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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“The Horse Racing Ireland statistics for what the horse means for the Irish economy showed that in 2022, there was €2.46 billion in direct and stimulated economic activity arising from breeding, training, racing, employment, sales and so on, and another €1 billion in relation to the sports horse. That is significant. One of the organisations that are important to the equine industry in Ireland is the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association, ITBA, which celebrates 100 years this year. It is an important organisation that represents the breeding industry. It does great work to ensure that Ireland has one of the best and most successful breeding industries in the world. Cathal Beale is the present chair. I pay tribute to the only two ladies that it has ever had, Eimear Haughey and Cathy Grassick, who have done excellent work.”
“I add my voice to the Cathaoirleach's words of support for the people of Ukraine. It is always a pleasure to see and meet H.E. Larysa Gerasko. As the Cathaoirleach said, it is sad that we have to meet her so often and to think we have seen four long years of a war of aggression against a very fine, courageous and resilient people. I am thinking of all of those who are still living in Ukraine, those who have had to leave and, of course, all of those who have chosen to make Ireland their home. Last week, we saw the Chinese New Year. We are now into the Year of the Horse, which is timely, particularly for County Kildare and all those areas that depend a lot on the horse industry.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann – - expresses its deep sadness on the death of Larry Butler; - conveys its sincere condolences to his family; and - expresses its gratitude for his notable contribution, as a member of Seanad Éireann, to Irish public life and for his dedicated service to the people of Ireland.”
“The NCSE is obviously part of the whole story. Part of the problem is that the NCSE seems to have taken the decision to send out these communications unilaterally. That was very regrettable. I am sure there will be conversations about that. That is the end of my response to the Order of Business.”
“The communication to the affected schools was completely wrong and anyone who has a child with special needs faces uphill battles all of the time and they take things like this very personally. Schools pride themselves on inclusion and so many of our schools that are really doing excellent work in the inclusion area take it very personally as well. I had a Commencement matter last week about a similar situation in Newbridge. While we welcome the pause, we need to have a debate in the House about how we go forward. Given that there will be 1,700 new SNAs, there has to be a better way of redeployment. We get what the Minister has said about needing to ensure that redeployments are in the areas of need. That is what we all want but we see and we recognise that need in the schools in our communities.”
“About 200 schools received letters over the last week, and the Senator spoke about Scoil Barra National School in particular, and the concerns there, particularly about next September's intake. The school would need three SNAs for just the new intake alone, which would leave just three for the rest of the school if these cuts were made. Yes, certainly it is good that a pause has been announced but we need more action than that. We need to have a debate with the Minister on the matter. None of us should have an issue with reviews because they are important at every level. A review of SNAs had not been done for about eight years, I think. However, the way this was handled was completely wrong.”
“I would suggest that the Senator put in a Commencement matter in relation to that. Senator Craughwell spoke about children and access to social media and about the need for a cyber awareness campaign. I understand that today at Cabinet there is going to be debate on that and actions that will be taken. In the education committee a few years ago we had a number of sessions with the anti-bullying centre, ABC, from DCU. The centre is internationally recognised and it does incredible work on cyber-bullying and online harassment. An observatory was set up there following the enactment of Coco's Law. We will ask for the Minister for education to come and speak about that and to speak about the work being done in DCU. Senator Kelleher spoke about the SNA situation, which I know we are all concerned about.”
“Senator Duffy spoke about housing and the fact that in Westport, Castlebar and Ballina, while councillors and other public representatives want to see more affordable housing, apparently it is a requirement of the Department that KPMG carry out a survey and an analysis. It does not make sense on any level. As he rightly says, every village, town and city needs to have more housing. We need to see more affordable housing and affordable sites everywhere. In rural areas where people find it hard to get one-off planning, having affordable sites zoned for those who could build their own houses is important. We will take that up with the Minister for housing. The survey requirement does not seem to make sense. Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the poor quality roads in Cavan and the reliance on national funding.”
“We certainly will ask the Minister to come to discuss that. Perhaps Members here in the Seanad who are on the health committee would raise it in that forum. We are hearing about sepsis more and more and it is affecting people of all ages. Everybody is right to be concerned but we need to do more than show concern. Senator Scahill spoke about the situation in Kerry and the families of 300 children who were in CAMHS. The review showed that there was very weak governance and failures there. There is a concern that something similar might happen in Castlerea because of key posts that are left unfilled. While I have no doubt but that staff on the ground are doing their best,it has to be a concern and we will look for a debate on the CAMHS service and mental health services.”
“It has put Ireland and the Irish players who are involved in a very difficult situation. The Senator said that Israel is playing politics with football. It is, but that does not mean we should follow suit. The Senator is saying that because Israel is doing that, Ireland should do the same. There is nothing about Israel that I would like to copy, particularly in relation to the kinds of things it is doing. Senator McCarthy spoke about the public petitions committee two days ago and a witness named Sinead O'Reilly whose sister in law, Sarah O'Reilly, had died from sepsis. Had protocol been followed, she would be alive today. There is a very real fear about sepsis at the moment and everybody is right to be concerned about it. We need to have a time-bound strategy and a development of an awareness campaign.”
“Senator Gallagher spoke about a jetty that was constructed from recycled plastic about 20 years ago to assist people with mobility issues to fish Unfortunately, this was set on fire last Sunday night. He expressed his thanks to the fire service and has requested that anybody who saw anything suspicious to please inform the authorities, and obviously we support that. Senator Andrews spoke about Irish Sport for Palestine, which has submitted a complaint to UEFA saying that UEFA is legitimising the occupied territories. The FAI is in a very difficult situation here. Some time ago, it made its preference known to UEFA that Israel should not be included in the competition. I think the FAI was absolutely right and I would completely support its stance. UEFA has taken its own decision.”
“I will check with the EU scrutiny committee because I would be surprised if some level of scrutiny was not done. I genuinely do not know the answer but it is important that we find it out. Senator Boyle spoke about water outages over the last two days. Luckily, supplies have been restored after scheduled works in the reservoir. The Senator is right that there is a problem with communication. It causes all sorts of problems. If these shortages and stoppages to water or electricity supplies are communicated in a timely manner, then people can make plans. For all of these vital parts of our infrastructure, we need to have proper communication to all those who are going to be impacted.”
“Our deepest sympathy go to Evan's family and community. The Senator also spoke about Droimnin Nursing Home, which HIQA found was non-compliant in eight areas. The licence was cancelled and the HSE took the nursing home over. The Senator would like to see that being put on a permanent basis. To see that carried out we should have a debate with the Minister of State with responsibility for older people, Deputy O'Donnell, about nursing homes, to see if we can advocate for the HSE taking more of them in charge. Senator Keogan spoke about the EU consumer protection law, the consumer credit directive, which would expand protections to customers. The deadline for Ireland signing up was November 2025. The fact that there was a public consultation is important but it does not actually mean anything is going to happen.”
“I know that the master of the Rotunda offered to meet the Dublin Civic Trust some time ago and had invited the objectors to meet with him and engage. Unfortunately, that invitation was not taken up. That is disappointing, too. Senator Boyhan said that the power should be taken from An Coimisiún Pleanála. We have to have an independent planning process because there are a lot of vested interests on both sides in relation to planning. It is important that there is a planning process. It is important that this is removed from politics. However, having said that, there should be no issue with politicians saying that they are disappointed with the actual verdict that was given, as indeed we all are. Senator McCormack also spoke about Evan Power from Portarlington, who was a great advocate for disability rights and sadly has passed away.”
“I think Senator Boyhan is wrong to say that the Taoiseach was wrong to express that. At the end of the day, Dublin City Council and the planning inspector had recommended this. The Rotunda is one of the busiest maternity hospitals in Europe. I remember seeing somewhere that this year they expect to deliver their one millionth baby in the hospital. That shows how important it is to the mothers of Dublin and outside of Dublin. The planned new critical care wing is absolutely necessary for upgrading the essential competencies of the Rotunda. It includes a neonatal intensive care unit, 46 single-bed rooms , 19 postnatal rooms, which are really important, and a new operating theatre. It is shocking. There will have to be a meeting.”
“The best thing to do is to try to have a conversation with Clúid. That does not seem to be going anywhere. Some intervention should be made. I suggest a Commencement matter with the Minister for housing because that situation is simply not good enough. Senators Boyhan, McCormack and Andrews spoke about the legend that was Larry Butler and expressed their deepest sympathies to his wife, Kathleen, and family. They remembered him in very kind words. I thank them for that. Senator Boyhan, along with Senators Ní Chuilinn and Conway, spoke about the Rotunda Hospital and the shock we all felt when we heard the announcement on the news yesterday morning that planning permission had been turned down. I know the Minister for Health has expressed her deep disappointment. The Taoiseach did so yesterday as well.”
“I suggest to the Senator that there is a process under section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 whereby residents, in a situation where the developer has gone, can initiate the process themselves. Some years back - I cannot recall what year - legislation was put in place to ensure that there would be a fund there to support works that need to be done in a place that is unfinished. Essentially the estate is unfinished. That would pay for that to bring it up to the stage where Louth County Council would take it in charge. The Senator may wish to look at that as it is worth doing. In relation to Tullybrook Court, it is shocking to think that tenants are paying such huge electricity and heating bills. They are not using heat pumps, I understand, but electrical storage heaters.”
“I thank the 15 Senators who contributed on the Order of Business this morning. We started with Senator Comyn, who spoke about Ash Wednesday and its importance in our calendar, heralding a time not just to abstain but to reflect and take up some type of positive habit. Kindness was the one she suggested. I think we can never have enough kindness in the world, including in this Chamber at times. Senator Comyn also spoke about two housing estates in Drogheda that have particular issues. In Bryanstown Wood, sadly there is a situation where there is a raw sewage leak, which has been investigated by Louth County Council and Uisce Éireann but, because the housing estate is not taken in charge, nobody is doing anything about it.”
“and to adjourn at 7 p.m. if not previously concluded; and No. 3, Private Members' business, Education (Leave for Injuries) Bill 2025 - Second Stage, to be taken at 7 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach for his lovely words about former Senator and councillor, Larry Butler. He was a very gregarious character and his sartorial elegance was always absolutely spot on. He always had the nicest and the best of suits and immaculately polished shoes. He was an absolute gentleman any time I met him and I know everybody who met him had the same experience. Our deepest sympathy to his family. The Order of Business is No. 1, address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament representing the Ireland South constituency, to be taken at 2.30 p.m., in accordance with the arrangements set out in the motion agreed by the House on 12 February 2026; No. 2, Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 - Order for Committee Stage, Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 4.30 p.m.”
“They have an excellent board and an excellent group of people working with volunteers. Volunteers are the lifeblood of every village and community organisation from Tidy Towns to sport and I wish them all well.”
“Toilets on sites where there are women are just unisex and I honestly think that we should have separate toilets. I was quite shocked at some of the behaviours I was told about. A lot of it may be down to a male cultural thing over the years without having women present while working on building sites. We need to have a debate, probably with the Minister for higher education, because it is between enterprise and higher education but it is something we need to look at. The Kildare Volunteer Centre has done a wonderful job over the last two decades, supporting volunteers and matching volunteers to events that are happening. There was a really good event in the Keadeen Hotel, attended by the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, at which it and they presented its strategic plan. I thank Michelle, John and all the team.”
“The pause is very welcome and I hope it will become a permanent one. I call for a debate in regard to women working on building sites. This issue was brought to my attention by somebody in Kildare over the last week or two in terms of the difficulties that there were for women working on sites. At this point in time, there are about 70 apprenticeship programmes spanning a wide range of industries. It is wonderful to see more women becoming apprentices every year. Last week, the Rose of Tralee, an apprentice herself, was in here for the motion on apprenticeships. By the end of 2025, there were approximately 3,010 female apprentices, an increase of 196% since 2023. Women now account for approximately 10% of apprentices. However, there are issues on the ground, for example, with toilets.”
“I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. Last Wednesday, in the debate on a Commencement matter I raised regarding proposed cuts in the allocation of special needs assistants, SNAs, I described those cuts as indefensible. I was really glad to hear of the decision by the Cabinet this morning that this review of SNA allocations has been paused. Some 200 schools were impacted by the proposal. I spoke last week about Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge, County Kildare, which is absolutely renowned for its very inclusive education and the excellent work it does in the area. I was also conscious that Scoil Bhríde Naofa was told it would lose five SNAs. This morning's announcement is an important recognition that SNAs are not just an optional extra and are very important in supporting vulnerable students in our schools.”
“However, I believe that it would and could be open to the suggestion of sharing this fabulous space with the public. I hope there will be an opportunity down the line but I would like to know whether the Minister would be open to something like this if it came to him.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. We were delighted to welcome him to Athy to the Shackleton Experience, which I know he found enthralling. It is fantastic and I would recommend everybody to come to visit it. Of course the Monasterevin town square regeneration project funding was very much welcomed, along with the funding allocations for Clane and Athgarvan. I want to come back briefly to Moore Abbey. I believe this would be a vital regenerative source for the public in Monasterevin and would bring new life and new opportunities for people in the town with the public having access to it. This really is a jewel in the crown for Monasterevin and for County Kildare. The model of how we support people with intellectual disabilities has changed and the Muiríosa Foundation now has its administrative centre there.”
“South Kildare only has one public swimming pool. For the people of Monasterevin, Kildangan, Rathangan and Kildare town, it would be a great boon. Part of the site was already sold a number of years ago to the Department of education to get the new St. Paul's Secondary School. I was involved in that when I was on Kildare County Council. Part of the site is now going for a new fire station for Kildare County Council but it would be wonderful if, through his Department, the Minister could liaise with the Department of education to support this very viable project for the people of Monasterevin and the area.”
“A sale was announced last week of the site of the old St. Paul's Secondary School, which is very happy to have a new St. Paul's Secondary School that opened two years ago. I had hoped this site might transition into an apprenticeship school and had been liaising with the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, in relation to that, but it has been sold to a commercial entity, Lidl, to provide a low-cost shopping supermarket for people in the area. I am sure that is very welcome news, however, the fact is that a very significant sum of money will be going to the State from this sale through the Department of education. That money should be spent in the Monasterevin area. I cannot think of a better acquisition than to try to reach an agreement with the Muiríosa Foundation to be able to acquire part of the Moore Abbey estate.”
“Sometimes, at the Manley Hopkins festival, I have had the opportunity to be in there. Count John McCormack rented this house for ten years during his successful career. There is talk in the annals about local people hearing the beautiful music and singing coming from Moore Abbey; that was from 1925 to 1935. It then became a convent and now the Muiríosa Foundation owns the House and estate. The Muiríosa Foundation does excellent work for people with autism and people with intellectual disability. At one point, this was a residential home but now, following all the good practice in this area, the people who are clients of Muiríosa Foundation moved from residential out into the community, which is absolutely working for everyone else. This is a lovely site, with lovely woodland, beautiful walks and a swimming pool.”
“The Minister, Deputy Calleary, is very welcome to the House. Of course, he is always welcome to Kildare. I know he has been there a number of times and if he would like to come to see the area I will talk about, he would absolutely be more than welcome. It is just a small detour on the way home to lovely Mayo. I raise a Commencement in relation to the Moore Abbey estate in Monasterevin, A monastery was originally founded on the Moore Abbey estate in the 6th or 7th century by St. Evin, whom Monasterevin is called after. This monastery was built in a wooded area, Ros Glas, which is now Moore Abbey. In the 1100s, a new abbey was built on the same spot and in the 1760s the 6th Earl of Drogheda acquired the beautiful Moore Abbey estate. He commissioned what is a wonderful historic house, which is rarely open to the public.”
“We cannot have a system where landlords are exiting the market and we are not able to get new ones. Under this legislation, rent increases in new apartments will be solely linked to inflation in order to provide certainty and clarity and to encourage investment. That will really help to significantly increase the number of rental properties available. Some people may benefit from the current system and naturally be resistant to change. While always have to think about the common good, the current system is simply not working for renters or for potential landlords. Doing nothing is simply not an option. That was made very clear by the Housing Agency report. These changes need to be made now to provide for national rent controls to replace RPZs. Tenants need to be protected and the sector needs certainty.”
“Changes will further enhance the current provision of tenancies of unlimited duration with the introduction of rolling tenancies and the minimum duration of six years. That is a really important measure and something we should all support. Based on this legislation, a tenant entering into a tenancy from 1 March 2026 will no longer face no-fault evictions. That is for the larger landlords. For the smaller landlords the tenants will also benefit from substantially improved tenancy protections. These along with other measures provide for a simplified national rent control. That will apply to all tenancies nationally. We know that landlords will be able to reset rents to market value between tenancies. That is viewed as critical to retaining existing landlords and to attracting new investment.”
“It is really important that those who are renting have greater certainty. It is also important that we have balance and that we incentivise investment in the sector to increase supply. The biggest answer in all of this is to be able to increase the supply of houses and apartments. No matter what any of us say, the current system is simply not serving those who need a viable and working rental sector because of a lack of supply of suitable rental accommodation. There is no doubt that we need reform. This Bill contains the reforms we need to give that greater certainty to renters and to make the sector more attractive to those who can invest in the types of homes we need. It is good to see the Government acting decisively to shield tenants from higher market rents. Significantly, the Bill will also restrict no-fault evictions.”
“As somebody who rented for 16 years I know only too well the vulnerability of being a tenant. There is the lack of security of tenure and not knowing month to month if a place will remain home. It is important to point out that this is the first time that any Government has introduced a national system of rent control, which I welcome. One of the earlier speakers said that this legislation will not fix the housing crisis. It will not. It was never meant to fix the housing crisis because a lot of measures need to work together in tandem to support the different types of occupiers we have in houses. We have people who are in social housing and affordable housing. There are people who can buy privately and those who rent while they are waiting to try to buy a home. Of course, there are those who want to rent for different reasons as well.”
“Michael McNamara MEP, and Ms Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP, may attend and be heard in Seanad Éireann on Wednesday, 18th February, 2026, and that the following arrangements shall apply: The proceedings shall commence at 2:30 p.m., shall not exceed two hours, and shall consist of— ( a ) a speech of welcome by the Cathaoirleach; ( b ) an opening address by each MEP which shall not exceed six minutes in each case; ( c ) a contribution not exceeding three minutes by a spokesperson from each Group; ( d ) a single response not exceeding three minutes by each MEP to the combined issues raised by the Group spokespersons; ( e ) questions from all other Senators in accordance with the sequence set out in the Schedule to this resolution, which shall not exceed one minute in each case, and a reply not exceeding two minutes from each MEP; ( f ) a final concluding statement of not less than four minutes by each MEP; ( g ) a speech of thanks by the Leader of the House; and the members of the European Parliament may take seats on the floor of the Seanad Chamber.”
“I move: That, in accordance with Standing Order 63(1) and the approval of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, Seanad Éireann agrees that, in respect of the European Parliament South Constituency, Ms Kathleen Funchion MEP, Mr. Billy Kelleher MEP, Mr. Seán Kelly MEP, Mr.”
“A then colleague, former Deputy Frank O'Rourke, drafted legislation to try to ensure there was a local element in the criteria such that if a local firm or company could provide the service, it would get a higher weighting in the consideration. There is a lot of merit in that. Things are taking far too long. We will see if we can have a debate on public procurement. It is in all of our interests when we see weekly debates on the children's hospital. I thank all of the Senators who raised those important issues.”
“The problem in the past was that, when these prefabs were put there - I am sure Senator Joe Conway saw it in his teaching life - they became permanent and were still there 30 years later. It is a completely different model we need to consider now. We will write to the Minister on that. The Senator should submit a Commencement matter on that possibility for the school. When we have the opportunity, we will raise it as well. Senator Martin Conway spoke about needing a debate on public procurement. He is right, in that it is very rigid. It should not just be about money. It should be weighted for other considerations.”
“There was a time when rural roads were quiet and there were not many cars. There is no road in Ireland now that is quiet and safe. I imagine there is no pedestrian crossing there either. There are a lot of issues there. The care of the student has to be at the centre. I think it was when Mary Hanafin was the Minister for education there were a lot of prefabs in schools. To be fair, she made a commitment that there would be no more. As a society, we were trying to eradicate them and we needed permanent buildings and structures. She led the drive on that, which has very largely been successful. Occasionally, though, situations arise where a prefab is needed. The Department of education needs to change, especially when the accommodation is temporary.”
“I know she is a strong advocate of Shannon Airport in terms of businesses, start-ups and tourism. It is a fine airport. I have had the opportunity to go in and out of it a few times. It is under-utilised. Shannon and the mid-west area need daily connectivity to Europe and England. We will look for a debate. The Senator is right to say it should be the Minister for enterprise as opposed to the Minister for Transport because he needs to ensure there are balanced opportunities in every area in the country. Senator Rabbitte spoke about additional classrooms needed, particularly in rural Ireland. The school she mentioned was told to go to the community centre but there is not even a footpath. That is something I had to do as a child. So many years later, children should not have to do that.”
“The board has expressed its confidence in Larry Murrin as chair. There was a robust exchange in a meeting of the agriculture committee last week. It is going to make recommendations from that this week, which I have not seen yet. It is an important issue. There needs to be collaboration. People need to sit down together and work on a way forward. While that is happening, the eye has been taken off the big ball, which is CAP and multi-annual financial framework, MFF, funding coming down the line. At the moment, there is a reduction of 20% in CAP, which means so much to farmers and rural communities that depend on CAP in the economy. Senator Dee Ryan spoke about the lifting of the cap in Dublin Airport and rightly talked about needing a parallel plan to support regional airports.”
“The Minister of State was in yesterday. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, makes these decisions. There is a process whereby an appeal can be made and the school is doing that. We will hope for a positive result. The Senator also spoke about Larry Murrin. I would point out that he is the chair of the board, not the CEO, in terms of the implementation of the rules and regulations. Farmers have a right to protest. I understand their concerns. There were meetings all around the country during the week. I understand their concerns when they have many rules and regulations, but Bord Bia is an excellent organisation. Through Bord Bia, total Irish agrifood exports are in the region of €21 billion a year. That is incredible when one thinks of all the jobs that supports. We have to be very mindful of that.”
“It something we all have to be concerned about. Senator Boyle spoke about footpaths for the community in Donegal. I suggest he speak to Donegal County Council. He has a good relationship with the area engineer. Footpaths are very important and we need them to be completed. Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the situation in Newbridge yesterday. I had a Commencement matter yesterday about that. The Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge, which at present has an allocation of 6.75 SNAs, received word that, in September, the number would go down to four. It is a reduction of 40%, which is huge. When the school had 150 fewer students, it had 6.75. It is a school that really prides itself on a positive role of inclusion. It was an awful blow. It was devastating to the whole school community to hear this news.”
“He said Irish people had been scammed out of about €33 million, approximately €1,500 each time. That is a huge amount of money. Apart from the financial impact, it has a huge psychological impact. Platforms should be responsible. We need to hold them responsible and try to extract that money, which I understand could be very difficult. The Senator is right, in that we need to enhance legislation. The Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, is doing a lot of work in this area. We will bring the matter to her attention. The Minister for justice is very relevant to that topic as well, and he is the Minister the Senator wants to come to the House. We need a debate around that whole area. Senator Rabbitte has done a lot of work and had an excellent session in the audiovisual room relating to Internet safety day. This comes into that whole role.”
“I think they are two separate issues. As he said, Ireland is world renowned for neutrality and always stands up for international law, and correctly so. The Senator raised separately the issue of the triple lock. I understand that the Government legislation is going through scrutiny by the defence committee. I look forward to the recommendations from that. The Senator looked for the Minister to come to the House. I will point out it is a female Minister - Deputy McEntee is the Minister. Once it comes through the committee and the committee makes its recommendations, we will have the opportunity to have that debate. It is an important debate. The Senator and I have different views on it. Everybody's voice needs to be heard. Senator Crowe spoke about an important issue. There are a lot of scams online where people are cheated out of money.”
“It is great that there are going to be newly expanded facilities for the club and I wish it well in its application for the sports capital grant. Senator Joe Conway spoke about the critical issue of teacher supply, particularly in cities. He is correct that it is linked with the price of houses in Dublin. As many teachers now have to commute long distances, they are not available for the after-school extracurricular activities that many of us did in the education sector. It is a problem. I have always felt that we need to have some type of price control for essential workers, such as teachers, nurses, gardaí, etc., in our cities so that they are able to afford housing. We still need to do that. Senator Andrews spoke about neutrality and the triple lock. I would not have necessarily put the two together the way the Senator has.”
“Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about bluetongue. As we know, there are three confirmed cases in Ireland now. It is spread by midges. It is unfortunate that it has travelled here but the fact that neighbouring countries had it meant that it was not totally unexpected. It is important to say that there is no impact on human health. Unfortunately, it affects some of our beef exports. After we put a lot of work into getting exports into China again, it is unfortunate that they have now halted. It needs to be treated seriously, and we will look for the Minister for agriculture, Deputy Heydon, to come in and give us an update on it. Senator Nelson Murray spoke about Johnstown Football Club and how important volunteers are to the core of the community.”
“While she acknowledged that there is now public consultation, she expressed concern around the way the country is divided into health regions. The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, was in this House last week to address a Commencement matter put down by Senator Fitzpatrick that was related to this. I know that the Committee on Drugs Use, which Senator Ruane is a member of, is discussing this issue at the moment. She raises important points. The whole area of drug addiction is complex and multifaceted. There is no community, village, town or city that is immune. We cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach. When the committee makes its recommendations and observations in relation to the task force, that will be the opportune time to have a debate in this House on this issue and we will look for it.”
“Senator Conor Murphy spoke about all-Ireland healthcare and about the excellent areas of collaboration that are there, particularly around cardiology and cancer services. He said that there are some barriers, particularly around data sharing, etc. The Senator also spoke about the tragic case of Catherine Sherry, who, unfortunately, had to travel abroad and died there without family because she could not access the necessary cross-Border care in Dublin. That all-Ireland programme of collaboration is important and it is certainly worthy of debate. We will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to come to the Seanad and have a debate in relation to this issue. Senator Ruane spoke about the national drugs strategy.”
“I think that is wrong because it was always an opportunity to raise issues that concern our constituents and our communities. It was also an opportunity to learn what is going on because it was always valuable to get the statistics from An Garda Síochána. To be fair, in my experience, if any members of the press that were present were asked to treat something confidentially, they always did so. The Senator is right: it is important that a light is shone on this collaborative work to make all of our communities safer places to be. We will look for that clarity. Journalists play an important role in terms of highlighting issues and concerns. We will ask the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, to come here to address that.”