Gareth Scahill
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Before we finish up I call for a debate on home care services when we come back in September. We all know the value of carers in our society but an awful lot of the HSE support service staff going into houses are private agency staff and when the person they are looking after goes into hospital or into respite the support they are getting…”
“Can we reset the clock? I will start by mentioning the "parents notify" portal on the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, website for special classes and special places, which has a deadline of 1 September.”
“Like previous speakers, the Leas-Chathaoirleach might allow me to thank the staff of the House, including the ushers and all the catering staff and, reluctantly, all of my colleagues in the House. We do not always get on or agree but there is great respect in the House.”
“I welcome the Minister to the House. Like so many of the previous speakers, it would be disingenuous of me not to concede I agree with some of the points in the motion.”
“The whole country has these facilities now, meaning that should we ever experience something like Storm Éowyn in 2025 again, we will have supports to allow people to continue to work remotely, provide for their families and live where they want to.”
“I do not believe one size fits all in Ireland. The Minister's county, my county and Longford are all in one big district and we have not benefited from additional Garda numbers in quite some time.”
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“The role they play is very important too. The feedback we are getting from the members is that just over 90% of them would be interested in a scheme like this. In response to the question of whether a guarantee of continued job permanency would be a requirement for a teacher to consider seeking relocation or redeployment, 94.4% of the respondents answered "Yes". There is an appetite there and we need to engage with the unions and ask them to speed up this issue.”
“I thank the Minister very much for her detailed response. I am glad she brought up the ongoing engagement with the TUI because the motion passed at the 2022 congress instructed the executive to negotiate with the Department of education and other employers to establish a national voluntary redeployment panel. It is good to see that there has been correspondence on that. It now looks like the Minister is still waiting for the TUI to engage with the other stakeholders. That is very important, especially at this time of year. Will the Minister engage with the unions on this proposal as a matter of urgency and try to get the TUI to engage with the other bodies? The Minister mentioned that there are 75,000 teachers. We all recognise the wonderful work they do. They are being supported by the Department.”
“They are struggling with care responsibilities or leaving their jobs altogether. It is a human issue and this is a practical response. There is a related environmental issue, in that the long journeys mean higher emissions. We are also putting additional costs on people, given the current cost of fuel. This solution would resolve an issue like that. This Commencement matter is about solving a problem that we already understand. We do not want to lose experienced teachers. We are putting unnecessary pressure on these teachers, but there is a clear, workable solution to this. We have already accepted this approach in the Civil Service. Surely now is the time to introduce a similar approach for post-primary school teachers.”
“It is not about convenience for these guys. Rather, it is about people being pushed to the point where they cannot keep doing their jobs. If we want to keep teachers, we need to resolve this problem. Teachers have told us that, if they want to move closer to home, they often have to give up the permanency of their jobs. One teacher told me that they had spent 20 years living and working in Galway, but due to family issues, they may have to move to County Offaly. They feel that it is unfair that they could lose the permanency of their role. This scheme would fix a problem like that by allowing movement without losing permanency. This affects all people, not just teachers. Long commutes are impacting childcare, family life and overall well-being. People are delaying families.”
“The Civil Service mobility scheme was introduced for a simple reason, namely, to allow people move closer to home without losing their job security. It improved retention, reduced stress and made the system work better. Teachers deserve the same type of solution, namely, a solution like this. Many teachers are travelling long distances every day of the week and large numbers say they would consider leaving the profession if that had to continue. I have a list of examples here. One is an example of a teacher teaching in Kilkenny while living in Limerick and travelling 15 hours a week and over 190 km a day. There is a teacher working in Kildare who is living in Laois and travelling two hours and 124 km per day. Another teacher working in Clare and living in Galway is travelling two and a half hours and 160 km per day.”
“I welcome the Minister. I want to raise the issue of a post-primary school teacher voluntary relocation scheme. This is something the Minister will be familiar with from her former work. I have been told by a lot of teachers that there is a need for a scheme like this. They feel that there is no way out of the situation they face. When a teacher becomes permanent or gets a contract of indefinite duration, it is a recognition of their experience and work. However, if for whatever reason they decide to move school or county, their choices are quite limited and in many cases they are expected to forgo their permanency should they be lucky enough to find a redeployment opportunity. Surely the establishment of a panel for voluntary relocation is possible. We already know that this kind of scheme works.”
“We all understand and know the implications that dental health has on overall health and the cost to the actual health service of not providing this. This is something we definitely need to discuss in this House and have an open conversation on. In January the Irish Dental Association said that we need about 500 new dentists into the system right here, right now. The provision of work that dental hygienists can conduct also needs to be looked at. This House has an opportunity to raise this, highlight it and address it. It is at an emergency level at the moment.”
“I would like a debate on the provision of dental services in Ireland, especially by practices that accept medical cards. In my home county there are four dentists registered for the scheme, but between them being at capacity and other issues, no one seems to be taking on any new patients. There are 810 dentists nationally registered for the programme and I believe only about 600 of them are actually active. Back in 2019, there were 1,500 dentists accepting medical cards. We have had a huge loss of dentists involved in that programme. This means that people all over the country are facing extended waiting times to see a dentist. By the time they actually see a dentist, sometimes the only measures acceptable to them at that stage are extractions.”
“As Senator Byrne said, the punishment must be proportionate to the crime that has been committed. I commend the Senators who brought this Bill forward and I fully support it. I look forward to the Minister's words.”
“If we do nothing else with this Bill this evening, we should try to encourage tradespeople across the country to download that app, record and photograph their items, take note of their serial numbers and store them on the app on their phones. It would be a great thing to come out of tonight. Some 35% have had their tools stolen in excess of a value of €3,000, and 62% of respondents to that survey had to delay jobs because of the theft of tools. That is the one we should be most worried about at the moment. We would not accept it in any other area. We would try to address it. It is to be hoped with this Bill that it can be addressed. Those who steal the tools of someone's trade are effectively stealing their income and the system must reflect the seriousness of that crime.”
“One of the previous speakers said that the loss of an investment of €2,000 to 3,000 at an early stage in that training process could put somebody off completing their studies and continuing that work. All of these are very important issues and that is something Senator Murphy has addressed in the creation of this Bill. To go back over this, the only research we have is some research that was done by Chadwicks back in 2023. It found that 71% of tradespeople have had their tools stolen, and 22% do not mark their tools to help them identify them, which means they do not generally get the tools back, even if the Garda has identified them. An Garda Síochána has a property app.”
“I, too, commend Senators Murphy, Duffy and Kennelly on this Bill. It is a very topical issue at the moment. As all my colleagues have said this evening, the punishment must fit the crime. If the Minister did not have access to his legal briefs and staff and if the Cathaoirleach did not have access to the clock, bell and mallet, where would we be? What delays would we be looking at? As the previous speaker mentioned, delays in tradespeople completing their work only add to the national issue we have in trying to deliver housing for the population. I have regularly spoken in this House about apprenticeships and the need to attract more apprentices into the sector in trying to build on the number of apprentices we have.”
“It will be very difficult to address this in all rural areas if there is no Garda presence on the ground. I call for a discussion in the House on the drugs strategy. I also congratulate all of the voluntary committees throughout the country involved in hosting, setting up and organising St. Patrick's Day parades yesterday. In the absence of the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, I acknowledge St. Mary's College in Mullingar which brought home the Hogan Cup yesterday. My godson and nephew were involved. I congratulate them.”
“Today, I raise the European Union Drugs Agency's report that has been covered in national media today about the increased levels of ketamine and cocaine use in the country based on water surveys carried out in Ringsend, Dublin, that showed increased levels on Fridays and Mondays. There is a new national drugs strategy and the focus is moving towards a public health approach, reducing harm, supporting recovery and improving healthcare access for people using. I do not believe that the education is working. The simple message of "Do not use drugs" is not working. The last survey in Ireland was published in 2019 and showed 24.4% of the population aged between 15 and 64 have used cannabis at some stage. There are further implications. Throughout the west of Ireland, I see the lack of Garda numbers having an impact on this issue.”
“Her whole Department must be commended on the transparency, the quick response and the humility that the staff are showing. It would be inconsiderate of us in this House not to acknowledge the great work they are doing at this unfortunate time.”
“Contrary to what Senator Stephenson brought up this morning, I compliment the Department of foreign affairs, our embassies abroad and the consular crisis office on the exceptional work they have been doing. Like so many Members in this House, I have been inundated with calls since Saturday night. On the response that we are getting from the staff on the ground, I have had situations where I have raised it directly with a team and ten minutes later, I have got a call back stating that they have spoken to that team. Since Monday, thankfully, when we wake up in the morning we are starting to get text messages stating, "I have landed in Ireland", or, "I have landed in London". We often highlight the bad things and the negative things. There are solutions happening on the ground. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, must be commended.”
“In my home town of Castlerea, Longford Springs with an additional pump would have capacity to distribute a lot more water. Simple things can open opportunities and that is what the Minister’s plan is trying to do. I welcome the Minister's presence tonight and I welcome the motion.”
“We need to address those demands before we meet them. That is why I really welcome the publication of the Government's accelerated infrastructure report. The Minister has a Dublin focus but he is also very focused on his roots in the west and further out in the region. There are smaller things we can do to open up pockets of housing capacity, that can open up job opportunities and address the regional imbalance. On the climate transition, rather than creating whole new interconnectors now, if we increase the capacities of a lot of our substations we will open up the opportunities to develop. As Senator Murphy said, if we create small-scale water treatment plants, we will open the opportunities to develop the houses there. There are simple solutions.”
“This afternoon, I attended the Car Rental Council of Ireland's presentation in Buswells. Reference was made to how the European Commission's proposed regulations for 2028 could mandate that all rental cars would have to be electric. I do not need to look it up because I already know that none of our airports currently has the grid capacity to allow for the charging of electric rental cars. In fact, when I asked a question in this regard at the presentation, I was told that Dublin Airport is probably 50% behind the capacity it would need to meet the demands of converting its fleet to EVs. That is before we take into account the two new data centres going up in the local area and a potential metro north. We and our partners in Europe are creating policy that is dictating the demands that we are going to have.”
“As public representatives, we are fighting to get the money that is needed allocated. That is what it comes down to in brass tacks. My colleague Senator Kennelly has been talking for years about football teams and how our clubs are dying because there are no young people in communities. I have spoken here about digital hubs and remote working and how we need to enhance and promote these an awful lot more. We have invested the money in the national broadband plan. The infrastructure is there. While a lot of people felt we were overpaying for it, I am of the view that it was the right time to do it. We probably saved ourselves money in the long run, particularly when you consider what it would cost to try to do the project now. This is the sort of massive project that we need to deliver in order to address the regional imbalance.”
“There are also the very simple things that my colleagues mentioned when they went through the geography of various parts of Kerry and Galway. Individual villages were mentioned. In many cases, we have already allocated money to address some of the infrastructure issues that exist. One of the points related to focusing on co-ordinating State agencies. I have a situation in west Roscommon whereby councillors say that Irish Water will have to reinstate a road to a certain standard but where the company is saying that this standard is above the standard it would like to invest in and that it can do it in a different way. Ultimately, we are looking at an 18-month period during which there have been more than 60 outages in the village of Cloonfad. I do not care whose problem it is; I just want it to be resolved.”
“-----because that is where I am about to go. I welcome Fianna Fáil's motion. It is very timely. We are all fully aware of the constraints that obtain in respect of housing delivery, balanced regional development, economic competitiveness and climate transitioning, but how we experience these and see evidence of them on the ground is completely different. First and foremost, we are very close to opening the first section of the N5, a €450 million investment in Roscommon that will allow people to access Mayo and the north west. This is the sort of project that we want to see happen. This is the sort of investment we need in respect of infrastructure in order that we might address the imbalance in regional development.”
“They are gaining independence, building confidence and participating fully in education. The key point remains the same: special needs assistants are a vital part of our education system. The Government recognises their value and the importance of their work and is committed to ensuring that the supports they provide continue to be available to the students who need them. By providing certainty for the coming school year, investing additional resources and taking the time to develop a stronger long-term framework for this scheme, we are ensuring that the essential supports continue to serve students, families and schools across the country.”
“The measures taken by Government are designed to provide stability now, while allowing time to develop a more considered and collaborative approach to the future of the scheme. The work will not be done in isolation. It will involve engaging with unions, education stakeholders and the wider school community. Ultimately, everyone involved in this discussion shares the same objective of ensuring that children with additional needs are supported in the best possible way in our schools. When we look at the reality of our schools today, we see thousands of dedicated SNAs working with care, professionalism and commitment. We see teachers and special education teachers working closely with them to support students in every aspect of school life. We see children who are thriving because of these supports.”
“Third, the Department will advance changes to the circular that outlines the role of the SNA, bringing clarity for schools, parents and SNAs themselves about the responsibilities and expectations associated with the role. I am sure we have all had the opportunity to go through Circular 30/2014. It is great to see that this is going to be reviewed now to give more definition on that particular role. These steps are about ensuring that the system works better for everyone involved - students, families, schools and SNAs. It is also important to address one particular claim that has been circulated, that is, the suggestion that the current decision is simply a temporary pause and the same situation will arise again next year. That is not an accurate reflection of what is happening.”
“First, the work will continue on a comprehensive SNA workforce development plan, ensuring that the profession continues to be supported, valued and developed into the future. Collaboration on that will be done with the union, as the Minister said. On the Fórsa website today, I found that Fórsa endorsed the SNA workforce development plan as far back as 1 December 2023. It was great to see the commitment on that. Second, a redeployment scheme will be developed so that where needs change over time, supports can be allocated more effectively across schools. This was also something that was welcomed by Fórsa as being long overdue but welcome. It was announced on 24 April last year.”
“At the same time, the evidence is clear that the SNA scheme remains hugely valuable. It has helped schools meet the care needs of students with disabilities and has played an important role in enabling many children to attend mainstream schools. The challenge, therefore, is not whether SNAs are needed, because clearly they are. The challenge is ensuring that the system continues to operate fairly, so that supports are directed to the students who need them most, while also supporting the professional workforce that provide those services. That is why the Government has taken the decision not only to maintain current supports for the coming school year, but also to pause the current review process so that further work can be done. During this period, three important areas will be progressed.”
“That is a significant investment in inclusive education and a clear demonstration of the Government's commitment to supporting students with additional needs. However, it is also important to understand the broader context of the SNA scheme. The scheme was originally designed to support students who have additional care needs, helping them access education safely and effectively. Over time, as awareness of special education needs has increased and more students are being supported in mainstream education, the role of the SNA has expanded in practice in many schools. While the expansion often reflects the dedication and commitment of SNAs and teachers working together to support students, it has also created some confusion about the precise role of the SNA and how supports should be allocated.”
“Second, any school that was due to receive additional SNA resources will receive them. Third, schools that have been notified of reductions will now retain their existing allocation. To support these decisions the Government has allocated an additional €19 million to the Department of education to maintain these supports. This means that SNAs currently working in schools will remain in place next year, providing continuity and stability for students who depend on them. In fact, the number of SNAs in our schools will continue to grow. This September, almost 25,000 SNAs will be working in Irish schools alongside almost 22,000 special education teachers, supporting children and young people with care needs. The figure of 25,000 SNAs is an increase of 45% since 2020.”
“That is why it is important that we deal with this issue carefully, responsibly and, above all, as the Minister said herself, factually. There has been a great deal of concern and uncertainty in recent weeks about the SNA allocations and I understand this concern. When families hear that changes might affect supports for their children, it is entirely natural that they worry. SNAs themselves, who dedicate their working lives to supporting students, have also been understandably anxious about what changes might mean for their roles. However, it is also important that we clarify exactly what decisions have been made. Last week, the Government agreed a number of important measures that provide certainty for schools, parents and SNAs. First, as the Minister said, there will be no reduction in SNA allocations for the 2026-27 school year.”
“The Acting Chair is very good at that himself. The Minister is very welcome to the Chamber once again. The key point I want to begin with is that special needs assistants are an essential part of our education system and the Government is committed to ensuring that children who need support in school continue to receive it. Across the country every day, SNAs work alongside teachers and special education teachers to support children with additional care needs. Their work helps children participate in school life, gain independence and build the confidence they need to learn and grow. Parents see that impact at home, teachers see it in the classroom, and students experience it directly through the supports and reassurances SNAs provide.”
“The family is very disturbed and hope no other family will have to go through what it had to go through. There is an older demographic in my part of the country - one of the oldest in the country. I would hate to think that there is some sort of algorithm that is sorting out patients based on who might be most likely to have a better outcome. The health forum last week listened to ambulance figures for October and January. Between October and January, there were 24,712 calls to the National Ambulance Service, of which 390 were classified purple, which was life-threatening. The service is looking to get 75% of them addressed within 19 minutes. That is the target time. In October, 78% hit that target time; in November, 66% hit the target time; in December, 63% hit that target time; and in January, 61% hit that target time.”
“Since I came into this House, I have tried to do certain things behind closed doors and I found it quite effective. An issue has come up in the west of Ireland with regard to the ambulance service that is not being resolved. The front page of our local newspaper carries a story about a man in his mid-80s who had symptoms pointing towards a stroke or a bleed on the brain. He was in the doctor's surgery locally and had to wait nearly four hours for the ambulance to arrive after repeated attempts by the doctor and the doctor's staff. The doctor's staff insisted that he needed to go by ambulance to a hospital. I live in Roscommon, where most people are one hour from our nearest hospital, be it Castlebar, Sligo or Galway, so time is of the essence. The gentleman is now home and in recovery. It will be a long road.”
“When it is as simple as that, it is very hard to understand how it takes three to four years to implement a solution like this on our main bus system when all the other services have done it. It is something I hope we can speed up the solution on.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am glad to acknowledge Local Link because I know it is within his remit. It is great to see the 43% increase Local Link will be receiving to support its roll out of the services. Sometimes, we seem to overcomplicate these things. Local Link and the taxi services are able to do this. There are white-box solutions out there for just about everything at the moment that are very easily implemented, adapted and which are able to do this. We spoke about volunteering last week when the Minister of State was in the Chamber last. We know all our local GAA and soccer clubs are using these remote terminals now to process transactions for their local lottos when they are out and about.”
“If the long-term system is still a number of years away, we should be asking whether a practical interim solution can be introduced now. In the modern transport system, paying for a bus journey should be the easiest part of the journey.”
“While the progress is welcome, the questions that many customers and passengers are asking is why a basic payment option should take years to implement. With modern payment technologies, even a standard mobile device can process contactless transactions. Many small businesses and service providers adopt this quickly. It raises the question of whether an interim solution could be introduced much sooner while the larger system is still being developed. Public transport must evolve the way people live and travel. Accepting card payments on board buses is no longer a luxury; it is a basic expectation. It would improve accessibility for passengers, reduce the amount of cash drivers are carrying and ensure nobody is left standing on the side of the road waiting or wondering if they have change to pay for a bus.”
“They have to tell people they cannot take on them on the service or to allow them on board, asking them to get cash somewhere else when the bus next stops off. I acknowledge the fact that Bus Éireann drivers, especially those on rural services, are very accommodating with individuals, but they should not have to deal with this. At the same time, this also means that our Bus Éireann drivers on rural routes are carrying a significant amount of cash with them at all times, which potentially raises safety and security concerns for them. We know that a national contactless ticketing project is currently under way, with a roll-out expected in the coming years. That contract was awarded to a Dublin company in 2024 to replace the Leap card, yet I believe it is not until 2028 that we are expecting the roll-out of that system.”
“While very useful, those options do not work for everybody. Not every passenger has the app or a Leap card and fewer people are carrying cash. Bus Éireann Expressway services accept card payments, which means the technology and operational model already exist within the system, but the same convenience is not available to people who use the many standard Bus Éireann services throughout the country every day. This creates a real problem for passengers. Bus stops are often located in areas where ATMs or shops are not located nearby. This is especially a problem late at night. This issue has been raised with me, particularly in respect of people waiting in darkness in rural areas for a bus to come late at night only to be told they needed to carry cash to use the service. Drivers in this situation are often placed in a difficult position.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Public transport should be simple, accessible and modern yet passengers on Bus Éireann services across the country are still required to carry cash. In 2026, that simply does not reflect how people live, travel and pay for services. Card and contactless payments should be accepted on board Bus Éireann services. Across Ireland, contactless payments have become the norm. Our Local Link services already accept card payments and, since 2022, all licensed taxi services have been legally required to take card payments. They also cannot charge an additional fee for providing that service. People now expect to be able to tap their card or pay with their phone for simple services. However, Bus Éireann passengers are still being told to download apps, buy Leap cards or carry cash.”
“Considering that €8 million was allocated in 2025 for the replacement of speed signs, a not insignificant sum has been invested in these roadside signs. Perhaps we could have a debate, or perhaps a directive could be issued to local authorities that ahead of the summer season, when we will have a lot of tourists visiting our lovely island, an extra effort may be put into ensuring the signs are pointing in the right direction, are legible and that nothing is obstructing them.”
“I also encourage businesses to get in touch with their LEOs and to look at the national enterprise hub where the Minister, Deputy Burke, has collated all of the supports for businesses throughout the country under one banner and in one location. I also want to raise the issue of road signs, direction signs and speed signs throughout the entire country. We still see destruction following Storm Éowyn last year, with signs pointing in the wrong direction. As well as this, the general maintenance and upkeep of signs throughout the country are in a very poor state at present, especially in country areas. Some of them are very hard to read. Some of them are overgrown and some of them have fallen back.”
“I am sure the Leader is aware that this is enterprise week. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the enterprise awards in Roscommon and I want to acknowledge some of the winners. In the social enterprise category, we had Triest Press in Roscommon, an organisation providing a great service to the community while The Upholstery Company, Dunbar Pharma and Waldron Family Meats were also recognised. Tully Forge, an engineering company in Ballaghaderreen, was the overall winner in Roscommon and will now go on to represent the county in the national finals in June. I would like to acknowledge them all and encourage everybody to go out and support our local enterprise offices, LEOs.”
“Today, through the motion, we have a chance to respond and build a digital future that is not only innovative but also safe, fair and centred on the well-being of our young people.”
“They provide safe trusted spaces where young people can talk about what they experience online. They offer support when things go wrong and they help young people to build the skills and confidence to navigate the digital world safely. If we are serious about online safety we must continue to support and invest in this work. Safety online starts with trust, relationships and education online. In the end, this is about balance. We want Ireland to be a leader in digital innovation. We want to grow our economy and embrace the digital opportunities of AI but we must do this in a way that protects our children. We must make sure that progress does not come at the cost of childhood. "Let's Change the Norm" is a powerful reminder of what is at stake.”
“I must highlight the fact that X has still to acknowledge whether it will participate in this scheme. Alongside this, the development of a digital wallet offers real potential. It could provide a secure and privacy-friendly way for people to verify their age online without sharing unnecessary personal information. This is an important step in building trust in the digital system. The motion also calls for action at European level, including discussion on a digital age of majority and stronger rules to protect children under 16 on social media. These are not easy issues but they are necessary. We also need to remember that online safety is not just about regulation or technology; it is about people. I am sure colleagues have all received emails in the past week from youth organisations, which play a pivotal role throughout Ireland.”
“New challenges will continue to emerge and we must be ready to respond. We also need practical solutions. A key area is age verification, and we need to be able to clearly identify when a child is online and ensure they are protected from inappropriate content. This morning on the plinth, I met a primary school group Senator Cathal Byrne had up from Wexford. We answered a couple of questions from the primary school going kids. One of them mentioned that when they watch YouTube videos sometimes inappropriate ads come up. This was a 12-year-old boy. He said there were inappropriate ads and asked whether we were doing something and what were we going to do to stop this content coming up in front of him. Ireland is already working on this and that includes plans for a pilot age verification system with the major platforms.”
“We are also playing a leading role in Europe through our engagement at EU level, including through the D9+ group, and we are helping to shape digital rules that support innovation and strong protections. As we prepare for Ireland's Presidency of the Council of Europe in 2026, we have a real opportunity to lead on this. We will host an international AI and digital summit and we will help to shape Europe's approach to technology for years to come. Leadership is not just about innovation; it is also about responsibility. While technology is moving fast, the risks for children are also growing and this is why the motion is important. It recognises that Ireland now has a stronger online safety framework, including the Digital Services Act and the work of Coimisiún na Meán. It also makes clear that we cannot stand still.”
“There are constant notifications, online bullying, addictive platforms, harmful content and, increasingly, serious risks such as hacking and sexploitation. As a parent this is deeply worrying. It is not just about a debate in the Chamber but the reality for families throughout the country. At the same time, we must recognise the bigger picture. As the motion sets out, we are at a pivotal moment in our digital transformation. Artificial intelligence is changing how we live, how we work and how we interact. Ireland is in a very strong position. Through Digital Ireland - Connecting our People, Securing our Future we have a clear plan to grow our digital economy and lead in AI. The programme for Government reflects this ambition to use technology to improve public services and grow our economy.”
“I welcome the Minister. I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues for tabling the motion. I will begin by referring to a short film available online called "Let's Change the Norm". I am sure people are familiar with it. It was released by Smartphone Free Childhood in the US. It struck a chord with millions of people because it highlights something that many of us, especially parents, can see happening every day. The film shows how smartphones and social media place huge pressure on our children and calls for a return to a childhood filled with play, real relationships and real-world experiences. The film makes the very simple but powerful point that we ask children to deal with adult-sized challenges before they are ready.”