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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“It keeps the focus on careful, evidence-based decisions, respects differing views and ensures that any intervention is appropriate and proportionate.”
“There is a genuine risk that we will move from clear, evidence-based decisions to more speculative ones, which could lead to large-scale excavations at many sites without certainty that intervention is needed. The Bill requires agreement among family members before any action can be taken. While involving families is essential, we know that views can differ greatly. Requiring full agreement may make it very difficult to act in any way at all. As my colleague has mentioned, the Bill removes the option for the Government to choose memorialisation instead of excavation in certain cases. That flexibility is important, particularly where families may prefer remembrance over disturbance. For these reasons, I support the Government's amendment.”
“The Minister is welcome. This Bill deals with a deeply sensitive and painful part of our history and it is important that we approach it with care, respect and balance. The Institutional Burials Act 2022 was designed to allow the State to step in where there is clear evidence of inappropriate burials, while also respecting the dignity of those who are buried and the wishes of their families. This proposed amending legislation would significantly lower the threshold for intervention. It would allow excavations where burials are only thought to be likely, for example where records are missing or death rates were high. While these are serious concerns, they do not always mean that inappropriate burials actually took place.”
“Let us not lose sight of the job they signed up for and the reason they are doing it. Through all of the organisations I mentioned such as volunteer centres, local development companies and PPNs, the support to empower those volunteers to make the most of their efforts and of the funds available through the Minister of State's Department and other Departments is what we need to support.”
“They are calling on the public to engage and volunteer for 26 hours during 2026. This is just over 2 hours per month! You could make a regular volunteering commitment, volunteer at home on your own schedule; or even at once-off events throughout the year. The councillor refers to the Volunteering Ireland webpage, www.volunteer.ie , if people want more information on that. Councillor Duffy does substantial work with youth groups in County Roscommon and it is important to acknowledge and recognise that work. As a volunteer, I acknowledge all of the wonderful work that is going on around us and also acknowledge the Minister of State's Department for providing access to funds to support all of these initiatives. Let us not lose sight of the people on the ground.”
“Whether is it mentoring young people, supporting local health efforts, working on graveyards or in Tidy Towns, or responding to emergencies, volunteers drive meaningful change in [our] communities. Through their actions, volunteers become a force for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals - connecting people, strengthening resilience, and creating [a] lasting impact. The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Volunteer Year for Sustainable Development and this invites us to celebrate and recognise the incredible contribution of volunteers everywhere. It's a moment to raise awareness, spark conversations, and inspire even more people to get involved. Volunteering Ireland is the lead for this initiative in Ireland in 2026 and they have a great campaign and pledge called 26 for 26!”
“There is a clear need to better co-ordinate at local level in what has been described as a core hub approach bringing together volunteer centres, local development companies, PPNs and the sports partnerships in joined-up support. Not every volunteer is an expert in grant application writing, governance or compliance and nor should they have to be. We should be able to make it easier for people to get involved, and not harder. As we look to the future of volunteering in Ireland I acknowledge a colleague of mine in Roscommon, Councillor Valerie Duffy, who raised the designation of 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. Valerie sent me this earlier today. Every day, millions of people around the world take actions - big and small - to make life better for others and for their communities.”
“This includes proper investment in staffing within organisations, particularly where volunteers are working with vulnerable groups, because volunteers should never be left unsupported in roles that carry such responsibility. I wish to make a very practical point today on matched funding. We often require community groups to provide matched funding to access grants but fail to recognise the value of the voluntary hours. The time given by volunteers, the evenings, the weekends and the countless unseen hours, has real value and should be recognised as such. Volunteer hours should count towards some element of matched funding because without those hours, many of these projects simply could not happen. We also need to support volunteers in a more structured and practical way.”
“Volunteers who once simply showed up to help are now expected to navigate systems that can make it feel like a full-time job. Even when funding is secured, spending that funding can be just as difficult. That cannot continue. We risk turning volunteers from something rooted in community and goodwill into something transactional and burdensome. That is not something volunteering should be. We also know that volunteer-led youth work is the backbone of youth engagement throughout Ireland. However, there insufficient support for recruitment, training and retention in that sector. Volunteers are essential but they cannot be taken for granted. They need support, structure and recognition.”
“It set out a vision of a country where volunteering is promoted, valued, supported and facilitated. It was only a few months after it was launched that Covid-19 hit and we saw the real value of communities, with community hubs, community dinners and meals on wheels. Volunteers, who were not able to do anything else at that time, put their shoulders to the wheel and went out and supported their communities. We have made progress with the strategy but we also need to be honest because while volunteers give of their time freely, volunteering is not free. Increasingly, volunteering is becoming more difficult. We are asking more and more of fewer and fewer people. The paperwork, the governance requirements, the compliance and the grant applications are no longer small tasks. They are complex, time consuming and often overwhelming.”
“He also plays an active role in the Castlerea Brass and Reed Band, as well as promoting football with primary and secondary schools in the wider area. Danny represents something that is powerful, which is the passing of the baton from one generation to the next. Volunteers do not step forward for recognition, as the Minister of State said already. They step forward because they saw someone do it before them and they feel a responsibility to continue that work. This is what Irish volunteerism is and it is a tradition. It is something the national volunteering strategy rightly seeks to recognise and support. The first strategy, introduced in 2020, was a landmark moment in recognising volunteering with a whole-of-government approach and recognising its true value to Irish society.”
“Every four weeks, I sell GAA lotto tickets in pubs on Friday nights in my home town. It is moments like that which are very important, but they pale in comparison to the work done by volunteers throughout the country every day. Across Ireland in every parish, village and town there are people who are quietly holding communities together. I have one example from Castlerea and I only raise it because I was told it was his birthday last night. A former county councillor, Danny Burke, celebrated his 87th birthday so I will take this chance to wish him a happy birthday. Danny is still active as a volunteer in his 88th year. He is out every week collecting funds for various charities and he will be out for Daffodil Day in the coming weeks, as the Minister of State mentioned.”
“Instead, volunteers spend time listening to concerns in sitting rooms, gathering ideas and trying to make their home towns, including my home town, Castlerea, a better place to live. That is what volunteers do. It is not just an activity; it is a sacrifice and it is something they do with would care. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the town teams in Boyle, Ballaghaderreen, Roscommon town, Strokestown and Monksland, as well as a lot of the community development companies throughout Roscommon and the country. Before entering the House, I coached an under-6 boys team on Monday evenings. Anyone who has ever tried to organise a group of six-year-old boys will know the kind of resilience it takes to look after a group like that. The Seanad was an awful lot easier and a step up.”
“It was to be submitted today, the final date for applications. The submission represents 18 months of meetings, consultations, listening sessions and honest conversations. As people are expected to be in Ireland, the meeting was quite vocal and people had strong opinions, to which they are entitled. There was an element of respect in the room for the people representing their community. I am not referring to the political but rather the volunteering side. Volunteers represent significant time and it is time that volunteers are giving up freely on a constant basis. It is time that they could have spent with families, friends or resting. It is time they could have spent looking after their own well-being. That needs to be factored in.”
“The Minister of State is very welcome. When I think of volunteers, I refer to Churchill when he said, "Never ... was so much owed by so many to so few". He was speaking about something different at the time. Volunteering is something very special in our country and it is not written into law, as the Minister of State mentioned. Rather, it is written into who we are and what we do in this country. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister of State and his Department, along with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, because it is the Department that has supported the volunteerism with which I have been involved for the past 14 years. Last night, I attended a Castlerea Town Team gathering. I have been a member of the team for 14 years. We presented our town centre first plan to the community.”
“There is also a safety issue as we come into the verge cutting season. I am worried about that. It might put the service in jeopardy. Just last week, I spoke to a lady in her early 80s. She said she has reported the issue to the phone provider numerous times but is still not getting a service. She is still paying for her service because she presumes the provider will look after her once the service is restored. Many of these private companies will not address the issue and will not look at tidying up because the standing orders are still coming in. That is where we have to take responsibility and be the ones to press those providers and ensure they are doing the work. Deputy Cathal Crowe was in the viewing Gallery a moment ago. He will be experiencing the same thing in Clare. It is happening all across rural Ireland.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. I welcome the investment in this infrastructure and I know what we are trying to do. However, there is the reality on the ground. As I drive around the Roscommon-Galway constituency, I see areas in Fairymount where 500 m of cable are hanging down at the side of the road. I drive to Lisalway, heading out to Castleplunkett, and see the same thing. I have been up in County Donegal and when one drives to places such as Carndonagh, one is not oblivious to these cables hanging down as the side of the road. Somebody needs to be held responsible. Just because the service is being delivered to individuals at the moment, it does not mean it is right to leave these cables hanging along the roadsides. Something needs to be done. We need inspections on the ground. We need it tensioned up.”
“If we continue as we are we will keep restoring service quickly but we will also continue leaving behind a trail of neglect, one that is unsafe, unsightly and ultimately self-defeating.”
“In the process, every part of the new one is not being properly secured. This leads to a simple but unavoidable conclusion: we have created a system where there is responsibility for delivering a service but no clear responsibility for the physical condition of the infrastructure delivering it. This does not require a technological solution but it requires a regulatory one. We need a clear obligation to remove redundant infrastructure. We need full clean-up as part of storm recovery, not partial repair. We need proactive inspections, not reliance on individual complaints, and accountability for the physical state of the network and not just whether it works. Infrastructure is not just about connectivity; it is about how the connectivity exists in the real world, in our landscape, our roads and our communities.”
“There is, however, a second issue here that is even more concerning, which is that the integrity of the network itself is being put at risk. Where cables are left dragging against trees, loosely installed or poorly tensioned or are exposed to constant movement and weathering, they do not remain harmless. They degrade. Fibre cables in particular are sensitive to bending, strain and repeated stress and some are left sagging or rubbing against branches. We are not just looking at poor workmanship, we are looking at future faults being built into the network. All of this is happening in the context of a broader transition. Ireland is moving from copper to fibre, and that is the right direction, but what we are seeing is a transition that has only been completed halfway. The new network has been rolled out and the old one is being abandoned.”
“There is no immediate commercial driver to remove redundant copper lines, properly secure or re-route poles and wires, clear debris from roadsides and fields or address infrastructure that is no longer active or properly installed but still physically present. What happens is that we fix what is visible on the bill and ignore what is visible on the ground. This is not just untidy and inconvenient; it is often unsafe. Low-hanging cables pose a risk to farmers trying to access land, machinery moving through gateways and pedestrians and road users. With hedge-cutting season and seasonal work approaching, these risks will only increase. People will avoid working near these lines, and rightly so because no one should have to guess whether a cable is live, inactive or improperly installed.”
“Critically, this is not just old copper infrastructure; it includes existing telephone wires. It is not simply a legacy issue but a current operational failure. This is not just storm damage but, rather, the consequences of a system where restoring service is prioritised but restoring the environment is not. We have to be honest about what has changed. Telecommunication infrastructure in this country is no longer fully publicly owned. It operates through a privatised model. While that model brings efficiency, it also brings incentives. Once the customer has service restored, the job is effectively considered done.”
“There is an issue raising itself across Ireland at the moment. While on the surface it might seem quite minor, in reality, it points to a much deeper failure in how we manage our national infrastructure. Following last year’s storms, communities saw widespread damage to telephone lines. Poles were strained, wires were brought down and networks were disrupted. To their credit, service providers acted quickly. In many cases, lines were restored, connectivity returned and phones and broadband worked again. That is only half the story, however. Across the countryside today, the physical remains of the damage are still there. Wires have been left hanging across roads and farm entrances or they have dropped into ditches, been caught in hedgerows or left trailing alongside boundaries.”
“It is important that we fully explore any unintentional consequences that may arise and carefully consider the potential associated costs, both financial and operational, to ensure that whatever framework is put in place is sustainable into the future. Ultimately, we all share the same goal: safe schools, supporting staff and the best possible outcome for students. If we keep that shared objective at the centre of our work, I believe we can strengthen this legislation and deliver a meaningful, lasting protection for those who dedicate their working lives to educating and caring for our young people.”
“It is right that we look seriously at how we support education staff who are injured in the course of their duties and it is right that we examine whether existing schemes are fit for purpose. It is right that we ensure there is clarity, fairness and consistency in what supports are delivered. For that reason, we are not opposing this Bill tonight. However, it is also responsible that any legislation of this scale is carefully examined in full and I am sure the Minister is committed to working constructively with all parties, with the unions and with the advocates to ensure that the final legislation is as strong and workable as possible.”
“One email I received stated: In the course of my work, I have experienced bites, kicks, and punches from students. While I remain fully committed to supporting the children in my care, I go to work each day with a genuine worry that today could be the day that I sustain a serious injury, the possibility that I could be unable to work and unable to support my own family once my leave is exhausted due to work related injury. It is a constant source of stress. Another piece of correspondence said: I work in a school where health and safety is paramount, but dealing with challenging behaviour is becoming increasingly problematic. I have seen it first-hand the harm and hurt that can be caused, not on purpose by the child, but leading to staff absences and in some cases ongoing trauma.”
“SNAs provide essential care and support to children with additional needs and complex needs, ensuring they can participate fully in education. Teachers shape not just academic outcomes, but confidence, well-being and the opportunities for our next generation. Who would not want to do more for teachers and SNAs when we hear some of the real life experiences they have shared in recent years. The stories of physical injuries, psychological trauma and long recovery periods are deeply concerning and no worker should feel unsupported or uncertain about their entitlements if they are injured while simply doing their job. I acknowledge the examples that were read out earlier on. We have all received numerous correspondence from a lot of teachers, SNAs and members of the public. I wish to recognise some of those contributions as well.”
“It is never easy for families to relive traumatic experiences in the public sphere but their willingness to do so has helped to shine a light on the realities faced by some education staff and has helped drive this conversation forward. I must acknowledge it was 25 February last year when Senator Harmon raised this first in the Chamber. It is good to know she has been able to deliver this Bill within that 12 months. I also acknowledge David O'Sullivan from the INTO and Samantha O'Flanagan from Fórsa for their input into this process. Teachers and SNAs play a vital and irreplaceable role in our society and I acknowledge all the SNAs and teachers who are present here tonight. They educate, they support, they protect and they advocate for young people, often going far beyond what was written in any job description.”
“I welcome the Minister once again to this Chamber. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Education (Leave for Injuries) Bill 2025. I acknowledge Senator Harmon and her colleagues for their work and the care and commitment that has clearly gone into bringing this legislation forward. It is evident that this Bill is rooted in real experiences and genuine engagement with those working on the front line of our education system. I also want to recognise Sophie Cole and her husband Shane O'Brien for their advocacy and for sharing their story with such courage and dignity her tonight and over the last couple of months.”
“Families deserve to know that when they seek help the service is safe and properly staffed. For this reason, I call for a debate in the House on the CAMHS services that are delivered nationally but also, again, on the mental health services delivered throughout the country for all people, as well as on staffing, governance, accountability and how to ensure safe, consistent mental health care for children and young people throughout this State.”
“When senior clinical posts are left vacant we create the same risks that exist in Kerry. I commend Deputy Claire Kerrane for raising this with the HSE and finding out this gap is there. When our older person service in Castlerea was closed, the e-mental health hub was opened to great fanfare and CAMHS services were promised. However, Deputy Kerrane has continued to probe that and has found that positions have been left unfilled. We owe it to constituents and people trying to access these services to raise this issue. Staff on the ground are doing their best but they cannot provide safe services without the right supports, the right staffing and the right leadership. Children and adults who need help cannot wait for recruitment processes that drag on for years.”
“Today, the families of more than 300 children in north Kerry have received details of the findings of a review into the care their children received. This comes on the back of the south Kerry CAMHS review earlier this year which found that 227 children were exposed to risks of serious harm and 46 suffered significant harm. Behind those families are children and families who trusted the system for help. The review showed that long-term vacant consultant posts and weak governance played a major role in how those failures were allowed to happen. We constantly hear that lessons would be learned. We have to be honest and ask if anything has been learned from this experience. Yesterday, we heard that key posts are still left unfilled in our mental health services, particularly in my home town of Castlerea, County Roscommon.”
“We must welcome that but when we look at it, we are talking about €14 million of that for 280 low-cost road safety projects. That is a very small spend in the grand scheme of what we are delivering. It is definitely something we need to look at. I welcome the investment in our roads but we need to improve a lot of the rural and local roads. We definitely need to look again at the safe routes to school scheme to make the safety initiatives better and more accessible outside our schools.”
“The Minister of State said nothing is off the table. There was an initiative in the past where a driving instructor was able to provide lessons to transition year students. They paid a certain amount for this but got a voucher when they paid. Once they completed the training, they got that voucher off the price of their first driving lesson. It was a great way of bringing those students on and empowering them in the schools. If nothing is off the table, I would love the Minister of State to consider a pilot like that for a county like Roscommon, as I am sure everyone else would. Senator Kennelly used up my time but he did not get to ask for that particular element of it. There was a great announcement today of €1.5 billion for roads.”
“That is why we have included in this motion examining mandatory awareness classes in secondary schools on the consequences of speeding, and dangerous driving causing road fatalities, involving the Road Safety Authority, local authorities, gardaí, fire brigades and the National Ambulance Service, as well as looking at driving lessons being promoted during transition year. I have to acknowledge that the RSA has such a programme. It is the RSA road safety matters programme, which has ten modules, including speeding awareness, drugs and alcohol awareness, distraction awareness for students, the need for safety belts and vulnerable road users. It also gives students the experience of using drunk goggles and drug goggles. That is very important in empowering and making these students aware of the consequences of the decisions they make.”
“I thank the Minister of State once again. When it comes to road safety, I always try to mention the safe routes to school scheme and the large number of primary schools applying for that particular scheme. I think of places such as Trien and Lisacul in Roscommon, to name two, where there are main roads in front of the schools and vehicles speeding by at high speed, but they are not even being considered for that particular programme, never mind having applied for it. Vehicles have become an awful lot safer in recent years. Of last year's road deaths, 41, or 22%, were pedestrians, 14 were people killed on pedal bikes - that is 8% of those who lost their lives - and three were people on e-scooters. The focus has to switch to awareness. There is an education element there.”
“This morning, I was in the company of the education committee and we visited St. Ultan's in Cherry Orchard. I spoke there, along with my colleague Senator Tully, about the messages about SNAs we have been getting from people. I know everyone across this House will welcome the Minister's decisiveness.”
“In 2026 a sum of €3 billion has been provided for special education alone, building on significant investment over recent years. Since 2020, the number of SNAs in our schools has increased by 45%. This year alone, an additional 1,700 SNAs will support children, compared with 2025. By September 2026, there will be 25,000 SNAs working in our schools, with more SNAs in every county accessing mainstream schools, special classes and special schools. There are no cuts to SNA numbers. Instead, there is a clear focus on ensuring SNAs are with the children who most need their support. Today's decision reflects a commitment to getting this right for the children with special educational needs. It is something I fully support and I must commend the Minister, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, on her decisiveness in making this decision.”
“I welcome and recognise the decision of the Minister, Deputy Naughton, today to pause the review of the SNA allocation. The decision sends an important and reassuring message to children with special educational needs, their families and the school communities that their voices have been heard and their concerns are taken seriously. It is right that time has now been taken to listen carefully to parents and schools and to ensure SNAs are supporting the children who most need their care. I also welcome the continued engagement across government to fully understand the concerns that have been raised and to ensure children with special educational needs are fully supported. This decision comes alongside a strong continued commitment to our special education.”
“Poor awareness does not just affect health. It affects education, confidence and equality of opportunity. Period-related symptoms are a major cause of school absence, which can impact academic progress and well-being. There is a strong case for a focused debate on raising awareness of women's health and women's disorders, particularly for school-aged teenagers. Greater education, open discussion and better support systems can empower young people to understand their bodies, seek help earlier and live healthier and more confident lives.”
“These ladies' research showed that many adolescent girls experience painful, heavy or irregular periods. In some cases, symptoms are severe enough to affect school attendance, concentration, sports participation and social life. Conditions such as endometriosis and ovarian cysts can begin in adolescence yet diagnosis is often delayed for years. During this time, symptoms may be dismissed or normalised, leading to unnecessary suffering and possibly long-term health consequences. The survey also highlighted that most secondary school girls believe menstrual health is not spoken about enough and that many want to learn more about it. At the same time, a significant number feel uncomfortable discussing these topics. This shows a clear gap between the need and support and highlights why education and open conversation are essential.”
“Senator Davitt raised men's health earlier. I support the call for awareness campaign on that. At the recent young scientist of the year exhibition, I met two exceptional ladies from Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar, Zofia and Emma. I committed to raising their project with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. A discussion is also needed in this House. It relates to women's health, particularly their menstrual and reproductive health. It remains one of the most underdiscussed areas of healthcare despite its clear impact on physical health, mental well-being and educational outcomes. This is especially concerning for school-going teenagers, many of whom experience symptoms from a younger age but who may not have the knowledge, confidence or support to recognise when something is wrong.”
“While the habitats directive is probably one of these issues that is holding up a lot of the infrastructure developments that we need to get communities supported in this way, maybe we need to start looking at protecting our own habitats and our own business communities and giving the people who are living in and developing these communities a little support on that as well.”
“Senator McCormack mentioned temporary solutions and how permanent solutions are needed. My own experience of this is the temporary solutions are put in place but then a lot of work has to go in to ensuring that the planning applications are robust enough to get the permanent solutions across the line. That is something that we cannot take for granted. We have to go through that process to be able to deliver that. Senator Noonan spoke about sustainable solutions and the solutions that are available but, because these are happening so often now, maybe need to look at something different. Maybe we need to empower local authorities and special emergency response units to be able to tackle these situations to protect human habitats as well.”
“I welcome the Minister. As previous speakers have said, these are no longer one-off events. This is becoming an annual occurrence for us all. My sympathies go out to the people of the south east and the south, and in the north, in Donegal, who were affected by the floods last week. We are less than a year on from 760,000 people being without power and water across the west after Storm Éowyn affected homes, businesses and farms. While great strides have been made and a lot of initiatives have been brought on in relation to empowering communities in terms of setting up the community response networks, the communications facilities, etc., we still come to these one-off events on an annual basis and we find ourselves in a position where we ask could more have been done and should more have been done.”
“That was wound up in 2003, as far as I know. There is a huge demand for chefs, bar staff and other hospitality staff and a vehicle like CERT is needed. We need to deliver the training places where they are needed most, potentially in rural areas. I would welcome further engagement on that.”
“We have committed to major programmes around infrastructure, housing delivery, house adaptation and retrofitting, yet an awful lot of people who are entitled to access some of those schemes such as house adaptation or retrofitting are facing delays of 12 to 24 months, not because of a lack of funding but a because of a lack of the people to actually do these jobs. I welcome the fact the Minister of State has said she will engage. Before I finish up, I need to mention FÁS and CERT, two flag bearers for apprenticeships that we had in the past. The Minister of State would have been very familiar with them in Sligo. These entities were allowed to shut down or be wound up ibut they served a serious purpose. It was something that we were recognised internationally for, especially in the case of CERT for the hospitality skills.”
“Giving apprentice trainees the opportunity to drive against the flow of traffic from these urban areas and probably stay at home and actually do their training in the locality is something we need to look. I believe there are three or four counties left in the country that do not have a dedicated apprenticeship training centre. We are one of them. I know the Minister of State is in a neighbouring county so she would be happy someday to visit us in Roscommon and look at the opportunity and maybe meet with the ETB in relation to that. The reason we have to focus so much on delivering these apprenticeships where they are needed most is that we have introduced policies and strategies that have created the demand for these places.”
“Previous speakers mentioned the money that is available for apprentices, but the cost of actually going into these urban areas and paying for accommodation is not easy for these people. It is especially a barrier for older women leaving home. Maybe this is something we need to really look at. When the Minister, Deputy Lawless, was in this Chamber for the two previous conversations, I was crying out to him for an apprenticeship centre in Roscommon. It is great to have these small initiatives that are delivering, but the Galway-Roscommon Education and Training Board is crying out for this and has been presenting for the last five years an opportunity to deliver these skills in a place like Roscommon.”
“It is great to have Katelyn here today as a flag bearer for female apprentices. Congratulations. I did not recognise you from the dancing on Sunday night. You have less make-up on this evening. Congratulations on that show too. From the findings of the national survey of apprentices that was launched in September, we know that 8% of apprentices at the moment are female. We also know that 24% of the apprentices are between the ages of 23 and 30, and nearly 13% of them are above that age. I think that one of the barriers to a lot of older people going into apprenticeships is having to travel for their training facilities and having to go to these urban areas.”