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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,475 lines we hold for Fiona O'Loughlin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 24 of 30.
“Sorry, screening for the Israeli military and if they are former members of the military who are coming in. That is worthy of a very specific Commencement matter. It would be difficult to get the Minister for a two-hour debate on that but it is certainly worthy of a Commencement matter. It is also worthy of raising in the foreign affairs committee too. Senator O'Reilly spoke about the RTÉ exposé on nursing homes. Certainly, it was heartbreaking to watch it and we have heard quite a bit on our airwaves since. We have to do everything to ensure our loved ones who are entering later stages of their lives have everything that will give them the dignity they deserve. Of course, it is not always older people. We have a significant number of people under 60 who are living in nursing homes too.”
“They were not allowed into our canteen to take a break or have tea or coffee. It was shocking but we were able to rectify it by bringing it to the attention of the commission and we need to rectify this too. I thank the Senator for raising it and it is something we will write to the commission about from this Seanad. Senator Andrews also asked about background screening for Israelis who enter the country to see if they have been complicit-----”
“It has done tremendous work in preserving the culture and acknowledging the bogs and the importance of employment, etc. I recommend people go there. I can imagine it is a big issue in Galway and for Senator Rabbitte, but we need to get clarity on it and we need to support the families there. Senator Andrews spoke about the Oireachtas broadcasting workers and the contract being up for negotiation. I agree with the Senator that we need to have a fair resolution while that the contract is up for renegotiation. We should absolutely be supporting everybody who works in these Houses. During Covid, it came to my attention that the cleaners, who do an excellent job and were obviously particularly busy during that time, had no place to store their coats and no place to store their items.”
“The Senator spoke about the families who went out to foot the turf in April and there was a High Court injunction. As I come from the Bog of Allen, I am very familiar with the culture and tradition of bog cutting and I always feel it was such a shame we lost that and are on the point of losing it in other areas. The Senator has questioned the legality of the status and mentioned that an ARC can be written by the Minister. I suggest Senator Murphy put in a Commencement matter very specifically on this issue to get a very specific response from the Minister. Certainly, while we have to have respect for European law, we have to have respect for our environment and the heritage of our bogs. I recommend the Lullymore Heritage Park in Kildare to anyone who has not been there.”
“In a situation where a member of the Defence Forces is carrying out instructions from senior members, they in no way should be vilified in a personal way for the actions they are taking on behalf of the Defence Forces. Knowing many of them, as I come from Kildare, we have excellent people within the Defence Forces. It is very difficult for them when one of their own is in the spotlight for wrong behaviour. It is the same in any profession. It is the same in our profession as well, so we must always stand up for professions and the good, decent and honourable men and women who are there. Senator P. J. Murphy spoke about the three pieces of bog in Galway that were designated SCIs in 2002 and about the ban on cutting turf. Under EU laws, these should have been made SACs by 2021, but that was actually done too late.”
“I do not know whether the Senator has had an opportunity to liaise with the community engagement team. In similar situations, including in Newbridge, where there were a number of students living in the IPAS centre and due to do their State examinations who were going to be moved, people have been granted leave to stay to do their examinations. I recommend that the Senator liaise with the community engagement team. I am happy to give him the contact details if he does not have them. Senator Craughwell referred to the Crotty case, which he also raised on Tuesday. I welcome his clarification that he does not in any way support the actions of Crotty, who is a former member of the Defence Forces. It is important to acknowledge that clarification.”
“I will ask that the Minister for education come to the House to discuss where we are with this matter and look at ways we can support our whole-school communities. All the staff within a school community do excellent work and we all rely on them. Senator Curley talked about a five-year-old in Kinvara who came from Ukraine, has experienced a lot of instability in his short life and has now developed a support network in the town. I give my thanks to the community in Kinvara and the communities right around Ireland for supporting the Ukrainians living there. We have a situation now where the demand for accommodation for Ukrainians is falling away and we must take a value-for-money approach. Contracts are not being renewed, and should not be renewed, if there is not a need for such accommodation. We must look after taxpayers' money.”
“My county of Kildare has seen rapid development, with a lot of new housing in Kildare town and Newbridge in particular. We are not matching that housing development with provision of the infrastructural facilities we need. That must be a measure for consideration in everything we do. Senator Tully spoke about school caretakers and secretaries and the ballot this week on industrial action. I worked closely with Fórsa as Chair of the education committee in the previous Oireachtas. The union does excellent work. I support the caretakers and secretaries in what they are trying to do. They are the heartbeat of schools in every community. I will ask the Ministers for education and public expenditure to work on this issue over the next two months to ensure there is no delay in schools reopening on 28 August.”
“To be fair, the Government absolutely is treating the issue as a priority. The Minister, Deputy Browne, has developed a number of initiatives since he came to office. Senator McCarthy made a fair point in regard to the implementation of the recommendation from the Housing Commission. As a member of the housing committee, he is well positioned to address those concerns. That committee is the best place to have an in-depth conversation with the experts who made up the commission. I have no doubt this will be a key topic on the committee's agenda. We talk about housing a lot, which there certainly is a need to do, but we also need to look at developing sustainable communities, which includes provision of facilities such as swimming pools, as Senator Rabbitte raised.”
“I really hope we get a response and some support in regard to Loughrea. Senator Rabbitte's call in this regard was endorsed by our colleague Senator Curley. Senator McCarthy spoke about the Housing Commission report from 2021. There is no doubt that homelessness is a blight on our society. It is shocking to see the numbers going up each year but it is unfair to say the Government is not treating it as a crisis. It absolutely is doing so and it is putting many measures in place. A number of different groups of people are impacted and we need different measures to meet their needs. People who are homeless must be the priority. Renters are also a priority, which is why we had a new strategy this week that seeks to strike a balance in the sector and bring rent surety, in terms of both tenure and cost.”
“It is important we give young people the opportunity to excel and come through. It is really good news that the expression of interest by the group in Loughrea has been accepted by the LEADER programme. I acknowledge the work done by Colm O'Donnell, whom the Senator mentioned. It is so important we have volunteers like Colm and the people on the committees in different areas putting pressure on us as public representatives. I totally empathise with the Senator's point because Newbridge, with a population nearing 30,000, does not have a public swimming pool. We really need to prioritise provision in this regard. I will look for a debate with the Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy McConalogue, on the report launched by his predecessor to see where the gaps are in provision, not only in Loughrea but around the country.”
“I thank Senators for their contributions. Senator Rabbitte raised the very important issue of the need for swimming pools in the country generally, and in Loughrea specifically, to support people living in the hinterland. She made an excellent point. To be fair to the then Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy Thomas Byrne, he published a national swimming strategy last September, which included 55 recommendations for improving facilities, provision of new facilities, better coaching and increased safety awareness. The Senator mentioned that 120 people died by drowning last year, which is a very high number. I think of all those families, neighbours and communities left devastated. Another aspect of the national swimming strategy is to reflect our good success in the Olympic Games with our elite swimmers.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on delivering a world-class education system that breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential, to be taken at 1 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes each, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes each, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate.”
“Horse trainers pay a fee to use the Curragh. They cannot use it at present. There are problems for people living close to the area. While some gave an indication that they would move on 10 June, 26 remain and are not in any way adhering to the rule of law. The Tánaiste said he would deal with this when he was here, but nothing has happened to date. I would like a debate on the matter.”
“Another issue I want to raise is that relating to the Curragh and the Curragh Camp. I appreciate that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade was here recently to speak about Gaza, but I am seeking that he return to the House to speak as Minister for Defence about the future of the Curragh. The Curragh Camp is the home of the Defence Forces training centre. It has two iconic buildings. One, the Curragh post office, closed in 2019. It was the second-oldest post office in the country after the GPO. On 30 May, the fire service building closed. These two iconic buildings are very important to people in the area. What are the plans for them? The post office has been derelict since 2018. We need to know the plans for it. Regarding the Curragh itself, we have seen illegal encampments and gallops being closed.”
“It is important to note that there were recent legislative and constitutional amendments in Hungary that infringe on the fundamental rights of LGBTQ people there. These amendments were adopted earlier this year, following other anti-LGBT+ legislation that had already been introduced. The laws in question basically allow fines to be imposed on participants and organisers of events such as the annual Pride celebrations. They also allow the banning of such events. This type of legislation being introduced in Europe has extremely serious implications. It is important that we ask our distinguished representatives on the Council of Europe to raise this matter and that we write to our MEPs. I would like us to seek a debate with the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs to see how we can progress our views on this.”
“I add my voice to welcoming the guests who are here, and I hope they have an interesting and informative visit to Leinster House. On behalf of my party, I extend our very deepest sympathy to the ambassador of Austria and to the people of Austria on the horrific situation that unfolded in Graz, with the killing of nine people and the maiming of many more. It is shocking to see such a thing happen anywhere in the world, particularly on the Continent of. It is important that we note what took place. This is Pride month. As I do every year, I look forward to participating with my party in the Pride march at the end of June. It is important that we stand up for the rights of those in the LGBT community, not only in our country but also throughout Europe.”
“This is not always going to be the case because we will have the new school up and running. There will be issues regarding transport to that particular school, particularly from Newbridge, but we need a temporary transport scheme to be put in place at this point in time.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. Regarding this instance, prior to the closing date last Friday, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, stated that there would not be a school service provided. The issue is that Bus Éireann has advised that these children are not attending their nearest post-primary school. We know they are not but that is because there are no places. It further advises that there is no existing service so concessionary places cannot be applied for. Some 12 children from one particular estate in Kildare town are going to the Curragh. I would really appreciate it if the Minister of State would take a personal interest in this and try to help resolve the problem. We are aware that Bus Éireann has provided temporary transport measures to other schools under the school transport scheme.”
“There is some type of public transport system from Newbridge but it is not consistent. Sometimes the bus takes a different and varying route so pupils are often not able to get it or end up late coming into school. It is not their fault that there is not a school place for them in Newbridge or Kildare. The Department of Education is saying that, because they are outside the catchment area for this school, they are not entitled to school transport. I brought this up approximately two years ago and was told that it would be sorted. That was the pinch point, when the extra students were starting to go to Curragh Community College. Sadly, it is still not rectified. While we are waiting for this new school, it is really important that school transport is put in place for the students who have to travel from Newbridge and from Kildare town.”
“They have opened their facilities and got extra accommodation to deal with the extra numbers, bringing the school to more than twice the number it had physically been able to take. I commend them. The problem is transport. The Curragh camp was originally a thriving community. It is not now. Sadly, the focus has not been on continuing to have families live there. There is a natural hinterland for families from the Curragh area but now we have students coming from Newbridge and Kildare town. The problem is that no school transport has been laid on. As the Minister of State will know, the policy is that, where there are more than ten students travelling, Bus Éireann, which has the contract, is to put on a bus for those young people but it never has. It is simply not good enough.”
“A commitment was made by the previous education Minister that we would have a new school at McGee barracks, on the edge of Kildare town, close to the Curragh, and that it would be where the children who did not have places in current schools in Newbridge and Kildare would go. We are still waiting for the shovel to go into the ground, even though that is happening at pace. What we do in the interim is important to the pupils, who deserve, need and expect a secondary school place, as do their families. Curragh Community College is an excellent school under the auspices of the ETB. The principal, Ms Nessa Doyle, and her staff are second to none in terms of the work they do in a very outdated building and with the support of the Department of Defence, which is also the patron of the school.”
“This is my first opportunity to have a debate in this House with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, since his appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for special education and school transport. We could not have a more committed, compassionate, empathetic person in this role than him. I say that from previous experience on the disability matters committee and in other areas. It does not surprise me at all that he is taking this matter. In so many scenarios, other Ministers are sent to deal with sensitive issues, so I really appreciate him taking the time to be here. South Kildare is a growing area. We have excellent schools in Newbridge and Kildare town, but with the population growing, there are not enough places. We are practically at capacity at primary school level and over capacity at second level.”
“We must make the case for hope in today's world. We must raise our voice. We must demand an end to the bloodshed. We must call for an immediate ceasefire, full humanitarian access and an international commitment to peace rooted in justice. Let us be clear; this is not about taking sides. It is about taking a stand against genocide and a stand for humanity, law and peace.”
“This is also very clear in Colum McCann's book, Apeirogon , which tells about the perspective of two fathers who both lost daughters, one on either side of the conflict. They travel the world telling their story, trying to bring about hope. Countless families, Israelis and Palestinians alike, have lost loved ones. Children are killed in their sleep. Parents are mourning in ruins. There is absolutely no justification for this scale of suffering. Ireland is a small country, but we have a significant voice and a significant global footprint to advocate for peace. We must continue to use this footprint to raise awareness for the plight of the people of Gaza. We need justice for Palestine, and we need hope. Hope got us through our own occupation. It is hope that brought about peace in Northern Ireland.”
“I remember as a child reading it and asking the adults in my life how this happened, and the answer always was that the world did not know this was happening. Today, however, the world knows. Being fascinated by it, in my late teens, I went to concentration camps and when I was 23, I went and lived on a kibbutz for six months in Israel. It was 6 miles from the Gaza Strip. Palestinians worked in harmony with the Israelis on this particular kibbutz, which was called Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. I met and befriended Palestinians - men and women with families, hopes, humour and humanity. I sat at their tables and drank tea. Those friendships shaped me deeply and informed me. They remind me now that no child is born to hate. The cycle of violence and bloodshed must end.”
“Young children growing up in Ireland today and all over the world laugh and play. We all have children in our lives, whether they are ours, our nieces and nephews, neighbours, friends or in the community. A common question is, "What are you going to do when you grow up?". The children in Gaza may play a little, but they do not laugh anymore. They do not talk about what they are going to do when they grow up because to actually survive would nearly be a miracle. Imagine the lifelong consequences for those children - the trauma and loss, their futures stolen before they have begun. Many years ago, as a child, I was given this book - I have the date of 1977 on it - the diary of Anne Frank.”
“I acknowledge that the Government has consistently called for the unconditional release of all hostages held in Gaza and for the immediate resumption of the desperately needed humanitarian aid and adequate humanitarian aid to Gaza. There is no doubt that we are witnessing in real time on our screens, be that a television, phone or iPad, or in the newspapers a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions. In Gaza, every day, we see homes reduced to rubble. We see children pulled lifeless from beneath concrete slabs. Hospitals are overwhelmed, many of them targeted. A population, half of whom are children, are trapped with nowhere to run, no safe corridors and dwindling hope. The cries from Gaza today are as deafening as they were in October two years ago. We have to listen, and we have to act.”
“We have already shown leadership in this country by consistently advocating for a two-state solution and by calling over the last 12 months for a review of the EU-Israel association agreement, which, finally, Kaja Kallas has agreed to call for. This needs to be acted on quickly, and the conclusions need to be implemented. We need to enact the equivalent of the occupied territories Bill before the summer. I acknowledge the excellent work Senator Black has done in this area. I absolutely commend her on that. The ceasefire and hostage release deal agreed in January brought hope, which was all too soon dashed, to both Israelis and Palestinians. The Fianna Fáil Party absolutely supports the Government's call to return to talks aimed at immediately agreeing another ceasefire and hostage release deal for the few who remain.”
“Alaa al-Najjar, who, as she was working to save and heal her neighbours, this week heard of the devastating and unthinkable news of the death of nine of her ten children. Her family was practically wiped out in one fell swoop. Gaza is truly a hell on earth. It is a holocaust by any other name. The horrific, heinous and barbaric events of 7 October will never be justified and should never be forgotten. However, what followed afterwards must and will forever rank as the most punitive and disproportionate military attacks by a sovereign state in modern history. Israel must know the world is watching. That is why it is important to have these debates in our Houses. As helpless as we all feel, we just cannot stand idly by. We must demonstrate, in every single way we can, our abhorrence at the murder and maiming we see on a daily basis.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. I acknowledge the presence of Deputy Lahart, who is Chairperson of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. I thank the Tánaiste for being here. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, and the Taoiseach for their leadership on this matter across the world. I stand here on behalf of my party, Fianna Fáil, thinking of the 54,000 dead in Gaza, their families and their friends. On average, ten children per day lose at least one limb. Imagine the impact of that on their future lives, if they have a future, that is. I think of those toiling to save the injured in horrific circumstances but, most of all, I think of Dr.”
“I am aware that there will be a ministerial summit in July. It is important and we look forward to having a debate with the Minister after it. The establishment of a dedicated small business unit is to be very much welcomed.”
“That is why it is important to acknowledge the forthcoming review of the national development plan and the plan for the new accelerated infrastructure task force launched by the Minister, Deputy Chambers, last week. For example, I spoke to a small business the day before yesterday about our new free schoolbooks scheme, which is great. When it was introduced, the then Minister for Education emphasised that local shops, the ones that had always supplied the schoolbooks, should still be able to supply them. However, I understand that there is now a big player in the market that is selling below cost and trying to take all the business. We should be introducing proactive measures to ensure the small shops and businesses can continue to provide schoolbooks to our children. The initiative is great but we need to ensure we do not lose out.”
“We have to do what we can to protect those businesses because not alone do they provide an excellent service to all of us in terms of goods, but they also provide raffle prizes for community games and local sports clubs. An accelerated development of a new whole-of-government action plan on competitiveness and productivity has been announced. The plan will identify concrete and actionable reforms across every Department to enhance the competitive edge that we have internationally and in our domestic economy. While our economy is resilient and we have full employment, there are significant challenges. There are labour market constraints and infrastructure development issues.”
“Listening to the stories last week and stories I have heard from businesses in Kildare of brazen shoplifting was shocking. People who have committed hundreds of offences have never done time in jail. Time after time they come in brazenly to steel goods. Businesses operate under small margins. The businesses we rely on to keep our communities, villages and towns going are local shops. When we are driving home after a late night we want to call into such shops and be able to get a pint of milk, a sliced pan or whatever. We have a duty to support such businesses. We have had a conversation with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on this issue.”
“People who are entrepreneurs and are investing in their businesses need to know they have the support of our Government and we are steadfast in that commitment. Senator Fitzpatrick mentioned a meeting last week with RGDATA. There were two main themes. One was the cost of doing business, which, as we know, is constantly increasing, in particular energy costs. While in the past we have provided supports and I hope we do so again, we need to make sure grants are not tied up in red tape. It is very difficult for somebody who is putting huge hours into a shop and perhaps has to cut staff in order to keep a shop open to then have to spend hours pushing a pen in order to access grants. That is really important. Despite being aware of the issue, I was shocked by the discussion on retail crime.”
“It is good to have the opportunity to have this debate with the Minister. We appreciate his time because we know how busy he is and how demanding the role is. It is important that we have this discussion. It is one a number of Senators have sought. There is no doubt that we are recognised internationally as a very competitive economy, but equally it is absolutely fundamental that we do not become complacent. There is quite a bit of work to do to make sure that we can meet the many challenges coming down the line. The challenges we have had to come through over the past few years have required us to think outside the box in terms of dealing with Brexit, the pandemic and the cost of living, and facing into possible US tariffs. It is a difficult time.”
“It is really important that the task force has members who are also members of local councils, so that they can speak on their behalf. That would probably be best done through the AILG and LAMA. We all voted on the principle of subsidiarity in the context of the Maastricht treaty. That principle is about decisions being made as close to citizens as possible. A rebalancing of power between the elected councillor and the officials and restoring town councils must be a priority.”
“That leads to an inadequate resource distribution. One of the areas that I would really like to see the task force looking at is section 149 of the 2001 Act which provides that every act of the local authority which is not a reserved function is automatically an executive function. Time after time, and I experienced it myself as a councillor, we hear that X is not a reserved function and so it is nothing to do with the councillors. The relationship between management, staff, officials and councillors is important but most certainly we need to empower the councillors in terms of their functions and resources. We need to support them by ensuring they have adequate resources and supports, both financially and in other ways. The terms of reference are currently under consideration, as is the membership of the task force.”
“That is something that I would like to see brought here to Leinster House because it is important to showcase good examples and see how we can inspire others. There is no doubt that local government is not just the cornerstone but the beating heart of our democracy. It is responsible for so many of the essential services that we depend on but it also helps to build communities around libraries, arts centres, playgrounds and leisure facilities, and by facilitating LEOs and all of the work it does with local businesses. Strong local government is absolutely essential for the future of our democracy. I would go further and say that weak local government undermines democracy because that reduces accountability, limits citizen participation and makes it harder for residents to engage with their local representatives.”
“It has produced two excellent reports, The 21st Century Councillor in Irish Local Government, published in December 2023, and Building Stronger Local Government, which was published in November 2024. We all need to take note of what those reports say. Limerick Councillor Kieran O'Hanlon, the current president of the AILG, and his team do really excellent work. The Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, is also deserving of mention. All of the political parties had meetings with LAMA recently. The Fianna Fáil group had a meeting with Brian Lawlor, Damien Ryan and Michael Anglim from LAMA about two weeks ago. It does a lot of good work. One of the really important things it does is showcase the very best of what happens in local authorities around the country in terms of their national awards.”
“It is because of that background that I learned about how important local democracy is and how important it is to listen to people and be able to bring their concerns and challenges to the office of what was formerly the county manager, now chief executive, to the door of officials and also to the Chamber. We all know that some issues are better dealt with outside of the Chamber. We have excellent public representatives who represent us right around the country, both party members and Independents. The organisations that serve them deserve mention. AILG, which represents and supports the role of our elected councillors, is a very strong voice for local communities through its work.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the opportunity to have a discussion on a really important topic that has an impact on all of our lives. 1898 was the year that local government came into being and local councils were set up. My grandfather, Joseph O'Loughlin, was on the very first Kildare County Council. He died when my father was only seven, so we did not know him but 20 years after that, my father was elected to serve. Many years after that I was elected to serve in another area so I can say, with great pride, that three generations of my family served in three centuries.”
“We all remember the circumstances in Galway some years ago when Denis Walsh Jr was identified 25 years after he had gone missing. His body had lain in a morgue for 25 years. We have had advances regarding DNA, so it is really important that there be a call for an official record of unidentified bodies lying in morgues or graveyards. This needs to be addressed and maybe we could ask the Minister for Justice to come in to talk about our missing persons. There are 860 of them.”
“I want to give a shoutout to the Civil Defence movement all over the country. It was great to see it recognised by the President last week. We are all watching the news in relation to the Fiona Pender situation. Very sadly, Fiona went missing almost 30 years ago. About six months ago I was in Tullamore and saw the walkway dedicated to her and the memorial. We know she will never be forgotten by the country, especially her family and friends. Sadly, both of her parents have passed away. When thinking of Fiona, I also think of my former neighbour Deirdre Jacob and many others, such as Annie McCarrick, Jo Jo Dullard and Trevor Deely. Every year, there is a national missing persons day. People have been seeking the establishment of a database of unidentified remains.”
“I am aware that Senator Sanders is to speak tonight in Vicar Street but I ask the Leader and Cathaoirleach whether it would be in order to invite him to address the Seanad. After all, he is an Independent, so nobody could say we were siding with one side of the House or another. The next time Mr. Sanders comes from the US, I would like to make this proposal. I noted that last week saw 75 years of the Civil Defence movement. It is a wonderful group of volunteers. I have often had to engage with them on community events in Kildare, where we have a group of absolutely excellent, really dedicated volunteers. This is the case all over the country, no matter whether it involves helping the emergency services or helping local communities. I understand the Civil Defence has 3,000 different duties every year.”
“I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. On Sunday, I had the immense privilege of meeting Bernie and Jane Sanders in Athy, County Kildare. This came about through the wonderful work of Colm Walsh, who has developed the Made of Athy series and discovered that the ancestors of Jane Sanders came from Athy. As a couple, Jane and Bernie are absolutely inspirational. They have worked so much for people who are vulnerable and marginalised and have done a lot of work in the area of social justice. Revitalising democracy is a big part of what they do, not just in America but also around the world, through engaging with various groups all over. I understand they have been in Ireland several times.”
“I stress that it is important to make sure contingency plans are in place so that something like this does not happen again in south Kildare or indeed anywhere else in the country.”
“I thank the Minister of State. Like her, I acknowledge the critical role that midwives across the country play in the delivery of excellent services for mums and their new babies. I acknowledge that the Minister for Health has said that she understands the disruption and distress that has been caused. I appreciate that in the Minister of State's answer, she said measures had been put in place to resume the service and that they have confirmed that the antenatal clinics will be operating as normal from this week. That is important news in Athy Primary Care Centre and Portarlington Primary Care Centre. The Minister of State talked about the issue with recruitment, which is obviously important, because every new mum deserves to have the very best. I wish the Minister of State well with the task force that is being established.”
“Is there anything available to support them in the meantime, such as transport for those who do not have access to private transport? Public transport between Athy and Portlaoise is practically non-existent. If this will continue for a time, I propose that transport arrangements be put in place. It should not have happened, especially with such little notice to mums. Getting a text when you are prepared and have put arrangements in place to say that you have to go to another place is not acceptable. Portlaoise is a large town and the hospital is dealing with its own patients. There is a concern that there will be long delays for mams and their babies. It is not good enough. The women I represent in Athy and Monasterevin deserve better. I look forward to hearing the response from the Minister's office and the Department.”