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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“Where any evidence comes forward of these crimes being carried out, An Garda Síochána should absolutely treat this as a priority. As a country, we need to show that we will not stand for this and we will not condone it at any level. Senator Duffy spoke about the local community safety partnerships. I agree with him that the joint policing committees were always an excellent way of stakeholders coming together, including members of An Garda Síochána, elected representatives and those involved in communities. While it is good that local community safety partnerships have been established, the same set of rules does not seem to apply around the country and we need clarity on that. Oireachtas Members are invited in some counties and in some they are not.”
“I never mentioned anything about people caught up with sex trafficking being innocent. I am talking about Epstein's tentacles in terms of social gatherings. People who got caught up attending social gatherings had no idea of the horrific activities that he was responsible for. Of course, there were those who attended gatherings and were complicit - absolutely. The point I am making is that not everybody who is now being associated with Epstein is guilty of this type of crime. We have to remember that. I know one girl's name was mentioned in social media. Her name is out there in the public domain, but it escapes me at the moment. She said that there was evidence. I encourage that individual to go An Garda Síochána and to make a statement.”
“A lot of innocent people were caught up in all of this too by association and, by being at an event or whatever, their names are tainted. We have to be careful and conscious of everyone's reputation, but it is clear that where there is evidence of wrongdoing, it should be investigated.”
“She wants a debate on the issue in this House. I understand that this task force lies in the Department of the Taoiseach. We will request that the Taoiseach comes to the Seanad in relation to this issue. It is important to all of us, not just those who live in Dublin. Senator Keogan spoke about the Epstein situation. As it unfolds, it is completely shocking. We always have to put the victims front and centre. What we are learning about that odious man is that there were a lot of vulnerable young women who were trafficked and there was essentially child sex abuse. I listened to Alastair Campbell's podcast last week and it was on the topic of how Epstein's tentacles reached out to so many people and how still no one knows where his money came from or how he was able to host lavish parties everywhere and send private jets to collect people.”
“We started this morning with Senator Fitzpatrick, who spoke about the importance of our capital city and said that Ireland deserves to have a capital that is safe to live in and safe to visit. She also spoke about the Dublin city task force and the importance of its work on revitalising the city. Senator Fitzpatrick has put a lot of work into the development of the task force and brought forward legislation a number of years ago with Deputy Lahart, which pre-empted this task force. The point of it is to bring all stakeholders together, including businesspeople, to address dereliction, antisocial behaviour, etc. There was progress this week because Dublin City Council announced that it plans to establish a special purpose vehicle. That is important, though the Senator highlighted that we need more ambition and more urgency.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the address to Seanad Éireann by MEPs representing the European Parliament South constituency, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; and No. 1 a , on the Supplementary Order Paper, Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 - Second Stage, to be taken at 11.45 a.m., with the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, any other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.”
“I add my voice of welcome to the ambassador and the convenor. Lithuania is a beautiful country and I always received a very warm welcome from the Lithuanian people when I had the honour and opportunity to visit their country. I look forward to future visits with Deputy Dempsey.”
“I would really like to see that money being used for community purposes, such as the purchase of Moore Abbey, which was the home of John McCormack and is up for sale. That would be a wonderful premises to be acquired by Kildare County Council, with support nationally of course, to be used for the community. Not alone is there a very fine house and grounds at Moore Abbey, which is actually beside the new St. Paul’s Secondary School, but there is a swimming pool there as well. The Muiríosa Foundation has used this premises for residential purposes. A swimming pool would be a great boon to the people of Monasterevin, Rathangan, Kildare town and the hinterland. It is important to raise that and to look for support from the Seanad.”
“The new building, which was opened officially the year before last, is absolutely fantastic. It is a wonderful asset to the whole school community, and indeed, to the people of the broader community. There was a question regarding what the old school building would be used for. I had tentative discussions with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, on having an apprenticeship school there. North-west Kildare and south Kildare do not have an apprenticeship school. I learned last week that the actual building and the site have been sold to Lidl. That is not bad news in itself, because the town needs a new large shop. That is good news for the community, but I am concerned that the Department of education sold a building without scoping it out for an educational purpose.”
“I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. I extend the sympathies of my own party and indeed the House to the people of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia. It was absolutely shocking to wake up this morning and listen to the breaking news that ten people have been killed and 29 injured in a school shooting in a small community. We know how absolutely devastating this is for the community. I was in Canada just before Christmas, and had the opportunity to meet some terrific Canadian people. Our ambassador there is doing a wonderful job. I extend our very deepest sympathies. The original building at St. Paul's Secondary School in Monasterevin was an old building at the centre of town. Thankfully, the school got a new building after a 12-year campaign.”
“I appreciate the Minister of State's interest in this matter. I hope that I can work with him and the Department in whatever way I can to help restore these positions. The school will be making that appeal to the NCSE.”
“I acknowledge that the NCSE allocation and review process are important to ensure SNAs are provided where they are most needed. I also acknowledge that the number of SNAs in County Kildare has increased to 989 this year. That is significant, along with the 74% increase in the number of special classes in Kildare from 2021 to today. That is all really important. However, it does not take away from the cut that the Patrician Catholic Secondary School has been told to expect. I know that the Minister of State's vision, along with mine, is to deliver an education system that is of the highest quality where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, the children, family and school community do not feel valued in the Patrician Catholic Secondary School in Newbridge.”
“For 2026, there was an increased allocation of, I believe, 1,717. That is more than double the number of SNAs ten years ago. That is really great and a lot of the extra allocation is down to the Minister of State and his support for this area. I appreciate that it is not him who makes these allocations but, rather, the NCSE, working through the special educational needs organisers, SENOs. However, considering the increase in SNA allocation, I cannot at any level understand how this school, which has grown, has received a proposed allocation of 40% instead of more SNAs. The school is making an appeal. Just the mere suggestion of the cut is inconceivable and indefensible and I hope that the Minister of State will support this call to have the cut reversed and, at the very minimum, retain the current number in the school.”
“Having had the opportunity to visit the school many times and the applied leaving certificate class, which has been in situ for a long time, I can attest to that. This school has had an allocation of 6.75 SNAs since the school population was 820. The school population is now 930 and growing. In fact, the school will have a large extension to cater for 1,000 pupils. One can imagine the impact on the school community when it heard just over the weekend that its allocation of 6.75 SNAs was going to be reduced to four next September. The whole school community is absolutely devastated. The SNAs are a really important feature of school life in terms of students who are vulnerable and need to have those extra needs met. In the last budget, 16,000 SNAs were accounted for in terms of extra funding.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Commencement matter. I acknowledge his commitment and compassion in relation to special education. The Minister of State visited the school across the road from the one I am going to speak about a number of months ago when we went to the Patrician Primary School in Newbridge. He will recall it is an old building. It needs a special ASD class. The physical element of the school is not leading to that at the moment but we are working together to provide same. The school right across the road, the Patrician Secondary School, is an excellent school with a really strong reputation in the Newbridge community for inclusion and supporting a diverse student population, which we would like to see around the country.”
“We always need to have hope and to be able to reach out to the Samaritans or whoever we can, because there has to be a better way. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, on bringing Grace's law to Cabinet in recent days. A number of us about the tragic passing of Grace Lynch last week and people indicated that they wanted something to be done. This just shows that where there is a will and support, things can happen. It was good to hear the Minister talking about that matter this morning. Since 2023, over 1,000 scramblers have been taken off the road. It is not that nothing was happening, but it is important that stringent laws are put in place to seize scramblers and to make our roads safer.”
“Despite all the bad weather, there was a lot of light and hope over the weekend until last night, when we heard the sad and tragic news of the passing of Vivian Carroll. He was a wonderful community man and businessman in the town of Newbridge. Like myself, he was from Rathangan. He learned his trade as a barman in the Silken Thomas in Kildare and his ambition was always to have his own pub. He owned two very fine places in Newbridge, namely Judge Roy Beans and Harrigan's. Vivian lived with his wife, Breda, and four children in Kildangan. He was a leader in every community he was involved with. He was kind. He was the best of us. He was a good person but, sadly, the light and hope in his life left him yesterday evening. To say that we, as a community, are absolutely distraught would be an understatement. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”
“I support the Order of Business. It has been wonderful to see so many Brigid events around the country, particularly in Kildare. I congratulate Kildare County Council, Solas Bhride, Into Kildare and the dean of St. Brigid's Cathedral, Kildare, for all the wonderful events that were hosted, despite the bad weather, across County Kildare. They were a pleasure to attend, particularly the inaugural Spirit of Kildare Awards ceremony, which was the brainchild of Mayor Carmel Kelly. That was held on Sunday night. Several awards were made. All were noteworthy, particularly that given to Sr. Rita Minehan. Together with Sr. Phil and Sr. Mary, she has done wonderful work in the spirit of Brigid at Solas Bhride and by reaching out.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her response. I mentioned the figures from last May because I did not have the up-to-date figures but, obviously, since May and December another 500 children went over that period of time. Some 2,125 applications are overdue and, at any level, that is shameful. I acknowledge the Minister of State outlined some of the changes that are being made and I appreciate that and the fact that 11 new teams have been established. I also appreciate the fact the Minister of State mentioned the CDNTs, which are important and give a service. However, I said at the start that families in Kildare need to have action, additional staffing, transparent timelines and a clear plan. In fairness, with 11 new teams, there is extra staffing. There is a plan. We still do not have transparent timelines. We need to have them.”
“There has been an increase of about 25% over the past two years in the number of families looking for an assessment of need, AON. Families are heartbroken because they want to do the very best for their child. Not having an assessment of need means they do not have the tools to be able to support their child in the way they wish to.”
“However, trying to just explain that without having a formal assessment of need is very difficult when they go looking for a place for their child in a special school or a special class as part of the DARE system within early childhood education. There is no doubt that families are being left behind, particularly those in Kildare. We need urgent reform and urgent resourcing. It is simply far too long for children to have to wait for these vital healthcare services. Even when the assessments are carried out, we still see very large numbers of children waiting for the services, but at least they are on the list at that point. At least, they have a chance and an opportunity. For those who are waiting, the waiting list has gone up quite substantially, as I know from speaking to many families.”
“Basically, when children do not get an assessment of need in a timely manner, it means they must wait longer for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and early intervention supports. That is a major issue. These delays are not abstract. They have a very meaningful and negative impact on the children and their families, and undermine trust with families. It leaves families navigating crisis after crisis. It leaves them in a situation where applying for early childhood education places and primary school places is very difficult. I always feel that families know best. They know when there are developmental delays. They know when there are issues and their children are facing challenges.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. She and the Government have acknowledged that the current system in relation to assessments of need is not fit for purpose. I welcome that, but families in Kildare and nationwide need to see that recognition matched with action, additional staffing, transparent timelines and a very clear plan to eliminate the existing backlog. We acknowledge that there is a big backlog nationally. When we look at the figures, we can see that the scale of the backlog in CHO 7 in Kildare and west Wicklow is one of the largest in the country. As of May 2025, there were 1,692 children awaiting assessments of need. The majority of those had been waiting for more than six months. That is huge.”
“Also, when I had the Commencement matter with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, we spoke about the emergency works for Curragh Community College. I confirm that once that application is in, the Minister has said she will treat it with priority. It is not actually in yet. We are awaiting that from Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB.”
“They are the ones that support the draws and all the different types of charity events we have. I would like to see the Minister come in for a debate about that. This morning we saw the national development plan reissued in terms of the priorities for schools. I spoke here last week about the replacement school that is so badly needed for Curragh Community College and I am glad to reconfirm that that is a priority on the list released this morning along with a replacement school for St. Anne's Special School in the Curragh, the PBS in Newbridge and the Cross and Passion school in Kilcullen, all providing incredible educational experiences. It is really important that these projects get to start as soon as possible.”
“There was incredible vibrancy, ambition and enthusiasm among all the members in the room. There is a concern, however, about indigenous local businesses. In Kildare we have excellent services, boutiques, bookshops, gift shops, etc., and I know it is the same for all our towns right around the country. However, while people use their choice to buy online and not support local, it is really difficult for those businesses to survive, let alone thrive. While the Government certainly has a role, and I would like to see a debate with the Minister, Deputy Burke, about how we can support bricks-and-mortar businesses, which bring such life into the centres of our towns, it is also important to encourage everybody to shop local and to support our local businesses because they are the ones that employ our relations, our neighbours, our communities.”
“As the Leader knows, Lá Fhéile Bríde is almost upon us. I hope everybody has a good bank holiday weekend. It is important to remember the legacy of Brigid. She was somebody who showed great compassion and she supported unmarried mothers and supported farmers. She is the patron saint of the honeybee and of agriculture. There are celebrations right around the country but particularly in Louth and most certainly in Kildare. I encourage those who have the opportunity to go and remember this remarkable woman, who is the only female patron saint of our country. This morning I went to a networking meeting for County Kildare Chamber of Commerce. It was great to see the new chief executive, Peter Mahon, along with the new president, Ruth Murphy, with a really dynamic group of different types of business.”
“The EU reserves the right to use them to repay the loan in accordance with EU and international law. I note also that EU leaders have called on the Council and the Parliament to continue working on the technical and legal aspects of the instrument, establishing a reparations loan based on the cash balances linked to Russia's immobilised assets. This is really important because, initially, this is where the funding was to come from and it is very important that this work continue. A lot of work is going on in Ukraine on accession to the EU. We wish them well in that regard. Fianna Fáil welcomes and supports this motion, which we hope will go through without any delay.”
“Three member states did not agree, but 24 member states requested that the Commission would prepare this proposal authorising the co-operation. This happened on 9 January. It is in line with Article 29.4.7° of Bunreacht na hÉireann. There are constitutional requirements, but the Minister of State has outlined how this is in line with them. We know that formal advice on this was sought from the Attorney General's office. We need to proceed swiftly with obtaining the Government's authority with the moving of this motion in both the Dáil and Seanad. It is important to note that this loan will be repaid by Ukraine only once Russia compensates it for the damage caused by its war of aggression. Until then, Russia's assets will remain immobilised.”
“This support will help Ukraine strengthen its capabilities and ensure the continued functioning of the state and basic public services while also contributing to Ukraine's resilience and its closer integration with Europe's industrial base. This agreement was taken under enhanced co-operation, which is a mechanism that allows EU states to collaborate in specific areas when it has become clear that the EU as a whole cannot achieve the goals of such co-operation within a reasonable period. As the Minister of State said, the European Council met on 18 and 19 December to discuss potential solutions to address Ukraine's financing needs. From the level of support that was given to President Zelenskyy when he was in Ireland, we know that the Irish people are very supportive of this.”
“We called the female Ukrainian MPs the female warriors of Ukraine because this happened just after a PACE plenary, and at a point when the male members of PACE could not leave the country, the female representatives came and they were very strong advocates for their country. It is important that we in the Seanad support the motion that has been put before us, which relates to the fact that the European Council has agreed to provide €90 billion in a very decisive support for Ukraine's budgetary needs over the next two years. This commitment is in the form of a loan, known as the Ukraine support loan. It will be structured in two components, with approximately two thirds, amounting to €60 billion, allocated to military systems and the remaining one third, about €30 billion, provided as general budget support.”
“On the night I was there, there were heavy bombings in which four people died, including a 12-year-old girl. We also went about half an hour outside Kyiv, close to the town of Ukrainka, to see one of the large energy plants. It had been bombed twice and they were trying to rebuild it at a huge cost. The Minister of State and I got to know many of the Ukrainian MPs at the Council of Europe. They are very fine people who are so strong in bearing witness to what is happening in their country. I understand that only yesterday, Maria Mezentseva was elected Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE. Our congratulations go to her.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, for being here and for proposing this motion, which Fianna Fáil welcomes and supports. It is hard to think that in less than a month, it will have been four years since this war of aggression against Ukraine started. Since 2014, when Russia seized Crimea and fuelled a lot of fighting in the Donbas area, tensions have been very high. It is difficult to think, however, that nearly four years have passed. We see the incredible impact on the people of Ukraine. At every opportunity and every time we speak about Ukraine, we must condemn the war of aggression and show our solidarity and support for the people of Ukraine. Not long before Christmas, I had the opportunity to visit Kyiv and to see the damage both within that city and just outside it.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann: - expresses its deep sadness on the death of Brian Crowley; - 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.”
“As he said himself, it is everybody's worst dreams come true. He has raised it here a number of times. A total of €55 million is being kept to bring in the alleviation scheme. I am thinking of everybody in Enniscorthy. We hope that second bridge will be built soon. We hope that, between the council, environmental agencies and the Government, we will see progress because it is needed badly.”
“Senator Conway spoke about the fact that the Minister, Deputy Browne, has ensured that the derelict sites levy will be collected by Revenue instead of by the local authorities. Local authorities are missing out on that revenue coming in, as the Senator rightly pointed out, in terms of that 7%. He mentioned a hotel in Tramore that has been derelict for 12 years. It is shocking to see these buildings. There are lost opportunities for so many. It is good to see this move being made, however, and we certainly hope it will make a difference. Senator Cathal Byrne has just come in, slightly too late for the Order of Business, but I just want to say I heard him and the Minister, Deputy Browne, on the 1 o'clock news earlier. As he knows, I have family in Enniscorthy as well. It is just shocking what has developed with the Slaney bursting.”
“The Senator might table a Commencement matter on the subject over the coming weeks. Senator Tully spoke about the importance of family resource centres. She mentioned three, in Cavan, Killashandra and Monaghan. Any of us who works with family resource centres know the excellent work they do, particularly for people who have challenges in their lives. The Senator is looking for capital funding, particularly for the one in Cavan. I recommend that she table a Commencement matter in relation to that. Four new family resource centres were set up last year and they got capital funding, and I understand there are going to be more this year. The centre in Cavan may well be one of the lucky ones, we would hope.”
“It was great to see Joe Osborne, one of the very well-known Osborne family, getting an accolade for his contribution to the industry. He is still a young man. He is certainly not retired. I know he will go on to wonderful things within the equestrian world. He is also an alumnus of Newbridge College, where my own father and brothers went to school. It is a terrific school and it is great to see the alumni working together in a positive way. Senator Cosgrove also spoke about Ursuline College Sligo. I got a chance to say hello to them briefly while I was waiting for this. It is awful to hear they have been waiting 11 years. The Senator noted that the planning permission will be running out soon. We certainly would hope that the Minister, when she receives the petition, will listen and ensure that is addressed.”
“Everybody deserves to feel safe in their own estate and their own community. Senator Eileen Lynch spoke about the current restrictions on controlled burning, which is a well-established method of control. Now, unfortunately, there is an inability to burn, which is causing many challenges. The Senator spoke about a farmer making an application in August. It still has not been acknowledged, which is not good. We need the Minister to work with farmers and environmental organisations to come up with a system that will be fair to everybody. We will look for the Minister to come to the House to talk about that. Senator McCarthy spoke about two different events. I was at the ITBA event myself. It was wonderful to see small horse breeders being recognised in such a positive way. It was an incredible night.”
“Senator Duffy spoke about a really tough situation in Ballina where somebody who was convicted for murder has been relocated. They did not have any input whatsoever and, it would seem, did not have any family in Ballina, but started to live in Ballina. The same individual, apart from being convicted in court, was connected with eight separate incidents in prison. The person deemed to be at risk of causing harm to others so obviously this did cause consternation on the particular estate in the Parkside area. Within a very short time, one of the social workers who was involved was actually assaulted. That is shocking. The individual has now been removed, but there needs to be a wider debate about how we deal with people who come from prison. We do need to have step-down facilities.”
“We should look for the Minister for enterprise to come to this House to have a debate about how we support indigenous industries. Local enterprise offices are doing a lot of absolutely excellent work with local enterprises but we absolutely need to do more. We need to do more to support those that are in bricks-and-mortar buildings, not online. It really pains me when I see so many people shopping online and not giving consideration to the fact that family members, neighbours and their community are reliant on those jobs within bricks-and-mortar businesses, and the wider community in terms of looking for prizes to support every type of dinner dance, school walk, everything. We all need to do more to fully support our local businesses. We absolutely will look for the Minister to come and have a debate on that.”
“He is correct that we need to talk to the Garda to see how we can support them in the enforcement of the laws that were introduced in 2023. The Senator spoke about the 8% increase in road deaths last year. Quite frighteningly, 22% were pedestrians, 14% pedal cyclists and three deaths were attributed to e-scooters. It shows those who are not in a car are very vulnerable. In terms of safe routes to school, the Senator is right. We cannot have pupils crossing the roads now. We need to make sure that the safe routes to school takes that. We will ask to have the Minister here about that. Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about FDI and about how the economy is very reliant on FDI. The fact that we have 80% corporation tax coming from FDI does put our economy in a precarious situation.”
“As we often see when a temporary measure has come in, unfortunately it becomes a practically permanent one. We would all like to see the abolition of the USC. The Senator mentioned that she felt that Ministers who were here when that was brought in should be giving some money back. I think there are very few Ministers from that time here. I do understand that all Ministers at present are gifting back a certain amount of their salary. Senator Fitzpatrick also extended condolences to the family of Grace Lynch and wanted to acknowledge that the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan did meet this morning. The Senator is absolutely right, we need to do more, but we will look for that debate with the Minister for Transport. Senator Scahill again spoke about Grace and about an email from her classmate, Ella.”
“To be honest, it really does seem like tokenism. We do need to have another debate with the Minister and we certainly will look for that. Senator Manus Boyle looked for information on the new marine committee under the chairperson of Michael Berkery and asked when that is going to be set up. I texted the Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, Deputy Dooley, during order of business and he assures me it is going to be set up in two weeks and that they are just finalising the terms of reference at this point. I am sure Senator Boyle will be glad to hear that. I thank him for his interest and his support in relation to an important issue. Senator Keogan and spoke about the USC. When that was first introduced, it was a temporary measure.”
“We will look for another debate with the Minister. To be fair, she was here during that debate and gave a relatively positive response. However, we can ask again about that specific issue. Senator Curley spoke about the SEC publishing guidelines for extra time for exams. I think they were published this morning. This issue was the subject of a Fianna Fáil Private Members' motion just before Christmas. While we welcome that there was a consideration given, it is regrettable that consideration only amounted to an extra ten minutes across the board. Some exams are three and a half hours long, so what does ten minutes really mean? In the UK at a minimum, those who are identified as having an extra need in relation to scribing time get an extra 25%. This extra ten minutes only amounts to about 5%.”
“The Senator asked about the consequences for the individual. I do not know whether she has identified who the individual is. I certainly hope she has made a report to the local Garda. I know that is a difficult thing to do. It has to be of huge concern to everybody who values democracy that one of our public representatives would be treated in such a way. For anybody to be treated in such a way is absolutely shocking. I am thinking of Yemi. Senator Craughwell spoke of meeting with uniformed personnel in the fire services, An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces about the post-2013 pension. I am sure the Senator will recall that the motion Fianna Fáil proposed the week before last mentioned this specifically as a recommendation from us. It is an important element that needs to be resolved.”
“I know the Minister is doing all he can to try to ensure renters get a fair deal and have affordable options. He introduced new legislation yesterday at Cabinet in relation to that. We will ask for a debate. Senator Comyn also spoke about Grace Lynch and mentioned Jason Monks, who lost his life in a similar way. She looked for a debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. Senator Nelson Murray spoke about the horrific racial attack on a Fine Gael councillor in Navan. I have met Yemi a few times. She is a fabulous advocate and a wonderful public representative. It is hard enough to go through elections. I know that from my colleague, Uruemu, in Longford, who has endured this awful racial abuse. To be spat at following a meeting, and after a tirade of racial abuse, is absolutely shocking.”
“I know that it is sometimes difficult to get any response from it. We should ask for a debate on that with the relevant Minister. Senator Boyhan also spoke about rural planning guidelines not being fit for purpose, and I think we all agree with that. Senator Andrews spoke about the challenges that renters have and the difficulties in getting a place to rent that is suitable, affordable and appropriate for somebody's needs. It is particularly difficult for single people. I rented for 16 years and can attest to that. He also mentioned difficulties with apartments. Landlords are absolutely responsible for the upkeep of apartments. The RTB is there to protect renters as well as landlords. We should encourage people, where there are problems with their apartments, to contact the RTB.”
“We will ask the Minister to come here to speak about road traffic deaths, what can be done about them, and e-scooters and quad bikes. Senator Ryan also spoke about the 300 workers who have just started work on what is going to be Limerick's tallest building. It is an OPW building for the Revenue Commissioners and is part of the regeneration and revitalisation of Limerick. That is great to see. Senator Boyhan spoke about the work Brian Crowley did with dogs for the disabled and quoted him talking about independent dignity and mobility with respect. That just sums up Brian. He also spoke about Tailte Éireann, which is responsible for property registration, property valuation and national mapping. He expressed his concerns about how Tailte Éireann is operating. We should look for a debate. It has an important function.”
“Up to the end of October 2025, the Garda had seized 113 scramblers and 22 quad bikes. Also in 2025, 958 fixed-charge penalty notices were issued for e-scooter-related offences and 817 e-scooters were seized and detained. That is an incredible number. It shows us how big the problem is. We should not think that nothing is happening and that gardaí are not doing their jobs because they are. If An Garda Síochána needs more supports, we should certainly look for them. I know that will not make any difference to Grace's family. We extend our sympathies and we will look for a debate with the Minister. We will ask him to come in. Senator Scahill, whose contribution I will come to, gave us statistics on road traffic deaths and incidents and they were shocking.”