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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“This tragedy was a wake-up call. We need more awareness. We need a debate on that topic. The last item I will raise relates to HRT, which, thankfully, women in this country can now receive free of charge. That at least should be the case. I listened to Rebecca from Kildare recently. Due to cancer treatment, she went through an early menopause. The normal HRT medicine is not appropriate for her. She needs a different type of HRT drug, namely, Veozah. It is not on the scheme, so Rebecca must pay €75 per month for it. This is absolute discrimination. We should have a debate with the Minister for Health with a view to ensuring that every woman is able to avail of HRT medicine and not just the ones that are listed on the drugs scheme.”
“It is not a story of private grief but a matter of public safety, as was mentioned at the recent inquest. Many people do not realise the extreme danger of using a phone near water while it is charging. We carry these devices, which we know to be waterproof, everywhere. When we have a spare moment, we often take out our devices and check them. They are sold without clear or prominent warnings about this risk. We have visible safety warnings on kettles, hairdryers and many other household appliances. Phones, which we rely on for everything from work to family life, do not come with warnings. Please let us now allow this mother's death be in vain. We need to ensure there are mandatory warnings on all our phones. We also need a public awareness campaign so that everybody, including children and teenagers, understand the risk.”
“I am pleased to say that we expect legislation to come before Cabinet in the next few weeks. Jason's work is not in vain and we will soon enact Jennie's law. I am thinking of all the Poole family today, Jennie's birthday. Many Members of the House have met Chloe Ray, who works with me and is an invaluable staff member. She told me yesterday about her cousin, who passed away tragically after being electrocuted while holding a charging mobile phone in the bath. Her family are absolutely devastated. Three young children will now grow up without their mother because of something that was, in truth, preventable. Ms Leah O'Gorman, the daughter of the deceased, has been in touch. She has written to a number of us about what we could and should do to try to prevent a similar situation.”
“I add my voice of formal welcome on the behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party to the ambassador from Cyprus. It was lovely to meet him earlier. I wish all Cypriots living in Ireland a good and happy independence day. Jennie Poole would have been 29 today. She should have been celebrating her birthday with her two young children, her parents and her family. Sadly, as we know, she was murdered by a former partner in April 2021. Her brother, Jason, has been campaigning tirelessly for the establishment of a domestic register to try to avoid similar situations where a partner has previous convictions for domestic abuse. I am privileged to have worked with Jason for the past two or three years on the establishment of the register. I have also worked in the past eight months with the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan.”
“Downstairs in the coffee dock, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland is hosting a coffee and tea briefing. I would really appreciate it if Members of all parties and none took the opportunity to drop down and talk about what we need to do in the budget on 7 October to support the society.”
“I had the opportunity to participate in an EU delegation to show solidarity, to bear witness and to show support for Ukraine in terms of it becoming a member of the EU. With the good news coming from Moldova that the pro-European party was elected, I do believe we are getting on the right track. Let me give testament to the strength and the resilience of the Ukrainian people. These are evident if you go to see places like Bucha, where 500 people were buried in a mass grave only three years ago. We think this is something from the First World War or the Second World War. The night we stayed in Kyiv saw more shelling than any other over recent years. Spending a night in a bomb shelter made me recognise that this is the lived reality of people. At every level we need to support the Ukrainian people.”
“I wish simply to say that we are bereft. He was the best of us in Fianna Fáil and the best of us in the country also. My very deepest sympathy to Liz and all the family. I welcome the statement that came from Washington overnight on the agreement between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu on the 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The key elements include what all of us in this House have called for many times, namely an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages and full access to allow for the provision of humanitarian. Strong support has been shown for the plan all over the world already. Let us hope and pray that this is the start of the end of this shocking war. I returned from Ukraine in the early hours of this morning.”
“On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I extend our sympathies to our colleague Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee on the passing of her mother, Mary, at the very untimely age of 67. Our deepest sympathy to Lorraine, to her dad, Mossie, and to all her family. There will be further opportunities to speak about the wonderful and great man that Martin Mansergh was, and my colleague Senator Goldsboro, will speak further about him. From all of the conversations I had with Martin over the years him and from what I heard, I know he was of the view that the greatest honour he ever had was when the people of South Tipperary elected him. He had an incredible career and had a great future ahead of him in the context of the work he was doing. He really believed in the power of politics and of public representation. That is his greatest legacy in many ways.”
“He mentioned that we should expect an update in the next few weeks regarding the 130 recommendations. It is important we get that update. I hope it is timely. I look forward to tabling another Commencement matter to try to get further information on that.”
“I acknowledge the work that has been done on recruitment and retention. I am disappointed that there is not anything in the response the Minister of State received from the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence's office in relation to the Curragh Plains. This is absolutely a key part here. We are halfway through the period from 2022 to 2028 to which the Minister of State referred and only one third of the recommendations have been implemented. Further to that, the programme for Government agreed in 2025 went further, particularly in respect of the protection of the Curragh Plains. The Minister of State has received no response in relation it. I take on board that he said he will bring that back to the Tánaiste's office. I would appreciate an update.”
“This important element of the programme for Government reflects a growing concern right across the country about environmental degradation and the need for structured oversight of the Curragh. As well as being a protected national heritage site, the Curragh is obviously a military training ground. The conservation management plan was approved by Micheál Martin in late 2024. It is awaiting full implementation. We need to see that. We need to have decisions made on agency oversight. The main question I put to the Minister of State today is about this agency oversight and the funding and legislation that need to be put in place. We need to have a timely timeframe for this.”
“Thankfully, this summer was not anywhere near as bad as previous summers. To be fair, those within the Department of Defence who have responsibility have acted quite quickly. A new regime is in place but the problem is not going away. The response needs to be stronger and better. It is stated in the programme for Government that the Government will: Implement a Conservation Plan for the Curragh, establishing a management plan to ensure its preservation, with careful consideration of which agency is best suited to manage this historic landscape. To the best of my knowledge, that recommendation has not been implemented yet. Informal conversations suggest the National Parks and Wildlife Service as being best suited and I certainly think it would be a really good fit.”
“Part of the recommendations made by the commission, which were also accepted, related to the preservation and management of the Curragh Plains. I appreciate that the Minister of State is here to take this Commencement matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris. We are all familiar with the Curragh, whether we are from Kildare or not. Many of us pass it regularly. It has an incredible history in terms of heritage and archaeology and it has very strong links with the racing industry, the defence industry and the sheep industry. Also, the flora and fauna there are quite unique to the whole area. However, there have been ongoing problems as regards the preservation and conservation of the Curragh Plains, not least of which are illegal encampments and waste management.”
“It will not come as any surprise to hear me talking about this Commencement matter. Coming from south Kildare, it is a topic that is very close to my heart. The military and defence family are very much part of the whole social, economic and professional fabric of Kildare and right around the country. Over the years, we have seen a lack of investment in our Defence Forces and we have a recruitment and retention problem, or challenge, I should say. It is really important that Government invests in recruitment and retention and in supporting the military families and the Defence Forces. Thanks to our present Taoiseach and outgoing Tánaiste, a really big commitment was ensured in both the Fianna Fáil manifesto and, subsequently, the programme for Government.”
“I hope we can continue in the spirit collaboration and co-operation when it comes to issues such as this. I thank Members for putting their time and energy into this. I know they feel as strongly as we do. Other points were made that we have taken on board. The Minister has also taken the on board and will bring them back to the Tánaiste and the Cabinet. We should all hold our heads high in terms of what we are all doing both on the Government and Opposition benches to try to highlight what we can and to raise this everywhere we can with our counterparts in Europe and across the world. We used our time in Brussels yesterday to highlight this everywhere we could. I commend the motion, as amended with amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, to the House.”
“The Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have taken this up with the EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, and other counterparts in New York over the past few days. We wish Senator Andrews and all of those in the flotilla the very best. We want to see them all home safely. The motion stands on its merits. We have had good engagement and a number of amendments have been made. With continued negotiation, we are happy to accept amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive. We believe they will strengthen our motion. We are happy to accept them in the absolute spirit of collaboration and cooperation that we all need to have and show in relation to humanitarian crises such as this. All sides of the House showed the same level of collaboration in relation to the motion that Senator McDowell had before us.”
“It is something I know about because my sister Noelle was a volunteer there with Médecins Sans Frontières for 12 months at the same time. His role in leading the mission there was to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian aid and support human rights. That all served to emphasise his credentials around leadership, global engagement and doing the right thing. How dare Sinn Féin try to use this platform to try to besmirch a good man that we are certainly proud to have as our candidate. Senator Chris Andrew was also mentioned and we certainly send our support to him. We are very concerned by developments that have happened relating to the global flotilla. It is absolutely unacceptable. It is a clear breach of international law.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his compassion and understanding, and his support for the motion. I thank my colleagues for participating, delivering and supporting this motion and I commend the Opposition as well. We are all on the same page. We are not on opposite sides. We want to do our very best as legislators and as a nation to support those who are displaced from Palestine, those who are bereft with grief and those still undergoing an incredible onslaught. I want to address the point that Sinn Féin made. Yes, Fianna Fáil does have a very fine presidential candidate. His experience needs to be highlighted in relation to the UN mission in Chad because this speaks to his international credentials. That mission was established in response to atrocities and the refugee crisis coming from Darfur in Sudan.”
“She has plans for the future and she can talk about what she wants to do when she grows up, but the children in Gaza do not have a future. They do not have a chance for education. Many of them do not have a chance to live. That is one of the messages given by the ambassador. She said they just want their children to be able to go to school, to have opportunities and to be able to live their lives, like my niece, our sons and daughters, and our nieces and nephews. I will hand over to my colleague, Senator Comyn. I thank the Minister of State for being here and for taking this on board and listening. We know we have the full support of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste.”
“She spoke about going into a bookshop called The Gateway in Jerusalem. It was a thriving bookshop that was always full. Again, this is lived experience. While they were there the owner was arrested and taken away for a few hours. The following night the bookshop was raided and all the books were removed. That type of intimidation is shocking. When we do not have food and we have very little hope, being able to turn to books themselves for some type of inspiration is really important. Again, this is being denied. We appreciate the Minister of State being here. I say that on behalf of all of the distraught families and the children. I am conscious of my niece, Stella, who is with me today doing her TY experience.”
“He spoke about the luxury of having a loaf of bread. The cost of one loaf of bread is €5. Someone like a medic cannot even afford it so we can imagine what it is like for the population, 80% of whom live in extreme poverty. The lived witness piece is important. He spoke about children crying in the tent because their families cannot provide milk or food. They are crying with hunger and they are not able to fall asleep because of the hunger. They are so cried out that they are wasted. Some Members may know the actress Denise Gough. I met her during the summer. I know Denise and her family very well. She went to Barcelona to see off the flotilla and then she went to the West Bank. Thankfully, she came back safely last week. She gave a small example of the intimidation people are suffering.”
“Our motion recognises the absolute horror of the war and famine being inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the need for an immediate ceasefire to allow food and aid to be delivered, and also for the hostages to be released. We have consistently called for that over the past 23 months. The key priorities now are for humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza immediately and without obstruction, including the protection of aid convoys. Safe corridors are required for medical and relief personnel. I listened only this morning to Dr. Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, who said he was very lucky because he managed to evacuate his family to Cairo. He talked about the circumstances in which he lives and all the medics are trying to operate in to save lives. We are bearing witness and it is almost unbearable to listen to what is going on.”
“When we met the Palestinian ambassador here recently, she was very clear that the Palestinian people know all about Ireland and they appreciate all the efforts Ireland is making, and that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are making to support these people who have so little, and so little hope. Only yesterday, the Taoiseach delivered a very powerful speech, reaffirming Ireland's support for the two-state solution. He warned yesterday that the opportunity for peace may vanish without urgent global action. Every country in the world needs to take an interest and needs to stand up for what is right. He again condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a genocide being carried out in plain sight.”
“In fact, in 1980, under the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Lenihan, Ireland became the very first EU member state to declare that peace in the Middle East must be based on a fully sovereign Palestinian state coexisting with Israel. Ireland has long prioritised the Middle East peace process in foreign policy. As a country, we have consistently supported international efforts to restart negotiations and we have always condemned human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. That was prior to what happened on 7 October 2023. In 2024, Ireland formally recognised the State of Palestine, joining other EU countries like Spain and Slovenia. This move was hailed by Palestinian leaders as historic and deeply meaningful.”
“It is very sad that we have to concentrate and focus all of our emotions and energies on this absolutely horrific situation which continues to unfold and get worse all the time, but that is what we within the Fianna Fáil Party decided to do. Obviously, there are a lot of national issues that we could have used this time for but we want to show that our hearts, souls and minds are with the people of Gaza in what they are enduring. In the context of Gaza and the two-state solution that has been proposed, it is really heartwarming to see over the past seven days the number of European countries, including the UK, that have come on board. It is important to note that Ireland and our governments have played a consistent and vocal role in supporting the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, for being here to take this very emotive and important subject matter as a motion. This is the first Private Members' business in this session and it is appropriate that it relates to Gaza. The last Private Members' motion the House had before the recess was on the same topic. I commend Senator McDowell on all the work he put into compiling that motion and consulting with all sides of the House to ensure that we, as a House, stood firm on the side of the people in Palestine and condemned in the strongest possible ways the absolutely shocking actions of Israel and of Netanyahu.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann: recognises: - the absolute horror of the war and famine being inflicted on the people of Gaza and the absolute need for an immediate ceasefire to allow for food and aid to be delivered and also for the hostages to be released; - the Irish Government’s ongoing commitment in recognising the State of Palestine and for a two-state solution to end this catastrophic war; - the United Nations Commission of Inquiry which found that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza; - the need for international humanitarian law to be upheld by all; acknowledges: - the Government’s principled and consistent leadership in calling for respect for international law, in advocating for humanitarian access, and in providing substantial humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict; - the Government’s active engagement at the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and other international fora to call for an end to the hostilities and the need to ensure aid reaches people on the ground; - Ireland’s commitment to multilateral diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and to supporting efforts aimed at ensuring long-term stability in the region including a two-state solution; - the Government’s intention to implement the commitment made in the Programme for Government to introduce the Occupied Territories Bill following the July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion; and calls for: - humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza immediately and without obstruction, including through the protection of aid convoys and safe corridors for medical and relief personnel; - an immediate and lasting ceasefire to prevent further loss of civilian life, to allow for the delivery of aid, and to create space for renewed dialogue and a just and lasting peace; - the unconditional release of all hostages; - the Government to continue to use its diplomatic voice at the UN, EU and other international bodies to champion the protection of civilians and the pursuit of peace; - the Government to utilise the United Nations General Assembly to re-emphasise the need to recognise the State of Palestine and to encourage a global effort to put an end to this war; - all parties involved in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the provision of urgent medical and humanitarian assistance.”
“We will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for special education to look at this and to come here to talk to us. He is passionate about doing the right thing for the sector and for the children and students who need the support.”
“The plans in the next MFF are for the EU budget to increase by 60%, but where it is going is changing because the key priorities in Europe are defence. Many of the countries on the eastern side of Europe are trebling and quadrupling their defence budgets. Their MEPs are applying pressure in Brussels in relation to that funding. Senator Cathal Byrne spoke about the tillage sector. Tillage is a critical part of our country in terms of bedding and feed. While beef farmers are doing well now, tillage farmers are not. We fully support the Senator's call for the interventions that need to be made to support tillage farmers. Senator O'Reilly spoke about the NCSE and supporting SNAs. She noted that the new guidelines seem to be limiting. To be honest, I have not read through them so I do not know. Certainly, there should be proper consultation.”
“I think the plans are there to roll it out. The Senator also raised the issue of the capitation grant. We are still not back, even though, in the past two years, the capitation has increased by 22%, to where we were at in 2011. That is what is completely wrong. Every year we support it and we hope that, in the budget, it will be there. Senator Curley also raised the point about the IFA and CAP being tied to LEADER funding. This funding is so important, particularly for the rural communities that we represent. We will ask the Minister to come in to talk about this. The CAP came up in every single meeting we had in Brussels over the past two days. I know that, apart from the Minister for agriculture, at Cabinet level, there is support and concern.”
“Obviously, the timelines are being broken and enforcement is needed. I suggest that we ask members of our own political parties and none, who are members of the commission, to raise this. We will write to the Clerk of the Dáil and the Clerk of the Seanad and we will bring it up at Cabinet level as well to make sure there is action on it. The point is very well made and we will support it. Senator Curley spoke about Gort being an area where small schools have teaching principals who have been in the pilot project where they are released for one day and how well that is working. Those pilot days are working right across the country. I do not know how teaching principals do their job. They are incredible people. We have to ensure that we give them all the support we can. We support that this pilot scheme would be rolled out next year.”
“He had been over meeting some of his European counterparts. We discussed the demise of the pub, which is a social spot, particularly in our rural communities. For many, it is the one spot where they go to have a chat and share the issues of the day and not be judged. As a society, we would lose so much if we were to lose those community and social spots. The Vintners' Federation of Ireland, VFI, has made recommendations. We hope that its members' social and cultural role would be appreciated and supports would be put in place. Senator Scahill spoke about the delay in getting responses from boards and agencies. He is 100% correct in what he said. It is most frustrating to receive holding answers and there is no follow-up and people end up having to, in the midst of everything else, chase up answers.”
“I appreciate that there may be technical issues in respect of the roll-out in some places so perhaps the hot meals have not been provided. The important thing is that those children have a meal. I know that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, are working together to have the best nutritional and dietary advice to those who are providing the meals, and rightly so. We want to make sure that those children are getting the proper nutrients. Many of us had the opportunity to meet representatives from the Simon Communities earlier. Simon does a lot of work to support these families for which it should be commended. Senator Crowe spoke about the challenges facing vintners and those in the hospitality sector. On the flight last night, I met Adrian Cummins.”
“I know that, this year, 23,000 bus tickets and the access to transport were provided to those with special needs, which was an increase of 4% from last year. The Minister will be in the House for a scheduled debate on school transport next week so there will be an opportunity. Perhaps we need a bit more detail but if there is any support I can give, I am happy to do so. Senator Cosgrove spoke about child poverty and homelessness. No matter which side of the House we are on, we all want to do our best to eradicate poverty, particularly child poverty, and homelessness. One of the reasons the Government decided to provide free schoolbooks was in order that families would not be under pressure coming up to September. That has now been extended right through the primary and secondary cycle. There is also the hot school meals programme.”
“We need the Walker report to be implemented and we will send that message to the Minister. We will ask her to address the House. Senator Boyle spoke about two families with special needs in Donegal. They are going to Clonmanny National School. The Senator spoke eloquently and compassionately about the challenges that families face when they have children with special needs. I speak as such a family member. The Senator rightly said that the unconditional love you have for that family member is unsurpassed and unmatched, and you want to do everything that you can. In terms of the specifics he raised about children having to access transport on the side of a busy road, I do not know the minutiae.”
“Senator Rabbitte spoke about Portiuncula hospital, which provides a terrific service for people in Ballinasloe and right around the area. She spoke about the need for clarity, which was finally given at the health committee yesterday, in respect of the Walker report. Sadly, the clarity was that the recommendations were not implemented. That is wrong. The Senator's call is for availability and access to high-quality services. There are no maternity services for the women who live in those areas between Galway and Dublin. That is simply wrong. Emergencies happen, even with the best will in the world, and women and their partners need to know that they have timely access to interventions that are needed. I fully support the Senator in that regard. We need fully implemented and funded services with safe access.”
“Italy has introduced legislation to specify that good farming or stud land will not get planning permission for solar energy. It needs to be land that is suitable. Those are important areas. We yesterday met the former CEO of Irish Rural Link, Mr. Séamus Boland, who many Senators will have met, in Brussels. He is the first Irish person to take the presidency of the EESC. He will have the presidency for two and a half years. The role is concerned with civil societies and rural communities across Europe. He will have a key role at European level. We need to co-ordinate policy. I said to him that it would be good to get a briefing from him on all these areas for all Oireachtas Members in the audiovisual room.”
“Every Member of this House would agree. Generational renewal for farmers is a key issue. I was in Brussels with the Joint Committee on European Affairs for the past two days. We met representatives of the IFA. We had approximately 16 meetings over the two days. We met our MEPs and the permanent representative about preparations for the EU Presidency. We have insisted that agriculture and generational farming will be a key part of that. The statistics are frightening if we look at food security. We need to preserve our rural communities and the rural way of life. We also need to support those who are interested in farming but do not have a farm to inherit. One of the key concerns relates to the number of farms that are looking for planning permission for solar energy, etc.”
“When we think of our busy hospitals, that is important. I would like to add something to that. Approximately two weeks ago, Pfizer provided a briefing in Buswell's Hotel. It was chaired by Joe Duffy. Its representatives talked about the importance of the RSV vaccine for our older generation. The vaccination schedule for babies and young children is very good although I know we can go further. However, there is no vaccination schedule for older people. That is a matter we should discuss with the Minister. Senator Nelson Murray also mentioned the chicken pox and HPV vaccines. I would add shingles to the list. That vaccine must be included. Perhaps we should look for a debate with the Minister on vaccines in general. They save lives, no matter what. Senator Boyhan spoke about rural communities and the need for all of us to stand with them.”
“Unfortunately, we have people who are not civic-minded when it comes to such public facilities. They have no respect for the facilities or for those who must come in and clean them. There are good examples, particularly on the Continent, of paying for toilets with a €1 coin. None of us object to that if we are taken short. Those facilities are self-cleaning. I believe we need to look at that issue and I support what the Senator has said. Senator Nelson Murray spoke about the RSV vaccine and the importance of its roll-out. She said we need to highlight it. It is good to hear that Savannah is thriving. It is a very difficult time for parents when their young babies end up in hospital. I imagine it was a very difficult ten days for the Senator. She was right to point out that with the RSV vaccine, hospital stays are reduced by 65%.”
“I have a particular gripe about public toilets not being available in railway stations, which is ridiculous. In many cases, there are toilet facilities but they are locked and commuters are unable to use them. People may be commuting quite a distance to a train station. Trains may be delayed. People may be going to medical appointments, etc., and are unable to use the bathroom. I have raised the issue numerous times with Iarnród Éireann and I make that call publicly. Senator Murphy O'Mahony is right to say that people do not necessarily gather in a place that has a public convenience and that we tend to go for more leisure and recreational meet-ups. We need public toilets. The biggest issue we had in the past related to cleaning those facilities.”
“I believe in no way that it is AI-generated. The Senator and I disagree on that point. Senator Nicole Ryan spoke about battery storage in a sensitive area of biodiversity and said there are local concerns. I do not know whether it is at planning stage or has received planning permission. Consultation is obviously key in relation to the local area. We need clarity around why the area was chosen. To be fair, the Senator raised a fair point about the general criteria in respect of battery storage and the regulation of same. We will look to have a debate on that issue. Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the lack of public toilets nationally and about the difficulty, particularly for those in the hospitality sector in some of our tourist towns. I support her call.”
“We will speak with the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, in relation to same. Senator Conway spoke about 25 October being the 40th birthday of Ireland West Airport. We all think of Monsignor Horan and the incredible he did on ensuring that what was then called Knock airport was put in place. It is quite incredible to think we are getting close to a stage where all almost 1 million passengers per year use Ireland West Airport. He made the point that similar funding and support needs to go to Waterford Regional Airport, which is supported by three local authorities. The Senator spoke about a second item - unfortunately, he is no longer here - which was the use of the phrase "I rise to speak". I see no issue whatsoever. When any of us stand to make a point or a speech, or to raise an issue, we can and should open whatever way we choose.”
“Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about the FAI and the committee meeting yesterday about safeguarding issues. She rightly raised the issue of the proposals coming before an EGM next week calling for term limits to be extended. Good governance is absolutely key. I would have thought that the FAI would have learned a lot of lessons over the past few years, but it is clear it has not. I recall when the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, had responsibility for sport and the FAI was not adhering to the gender balance on boards, he was clear that funding would be pulled. At the very last minute, the FAI capitulated, and the funding was secured. It is important that the same action would be used at this point in time. Funding is tied to good governance. That is the way that it should be. We certainly support the Senator in her call.”
“I agree there needs to be a debate on the co-ordination of that. We will ask for that debate. We need to speak to the Minister of State with responsibility for planning and local government because it is important those two areas work well together. The third issue she raised was a second railway station. Public transport is absolutely key to all that we do. Drogheda is certainly of a size now and the Senator referred to the soccer team moving over to that area. With regard to planning, the bridge and the second station should be part of the third phase. Bettystown should be looked at. We have to look at more stations where we have railway lines going through towns and villages. It keeps people off the roads. It stops all that traffic at key times.”
“We started this morning with Senator Comyn and I share her tribute to Kevin Geraghty from Collon. Having people in one's life who are stalwarts, as the Senator described Kevin, is so important. As every single one of us know in this Chamber and in the other Chamber, putting your name up to run for election can be a lonely business no matter whether you are a member of a party or running as an Independent. Having these good people in your life is so important. We send our condolences to Kevin's family. The Senator also spoke about a problem with school places in Drogheda. It is important that we build sustainable communities. We need houses, and we have a housing crisis, but there absolutely has to be a matrix of forward planning with every single local authority to ensure that there are adequate childcare places and school places.”
“I thank the Leas-Cathaoirleach. First, I formally welcome Martin Hughes to the Chamber following his appointment to his new role. I look forward to working with him. We also send our best wishes to the outgoing Bridget Doody. She did an an incredible job while she stepped into the role in an acting capacity. The Order of Business today is No. 47(1) on the Order Paper, motion regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to be taken at 12.15 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.”
“Permission was granted for there in 2016, but we still do not have any sight of the children's science museum. It is something important that we should progress towards. Maybe we could have a debate in this House on it.”
“In the event that the UN Security Council does not renew the UNIFIL mandate, under current legislation, Irish troops will have to withdraw from the mission upon the expiration of the mandate. I know that the Government is totally committed to UNIFIL. Its work is key to maintaining security and stability in the region. If the mandate is not renewed, Irish troops will have to withdraw and there will have to be transition period. That is something about which we need to urgently have a debate in this House. I will raise a query about the National Children's Science Centre project, which was committed to 22 years ago when the OPW undertook a project with a developer in Dublin 8 and planning permission was received. It was then decided to move that to the north wing of the National Concert Hall.”
“The Holy Family Secondary School in Newbridge has a school dog, which is terrific in showing children how to care for a dog responsibly. We also have two excellent animal foundations in Kildare. While encouraging licensing and microchipping is very important, as is cleaning up after dogs, we could have a debate on dog wardens and the education part of their role, and on supporting schools to roll out similar programmes. As the Leader knows, Ireland is very proud of its ongoing participation in UNIFIL peacekeeping missions. Coming from Kildare, I know many who have served in Lebanon and are very proud of it. We know that the renewal of the UNIFIL mandate is due at the beginning of September. It is expected to be a challenging process, with different views on the mandate renewal from members of the UN Security Council.”