Fiona O'Loughlin
Administrative Panel · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Some 400 remote working hubs were also put in place, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic, when we all had the realisation that some work - not all work - can be done remotely. The local enterprise boards are doing an incredible job in rural areas. I am speaking from experience.”
“I join the Cathaoirleach in welcoming both the Belgian ambassador and my friends Joeleen and James. Anyone who has visited Chat N' Chew in Newbridge will have met Joeleen. I certainly hope her lunch today will be up to the usual standard at Chat N' Chew. It was lovely to meet with our former colleague Catherine Martin last night.”
“Continuing the theme of Kildare connections, she is a grand-niece of the late Rathangan author Maura Laverty, who wrote many books and wrote the very first soap opera for RTÉ, "Tolka Row". We wish Áine well on her retirement. I wish to talk about a serious issue relating to the blueway.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her positive response. In terms of premises, I had meetings with Jigsaw over the years in Newbridge and we did look at various premises. No later than yesterday, I spoke to the chief executive of Kildare County Council in relation to this.”
“We know young people are showing signs of stress or anxiety and that it is a very stressful and anxious world. Interventions can be made at this stage. The reason I have tabled this Commencement matter is that I have been advocating for a long time for Newbridge to have a Jigsaw service.”
“I always hate talking about these figures, but in terms of the rate of youth suicide, Kildare has the highest rate in Leinster. According to CSO figures, 14 people died by suicide in Kildare in 2023, in 2022 the figure was 26 and in 2021 it was 27. Demand is rising sharply for services.”
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“The Minister of State is very welcome. I congratulate him and wish him well with this portfolio, which absolutely suits him very well in terms of the experience he has gained and the wisdom that he will bring to the role. It is really important that we are having this debate in the week prior to St. Patrick's Day when practically all of our Ministers will be travelling abroad as ambassadors and representing Ireland on a very important day. So few countries in the world have this opportunity, and we are absolutely right to make the most of it with regard to the contacts we have and strong messages we need to bring to countries abroad and to bring their messages back. When I think of the diaspora, I also think of the Kildare diaspora and some of the twinning groups we established in the county.”
“At the moment in Kildare we seem to have approximately 25% of the solar farms that have been given planning permission. There is also planning for another 600 acres just outside Clane, which is two square miles. The issue here is that it is using good farmland. Given all the farm buildings we have around the country, stables, sheds and so on, we should be able to incentivise people to put solar on the actual buildings as opposed to using good farmland. Italy has banned solar on agricultural land to try to preserve its productive agricultural land. We need to a debate in this House and I would appreciate if the Leader would ask the Minister for agriculture to oblige us.”
“The drama festival season is starting now. As a young person growing up in a town that valued drama, I had the opportunity to go to local drama groups and those that had travelled from all over Ireland to the towns of Rathangan and Kildare. It was always a wonderful time to learn about culture and drama and to be able to step into another home, another country and so on. The Rathangan and Kildare drama festivals are both starting in the next two weeks. I wish them well. The national secretary, Mairead Broderick, is a resident of Rathangan and does tremendous work at national level as well as at local level. At the moment there is no national policy on solar farms in terms of planning and so on. While we want to see the growth of sustainable energy options, it is important that there be balance.”
“This time two years ago I hosted the Network Ireland national executive here in Leinster House. It was a really good opportunity to engage with them about their vision and plans. It is an excellent networking group for women. At the time, the then president, Emma Early Murphy, spoke about her plans for developing an all-island programme of events for women in business and culture and the arts. On International Women's Day this coming Saturday, the first all-island business women's network day will take place in Croke Park. I wish them well. The current president, Amy O'Sullivan, is spearheading this. Women are coming from the Thirty-two Counties of the island of Ireland. I wish them well in this endeavour and have no doubt we will hear lots more from them. They are supporting Debra Ireland as their charity.”
“I would appreciate it if, when the Minister of State reports back to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, he asks for a timeline on this. As already stated, it is now March. Easter falls next month. We absolutely cannot have a repeat of what we had in recent years. We need to have a short-term plan in place in terms of the management of the plains. We need to ensure there is a very clear timeline for putting in place the rest of the steps.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. He spoke about accessibility for people who live in the area. This is very important, and it is something we certainly do not want to take away from them. The illegal encampments to which I referred earlier are causing great problems and financial expense for the Department and Kildare County Council. I thank both entities for their help. I also thank the local gardaí. I appreciate that the Chief State Solicitor is looking at the legislation. I was very heartened when this was included in the programme for Government and the now Taoiseach Deputy Martin was very clear that he wanted to have it in the programme for Government. We worked closely together on it. I am concerned that I am not getting a timeline.”
“The Department of Defence and Kildare County Council commissioned a survey and report. Some 3,500 people responded to the survey. On 17 December 2024, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin, published the proposed Curragh Plains conservation management plan and interpretation, branding and wayfinding plan. These were two extremely important plans to try to preserve the importance of the Curragh for all those who use it. One recommendation is that there would be a new management plan and a different organisation would take over the management of the Curragh. It is vitally important that work is done to ensure this happens. It is also extremely important as we approach St. Patrick's Day and Easter, when illegal encampments start, that we do not have a recurrence of what happened last year and in previous years.”
“I raise this issue again because while many of us acknowledge there have been many problems in the management of the Curragh, which has been under the auspices of the Department of Defence, and there have been by-laws to supposedly protect the Curragh, the present Curragh legislation is not fit for purpose. We have had many problems over recent years. This was especially the case last year when we had 25 separate illegal encampments, one of which consisted of as many as 35 caravans. This has caused major problems on the Curragh for those neighbouring the area and for businesses working on its edge, including hospitality businesses. The bills for the clean-ups have amounted to millions of euro over recent years. Last year alone, the cost was €200,000. It is very important that something is done.”
“I think the Minister of State is missing us a lot. He is back in the House very regularly. It is always good to have him here. The Commencement matter I have concerns the Curragh Plains and the management of the area. In his time as Cathaoirleach, the Minister of State will know this is an issue I have raised quite a bit. Indeed, I brought forward a Private Member's Bill on the protection of the Curragh. It is a unique place, consisting of 5,000 acres in the heartland of the country and is of great cultural, heritage and ecological importance. Obviously, it is also home to the Defence Forces and the thoroughbred industry.”
“It is really important they are supported and I certainly want to stand with them and I urge the Government to ensure that this pay parity is reached, agreed to and implemented.”
“I will also give a shout-out to the 260 clubs around the island of Ireland and those who participated but just did not qualify on this occasion. I know that we all wish them well. I also want to mention section 39 workers. As we know, where the HSE has outsources its responsibilities to voluntary groups, they hire their own staff to do the same work. These are section 39 workers. They are not public servants and do not receive public service pensions. While historically they got the same pay, after pay was cut during the recession it was not restored to section 39 workers. There are thousands of people working in section 39 organisations. A pay agreement was struck at the WRC in October 2023, which has not been honoured. Most of these people do really important work in the areas of health, social care and disability.”
“-----and was very impressed with what he saw. It is important that we do what we can to protect our biodiversity, which includes our wild animals, birds and plants. I wish our Special Olympics athletes well. They are flying out to Turin on Friday next for the Special Olympics World Winter Games. There are 14 athletes competing and there is a full team of 23, including managers and coaches. I understand that 80 family members are travelling with them, and 50 volunteers. Our 14 athletes are competing in floorball and Alpine skiing, as well as taking part in the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes programme and Global Youth Leadership Summit. A huge congratulations to those 14 individuals who trained really hard to secure their places. They are shining examples of perseverance and determination.”
“I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. I congratulate Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy, a Newbridge and County Kildare native, who is to be appointed Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces on 1 June when Lieutenant General Seán Clancy will be going to chair the European Union military committee. I know Rossa very well. He is a very fine person. There are huge challenges ahead of both gentlemen, and I wish them well. Yesterday was World Wildlife Day. I want to give a shout-out to Dan Donoher, who has done incredible work in setting up Kildare Wildlife Rescue, a sanctuary for wildlife on Grey Abbey Road. While it is based in Kildare, the sanctuary actually has a national brief and is unique in that it looks after wildlife only. I know Senator Noonan, in a former life, visited it-----”
“Unfortunately, while we have the ongoing row about speaking rights in the Lower House, we cannot allocate people or Chairs to committees. Committees, including the PAC, cannot get their valuable work done. That is regrettable because the sooner we can get into that, the better. Senator Mullen mentioned the lack of transparency. We all hear about the buildings and various small projects that have gone over budget. We need to hear about them, but we also need to hear about those that have come in on time and on budget. There are a number of those projects as well.”
“It sounds like a large amount of money, and it is, with record funding going to roads, but I appreciate that, in a county as large as Cork where roads are well traversed and there is, given streams and the coast, a great deal of water, there is difficulty in trying to get as much bang for your buck as possible. We need a debate on the allocation of funding. Yesterday, I mentioned that some of the funding was also for the rehabilitation of bridges, with a small amount for footpaths. We need to have separate allocations for those. We will look for a debate on the allocation of roads funding. Senator Mullen, while also speaking about the situation in the US, spoke about the need for value for money. That is important. Oversight of taxpayers' money is important. The PAC plays an important role in that regard.”
“To be fair to the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, he put a lot of time and investment into ensuring the growth and development of primary care centres. We will look for a debate but I suggest that the Senator table a Commencement matter specifically about Ballaghaderreen. That decision undoubtedly needs to be reversed. I have already addressed what Senator McCarthy discussed regarding the severe consequences and job losses. With the Cathaoirleach's agreement, we will put the highest priority on that as a House. Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the €82 million allocated for roads in Cork. I appreciate what she is saying.”
“She also spoke about the difficulties she heard in an interview for a child with autism. Approximately €200 million annually is going to support oral health and there are 15 new HSE dental staff this year, but it is an issue of importance and we will look for a debate. I am genuinely sorry to hear that the primary care centre that was promised for Ballaghaderreen is now to be moved, as mentioned by Senator Scahill. The fact that people have been waiting since the announcement in 2012 and now, 13 years later, it is being moved is just incredible. Money has already been spent in sourcing the centre. I do not have any information on it, as the Senator will understand. Primary care centres are the whole basis of Sláintecare.”
“Senator Boyle raised the need for a debate on the fishing industry. It is an industry in crisis. The matter affects coastal counties far more than the midlands where I live, but I am conscious of it and of those who are employed in the industry and the families and communities that depend on it. The Senator is right, in that we need to hear the plans and to engage with our MEPs. The Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine was only appointed last week. We will look for the opportunity to have a debate with him as soon as possible. Senator Costello discussed waiting times for dental health services for children. Some of them have been told that they will have wait until they are 13 years old for treatment. That is simply not good enough.”
“Senator Comyn spoke about the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. It has to be frustrating when paramedics are tied up for up to seven hours at a time and 200 people are waiting in the accident and emergency department there. One of my sisters was an accident and emergency doctor at Drogheda many years ago. I remember hearing about the shock and horror for people who were working in it as well. It is highly frustrating that ambulances can only be directed there. There has to be a better way. The small injuries unit and better primary care are the way to go, which is ironic considering what Senator Scahill raised. In general, we need to have a debate with the Minister for Health on accident and emergency departments throughout the country and how we can try to solve the issue.”
“We will look for the Minister to come to the House as soon as possible. I am sure it will not happen next week but after St. Patrick's weekend we will try to highlight this as a key area. Senator Rabbitte spoke about co-ordination in local authorities, particularly regarding the rescue boat at Portumna at the mouth of Lough Derg, which serves not just that area, as she pointed out, but also counties Offaly, Clare and Tipperary at times. She stated that the next nearest boat was run by a different agency - the RNLI - in Limerick. As she rightly pointed out, time is always of the essence when dealing with emergency situations. We need standardisation. I support her call to invite a Minister to discuss this. A Commencement matter on this would also be good, but we will look for the Minister to respond.”
“Senators Ahearn, McCarthy and Mullen all spoke about the need to have a debate with the Minister for trade and business on what has been coming for a while but was announced overnight: the possibility of the US putting tariffs on EU goods and the potential for that to be up to 25%. It is of huge concern. The Senators are right to raise it. We had so many debates about Brexit and its possible impact leading up to Brexit. We were able to manage - I am not saying it was not difficult for many areas - but this is of such importance that we need to have a discussion with our colleagues in Dáil Éireann about setting up a joint committee on the potential difficulties and to engage with the EU. We must have a position but the EU also has a position. There are huge concerns. We will take this on as something of immediate importance.”
“Senator Harmon spoke about Sunbeam House Services, a residential home for people with disabilities, and her concern about a large number of incidences and the overreliance on agency workers. She expressed concern about the denial of human rights in the context of people being able to make their own decisions about their own futures. We should all be concerned about that. A lot of work was done around the ratification of the UNCPRD. Part of that is being able to make decisions. There is a HIQA report; we need action on it. A Commencement matter could be submitted about Sunbeam House Services in particular. We should call for a debate with the Minister for disabilities concerning ongoing issues.”
“There are concerns about the extended timeline given some of the information that came through. There are a lot of questions about conflict of interest and the values of portfolios. We should look for a debate on it in this House. It is of public interest to the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland because it is really about assets in Northern Ireland. Senator Andrews spoke about St. Patrick's Boys School in Ringsend and that the Department of Education notified the school that it would lose a teacher and that classes will be split. It is always most unfortunate when something like that happens. I suggest that Senator Andrews submit a Commencement matter in relation to that school. We all support children in all schools getting the best possible education and support they can.”
“She suggested that we invite the executive to visit Leinster House during this 40th anniversary year. We should do that. We should look back on the past 40 years but also look ahead. Only last week, I spoke about the upcoming awards at the weekend. I thought it would be appropriate we would have the opportunity to see examples of best practice in local government in the projects that won. It is something we should do this year. I commit to Senator Fitzpatrick and all Members that we will look at that with the executive. Senator Joe Conway started the conversation about Project Eagle and Senator Keogan also spoke about it in terms of the report from NAMA. There are certainly concerns about the length of time it took to develop this report - seven years.”
“I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. As this is my first time taking the Order of Business, I thank everybody for their co-operation. We started off this morning with Senator Fitzpatrick who spoke about the three-year war of aggression against Ukraine. Many of us had the opportunity to meet the ambassador, H.E. Larysa Gerasko, yesterday, and express personally to her our solidarity. Senator Fitzpatrick is right; we need to reaffirm that on every occasion we can. Senator Fitzpatrick also spoke about the importance of the upcoming meetings with the Taoiseach in Washington where he will meet President Zelenskyy. The Senator also spoke about the 40th anniversary of LAMA and that almost 98% of councillors are members. We should recognise and appreciate the tremendous work done by LAMA and AILG in supporting members.”
“He then had the opportunity, along with the Minister of State, to listen to particular constituency issues. I would like to address a point from Senator Boyhan, which was picked up earlier by my colleague, Senator Fitzpatrick, and that is to say we certainly have no objection whatsoever to providing public safety transport police. It was the previous Minister for Justice who at the time did not agree. The present Minister for Justice absolutely supports it. I wish to be very clear where the Fianna Fáil Senators are on that. I thank everybody for their support and it is important that we have the opportunity down the line to regroup regarding all of the issues raised.”
“Listening to the contributions it is very clear that this motion is supported by all and t we want to see public transport that connects places and people and that is affordable, accessible, reliable, efficient, available and safe. We have listened to particular situations and we all have a story to tell as regards public transport in our own areas. We have listened in the past few hours to particular calls for action from Kildare, Galway, Kilkenny, Dublin, Meath, Cavan, Louth, Sligo, Limerick and Cork city and Wicklow. Within that context we see how important public transport is to all of those counties and indeed beyond. We had 11 specific calls for action within our motion and, to be fair, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, addressed all of those in his opening statement.”
“I welcome the Minister, Deputy Buttimer, back to this Chamber. We miss him but we absolutely wish him well in his new, really important role. I know, as I have been watching, that he has taken a lot of notes on the issues we have raised from right around the country. We look forward to having another interaction at a later time to see the progress made on them. I thank all of those who have contributed to this debate. I thank all within the ranks of Fianna Fáil Senators for supporting this motion. It is the first Private Members' business of this mandate. We genuinely believe this is of such importance to all of us around the country that we really want to put the emphasis on it at this time.”
“The bottom line is the connectivity that I want for Kildare and that we all want for all of our country is essential to foster continued economic growth for communities and tourism. We want public transport to be affordable, accessible, reliable, available and safe.”
“Two bus routes are in the plans at the moment but there have been very long delays in rolling them out. The first is the 888, which will connect Athy, Monasterevin, Rathangan and Allenwood. It is badly needed for so many reasons. The second route is the extended 821 link, which will include Suncroft, to Newbridge and further on. Those are the main areas I would like to cover in respect of this motion and in acknowledging the many commitments that are in the programme for Government. We appreciate the Minister's input into that and his commitment to making sure these will be followed through. There is talk of the extension of DART+ South West to Hazelhatch. That could come further into Newbridge and Kildare. If we have all the building of the housing we want to see, we need to have that.”
“Three town buses are proposed for Ennis and Mullingar, which are the next two on the list, and fair play to them. Newbridge needs to be on that list. It needs to be prioritised. We need to be able to bring people from their homes to the train station to avoid traffic coming through the town centre. As the Minister knows, we badly need our second bridge to be able to facilitate traffic coming through more easily. On being able to access the train, there is a problem with parking and many people need to park at the station. People need a second car to enable them to go there because if they are walking, running or cycling during winter weather it is not so good. On connectivity, Local Link is a tremendous feature of modern life. Rural Link and Local Link are doing an incredible job.”
“It is a great service for those who are working around this part of Dublin. However, the last train leaves at 6.10 p.m. There is capacity for a late-night service from there. At Heuston Station, the last train leaves at 11.10 p.m. which means people have to leave the city centre by 10 p.m. People who want to see a show, want to do something related to work, or for social reasons or for college or education, do not have that option at the moment. We need to have better timetabling in that regard. There are people who need to use the train but do not live near the train station. I am lucky that I live quite close to mine, but there are people in Newbridge, where I live, who live in the town or an estate but are 3 miles from the train station. We need to have a town bus.”
“These include car parking, but also waiting facilities. In Newbridge, thousands of people commute every day but there is no toilet open for them to use. We have people using the train for medical appointments and people who have perhaps commuted ten, 15 or 20 miles to come into the station. Trains can be late, as is their nature, or somebody can just a miss a train and may have to wait at least half an hour for another one. It is important that there be proper waiting room facilities and toilets. This is not exclusive to Newbridge. Every train station should have those. Timetabling is important. Currently, we have a good service from Newbridge but we do not have a good late-night service. For example, I can travel from Newbridge to Pearse Street in the morning, which is ten minutes from here.”
“For example, the fare for an average single ticket into town would reduce by 45% from Newbridge and 38% from Kildare town. Think about that. People have been budgeting to ensure they have thousands of euro in their pockets since last September up to the end of this April, which is when the NTA says the system will be implemented by. It is of utmost urgency that we have the system implemented. I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say. We also need to have the Leap card extended so that those who commute from the 50 km zone will be able to use it within and around Dublin. When discussing travelling from train stations into Dublin - bearing in mind that almost 50% of those who live in Kildare are working outside Kildare, with most travelling to Dublin – we have to talk about the facilities in our train stations.”
“We have the short-hop zone, which comes up to 35 km outside of Dublin. People then have a much-subsidised fare to go into Dublin, which is important because it encourages people to use public transport. In Kildare, however, the train fare from Sallins is one third of the price it is from the next station of Newbridge. Many parents have second cars because it is cheaper to have a second car and drive their daughters or sons who are students or working to the station in Sallins to be able to avail of the much cheaper fare. Consequently, roads are blocked up, as is parking in Sallins. Fair fares were due to be implemented in September. A number of areas are impacted in Kildare, Dublin, Meath, Louth and Wicklow. In Kildare, commuters in Kildare town and Newbridge would have a much better fare system once implemented.”
“I thank the Minister for attending, and I congratulate him. I believe this is his first time in the Seanad in his capacity as Minister for Transport, which is important. Connectivity all around the island of Ireland, but most particularly the Republic of Ireland, is very important for economic reasons, educational reasons and social and recreational reasons. I wish to raise a number of issues that are particular to my neck of the woods in Kildare. I appreciate that the Minister took the opportunity to visit not so long ago, and we had the opportunity to talk about these. Regarding some priorities for me, I do not expect the Minister to have an answer now but I would appreciate if he could revert to me. The first is the implementation of fair fares. This has been long overdue.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann: recognises that: - the Programme for Government commits to developing a strategic public transport network; - with a dispersed population, connectivity is essential to foster continued economic growth for communities and industry; - by investing in public transport services, we will enhance connectivity across Ireland, giving people more choice and supporting sustainable growth; agrees that: - the public must have confidence in the quality and reliability of our public transport network; - workers and passengers must be safe, and feel safe, when using the network; - timetables of some services do not currently meet the needs of commuters; - there is a lack of nighttime and early morning services across the network; - the public are increasingly reporting tardiness and ‘ghost buses’; - all services on the network must be accessible for all, including for people with disabilities and people with impaired mobility; - those using public transport deserve adequate facilities, including bus shelters, toilets and parking; - fairer fares for the Dublin commuter belt have yet to be implemented; notes that: - 2.3 million annual kilometres were added to the public transport network last year; - in 2024, the successful public transport security policing pilot ran for 20 weeks on Dublin Bus; - under Connecting Ireland over 100 new or improved bus services have been rolled out across rural Ireland since 2020; - work has commenced on key transport projects, including Metrolink, Dart+ and Bus Connects; - the All-Island Strategic Rail Review was published in 2024; - the average national public transport fare has reduced by €1 compared to 2019; - students and young adults now benefit from 50 per cent reduction in fares; calls for the Minister for Transport to: - introduce public transport policing; - work with service providers on the extension of timetables to provide late night and early morning services; - work with the National Transport Authority (NTA) to improve the punctuality and reliability of services; - ensure every service on our public transport network is accessible for people with disabilities and impaired mobility; - continue the roll-out of Connecting Ireland; - fully implement the recommendations of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review; - reinstate the Western Rail Corridor; - engage with the NTA on the implementation of fairer fares; - provide adequate facilities for public transport users; - expand light rail in our urban areas; - expand shuttle bus services to commuter stations from surrounding towns and villages.”
“Their use could be co-ordinated at local authority and community levels. I thank all the ESB workers and other emergency workers who worked night and day to support everybody. Without them, we certainly would not have restored power as quickly as we did, even though it took some time in some areas. It is really good that a humanitarian assistance scheme was put in place, but there were people other than homeowners affected. Businesses were also impacted. Businesses providing broadband infrastructure, in particular, lost six weeks of work. There should be a scheme put in place to compensate businesses that lost out. I thank the Minister for the work he is doing. It is important we have this debate and that the Minister and Department have the opportunity to take on board some of the recommendations coming from me and my colleagues.”
“It is important that work in recreational areas, especially for those who live in towns and may not have space, take place urgently. Regarding the welfare of those reliant on electrical medical equipment and those who are ill, a register needs to be put in place in every local authority area that people can sign so we will have a sense, locally, regionally and nationally, of those who depend on electrical devices. For newborn babes, too, we should have a system online where people can sign up so, as soon as we have an emergency such as the one we had, we will be able to offer help and support. It is very good that we are now starting to consider generators for water treatment plants. This is important. Having access to generators at central areas within communities could be funded.”
“All around the country fallen lines were very much caused by the issues we have owing to felling licences not being given. This has to be treated as a priority. I am aware it falls outside the Minister’s remit, but if we are to have a co-ordinated approach and joined-up thinking, we need to ensure felling licences are given. We must also deal with ash dieback because it is continuing to cause problems. Trees are continuing to fall because of the after effects of the storm. There are still no-go areas. There are forests that people use for recreational walking. Just last week, I went to Killinthomas Wood, which is outside Rathangan. It is still a no-go area but I noted when I went past the barrier, which I should not have done, there seemed to have been no clean-up at all.”
“The areas most impacted were around Rathangan and the north west of the county, including Clogharinka. The local authority did not take action straight away to provide hubs, but local communities, especially the people in Clogharinka and Robertstown, did. Their GAA clubs opened up and provided comfort, places for people to charge their mobile phones, hot water and so on. This was very important. I thank all those who helped in this regard. It is really important, however, having had this experience and as we plan, that there should be a fund and supports so local hubs can be put in place very quickly to support those within specific geographic areas. With regard to forestry conditions, I am aware the circumstances were particularly bad in Leitrim.”
“It is important to note from what the Minister has said that he has already considered an enhanced winter grid resilience plan, an increased stock of spare parts for the electricity network, the creation of forestry corridors to protect overhead line corridors and, of course, the enhancement of partnerships across Europe. I note that co-ordination teams were put in place in 19 counties. Obviously, some counties were more impacted than others, but every county was impacted and I certainly believe there should have been a local co-ordination group set up in each. While Kildare was not one of the local authority areas that had a local co-ordination group, it was certainly very much impacted in that there are people who did not have water for up to a week or more and people who did not have electricity for ten days or more.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the Seanad. This may be his first time here since the reinstatement of the Seanad. I wish him well in his role. It is a daunting one but I have no doubt he will bring much experience, expertise and passion to the area. May this side of the House, and certainly the Fianna Fáil group, be associated with the condolences to the family and friends of Kacper Dudek? His death was a tragic accident. We certainly share in the expressions of sympathy. It is of scant comfort to those impacted but it is important to note that Storm Éowyn was an unprecedented weather event in our lifetimes. It smashed all records and caused widespread devastation and outages for hundreds of thousands of families around the country.”
“I have had interaction with My Lovely Horse Rescue in the past and have spoken in the past about sulky racing. I see from its social media that My Lovely Horse Rescue has been talking in the past few days about two horses it rescued named Celine and Bastian. It also showed scenes in Dublin recently of horse cruelty. It is beyond time to have a dedicated Garda animal crime unit because when we see the evidence across the country of animals not being treated correctly, it is beyond time that something needs to be done. Again, I would like a debate in this House on that.”
“We need more money invested in footpaths, so I would appreciate a debate in this House on trying to attract funding, particularly for bridges and footpaths. The ACRES payment is a very important payment to support family farms' incomes and biodiversity. I understand that 12,000 farmers have still not been paid the ACRES payment for 2024. Out of this cohort, 2,764 have still not been paid the 2023 payment. This is wrong. We need a streamlined implementation of the ACRES payment, so I ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine come to the Seanad for a debate on this. The last item I wish to raise involves animal welfare and animal cruelty. I appreciate that Senator Andrews is setting up a cross-party group, which is very welcome.”
“Yes. This is an important thing to do, so I appreciate that. I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. Two weeks ago, we had the announcement of an investment of €713 million in our regional and local roads, which is a record amount of money and is certainly very welcome. It includes some bridge rehabilitation works and some surveying around pavements. We need to look at bridges on their own because many of the areas we represent have a lot of old bridges. Between Waterways Ireland, Irish Rail, the OPW and the State, a very comprehensive survey needs to be done on the safety of these bridges. Along with that, there should be a dedicated grant for footpaths because, as we know, our roads are dangerous and many people we represent live just outside our towns and villages.”
“I want the Minister of State to understand that this is a critical issue that needs to be resolved as soon as possible, before June. We need to provide that much-needed service to those who need it.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his empathy and understanding. I appreciate he is new to his role. I also appreciate that he has taken the time to look into this. I find it incredible that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is holding this process up by conducting an internal review. The fact is that service users and their families are being let down. That decision should be superseded by the HSE and the Minister of State. I mentioned Karen Gorey, who is spearheading this campaign. She has written to the Minister of State to seek a meeting. I ask him to ensure the meeting takes place. We could have the meeting in Government Buildings, Leinster House, Allenwood or Kilmeague. This service is of vital importance.”
“The Minister of State could make an order that the new service provider could move in straight away and provide what is a very much needed service in a place with which people in Ballyteague are familiar. The new centre in Kilmeague will not be ready until the summer. Leaving a gap from before Christmas to summertime is simply not good enough. I ask the Minister of State to use his good services and influence to ensure that this issue is solved.”
“Of the 37 people affected, four have now gone into a nursing home and two are in hospital. The families are seeing a very negative impact. As we know, daycare centres are about socialisation, stimulation, the opportunity to meet neighbours and friends and spend time with people we have known all of our lives. The HSE said it would consider a transfer to nearby daycare centres in Newbridge and Naas, but this is not something that suits local people. The communities of Allenwood and Ballyteague are devastated by this. I have to pay tribute to Karen Gorey, who is spearheading the campaign. We need the HSE to act. There is a service provider ready to step in and provide that service, but I understand it is being held up by some red tape in terms of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul reviewing its service level agreement.”