Fiona O'Loughlin
Administrative Panel · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Some 400 remote working hubs were also put in place, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic, when we all had the realisation that some work - not all work - can be done remotely. The local enterprise boards are doing an incredible job in rural areas. I am speaking from experience.”
“I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming both the Belgian ambassador and my friends Joeleen and James. Anyone who has visited Chat N' Chew in Newbridge will have met Joeleen. I certainly hope her lunch today will be up to the usual standard at Chat N' Chew. It was lovely to meet with our former colleague Catherine Martin last night.”
“Continuing the theme of Kildare connections, she is a grand-niece of the late Rathangan author Maura Laverty, who wrote many books and wrote the very first soap opera for RTÉ, "Tolka Row". We wish Áine well on her retirement. I wish to talk about a serious issue relating to the blueway.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her positive response. In terms of premises, I had meetings with Jigsaw over the years in Newbridge and we did look at various premises. No later than yesterday, I spoke to the chief executive of Kildare County Council in relation to this.”
“We know young people are showing signs of stress or anxiety and that it is a very stressful and anxious world. Interventions can be made at this stage. The reason I have tabled this Commencement matter is that I have been advocating for a long time for Newbridge to have a Jigsaw service.”
“I always hate talking about these figures, but in terms of the rate of youth suicide, Kildare has the highest rate in Leinster. According to CSO figures, 14 people died by suicide in Kildare in 2023, in 2022 the figure was 26 and in 2021 it was 27. Demand is rising sharply for services.”
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“I add my voice to the welcome for the Bulgarian ambassador. I congratulate the Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, and its president, Damien Ryan, general secretary Brian Lawlor and executive. We had a really excellent evening on Saturday. A number of Fianna Fáil Senators and I were delighted to be there to support the local authority members from all around the country. It is the 20th year of the LAMA awards, the 40th year since the establishment of LAMA and the 100th year of IPB Insurance. As a result, there were three celebrations. There were 533 projects submitted, which showed a huge breadth of ambition and vision throughout the country. These were in six different categories, namely community, economic development, infrastructure, collaboration, environment and national impact.”
“They are around the timeline for Newbridge - particularly for those estates and the walk along the Liffey Linear Park - and on the monitoring, which is hugely important and I know that all Kildare county councillors support me on that.”
“I acknowledge the OPW is funding two engineering staff in Kildare County Council to support delivery throughout the county. I accept it is not feasible to deliver all flood relief schemes concurrently due to constraints in relation to personnel, etc. However, I was very clear that I was looking for a timeline for Newbridge and the Minister of State did not give me this in his response. I ask him for that. I acknowledge he is saying the Government is committed to progressing the schemes under the NDP. I also mentioned the monitoring and that is really important in regard to giving real-time river levels and acknowledging that the long-term hydrological data help inform future flood risk management measures. They are the two questions I am coming back to the Minister of State with.”
“Newbridge was formally identified as being at risk of river flooding in national plans going back as far as 2018 so in that context, the planned works should be scheduled in the more immediate term. We have already waited eight years. Given the way climate change trends are going, there is also a need for improved monitoring. A number of councillors, including Councillor Robert Power and the mayor of Newbridge, Councillor Carmel Kelly, have called for electronic water level monitoring stations to be installed in Newbridge and Clane. The flood works are at development stage but are not yet at the construction phase. When will we get a confirmed date for construction to commence?”
“The scheme in Athy is nearly finished and in north Kildare a number of schemes are under way. While flood mapping published by the OPW confirms fluvial flood risk from the River Liffey, including from the Roseberry stream and the Great Connell stream, the biggest issue is actually the controlled discharge operations at Pollaphuca. These operations are managed by the ESB to regulate water levels. To be fair, I want to thank the ESB and its personnel who were at the end of the phone line any time that I contacted them during the flood period. A number of warnings were issued by the ESB about limited reservoir storage capacity during sustained rainfall, which could lead to increased downstream flood risk to both Newbridge and Clane if water had to be released.”
“Four estates in particular were affected, namely, Raymonds Court, Roseberry Court, College Grove and Riverside Park, as well as the Liffey Linear Park, which nobody could use to walk. That park is a really special place in Newbridge for people who want to exercise and immerse themselves in nature but unfortunately it was closed during the floods. I want to give a shout out to the new area engineer in Newbridge, Mr. Carthac de Brí, who was absolutely excellent. Any time I contacted him on behalf of residents in terms of their fears, their need for sandbags and so on, he was absolutely on the ball. It gives great comfort when residents see that preparations are in place at council level. In terms of the work that needs to be done by the Department, some work has already started on a number of schemes in Kildare.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing the Commencement matter today and I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, for coming to the Chamber to deal with it, which I greatly appreciate. Today is such a lovely day. It is dry and the skies are blue and we would be forgiven for forgetting all about the really bad weather we had at the start of the year with all of the rain. There is something in us Irish that we tend to be positive and not to look back. However, it is really important that we set everything up and make plans for the potential risk of floods once again. I want to talk particularly about Newbridge and what is happening there. During the recent floods we were not very badly affected but we were impacted.”
“I really welcome the opportunity and thank my colleagues who spoke on this motion. I have no doubt there will be ongoing debates on online safety but this was an important pone. We really appreciate the Minister of State being with us. It shows the crossover between the Department of communications and the Department of justice, and there is a crossover with education too. We need to have collaboration right across government, with the help and support of those in Opposition too. I commend the motion to the House.”
“Senator Duffy spoke about the meeting on Achill Island and bringing everyone together. I attended a meeting in Kildare town last year where a huge number of primary schools, practically all of them in south Kildare, had come together as parents to say the parents wanted to have this at primary school level. We have so many stakeholders in all of this. People have different views. Internationally, there are a lot of different experiences. We need to learn from the experiences of other countries, but we also want to ensure that during our EU Presidency we shine a light on the good behaviours and do what we can to ensure we do not have the negative behaviours, but also be a leading light in that. In regard to the AI aspect, the fact we are having the special forum in October is important. The two go hand in hand.”
“We have had a really good debate. It was very worthwhile to air all of the different views and opinions. The motion speaks for itself as it reads. There were very worthwhile contributions from those who wanted to go further, and from some who did not agree with everything that was in it. I take on board what the Minister of State has said about how the views will be reflected on. One thing is incredibly clear: we are all concerned about online safety and we want to do the best we can to ensure our young people are kept safe and that they do not have access to all the evils of the dark world of the Internet but also that they have opportunities to use the Internet in a safe and wise way. All of the adults in children's lives have to set an example. I have heard different examples of what has been happening.”
“It is therefore not as simple as that. That could be part of the response, but there are a myriad of other things we have to look at. We do need to communicate with young people. We also did an online parents' survey and the responses were quite different. Over 35% said their child received a smartphone between the ages of 11 and 13, whereas children said they were exposed at the ages of four and six. Parents did express major concern about their children's online exposure. More than 75% of the parents supported the smartphone ban in all schools. There are a number of takeaways and recommendations in the motion. I am very happy to support the motion and outline it here. I will hand over to my colleague, Senator Curley.”
“Some have access during lunch break to their phones, again losing that very valuable opportunity to play and to socialise. More concerning, however, was the fact that the young people reported having been exposed to violent content, extremist content and content promoting diet culture and excessive exercising on social media. This is eating disorders awareness week, and we have to be concerned about all that influence on our young people. We have heard and understood that there are different views on the implementation of a social media ban for under-16s, as done in Australia. Young people themselves feel that it is not something they want. We have listened to other experts as well and they would say that if you ban something, it becomes more attractive and more alluring and people will find a way around the ban.”
“It was part of an ongoing group of stakeholder engagement pieces. The following were some of the key findings. The participants were on average six years old when they first used a smart device, with some as young as four. As someone who has taught children of aged four, I am really concerned that just with a click, young people are finding access. A lot of this is happening in the home. I know there are issues and concerns about children using smartphones in school, but we have to start with the home and the parents as the primary educators. Participants reported spending an average of four hours a day at a minimum on social media. When a young mind is developing and when young people should be out socialising and talking to one another, spending four hours on a phone has to be very concerning.”
“It includes proposals to simplify rules in relation to AI, data and cybersecurity incident reporting. Again, that is very important. I have highlighted the upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU and that we will make online safety a priority issue there. We thank the Minister of State, Thomas Byrne, for all his excellent work on that. We had a meeting of the Joint Committee on European Affairs yesterday about the European Youth Forum and the youth engagement piece that we will hold. That is to get the perspectives of children and young people because "nothing for them without them". That is really important. Ireland will host an international AI and digital summit on 14 October 2026. That is a flagship event of the Presidency. I want to speak a little about a youth workshop that our party, Fianna Fáil, held on 23 September 2025.”
“We need action from society, from the tech companies and, of course, from the Government and from legislation. We also need work at EU level. The Government is in the process of implementing domestic legislation to give full effect to the EU AI Act in Ireland. The main supervision and enforcement provisions will come into effect from August 2026. That will provide a formal regulation for relevant surveillance authorities to engage with individual companies specifically in relation to the development, provision and deployment of AI systems. Alongside that, we will support an amendment of the AI Act at European level to expand the list of prohibited AI practices. That is really important. As regards digital simplification, an omnibus package by the EU was published last November.”
“A lot of people are making money for private gain in a way that is not good for democracy or the public good. We can see it all happening from day to day. We see our children and indeed ourselves addicted to smartphones, and that can lead to a lot of issues and challenges around mental health, anxiety and depression. Some people who have worked with Meta have come forward and said this. We also see foreign influences targeting elections. The public conversation can often be hijacked by algorithms, and those algorithms can push conflict and violence, which is concerning. Then when we look at the number of false accounts on social media pushing scams, spam, fake videos and conspiracy theories to grab all our attention and to profit at our expense, it is very concerning. What can we do about it?”
“Her mission is to guard against digital threats to our security, our safety and our fundamental rights, to look at resetting the connection between media and democracy, to restore the promise of technology that works for people, keeps people safer and keeps democracy safe and to hold the biggest tech companies accountable to the values of a true democratic society by promoting new ideas around legislation, industry standards and consumer attitudes. We could ask: why has Reset Tech been set up now and why are we looking at this now? There is no doubt that the Internet has given us a lot. It has given us a lot of ideas, exposed us to new ideas, etc., and that is a great achievement, but it is very fragile and very easily exploited, manipulated and weaponised.”
“As one of the EU's best performers, Ireland is committed to building on its positioning to accelerate the digital transition right across its economy and society. Despite all that, however, we have to be mindful of the very real harms the online world presents. We can commit here that Ireland will use its Presidency to prioritise the protection of women and children, in particular, from the misuse of digital tools, including AI. Senator Alison Comyn and I had the opportunity to be in Stormont two or three weeks ago and we heard from a really interesting lady called Kristina Wilfore, who set up an organisation called Reset Tech. She is well worth looking out for and watching.”
“There are several cross-departmental collaborations on various related initiatives, including the recent publication of the national digital and AI strategy 2030, the implications of the EU AI Act and the development of an age verification tool. Because we are coming up to the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, starting 1 July, we also refer to that in the motion because we believe we can have key influence at that point in time. The latest state of the digital decade report shows that Ireland continues to perform strongly, particularly in digital skills, business digitalisation and public service digitalisation. They are all key enablers of long-term competitiveness, and we have to welcome that.”
“Yes, Senator Curley and I will share time. The Minister of State, Deputy Collins, is very welcome to the Chamber. We really appreciate him being here. This is an important motion. We may have different views on this but we are all concerned about it. Another commitment we have to make - and our party, Fianna Fáil, is committed to it - is to make the online world safer for everybody, especially children and young people. Our children now are growing up online. It is not all bad. The Internet offers endless opportunities to learn, engage and play. However, it also presents serious risks which can have devastating consequences. We have seen, witnessed and heard them. This motion highlights online safety as a rapidly evolving area of Government policy.”
“I move: “That Seanad Éireann: recognises that: - we are at a pivotal moment in our digital transformation; - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we live, how we work, and how we interact as a society; - Ireland has strong digital foundations with our well-established reputation as a digital hub, our exceptional talent base and our vibrant innovation ecosystem; - Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future sets out the Government’s ambition to 2030 to strengthen our position as a digital leader and a global hub for applied AI innovation; agrees that: - Ireland has a robust online safety framework; - the EU’s Digital Services Act and the creation of Coimisiún na Meán has brought to an end the era of self-regulation of big tech platforms; - online safety, particularly for children and young people, is a priority for us all; - new challenges will inevitably arise as technologies continue to evolve; - we must maintain a modern, cohesive and well-resourced regulatory framework that is responsive to the evolving digital age; notes that: - Ireland will soon assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union; - online safety will be a priority during the Presidency; - as part of the Presidency, we will host an International AI and Digital Summit to showcase Ireland as a digital and regulatory hub; calls for: - Ireland to be a strong voice in Europe for a digital economy which supports competitiveness and innovation, while protecting data privacy and fundamental rights; - the Government to ensure we reap the benefits of digital technologies and AI for growth and competitiveness and to enhance our public services; - the Government to ensure that everyone in our society is empowered to succeed in a digital era, by fostering the skills, literacy and the societal trust necessary for a confident digital future; - the Government to strengthen Ireland’s position as an EU centre of excellence and digital regulatory hub; - Ireland’s Council Presidency to reflect our ambition to be at the forefront of digital innovation; and to advocate for a digital age of majority but will take action at domestic level, if necessary; - our Presidency to prioritise the protection of women and children, in particular, from the misuse of digital tools; - Ireland to advance the EU’s AI Act during our Presidency; - Ireland to advocate for adding the AI generation of intimate abuse images to the list of prohibited practices in Article 5 of the AI Act; - the Government to advocate for a decision on the ‘digital age of majority’ to be taken at EU level; and to work with like-minded countries to introduce age restrictions on the use of social media, concentrating on those under 16; - the full implementation of Digital Ireland’s 20 high-level objectives and 90 specific deliverables; - the prioritisation of deliverables for children and young people, including: - supporting Coimisiún na Meán to improve awareness and reporting of AI-generated non-consensual intimate images; - supporting robust age verification across the EU; - implementing, with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, a wide scale pilot on age verification in conjunction with one or more of the major platforms, to run for several months to test technology and to ensure public buy in; and - the support of schools and teachers through updated resources on online safety.””
“When it is happening at home or behind closed doors, it is more concerning in terms of the volume that can be drunk and, sadly, behaviours that can take place. We need a joined-up Government response and I will ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to address that.”
“He referred to the fact that at some of the large rugby matches to which many people tune in, there is alcohol branding once every eight seconds. That is concerning. He is correct about backdoor advertising, whereby a loophole is being used to advertise non-alcoholic beer. I noted that research. I understand why people cannot tell the difference. It is like low calorie chocolate or whatever. I accept what the Senator has said. It is concerning that youth drinking has increased by 12% over the past decade. What is more concerning is that it is not happening in social gatherings. I often think that within the pub setting, there are people who can keep an eye out when young people are gathering together.”
“By far the strongest message that I received from those young people was that they wanted more support for those within their peer group who belonged to the LGBT community. That was something that resonated with me. During the marriage equality referendum, people felt very strongly that those in the LGBT community have the right to marry on an equal basis to anybody else. I support it, along with its advice to for young people to speak to trusted adults because we need them in our lives, be they teachers, parents or others. I have spoken to parents and young people. As we all know, that time of life can be fraught with difficulty. We will have to agree to differ. My opinion is that it is the right thing to do and I will support it. I accept that the Senator does not agree. Senator McCarthy spoke about Alcohol Action Ireland.”
“There was a canopy on the building before because it was a blind shop, and I assumed I could install a new canopy on which I spent a lot of money. One person made an objection under a false name and permission was refused. The whole thing cost me an incredible amount of money. I adhered to the rules, but it was an incredibly frustrating experience. I hope Dartry gym does not have to take down the canopy, but obviously we cannot interfere with planning decisions. Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the Department of Education and Youth giving half a million euro to the LGBT group Belong To. It is important that the group gets funding. When I was mayor of Kildare in 2014, one of the first things I did was hold a meeting with our youth parliament.”
“He made a fair request about considering Killybegs as a base. That is something I will pass on to the Minister. I have no doubt he will use his good services to do the same. Senator Andrews spoke about Dartry gym, which sounds incredible. It is almost a community centre, providing a hub to not just those who use it but organisations which need a place to meet. It is important that we have places that serve every single age. As he said, it acts as a generous sponsor. He referred to a canopy where people can gather for outdoor activities. People have the right to object, and that is something we have to stand over. It would be relatively unusual that decisions are made on the basis of one individual. Having said that, when I became a Deputy I opened an office with a lovely canopy.”
“She correctly referred to the need for a good service. We have all met postmasters at different stages and support them in getting more Government funding, etc. Unfortunately, the price of a stamp has gone up. The role postmasters and the postal service play in all of our communities, urban or rural, is important. To leave a community without post for two weeks because somebody is on well-deserved leave is not good enough. We will ask the Minister to come to the House to address the issue and take any questions people have. Senator Boyle spoke about the new maritime strategy and said for once Donegal is in the right place. I think Donegal has always been in the right place. It is a beautiful county to visit. There is always wonderful hospitality and it has beautiful beaches. It just needs better weather.”
“I understand where farmers are coming from because they are subject to many different inspections and are very proud of the reputation of Irish meat. I understand the concerns. I will continue to meet them. We need highly experienced and wise people to head our boards. It is not easy to get them. It is important to say that the chair in this case has done nothing illegal. Everybody agrees with that. At a meeting of the European affairs committee yesterday, I said that we are coming up to the Presidency and a period in which CAP is being negotiated. As we all know, there currently is a proposed 20% cut, which would be a crisis for Irish farmers. We all need to concentrate all of our energies on ensuring that we get to negotiate a better deal. Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the inadequate postal service.”
“I am sure the Senator realises that Fianna Fáil has tabled a Private Member's motion on online safety, something which concerns all of us, to be debated later today. I want to acknowledge the work of the Senator on the Council of Europe in regard to same. Senator Collins spoke about students, farmers and SNAs. Regarding student fees, it is important to note that for the first time ever, we have had a permanent cut of €500. While post Covid there was a reduction, it was always on a year to year basis. It is important to state that a reduction was introduced by the Minister, Deputy Lawless. Senator Tully also spoke about the meeting held with farmers in Cavan last night. I have attended a number of such meetings and met farmers in Kildare who are travelling to support those in Bord Bia.”
“There are things we can do. Serviced sites and small clusters are a way forward. There is a huge benefit to rural communities not just in terms of schools, sporting groups, etc., but also intergenerational living where children grow up beside their grandparents and help one another. Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about a recent gathering in Cavan addressed by Jackie Fox in respect of Coco's Law. Jackie has been an incredible advocate and her work directly led to Coco's Law, which is the criminalisation of the sharing of intimate images without consent and sending harmful, threatening and offensive communications. We have to appreciate what she has done in turning her incredible tragedy and grief into something that, we hope, will help others.”
“It is not just the commemoration of the birth place of our Republic, it is also home to the Moore Street traders, and we need to make sure they are all remembered in the appropriate way. It is a significant announcement, which we welcome. Senator Boyhan spoke about ongoing issues regarding mental health in prisons. He is correct. It is something about which we are all concerned. We were all shocked by the "Prime Time Investigates" programme. Some 50 beds are not being used and the Senator made the point they should be used incrementally if it is not feasible to open all 50 at one point in time. We will ask the Minister for justice to address the matter. While we need a cross-departmental approach, it is appropriate that we ask the Minister to respond. The Senator also referred to rural housing. We are awaiting a new strategy.”
“One of the highlights was the expansion of the City Connects programme, which encourages children in school to excel in their own way. Currently, ten primary schools are involved. It really seems like a wonderful programme and something we would love to see every child in the country being able to get. We could not because of the time element. Every child has a plan for themselves in terms of centring what is going and what they want to achieve in their own lives. It is expanding to secondary schools, and through the P-TECH programme 80 students graduated secondary school with technical skills up to level 6. It is really good news. There is also the commitment to move to construction for the monument on Moore Street.”
“I hope the paper cuts will not last too long. If he wants to come to any of our offices, we will find similar work for him. I thank all of the Senators for their contributions. Senator Fitzpatrick greeted us with very positive news this morning, and it is always good to get positive news about positive affirmative actions that are making a difference in the lives of people. She spoke about the Taoiseach launching the ninth annual report of the north inner city task force in St. Agatha's Hall yesterday. This task force sits in the Taoiseach's office and co-ordinates and make sure the voices of people who live in the north inner city, be they students in schools, businesses or residents associations work together to try to make the inner city a good place to live.”
“It is important that we start procurement to make these habitable because, like everywhere else, the cost-of-living pressure is huge for those living in the area, rents are so high and it is so difficult to buy a house in Kildare. That is something I ask the Minister of State to take on board.”
“I want to mention the ONE, Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann, which does an incredible job in supporting those who have been members of the Defence Forces. We need to see more support for that body. The St. Conleth's branch of the ONE is going through the process of acquiring a house that will be a community centre for former members and will also provide some accommodation for those who are homeless. We need to have this brought through quickly, along with other projects the ONE is working on. There are 104 residential units in the Curragh Camp. Of those, 63 are currently uninhabitable. In fact, when the Taoiseach was Minister for Defence, he ensured these were not knocked down.”
“We would also like to see the ninth recommendation, namely, the appointment of an adjudicator to the conciliation and arbitration scheme for the Permanent Defence Force as well as supporting those in the Reserve. The tenth recommendation relates to the disparity in pension entitlements for personnel who enlisted post 1994 and pre 2024, which needs to be addressed, and the 11th concerns an evaluation of the public service pensions Act 2012 with regard to its impact on retention. Members who have joined after 2013 face serious financial hardship in the first years of their retirement. We would like to see all of those recommendations addressed. We know they are not going to be addressed overnight. I mentioned being from Kildare and having great pride in our Defence Forces.”
“Sixth wass the establishment of a specialist pay review body outside of local bargaining provisions to consider the appropriateness of current rates of technical pay to specialists. Again, that is really important for the retention of specialists within the Defence Forces. The seventh recommendation was the commencement of adjustments to pay and allowances as agreed under the local bargaining arrangements of the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026. Again, this is really important for retention. The eighth recommendation relates to how Defence Forces chaplains and the Director of Military Prosecutions are not allowed to avail of membership of a representative association. That is certainly something we would like to see addressed.”
“I will briefly go through the 11 recommendations from that motion. The first was the introduction of the rank of lance corporal. Second was the examination of the introduction of the long-service increment scheme. Third was the implementation of the third strand of the working time directive; it is beyond time that was done. Fourth, it is important that a review of the duty pay system be carried out because having listened to many of those who are serving in the Defence Forces, I know this is causing a huge challenge and we have to look at everything we can to retain those who are in the service as well as recruiting more. Thankfully, the numbers are going up on an ongoing basis. Fifth, we need improvements in initial cadet pay, which is the lowest in the Defence Forces and that is simply not equitable.”
“I am not our spokesperson on defence. I leave that to my esteemed colleague, but, coming from Kildare and knowing many of my friends, neighbours and community members who are members of the Defence Forces, I always take the opportunity to speak on these issues, which are important not just to my county but to my country. I thank those who are in the service because we depend on them in a huge way. The last time I spoke about defence matters in the House was on 21 January when Fianna Fáil had its own motion on the Defence Forces and some of the changes that we would like to see. I am pleased that the Minister of State is here to take note of some of the elements that are well-aired. It is important to once again mention the 11 different recommendations that we have been making.”
“Friday is also the Ireland Reads “Get lost in a good book” day, with excellent Irish authors. We should do that. Finally, I want to refer to an email I received from Deaglán De Paor, former chairperson of Newbridge Tidy Towns. He is an incredible volunteer with it. He wrote on an issue that I had raised before but we had not had any feedback, namely, the metal nitrous oxide canisters that are discarded around all our parks, footpaths, roads, etc. There is no way of disposing of these. There is for those who have to use them for professional purposes but if anyone contacts their local authority or the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, they are told there is no way to get rid of them in a sustainable way. We need to have that addressed.”
“It is great to try to promote awareness of the excellent work the Alzheimer Society of Ireland does but also to make us all aware of people living with dementia, and their families, and the supports they need within the communities within which they live. On Thursday evening in the Keadeen Hotel at 7 p.m. I will be having a public meeting to help to make Newbridge a dementia-friendly town. This is something that has been done in a number of towns across the country but this is the first such meeting in Kildare. There are many challenges with a diagnosis of dementia but we can all work together within the community, from sporting clubs to businesses to neighbours to friends, to help make life a little bit easier. I encourage anybody who can to come to that meeting or to contact me if they cannot and we will do it at another stage.”
“We were all shocked right across the country at the level of road deaths over the weekend, particularly the accident in Waterford that took the lives of Brian Frisby and Grace Elliott in such a shocking and immediate way. Brian and Grace lived in Naas with their sons Theo and Fionn. Grace was an SNA at Scoil Na Naomh Uilig in Newbridge and I was speaking to some members of the school community there this morning. They are obviously in complete shock and sadness so our very deepest sympathies go to Theo, Fionn and the very many friends, communities and work colleagues Brian and Grace had. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha. Friday will be denim day for dementia and Cian Prendergast, Irish rugby player and former Newbridge College student, the same as Sam and Hugh, is the ambassador for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.”
“I will finish on a quote from Muhammad Ali: "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." I thank the Minister of State for being here.”
“Apart from the time and the part of ourselves we want to give to the particular different charities, causes or community groups, there is an element of work and red tape to volunteering. Senator Cosgrove also mentioned that. The Government is looking for suggestions. Recruitment is important and it is important to do that through education, including transition year and even at primary school level through children getting involved in community gardens where there is that intergenerational piece and working with day care centres for something that can help all of us. There is also the questions of training, appreciation and fast-track vetting and grant writing. We need places for volunteers to meet and to gather. I would like to give a big shout out to all those involved in animal rescue, meals on wheels, day care centres, etc.”
“It was important that the first strategy to recognise to support and promote the unique contribution of volunteers to society. The strategy consisted of five high-level objectives and 56 associated actions, which is what helped bring us to where we are. With regard to the recommendations to increase participation, people in the home or who are retired have so much to give and offer. That is also true of the new Irish. In Newbridge I have seen that particularly in the Tidy Towns group where they have got involved. It is a wonderful way of making new friends and making a difference in the community in which we live. The objective to facilitate, develop and support the volunteering environment is also important.”
“I thank the Minister of State and the Minister for what they are doing to recognise the essential work being carried out by volunteers and voluntary organisations in our communities because there is absolutely no doubt that type of work enhances communities where we live and it strengthens our resilience and enhances social cohesion. That also includes our new Irish. When he was in Kildare, the Minister of State met people from Helping Irish Hosts who have done incredible work to help Irish families open their homes and hearts to Ukrainians who came to Ireland. We acknowledge that it is four years today since the war of aggression started. They are looking at ways how that scheme can be expanded to help others. I really appreciate that he said he will meet them.”
“The Minister of State mentioned he was in Kildare. We were delighted to have him. It was a huge acknowledgement and appreciation of all the volunteers who were there. We are lucky to have one of the 29 volunteer centres in Kildare. David, John, Michelle and the rest of the team do an incredible job of matching volunteers with volunteer opportunities. They were there prior to Covid-19 but the experience during Covid-19 has really added to that sense of belonging. They have far more volunteers since Covid-19 when as a nation we sent out that request for people to get involved in their own communities.”
“When I look back on my own volunteering with Special Olympics Ireland, sports, Samaritans and local festivals, I know I learned an awful lot. It is to my regret that political life can narrow the volunteering we do. Two weeks ago, I met Paula Conlon at the Barretstown camp. They are just starting a new volunteer initiative there working with families of children who have life-limiting health complications. In their volunteer programme, you can volunteer for as little or as much time as you have. The commitment I made was that I would definitely spend at least one weekend there during the summer. I know I benefit as a person when I have that opportunity. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said "the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." We all learn an awful lot from it.”
“The Minister of State bounced in here with his usual boundless energy and enthusiasm. It is great to see somebody who really is genuinely passionate about the role they serve. I know he does that in the community element and, of course, around rural transport. The two are also interlinked. That viability and connectivity, particularly in rural communities, is hugely important. Senator Scahill quoted Churchill whom I always like to hear being quoted but I will mention another one attributed to him which is equally fitting: "We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give." My life has been very much enriched by volunteering. The one negative about political life is that it takes you away from the volunteering that got you there in the first place.”
“It is important that we acknowledge the 100 years. I have written to the Chair of the new Oireachtas racing committee to say that we should acknowledge that here in Leinster House. I would also like to raise Ireland's eating disorders awareness week, which is this week. This serves as an important annual reminder of the prevalence of eating disorders, their harms, how they can be detected and how they can be prevented. It is estimated that approximately 1,757 new cases occur in Ireland every year in the ten-to-49 age group. A 2025 study showed that hospital admissions for eating disorders in under-18s had more than doubled in Ireland. They are stark statistics. The average age is between 12 and 25. I would like to see, at some point, a debate on eating disorders in this House, and how we detect, prevent and treat them.”