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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“Thirty-seven people have been going to this day care centre. Approximately one third of them sadly have dementia, but the families really noticed the huge improvement when they started attending the day care service up to three days per week. It ran five days per week and provided meals on wheels. Unfortunately, ten weeks ago this coming Thursday, the service closed. There was a disagreement with regard to the move to a new centre in the nearby village of Kilmeage. However, instead of having a negotiated transition, what happened was that the board was told it had to leave and the service stopped. To be fair to the HSE, it said it would step in and provide the service directly. It is important to note that. However, the fact that ten weeks later we have nothing in place is really wrong.”
“I appreciate the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to take this matter. It is an important issue for all of those impacted. Day centres provide a valuable service in the communities and towns in which they operate. We saw during Covid the negative impact the closure of day care centres had for older people. In this instance I am talking about the Allenwood day care centre, which is located in the Ballyteague GAA centre. It is a fabulous place in the middle of nature. It really provided a great space for people to have recreational time outside as well as in. This was operated by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Albert Perris and his team provided a professional service with great empathy and support. It was a place I had an opportunity to visit many times, so I can attest to the wonderful service given there.”
“Talking to those in the retail industry and seeing the amount of shoplifting going on, it is something we need to take seriously and put a plan in place. My final point refers to having a safe public place unit. It is really important when we look at our villages, towns and cities that we have proper public lighting and street planning. We must do our best to create positive and vibrant places for the communities that use those villages and towns. If not, places will turn into no-go zones and, unfortunately, everybody will suffer - those who live there and those who have day or night-time businesses there. I appreciate the opportunity to raise these issues with the Minister.”
“We see young people going out for the hell of it to create havoc. It is very important to put an awful lot of thought into how we deal with this. The gardaí has been very helpful in this regard. It has been able to get some of the young people, but it is difficult because they are under age. It is known that similar has been done before and this needs to be taken into account. Talking about rural crime, I also want to mention fly-tipping and dumping. This is a huge problem in rural parts of our country. Indeed, millions of euro has been spent on cleaning up the Curragh Plains after fly-tipping and dumping. It is worth looking at the Greentown Project in Limerick, which I would like to see rolled out for how we deal with young people. Extra CCTV is also very important. Retail crime is something we come across all the time.”
“I want to talk briefly about preventative measures and youth justice programmes which are hugely important. From my own experience in Kildare - I am sure it is no different from other places - the vast majority of young people are excellent individuals who contribute to society and to their communities. Unfortunately, we have a tiny percentage who are wreaking havoc on their communities. There has been a particular problem in rural areas outside Naas and Newbridge. Senator McCarthy referred to this issue last week when he spoke about Rathasker Stud and only ten minutes ago, I spoke to Madeline Burns from there. In recent weeks, hundreds of thousands of euro worth of damage has been done. When we are talking about farms, we are talking about the welfare of animals, such as cattle and horses. We are now coming into the foaling season.”
“I know the Minister is committed to expanding, developing and strengthening the role of An Garda Síochána. The tagline he mentioned is important. It is a job worth doing. I thank all of those who help keep us safe on the streets of our towns, cities and communities. Aside from what gardaí do, the Judiciary is another really important part of this process, so it is important we get that legislation around sentencing right. I wish to make an appeal for Kildare on the appointment of judges. In Kildare, we currently have only one judge who deals with thousands of cases every single week. Unfortunately, in many cases where there is a level of urgency, particularly around family law, those cases keep getting put off week after week, month after month and year after year. I would appreciate if the Minister could look at that.”
“I welcome the Minister to the House. He is absolutely the right person at the right time. There is no doubt there is a huge weight of responsibility on his shoulders. We need to get this right and I have no doubt he will. I appreciate the fact he mentioned Jennie's law in his introduction. I worked closely with Jason Poole, whom the Minister met several times himself, in establishing a domestic violence register Bill. We hope to see that come to fruition under the Minister's leadership during this mandate. This is an important topic and I am pleased to lead off on it for Fianna Fáil on this side of the House. We know everyone wants to live, and has the right to live, in a safe and secure community and home. Unfortunately, throughout the country we see communities dealing with the scourge of crime and antisocial behaviour.”
“There is a myth that eating disorders only affect young people and girls. However, approximately 25% are men and it is generally felt that men are not presenting. People need help. There are only three inpatient beds in the country. Twenty more were promised but have not been delivered. In budget 2024, funding was announced for five new posts within the HSE south-west Dublin, west Wicklow and Kildare area to commence an adult eating disorder team. We need clarification on that because it is very hard to get the information. I would like to see a debate in the House on eating disorders, which of course are not just about losing weight as there are psychiatric conditions and mental health elements involved.”
“We have four funded projects, one of which is the refurbishment of an old vacant secondary school that will be used to create economic opportunities and training. I never understood why the area of the Kildare-Rathangan MD has been left out. Rathangan, if anybody knows it, is very much in the heart of the bog of Allen. As a village, it grew because of migrants from other parts of Ireland coming to settle there and work in the bogs. I understand EMRA is the regulatory authority in Ireland but it would be important to have a discussion around future funding and the geographical area. I would like a debate in this House with the Minister on this issue. In the brief time I have left, I want to refer to eating disorders. An estimated 200,000 people in Ireland will experience an eating disorder at some time in their lives.”
“There is no doubt we need a strong and united Europe against the tyranny of Putin. It is important that we have the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade come in and have a debate regarding the situation in Ukraine. I want to mention the just transition funding announced yesterday, which will allocate €6 million in funding to really important projects. That funding will go to Laois, Offaly, Longford, parts of Galway - I understand it is the Ballinasloe area - and parts of Kildare, the Clane, Maynooth and Athy areas. This is to try to rebalance employment opportunities that have gone because the extraction of peat has ceased. Some of the projects in Kildare are particularly good.”
“I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader of the House. It seems unbelievable that it was three years yesterday that we woke up to the news that Russia had invaded Ukraine. Since then, we have had three years of a war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine. There have been many fatalities with people displaced and Europe has been in a state of chaos. We have to think of all the Ukrainians, both those in Ukraine and those who have left. We must also think of those who have come to Ireland. I want to thank all the Irish hosts who have supported Ukrainian individuals and families, particularly Angie Goff for helping Irish hosts. A total of 57% of those who have come to Ireland are staying with Irish hosts who have opened their homes and hearts to support people fleeing war.”
“We will have the LAMA awards on Saturday. I thank the good people in LAMA and AILG for all the work they do. When we look at the list of the different types of awards, and the nominees are from all around the country, it is fantastic to see really good practice in local government. We have awards in everything from tourism to sustainability to festivals. Indeed, Brigid 1500 is nominated for one of the awards. It would be great if we could organise a presentation on the good practice in all of the local authorities that enhance pride of place and pride of community.”
“They provide the opportunity for people to socialise and to receive other services. It is a lifeline for many people, particularly for those who live in rural areas. Some are provided directly by the HSE while some other service providers provide these services on behalf of the HSE. They are important organisations in our communities. Tomorrow will mark nine weeks since operations ceased at a particular day care centre, the Allenwood Day Care. It is a very difficult time for all who use it and their families. The HSE has said it will step in. I am looking for a debate in this House in relation to the operation of day care centres. It is important. There is no time on the clock.”
“Irish jockey, Michael O'Sullivan, who was only 24 years old, was riding Wee Charlie when he fell in Thurles on 6 February. Sadly, he passed away last Sunday. I send my deepest sympathy to Michael's family and to the whole racing community, family and industry. I understand many of the meetings were called off as a mark of respect. John Cooney, a young Galway boxer, very sadly lost his life after a fight in Belfast. We should thank both their families for their commitment in ensuring their organs were donated after they passed away. We should have a vote of sympathy in the House on those two sad deaths. We are all aware of the importance of day care centres within our communities, towns, cities and villages. They provide a large range of day activities, including recreational, leisure and health-related.”
“I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader of the House. I offer my congratulations to two sporting heroes. First, Sam Prendergast from Cut Bush in Kildare, who was nominated as the man of the match in the Six Nations match at Murrayfield last week. We are all incredibly proud of him. Second, another young man, Michael Noonan from Ellistown, again in Kildare, who is the 16-year-old Shamrock Rovers player who made history in Norway last week by becoming the youngest scorer in the history of European club competition. It is great to have role models, such as Sam and Michael, in sport for our young people. While they are true heroes and we celebrate with them, we should also take the time to commiserate as we sadly lost two young sporting heroes last week.”
“That cross-departmental response is hugely important. The Minister also spoke about promoting action and ensuring policy implementation. This is hugely important. I have no doubt that with the legislation in front of us and with the proposals the Minister is making on behalf of the Government, we will be able to take on these tasks in a more cohesive and a more focused direction. Fianna Fáil supports this legislation. I will now hand over to Senator Casey and then Senator Rabbitte will conclude for our group. I thank the Cathaoirleach.”
“Only this morning on the Order of Business I spoke about a situation in my own county of Kildare where, very sadly and unfortunately, residents of the Eyre Powell Hotel direct provision centre were given less than 24 hours to leave. This included 36 children, five of whom are doing State exams, and people who were volunteering with local community groups. Because we did not have a line Minister in place, it was difficult to try to get action and communication, which resulted in us going around all the houses. It is important these Ministers of State are in place to be able to deal with those situations. I was struck by the Minister’s speech when he spoke about key things. The Minister talked about cross-cutting and requiring cross-departmental responses. Far too often we have seen really important issues slip between Departments.”
“There is a very broad range of areas, including better and more efficient delivery of public service and investment, which is what we want to see. We want to see critical infrastructure delivered. It is very clear we need more oversight and more accountability. I was pleased when I saw the renewed focus on issues such as disability, mental health, AI, and the digital economy when this Government was formed. It makes absolute sense to the Fianna Fáil team here that we need to have Ministers of State to have oversight of these issues. I am aware the Minister mentioned specifically the areas of asylum and migration, the marine and older people, and that we need to have a focused approach on them.”
“I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I congratulate him on his reappointment to Cabinet. There are many challenges ahead. We wish him well on this side of the House concerning those challenges. As he rightly pointed out, we have a new team of Ministers who have unmatched vision and ambition regarding the challenges ahead for our country and what we need to do to reach to them. We have a good mix of experience, talent, knowledge and vision to meet those many challenges. We are conscious of the challenges with a population that has increased by 20% over the past generation. There are also increased numbers in the Dáil so it makes sense that with those increased numbers and the challenges, we extend the number of Ministers of State to reflect this.”
“It takes two forms, one of which is domestic violence. It was horrific to witness what we saw over the Christmas period. We need to do far more. The second aspect concerns the random acts of violence that have been inflicted by men on women. It was very important that Cathal Crotty's suspended sentence was overturned. The Judiciary and society need to give a strong message that random acts of violence against women or anybody will not be tolerated in this country.”
“Thirty-seven children have places in schools, of whom six are doing State examinations this year, and many of the people volunteer in the community or have jobs. They were given less than 24 hours' notice that they would have to move from there because of a fire hazard. Apparently, the hazard had been noticed over the past 18 months and the owner had been asked to work on it but had not done so. Thankfully, we have had some reprieve in the past 24 hours, but this is a very inhumane way to treat anybody. I ask those in the State bodies and the community engagement group to think harder about how they deal with these situations. We certainly hope we will be able to support those who are there. The other point I raise relates to violence against women and the epidemic we have seen over recent years and, indeed, recent months.”
“Brigid, and normally I have the opportunity to wish everyone a happy St. Brigid's Day, which happened the weekend before last. I wish Senators the spirit and legacy of St. Brigid in the months and year ahead. When I talk about displacement, yesterday morning, as we were preparing to come for our first sitting here, I received a number of early calls and communications from the community of Newbridge regarding the news that had just broken relating to the Eyre Powell Hotel, a place where people have found a home. It is a direct provision centre and has been there for about 25 years. While we all agree the system is not the best, the centre is home to a lot of families, children and adults.”
“I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader of the House. There has been a long interim since I was last in this seat and I thank all those who supported me along the way. It was a pleasure to engage with people who care passionately about their communities throughout the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland over recent months as I sought their support to represent them in the Seanad. Somebody said yesterday that it did not really matter where any of us come from because we have a national mandate, which we absolutely do, but I do think where we come from is important. It informs who we are and gives us a sense of place, which is all the more important when we see displacement around this country and across the globe. I am a proud Kildare woman, from the county of St.”
“It is a great honour to nominate Senator Mark Daly for the role of Cathaoirleach. Senator Daly has served previously as Cathaoirleach of this great House with distinction and great aplomb at home and abroad. It is our contention that he would make an excellent Cathaoirleach. He would work collaboratively and respectfully across parties. This is certainly the way the Fianna Fáil group would like to start this five-year term. We want to work with everybody across the House in that manner. With that in mind, I nominate Senator Daly for the position of Cathaoirleach.”
“Go raibh maith agat. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group as leader, I extend a very warm céad míle fáilte to those Senators re-elected, elected for the first time and, of course, those nominated. It is a singular honour to be a Member of this House, as Senator Wilson has pointed out. It is lovely that family members have been able to come here and join us for our first sitting day. Like many of us, I was first elected to this House during the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago, when we did not have the opportunity to have our families present. I extend a very warm welcome to all of the family members who are here. I want to single out my two brothers, Brian and Cathal, who are here representing the lilywhite brethren, along with Senator Aubrey McCarthy, who is a new Kildare Senator.”