only available when a child turns one. What do you do before that?”
“Women who have been working in childcare for ten or 15 years are having to stop work if they have their own child because, after their maternity leave, they cannot afford to put their children into childcare because it is so expensive for many people. This job is mostly done by women, though I do have a three-year-old boy being minded at the moment by a lovely man from Spain. When these women leave the sector, they rarely come back. They tend not to come back. A childcare provider or employer will see graduates and know full well they will only have a certain amount of years with them. We also, of course, have the cost to all of us. As my colleague, Senator Nelson Murray, said, it is becoming unviable for childcare providers to continue in business because of the expense of everything, including insurance.”