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 cannot see why we have a delay. Last June, the council submitted a business plan to the Department of Transport, but has heard nothing back. This project is crucial for Newbridge and the surrounding areas. As we approach Christmastime, unfortunately, we sometimes see people choosing not to come, even though Newbridge is a fine shopping town, because of the traffic congestion. I hope the Minister of State has some positive news and an update on this badly needed second bridge for Newbridge.”
“This project absolutely must be prioritised to relieve the chronic congestion at the existing bridge, to improve overall traffic circulation around Newbridge and to provide east-west connectivity. At present, all the traffic is forced back through the town centre. With the significant housing growth south of the river, this pressure is only increasing. Planning permission was secured by a private company who owned the land over which the approach road to the bridge would be built. Part of that land is with An Bord Pleanála in relation to a strategic housing zone, SHZ. I know there are no such zones anymore but that land has been in the system since those zones started to apply. The company has, to be fair, made it clear that should it not get planning permission, it is willing to co-operate with Kildare County Council and the Department.”
“Particularly when leaving in the morning, the traffic congestion can add 30 to 40 minutes to a journey. Given the fact that we have a lot of investment in the area close to this bridge, around Old Connell, we need to ensure there is moving traffic at all times. This is not a new topic. I have brought it up several times. Back in 2019, Kildare County Council applied for funding from the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, but was unsuccessful. This bridge is only one quarter of the project for an outer link road, but the rest of it is practically done, so it is the remaining link. Planning permission was given two years ago for a 170 m five-span bridge, a 790 m distributor road and associated active travel links and amenity space.”
“I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter. I know it does not fall under his brief but he has a keen interest in supporting proper infrastructure around the country. He has visited Newbridge, County Kildare and witnessed the congestion at the bridge. This bridge is the only entrance to Newbridge, a growing town with a population of over 30,000. There are five schools, one of which recently received permission to go to tender process next year to increase its capacity from 650 to 1,000. Another secondary school across the road has also applied to extend. That is badly needed in our town. In fact, we need new primary and secondary schools in the town. However, we must consider that pinch point for anyone who is coming into or leaving Newbridge. I struggle over that bridge twice a day.”
“Despite these projects, the schools in question are not going to be able to accommodate the growing population. We still do not have a date for project relating to the new Curragh Community School. While the councillors in the area are zoning land for educational purposes in the Kildare-Newbridge municipal district, we do not have any sense from the Minister about the need for urgency that exists regarding the the primary and secondary school. While the councillors in the area are zoning land for educational purposes in Newbridge, we do not have any sense from the Minister about the need for urgency that is there for both the primary and secondary school. I would like a debate in the House, particularly in relation to the commuter belt areas.”
“We need to have a debate in relation to that matter. Fianna Fáil carried out a survey and is currently engaging with Coimisiún na Meán. Some children as young as four have access to smartphones. The average age in this regard is six. There is no doubt that being able to engage online has many benefits and advantages. Unfortunately, however, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. We need to have a serious conversation, both in this House and, of course, within society more widely. The final issue I wish to raise relates to secondary schools. Projects relating to two schools in Kildare South are proceeding to tender stage. I refer to the Cross and Passion College, CPC, in Kilcullen and the Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge.”
“They put in stops where buses could pull in safely. As a result, everyone was clear as to where they could get on and get off buses. The system here lacks that clarity. I am seeking a debate with the Minister for Transport in respect of rural transport regarding how we can make it safer and more accessible by investing in the type of infrastructure to which I refer with our county councils. Many of the buses being used are too big. We really only need mini buses for many of the short journeys people need to make. Some of the larger buses are quite empty. Because of their size, it is more difficult for them to pull in safely. We need to look at that as well. I look forward having a debate on the matter, possibly in the new year. Today, Australia has banned under-16s from certain social media platforms.”
“Local Link has been a lifeline for people in many rural areas. There was huge investment put into it during the term of office of the previous Government. The service in my area has been a tremendous success. I refer to the 888 route, by means of which people from Athy, Monasterevin and Rathangan can travel to Allenwood. People are using the route on a regular basis. We are also rolling out another service to Suncroft. There are two points about the service that need to be made at national level. While the service is in situ , there are a number of places where it is not possible to place bus stops because they are not deemed to be safe. Of course, safety is hugely important. When the authorities in Scotland introduced that country's version of Local Link, they put the proper infrastructure in place.”
“The call for stricter rules on age verification is a worthy call and something we will bring to the Minister and the AI committee. Senator Sarah O’Reilly spoke about the mass abduction of children in Nigeria from St. Mary’s School. The international community must respond. We will ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to engage with the Nigerian Government. Senator Dee Ryan was the last contributor. She spoke of her delight yesterday when she saw, among other funding announcements for Limerick, the Cork to Limerick road, Limerick to Abbeyfeale road, Limerick to Foynes road, including the Adare bypass, and others. It is certainly a very good day for connectivity in Limerick. I know she wants to advance the metro rail link for Limerick and connecting to Shannon Airport.”
“It is about looking at everything that makes up a community and, of course, safety is one of those elements. We will ask the Minister to look at that and to see if we can have a debate about more consistent delivery right across the country. Senator Mullen spoke about the EU Council announcement yesterday on regulation to combat child sexual abuse and the fact that an EU agency is being established. We are all concerned about the threat AI poses to everybody, not just our young people. We have to ensure we do not allow our young people to be exploited. We have to bring in very strong regulations to ensure they are not exposed to pornography. Coimisiún na Meán has over 300 people working for it now. Only earlier this week, it gave a presentation about its work and it was at the European Affairs committee about three weeks ago too.”
“Senator Boyhan also spoke about mental health reforms and highlighted that tomorrow, I think, is the last day for amendments. Senator Martin Conway spoke about the need for weather readiness and localised weather forecasts. That is something we will discuss. Last week we looked for a debate on that. Senator Scahill spoke about fire services that are doing great work and the NOAC report evaluating all the different local authorities, which highlighted the big disparity. No matter where anyone lives, they should have access to the type of services the fire brigades offer. It is concerning there is a glaring omission in some local authorities. That is why it is so important that in the latest housing plan “building communities” was part of its title.”
“Senator Craughwell spoke about the article in the Financial Times about defence. We live in a world where the geopolitics are changing all the time. We have to support all of those in our Defence Forces. I want to pay tribute to all the men and women in the Defence Forces who do a terrific job. The Government and the Minister for Defence have committed to the recommendations of the commission report. There were three levels. They committed to the second level and is implementing that. Senator Boyhan spoke on the debate on HIQA in the mid-west, which is coming up and which it is hoped there will be a good attendance for. It is important. Senator Ryan called for this and we were happy to facilitate this and ensure it happened. We hope all Senators from the mid-west will be here to contribute to that.”
“Our thoughts and prayers go to all the families of those who have been killed. A lot of people have been injured as well. These people are our neighbours, friends and part of work or college communities. It is shocking and has a huge impact on communities. We will look for a debate with the Minister on road safety. Senator Nelson Murray spoke about the game in Bulgaria last night where the women's under-19 team played Sweden. I did hear a clip of that this morning. I did think “Ooh” when I heard the British national anthem was played but, fair play to the girls, they started singing themselves. They stood up and sang loud and proud. Even though they did not win the game, they won the moment. We will ask the Minister for sport to write to all international sporting organisations to make sure that something like this never happens again.”
“There is a disconnect between the legislation and the implementation, but we will take it further. I assure the Senator of that. Senator McCarthy made the suggestion that the ESB connections should be treated in the same way as water connections. We know now because of recent policy change that the Minister, Deputy Browne, has introduced that developers can do that work themselves. That was an important policy change. I support that we could do the same with electricity. We will certainly bring that message back to the Minister. That should accelerate house delivery. Senator Margaret Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the recent road deaths. The most recent was in my own County Kildare last night. Sadly, somebody was killed in a car accident. Sadly too, there have been a number of fatal accidents over the past two weeks.”
“Obviously it would be better if all countries implemented the same legislation Europe-wide. That would be sending a really strong message. It is unfair to say that nothing is happening in relation to it because it is. Senator Brady spoke about dog attacks on livestock and the fact that half of the dogs impounded do not have microchips. It is shocking that two thirds of fines are not paid. The legislation is there but it is not being implemented. We need to have a look at a review of the legislation. That might be something that we could ask the agriculture committee to look at. It is an important issue and it comes up time and again. As the Senator says, we are not at Christmas yet, but particularly as we will be heading into spring and lambing season soon, it is absolutely a concern.”
“I will speak to Members of this House who are members of that committee and ask them to bring it forward and to liaise with Senator Conway. Senator Andrews spoke about the ceasefire in Gaza. It is concerning. It is a ceasefire by name only, I think. We all have to work collectively and internationally to try to ensure that it is a working ceasefire and that the aid is there. The fact that 327 people have been killed by the Israeli forces during that ceasefire period is testament that it is a ceasefire in name only. In terms of the occupied territories Bill, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, when she became Minister for foreign affairs last week said it is her first priority. We know that any legislation that comes from the Dáil and the Seanad needs to be robust. I understand that officials are working on it.”
“It seems to be a common-sense response to ensure that it changes. It is something we can bring up with the Minister for higher education and to ask him to address because it is certainly not correct. Senator Joe Conway spoke about the issue regarding a fish kill in Cork. He has raised it before. It is shocking to hear that things have not improved and that there have been high levels of ammonia detected only in the last week or two in terms of what is going into the water. We do know that Cork County Council, the EPA and Uisce Éireann have been working on this. Obviously, there is still a huge gap between what they are doing and getting the right result. I agree with the Senator that this needs to come before the Oireachtas environment committee.”
“While there are a lot of measures coming from this House, we also need to make sure in society that domestic violence and the way it is viewed changes. Senator Fitzpatrick also brought up the issue of Dublin fire brigade and the fact that it is in existence since 1862 and is currently under threat. As Deputy Leader, I totally support her call to have a pause on the proposed changes awaiting a full review. We have to ensure that we have fully functioning fire services in Dublin and across the country. Senator Kelleher spoke about a situation in UCC where the affiliation of the youth wings of political parties has now apparently been stopped. Two particular parties, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, have been prohibited from starting. This is completely wrong. There has to be one rule for everybody. I hope this will change.”
“There has to be a strong conversation with men and between men and boys in terms of the values that we have as a country about kindness, respect and about all of us collectively calling out when we see them casual inferences that are belittling women, because that is where it starts. I know that the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, has done a lot of work in this area and is continuing to do so. He has increased funding for Cuan and for safe spaces. He is also working on significant legislative change, including the removal of guardianship rights where a person has murdered their partner, limiting the disclosure of counselling records for victims and Jennie's law, which I have worked on myself with Jason Poole.”
“I thank all of the Senators who have contributed to this morning's Order of Business. First, Senator Mary Fitzpatrick spoke about the elimination of violence against women and gave us the horrific statistic that about 35% of women in Ireland have been impacted by gender-based violence. About one in four have experienced sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. As we know, more than 100 women have been murdered over the last ten years by a current or former partner. She is correct to raise that. We are in the UN 16 Days of Combatting Violence Against Women. It is important on so many levels that we have these conversations. It is not just about legislation or supplying refuges and safe spaces for women.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on the HIQA review to inform decision-making on the design and delivery of urgent and emergency healthcare services in HSE mid-west, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to conclude at 1 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated for the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed six minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.”
“I encourage those who feel they may have somebody in their circle who is going through domestic violence to equip themselves about how to have those very difficult conversations.”
“Therefore, the cost of rent, housing and everything else is as high as it is in Dublin. There are many concerns about children who are neurodivergent. As we know, the services in CHO 7 are not up to the national standard. It is important that we have a debate in this House about the four different areas chosen for the poverty profile. I ask the Leader to seek such a debate. Women's Aid which has launched a very important new online tool around domestic violence to help to equip the friends and family of those who they may feel are suffering domestic violence and who do not know how to have that conversation with them. While we are in this period of the elimination of violence against women, I thank Women's Aid for what it is doing and highlight it.”
“Their service was second to none, which is something I find among the young people working in my county of Kildare and throughout the country. I also want to mention the Kildare child poverty profile. Kildare was one of four counties selected to do such a profile as part of a pilot scheme. The profile was launched last Friday and there are very important learnings within it. For example, 77,000 people in Kildare - about 31% of our total population - are in economic hardship. When we look at that in the context of other areas, we see that the number in question is bigger than the total population of each of counties Longford, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, Monaghan and Carlow. Surely that should set off alarm bells. Kildare is a county that is perceived to be wealthy and doing well.”
“We all know community pharmacies are incredibly important in our communities, villages, towns and cities. Last week, there was a competition to find the best community pharmacy. I am absolutely delighted that Shane Ryan’s pharmacy in Rathangan, County Kildare was the national winner. That was of no surprise to me because Shane and his team are absolutely fantastic. The minute you walk in the door, you get an incredible welcome. That welcome, that service and that friendliness means so much to everybody in the area. It is something I witness every time I go to the local shops. As we are approaching Christmas, it is hugely important that we shop Irish and shop local. I had the opportunity over the weekend to do that. I give a big shout out to Cameron and Andrea in The White Stuff.”
“I would appreciate if I could give these personal details to the office of the Minister of State so he may bring them back to the Department of Health, which asked him to take this issue, to look into this particular situation, particularly because this lady had a TIA last year and has been waiting seven months to this point. I would appreciate the Minister of State doing this. We need to have better outcomes, particularly for those who are older and vulnerable.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that the numbers are moving in the right way. The former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, did exceptional work on this. We had many conversations about Naas hospital. It is still unacceptable that people are waiting more than 12 months. In this case there are 2%, which is 12 patients. This in itself is shocking. Our older people deserve dignity and urgency. They deserve proper access to care. I appreciate the Minister of State taking an interest in this. For me, the lived experience is always the most important experience and the despondent tone of this lady upset me. She felt that nobody cared.”
“We have to ask why cardiology waiting times in Naas are stretching to 18 months. It is simply not acceptable that high-risk patients are left waiting for an appointment that could be critical to their health and, indeed, life-saving. When older patients with a history of TIAs or high blood pressure are placed on waiting lists of this length, it is potentially dangerous. It is not just inconvenient; it really adds to the stress. Timely access to specialist care should be a fundamental part of our health service. It is not something people should have to wait over a year for.”
“When she contacted Naas hospital last week, she was told it would take another 12 months. For an 81-year-old who is vulnerable and has had health issues to have to wait 18 months for an appointment is simply not good enough. It is not giving appropriate care to the person. In one contact with me over the past few days, her words were that she assumed it did not matter because she was an older woman. That absolutely is not what we want to see within our health service. It is not acceptable. This is not elective care. It is a really important cardiovascular follow-up, and such a delay puts this patient and other patients at real clinical risk. It is very distressing for this lady and her family. It was distressing for me to hear that, and I am sure it is distressing for the Minister of State as well.”
“I know of so many people who have attended the hospital, both inpatients and outpatients, and they speak very highly of the staff. I want to start with that because, unfortunately, sometimes when we stand up here, we talk about the negative stories, but I know of so many positive situations. Only last night I was speaking to somebody on the phone who had come through Naas for their care and was very happy with it. What I am about to talk about is not a good news story. A number of people have been in touch in relation to the delays in cardiology appointments, but I was very concerned to hear about one case that came across my desk this week. An 81-year-old lady who had a stroke last year was told by her team that she needed to a cardiology checkup. In July, the request was made.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, is very welcome to the Seanad. If I had known it was going to be him, I would have a completely different Commencement matter. I appreciate that he is here representing the Minister for Health. It is always important that we have a Minister present. It can be frustrating from our end, and I appreciate it is frustrating for Ministers too when they have to fill in for a different Department. As per the conversation we had the last time the Minister of State was here, I still look forward to welcoming him to the Curragh. We look forward to putting the date in. The issue I raise is in relation to the problem with getting appropriate time-bound appointments for cardiology in Naas hospital. Naas hospital is excellent. The staff are second to none.”
“I also want to talk about today being the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The focus this year is on digital harm, so I believe now is the time we need to act to ensure that catfishing is seen as a stand-alone offence. Highlighting the escalating reality of digital abuse is really important. Equally, Ireland must update its laws to reflect how violence against women is evolving. I brought a Bill through Second Stage here and the Minister said he needed time for himself and his officials to consider it. It is important. Technology is evolving and, sadly, abuse is evolving along with it. We need to take a much harder stance. I would very much appreciate if the House could ask the Minister to come back on the next Stage of the Bill.”
“We would like to bring the Minister for enterprise here to talk about how we can support women in business. From the conversation we had, access to credit is really important. It would seem women in business have less access to credit. Equally, the existing local enterprise office, LEO, supports, which are exceptional, do not apply to services. Many women in professional businesses are providing really important services. I also congratulate the network on winning the tender for the women's entrepreneurship programme throughout the island of Ireland. This is through the Shared Ireland funds. It now has a three-year contract to be able to mentor women right across the island. This is fantastic. We look forward to hearing more and to continuing those conversations.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach. We do, indeed, have the executive committee of the Network Ireland here. I was delighted to host its members earlier and to have this opportunity now to recognise the leadership, the expertise and the diverse experiences each one of them brings to the organisation, and not just to the organisation but to public life and to our wider society. From my work, the network's commitment to supporting one another, to championing one another and to opening doors for the next generation is hugely important and absolutely inspirational. Many national conversations take place in Leinster House. The conversation that took place earlier about how we can support women in business and entrepreneurial leaders is every bit as important as any other conversation going on. I think we need to have a debate in this House.”
“Senator Martin Conway paid accolades to former finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and expressed support for a debate on COPD and lung diseases.”
“It is about building homes and sustainable communities also. Senator Craughwell spoke about taxi deregulation, which was brought in to increase availability and competition. It is shocking to hear - it is the first time I have heard it - of the possibility of somebody owning 200 taxi plates. That is certainly not in the spirit or nature of deregulation. It is important that taxis and drivers are regulated properly and that we are confident that they are fully inspected and insured. We will look for a briefing on that. Senator O'Reilly spoke about the North-South interconnector and the delay until 2031. Consultation is hugely important and we need to future-proof. To be fair, we need to have proper and fair compensation for landowners who are impacted.”
“Senator Aubrey McCarthy spoke about the Bluebell community council and the Department, local authority and local community working together to deliver 383 new houses. That is really important. It is great to see people working together and achieving that. Senator Andrews spoke about the new facility in the Liberties for 8,500 young people. We have to commend and thank those involved in that. I agree with the Senator that it is absolutely shameful that this area has been left behind in sport. I understand from previous conversations that a lot of that was related to the availability of land. Nearly all the land in the area had been built on, but it was not about building communities. That is why I am really glad the new housing plan the Minister, Deputy Browne, brought out brings communities back in.”
“Senator Duffy spoke about the need to have a debate with the Minister for sport on having amenities in the correct places. Sport provides huge societal value for both physical and mental health. There are gaps in the system but, to be fair, in terms of the awarding system, there are points that take into account issues such as previous grants, whether there is deprivation in the area or whether there is a lack of facilities. The key issue can be whether people are good at filling in forms or not. That is where I think help and support should be given. We could ask that our sports partnerships provide that. It is important to look at emerging sports like padel as well. Senator Flynn shared with me last night the news of her lung failure. I was sorry to hear it. We will look for a debate on lung health.”
“His achievements and the achievements of his colleagues, the former Minister, Michael McGrath, and the Minister, Deputy Chambers, over the last number of years despite Covid, the war of aggression against Ukraine and Brexit, are a real testament to the work that was done. Senator Paul Daly spoke of extending sympathies to the five families who were so sadly bereaved on Saturday night. We had a minute's silence yesterday. The Senator was correct in speaking about the hazardous conditions in Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim this morning. We had flooding last week in the south east. Now we have freezing conditions. We will look for the Minister to come in for statements on readiness, how we prepare, what the National Transport Authority can do and what we can do, as drivers.”
“Quality of life suffers too. Senator Keogan spoke about the brain drain. I remember the Senator talking about her daughter, an Irish lady, doing so well in England, which we were all delighted to hear. She was right at that time to acknowledge that she was doing wonderful things in England. We cannot have it both ways. If we have a situation where Irish people go abroad and do well, we also need to welcome people here to do well. The Senator mentioned Paschal Donohoe leaving. I think it was a vote of confidence, not just in him but the work he has done in the Government and wearing the green jersey. The work he will do with the World Bank in helping eradicate world poverty will be hugely important.”
“Senator Curley spoke about SpunOut being the heart of well-being, and certainly it has given 20 years of excellent work. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, absolutely supports what it does. We have a number of agencies like Jigsaw and SpunOut that do excellent work. It is important to acknowledge that early intervention is absolutely needed. Young people are our present and need support now, and we all support extra resources for those. Senator Nelson Murray spoke about World COPD Day. I am sad to hear her mother passed away from that. It is an absolutely horrible disease. We could have a debate in the House and look for the Minister for Health to come and speak about respiratory illnesses in the round. COPD and asthma are really difficult diseases to manage. They certainly lead to a difficult time for those who are suffering.”
“The Minister of State, Thomas Byrne, took the debate this morning. It is wrong to say there was no Minister available in the Dáil. The Minister of State has shown a huge commitment in his capacity as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, and he often takes debates beyond that. We can appreciate the Minister for foreign affairs is only reading into her brief at this point. It is unfair to say there was no Minister there. The Senator also spoke about teacher supply. However, I take absolute exception to the words he used. He is an eloquent Senator but for him as a male politician to be encouraging others to lay into a female Minister is wrong and he should withdraw that language. I do not think it is appropriate for this House or any House.”
“It is a disgrace that many of our stations have toilets that are locked all of the time. Not alone should they be open, they should be accessible. That is something we will ask for a debate on. Senator Scahill spoke about the Garda allocation. We know it is an issue for the Garda Commissioner, certainly in relation to the amount given out last week. I am delighted that there are 13 in Kildare and six in Newbridge. I know we have the largest intake in Templemore. I think they are going in in two weeks. We certainly look forward to having more news about allocations. I accept the Senator saying that it is frustrating he cannot put in a Commencement matter on this. We will ask the Minister for justice to come to the House to have a debate about gardaí allocations and numbers. I turn to Senator Joe Conway.”
“There was comment that there is a concern about businesses, but there has to be a concern. Being from Kildare, I would be concerned if an American company like Intel said that it was going to pull out of Ireland because of the boycott legislation and all of the thousands of people working there would be left without jobs. It is only fair to have a balanced view and to look at the possible impact on business here too. Senator Rabbitte spoke about World Toilet Day. The work she has done in the past in supporting Changing Places has been really excellent. I recall being with her at the one in Newbridge sports centre. I know it is very well used. The fact that we only have 34 now is certainly regrettable. It is important that we have accessible facilities in public spaces and, I say again, at train stations.”
“On the occupied territories Bill, our new Minister for foreign affairs, Helen McEntee, said this morning that this would be one of her priorities. Any legislation that comes before the Houses needs to be robust. A commitment was given in the programme for Government, and it is the first time this was in the programme for Government, so it is unfair of the Senators to say that the Government has committed to this but done nothing. We are only nine months into this Government. I am a member of the foreign affairs committee. We have already, as an absolute priority, ensured that we had all of our hearings and made the recommendations. It is fair to ask for a timeline, but it is also fair to say that while the professionals and those involved in drafting legislation are looking at this, we need to give them space to make sure this is robust.”
“The State is bringing that down to €12,000 by acquiring and having State-run provision. It is important that we show empathy to those who come to our shores. I also acknowledge that one in five of our workers in Ireland comes from outside of Ireland. If we did not have those people working in the system, our health system would collapse. Indeed, we have many working in finance and other areas as well. Senator Stephenson spoke about the occupied territories Bill, as did Senator Black. I refute what they are saying. They are saying that the Government has done absolutely nothing. That could not be further from the truth. The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have led the way, both within and outside Europe, in highlighting the dreadful situation going on in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“He also spoke about rural housing, and I assure the Senator that it is brought up at every single Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party meeting. We absolutely need a new strategy, and we need to be able to support people building on their own land close to their own home. Senator Nicole Ryan spoke about IPAS and uncertainty. She spoke particularly about the issue in Macroom. I do not know about that situation, but I believe the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, has been clear since he took this position. He has been strong about having a rules-based situation and being firm and fair. The Senator also spoke about the issue of State accommodation. Under the old scheme of direct provision and where the State was paying private people who had accommodation, the average cost was €30,000 per year per person who stayed.”
“However, as the Senator says, we need to have a mid-term review during the three-year transition to make sure that while it is important to have regulation, we do not need over-regulation. We do not need more red tape. We need these people in the business to give love, care and support to the children of the nation. Senator Boyhan spoke about the INTO, of which I am a proud former member, and about our children and our future and the issue of staff shortages we have at the moment. It is particularly a concern in large cities where there is an accommodation problem. I have long been of the view that we need to have subsidised accommodation in our cities for key workers like teachers, gardaí, nurses, etc. I believe that is a strategy we need to pursue.”
“It is a great win for Phibsborough. St. Mary's Pro Cathedral has been a pro cathedral for 200 years and is now becoming a fully fledged cathedral. It is certainly welcome. The Senator asked that we write to the Pope and the Cardinal and thank them. We will certainly organise that. Senator Kennelly expressed concern about home-based childcare. As we know, childcare is hugely important in our society and communities. There are many different models of childcare, from creche to playschool and childcare within the home where there are registered childminders. It is a concern - I raised it yesterday as a Commencement matter - that there is a lack of clarity on commercial rates for childminders. It is something I certainly will be pursuing.”
“It is now targeting the rail and energy infrastructure. When I was in Ukraine about one month ago, that was one of the main things I was thinking about on the train going in from Chełm. The trains bring in all of the supplies and the food. They also bring in international delegations to bear witness and to show solidarity. We know that the rail line near Chełm was significantly damaged last week. That could have been one of the passenger or supply trains gone. It is really important that we continue to talk and put pressure on Russia, and we will certainly ask the new Minister for foreign affairs to come in, and we wish her well in that position. Senator Fitzpatrick also spoke about construction beginning in Dalymount in 2026. It is wonderful for the community, and that there are community facilities there.”